India spin great R Ashwin shares his insights on the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, expressing keen interest in Harsh Dubey's potential debut. He also discusses the roles of Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar in the spin attack and backs captain Shubman Gill to replicate his overseas batting success at home, attributing it to improved technique and leadership.
India's spin department is in 'transition' and the team management is in the process of assessing a pool of young bowlers who can potentially graduate to a higher level, said spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule.
Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey has been named as the replacement for the injured Washington Sundar in India's squad for the third and final One Day International against England. Sundar sustained a right hamstring injury during the second ODI and will undergo recuperation. The series is currently level at 1-1, with India aiming for a victory.
Rookie spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey is focused on creating his own identity while representing India, following his maiden call-up for the Afghanistan Test and ODI series.
India all-rounder Harsh Dubey recalls the emotional moment he learnt of his maiden national call-up and speaks about the prospect of sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and captain Shubman Gill during the Afghanistan series.
'That has been the big factor behind me coming so far in my career.'
Sunrisers Hyderabad have roped in all-rounder Harsh Dubey as a replacement for the injured left-hander Smaran Ravichandran.
Harsh Dubey wants to represent India but the Vidarbha spin bowling all-rounder is in no hurry to don the national team jersey.
Team India has brought in four young Indian spinners - Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Tanush Kotian, and Vipraj Nigam - to assist in net practice ahead of their two-Test series against Sri Lanka, despite already having four spinners in their main squad.
India's selectors have included Gurnoor Brar and Manav Suthar in the national squad for the upcoming Test and ODI series against Afghanistan, recognising their pace and spin capabilities.
Shubman Gill praised pacer Gurnoor Brar and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey for their impressive debuts in India's one-sided victory over Afghanistan in the rain-curtailed first ODI.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak met with students leading a "reservation reform" movement, assuring them that their demands would be presented to the BJP's central leadership and a Union minister. The movement, led by anti-reservation activists, seeks equal opportunities, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the "reform" as a plot against the PDA community, asserting the permanence of reservation rights.
Rishabh Pant loses India Test vice-captaincy and is dropped from the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series, while K L Rahul returns as deputy and young players earn maiden call-ups.
Dubey to lead Vidarbha in Ranji tie against Andhra, Faiz added to Vijay Hazare final squad
Devdutt Padikkal scored a patient 67 as India A set Sri Lanka A a target of 312, but persistent rain forced the opening unofficial Test in Galle to end in a draw.
Pacer Gurnoor Brar impressed on his international debut before captain Shubman Gill played a regal knock to set up India's seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the rain-hit series opener.
Sanju Samson has been dropped from the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe, making way for Punjab Kings' wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh.
India A, led by skipper Dhruv Jurel's unbeaten 141, declared their first innings at 452 for six against Sri Lanka A. Early breakthroughs by Anshul Kamboj and Yash Thakur put Sri Lanka A in trouble, though Nuwanidu Fernando and Ashen Bandara mounted a recovery.
Ishan Kishan's recent good form makes him the ideal candidate to take over the crucial No 3 slot in Virat Kohli's absence.
The India A squad is set to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match red-ball series, offering a crucial platform for emerging cricketers like Aquib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Sai Sudharsan, and Devdutt Padikkal to impress selectors and stake their claim for a spot in the senior national team. Dhruv Jurel will captain the side.
India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has stressed the importance of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav reinventing his game to stay competitive amidst burgeoning talent. Despite decent overall numbers, Kuldeep's recent lean patch in the IPL and a solitary Test match has led to him losing his spot in the T20I squad for upcoming tours, prompting the coach's call for evolution.
Shreyas Iyer leads a young Indian squad in a three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, aiming for a crucial series win after recent defeats and facing selection dilemmas, particularly concerning the batting order and all-rounders.
Indian cricketers, including Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, underwent an intense practice session in Mullanpur ahead of their one-off Test against Afghanistan. The session focused on bowler fitness, emerging talent, and assessing all-round capabilities, with key players like KL Rahul and Shubman Gill also participating.
India will look to seal the ODI series against Afghanistan while continuing to test combinations for the 2027 World Cup, with Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal among those pushing for opportunities in the second match.
India's squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka is expected to be announced next week, with fitness concerns surrounding pace leader Jasprit Bumrah.
Pacer Harshit Rana has joined the Indian ODI squad for the final match against Afghanistan in Chennai after recovering from a knee injury. Rana, who underwent surgery in February, missed the T20 World Cup and IPL due to the ligament strain. India has already secured the series with a 2-0 lead.
India A is expected to make several changes to its playing eleven for the second 'Test' against Sri Lanka A, aiming to provide exposure to all squad members.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi announced himself on the international stage in spectacular fashion, becoming the youngest batter to score a T20I half-century with a stunning 18-ball fifty against Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Harare on Thursday.
Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule has been appointed as the spin-bowling coach for the men's national team, commencing with the Test against Afghanistan. He brings extensive coaching experience from domestic cricket and the IPL.
Following India's dominant win over Afghanistan in the second ODI in Lucknow, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar for his standout performance, highlighting his rhythm, run-up and ability to extract steep bounce.
India begin their 2026 Test season against Afghanistan with several selection questions to answer, including the No. 3 spot and Ravindra Jadeja's long-term successor, as they build towards key World Test Championship assignments.
Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill are missing from the list of probables for the Asian Games, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been included in the 30-member squad submitted by the BCCI to the IOA.
Switching formats in a short span of time is never easy, concedes Kuldeep Yadav and the senior India spinner hopes that players coming off a gruelling IPL season have prepared well for this week's one-off Test against Afghanistan just as he did with extended red-ball practice.
India's assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate conceded that too many players have batted at number three in Test matches after Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement and it was time that either Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal is given a long rope at the key batting position.
Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain, 33, has been named in India's 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka, replacing the injured Washington Sundar, marking a surprise call-up after impressive all-round performances for India A.
India will take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test from June 6 onwards at New Chandigarh. This comes after the Men in Blue suffered a 0-2 clean sweep loss to South Africa at home last year, marking back-to-back series whitewashes in two years in a row, after a 0-3 whitewash loss to New Zealand in 2024, which marked the end of India's 12-year unbeaten streak at home.
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has defended Rishabh Pant after he was removed as India's Test vice-captain following a disappointing IPL season with Lucknow Super Giants. Kaif said Pant should not be judged on his IPL performances alone and insisted he remains India's biggest match-winner in Test cricket.
Teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named in the 15-member India A squad for the tri-nation 50-over series in Sri Lanka, starting June 9.
A preview of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, highlighting team strengths, key players, and recent performances.
Young pacer Harshit Rana and veteran spinner Varun Chakravarthy have been ruled out of India's upcoming ODI and T20I assignments due to hamstring injuries. Prince Yadav will replace Rana in the ODI squad for England, while Ravi Bishnoi steps in for Chakravarthy for the T20I series in Zimbabwe.
