Mohammed Shami's much-awaited return to top-flight cricket did not receive too many supporting signals during the seasoned pacer's nearly hour-long stint of varying intensity at the India nets here on Friday. Despite working hard on finding his bowling rhythm, Shami never really hit his flowing peak. While he was expected to feature in the playing 11 during India's first T20I against England at Kolkata on Wednesday, the management decided to delay his comeback. Shami's rhythm and sharpness gradually hit a higher gear but the whole picture was one of rustiness, raising questions about his current form and the decision to select him for the series against England and the Champions Trophy.
He amassed 395 runs in IPL 2024 and this breakout season earned him a lucrative Rs 11 crore (Rs 110 million) contract, making him one of three players RCB retained alongside Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal.
'He had a terrific World Cup back in India (2023) where he played beautifully in the middle-order and I actually felt then that he'd almost cemented that spot and made that his own.'
A roundup of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day matches played on Tuesday.
At 17 years and 168 days, Mhatre broke the previous record set by India batter Jaiswal, who was 17 years and 291 days when he achieved the feat while playing for Mumbai against against Jharkhand in 2019.
Ramchandra Guha salutes the legend's memory.
In all, Axar has led in 24 matches across all formats, winning 12, losing 10 and two matches ended in a draw.
Out of favour India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has decided to skip Vijay Hazare Trophy (National One Dayers) starting across the country from Wednesday as he is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme.
Shami last played for India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad after which he was sidelined because of an ankle injury which needed surgery.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Friday
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder, who was part of the team for two Tests during the Test series against Sri Lanka last year, said that sharing dressing room helped him learn a lot.
"He was the real ambassador of the gentleman's game," Jagmohan Dalmiya said.
The former India captain pays tribute to the Aussie legend who passed away on Monday.\n\n
After a stellar performance in domestic cricket, premier batter Karun Nair is confident of reclaiming his India cap.
Jaffer took to Twitter to vent out his frustration.
Five Ranji Trophy league matches will be followed by white ball tournaments -- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Virat Kohli has expressed his full support for Rajat Patidar as the new captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), praising Patidar's consistency and discipline.
Delhi Capitals have never won the IPL despite featuring top talent over the years. Under Axar Patel's leadership, they will hope IPL 2025 finally ends their title drought.
Wasim Jaffer wants a rejigged domestic season to ensure that the players get enough breaks and are not rushed into tournaments.
His coaching resume also includes stints in the IPL, head coach of Puducherry for the 2019-20 season, and chief coach of the USA national cricket team from 2020 onwards.
New Zealand's big-hitting opener Chad Bowes smashed the fastest double hundred in List A cricket on Wednesday, reaching the mark in just 103 balls.
Karun Nair slammed his fourth century of the Ranji Trophy season to help Vidarbha tighten their grip over Kerala, in the final, in Nagpur on Saturday.
Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, have a robust scouting system that unearths hidden gems from across the country.
Ruturaj Gaikwad blazed his way into the record books, smashing seven sixes in a 43-run over as Maharashtra outplayed Uttar Pradesh
The last time India fielded five or more debutants in a Test series was during the 1996 tour of England when current Head Coach Rahul Dravid, Batting Coach Vikram Rathour, Bowling Coach Paras Mhambrey all made their debuts along with Sourav Ganguly, Venkatesh Prasad and Sunil Joshi.
Shastri heaped praise on Himachal Pradesh after they won their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy
Shahbaz Nadeem has announced his retirement from international cricket to try his luck in franchise-based leagues
Kolkata and Ahmedabad will host the knockout stages of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy, respectively, while BCCI will conduct two Irani Cup ties in a single domestic season.
Prithvi Shaw's inclusion comes as a fresh lease of life for the explosive batter who found himself out of reckoning in the Ranji Trophy.
Himachal Pradesh seam bowler Sidharth Sharma died in a hospital in Vadodara after a brief illness.
Out-of-favour India opener Prithvi Shaw returned to form in style with a 153-ball 244 for Northamptonshire in England's One-Day Cup tournament against Somerset in Northampton on Wednesday.
Gautam Gambhir (69) scored a confident half-century to complement the good bowling as Delhi thrashed Bengal by six wickets to enter the summit clash of the Vijay Hazare trophy in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Friday equated the standards of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to the IPL.
A roundup of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day matches played on Wednesday
Newly-appointed Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar on Thursday said he would want to pick talisman Virat Kohli's brains to learn the nuances of leadership and stressed on the importance of "standing with players" in all circumstances.
'When you are in the leadership group you have to make some harsh decisions. These are the discussions we have.'
Former winners Vidarbha will rely on their red-hot form to stake claim for a title they last won over five years ago, while first-time finalists Kerala will be driven by grit when the two contrasting teams clash in the summit showdown for the 90th Ranji Trophy, starting in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj is only the third bowler in the history of Ranji Trophy to take all 10 wickets in an innings.
Pacer Siddharth Kaul on Thursday announced his retirement from Indian cricket, saying he is open to playing in county cricket or in overseas leagues.
Suryakumar Yadav and Ajinkya Rahane's half-centuries powered Mumbai to 278/4 at stumps on Day 3, a commanding lead of 292 runs.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances