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.
India is poised to secure its first overseas Test series victory in three years as they face Sri Lanka in the second and final match, with skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal under pressure to deliver substantial knocks.
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.
Rishabh Pant has been relieved of his captaincy duties with the Lucknow Super Giants after a disappointing 2026 IPL season. The decision comes after the team finished last and amidst reports of a disconnect between Pant and the team management.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rishabh Pant is making a comeback to competitive cricket after recovering from his foot injury.
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.
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.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant allayed injury concerns, smashing a quickfire half-century after being forced to retire hurt on Day 3 of the four-day match against South Africa A.
India's Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant was named captain of the Delhi team, with stalwart Virat Kohli also set to be available for a couple games, for the upcoming National One-Day Championship, for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, starting December 24.
Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the upcoming series against Afghanistan is under consideration as the selection committee assesses his workload.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has revealed the team's Test strategy, indicating a preference for Sai Sudharsan at the No.3 spot and plans to develop four spinners for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. Gambhir also addressed Rishabh Pant's vice-captaincy, stressing the need for better game situation awareness.
Rishabh Pant's wicket was more than just another dismissal on the scorecard -- it was the moment Delhi's chase began to collapse
Lucknow Super Giants face a tough challenge against a confident Sunrisers Hyderabad in their upcoming IPL clash. SRH's explosive batting and home advantage make them favourites, while LSG needs to address their batting inconsistencies to secure their first win of the season.
Dhruv Jurel continued his remarkable form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 with an unbeaten 160 for Uttar Pradesh against Baroda, a knock that sends a clear message to selectors ahead of India's New Zealand ODI series.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Perhaps, another Ranji title with Mumbai will be a fitting send off for Ajinkya Rahane.
Russia, being bogged down by the Ukraine war and prioritising the requirements of its own armed forces, along with India's consistent diversification policy, will remain a major challenge to the bilateral partnership, note Harsh V Pant and Aleksei Zakharov.
India and the US have entered a new phase in their relationship, marked by greater parity, point out Harsh V Pant and Vivek Mishra.
Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking for their spinners to rediscover their form against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match.
Top-order batters subjugate India A's Test bowlers as SA A register five-wicket win
For Canada, important steps towards containing domestic elements that fuel pro-Khalistan sentiments can go a long way in signalling trust positively with regard to security and sovereignty, point out Harsh V Pant and Vivek Mishra.
Dhruv Jurel made a strong case for his continued presence in the senior Test eleven with his second hundred in as many innings against South Africa A while fortifying India A's position on the third day of the four-day match in Bengaluru on Saturday.
'Bumrah is not the right option for captain.' 'All the pressure to deliver is on his shoulders. So taking on the mantle of captain will be added pressure.'
Abhimanyu Easwaran made the future path all the more tough with his second duck of the match, while Sai Sudharsan concluded his lukewarm preparation for the South Africa Test series with an underwhelming 23 off 38 balls.
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
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.
Kohli, Simarjeet sparkle as Delhi down Andhra by 4 wickets in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Sanju Samson's T20I future took another hit on Tuesday as India benched him yet again, favouring the finishing skills of Jitesh Sharma in a team that now appears fully committed to its Shubman Gill-led blueprint.
Dhruv Jurel, who impressed during India's series-levelling tour of England, was on Thursday named captain of Central Zone for the season-opening Duleep Trophy, set to begin on August 28 in Bengaluru.
'Sometimes it might look wrong in the fans' eyes, but please don't twist things or create narratives that aren't even close to the truth.'
'Obviously, he brings a lot of good things to the Test side. Not only from the batting point of view, but from the keeping point of view as well.'
Saurashtra all but ensured Delhi's exit from Ranji Trophy with a 10-wicket victory inside two days in Group D, in Rajkot, on Friday.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
