'There's a lot of pressure on him, and there's a lot of pressure on this series as well, because it's crucial for India's chances in the WTC.'
India skipper Shubman Gill has shed light on the team's meticulous approach to player fitness, explaining that while constant monitoring is in place, risk-avoiding decisions are sometimes necessary, especially in the demanding format of Test cricket, to protect both the player and the team's long-term interests.
Sanath Jayasuriya has been named the interim head coach of the island nation's cricket team ahead of its white-ball home series against India beginning later this month.
Spinner Thandi Tshabalala is the sole new cap in South Africa's squad for the two-Tests series in Sri Lanka, starting next month.
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, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana have been included in India's T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, pending fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.
Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his concern over Rishabh Pant's shot selection, stating that while his attacking style brings unforgettable moments, the wicketkeeper-batter needs to learn when to rein himself in and prioritise the team's needs over his natural instinct to attack.
With Sri Lanka's cricket team performing better under Sanath Jayasuriya, he is all set to get a contract extension.
Age is just a number for uncapped off-spin allrounder Saransh Jain who at 33 years has earned his maiden Test call-up for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour on the back of consistent performances in the domestic circuit and India A.
Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella has been suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket following allegations of an anti-doping violation during the Lankan Premier League.
Gurnoor Brar has joined North Zone for the Duleep Trophy semifinal, with selectors using the opportunity to boost the India pacer's red-ball exposure ahead of New Zealand Tests.
Indian left-arm spinner Manav Suthar faced a challenging day in the second Test against Sri Lanka, conceding over five runs an over initially, but impressed spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule with his resilience and ability to bounce back with two crucial wickets.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed his side's resounding innings and 242-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday as "near flawless" after the visitors retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Off-spinner Nishan Peiris picked up a six-wicket haul on debut as Sri Lanka crushed New Zealand by an innings and 154 runs.
New Zealand captain Tim Southee said playing two Tests at Galle, known as a spinner's paradise, was always going to be challenging.
Opener Abhishek Sharma slammed a blistering 30-ball hundred -- the fastest century by an Indian batter in T20 Internationals.
Cricket South Africa has revised the India women's team tour schedule to include three T20Is, a Test, and three ODIs, extending the tour until December 30.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad has been ruled out of England's second Test against Sri Lanka with a calf strain, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Friday. His place for will go to either Steven Finn or Tim Bresnan.
India A will undertake a shadow tour of New Zealand ahead of the senior team's multi-format series in the country, with the itinerary comprising three List A matches and two first-class games.
'Every batter has a shortcoming somewhere. You need to find where the shortcoming is.'
Indian batter Devdutt Padikkal, after scoring a magnificent maiden Test century against Sri Lanka in Galle, discussed the "slowish" nature of the wicket. He noted that the pitch aided left-handed batters against left-arm spinners and started turning significantly after the third day, contributing to India's 165-run victory.
In-form Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez returned to Pakistan's 15-member squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in the United Arab Emirates, next week. Hafeez scored three centuries in four One-Day Internationals in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
The Duleep Trophy final between East Zone and South Zone will feature a mix of rising talents like Devdutt Padikkal, Tilak Varma, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, alongside established players like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami. Players will be looking to impress selectors for upcoming national assignments, with Padikkal aiming to continue his red-ball form and Siraj seeking to regain rhythm. The match also marks Shami's 100th first-class game.
'The Indian government is better prepared this time and has reached out to all contenders and not putting all eggs in one basket.'
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will miss the Test series against Sri Lanka next month because of a knee injury. Pakistan team coach Intikhab Alam said Shoaib would need at least three weeks to recover from the surgery, ruling the 33-year-old out of the two home Tests being played between February 23 and March 6.
Saransh Jain, India's Test cap No. 320, prioritised red-ball cricket over an IPL contract, a decision lauded by his coach Chandrakant Pandit, which ultimately led to his Test debut against Sri Lanka.
Gambhir strongly advocates three-Test series, arguing they give teams that lose the opening match a genuine opportunity to recover, compete harder and still win the series.
Bangladesh achieved a historic milestone by defeating Australia by nine wickets in Darwin, marking their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil and becoming the fastest Asian team to do so.
England have named pace bowler James Anderson in place of Jade Derbach in their 12-man squad for the third and final Test of the series against Sri Lanka starting at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Thursday.
Pakistan named four pace bowlers in their line-up for the first Test against Sri Lanka and three youngsters who have yet to make their Test debut. Pakistan captain Younis Khan said the 12 players selected for the match, which begins on Saturday, includes opener Khurrum Manzoor and pace bowlers Sohail Khan and Mohammad Talha, untried at Test level. Manzoor and Khan have played ODIs but Talha is yet to play at any level for Pakistan.
India vice-captain KL Rahul said Manav Suthar's impressive ability to vary his speed without noticeable change in action, and unerring accuracy make the young left-arm spinner a massive threat across the conditions.
Sri Lanka's decision to bat first backfired when they were all out for 236 on Day 1 of the first Test.
England Test captain Joe Root has surpassed Steve Smith to become the leading fielder in Test cricket with 219 catches, and also equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most fifties in the longest format with his 68th half-century.
IMAGES from the Day 4 of the 1st Test between England and Sri Lanka in Manchester on Saturday
India A took firm control on the opening day of their unofficial Test series against Sri Lanka A, posting 333 for four. Sai Sudharsan scored a fluent century, while skipper Dhruv Jurel and Shaik Rasheed contributed unbeaten half-centuries, frustrating the Sri Lankan bowlers in Galle.
Devdutt Padikkal hit an unbeaten 142 as India recovered from an early setback to reach 357/6 against Sri Lanka XI in Colombo.
Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has been ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka with an elbow injury. Seamer Ben Hilfenhaus will take his place.
India T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer has highlighted the importance of regular game time and confidence for Jasprit Bumrah, who is returning from injury ahead of the Afghanistan T20I series, the Asian Games, and the ODI World Cup.
India faced early pressure in the second Test against Sri Lanka, reaching 88 for two at lunch on day one. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed after a solid start, with Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman Gill at the crease. The session also saw some on-field drama and a dropped catch.
Sri Lanka put themselves in a good position on the third day of the opening Test against New Zealand after Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal made half-centuries but the hosts lost some of their momentum to reach 237-4 at stumps in Galle on Friday.
