Hope's unbeaten 102 and Rutherford's 84 power West Indies to their highest T20I chase.
West Indies chased down India's 249 for 5 to win the second T20I by six wickets in Ranchi on Friday. Shai Hope remained unbeaten on 102 off 45 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford scored 84 off 37 as the visitors reached 252 for 4 in 18.3 overs.
India's innings was built around Sanju Samson's 82 off 41 balls, Ishan Kishan's 43 off 22 and an 83-run stand between Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma. Roston Chase took 3 for 24 for West Indies.
Mayank Yadav dismissed Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell early in the chase, but Hope and Rutherford added 120 for the fourth wicket. The result leaves the five-match series level at 1-1.
Parthiv Patel revealed RCB dismissed his suggestion to sign Bumrah at the 2014 mega-auction.
Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has revealed that Royal Challengers Bengaluru ignored his advice to sign Jasprit Bumrah during the 2014 IPL mega-auction. Patel said he flagged Bumrah's availability after being picked by RCB on the first day of the auction, but the franchise responded that they did not see value in buying him at that stage.
Bumrah was subsequently signed by Mumbai Indians and has since taken 187 wickets in 158 IPL matches at an economy rate of 7.33. He has won four titles with MI and made his captaincy debut for the franchise in IPL 2026.
Patel made the disclosure during a podcast conversation with Aakash Chopra. The former wicketkeeper said the franchise did not think Bumrah could be worth buying at that stage.
De Villiers rated Kohli's current form higher than his 2016 peak, citing greater freedom at the crease.
Sanju Samson reached his fifty off 21 balls in the second T20I against West Indies in Ranchi on Friday, matching Virat Kohli's record for the fastest fifty by an Indian against the Caribbean side. He finished with 82 off 41 balls.
Samson hit six fours and three sixes after being dropped twice early in his innings. He shared a 97-run stand with Ishan Kishan as India posted 249 for 5.
The half-century was Samson's ninth in T20Is and came after four low scores in his previous innings. India reached 79 for 1 in the first six overs, their highest powerplay score against West Indies in T20Is.
Abhimanyu Easwaran said he will concentrate on performing for Bengal rather than worry about India selection ahead of the Ranji Trophy opener against Delhi.
Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran said he will continue to focus on performing for his state side rather than worry about India selection ahead of the Ranji Trophy opener against Delhi. The 31-year-old opener has accumulated first-class runs for more than a decade without earning a Test cap.
Easwaran said there is no point in thinking about selection and that performing well will take care of itself. He added that he wants to improve his scoring options and develop a better range of shots to adapt to different surfaces and bowling attacks.
Bengal open their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 campaign against Delhi at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani on Sunday. Easwaran has scored heavily enough to earn India call-ups for the 2024 home series against England and the subsequent tour of Australia.
Gareth Roderick has extended his Worcestershire contract through 2028 after 146 appearances since 2021.
Gareth Roderick has signed a contract extension with Worcestershire that will keep him at New Road until 2028. The wicketkeeper-batter has made 146 appearances across formats since joining in 2021 and has scored more than 3,000 first-class runs with seven centuries. He also completed over 200 dismissals behind the stumps.
Roderick said Worcestershire had become home and that he remained fully committed to the club. Head coach Alan Richardson praised his role as a senior figure and leader who drives standards at training. Roderick's previous contract details were not disclosed.
West Indies chief executive says ECB funding would guarantee a women's Test against England next year.
West Indies are still hopeful of hosting England in a women's Test next year, but the landmark fixture would be a certainty if the England and Wales Cricket Board were to help fund it, says chief executive Chris Dehring. ECB chair Richard Thompson suggested on Monday the board could step in to help the hosts maintain the red-ball element of the multi-format tour.
England want the Test to go ahead to aid their preparations for next summer's Ashes. It would be a first women's Test for West Indies since 2004. Dehring told BBC Sport the Caribbean board would welcome assistance from wealthier member boards.
The England tour is due in April and May next year and includes three T20s and three one-day internationals in addition to the Test. Cricket West Indies is yet to announce a schedule and is under financial pressure after cancelling a women's Test against Australia earlier this year.
Gambhir said bowlers' careers depend on balanced conditions after India failed to defend 249 against West Indies in Ranchi.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir called for a fairer contest between bat and ball after West Indies chased 250 in Ranchi. He said bowlers are not foreign players and their careers are also at stake when pitches offer little assistance.
Gambhir acknowledged the dew factor but stressed that a world champion side must find ways to defend totals on flat surfaces. He noted West Indies had lost three wickets inside the powerplay yet still won comfortably, adding that India must improve when defending scores above 240.
The teams meet again in Indore on Sunday for the third T20I.
Gautam Gambhir urged a fairer contest between bat and ball after India failed to defend 249 against West Indies.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir said bowlers' careers are at stake and called for an even contest between bat and ball after West Indies chased 250 in Ranchi. He spoke at the post-match press conference following the six-wicket defeat.
Gambhir acknowledged the dew factor but stressed that India, as reigning T20 World Cup champions, must find ways to defend totals on flat pitches. He noted that West Indies lost three wickets in the first six overs yet still won comfortably.
The teams will meet again in the third T20I at Indore on Sunday.
Shane Watson attributed India's inconsistent results to frequent changes in playing XI and batting order under Gautam Gambhir.
Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson said constant changes to India's playing XI and batting order have affected consistency under head coach Gautam Gambhir. Watson cited frequent player rotations as the reason behind India's Test series defeats at home to New Zealand and South Africa, plus white-ball losses to England, Australia and New Zealand.
Watson acknowledged Gambhir's success in backing players like Sanju Samson who delivered in the T20 World Cup knockout stages. He said sustained opportunities would help players find rhythm and maintain momentum across formats. India currently lead the five-match T20I series against West Indies 1-0.
India will tour New Zealand after the West Indies series for two Tests, five ODIs and five T20Is. Watson said reduced chopping and changing would make India harder to beat in world cricket.
BCCI kept Rohit Sharma's post-IPL rehab confidential while 32 players received treatment at Centre of Excellence with budget rising to Rs 127 crore.
BCCI reportedly kept Rohit Sharma's rehab after IPL 2026 quiet while 32 top Indian men's players underwent rehabilitation between April 2025 and March 2026. The Centre of Excellence's projected budget rose by Rs 35 crore to Rs 127 crore for 2026-27. Former India captain Rohit Sharma went through rehabilitation at the CoE to recuperate from a hamstring injury following IPL 2026.
During the period, 32 elite male cricketers received injury care and underwent rehabilitation at the CoE. This group comprised 20 players holding BCCI central contracts alongside 12 players from the targeted category. Soft-tissue injuries dominated the injury landscape. Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy each devoted a minimum of four months to the CoE over the last 18 months.
The head of Sports Science and Medicine role at the CoE has remained open since Nitin Patel's departure in March 2025. The BCCI opened applications for this position last month. Team India's SSM division and the CoE's SSM division have experienced insufficient coordination.
Basit Ali said Nana Patekar called his mother weekly in hospital and checked on him after heart surgery, describing the late actor as a close friend.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has paid tribute to Indian actor Nana Patekar, who died at 75 following a cardiac arrest at his Goa residence on Thursday. Ali said Patekar called his mother every week while she was in hospital, offered prayers and listened to her stories, and later sent messages of concern when Ali underwent heart surgery.
The pair first spoke in 2019 after Ali's friend was nicknamed "Nana" after the actor. They maintained regular contact until Patekar's death, with Ali describing him as the same warm person off screen as he appeared on it. Ali added that Patekar had as many admirers in Pakistan as in India.
Patekar's notable films include Parinda, Krantiveer and Salaam Bombay!.
Maddinson returns to the Test side a decade after his last appearance after recovering from cancer that spread to his lung and lymph nodes, opening the batting in Durban.
Nic Maddinson made his first Test appearance in 10 years during Australia's opening match against South Africa in Durban after battling testicular cancer that spread to his lung and lymph nodes. The 34-year-old was diagnosed in April 2025, completed chemotherapy in July and resumed cricket in September after medical clearance.
Maddinson was called up as cover for injured Cameron Green and earned selection ahead of Cooper Connolly after Josh Inglis was ruled out with a finger injury. He opened the batting with Travis Head and was dismissed for a 33-ball duck, the longest duck by an Australian opener in Test cricket. Maddinson had not played first-class cricket since March 2025 before scoring 126 in a domestic one-day match for New South Wales.
He was recently named captain of New South Wales for the 2026-27 Sheffield Shield season. Australia reached 187 for 6 at stumps on day one with Matt Renshaw unbeaten on 46 and Pat Cummins on 33.
Nic Maddinson opened for Australia against South Africa in Durban after a nine-year absence from Test cricket.
Nic Maddinson opened the batting for Australia in the first Test against South Africa in Durban on Friday after a nine-year absence from the format. The 34-year-old was recalled as a replacement for wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who was ruled out with a finger injury. Maddinson had not played first-class cricket since March 2025 following treatment for testicular cancer that spread to his lung and lymph nodes.
Maddinson was diagnosed in April 2025 and completed chemotherapy in July before receiving clearance to resume training in September. He made five appearances for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League and recently scored 126 for New South Wales in the domestic one-day competition. Australia captain Pat Cummins selected him ahead of Cooper Connolly for his experience and flexibility in the top order.
Maddinson was dismissed for a 33-ball duck on his return. He has been named New South Wales captain for the 2026/27 Sheffield Shield season.
Abhishek Sharma said he wants to emulate Virat Kohli's adaptability and learn Rohit Sharma's timing and MS Dhoni's finishing skills.
India opener Abhishek Sharma said he wants to "steal everything" from Virat Kohli while learning Rohit Sharma's timing and MS Dhoni's finishing skills. Sharma listed Kohli's adaptability, precision and aggression across formats as qualities he aims to emulate.
He also praised Yuvraj Singh's match-winning ability and Chris Gayle's mindset across formats. Sharma is 10 runs short of 1,000 T20I runs at home and needs 53 more runs in 166 balls to break Suryakumar Yadav's record for reaching 2,000 T20I runs in the fewest deliveries.
Sharma has scored 1,947 runs from 997 balls in T20Is and will have another opportunity against West Indies in the third match in Indore on Sunday.
Arunachal Pradesh forfeited their Ranji Trophy opener against Nagaland due to an administrative deadlock within the state association.
Arunachal Pradesh have had to pull out of their opening Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Nagaland on Sunday because no working committee exists to pick or prepare the side. The fixture was due at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The same problem stopped the team from turning up for their Vinoo Mankad Trophy game against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar earlier in the week. The root cause is a court challenge to the Arunachal Cricket Association elections held in September, which has left the body without any office-bearers.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS that the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar bench is still to give its verdict, so the association cannot act and the Board is also unable to step in.
Ravindra Jadeja has been included in Saurashtra’s 16-member squad for the Ranji Trophy opener against Chhattisgarh at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The match begins on October 11. Jadeja played two ODIs against West Indies without batting and took two wickets.
Jaydev Unadkat continues as captain after taking 28 wickets in seven matches for Sussex at an average of 22.21. Saurashtra have retained 14 players from last season’s squad. Left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja has moved to Chhattisgarh, and Parth Bhut is expected to shoulder the main spin-bowling workload.
The two-Test series against New Zealand begins in Wellington on November 19. Jadeja’s inclusion gives him red-ball match practice ahead of the tour.
Mukesh Kumar is back on selectors' radar after strong Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup performances.
Mukesh Kumar has said he is back in rhythm and pushing for an India comeback after more than two years out of the national side. The Bengal pacer was named in the India A squad for the New Zealand tour after taking 12 wickets in East Zone's Duleep Trophy triumph and eight wickets in the Irani Cup. He has already played six first-class matches in less than two months.
Mukesh credited regular red-ball cricket for restoring his seam position and rhythm. He has taken 22 wickets this season, 21 of them with the SG ball in India. Bengal open their Ranji Trophy campaign against Delhi on Sunday before Mukesh flies to New Zealand.
Green ruled out of first Test with abdominal strain; Maddinson or Connolly in contention at No 5.
Australia have lost all-rounder Cameron Green for the first Test against South Africa after he failed to recover from an abdominal strain. Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the injury on Tuesday in Durban. Green had already been managing a shoulder problem and will not bowl in the series.
Nic Maddinson and Cooper Connolly are the two candidates to bat at No 5, with Travis Head remaining at the top and Alex Carey at No 6. Maddinson has not played a Test since 2016 but was added to the squad after Josh Inglis fractured a finger. Australia must also decide whether the dry Kingsmead surface warrants a second spinner alongside Matt Kuhnemann.
Green's absence increases the likelihood that Beau Webster will retain his place as a fourth seamer after appearing in the last three Tests at No 7.
Pat Cummins and Matt Renshaw lead Australia's fightback after South Africa reduced the visitors to 187 for six on day one in Durban.
Australia reached 187 for six on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa in Durban on Friday. Bad light ended play with Pat Cummins on 33 and Matt Renshaw unbeaten on 46 after a 63-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
South Africa struck early after Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat. Travis Head fell for a duck and Nic Maddinson was dismissed for 0 in his first Test in ten years. Marnus Labuschagne made 37 and Steve Smith 25 before Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen took control.
Kagiso Rabada was ruled out with injury, and South Africa played two spinners in Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj. Anrich Nortje returned to the Test side after last featuring in March 2023.
India's young pacers conceded heavy runs without wickets on flat pitches during the recent ODI series against West Indies.
India's young fast bowlers struggled on flat pitches during the recent ODI series against West Indies. Auqib Nabi conceded 84 runs in 8.5 overs on debut in Guwahati, while Anshul Kamboj gave away 82 in nine overs in New Chandigarh. Nitish Kumar Reddy finished with 0/50 in 6.5 overs, and Gurnoor Brar leaked 96 runs for two wickets across two matches.
Wankhede curator Ramesh Mhamunkar criticised the conditions, saying the pitches offered no assistance to seamers or spinners and that instructions to prepare batting tracks are unfair to bowlers. India chased totals above 400 and 350 in the series.
