Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane believes India's recent Test struggles stem from the departure of senior players, emphasising the need for a core of seven to eight experienced cricketers in the longer format.
India reduced Afghanistan to 113 for five at stumps after declaring their first innings on 564 for 8 on Day 2 of the one-off Test at Mullanpur on Sunday.
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi produced a match-winning spell to help Rajasthan Royals secure a thrilling six run victory over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
'I had specific plans coming into this Test, and Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) helped me shape and refine them in the lead-up.'
Steyn, however, argued that once the draw had been secured, personal milestones should have been secondary to the spirit of the game.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's possible T20I debut and India's batting struggles after the Ireland whitewash dominate the build-up to the five-match series against England, where testing conditions await Shreyas Iyer's side.
Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel admitted their sloppy catching proved costly as they dropped as many as four catches, including two chances of Finn Allen, who made them pay with a blistering 35-ball 93 in a 29-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders.
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.
Washington ruled out of T20I series against NZ; Bishnoi, Iyer added to squad
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.
Jasprit Bumrah missed India's opening T20 World Cup match against USA because of illness.
Vaobhav Sooryavanshi, 15, stands a chance to become India's youngest international cricketer, potentially breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record.
India begin their 2027 ODI World Cup preparations against Afghanistan with Rohit Sharma's fitness and Nitish Kumar Reddy's all-round abilities under scrutiny, while Shubman Gill continues to shape his leadership credentials.
What began as routine on-field communication during the first ODI in Vadodara on Sunday soon turned into a talking point, as a brief stump-mic moment sparked playful banter among commentators.
The Indian team under Gautam Gambhir's coaching has been about multi-skilled cricketers, and Washington Sundar feels blessed that he is one of them.
India will have a net session on Saturday evening, and Abhishek Sharma's fitness will be monitored closely before taking a final call.
Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori acknowledged Gujarat Titans' superior performance in their recent IPL match, highlighting their exceptional bowling attack as the key factor in their comprehensive victory.
India are entering a rebuilding phase in Test cricket, with Shubman Gill facing early challenges as captain amid concerns over form, selection stability, and recent home results.
All-rounder Washington Sundar was on Sunday added to the India squad for the remaining two Tests against New Zealand.
VVS Laxman, head of the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, has defended the CoE against criticism regarding slow player recovery, stating that cricketers are not 'machines' and rehabilitation timelines can vary.
Kuldeep Yadav will look towards the Sri Lanka series as his big opportunity to finally seal his place as India's No 1 spinner in Tests.
India opener Abhishek Sharma's availability for Thursday's match against Namibia is uncertain because of a stomach bug.
Mohammed Siraj has been rested from India's T20I squads for the upcoming tours against Ireland and England as a precautionary measure for workload management. Prasidh Krishna has been named as his replacement. The BCCI stated this decision ensures Siraj's recovery ahead of a long international season, following his recent participation in IPL 2026 and a Test match.
Sometimes you back your plans but execution doesn't go your way: Washington
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defended their IPL crown in style, beating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets to win back-to-back titles in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Indian team, which looked invincible under Suryakumar Yadav, has suddenly hit rock bottom a few months after winning the T20 World Cup.
Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi's impressive four-wicket spell with the second new ball helped India 'A' secure a substantial 122-run first-innings lead against Sri Lanka 'A' on day three of the opening 'Test'. Sri Lanka 'A' were bowled out for 330 after being in a strong position, with India 'A' further consolidating their lead to 170 runs by stumps.
Gujarat Titans faced a batting collapse in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, leading to several unwanted records, including top-order failures and a long wait for their first six.
Saransh Jain's domestic success motivated by his cancer-affected dad's inspiring note. Saransh received his India Test call-up for the Sri Lanka tour on Tuesday.
Sunil Gavaskar says India played with overconfidence and failed to adapt in their 76-run T20 World Cup defeat to South Africa, and backs Axar Patel's return for the Zimbabwe clash.
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes rookie pacer Gurnoor Brar could be the 'X-Factor' for India in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah during the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, suggesting he would be tempted to hand the 26-year-old his debut.
Former batting coach Sanjay Bangar advises the Indian cricket team not to overanalyze their batting performance against the USA in the T20 World Cup, emphasizing that their aggressive approach has been largely successful.
Gujarat Titans secured a narrow one-run victory over Delhi Capitals in a thrilling IPL match, surviving a late onslaught from David Miller.
Indian all-rounder Axar Patel attributed his match-winning half-century against England in the opening ODI to a renewed focus on timing the ball, a strategic shift from his previous T20 approach of hitting too hard.
Former all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind young Washington Sundar to be a 'genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India'.
Delhi Capitals will be looking to maintain their winning momentum against a struggling Gujarat Titans side in their upcoming IPL match.
Ajinkya Rahane's retirement prompts a reflection on his remarkable career, marked by India's historic Gabba triumph, his quiet leadership, and a lingering question: was he an under-achiever or simply under-appreciated in the Indian cricketing ecosystem?
Sunil Gavaskar has strongly backed young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be included in playing XI from the first game in the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting on Wednesday.
India registered their biggest-ever innings win in Test cricket, dominating Afghanistan in the one-off game, with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar impressing with a seven-wicket match haul.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
