Chennai Super Kings have ended their long association with batting coach Michael Hussey ahead of IPL 2027. Hussey had been with the franchise for more than 15 years as player and coach, winning two IPL titles as a player and three as a coach. The move follows the departure of head coach Stephen Fleming and bowling coach Eric Simons.

Zaheer Khan has been appointed as the new head coach, while Mohit Sharma has been named bowling coach. The future of fielding coach James Foster remains uncertain. Hussey is in discussions with multiple teams and could join another franchise's support staff for the 2027 season.

CSK finished eighth in IPL 2026 after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The franchise is undergoing a major coaching restructure with MS Dhoni reportedly playing a key role in the changes.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched the Dream Olympics initiative and felicitated state athletes who won medals at the 2026 Asian Games and Chess Olympiad. The ceremony at The Leela Palace in Chennai included cash incentives presented through the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.

Wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini who won gold with India's women's cricket team at the Asian Games said Vijay's assurance of support meant the most to her. Chess Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa thanked the state government for support through SDAT's elite scheme after India's silver medal at the Chess Olympiad. Athlete Vithya Ramraj broke a 42-year-old national record and expressed gratitude for government backing.

Rower Satnam Singh who won bronze in the men's double sculls at the Asian Games said the medal opens new possibilities for the sport in India. Satnam had previously won bronze in the quadruple sculls at Hangzhou in 2023.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi hosted a dinner for the national men's cricket team in Rawalpindi ahead of their three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The gathering took place as the squad prepares for the opening match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, October 9, with the remaining two fixtures also scheduled at the same venue on October 11 and 13.

Naqvi interacted with players and team management during the informal event, which included head coach Mike Hesson and coaching staff members Shaun Tait, Michael Smith and Mansoor Amjad. The dinner came as Pakistan begins a new T20I phase under recently appointed captain Sahibzada Farhan, who led the side at the Asian Games. The 15-member squad blends experienced players with emerging talent and follows Pakistan's narrow defeat to India in the Asian Games final.

Sri Lanka will be led by Kusal Mendis in the series. Pakistan's squad comprises Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak believes Ishan Kishan plays according to the team's needs—a shift he's watched closely ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand. Kishan, originally from Patna but representing Jharkhand in domestic cricket, leads the shortest format with 1042 runs in 30 innings and's a T20 World Cup winner.

Kotak added that Kishan's much more mature now than he was in previous years. That maturity matters, especially with the series opener in Jharkhand—Kishan's home state—where familiarity with conditions could swing things his way.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar got recalled to the squad. Kotak noted the pacer was probably brought back to add experience in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. Kumar hasn't played for India since November 2022.

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg told reporters in Durban that the World Test Championship will expand to 12 teams for the next two cycles. The ICC has not responded to the comments and no formal proposal has been submitted. An ICC board member said no structural change to the WTC has been tabled and any decision would require discussion at the November board meeting.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said Ishan Kishan has matured since returning to the national side after a period away from the team. Kishan remained unbeaten on 37 in the first T20I against West Indies and shared an unbroken 137-run stand with Shreyas Iyer.

Kotak said Kishan is much more mature now and understands his role within the batting order. Kishan credited Iyer's form for his decision to play second fiddle during the chase of 172. Kishan said he worked on fitness and batting during his time out of the side and focused on domestic performances to earn a recall.

Kishan said enjoying cricket and contributing to team success are his priorities after returning. He has scored the most runs in T20Is in 2026 among full-member nations with 1042 runs from 30 matches at an average of 38.59 and a strike rate of 168.06.

Joburg Super Kings bought 18-year-old batter Jason Rowles for $174,248 at the SA20 Season 5 auction on Wednesday. The Johannesburg-born player, still a matric pupil at St David’s Marist Inanda, drew bids from MI Cape Town before JSK secured him at 14.5 times his R200,000 base price.

Rowles scored 280 runs at an average of 70 in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, including an unbeaten 125 against Tanzania. He also scored a double century in the Youth Test series against England U19 in July. JSK head coach Albie Morkel said the franchise had tracked Rowles for more than a year and viewed him as a potential future star.

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said the auction showed talent matters more than age. He pointed to Faf du Plessis, who returned to Joburg Super Kings for $162,286 despite being 42, as proof that experience still commands value when fitness holds.

Bangladesh Under-19 will fly to Oman twice inside a month. They leave on Saturday for five youth ODIs against Afghanistan on October 13, 15, 18, 20 and 23 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, with Farid Hasan Faysal leading the side.

Once that series ends, the squad heads home, then turns around on November 2 for the ACC U-19 Asia Cup starting November 5. Defending champions of the last two editions, Bangladesh land in Group B with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Malaysia. The top two from each group reach the semi-finals on November 12; the final is set for November 14. Group A has India, Pakistan, UAE and Nepal.

India could bring fit-again pacer Prince Yadav into the XI for the second T20I against West Indies in Ranchi on Friday. Prince has been sidelined for three months with an injury sustained during the Zimbabwe series in July.

Mayank Yadav was the most expensive bowler in the first T20I, conceding 40 runs in four overs. Prince's return would give India an additional pace option alongside Arshdeep Singh and the rested Jasprit Bumrah.

Sanju Samson has scored 9, 7, 2 and 11 in his last four innings, prompting discussion about a possible move for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The management has so far retained the established opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Samson.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the team needed experience in England when Jasprit Bumrah was unavailable and that Bhuvneshwar Kumar's strong IPL performances earned him a recall. Kotak added that V.V.S. Laxman remains committed to doing what is best for Indian cricket in his new role with the selection committee. The ODI squad for the New Zealand tour is expected to be announced next week.

Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday the team has put the 2018 sandpaper scandal behind them before the first Test against South Africa in Durban. Cummins confirmed that Usman Khawaja had rung to tell him about his upcoming autobiography.

Khawaja's book is due out in November. Cummins told him to tell his story and that the group had already answered every question about the incident during previous investigations.

The four bowlers who played in Cape Town — Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon — released a joint statement in 2021 denying prior knowledge of the plan. Australia begin the series on Friday.

Australia captain Pat Cummins has said he is not concerned about potential Sandpapergate revelations in Usman Khawaja's upcoming autobiography. Khawaja called Cummins a few weeks ago to inform him about the book, which is scheduled for release on November 10. Cummins told reporters that all investigations had been completed years ago and that the group had moved on.

Khawaja played in the Cape Town Test in 2018 when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper. Steve Smith, David Warner and Bancroft received lengthy bans. The first Test of Australia's current tour of South Africa begins at Kingsmead on Friday.

Joburg Super Kings head coach Albie Morkel said signing Kieron Pollard for R1.5 million at the SA20 2027 auction was an obvious choice. Pollard, who needs one more run to reach 15,000 T20 career runs, will add leadership and experience to the middle order.

Morkel said Pollard brings a winning mentality, toughness and West Indian flair that will benefit younger players including Jason Rowles. He acknowledged Pollard's history with MI franchises but said the move strengthens Joburg's squad.

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said Pollard's presence offers mentorship to under-23 players and adds competitive edge to the tournament. Pollard previously represented MI Cape Town and continues to play in ILT20 and Major League Cricket.

Mahli Beardman said he is learning from Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins as he rebuilds his career after a back injury. The fast bowler took 4 for 23 in his third match back for Australia A against India A in Puducherry.

Beardman suffered a lumbar bone stress injury after his T20I debut against Pakistan in January. He said the senior bowlers have provided technical guidance and strategic insights during his recovery.

Beardman's ball speed has returned to over 140 kilometres per hour in the nets. The three-match series between Australia A and India A continues with the second one-dayer on Friday.

Rashid Khan has reclaimed the number one spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings for the eighth time. The Afghanistan leg-spinner has spent more time at the top of the rankings than any other bowler. He is also the current number one ODI bowler.

Rashid told Hindustan Times last month that Afghanistan's progress since his 2015 debut has been remarkable. He recalled their first series win against Zimbabwe and subsequent victories over West Indies, England, New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan. India remains the only major team Afghanistan has not beaten in a series.

Rashid said his back issue has settled and he hopes to represent Afghanistan in red-ball cricket again. He and Mohammad Nabi still discuss the team's journey over green tea and dry fruit.

India A will look to bounce back in the second one-dayer against Australia A in Puducherry on Friday after being bowled out for 149 in the series opener. Rajat Patidar was the only batter to pass fifty in the first match.

Australia A posted 274 for 7 with Nathan McSweeney scoring 123. Mahli Beardman took 4 for 23, including three wickets in his first 12 balls.

Spinners Anukul Roy, Vipraj Nigam and Nishant Sindhu bowled in the nets ahead of the day game. Ruturaj Gaikwad will hope the trio can exploit any assistance on offer in the middle overs.