India captain Smriti Mandhana said the team will use the upcoming six-match series against Zimbabwe to fine-tune its T20I approach. The series marks Mandhana's first assignment as full-time captain and begins with three T20Is in Raipur from October 16 before three ODIs in Vadodara. Mandhana told reporters the team wants to set clear standards before the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in February 2027.

Mandhana acknowledged that India still have work to do in the T20I format despite recent success. She said several players who have come into the side have performed well but preferred to focus on positives rather than weaknesses at the start of her tenure. The captain noted that six T20 matches remain before the Champions Trophy and the team will use the Zimbabwe series to establish its approach for the next three months.

All three T20Is will be played at Raipur while Vadodara hosts the ODI leg. India have won the World Cup in the last 18 months but Mandhana believes certain areas still need attention in the shortest format.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has advised Mayank Yadav to avoid slower deliveries and cutters and rely on his natural pace instead. Kaif said the 150 kmph bowler does not need variations and should hit the deck with the new ball. Mayank crossed 144 kmph with each of his first six deliveries in the fourth T20I before switching to a slower ball that was hit for six.

Kaif also raised concerns about India's lack of a specialist fifth bowler in the current T20I setup. He said the four overs from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir represent a potential weakness that opposition teams could exploit on certain days. Mayank has taken nine wickets in 22 overs across six matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies.

Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun said pace alone will not make Mayank a complete bowler. Arun stressed the importance of direction, execution of plans and adapting to different conditions, particularly ahead of India's T20I series in New Zealand starting on 22 October.

Lancashire Women have signed all-rounder Riva Pindoria from Middlesex on a two-year contract running until the end of the 2028 season. The 20-year-old Barnet-born player will join the club permanently in November ahead of the 2027 season after completing winter training at Emirates Old Trafford.

Pindoria featured for Lancashire Second XI earlier in the 2026 summer before the permanent move was confirmed. She scored 52 not out from 28 balls in the Vitality Blast against Sussex and made 60 from 72 deliveries in a Metro Bank One-Day Cup match against Kent while representing Middlesex. She was also selected for the South Asian Cricket Academy's inaugural women's squad.

Lancashire Women's head coach Chris Read said he had already worked with Pindoria during her Second XI appearances and believes she has the talent to make a difference to the squad.

Punjab took a first-innings lead of 105 runs but could not force an outright win against Assam in their Ranji Trophy opener at New Chandigarh on Wednesday. Overnight hundreds from Salil Arora and Emanjot Singh Chahal gave Punjab the advantage before they inserted Assam again.

Umesh Yadav claimed two second-innings wickets and Harpreet Brar took two more as Assam slipped to 132 for six. Gurnoor Brar removed Sumit Ghadigaonkar, but Amlanjyoti Das and Sarupam Purkayastha batted out the final 30 minutes to secure Assam's solitary point.

Punjab finished with 478 for six declared in their first innings. Assam replied with 157 for six in their second innings. The match ended in a draw.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals completed a player trade on Tuesday. T Natarajan returns to SRH at a revised fee of Rs 5 crore after Delhi bought him for Rs 10.75 crore at the 2025 mega auction.

Zeeshan Ansari moves to Delhi Capitals at his existing fee of Rs 40 lakh after taking six wickets in 10 matches for SRH during IPL 2026. Natarajan represented Hyderabad for five seasons from 2020 to 2024 and claimed 19 wickets in his most successful season in 2024.

This is the second confirmed trade ahead of the 2027 season. Delhi Capitals earlier acquired Rishabh Pant from Lucknow Super Giants in June while Kuldeep Yadav moved in the opposite direction.

Left-arm seamer Megan Schutt took four for 16 in ten straight overs against Bangladesh at Allan Border Field on Wednesday, finishing the three-match ODI series with ten wickets at 7.1. Australia won the final game by eight wickets and Schutt bowled 53 dot balls in her unbroken spell.

Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath backed Schutt to carry her form into the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand after the 33-year-old spent most of the year on the fringes of both white-ball sides. Schutt played just three of Australia's six ODIs in 2026 and featured in only one T20 World Cup match earlier this year.

With Lucy Hamilton and Darcie Brown sidelined, Australia relied on Schutt and Kim Garth as their frontline pace options throughout the Bangladesh series. McGrath said Schutt's ability to bowl in any phase makes her a genuine weapon if selected for the three-match T20I series at North Sydney Oval.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza described the prospect of hosting an ODI World Cup before his retirement as a blessing. He said Zimbabwe's performances will improve across formats if the World Test Championship expands to 12 teams from the next cycle.

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Mooney will play her 100th ODI in the final match of the series against Bangladesh. She cited World Cup revenge and an Olympics dream as key motivators.

Netflix secured exclusive broadcast rights for the 2030 men's World Cup in Spain. The deal guarantees selected matches, including all Spain games, on free-to-air television.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has featured in three of 14 matchday squads during Gautam Gambhir's tenure as head coach. The 15-year-old played in all five matches when VVS Laxman deputised for Gambhir during the T20I series in Zimbabwe and at the Asian Games. Sooryavanshi has scored 246 runs from eight T20Is at a strike rate of 186.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag compared the teenager's aggressive approach to his own, noting that age should not restrict selection if a player demonstrates the required ability. Sooryavanshi was left out of India's playing XI for the fourth T20I against the West Indies despite the ongoing selection debate.

Selectors are expected to announce India's ODI squad for the New Zealand tour around October 25. The five-match ODI series begins on November 4 in Auckland.

Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge is in line for his maiden ODI call-up for India's five-match series in New Zealand. The 23-year-old impressed with his all-round performances for India A against Australia A in Puducherry last week.

Shedge picked up four wickets in the first match and scored a half-century in the third match. A BCCI source indicated that Nitish Kumar Reddy is unlikely to play all five ODIs as he prepares for the Test series, creating an opportunity for Shedge.

The five-match ODI series begins on November 4 in Auckland. Shedge has already made three T20I appearances for India during the tour of England and recently returned from a hamstring injury.