SA20 chief operating officer Lynn Naudé said the league's rapid rise has been built on securing a prime South African summer window, putting Proteas players at the heart of the competition and creating strong match-day atmosphere. Naudé said the league is not trying to be any other competition.

Naudé said the commitment from Cricket South Africa to make all Proteas available has been central to the league's identity. The league has also focused on improving broadcast quality and fan experience within South African venues.

Naudé said SA20 has contributed to knowledge transfer across the South African cricket ecosystem, with standards and expectations from the league influencing broader operations. The league enters its fifth season with continued focus on these foundational elements.

India opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi ranked smashing six sixes in an over as his top T20I wish ahead of the series against West Indies. The 15-year-old placed scoring the fastest T20I century second on his list, followed by hitting the longest six ever.

Suryavanshi currently holds the second- and third-fastest centuries in IPL history, off 35 and 36 balls respectively. He has already become the youngest T20 centurion at 14 years and 32 days and the youngest to score 1,000 T20 runs.

The record for most T20I centuries by an Indian batter ranked fourth on his list, with Rohit Sharma holding the mark with five. A last-ball six to win a game was fifth, followed by pulling off a famous catch at sixth.

Pretoria Capitals coach Sourav Ganguly says the side will enter the SA20 Season 5 auction with a clear plan for the five remaining slots. The squad already features Phil Salt, Dewald Brevis, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Andre Russell and Sherfane Rutherford.

Dewald Brevis cost R16.5 million, the highest figure in SA20 history, while captain Keshav Maharaj was acquired for R1.7 million. After keeping three overseas players, the franchise still holds the biggest remaining purse at R32.5 million.

Ganguly noted the retained group had performed well enough to reach last season’s final, and the team will use that base to fill specific gaps.

Vijay Zol scored 451 not out for Maharashtra Under-19 against Assam in the Cooch Behar Trophy in December 2011. The innings broke Yuvraj Singh's tournament record and lasted nearly ten hours.

Zol later captained India's Under-19 World Cup-winning side in 2012. He scored a century on India A debut against New Zealand A and followed it with an unbeaten double century on Ranji Trophy debut for Maharashtra.

Zol shared the RCB dressing room with Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. He played only 15 first-class matches and never appeared for India.

Smriti Mandhana has paid tribute to Harmanpreet Kaur's decade-long captaincy after being named India's new captain across all formats. Mandhana said ten years of Harmanpreet's leadership had been fantastic and that the pair would continue striving for more laurels for India together. Harmanpreet stepped down on Tuesday after leading India to their maiden ODI World Cup title in 2025.

Mandhana will assume charge for the tour of Zimbabwe beginning October 16. She has previously led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles and has captained India in Harmanpreet's absence on several occasions. Harmanpreet led India in 155 T20Is, 51 ODIs and five Tests during her tenure.

Harmanpreet's final assignment was the 2026 Asian Games, where India defended their gold medal. Mandhana's message reinforced that the captaincy change does not end their partnership in Indian colours.

Multiple IPL franchises have made inquiries about trading for Hardik Pandya from Mumbai Indians ahead of the November 15 retention deadline. At least one franchise has shown particular interest according to Cricbuzz sources.

Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have held discussions with Mumbai Indians regarding the all-rounder. However, Hardik's potential move to CSK has reportedly receded following Zaheer Khan's appointment as head coach, given their reported previous rift during Zaheer's time with MI management.

Hardik is expected to miss India's tour of New Zealand due to fitness concerns. Suryansh Shedge has replaced the injured all-rounder in the India A squad for the three-match one-day series against Australia A starting Tuesday in Puducherry.

Arshdeep Singh leads the wicket-taking charts among Indian bowlers with 140 scalps from 94 T20Is at an average of 19.77. The left-arm pacer has taken 55 wickets from 36 home matches at an average of 21.67 and will lead India's pace attack without Jasprit Bumrah.

West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein has over ten wickets against India in T20Is and brings experience from his IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings. The left-arm off-spinner can challenge Indian openers in the powerplay with his variations including the arm ball.

Axar Patel returns with confidence after taking 2 for 29 in the Asian Games final against Pakistan. The all-rounder has 109 T20I wickets from 107 matches at an average of 22.04 and holds a strong home record with 59 wickets from 47 matches at an average of 19.45.

Sourav Ganguly has been appointed head coach of Delhi Capitals for the 2027 IPL season, replacing Hemang Badani. Ganguly, who remains president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, said he has received clearance from the BCCI ombudsman regarding conflict-of-interest concerns.

Ganguly has worked with the franchise since 2019 in advisory and director of cricket roles. He also coached Pretoria Capitals to the SA20 final last season. Yuvraj Singh is expected to join as batting coach alongside Chaminda Vaas and Amit Mishra.

Delhi finished sixth in the 2026 IPL and missed the playoffs. The franchise is led by Axar Patel and added Rishabh Pant ahead of the next season.

Western Australia speedster Mahli Beardman is back over the 140 kph mark in the nets. Seven months ago a lumbar stress injury cut short his debut season after he made his T20I bow against Pakistan in January.

He's in Puducherry now with the Australia A side for three 50-over matches against India A. Time on the sidelines sharpened what he wants from the role: unsettle batters, not just hit the right areas.

The former Under-19 World Cup winner watched how Pat Cummins rebuilt after injuries and picked up tips from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood on earlier tours.

The 125th edition of the Sheffield Shield begins this week with Victoria hosting defending champions South Australia at Junction Oval in a rematch of last season's final. New South Wales and Tasmania start their campaigns at Sydney's Cricket Central on October 8, while Queensland travel to face Western Australia at the WACA Ground.

Each state will play six Shield games before the BBL break and four after, with the top two teams qualifying for the five-day final from March 25 to 29 next year. Victoria enters the season opener with three potential debutants in Austin Anlezark, Liam Blackford and Harry Hoekstra. Blackford is expected to play as the side's wicketkeeper following Sam Harper's call-up to the Australia Test squad.

Queensland will be without Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw and Michael Neser, who are on Australia's Test tour of South Africa. Western Australia's squad is yet to be announced. All matches will be streamed live on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, with selected games broadcast on Fox Cricket.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said Pakistan's treatment of Imran Khan is inhumane and that the former captain does not deserve what he is experiencing. Shastri said many cricketers around the world would share the same sentiment and urged authorities to prioritise Khan's health.

Reports indicate that Khan's health has deteriorated in jail, with only 15 percent vision remaining in his right eye. Twenty-one former international captains, including Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, have written to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting proper medical treatment.

Khan has been imprisoned since 2023 following convictions in cases involving corruption, leaking state secrets and an unlawful marriage. Shastri said Khan remains the most recognised Pakistani face globally and deserves better treatment regardless of political circumstances.

Dinesh Karthik said Gurnoor Brar will be one of four seamers who narrowly miss out on India's 2027 ODI World Cup squad. Karthik noted that Brar has taken 14 wickets in nine ODIs but at an average of 41.50 and an economy of 7.17.

Karthik said Prasidh Krishna, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami are the other three pacers who will be discussed but are unlikely to make the final cut. He backed Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh as the four specialist pacers for the tournament.

Karthik said the bowling attack has been under pressure after conceding over 1,000 runs in the recent West Indies ODI series. He noted that Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana have all been unavailable at various points, leaving an inexperienced attack exposed on flat pitches.

The England and Wales Cricket Board could step in financially to ensure England's women play a Test in the West Indies next spring as preparation for the 2027 Ashes. ECB chair Richard Thompson told the BBC the board would look at providing financial help if Cricket West Indies faced difficulties staging the match.

Thompson said the ECB wants the Test because England need more red-ball cricket before the Ashes. He added that the board has huge sympathy for the West Indies and hopes a solution can be found through the ICC.

England have played just one Test since their 2025 Ashes defeat and have not faced West Indies in a women's Test since 1979. West Indies last played a Test in 2004. The tour also includes three T20s and three ODIs.