Shreyas Iyer attributed India's 24-run defeat to poor bowling execution in the fourth T20I against West Indies.
Shreyas Iyer said India's bowlers failed to execute their plans in the fourth T20I loss to West Indies in Hyderabad. The captain admitted the team did not bowl the right lines and lengths, allowing West Indies to post 247 for three before restricting India to 223.
Iyer praised his batters' approach during the chase but acknowledged that the target proved too steep after the bowlers had conceded too many runs. West Indies captain Shai Hope remained unbeaten on 102 while Keemo Paul took five wickets for 41 runs.
The series is now level at 2-2, with the decider scheduled for Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. Iyer said India would maintain the same approach but focus on better execution under pressure.
Lucy Finn's triple-wicket over helped the Governor-General's XI defeat New Zealand by 19 runs in a rain-affected warm-up match at North Sydney Oval.
Rain cut the Governor-General's XI innings to 77 for 2 after 10 overs at North Sydney Oval on Thursday. Charli Knott made 31 off 20 before Amelia Kerr bowled her, while Anika Learoyd stayed not out on 29 from 21.
New Zealand were handed a revised chase of 105 off 60 balls. Lucy Finn struck three times in one over — Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp and Jess Kerr — finishing with 3 for 5. Bella James scored 31 not out from 13 and Maddy Green 15 not out from nine, but the White Ferns could only reach 85 for 6.
India women begin their first bilateral T20I series against Zimbabwe on Friday at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The three-match series starts at 7 pm local time each day.
Smriti Mandhana leads India for the first time as full-time captain, with Shafali Verma as vice-captain. Jemimah Rodrigues is out with a hamstring injury, and Shreyanka Patil, Renuka Singh Thakur and Radha Yadav have also been left out. Zimbabwe, led by Josephine Nkomo, kept the same squad that beat West Indies in an ODI last month.
The three ODIs follow the T20Is in Vadodara from October 23 to 28.
Mandhana's first assignment tests middle-order solutions and sets standards ahead of the 2027 Champions Trophy.
Smriti Mandhana assumed full-time captaincy of the Indian women's team for the first time with a three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe in Raipur. The appointment follows a decade as vice-captain under Harmanpreet Kaur and comes after India's ODI World Cup win and consecutive T20 World Cup group-stage exits.
Mandhana said the side must set standards across six T20 matches before the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy at home in February 2027. She identified middle-order contributions as a key area for improvement, noting that batters from No. 4 to 7 have scored 33.9 percent of India's T20I runs since the 2024 World Cup. Mandhana also highlighted young batters Anushka Sharma, Niki Prasad and G Kamalini as options at No. 3 following Jemimah Rodrigues' injury absence.
The series marks the first bilateral engagement between India and Zimbabwe in women's cricket. Mandhana retained Harmanpreet in the leadership group and stressed continuity while the side prepares for South Africa in December.
Cameron Green's participation in the second Test depends on fitness checks over the next three days.
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green remains in doubt for the second Test against South Africa that begins in Gqeberha on Sunday. He returned to the nets on Thursday but faced only gentle throwdowns and did slip catching.
Head coach Andrew McDonald said Green must pass further fitness assessments before selection. The all-rounder has three days to prove his fitness after missing the first Test with an abdominal injury.
Josh Inglis, who hurt a finger in last month's ODI series, will do more batting practice in Gqeberha. Cooper Connolly, who missed the Durban Test through illness, is also under consideration for his spin bowling option.
Srikkanth said Kuldeep Yadav's omission from the third T20I followed his 53-run spell in the second match at Ranchi.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth linked Kuldeep Yadav's omission from the third T20I to the 53 runs he conceded in the second match at Ranchi. India posted 249 for five, yet West Indies chased the target in 18.3 overs. Srikkanth called the decision to drop the left-arm spinner after one poor outing too hasty.
The former India captain also questioned the team's reliance on Jasprit Bumrah and praised the progress of Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav. Mayank has taken four wickets in three matches since returning from injury. Srikkanth argued India should never have lost the second T20I after posting 249 against a West Indies side he described as having weak bowling.
India lead the five-match series 2-1 ahead of the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Srikkanth noted West Indies have batting depth but lack quality in their pace attack beyond Roston Chase.
Pretorius surpassed Gayle's long-standing mark during a dominant Titans total of 267 for three.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored an unbeaten 188 from 79 balls for South Africa's Titans against the Knights on Friday. The innings included 13 sixes and 15 fours and broke Chris Gayle's previous record of 175 not out set in 2013.
Pretorius was on course for a double century before the Titans finished at 267 for three. The Knights were bowled out for 143, giving the Titans a 124-run victory. Tabraiz Shamsi took two for 23 and Donovan Ferreira returned three for 16.
The 20-year-old left-hander had scored a 53-ball 101 for South Africa against Namibia last month despite carrying an injury.
South Africa recalled Matthew Breetzke and dropped Tristan Stubbs from their squad for the second Test against Australia after the 214-run defeat in Durban.
South Africa have recalled Matthew Breetzke and dropped Tristan Stubbs from their 17-member squad for the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha starting October 18. Stubbs scored 32 and 1 in the 214-run defeat in Durban. Breetzke earned selection after scoring a century in the first ODI against Australia last month.
Ryan Rickelton will take the gloves in place of Kyle Verreynne, who has been stripped of wicketkeeping duties. Head coach Shukri Conrad said Breetzke's ODI form, attitude and character influenced the decision. Breetzke has played two Tests for South Africa, scoring 14 runs across three innings.
Kagiso Rabada is expected to return after missing the first Test with a hamstring issue. Anrich Nortje faces fitness concerns after playing his first long-format match in three years. The third Test begins on October 27 at Newlands.
Pant and Natarajan complete salary reductions in separate trades ahead of the December mini-auction.
Rishabh Pant will return to Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2027 after completing a trade with Lucknow Super Giants. LSG will receive left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav in exchange. Pant's salary will drop from 27 crore to 15 crore under the new deal.
Left-arm pacer T. Natarajan is also returning to Sunrisers Hyderabad from Delhi Capitals. SRH will send leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari to Delhi in the swap. Natarajan's salary reduces from 10.75 crore to 5 crore while Ansari retains his existing 40 lakh package.
The IPL 2027 mini-auction is scheduled for December. All franchises must submit retention lists by November 15. The trade window closes one week before the auction.
Sanju Samson identified Tilak Varma's wicket as the decisive moment that swung the fourth T20I away from India.
Sanju Samson said Tilak Varma's dismissal was the turning point in India's 24-run loss to West Indies in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Varma scored 43 from 25 balls before his wicket weakened India's chase of 248.
Samson scored 56 from 23 balls and backed India's young pace bowlers despite the defeat. He said replacing Jasprit Bumrah was not easy but expressed confidence in Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav, adding that more matches would help them improve. Samson also praised Shai Hope's controlled batting that helped West Indies post 247 for three.
Samson said India were ready for the series decider in Bengaluru on Saturday and acknowledged that West Indies had played well across the tour.
Kaif blamed India's bowling after West Indies posted 247 and won by 24 runs in Hyderabad.
Former India batter Mohammed Kaif said India's bowling attack cannot win a T20 World Cup after the hosts lost the fourth T20I to West Indies by 24 runs in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Kaif criticised the pacers and spinners for conceding 247, adding that bowlers must win matches in a five-match series but have not done so once across the four games played.
India's front-line pacers Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh leaked 104 runs in eight overs while Axar Patel conceded 45 in four. Prince Yadav returned the best figures with one for 36. Shai Hope scored his fourth century in seven matches on the tour to set the visitors a target that proved beyond the hosts.
Captain Shreyas Iyer said his side fell short in execution with the ball in the powerplay. The fifth and final match of the series will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
via ESPNcricinfo, Indian Express, Cricket Australia
Chopra argues Hyderabad gained experience and death-bowling options while Delhi paid over the odds for Natarajan.
Aakash Chopra thinks Sunrisers Hyderabad came out ahead in the pre-IPL 2027 swap that sent T Natarajan to Delhi Capitals and brought Zeeshan Ansari the other way. SRH paid ₹5 crore for the left-arm seamer after DC had signed him for ₹10.75 crore, and Chopra says the extra experience and yorker accuracy at the death give Hyderabad the edge.
Cummins' future availability is still unclear, and Chopra reckons that uncertainty tilts things further in SRH's favour. He added that Hyderabad already have enough spin options and would be fine without a specialist. Chopra also took aim at Delhi's earlier deal with Lucknow Super Giants that sent Kuldeep Yadav the other way.
He questioned whether DC needed another keeper-batter when they already had KL Rahul, and said Pant's arrival hadn't fixed a middle order that wasn't in crisis to begin with.
Chetan Sharma wants the BCCI to balance pitches for bowlers after flat tracks dominated the West Indies series.
Former selector Chetan Sharma called on the BCCI to provide more supportive pitches for bowlers in international cricket after flat tracks dominated the India-West Indies T20I series. He said audiences enjoy boundaries but bowlers also need consideration.
Sharma noted that bowlers were taken to the cleaners across the series, with India posting 249 and 223 while West Indies scored 247 and 209. He said the BCCI provides balanced tracks in domestic cricket and should do the same at international level.
The former India player acknowledged T20 cricket's popularity at grassroots level but stressed that red-ball cricket remains crucial for young player development. He said it is up to organizers and coaches to ensure kids get proper playing opportunities across formats.
Sanju Samson said India's chase unravelled after Tilak Varma's dismissal despite his own half-century in Hyderabad.
Sanju Samson scored 56 off 23 balls but said the 24-run defeat to West Indies in Hyderabad left him gutted. India fell short of 248 after West Indies posted 247 for three at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Samson said Tilak Varma's dismissal with 48 runs needed from 19 balls proved the turning point. He praised the partnership between Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy that had kept India in the contest despite losing five wickets in the middle overs.
The opener defended teammates Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma after their low scores, saying one poor game does not define their quality. The series is tied at 2-2 with the decider scheduled for Bengaluru on Saturday.
Shai Hope scored four centuries in seven innings against India, matching the record for a visiting batter on a single tour.
Shai Hope scored four centuries in seven innings against India across the ongoing white-ball tour. The West Indies captain reached his latest unbeaten 102 off 50 balls in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad on Wednesday, pushing his aggregate to 539 runs.
Hope struck three T20I centuries and one ODI hundred in the seven innings. The tally equals Everton Weekes and Tillakaratne Dilshan for the most centuries by a visiting batter on a single India tour.
West Indies used the total of 247 for three to win by 24 runs and level the five-match T20I series 2-2. The decider is scheduled for Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Sanju Samson said Tilak Varma's dismissal shifted momentum in India's chase during the 24-run defeat to West Indies.
Sanju Samson identified Tilak Varma's dismissal as the turning point in India's 24-run loss to West Indies in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Samson said Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy were building pressure before Varma fell for 43. He backed the team's young fast bowlers, noting Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav need more matches to improve after conceding 52 runs each.
The defeat levelled the series at 2-2. The final match is set for Saturday in Bengaluru.
Santner says India's aggressive top order will force New Zealand to adapt plans quickly in the T20I series.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner warned that his bowlers must adapt quickly when facing India's aggressive top order in the upcoming T20I series. He said Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson pack power throughout their lineup and give bowlers few dot balls.
Santner expects early-season conditions in Christchurch to offer movement. He said bowlers must use that assistance when available, but create pressure through different wicket-taking methods if the pitches remain flat. He noted that conceding 30 to 40 runs while taking two or three wickets would represent a good performance against such batting.
Santner also acknowledged the threat posed by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He said the teenager's IPL exploits show India have power throughout their order and stopping him will be a challenge.
Boult commits to full BBL season with Thunder, raising potential overlap with SA20 duties.
Sydney Thunder secured New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult on a one-year contract covering the entire BBL 2026-27 season including finals. Boult will join fellow New Zealander Lockie Ferguson and play under new head coach Andrew Flintoff. He previously represented Melbourne Stars in the 2022-23 season.
Boult said he is excited to return to the BBL and work with Flintoff, whom he idolised growing up. Flintoff welcomed the signing and highlighted the need for new-ball wickets, noting the pairing of right-arm and left-arm pace. Thunder finished bottom of the table in the previous two seasons.
Boult's participation could face scheduling conflict with his SA20 commitments for MI Cape Town, which begin on 20 January while the BBL runs until 26 January. His availability will depend on Thunder's finals progress.
The Indian team for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand will be selected in the next two to three days, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said on Wednesday. The ODIs begin on November 4 in Auckland.
Pacers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana will undergo Return to Play tests on October 24 or 26 at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence before selectors finalise the squad. Suryansh Shedge has emerged as a contender for a debut call-up after taking four wickets and scoring 66 in the India A series against Australia A.
The fifth ODI is scheduled for November 15 in Tauranga. The first Test begins on November 19 in Wellington, leaving players with only two practice sessions before the red-ball assignment.
