Washington Sundar has played a major role in Royal Challengers Bangalore's success so far this IPL season, with skipper Virat Kohli using him mostly in the Powerplay overs. He has taken five wickets in seven games, but at an astonishing economy rate of 4.90.
Ravichandran Ashwin stressed that Washington Sundar must be treated as a frontline bowling all-rounder and given a full quota of overs to build confidence with the bat as well.
India is set to face England in the second ODI, aiming for a series victory, but concerns over Shubman Gill's fitness after he walked off injured in the first match, and Rohit Sharma's inconsistent batting form, are prominent. The team will also consider potential changes to the playing eleven.
India's assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate conceded that too many players have batted at number three in Test matches after Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement and it was time that either Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal is given a long rope at the key batting position.
Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to return for India's three-match ODI series against an upbeat England, aiming to lift the team's spirits after a dismal T20I performance.
Virat Kohli has added another landmark to his remarkable ODI career by becoming the Indian batter with the most half-centuries in SENA countries -- South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.
India's Shubman Gill has ascended to the second position in the ICC ODI batting rankings, propelled by strong performances against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Matt Henry has joined India's Jasprit Bumrah as the world's top-ranked Test bowler, marking a significant achievement for both players in the latest ICC updates.
Virat Kohli was on Sunday named in India's squad for the three-match ODI series against England next month, subject to fitness clearance.
Gujarat Titans held their nerve in a tense finish to beat Punjab Kings by four wickets in Ahmedabad, sealing their third straight win after a see-saw chase that went down to the final over.
Manav Suthar made a sensational Test debut, claiming a six-wicket haul against Afghanistan in the first innings before Washington Sundar took four wickets in their 2nd innings, as India outplayed Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs on day 3 of the one-off Test.
Pacer Harshit Rana has joined the Indian ODI squad for the final match against Afghanistan in Chennai after recovering from a knee injury. Rana, who underwent surgery in February, missed the T20 World Cup and IPL due to the ligament strain. India has already secured the series with a 2-0 lead.
'Coming over here and getting an opportunity to play in Australia is amazing, and to have contributed to the team's victory makes me definitely happy.'
India handed T20I debuts to Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav in the second T20I against Ireland, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to wait for his senior debut as Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first in Belfast.
Washington is learning about batting: Doeschate, as all-rounder focusses on big-hitting at nets
Manav Suthar took 7 wickets as India recorded their biggest Test victory with an innings and 300 runs against Afghanistan in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Monday.
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar excelling on his Test debut is a testament to the robust structure that BCCI has created for talent identification, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Monday after the home team trounced Afghanistan inside three days in Mullanpur.
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.
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.
Former England cricketer Liam Plunkett swapped his cricket colours for a baseball glove on Friday, playing his first game for independent American club Oakland Ballers and even claiming a strikeout.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vaobhav Sooryavanshi, 15, stands a chance to become India's youngest international cricketer, potentially breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record.
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.
Shubman Gill has been instrumental in Gujarat Titans' success, participating in 11 of the franchise's 13 century partnerships since 2022. His recent 70-run innings against Delhi Capitals, coupled with a 104-run stand with Washington Sundar, underscores his importance as a premier batter. Gill is also nearing 4,000 IPL runs.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
The Indian team, which looked invincible under Suryakumar Yadav, has suddenly hit rock bottom a few months after winning the T20 World Cup.
India's Washington Sundar has joined Hampshire for their last two match of the 2025 Championship campaign, the English county side announced on Thursday, weeks after the all-rounder emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Test series against England.
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.
India's loss to South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 8s has sparked outrage among fans, who are questioning Coach Gautam Gambhir's decision to bench Axar Patel in favour of Washington Sundar.
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.
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.
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.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday
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.
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.
'I just wanted to fight for an entire day and that was the only message given to me by the coach.'
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.
A struggling Indian team, led by Shreyas Iyer, is desperate to secure a consolation victory against England in the fifth T20 International in Southampton to avoid a humiliating 0-4 series whitewash.
