Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara named his preferred playing XI for the fourth T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad. He recommended keeping the top five unchanged and giving Nitish Kumar Reddy another opportunity at number six.

Pujara placed Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma at the top, followed by Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma. He slotted Naman Dhir at seven and Axar Patel at eight, leaving the final fast-bowling spot open between Prince Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav depending on conditions.

India lead the five-match series 2-1 after Sunday's 14-run win in Indore and can seal the contest with victory on Wednesday.

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said on Tuesday that MS Dhoni could return for the 2027 IPL season despite missing the entire 2026 campaign through injury. The 45-year-old wicketkeeper-batter did not feature in a single match as the franchise finished eighth in the ten-team table.

Viswanathan told local media that only Dhoni himself can decide his future and that the franchise is waiting for his decision when he arrives in Chennai. He added that Dhoni remains an active player on the franchise's books.

Former CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said Dhoni's presence at training sessions helped young players and maintained team continuity. Suresh Raina has also urged Dhoni to return for the 2027 season.

Denish Das scored 103 and Sibsankar Roy remained unbeaten on 143 as Assam reached 373 against Punjab on the second day of their Ranji Trophy match at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh. The pair added 168 runs for the fourth wicket after Assam had been reduced to 23 for three on the opening day. Umesh Yadav took five for 70 as Punjab dismissed Assam's last five wickets for 42 runs.

Chloe Tryon signed a one-year deal with the Melbourne Renegades, becoming their third overseas player for WBBL|12. The South Africa all-rounder has played for three previous clubs and returns after a modest 2024 season with Hobart Hurricanes.

Renegades coach Gavan Twining said Tryon's middle-order batting and left-arm spin add flexibility. She joins Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin in an overseas trio of all-rounders.

The Renegades have two list spots left, one tied to the end of the T20 Spring Challenge on October 21. They lost Alice Capsey, Charis Bekker, Emma de Broughe, Sarah Coyte, Davina Perrin and Issy Wong from last season's squad.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Geoff Allott says the IPL has given Kiwi players and coaches a chance to work in high-performance environments. He was speaking ahead of India's tour, which starts October 22 and features a record number of matches. More than 85,000 tickets have already been sold.

Allott called the IPL a world-leading tournament run by the BCCI. He pointed to Stephen Fleming, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel as examples of New Zealand coaches who've succeeded overseas. Indian and Kiwi coaches connect on a level that goes beyond cricket, he added.

He also said groundsmen in New Zealand have worked to produce balanced wickets that allow proper contests between quality sides. The country has made a deliberate choice not to prepare seam-friendly surfaces that might disadvantage visiting teams.

Matt Renshaw scored 190 against South Africa in the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, surpassing Virat Kohli's record for most runs scored batting with the tail since 2002. The left-hander made 174 of his runs in partnerships with the lower order after Australia slumped to 124 for six.

Renshaw added 41 with Pat Cummins, 12 with Mitchell Starc, 134 with Nathan Lyon and 21 with Josh Hazlewood. He fell for 190 off 397 balls, one short of his maiden Test double century.

South Africa reached 27 for one in reply, trailing by 363 runs at stumps on day two. Wiaan Mulder took four for 68 for the hosts.

Australia batting stalwart Steve Smith took the field on the fifth day of the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead after being struck on the helmet by a bouncer from Anrich Nortje on the fourth day. The 37-year-old was hit on the fourth delivery of his second innings and required a helmet change before continuing.

Smith scored 27 off 41 deliveries before being dismissed by Simon Harmer. Australia declared at 314 for six, setting South Africa a target of 421. Matt Renshaw scored 82 in the second innings to help set the challenging total. Cricket Australia stated that Smith had not been diagnosed with concussion as of Monday and would require a symptom-free period before being available for selection. A further update was expected later on Monday or Tuesday.

Australia batter Steve Smith received a blow to the helmet from a short-pitched Anrich Nortje delivery on Day 4 of the first Test against South Africa in Durban. He underwent an on-field concussion assessment, changed his helmet and continued his innings before being dismissed for 27.

Smith did not take the field when South Africa began their second innings, with Michael Neser replacing him in the cordon. Cricket Australia stated he would be assessed further and an update provided later on Monday or Tuesday.

The incident revives concerns over Smith's concussion history, notably the 2019 Lord's blow from Jofra Archer that ruled him out of the remainder of that Test. Australia have already lost Cameron Green and Josh Inglis to this tour through injury.

Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar said he is preparing for windy conditions in New Zealand by studying footage ahead of the India A tour. The 24-year-old has already adapted to three different balls in three countries this year, taking wickets with the SG ball in India, Kookaburra in Sri Lanka and Dukes in England. He said experience with the Kookaburra will help him adjust faster in New Zealand.

Fast bowler Brydon Carse has retained his place on the England men’s central contract list despite losing his place in England’s Test squad in August 2026. The 31-year-old was charged by the Cricket Regulator with breaching Regulation 3.2 of the ECB Professional Conduct Regulations over an incident outside a Derby nightclub on August 23.

The matter will now be referred to the independent Cricket Discipline Panel for adjudication. Carse was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, handcuffed, then de-arrested. Derbyshire Police ended their investigation into separate assault allegations last month.

Director of cricket Rob Key said Carse could return to the England side depending on the outcome of the charge. The ECB will continue to support him through the process, with squad selection decisions made on a tour-by-tour basis.

Uttar Pradesh reached 540 in their first innings against Bihar on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match at Rajgir International Stadium. Madhav Kaushik made 150 and Rinku Singh scored 112 after the pair extended their overnight partnership. Aaradhya Yadav added 84 as the lower order pushed the total past 500 before Amod Yadav finished with four for 91.

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been included in the India A squad for three red-ball matches against New Zealand A beginning October 24 in Lincoln. Dhruv Jurel has been appointed captain, while Rishabh Pant was also picked subject to fitness.

The 15-member squad features Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod and Mukesh Kumar.

The series serves as the final red-ball preparation block before India's two-Test tour of New Zealand that starts on November 19 at the Basin Reserve.