'The runs from his bat at the top of the order will be crucial for India's success in this five-match series against South Africa.'
India's bowling drew sharp criticism, particularly Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. Krishna leaked runs and failed to maintain pressure, prompting Rohit Sharma to intervene during the 37th over.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
'One who was aggressive in the Powerplay, and the other after the Powerplay when wickets were falling he turned into an adamant batter, who batted sensibly and was not ready to give away his wicket.'
Former players Irfan Pathan and Venkatesh Prasad have questioned the Indian team's muddled approach, lack of stability and the increasing reliance on all-rounders.
Chopra focussing on rehabilitation of his back injury, season opener not known yet: Sumariwalla
Vijay Hazare: Pant's unbeaten half-ton in big Delhi win over Services; Axar hits century for Gujarat
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that his country has learnt a lot from India about hosting the G20.
Amid India's recent struggles in Test cricket, former England spinner Monty Panesar has raised doubts over Shubman Gill's leadership, describing him as a 'complacent cricketer' and insisting that the burden of all-format captaincy is currently beyond him.
Rohit Sharma poised to become 4th Indian batter to score 20,000 international runs
Rohit Sharma has returned to the No. 1 spot in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa.
Most 38-year-olds would hate leaving home but Virat Kohli's commitment to the game remains unmatched, said former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn.
Marco Jansen picked 12 wickets in the two Tests at an average of 10.08 including a six-wicket haul in the first innings of the Guwahati Test, while Jasprit Bumrah managed eight wickets in the series.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
Virat Kohli's second successive ton during the second ODI against South Africa here seemed "inevitable" as the stalwart got off the mark with a six, carrying the confidence of his first-game heroics, feels former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
When players select themselves, the selectors' job becomes delightfully simple. But did the Indian selectors have that luxury while picking the T20 World Cup squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup? asks K R Nayar.
Indian-descent democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as the Mayor of New York City, marking a new era for the city with a focus on affordability and working-class New Yorkers.
'I've had quite a bit of skill sessions and some training sessions. So, I feel much, much better.'
Rohit Sharma falls for golden duck against Uttarakhand, while Virat Kohli scores brisk 77 against Gujarat.
Jasprit Bumrah's wife, Sanjana Ganesan, marked his 32nd birthday on December 6, 2025, with a heartwarming post on social media.
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippywristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two Tests.
In-form Kohli, Rohit go hard in nets ahead of 2nd ODI against South Africa
Virat Kohli said staying in control of his emotions and thoughts despite the game's ups and downs has been central to his journey.
India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship finals (WTC) took a major hit as they slipped to the fifth spot in standings following their embarrassing 0-2 series whitewash to South Africa at home.
From 'hope to history': Cricketing world explodes with joy as SA finally win major ICC title
'They played well in Australia, in bouncy and quick conditions. I do not see a reason why they should not go to the 2027 World Cup.'
Virat Kohli ruled out any possibility of returning to Test or Twenty20 internationals after his player-of-the-match century guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa.
South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen says stopping world-class batters like Virat Kohli becomes almost impossible once they settle in.
Namibia have qualified for the last three ICC T20 World Cups (2021, 2022 and 2024). They are one of the three hosts of the 2026 T20 World Cup, alongside South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is understood that right after India's abject surrender against South Africa in the two-Test series at home last month, someone who matters in the cricket board had once again informally approached VVS Laxman to check if he would be interested in coaching the red ball team.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he is "bad with DRS" appeals after his hilarious banter with senior pro Rohit Sharma formed a nice, little subplot of India's series-clinching victory against South Africa in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam.
Jadeja returned to haunt South Africa with the ball after the Proteas came out to bat for the second time in the match.
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin praised Rohit Sharma's remarkable transformation after he surpassed Shahid Afridi's record for the most sixes in ODIs.
At stumps, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav were at the crease with India requiring another 522 runs to win and level the two-Test series.
Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, said his grandfather had supported him in switching international allegiance to Algeria, after playing for France at junior level.
Australia pacer Michael Neser found day one of his maiden Boxing Day Test a dream come true.
Lungi Ngidi's call-up indicates that Kagiso Rabada, who missed the team's memorable win in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is still uncertain for the Guwahati Test
Fans boo Gambhir after 408-run hammering; Kotak, Siraj step in to douse fire
Hardik Pandya poised for double milestone in South Africa series
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh finds it a bit unfortunate that the future of legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is being decided by "people who have not achieved much" but he nonetheless expects the duo to carry on till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
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