Australia faces setbacks as Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to injuries, with Steve Smith or Travis Head likely to replace Cummins as captain. Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis are also out, leaving the team with significant selection challenges ahead of the tournament starting February 19 in Pakistan.
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Pakistan struggled on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands, closing at 64-3. South Africa declared at 615, with Ryan Rickelton scoring a chanceless 259. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen took crucial early wickets for South Africa, leaving Pakistan trailing by 551 runs with Babar Azam unbeaten on 31.
Former Indian cricketer Salil Ankola supports Mohammed Shami's call to lift the saliva ban for bowlers to generate reverse swing. Along with South Africa's Vernon Philander and New Zealand's Tim Southee, they argue that bowlers need an edge in modern, high-scoring cricket. However, Venkatesh Prasad advises caution due to hygiene concerns.
Torrent Group is set to acquire around two-thirds stake of Gujarat Titans from CVC Capital Partners, valuing the deal at Rs 7,500 crore. The agreement, pending BCCI approval, will be finalized before the IPL season starts in March. The deal marks the first majority stake sale of an IPL team since 2008.
Joburg Super Kings defeated league leaders Paarl Royals by seven wickets as their skipper Faf du Plessis led the run-chase with a commanding 87 from 55 deliveries to comfortably go past Royals' total of 150 for 9.
Debutant Amir Jangoo's stunning unbeaten century (104) propelled the West Indies to a thrilling four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the final ODI, completing a 3-0 series sweep. Chasing 322, Jangoo and Keacy Carty (95) forged a crucial partnership after an early wobble. Bangladesh's 321/5, built on Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali's record 150-run stand, proved insufficient.
Majhi Mumbai and Tiigers of Kolkata showcased impressive performances in the Indian Street Premier League on Friday. Mumbai won against Srinagar Ke Veer by seven wickets, with standout batting from Mohammed Nadeem, Amit Naik, and Karan More. Kolkata secured their first victory of the season, defeating Chennai Singams by five wickets, led by Fardeen Kazi's explosive half-century.
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 101 guided India to an easy six-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy opener. Gill described the knock as one of his most satisfying and acknowledged the importance of staying till the end to secure the victory.
South Africa seeks redemption in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy after losing the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Despite a history of near-misses, they aim to shake off the 'Chokers' tag with a strong squad led by Temba Bavuma and featuring formidable batting and bowling lineups.
England and Australia face off in the Champions Trophy opener, with both teams looking to recover from recent ODI setbacks. Key players are missing for Australia, while England aims to leverage their pace attack and proven batsmen for a strong start in the tournament.
Star India batter Virat Kohli has been consistently dismissed fishing outside off-stump in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed concern over Kohli's weakness against deliveries outside off, highlighting that it's now a prevalent problem across different lengths, making him an easy target for bowlers.