Ravichandran Ashwin says India's decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav for the fourth T20I lacked common sense.
Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised India's decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav out of the fourth T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad. Ashwin said the choice lacked common sense given that West Indies batters have struggled against the left-arm wrist-spinner's variations throughout the series.
Kuldeep was again omitted despite the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch offering some assistance to spinners. India opted for an extra seamer, with Axar Patel and Naman Dhir providing the spin options as West Indies posted 247 for three.
Ashwin noted that while omitting Kuldeep in Indore was understandable due to the small boundaries, Hyderabad presented different conditions where the wrist-spinner could have made an impact. The series is now level at 2-2 ahead of the final match in Bengaluru.
Mohammad Kaif urges India to recall Kuldeep Yadav for the series decider after the wrist-spinner was dropped following one expensive spell.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has called for Kuldeep Yadav to be recalled for the fifth T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru on October 17. Kaif questioned the decision to drop the wrist-spinner after he leaked 53 runs in four overs during the second match. He argued that one poor outing should not end Kuldeep's series participation.
India lost the fourth T20I in Hyderabad by 24 runs after posting 223 for nine in pursuit of West Indies' 247 for three. West Indies spinners Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase took wickets and controlled the middle overs while India's spin options Axar Patel and Naman Dhir failed to build pressure. Former pacer Varun Aaron said the Hyderabad surface offered grip and that Kuldeep could have exploited the conditions.
India leads the five-match series 2-2. The decider will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium where the team management must decide whether to retain an extra pacer or bring back the specialist spinner.
Patil defended the 2012-2016 committee's decisions to move on from established stars.
Former chief selector Sandeep Patil said Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan knew the reasons why they were phased out of the national side. Patil headed the selection committee from 2012 to 2016 following India's 2011 World Cup triumph.
Patil said the panel made decisions with the future of Indian cricket in mind rather than personal relationships. He stressed that selectors must maintain professional boundaries with players.
Patil added that selectors sometimes make decisions they are not happy with but act for the good of the Indian team.
Both India openers posted low scores in their first Ranji matches of the season.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul suffered disappointing starts to their Ranji Trophy campaigns on Sunday. Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck off 13 balls while opening for Mumbai against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rahul managed only four runs for Karnataka against Andhra in Vijayawada. Both openers return to the domestic circuit ahead of India's two-Test series against New Zealand starting November 19.
Jaiswal has one fifty-plus score in his last nine Test innings. Rahul arrived in the Ranji Trophy after scoring an unbeaten century in India's recent ODI series against the West Indies.
Smriti Mandhana holds the ODI batting summit while three Indian batters feature in the T20I top 10.
Smriti Mandhana retained the top spot in the ICC women's ODI batting rankings with 790 points in the update released on Tuesday. Harmanpreet Kaur is the only other Indian in the top 10, placed ninth with 652 points. Australia's Ellyse Perry returned to the top 10.
Deepti Sharma slipped one place to ninth in the ODI bowling rankings. Annabel Sutherland and Megan Schutt moved into the top five. Shafali Verma, Mandhana and Harmanpreet occupy fourth, fifth and tenth places in the T20I batting rankings.
Shree Charani leads the T20I bowling rankings with 817 points, ahead of Deepti Sharma on 754. Deepti is fourth among T20I all-rounders and sixth in the ODI all-rounders list. India sit third in both the ODI and T20I team rankings.
Shreyas Iyer climbs to fourth in ICC T20I rankings after his century in the series opener against West Indies.
India captain Shreyas Iyer has moved to a career-best fourth position in the ICC T20I batting rankings after scoring a century in the opening match of the five-game series against West Indies. Three Indian batters now feature in the top five of the rankings.
Iyer scored 102 not out off 43 balls in the first T20I and followed it with 40 off 18 balls in the second match. He has 159 runs from four innings at an average of 53.00 and a strike rate of 214.86.
India leads the series 2-2 after losing the fourth T20I in Hyderabad by 24 runs. The decider will be played in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Beth Mooney will reach her 100th ODI in the final match against Bangladesh as she targets World Cup and Olympic goals.
Australia wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney will play her 100th ODI in the final match against Bangladesh at Allan Border Field on Wednesday. The 32-year-old reached the milestone more than a decade after her debut in early 2016.
Mooney said her motivation remains the 2029 ODI World Cup and the possibility of competing at the 2032 Olympics in her hometown of Brisbane. She cited the evolution of the 50-over format and the chance to mentor younger players as reasons to continue playing.
Australia lead the series 2-0 and will aim for a clean sweep against Bangladesh, who have struggled against the top-ranked side.
Ramakrishnan Sridhar said Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return strengthens India's bowling options on New Zealand's flat pitches during the upcoming white-ball series.
Former India fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar said Bhuvneshwar Kumar's inclusion in the T20I squad will help India adapt to New Zealand conditions ahead of the five-match series starting October 22. Sridhar said the seamer's ability to exploit lengths on flat pitches will be valuable during the white-ball leg of the tour.
Sridhar told Zee News Digital that New Zealand pitches are typically batting-friendly in limited-overs cricket, but bowlers can still gain an edge by pitching fuller and tempting batters into mistakes. He added that the spring conditions could make lengths around the six-metre mark more effective and that Kumar is suited to those surfaces.
The former fielding coach said the quicker India's bowlers adjust their lengths, the better their chances of making an impact. India's tour includes five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, with the ODI series beginning November 4.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin attributed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20I recall to consistent effort rather than any calculated pursuit of selection.
Ravichandran Ashwin said Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series stems from consistent performances rather than any pursuit of selection. The 36-year-old seamer earned his recall after strong showings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.
Ashwin added that Bhuvneshwar focused on doing his job without looking for external rewards. He also backed Mohammed Shami's prospects of a return if the veteran maintains belief and works towards it.
Bhuvneshwar will join the squad for the five-match T20I series beginning October 22. Ashwin rated South Africa as the strongest contender for the 2027 ODI World Cup among teams with home advantage.
India's catching efficiency fell to 74.4 per cent in 2026, with 55 drops in 32 T20Is, per CricViz.
India caught 74.4 per cent of their chances in T20Is this year, 11th out of 12 full-member nations, CricViz data shows. That's 55 drops across 32 matches, up from 33 drops in 26 matches in 2024 and 26 in 19 matches in 2025.
Tilak Varma held the most catches for India with 23, yet he dropped nine himself. Abhishek Sharma succeeded on 57.8 per cent of his attempts and Washington Sundar on 62.5 per cent. The new fielding coach, Subhadeep Ghosh, took over from T Dilip, but the slide continued.
Former fielding coach R Sridhar said the problem is cultural. Fielding never had the same structure as batting or bowling, and domestic cricket still pushes young players to bat first and field second.
Hazlewood's six-for seals Australia's 214-run win and 1-0 series lead in Durban.
Josh Hazlewood claimed six for 49 as Australia completed a 214-run victory on the fifth day of the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban. South Africa were bowled out for 206 while chasing 421 after Aiden Markram top-scored with 75. Hazlewood finished with career-best figures and helped Australia take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Matt Renshaw scored 190 in the first innings and later took his maiden Test wicket. Steve Smith became the world record holder for most catches by a fielder in Tests during the match. Pat Cummins said the tourists maintained high standards after an early batting collapse on day one.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma admitted mental errors cost his side and said they must learn from Australia's experience. The second Test begins in Gqeberha next week.
Pathum Nissanka has been included in Sri Lanka's Test squad for the series against Pakistan, subject to fitness clearance. Kusal Mendis will captain the 15-player side for the Tests in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara retains his place ahead of Lahiru Udara. Wicketkeeper Anjala Bandara is in line for a possible debut.
The series forms part of Sri Lanka's preparation cycle ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, with selectors balancing experienced players against emerging options across formats.
Sri Lanka appointed Kusal Mendis captain for the Pakistan Test series; Nissanka included subject to fitness.
Sri Lanka named Kusal Mendis captain for the two-Test series against Pakistan that begins in Rawalpindi on November 9. Dhananjaya de Silva stepped down from the role and retained his place in the 15-member squad announced on Tuesday. Mendis, who already leads the side in ODIs and T20Is, will take charge of the Test team for the first time.
Pathum Nissanka was included subject to regaining fitness after a hamstring injury sustained during the ODI series against England. The squad also featured a recall for left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka and a debut call-up for uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Anjala Bandara, who has scored 2,239 first-class runs at an average of 65.85. Lahiru Udara and Niroshan Dickwella were omitted.
Sri Lanka sit seventh in the World Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 33.33, while Pakistan are bottom with 4.63. The second Test will be played in Lahore from November 17.
Mithun Manhas reframed 2027 ODI World Cup selection as a performance and fitness test, embedding senior mentorship into the leadership structure.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas said fitness and performance, not age, should guide selection for the 2027 ODI World Cup, effectively removing chronological limits on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The tournament runs from October 2 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kohli will turn 39 and Rohit 40 during the event.
Manhas framed the policy as a continuation of the men's team's succession model where senior players remain available to mentor incoming captains. He said Kohli, Rohit and Hardik Pandya would help Shubman Gill manage workload distribution alongside Jasprit Bumrah's potential role as bowling captain. The approach treats experience as distributed leadership capacity rather than individual playing time.
The policy aligns with earlier transitions where Sourav Ganguly guided MS Dhoni and Dhoni supported Kohli and Rohit. Manhas said the presence of proven performers in pressure situations strengthens the team's ability to handle difficult decisions during matches.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas said fitness and performance, not age, should determine a player's eligibility for India selection ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. Manhas made clear the call belongs to selectors and coaches, but anyone fit and winning matches meets the only test that matters. Virat Kohli will turn 39 and Rohit Sharma will be over 40 during the tournament.
Manhas added that experienced players like Kohli, Rohit and Hardik Pandya alongside captain Shubman Gill would help share the workload. He also flagged Jasprit Bumrah's role as a bowling leader and the need for designated fielding captains. The selection committee has already managed transitions in the Test and T20I sides.
Both Kohli and Rohit have kept scoring in recent limited-overs matches. Manhas said their presence gives the side stability while it shifts to a new captain.
Chopra said MI are reconsidering options but cast doubt on whether the franchise will turn back to the 39-year-old for anything beyond a short-term arrangement.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra said reports of Mumbai Indians handing the captaincy back to Rohit Sharma for IPL 2027 indicate some internal discussion but remain unconfirmed. He noted that Hardik Pandya is unlikely to retain the role after two poor seasons but questioned whether Rohit, 39, is the best long-term fit.
Chopra listed Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma as the other captaincy candidates inside the current squad. He added that Mumbai’s habit of course correction makes a change probable, though no final decision has been taken.
Rohit led Mumbai to five IPL titles before Hardik assumed the captaincy ahead of the 2024 season.
Mithun Manhas said fitness and performance, not age, should guide Kohli and Rohit selection for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas stated that fitness and performance, not age, should determine whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. The tournament runs from October 2 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Manhas said selectors and coaches will make the final call, but emphasised that players who remain fit and continue to win matches for India should stay in contention. Kohli will turn 39 during the tournament while Rohit will be 40.
Manhas added that the presence of Kohli, Rohit and Hardik Pandya would help new ODI captain Shubman Gill manage workload distribution. He noted that Jasprit Bumrah could serve as bowling captain while another player handles fielding responsibilities.
