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.
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.
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.
Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the upcoming series against Afghanistan is under consideration as the selection committee assesses his workload.
Rishabh Pant is making a comeback to competitive cricket after recovering from his foot injury.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rishabh Pant's wicket was more than just another dismissal on the scorecard -- it was the moment Delhi's chase began to collapse
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.
Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking for their spinners to rediscover their form against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match.
India and the US have entered a new phase in their relationship, marked by greater parity, point out Harsh V Pant and Vivek Mishra.
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.
Top-order batters subjugate India A's Test bowlers as SA A register five-wicket win
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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
'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.'
'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.'
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
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.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
'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.
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.
It was Rishabh Pant's brief, unconvincing stint at the crease that starkly epitomised his season-long struggle
'As the global economy undergoes significant transformations in 2025, India's ability to navigate the complexities of trade wars, financial realignments, and emerging blocs will be pivotal,' explain Harsh V Pant and Soumya Bhowmik.
'Trump's aggressive stance towards China and preference for military posturing could shift the Quad's balance towards overt militarisation.'
Reports (not denied by India) that the USA had 'for the first time provided real-time details to their Indian counterparts on the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion' into Tawang at the LAC in December 2022, helping India thwart China's expansionist designs, show how operationally effective the USA-India friendship has become on the ground. A engaging excerpt from Sreeram Chaulia's must-read new book, Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners.
'He said he wanted to apologise because he could never see me being upset.'
The biggest positives with the bat in Perth were Virat Kohli regaining his rhythm and Jaiswal's coming of age hundred in his debut Test in Australia. Both will look to build on those significant gains in Adelaide.
'I already won. The fact that I was spotted and my name was heard and my face was all over India! I know how big Bigg Boss is.'
Wriddhiman Saha's superior glovework may be given preference over Rishabh Pant's blazing blade in India's opening day-night Test against Australia, starting at the Adelaide Oval from Thursday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances