Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been added to India's squad for the series-deciding fifth and final T20I against the West Indies as cover for the injured Arshdeep Singh, marking his return to T20I cricket after four years.
Ajit Agarkar's tenure as India's chief selector is reportedly nearing its end, with Wednesday's meeting to pick squads for the West Indies series potentially being his last, amidst a communication breakdown with the BCCI.
India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting Sunday, is a vital preparatory stage for the ICC World Cup 2027. The series will focus on giving game time to young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and assessing the form of key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who is nearing a significant ODI milestone. The development of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is also a priority. The West Indies team, grappling with recent losses and financial issues, will aim to overcome these challenges and deliver a competitive performance.
Deepti Sharma did the star turn with career-best figures of 6/31 before doing her bit with the bat as India completed a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies
West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein acknowledges India as a "very dangerous" side ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series. He discusses the challenges of bowling in the powerplay against India's strong batting lineup and emphasizes the importance of planning, execution, and sticking to effective strategies, aided by data. Hosein asserts that the West Indies team is ready for the challenge and will not back down.
India's batting strength, highlighted by centuries from Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, is set to face the West Indies in the second ODI to seal the series. However, the team's pace-bowling combination remains a significant concern, particularly after the unsuccessful experiment with Nitish Kumar Reddy. The match is crucial for the West Indies, who are looking to keep the series alive and build confidence for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
India dropped teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi despite his impressive Asian Games run, preferring Sanju Samson as Gautam Gambhir backed experience and resisted pressure to alter the winning combination.
Rohit Sharma credits meticulous preparation, studying opposition bowlers and mental strength for handling pressure, while maintaining strong ODI form ahead of India's upcoming New Zealand and Sri Lanka series.
India successfully chased down a formidable target of 406 runs against the West Indies in the second ODI, with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma's exceptional batting performances leading the team to a historic victory.
West Indies captain Shai Hope has continued his exceptional form against India, scoring his fourth century and fifth fifty-plus score in seven innings during the ongoing tour. His consistent 'Player of the Match' performances have been crucial, with the series now level at 2-2 heading into the decider on October 17 in Bengaluru. Hope also reflected on the challenging pitch conditions during their recent win.
Despite limited opportunities in the playing XI, India skipper Shreyas Iyer has expressed strong confidence in young cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stating that the 15-year-old's time to dominate Indian cricket will come.
A vital aspect of captaincy is not the title, but the confidence that a captain plant in the hearts of their teammates. And both, Gill and Iyer, do this very well, points out K R Nayar.
'With the ease and the calmness that he batted, it gave us a lot of confidence that now, probably, we are on the right track.'
There was a time when a score close to 380 was a sure shot victory for that team, and the captain would be preparing his victory speech while fielding, points out K R Nayar.
Abhishek Sharma joined India's 2,000-run T20I club with a blistering 69 off 30 balls, equalling Suryakumar Yadav's calendar-year sixes record and registering his seventh powerplay fifty.
Gautam Gambhir criticised the batting-friendly Guwahati pitch after India chased West Indies' 405, saying bowlers need more help in ODIs.
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar lauded Shreyas Iyer's maiden T20I century against the West Indies, stating it came at an 'important time' and signalled the Indian skipper's return to his best form after a challenging period with the bat.
Gautam Gambhir visited Guwahati's Kamakhya temple before meeting selectors to discuss India's New Zealand tour squads, as the team prepared to seal the ODI series against West Indies.
The West Indies Players' Association and Cricket West Indies said on Friday they would review safety protocols following allegations of sexual harassment during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2020.
Shreyas Iyer has climbed to a career-high fourth position in the ICC T20 International rankings for batters, following his strong performance in the ongoing series against West Indies
Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze narrowly missed out on maiden centuries as the West Indies fought back from 25 for 2 to post 250 for 5 on Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua, on Friday.
WI invites Lloyd, Richards, Lara to help shape future of Caribbean cricket
KL Rahul achieved a significant career milestone, completing 10,000 international runs with a spectacular unbeaten 129 off 87 balls in the third ODI against West Indies, becoming the 15th Indian to reach this landmark.
This is Nepal's first-ever series victory against a Test playing nation.
The second T20I between India and West Indies in Ranchi is expected to be heavily influenced by dew, making the toss crucial, while the pitch is set to favour batsmen. Local fans are also eagerly anticipating the performance of Jharkhand's own Ishan Kishan.
India skipper Shubman Gill (117 balls) surpasses teammate Ishan Kishan's record (126 balls) for the fastest double hundred in ODI cricket.
Australia ruthlessly completed a 159-run victory over West Indies in the first Test in Barbados on Friday after Josh Hazlewood's five-wicket masterclass broke the hosts' resistance on a pitch that deteriorated into a bowler's paradise.
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma achieved a significant milestone by crossing 12,000 runs in One Day Internationals during a match against the West Indies in Guwahati. He became the seventh batter globally and third Indian to reach this feat, also scoring his 35th ODI century. This achievement places him alongside cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in an exclusive club of high-scoring Indian batsmen.
This was West Indies' first home Test win in over two years, ending a four-match losing streak.
The Caribbean side will back themselves to spoil James Anderson's farewell Test after breaching Australia's fortress, The Gabba, earlier this year.
Steve Smith will miss Australia's first Test against the West Indies in Barbados later this month
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment over Rohit Sharma missing a century against West Indies, wishing for Rohit to achieve more ODI hundreds than his age by the time he retires. Gavaskar also highlighted a significant shift in Rohit's batting approach since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he now prioritizes preserving his wicket and converting starts into big scores, benefiting the team's scoring rate and shielding him from criticism.
West Indies were bowled out for 163 before they fought back to dismiss Pakistan for 154 shortly before the close of play.
India's spin-bowling all-rounder Naman Dhir discusses how his experience as a batter enhances his ability to read opponents while bowling. He elaborates on his strategy for dismissing Kamil Pooran in the recent T20I match against West Indies and outlines his role as a batting all-rounder in the Indian team, emphasising his reliance on line, length, and pace variations.
Indian cricketers Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Sree Charani, and Shafali Verma have been shortlisted for the ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month awards for September, recognising their exceptional performances in recent international matches.
India all-rounder Naman Dhir made an impressive T20I debut, contributing significantly with his off-spin bowling to help India secure a win against West Indies. Despite his bowling success, Dhir, whose primary strength is batting, is eager for an opportunity to showcase his skills with the bat. He credited the IPL for preparing him for international cricket and expressed his joy at fulfilling his dream of representing India.
Virat Kohli has moved a step closer to Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries after his brilliant 139 against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. The hundred took Kohli's tally to 86, leaving him 14 centuries short of equalling Tendulkar and 15 away from taking the record.
Assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak explained the recall of veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series, citing his experience and strong IPL performances. Kotak also addressed questions regarding Mohammed Shami's absence and the reported involvement of VVS Laxman in selection meetings, while discussing India's ongoing winning streak and bench strength development.
Shubman Gill's record 223 not out sparked widespread praise as India chased 406 against West Indies, with the captain rewriting multiple ODI records and leading a historic eight-wicket victory.
Indian cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are on the cusp of achieving significant career milestones in the upcoming One-Day International series against West Indies, with Kohli nearing 15,000 ODI runs and Rohit approaching 12,000 ODI runs and 10,000 runs as an opener.
