Pakistan are traditionally good against spinners but Babar Azam and Co. would take the likes of promising Dunith Wellalage and company lightly at their peril.
Sri Lanka's players refused to take the field on the third day of the match in St Lucia on Saturday, delaying the resumption of play for almost two hours, after umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould had changed the ball and awarded West Indies five penalty runs.
Indian cricketers Manav Suthar, Auqib Nabi, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mayank Agarwal showcased strong performances in the English County Championship, with Suthar's seven-wicket haul leading Warwickshire to an innings victory.
The Indian cricket team is preparing for its upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, with Jasprit Bumrah set to rejoin training after recovering from injury. The team's net session saw Washington Sundar working hard, while concerns over player injuries have led to the BCCI considering the removal of senior physio Kamlesh Jain. Pace bowling coach Morne Morkel was also absent due to visa issues.
Only 3.4 overs of play was possible in the first two matches and weather forecasters are predicting more rain in the coming days.
"At the same time we are also looking at exploring the possibility of rescheduling postponed tours and looking at the windows which are available and alternatives too."
England's two-match Test series in Sri Lanka starting next week has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday. The first Test was scheduled to start in Galle on March 19 and the second game set for Colombo from March 27.
India edged Sri Lanka via the Super Over in a low-scoring thriller to register a 3-0 whitewash in the T20 International series in Pallekele, on Tuesday.
It was believed that Vaas and Sri Lanka's head coach Marvan Atapattu were not getting along well in recent times.
Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took two overs to polish off the New Zealand tail and complete a five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka sealed a 63-run victory in the opening Test at Galle International Stadium on Monday.
Indian spinner Shree Charani has maintained her top position in the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings with a career-best 804 rating points, while compatriot Deepti Sharma has risen four places to second, following their stellar performances in the Women's T20 Asia Cup.
K L Rahul is likely to be named India's vice-captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting on September 27.
Veteran Indian cricketers KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, and Devdutt Padikkal have been asked to play in the Duleep Trophy final for South Zone against East Zone. The participation of other T20I players like Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Ishan Kishan depends on Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir's approval. Additionally, chief selector Ajit Agarkar will attend the final, and the BCCI is arranging visas for net bowlers for the Asian Games.
The BCCI is arranging short-term county cricket contracts for talented Indian pacers like Auqib Nabi to prepare them for future international tours, specifically eyeing India's Test series in New Zealand. This initiative aims to provide red-ball experience and exposure to different conditions.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka to overcome a top-order collapse and reach 242-6 on Day one
Former Indian fielding coach T Dilip shared his most cherished memory with the team, highlighting the profound silence in the dressing room after their T20 World Cup 2024 victory.
R V S Mani, former Under Secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has alleged that drug trafficking was a regular practice by Pakistani cricket teams and delegations visiting India, linking it to the 2006 doping scandal involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, and even the death of coach Bob Woolmer.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that dropping Sanju Samson from the England tour was his toughest decision, despite Samson being the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup. Gambhir explained that while Samson was temporarily replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the team prioritised returning to their established World Cup-winning combination. He also addressed the issue of player injuries and the challenge of Shubman Gill not having a full-strength team, emphasising the importance of long-term performance and providing opportunities for new talent.
India Under-19 secured a narrow seven-run victory over Australia U-19 in a rain-affected first Youth ODI. Anvay Dravid's explosive late innings and Yashbardhan Chauhan's all-round performance, including a half-century and two wickets, were pivotal. The match also marked the U19 debut of Aaryavir Sehwag, who contributed 28 runs.
Anvay Dravid and Aaryavir Sehwag, sons of India greats Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, have been named in the India U-19 squad for Australia series.
Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana expressed her disbelief and happiness after surpassing legendary batter Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in Women's Internationals, a feat she 'never imagined' achieving.
Karun Nair, despite scoring a century in a local tournament, was controversially excluded from the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy final. This decision has drawn attention given South Zone's struggles against East Zone. Coach Vikram Verma cited team combination and "personal reasons" for Nair's absence, but his subsequent participation in another match suggests deeper issues.
Theekshana could be the latest addition to the injury list after straining his right hamstring while fielding during the Super 4 clash against Pakistan on Thursday.
Virat Kohli, who debuted 18 years ago, has amassed over 28,000 international runs and 85 centuries, establishing himself as one of cricket's all-time greats with numerous unmatched records across all formats.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh produced superlative performances to secure victories over Malaysia and Thailand in group B
The Netherlands will have a spring in their stride when they take on a struggling Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath has retired from 50-over and Twenty20 internationals in order to carry on playing Test matches, the country's cricket board said on Sunday.
Former India leg-spinner L Sivaramakrishnan believes that advising Kuldeep Yadav to bowl faster in Test cricket is 'the worst piece of advice' he could receive, advocating instead for focus on alignment and natural speeds to maximise spin.
A nagging hamstring problem has kept Mathews out of international cricket since January but the all-rounder, who turns 30 on Friday, was declared fit ahead of the team's departure to the United Kingdom.
Chamara Kapugedera hails Sri Lanka hosting the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash in Colombo, backs India to have slight edge and calls Abhishek Sharma a potential game-changer.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has finalised a five-match One-Day International series against England in May 2025, serving as vital preparation for both teams ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup later that year.
Ruturaj Gaikwad replaces injured Riyan Parag in the India A squad for the upcoming tri-Nation series in Sri Lanka.
Vijay Deverakonda, Tilak Varma, Mohammed Siraj among others receive TCA legal notice over alleged TG20 association
IMAGES from Day 1 of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka, at Lord's, on Thursday.
The BCCI has summoned Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar and V V S Laxman to Mumbai on Thursday to review India's disappointing performances in Ireland and England.
England's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka next month is likely to go ahead despite concerns about a highly infectious new coronavirus variant identified in Britain.
Shubman Gill, India's Test and ODI captain, celebrated his 27th birthday, marking a remarkable journey from a young prodigy to a dependable leader and cornerstone of the Indian batting line-up, with impressive records across all formats.
KL Rahul's patient half-century in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka highlights his evolving role as a consistent and strategic anchor for the Indian team. Despite a slower strike rate, his ability to stonewall spinners and build partnerships has been crucial, earning praise from coaches and teammates. This performance underscores his growing importance, especially after the departure of senior batters, as he aims to make a significant impact in the current Test series.
Sharma emphasised that even if the talismanic batter isn't scoring centuries, it doesn't necessarily indicate a dip in form.
Georgia Plimmer's quickfire half-century (53 in 44 balls, with four boundaries) helped New Zealand to a convincing eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka to boost their chances of a top two finish in a highly-competitive Group A the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, reaching a winning score of 118/2 with 2.3 overs remaining on Saturday.
