Category: Cricket news

Bangladesh will look for another upset after their fine win over Sri Lanka in the first Super Four game. The big question: can Bangladesh really challenge India?

And since India’s decategorization in the late 19th century (the country had been described for thousands of years as a vast rural expanse punctuated by rivers and mountains) into Asian, and not Aryan or Sanskritic, it has looked at its cricket against Pakistan with very different feelings than when it bleat to points wins against England. “Two countries play a match,” wrote Karan Thapar following the 2004 series, about the games played under floodlights during which his players were booed on their way from their hotels to the stadiums, Hispanic fans pulled from bus windows then beaten up only for being mistaken as Pakistani fans coming to watch Virender Sehwag. After yet another victory against Pakistan, India captain Suryakumar Yadav cited India’s overwhelming head-to-head record in recent times to imply that the word “rivalry” no longer applies to these duels. No Indian captain would have ever probably talked the way but for the peculiar India-Pakistan context.

India’s superiority is underpinned by results: They have won 32 of 35 T20Is since the beginning of 2024. Their mix of skill and purpose is perhaps making for the greatest T20I combination ever. Combined with the sluggish Dubai pitches, India can manoeuvre tactically, frequently deploying just one frontline pacer to deliver his three overs in the powerplay.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, will be buoyed by having disposed of the leaders of their group, Sri Lanka in the first round. In the sluggish conditions, Mahedi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman were stunning with 8-0-45-5. If they can build on that against India, then they are serious contenders for the final. Bangladesh will be aiming to do the unthinkable: beat India for the first time since 2019 and make it 3-15 in their head-to-head record.

• Form guide:

India: WWWWW (last five T20Is)

Bangladesh: WWLWW

Sanju Samson and Mustafizur Rahman are under the spotlight. India are testing Samson in the middle order, and pushing around him names like Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. Given he doesn’t get too many chances, Samson would be a player to watch out for against Mustafizur’s canny bowling on slower tracks. Mustafizur, with a return of four-0-20-three, has given a glimpse of his effectiveness to Sri Lanka and an encore could keep Bangladesh in the game.

There shouldn’t be any major tweaks in India’s playing XI as they have reverted to their best team following the series opener. Bangladesh could bring in one change, with Tanzim Hasan likely to come in for Shoriful Islam, though captain Litton Das is likely to play despite a stiff back.

Probable line-ups:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah,Varun Chakravarthy

Bangladesh: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman

The slow Dubai surfaces are likely to make life hard for batsmen again, especially during the middle overs. Recent numbers underscore India’s strength: Hardik Pandya is now second in the list of leading wicket-takers for India in T20Is, having gone past Yuzvendra Chahal while Mustafizur Rahman shares the top spot among Bangladeshis with Shakib Al Hasan. If Mustafizur goes past Shakib, he will be only the fourth bowler to get to the 150-wicket mark in T20Is.

The match is expected to be a game of strategies as Bangladesh look to upset the odds and India will like to assert their supremacy.

Ravichandran Ashwin is ‘all but certain’ to enter the record books as the first India male cricketer to play in Big Bash League. Four teams – Sydney Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers are in discussion with the off-spinner at present with Thunder and Hurricanes emerging as front runners. A deal is set to be completed in the coming days.

No Indian capped male player has played in the BBL before. Ravichandran Ashwin himself retired from the IPL earlier this year, allowing him to join the roster of Indian cricketers plying their trade in foreign T20 leagues, where retired players such as Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina have all played franchise cricket.

Ashwin has also registered for next week’s inaugural ILT20 auction in the UAE, with that tournament stretching from December 2 to January 4. The BBL starts on December 14 and concludes late in January, meaning Ashwin could be a chance to play three or four games at the end of the season as well as finals. His contract is also set to include the 2026–27 BBL.

The BBL’s structure allows teams to play three overseas players in their XI, but could carry as many as seven on the list, including replacements. Ashwin had not signed up in the overseas draft because his status was still that of an active IPL player back then, and will be available under rules for those whose situations change post the original draft. Cricket Australia and the clubs are also discussing a novel marketing arrangement, to ensure his signing does not create an onerous figure under the salary cap.

Ashwin’s potential entry is also believed to be fantastic for BBL, cricketing and commercial wise. His arrival could bring much-needed star power to the league, and pave way for Indians in overseas T20 leagues.

West Indies have chosen to take a brave approach as they look forward to next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, one which concentrates on further broadening their bowling options. Five uncapped players have been included for the T20I series against Nepal in Sharjah, as signs of a different mindset and approach to team-building. There is also legspinner Zishan Motara, left-arm pacer Ramon Simmonds and allrounder Navin Bidaisee as well as the batters Ackeem Auguste and Karima Gore who both had come through with USA.

There is a significant change too with the coaching staff that will accompany Sri Lanka on this tour, in that it, too, is packed with former bowlers. The interim head coach is Rayon Griffith, Ottis Gibson has been called in as fast-bowling consultant, Nikita Miller and Jerome Taylor have been hired as assistant coaches. That there is a focus on this area is evident, according to CWI’s director of cricket Miles Bascombe: beefing up the bowling contingent that has frequently been looked upon as the team’s Achilles’ heel in recent times.

Head coach Daren Sammy outlined that several senior members are rested for the series in Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd as well as Shimron Hetmyer who has made himself unavailable. Sammy stressed the need to manage workloads, particularly with Powell nursing a wrist injury and Motie having undertaken a long season in the CPL.

The selectors also took a cue from the newly-formed Breakout League, in which talented young players from around the Caribbean played. That’s where Bidaisee played his way in and the young left-armed quick Nathan Edward has also been followed closely. Speaking to Sammy spoke about the need to blood wristspinners and left-arm seamers, historically under represented roles in West Indies cricket.

With away series against Bangladesh and New Zealand scheduled after the Nepal series, West Indies hope that this approach of blooding new talent supplemented by expert tutoring from Gibson and other experienced coaches pays rich dividends in the build up to the World Cup.

Daren Sammy believes that his seaming quartet can create history in India as West Indies plans to play two Tests beginning with the October 2 opener in Ahmedabad. Sammy feels the mix of Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip and allrounder Justin Greaves provides sufficient variety and depth to avenge 20 wickets in one innings on Indian territories – something he says will be key to clinch game time.

“We’ve put ourselves in a place where our seam attack could bowl in any conditions. That six to eight-metre length works around the world,” Sammy said, accentuating the special qualities of his bowlers. “You’ve got Shamar Joseph, who is very skiddy, Jayden who swings both ways and Alzarri Joseph with height that gets bounce. If you don’t take 20 wickets in India, you’re on the backfoot and we think we’ve got a line-up that can do so.”

West Indies have not won a series in India for 42 years, but Sammy is taking confidence from New Zealand’s clean sweep of India in late 2024. “New Zealand went there and were fantastic. We should be inspired by that, meaning what they did in those conditions and trying to emulate that with our guys,” he added.

Sammy, who is coaching in the current CPL as well with the St Lucia Kings, said he had used time with Test captain Roston Chase to formulate plans for India. “It’s about providing belief and putting it together with preparation. We’re not going to India to only play – we’re going there to win,” he insisted.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze are the notable inclusions of the squad. Chanderpaul, whose last Test was in January 2024, was averaging in the mid-40s in domestic cricket before injury intervened and offered patience and proven skill against spin – necessities at the top of the order in India. Athanaze, in the meantime, was always on the cards for a recall with selectors viewing his technique as conducive to spin friendly conditions. They were included at the expense of dismissed former captain Kraigg Brathwaite.

Jason Holder was also thought over, but Sammy stated that Justin Greaves would be required to play the kind of role he was bought for. In spin, the unit includes Jomel Warrican, Chase, and uncapped left-armer Khary Pierre. Gudakesh Motie has been rested to monitor his workload in the lead-up to a busy year, but Sammy said he would be a force across all formats.

Pierre is added to the Test squad after being named as the leading wicket-taker in the 2025 West Indies Championship, with 13.56 with the ball. “[He’s] really durable and consistent, so everybody here enjoys him” Jamal Smith is CWI’s senior talent manager “Tim has been around for quite a long time now and he’s the guy who probably hasn’t gotten too many opportunities as of late. Pierre, who has 111 wickets from 35 first-class matches at an average of 22.81, last played red-ball cricket for West Indies A during the year against South Africa A.

The two-Test series starts in Ahmedabad on October 2 and the second match is in Delhi from October 10. And for Sammy and his men, the uphill task is to apply brakes on them but coach feels they have a firepower in their bowling that can be instrumental to force history.

Even as the Indian boys had high energy and fun during their cricket camp in ICC Academy here, they did not lose intensity of practice before the Asia Cup with Super Fours berths up for grabs irrespective. But there was lot of light-hearted moments in every session.

Fielding drills took on a lighthearted tone from the start. Then Hardik Pandya smiled and collected a sharp/flying catch with the studied nonchalance of someone who just wants to make things easy. “ ‘Cause great fielders don’t dive,” he wisecracked, eliciting laughter from teammates. The drill was arranged like a penalty shootout with each player taking alternating turns defending a makeshift goal. A few dropped catches later, all the fun was not lost: Tilak Varma became the goalkeeper to a chorus of cheers from his team-mates and Arshdeep Singh contributed running commentary in Telugu: “Chala bagundi..

Wicketkeeper Jasprit Bumrah, who mingled elements of his usual self-absorption when he gets into the zone with some light moments created much to the delight of a tinder-dry media. There were plenty of jokes, but the players made sure to focus and take responsibility as they completed their fielding and batting workload.

The nets were equally feisty. New batsmen who hadn’t got a hit in the nets- Sanju Samson, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya among them-stooped away for long hours at the nets flaying balls across the square. Rinku Singh also had to put up with Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, throwing ball after ball at a recalcitrant batsmen until they were pinning their ears back in timed sprints.

The Coaches Gautam Gambhir and Ryan ten Doeschate gazed intently, every minute drill was exaggerated to look intense and demanding. The session eventually ended on a lighter note and the traveling media offered him a cake, which was cut by Suryakumar Yadav in order to celebrate his birthday with Kuldeep Yadav and other support staff members around-a subtle indicator that friendship counts as much as talent.

Meanw­hile in the opposi­te camp of Pakis­tan The mood?It was serious Without having a destiny to secure its spot in Super Fours, coach Mike Hesson has forced a focussed round of games at nets and fielding sessions which take place under floodlights as dusk falls. Get your shit there sort out pleases A perfect length and such a length that I have never been in the playing X1 in past matches lije players like Saim Ayub or Mohammad Haris who have worked one to one with coaches to correct mistakes for example having problem with stance.

After one more brutal, four-hour practice, Indian team members would get the day off Tuesday. Pakistan on the other hand had no such luxury as they locked horns with UAE in a must-win encounter.

What was clear from the scene at the ICC Academy was two very different approaches; one, children’s fun mixed with forensic preparation and, another, solitary focus under pressure. But there was a common message within both camps – That Asia Cup challenges need to be embraced whole-heartedly.

Varun Chakravarthy of India is now at the top ICC men’s T20I bowler ranking after the second match in Asia Cup. The 34-year-old wrists pinner demonstrated his guile by claiming 1 for 4 against the UAE and 1 for 24 versus Pakistan to become only the third Indian bowler to reach No. 1 behind Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi.

Chakravarthy pipped New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, who had been leading the chart since March. Among the bowlers, Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara (6th), who took a wicket in each of his first two Asia Cup matches, has moved up six places. Pakistan’s Sufiyan Muqeem jumped four spots to 11th, India’s Axar Patel also progressed to 12th, while Abrar Ahmed broke into the top twenty and Kuldeep Yadav advanced to 23rd. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad finished 25th.

In batting, India’s Abhishek Sharma continued to be on top of the T20I rankings with his scores of 30 in 16 balls versus UAE and 31 off 13 against Pakistan. England openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler were also among the gainers, rising to second and third positions, respectively. Salt’s unbeaten 141 runs off 60 deliveries surpassed a landmark that England could lay claim to with pride, setting the record for their highest T20I total scored and fastest century in the same match, Buttler’s 83 off only 30 balls earned him a place in ICC T20I Batting Rankings top three.

The rankings updates are a reflection of great individual performances at the Asia Cup and in T20Is over the recent past, showing off the best players in world T20 cricket today.

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has surged to No. 1 in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings – for the fourth time in her career. Her rise owed to her calmly assembled 58 off 63 against Australia in the first ODI on Sunday. She reclaimed the top spot from England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who had been No. 1 previously. Australia’s Beth Mooney also gained three spots, with Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield jointly moving six reels to No. 25 after scoring fifties in their respective first innings of the series.

Despite Mandhana powering India to 282, Australia chased it down with eight wickets and 35 balls to spare in New Chandigarh. The second ODI is on Wednesday, the second match of the three-ODI series.

It adds another layer to Mandhana’s excellent record, first having reached the top in January 2019 and most recently in July before being reunited after Sciver-Brunt’s promotion. Among other Indian batters, Harmanpreet Kaur is 12th in the ODI ratings, while Jemimah Rodrigues is 15th.

In the bowing ratings, Australia’s Kim Garth and Alana King climbed to a career-best fourth and fifth, respectively. India’s Sneh Rana climbed five places to 16th after going for 51 runs in the first ODI. England’s Sophie Ecclestone is atop the ODI bowling rankings. India’s Deepti Sharma is the sole bowler in the top ten, seventh in the rankings.

The Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams finally have a new sponsor following some matches without one. The title sponsor for this year’s IPL will be Apollo Tyres, after streaming giant Dream11 pulled out due to regulatory changes in India. India’s cricket board inks 3yr deal with Apollo Tyres valued at about ₹579 cr, or $65.7 mln The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has inked a three-year agreement with tyre manufacturer Apollo Tyres worth $65.7 million. This sponsorship includes 121 bilateral international matches, along with other ICC events and both teams will wear Apollo Tyres branding on their jerseys.

It already held a contract worth around ₹358 crore, between 2023 and 2026. However, that didn’t last long and after the government enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, real-money gaming sites were no longer allowed to brand team sports. And because Dream11 is a business in that sense, the company had no option but to withdraw from the deal temporarily, leaving the teams sponsorless for a while.

In the interim, the men’s team travelled to the UAE for Asia Cup without any sponsor logo on their jerseys and even the women played an ODI series against Australia in similar manner. BCCI even floated an open call to potential sponsors on September 2-calling for bids till September 16 to fill the gap. In its criteria, the board excluded companies involved in alcohol, betting and gambling, cryptocurrency, tobacco or any products and services that can be deemed to violate public morals.

And with Apollo Tyres coming on board, the Indian teams haven’t been left high and dry – that much is known internationally too. Apollo has in the past linked up with global sports brands like Manchester United and this association will increase its visibility while also putting a full-fledged Indian cricket sponsorship deal in place.

Towhid Hridoy has hit back at his critics, following Bangladesh’s comfortable seven-wicket victory over Hong Kong in their Asia Cup opener, and insisted that the team is dealing with ensuring safety rather than pace. Bangladesh chased down the target of 144 with 14 balls to spare, at a rate of 8.28 runs per over, and there were questions asked on whether the side could have rushed the win and won it much early to help their net run rate. Hridoy justified the tactic as the focus was more to “play smart cricket” to secure the win rather than go for aggressive chase which could have seen a collapse.

He said although Bangladesh could have chased down the target much earlier they however played according to the demand of the sitaution. “We did not want to let it go. Perhaps we could have finished it two or three overs earlier, but then we might have lost few more wickets. The partnership matters more, and in our mind, we have to win,” Hridoy said.

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das, who top-scored with a fluent innings, also said the Abu Dhabi track and big boundaries made it difficult for sustained power-hitting. This meant that the team had to rotate strike and put partnerships together, instead of looking to finish fast. They had to complete the chase in under 12 overs to better Afghanistan’s net run rate of 4.70 but Hridoy said the run-rate wasn’t on their minds straight away.

“So, should we have gone out there just to risk losing against Hong Kong? Our target was to win. In T20s, every team has the scope. We might have been able to wrap things up sooner if I’d simply linked more boundaries. But we wouldn’t want to make things complicated this early in the tournament. We want to win against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka,” said Hridoy.

Opting for safety over speed, Bangladesh got off on the right foot, and Hridoy is confident that their intelligent brand of cricket will bear fruit as the Asia Cup moves forward.

Teenager Litton Das was the star as Bangladesh began their Asia Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. Litton was top-scorer with a fluent 59 off 39, well backed by Towhid Hridoy’s unbeaten 35 off 36 -and then the hosts, chasing 144, lost wickets in clusters. Although there was a quiet period during the middle overs, the pair’s 95-run third wicket partnership ensured Bangladesh coasted home with 14 balls to spare.

The bat was again better for Hong Kong who were only able to manage 94 in their previous game against Afghanistan. Nizakat Khan scored 42, Zeeshan Ali came down at 30 while captain Yasim Murtaza also contributed with a quick-fire 28 to take their side to 143 for 7. But it wasn’t enough after Litton and Hridoy got their eyes in at the crease chasing down the total.

Earlier, the disciplined bowling performance of Bangladesh which placed them firmly in contention. Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2 for 21) bowled quick and swinging deliveries, bouncing out Babar Hayat and Zeeshan. Taskin Ahmed took two wickets and Rishad Hossain a match-shaping 19th over, where he dismissed Nizakat and Kinchit Shah off successive balls.

That was a vastly better showing from Hong Kong than their nightmare opener, but their bowlers could not stifle Bangladesh’s measured aggression and running sing the wickets. Dropped catches that hurt them against Afghanistan were not committed this time, but 17 extras conceded allowed Bangladesh to keep their noses in front.

It was Bangladesh’s first T20I win in Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong, on the other hand, they are yet win to a match in the Asia Cup. Litton’s late surge and Hridoy’s composure saw Bangladesh earn their first points without any major alarms.