Page 9 - Cricket News

India vs Afghanistan one-off Test playing 11, live match time, streaming

The last time the two sides played a Test match against each other was back in 2018, when India secured a mammoth innings-and-262-run win over Afghanistan

Saba Karim backs Kohli but says Rohit has work to do for 2027 World Cup

Virat Kohli's fitness and hunger for runs have "completely convinced" the Indian selectors but former captain Rohit Sharma will have to prove his fitness and form if he has to be picked in the side for the 2027 ODI World Cup, says former cricketer and selector Saba Karim. Kohli and Rohit have both retired from the other formats and next year's 50-overs World Cup is being perceived as their final act before walking away from the only format they play for India. "I think Rohit has to do a lot of hard work. He has to work on his fitness levels and on his batting performance," Karim told PTI in an exclusive interaction. "I think selectors will be keenly watching Rohit's performance for the next six months to decide whether he can be part of the equation or not. (But) for Virat Kohli, I am sure that they are completely convinced that he will be a part of the 2027 World Cup set-up." " because through his performances and fitness level, (and) through his hunger for runs, he has shown all

WTC-bound India search for missing pieces against resilient Afghanistan

Battling demons of a horrendous home Test run in the not so distant past but nevertheless a formidable unit, India are pitted against a plucky Afghanistan in a one-off Test here that might help the hosts figure out a balanced combination, starting Saturday. In 2018, Afghanistan lost 10 wickets in a session between lunch and tea on the second day of the Test against India. The next 10 fell by the wayside between tea and end of day's play which also was end of the game. In 2026, Hashmatullah Shahidi would want his team to at least stretch the home side which is going through a tough transition phase and will be in experimental mode during this game trying different combinations. However, the Indians would not have forgotten the 0-2 drubbing handed by a meticulously prepared South Africa last year and would do well to not take the opposition lightly despite the gulf in experience. Sai or Dev? That's the question ==================== A stable No.3 and Ravindra Jadeja's potential succ

I try to make new players comfortable and talk freely to me: Kuldeep Yadav

Seniority comes with added responsibility and Kuldeep Yadav understands it well but instead of being a traditional mentor, he is looking to be a "partner" to rookies Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey in the upcoming one off Test against Afghanistan. The 31-year-old wants to make sure that the new entrants feel comfortable in the set-up and wants them to pick his brains as and when they feel it is necessary. The game against Afghanistan begins here on Saturday. "Whenever a new player joins the team, your job is to make him comfortable. You want him to see you as a partner. If he has any problem, he should feel free to talk to you, and you must be ready to support him," Kuldeep told PTI in an exclusive interview facilitated by series broadcasters 'JioHotstar'. "Right now, there is good bonding with two or three of the younger players. It feels good to have them around," Kuldeep added. For Kuldeep, the best way to integrate youngsters is by asking them relevant questions and getting a hang

Switching formats not easy; devoted time at nets for AFG Test: Kuldeep

Switching formats in a short span of time is never easy, concedes Kuldeep Yadav and the senior India spinner hopes that players coming off a gruelling IPL season have prepared well for this week's one-off Test against Afghanistan just as he did with extended red-ball practice. Kuldeep's franchise Delhi Capitals failed to make the IPL play-offs and he himself had an underwhelming season with only 10 wickets from 12 games. In an interview to PTI ahead of the Test beginning on Saturday, Kuldeep talked about how he had been personally doing net sessions for the past two weeks to get into the red-ball groove. "It is tough when you switch from IPL cricket to red-ball cricket. Preparation becomes very necessary. Luckily, I got time. I practised for at least 10 to 15 days and got the feel of the red ball," Kuldeep said in the exclusive interaction facilitated by series broadcasters 'JioHotstar'. "In T20, you are always attacking. You always think about going after the batter. You stay in th

Virat Kohli ruled out of IND vs AFG ODIs due to hamstring injury: Report

Kohli's absence is expected to reduce the spotlight on the Afghanistan series, given his enduring popularity among cricket fans across the world.

Suryakumar Yadav set to lose T20I captaincy despite T20 WC success: Reports

Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma have emerged as leading contenders to take over if India opt for a leadership change

BBL's new era? Melbourne teams prepare for franchise consolidation

The merger would effectively bring both Melbourne franchises under one banner, although several aspects of the transition are still being worked through.

Hardik set to undergo fitness test at BCCI CoE ahead of Afghanistan ODIs

Hardik has not played 50-over cricket for the Men in Blue in almost a year, as his last appearance in the format came in 2025 during the ICC Champions Trophy

Corrective measures underway, Cricket Canada reacts after ICC suspension

Cricket Canada described the decision as unexpected but stressed that it respects the ICC's ruling and remains committed to meeting all compliance requirements

ICC approves use of pink ball in Tests during bad light on a trial basis

ICC also granted match officials access to Hawk-Eye data for monitoring suspect bowling actions and made the leg-side wides trial a permanent feature

IPL 2026: Kohli proved technique and temperament still matter, says Sharma

Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma believes the batting great's IPL performance in the final was a timely reminder that technique and temperament remain as relevant as power-hitting in the shortest format. Kohli once again delivered on the biggest stage as Royal Challengers Bengaluru defended their IPL title with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, extending his remarkable run of consistency in a format increasingly dominated by ultra-aggressive batting. Kohli struck an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, including nine fours and three sixes, as RCB chased down GT's 155 for 8 in 18 overs. Calling his former ward's performance "excellent" and "brilliant", Sharma said Kohli's innings offered an important lesson for young cricketers. "That is a lesson for the youngsters to understand that it's not about power-hitting only, not about hitting sixes only. If you are good with the technique, you can always score big and that is what Virat showed tod

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sweeps IPL 2026 awards ceremony in the final

Vaibhav, apart from the awards, also received a total of Rs 65 lakh as the combined prize money for his record-breaking season

RCB vs GT HIGHLIGHTS IPL 2026 Final: Kohli-Rasikh help RCB retain title with dominant win over GT

RCB's star batter Virat Kohli was once again the protagonist in RCB's win as he helped his team chase down the 156-run target with ease through his unbeaten 75-run innings off 42 balls

IPL 2026 stats: Sooryavanshi wins Orange Cap; Rabada gets purple cap

Sooryavanshi scored more than 750 runs during the season at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, the highest among Orange Cap winners in the previous 18 editions of the IPL

RCB defend IPL title as Kohli's blazing fifty seals five-wicket win over GT

Virat Kohli led the charge with the fastest half-century of his IPL career as RCB chased down a modest target of 156 in 18 overs to claim back-to-back trophies.

IPL 2026 prize money: How much money does the winner and runner-up win?

Apart from lifting the trophy and further cementing their place in IPL history, RCB also walked away with a significant prize purse following their triumph

2008 to 2026: Full list of purple cap winners in Indian Premier League

Rabada is now the third bowler from GT in the last four seasons to win the Purple Cap; before him, Mohammed Shami won the award in 2023 and Prasidh Krishna won it in 2025

2008 to 2026: Full list of Orange Cap winners in Indian Premier League

Vaibhav is now the youngest player to win the Orange Cap, breaking the record of GT opener Sai Sudharsan, who was the top scorer of IPL 2025 at the age of 23 years

Suryakumar Yadav left out of India's Asian Games 2026 30-man squad: Report

The development suggests that the selectors could be planning a different approach for the continental event while keeping an eye on India's larger international commitments.