'I just wanted to fight for an entire day and that was the only message given to me by the coach.'
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.
He returned with figures of 4-22 in 12.1 overs to join an elite list comprising legends Vinoo Mankad, Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, who have taken four wickets or more at the iconic venue.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain, 33, has been named in India's 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka, replacing the injured Washington Sundar, marking a surprise call-up after impressive all-round performances for India A.
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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not use Washington mainly because there were too many right-handers in the Australian line-up, but during chase the Tamil Nadu man showed his hitting prowess with four sixes and three fours making a tricky chase look very easy.
A fit-again all-rounder Washington Sundar will link up with the Indian squad in New Delhi ahead of the Namibia game on February 12, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said after the team's 29-run win against the USA in the T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday
'I think the partnership between me and Washington was very important.'
Sai Sudharsan spoke on how Tamil Nadu team-mate Washington Sundar has been an 'inspiration' for him, motivating him to rise up the ranks and break into the Indian team.
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.
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.
Vaobhav Sooryavanshi, 15, stands a chance to become India's youngest international cricketer, potentially breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record.
Delhi all-rounder Ayush Badoni joined the Indian team in Rajkot on Wednesday but will have to wait for his India debut.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Washington ruled out of T20I series against NZ; Bishnoi, Iyer added to squad
'It was all about having a good partnership, and we said once we are set, we will take it from there.'
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.
Jasprit Bumrah missed India's opening T20 World Cup match against USA because of illness.
The Indian team, which looked invincible under Suryakumar Yadav, has suddenly hit rock bottom a few months after winning the T20 World Cup.
'I had specific plans coming into this Test, and Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) helped me shape and refine them in the lead-up.'
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.
Steyn, however, argued that once the draw had been secured, personal milestones should have been secondary to the spirit of the game.
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.
