Steve Smith set a new Test record for the most career catches by a fielder on the third day of the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Sunday. The Australia captain held four catches to take his career total to 223, surpassing Joe Root's previous mark of 222.
South Africa were bowled out for 284 in their first innings after Australia posted 390. Pat Cummins took three for 54 while Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon claimed two wickets each.
Nic Maddinson and Travis Head extended Australia's lead to 139 with an unbroken 33-run stand before bad light ended play for the third consecutive day.
Venkatesh Prasad accused Elon Musk of double standards in the Starlink India regulatory dispute.
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad criticised Elon Musk over the Starlink India controversy, calling the billionaire a terrible human being. Prasad took issue with Musk's comments on India's regulatory hurdles for satellite internet services.
Prasad pointed to Musk's role in preventing Chinese automaker BYD from entering the US market to protect Tesla sales. He argued that Musk was applying different standards when complaining about India's right to enforce national security requirements for satellite communications.
The exchange follows Musk's frustration with delays in Starlink's India launch and his comments about Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani's influence over the telecom sector. Indian officials have stated that all satellite services must meet proper regulatory and national security rules.
Tilak Varma suffered an unusual run-out after assuming a boundary had been scored during India's 223 against West Indies in Indore.
Tilak Varma was dismissed for 28 off 16 balls in unusual fashion during India's innings against West Indies in Indore on Sunday. The run-out occurred in the 17th over when Axar Patel flicked a Gudakesh Motie full toss towards deep backward square leg. Tilak and Axar assumed Kamil Pooran had touched the rope while saving the ball and began walking after completing a single. Pooran kept the ball inside the boundary and returned it to the pitch, allowing Shai Hope to collect the throw at the striker's end before relaying it to Motie at the bowler's end. The third umpire confirmed Pooran had not touched the rope and ruled Tilak out. India recovered to post 223 and won by 14 runs. The left-hander reached 50 T20I catches earlier in the match, becoming the fifth Indian fielder to reach the landmark.
Mohammed Shami welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's India recall and said the seamer should have been picked earlier after consistent domestic and IPL performances.
Mohammed Shami said Bhuvneshwar Kumar should have been picked for India a long time ago after the seamer earned a recall for the T20I tour of New Zealand. Shami made the comments on the first day of Bengal's Ranji Trophy match against Delhi in Kalyani, where he took four for 30. Bhuvneshwar was selected after back-to-back strong performances in the IPL.
Shami said sustained performances should be rewarded regardless of age or time away from the national side. He said he welcomed Bhuvneshwar's selection and argued that talent should not be overlooked for extended periods. When asked about his own prospects, Shami replied sarcastically that he was not a good bowler.
Shami also criticised the Kalyani pitch for being too slow for Bengal's pace attack. He said the surface did not assist the seamers despite the presence of Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and himself in the side. Bengal dismissed Delhi for 240 on day one.
Mohammed Shami took four for 30 against Delhi and criticised the slow Kalyani pitch while welcoming Bhuvneshwar Kumar's India recall.
Mohammed Shami took four for 30 as Bengal bowled Delhi out for 240 on the first day of their Ranji Trophy match at Kalyani. The 36-year-old dismissed Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Hrithik Shokeen and Divij Mehra. Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar supported with early breakthroughs.
Shami criticised the slow surface and said Bengal's pace attack deserved better conditions. He noted that no other team has three frontline fast bowlers of similar quality available. Shami also welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the India T20I squad and said sustained performances should be rewarded regardless of age.
Delhi reached 89 for three at lunch but lost their last seven wickets for 151 runs. Aamir Gani took two wickets with his off-spin. Shami last played for India in early 2025 during the Champions Trophy.
Mohammed Shami's continued exclusion despite domestic excellence raises questions about whether selection decisions prioritise factors beyond current form.
Mohammed Shami took four for 30 against Delhi in Bengal's Ranji Trophy opener at Kalyani, yet he's still waiting for a recall. The 36-year-old fast bowler welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the T20I squad for New Zealand and asked why domestic runs don't count the same way.
Shami brushed aside fitness doubts by pointing to the fact he's bowling full spells and staying on the field. He said he's stopped second-guessing selection and just wants to play wherever he's picked. His wickets included Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Hrithik Shokeen and Divij Mehra.
He also took issue with the Kalyani pitch, calling it slower than expected and arguing that Bengal's three frontline quicks — Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and himself — deserve conditions that suit them.
Shami's four-wicket haul in Bengal's Ranji opener highlights his continued domestic form while India selectors weigh his Test return.
Mohammed Shami took four for 30 in Bengal's Ranji opener against Delhi at Kalyani on Sunday. The 36-year-old sent back Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Hrithik Shokeen and Divij Mehra as Bengal bowled Delhi out for 240. Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar found early movement, while Aamir Gani took two wickets.
Shami last played Test cricket in the 2023 World Test Championship final. He has already claimed 47 wickets across formats for Bengal this season, including eight for 90 in a Ranji semi-final. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the T20I squad for New Zealand has raised the same question about experienced pacers.
Shami said he would keep performing rather than speculate on a recall. He criticised the slow Kalyani pitch and said Bengal's pace attack deserved better conditions.
Shami backed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's selection while questioning why his own domestic form has not earned an India recall.
Mohammed Shami said Bhuvneshwar Kumar should have been picked for India a long time ago. The swing bowler earned a T20I recall for the New Zealand tour.
Shami, 36, took 4 for 30 in 17.3 overs on the opening day of Bengal's Ranji Trophy match against Delhi at Kalyani. He dismissed Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Hrithik Shokeen and Divij Mehra as Bengal bowled Delhi out for 240. Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar also took wickets.
Shami criticised the slow Kalyani pitch and said Bengal deserved a more helpful surface given their fast bowling resources. He last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy and has not featured in Tests since the 2023 World Test Championship final.
National Test openers Jaiswal and Rahul posted low scores on the first day of the Ranji Trophy season.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for a 13-ball duck as Mumbai reached 249 for five against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Captain Siddhesh Lad remained unbeaten on 80. KL Rahul scored four runs for Karnataka, who were bowled out for 274 against Andhra in Mulapadu. Ravichandran Smaran's 126 saved the innings for the defending champions. Mohammed Siraj captained Hyderabad, who dismissed Tripura for 134 and reached 121 for four in reply.
Indian-born Nikhil Chaudhary made his Australia T20I debut against Bangladesh in June after staying in Brisbane during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Chaudhary had return tickets booked for India but decided to remain in Australia after discussions with his coach and parents.
The 30-year-old scored 307 runs from 12 matches at a strike rate of 154 in the 2025-26 Big Bash League season for Hobart Hurricanes, which brought him to the selectors' attention. He once played alongside Shubman Gill and Yuvraj Singh for Punjab in 2017.
Chaudhary is currently in Puducherry with Australia A for three 50-over matches against India A. He said all opportunities have come through performance and hard work over the past five to six years.
Fans questioned India's decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav from the third T20I playing XI in favour of an extra seamer.
Fans reacted on social media after India dropped wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for the third T20I against West Indies in Indore on Sunday. Pacer Prince Yadav replaced the spinner, while Nitish Kumar Reddy came in for Shivam Dube.
Captain Shreyas Iyer said at the toss that India wanted an extra seamer who could bowl yorkers given the ground dimensions and the need to restrict boundary-hitting. Kuldeep had taken three wickets across the first two matches but conceded 53 runs in four overs in Ranchi.
Fans expressed surprise at the decision. Some questioned why a wrist-spinner of Kuldeep's quality was left out on a flat track. The series is level at 1-1 after West Indies chased down 249 for a six-wicket victory on Friday.
Dinesh Karthik said India should include Kuldeep Yadav for the fourth T20I against West Indies at Hyderabad. The former India wicketkeeper-batter recommended bringing the left-arm wrist-spinner in place of one of the all-rounders.
Karthik said the flat pitch and large boundaries at Hyderabad require five specialist bowlers to compete effectively. Kuldeep has taken seven wickets across three innings in the series at an average of 23.85.
India dropped Kuldeep for the third T20I at Indore and replaced him with pacer Prince Yadav. Captain Shreyas Iyer said the team wanted an extra seamer to bowl yorkers in the death overs and limit boundary-hitting on the small ground.
Siddhesh Lad's unbeaten 80 helped Mumbai reach 249 for five against Chandigarh on day one of their Ranji Trophy match.
Siddhesh Lad scored an unbeaten 80 on his debut as Mumbai's full-time Ranji Trophy captain as the hosts reached 249 for five against Chandigarh on the opening day at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Lad and Shams Mulani added runs in the final session after Mumbai lost three wickets in the middle order.
Musheer Khan made 65 while Ayush Mhatre scored 48 as Mumbai recovered from Yashasvi Jaiswal's early dismissal for a duck. Chandigarh captain Manan Vohra won the toss and chose to bowl on a greenish pitch.
Rohit Dhanda took three wickets for Chandigarh while Nishunk Birla claimed one. Mumbai will resume on day two with a substantial first-innings total already in the bank.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board is investigating pacer Nahid Rana's back pain and assessing whether he can feature in the two-Test series against West Indies starting October 28. Rana has already missed the Australia Tests, the Asian Games and the ongoing match against Afghanistan.
Rana visited Evercare Hospital for scans after complaining of back pain during his recovery from earlier injuries. BCB officials said no serious concern has been found so far but Rana has been asked to stop bowling temporarily.
Chief selector Habibul Bashar said Rana is not completely ruled out but added that a time frame for his return cannot be given. Rana had suffered a shin sprain and a side strain earlier this year.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali claimed that organisers of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy conspired to set up an India-Pakistan final. He said England played Pakistan on a used, slow wicket in Cardiff while India faced Bangladesh on a fresh pitch.
Moeen said England were still the better side on that surface but the conditions reduced their chances. Pakistan won the semi-final by eight wickets after bowling England out for 211. India defeated Bangladesh by nine wickets to reach the final, which Pakistan won.
Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who was part of the 2017 squad, admitted on a YouTube show that the pitch for the England-Pakistan semi-final was used while India's was fresh.
Ankit Bawne scored an unbeaten century as Maharashtra reached 287 for 5 against Services on day one.
Ankit Bawne reached his 25th first-class hundred on Sunday, an unbeaten 105 off 232 balls at Palam. Maharashtra closed day one at 287 for 5.
Prithvi Shaw made 70 off 73 before Arjun Sharma bowled him. Sharma finished with 3 for 74. Bawne then put on 78 for the fifth wicket with Siddhesh Veer and an unbroken 58 with Vicky Ostwal.
He'd averaged 10 last season. After reaching three figures he raised his bat towards the dugout, a quiet reminder that the 34-year-old still wants a chance at the next level despite nearly 15,000 first-class runs without an India cap.
Suryansh Shedge scored 66 and Gurjapneet Singh took three wickets as India A beat Australia A by 49 runs in the inconsequential third one-day match.
Suryansh Shedge’s brisk half-century and Gurjapneet Singh’s three-wicket haul powered India A to a 49-run victory over Australia A in the third and final one-day match in Puducherry on Sunday. The result, however, had no impact on the series outcome, with Australia A claiming the contest 2-1.
Shedge anchored India A’s recovery with a 66 off 60 deliveries, while Vipraj Nigam chipped in with 40 from the lower order. The duo stitched together an 85-run partnership for the seventh wicket, rescuing the hosts from 159 for six before India A were dismissed for 275. Gurjapneet triggered a collapse by dismissing Nathan McSweeney, and Australia A lost their next seven wickets for 86 runs to finish at 226.
Australia A had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the first two matches by 125 and 69 runs on October 6 and October 9 respectively. Nigam’s all-round efforts earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.
Kolkata Knight Riders are considering releasing Matheesha Pathirana, Cameron Green and Ramandeep Singh ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction to free up funds and rebuild the squad. Pathirana has not played since injuring his hamstring on debut last season after being bought for 18 crore.
Green, signed for 25.2 crore, has recurring back issues and missed Australia's first Test against South Africa with an abdominal strain. Ramandeep has scored 129 runs in 19 matches across the last two seasons after his breakout title-winning campaign in 2024.
The franchise is expected to finalise its retention list by mid-November before the mini-auction in Goa in mid-December. Ajinkya Rahane has already announced his retirement.
Rohit Sharma took five for 36 on his first Ranji Trophy outing for Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two years. The 32-year-old finished with 21.2 overs as Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 196 on the opening day in Srinagar. Sunil Kumar claimed four for 69; Auqib Nabi took the other wicket.
Shubham Sharma made 79 off 174 for Madhya Pradesh, the only fifty of the innings. Aryan Pandey scored 35. Jammu and Kashmir lost Shubham Khajuria for a duck in their reply and closed on three for one.
Rohit has played 22 first-class matches and previously taken 39 wickets at 34.66. Multiple heel surgeries kept him out; the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association kept him around the squad during rehab.
