Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra's exhilarating stroke-play was well complemented by Aaron George's composure as India set up an Under-19 Asia Cup summit date with arch-rivals Pakistan after crushing Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a rain-curtailed semi-final, in Dubai, on Friday.
Sanju was excluded from Kerala's squad after he informed the Kerala Cricket Association of his unavailability for the preparatory camp before the tournament.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
India Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill once again flopped with the bat as India suffered a 51-run thrashing in the second T20 International against South Africa.
For most IPL teams, the 2026 mini auction will be all about strategic buys and role-specific additions, while for a couple of others, it is going to be a captain-centric affair.
The 34-year-old mystery spinner rewrote the record books during the fifth and final T20I against South Africa at Ahmedabad on Friday, casting a spell of his bamboozling spin magic on the Proteas batters, four of them surrendering to his bowling.
Ramesh didn't mince words when criticising the decision to send Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube, arguing that the management must respect each player's primary role.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was felicitated with the 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar' by the President Droupadi Murmu on Friday
Ishan Kishan's return to the Indian T20 setup is a story of timing, perseverance and a domestic season that selectors simply could not overlook.
Kerala will have a new captain in Mohammed Azharuddeen.
After this snub, it looks difficult for Shubman Gill at this point to make a comeback to the T20 team with plenty of talented young players waiting in the wings.
"We are only here for a short period....": Samson bids farewell to RR after trade to CSK
Shubman Gill's fate wasn't actually sealed on Saturday when BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the squad for the T20 World Cup but when the fourth T20 International was called off on Wednesday due to thick smog.
Ravindra Jadeja agreed to return to the Rajasthan Royals, where he played the first two IPL seasons, taking a pay cut from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore.
"Gill should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
While the Indian batter was in full flight, one of his powerful sixes inadvertently struck a fan in the crowd.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta feels that India's T20I vice-captain Shubham Gill, who is currently struggling to get going in the shortest format, has to play a similar role what Virat Kohli did for so long by consistently holding on to one end.
'I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well.'
Ruturaj Gaikwad set to lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026
'You cannot come and play for Kerala whenever you feel like.'
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
India's T20 World Cup squad had space for only 15, but the pool of quality options ran far deeper. The consequence was inevitable: several players with genuine claims were left on the outside, the unlucky ones who narrowly missed the cut.
Former India spinner Ravichandrean Ashwin expressed concern at Sanju Samson's recent poor showing with the bat in the T20I series against England.
As Sanju Samson's IPL future remains to be a subject of intense debate, Rajasthan Royals are reportedly in advanced talks with Delhi Capitals for a swap deal involving South African Tristan Stubbs.
Spending more than US$3 million (Rs 28.40 crore) and nearly 60 percent of their purse on players, who can proverbially be termed as wet behind the ears, does display a change in mindset.
Former India player Robin Uthappa called for a bold revamp of the Indian Premier League by getting rid of the annual player auctions and having trade windows open throughout the year.
'People should realise he is an impact player, like Virender Sehwag.' 'You don't expect these players to score a 70-80 every time they bat, but whenever they score they will win matches for your team.'
To be or not to be could well be the dilemma in Shubman Gill's mind as he crisscrosses formats, having tweaked his technique from an unorthodox style to a more classical one that is not quite yielding the returns he may have envisaged in T20 Internationals.
'Found a ponnada in the appropriate India colours to honour him with!'
As India gear up for the T20 World Cup at home, the selectors have backed a squad built on impact, and versatility.
Sanju Samson became the co-owner of Malappuram Football Club, which competes in the Super League Kerala.
SMAT 2025: Hardik comeback on cards, chance for rich domestic talent to shine before IPL auction
The Asia Cup champions will not have it easy against the Mitch Marsh-led Aussies at home as the Indians were seen going hard in the nets on Monday.
Sanju Samson was to play the T20 World Cup final.
Then, Skipper Rohit Sharma changed his mind.
In typical Rohit style, he then spent 10 minutes explaining to Sanju why he was being excluded from the playing eleven.
'Pant can give that differential variable that they are looking for in the batting order.'
Rajasthan Royals announced Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara as their head coach for IPL 2026 next year, following the exit of Rahul Dravid from the role.
Hardik Pandya made a memorable comeback to the Indian team, smashing a blistering half-century to power India to a thumping 101-run win over South Africa in the first T20 International.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
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