England hopes to make an impact in the Champions Trophy after facing challenges, with three venues in Pakistan and Dubai hosting the tournament. With Ben Stokes still recovering and Joe Root's return to ODIs, the team is led by Jos Buttler. England is in Pool B with Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa.
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New Zealand claimed a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the rain-shortened second T20I, by extending their series lead to 2-0. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen's explosive innings, with both hitting multiple sixes, led to New Zealand chasing down a target of 136 with 11 balls remaining. Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled a maiden to open New Zealand’s innings, but Seifert and Allen quickly counterattacked, hitting seven of the next 12 deliveries for sixes. Their explosive hitting propelled New Zealand to... Expand
Steve Smith becomes the fourth Australian to surpass 10,000 Test runs, suggesting that Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, or Sam Konstas could be the next. He notes that challenging pitch conditions have made achieving such milestones tougher, especially in Australia.
Sunil Gavaskar criticized the selection of Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube in the fourth T20I against England in Pune, calling it unfair and not like-for-like. Rana, primarily a pacer, replaced the concussed all-rounder Dube, helping India win but sparking controversy. Gavaskar argues such substitutions tarnish victories and should be reassessed.
Umar Nazir's impressive performance, including dismissing Indian captain Rohit Sharma, helped Jammu & Kashmir bowl out Mumbai for 120 in their Ranji Trophy match. Despite his crucial wicket, Nazir didn't celebrate out of respect for Sharma, whom he admires.
Karun Nair's unbeaten 132 helps Vidarbha take a commanding lead of 286 runs over Kerala in the Ranji Trophy final. After being dropped by Kerala's Akshay Chandran, Nair's century, along with Danish Malewar's 73, steadied Vidarbha after early blows. The pair's 182-run partnership puts Vidarbha in a strong position for the final day.
Shikhar Dhawan praised Shubman Gill for his exceptional form in the ICC Champions Trophy, highlighting his elegant batting and professionalism. Dhawan also commended Rohit Sharma's leadership. He acknowledged Jasprit Bumrah's absence but saw it as an opportunity for Harshit Rana to prove himself. India has secured a semi-final spot with wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Rohit Sharma's struggles continued in the Brisbane Test, falling for just 10 runs, and his brief stay included a mix-up with KL Rahul. Rahul (84) and Ravindra Jadeja then built a crucial partnership. Rain interrupted play with India at 180/6, still trailing by 265 runs. The five-Test series stands at 1-1.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir had a private discussion with Jasprit Bumrah at the SCG before meeting chief selector Ajit Agarkar, quelling rumors of dressing room unrest. Gambhir emphasized honesty in communication, strategies to win, and confirmed Akash Deep's injury, with replacement decisions pending pitch assessments. This interaction further fueled speculation about unrest in the dressing room, but Gambhir promptly dismissed such reports as unfounded.
The decline of cricket in Pakistan has raised concerns, with former player Inzamam-ul-Haq blaming the Pakistan Cricket Board for constant team changes. He emphasizes learning from the past mistakes and cautions against repeated errors.
Smriti Mandhana climbed to the second spot in ICC Women's ODI batting rankings after stellar performances in the series against Ireland. Deepti Sharma reached fourth in bowling rankings and sixth among all-rounders. Australian Ashleigh Gardner led the all-rounders' list, delivering outstanding performances in the Ashes.