Ravi Shastri believes India too will "take off" in next month's T20 World Cup if their explosive opener Abhishek Sharma fires, while Kevin Pietersen hailed the lefthander as a "proper star".
Rishabh Pant's return to competitive cricket after a three-month injury-enforced hiatus will be the primary focal point of India A's four-day match against South Africa A.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins says his injury-forced withdrawal from the T20 World Cup was also driven by a desire to be completely fit for the upcoming Test season.
'India-Pakistan match, if it does not happen, no big deal. Honestly, for a long time now, the actual game has never lived up to the hype and the drama we built up before the match.'
South Africa captain Aiden Markram said their Test victory over hosts Pakistan in difficult conditions was a major confidence boost for the tourists, who will be heading to India next and expect an even sterner test.
Defending champions India look to do something they have never done in World Cups and retain the trophy.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav dazzled with a vital half-century as defending champions India registered a scratchy 29-run win against the United States of America despite a stunning top-order collapse.
Canada, making their second appearance at the tournament, are in Group D alongside South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Despite this, Bangladesh's inconsistent top order remains a significant concern. Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, who also performs wicketkeeping duties, has struggled for runs, averaging just nine in the tournament.
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday acknowledged that Sanju Samson has been going through a lean phase without doubting the quality of the struggling batter, and reiterated the team management's support for him.
Opener Saim Ayub scored a quickfire 71 from 38 balls and seamer Faheem Ashraf took 4/23 as Pakistan cruised to a nine-wicket win over South Africa in the second T20I.
Nadine de Klerk demonstrated icy-cool demeanour under pressure and shepherded South Africa to a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in a thrilling Women's World Cup match, in Visakhapatnam.
South Africa romped to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan on the fourth day of the second Test on Thursday, claiming victory before lunch to level the two-match series.
Australia's former pacer will be back in Pakistan cricket as head coach of Pakistan Super League's new franchise, Kingsmen Hyderabad, after parting ways with PCB in late 2024 following a stint with the national men's team.
Kapil backs India in T20s, stresses focus on Test cricket
India's T20 mindset similar for all competitions; will give Washington time to recover: Suryakumar
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Batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lit up the grand stage with a jaw-dropping 175 to power India to a record-extending sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title after a 100-run victory over England in the final in Harare on Friday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board in a bid to attract more crowds to the Test match have for the first time announced free entry for several enclosures.
Pangalia, Ambrish help India U19 beat SA U19 in Youth ODI
Pak cricket fraternity questions seriousness of touring teams after depleted Aussies lose 1st T20I
Former wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel urged India to include the in-form Ishan Kishan ahead of Sanju Samson
Group C promises one of the most competitive battles at the T20 World Cup, with former champions England and West Indies joined by ambitious sides Scotland, Nepal and debutants Italy.
What does it cost per day for a single person to live in different countries? Here is sampling of expenses.
IMAGES from football matches played on Monday.
Beyond upsets, Dutch team chasing consistency: Bas de Leede
Virat Kohli has now amassed 1,091 runs in 300-plus successful chases in ODIs, averaging 121.22 with a strike rate of 125.25, including seven hundreds and two fifties.
A seemingly unstoppable force in the shortest format, the current India squad has an aura of invincibility around it unlike the one that ended the cricketing powerhouse's long wait for an ICC title in Barbados 19 months ago.
Pakistan secured a 93-run victory over South Africa on the fourth day of the first Test, taking the eight wickets needed on Wednesday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series in Lahore.
Pakistan secured a 93-run victory over South Africa on the fourth day of the first Test, taking the eight wickets needed on Wednesday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series in Lahore.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Yuzvendra Chahal says Sanju Samson can have no excuses after repeated T20I failures, with Ishan Kishan's form putting pressure on the opener ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Hockey India chief coach Craig Fulton reportedly threatened to resign after opposing Manpreet Singh's omission from core probables on disciplinary grounds.
India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur and former men's skipper Rohit Sharma headline the list of sportspersons to be honoured with Padma awards this Republic Day.
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin criticised Bangladesh' refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India, calling the security concerns unfounded.
Babar Azam, playing his first T20 international since December last year, perished for a duck as Pakistan suffered a 55-run thrashing against South Africa, in the first T20 International.
It has been a year since I have been dreaming of this time: Surya on Player of Series show
'No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan.' 'The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence.
The two four-day games will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru from October 30 to November 9.
A pickup in freight rates, rising fleet utilisation and a long-awaited replacement cycle are breathing fresh life into India's commercial vehicle (CV) market, strengthening the investment case for Tata Motors' CV arm (TMCV). Despite a broadly steady December quarter (Q3) performance, brokerages remain divided on whether the upswing is strong enough to offset margin pressures.
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