Cricket world

Ravichandran Ashwin (PC:X) Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin shared his thoughts on Rajasthan Royals’ venue strategy, stating, “I thought their team got a slight upgrade when they signed both Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.” The 39-year-old further said, “They have a lot of things going for them, as well as not going for them.” He then pointed out a key concern regarding the venue. Ashwin stated, “They have not been playing at one venue, and that is just not fair.” Speaking about Riyan Parag’s connection with Assam, Ashwin said, “I know Riyan Parag is the captain and he will get support in Assam; I understand all that,” but emphasised consistency, adding, “If you want to play, play the entire season there.” Drawing from his own experience, he recalled, “I was the captain of Punjab Kings when we had to play a few matches in Indore, and that is a huge factor.” He further noted, “I know there is gate collection and fan support,” while concluding on a personal note, “RR ha...

RCB’s practice game. Image: Revsportz The bat was placed on the right side of his shoulder. The customary twirl of the willow too was on display. And he looked around to check the field placements in RCB’s practice game. However, it wasn’t your typical Virat Kohli experience where he would blend fours and sixes with singles and twos. The first ball he faced from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kohli took a step or two out and crunched a wristy lofted drive over the mid-on fielder.   If that was a shot of statement, then a pull off the front foot while facing Mangeh Yadav said something about his intent. That bit of bravado was followed by a wristy drive via the long-off region. Unfortunately, Kohli tried one shot too many and was soon caught at point. As it was just a practice game, he perhaps was attempting to land a shot on almost every ball. But as an onlooker, it was quite evident that Kohli is in good nick.   Phil Salt, his opening partner, was in modest form in the 2026 T20 Wo...

India beat South Africa in their last face-off in Chennai. (PC: X/BCCI Women) India Women’s team will play a one-off Test against South Africa Women’s team in Gqeberha from December 20. This will mark India’s first Test in an African nation in 24 years. The last time these two countries played each other was in 2002, when South Africa won by 10 wickets in Paarl. On Friday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced the schedule for India’s multi-format tour of the country. After India, Australia will travel to the Rainbow Nation for a multi-format series comprising three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off Test. “We are delighted to host two of the world’s leading teams, India and Australia, for what promises to be a blockbuster home summer for the Proteas Women,” CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki said. “These tours will showcase the very best of international women’s cricket and build on the encouraging rise in fan attendance, as we continue to welcome growing crowds across the...

Bharat Arun (L) with Rishabh Pant (R). (PC: X.com) Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant praised the franchise’s newly appointed bowling coach, Bharat Arun, and insisted that he is the right person to guide the team’s bowling attack in the IPL 2026, following the shortcomings with the ball that impacted their previous campaign. Injuries to key bowlers, coupled with the inability of the replacement players to deliver, were a major reason behind the Super Giants’ underwhelming campaign. LSG made changes to their coaching staff, one of which was Arun joining as bowling coach. Pant is confident that the former India coach will make a difference to the side with his experience and input. “We’ve had a lot of conversations about what I want from the bowlers and what he thinks he can add,” Pant said while speaking to broadcasters ahead of the season. “The energy is pure. He is one of the best bowling coaches, and I have that trust, having worked with him when he was with the In...

    Saurav Ganguly Image: RevSportz Twenty-five years ago, on March 22, 2001, India won the Chennai Test match against Australia and registered one of the greatest series victories of all time. At the time, even thinking that Australia were beatable was in the realms of fantasy. To defeat them in reality felt like landing on the moon. It marked Sourav Ganguly’s coming of age as skipper and was a statement from a young team to the world about what they were capable of. While Ganguly describes it as a freak series and credits all his teammates, the fondness with which his players speak about him as captain shows how positive the dressing room environment was under him. “He was the best leader I have played under,” said Harbhajan Singh at the Trailblazers Conclave. “He gave us freedom. We weren’t the easiest lot to handle – we were strong individuals – and Sourav knew how to get the best out of us. Dada was special, and we played as a team. We could go up to him and argue...

Ferguson will miss the start of the IPL 2026 due to be with his son. (PC: IPL) New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson will miss the initial phase of the IPL 2026 to spend time with his newborn son and wife at home before joining the Punjab Kings. Ahead of the third T20I against South Africa, Ferguson revealed his plans for the next few weeks and explained that he had decided to take a short break following the ongoing series. “Just had a wee son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help my wife out,” Ferguson said in Auckland. “I’ll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter.” The right-arm quick was granted paternity leave by New Zealand Cricket during the World Cup. However, due to the scheduling, he only had four days with his family before joining the team, which ended the tournament as runners-up. No longer part of the central contract list, Ferguson has no immediate plans to retire from intern...