Smriti Mandhana has climbed to second place in both T20I and ODI batting rankings after impressive performances against the West Indies. She now trails only South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt and Australia's Beth Mooney. Alongside, Indian and Australian players, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Annabel Sutherland, and Renuka Singh Thakur, made notable advancements in their respective rankings.
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Jasprit Bumrah, recovering from a lower back injury, has resumed bowling at the NCA, raising hopes of his return. The 31-year-old pacer bowled in a video shared online. Bumrah missed Mumbai Indians' first two IPL 2025 matches and will not play against KKR on March 31, but may return by mid-April.
Dinesh Karthik, replacing Jos Buttler, became the first Indian in SA20, South Africa's top T20 league. After retiring from IPL, Karthik debuted for Paarl Royals, supporting BCCI's rule against active Indian cricketers in foreign leagues. Karthik, with 130 runs in 11 matches, cherished playing with Joe Root and plans to return to SA20.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius, an 18-year-old talent, scored a formidable 83 off 52 balls, leading Paarl Royals to a six-wicket victory over MI Cape Town at Boland Park. Pretorius' excellent performance, aided by teammates, helped the Royals move to joint second place in the SA20 standings.
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has accused Adam Gilchrist of cheating during the controversial 2008 Sydney Test. Singh claims Gilchrist knowingly appealed a false catch against Rahul Dravid, leading to a wrongful dismissal. He criticizes Gilchrist's 'gentleman' image, arguing it contradicts his actions on the field. Singh believes the incident contributed to India's loss, suggesting they faced unfair officiating.
Pakistan's cricket legends have expressed relief at the ICC's resolution to the Champions Trophy hosting impasse. India will play its Champions Trophy matches at a neutral venue, reciprocated by Pakistan for ICC events hosted by India until 2027. This agreement covers the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the 2027 Women's Cricket World Cup.
Kamindu Mendis has been named ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year after an impressive 2024, scoring 1451 runs across formats. He was notably the third-fastest to 1000 Men’s Test runs, with 1049 runs in nine Tests. His career-best 182 against New Zealand and top scores in England highlighted his crucial role in Sri Lanka’s successes.
Test cricket in Australia is witnessing a resurgence despite lingering questions about the format's viability. Crowds are turning up in record numbers for the India-Australia series, but concerns over its future remain as fewer nations can sustain competitive Test teams, and discussions about four-day Tests continue.
Former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain praise Virat Kohli's remarkable ODI records after his unbeaten century against Pakistan in a Champions Trophy match. They consider him potentially the greatest ODI batsman ever, highlighting his 51st century and rapid achievement of 14,000 runs.
Ravindra Jadeja will play for Saurashtra in their next Ranji Trophy match against Delhi at Rajkot, starting Jan 23. In addition to Jadeja, other top Indian players, including Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill, will also participate in various Ranji matches. The BCCI emphasizes domestic match participation for player eligibility and central contracts.
Skipper Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction with India's near-perfect performance against England in the first ODI, emphasizing the importance of ticking all the boxes in terms of bowling and batting. Rohit praised Axar Patel's crucial 47-ball 52 and Shubman Gill's match-winning 87, which helped India recover from early setbacks and secure a four-wicket win.