Cricket world

( PC- Debasis Sen, Revsportz) 2026 promises to be the sports fan’s finger-licking good treat. And no, this is no reference to the Big Bash League. On a serious note, if you thought 2025 was replete with all-round action, then 2026 will take it to a crescendo. Imagine this — three cricket World Cups, one Commonwealth Games, one Asian Games, a FIFA World Cup and a plethora of tournaments across various disciplines of Olympic sport all in the space of twelve months. ( PC- IndianCricketTeam, Instagram) January will see the under-19 50-over World Cup kick off in Zimbabwe and Namibia and I can’t wait to see Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre perform. Someone I will personally root for is Aaron George after that knock of 85 against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup. A day after this tournament ends, the men’s seniors start their quest for the honours in the T20 World Cup to be played in India and Sri Lanka. And later in the year, we have the women’s team and current r...

Sarfaraz_Khan (PC:X) Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that the franchise should fit Sarfaraz Khan into their playing XI to cash in on the red-hot form the right-handed batter is going through in Indian domestic cricket. Ashwin wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that CSK have a problem of plenty in their batting order. “100*(47), 52(40), 64(25), 73(22) in the SMAT. That form’s transitioned seamlessly into the Hazare with scores of 55(49) followed by a blistering 157(75) today with 14 sixes. It’s particularly impressive how he murders spin in the middle overs with his sweeps and slog sweeps. ‘Avan kadhava thattala, idichi odachitu irukaan.’ (He is not knocking on the door, he is breaking it open) CSK should look at riding his purple patch by slotting him into the Playing XII surely? A genuine problem of plenty with the bat for the men in yellow this season! Can’t wait for IPL 2026!” The Chennai-based franchise acquired the services of Sarfar...

Australia (PC: Cricket Australia) Josh Hazlewood has been named in Australia’s 15-member provisional squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The premier pacer missed the entire ongoing Ashes series due to a hamstring issue followed by Achilles soreness. Pat Cummins, Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly have also made a comeback to the squad after missing the recent T20Is against India. Notably, star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will lead the side. Australia have clearly placed significant importance on spin options for the mega event, including the likes of Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly, along with all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Short. The World Cup is scheduled to be played between February 7 and March 8, 2026, in India and Sri Lanka, with Australia set to begin their campaign on February 11 against Ireland in Colombo. The 2021 T20 World Cup champions are placed in Group B, alongside Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Speaking about the squad...

Hardik Pandya (PC: ICC) Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has openly backed Hardik Pandya to make a return to Test cricket, saying the all-rounder would be a great fit for the Indian team if he comes in at No. 7. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa highlighted, “If Hardik Pandya returns to the No. 7 spot in Tests, it would be wonderful. The way he’s playing. Anything can happen; it’scricket. Never say never. If Hardik decides to play Test cricket, will BCCI ask him not to play? If he says he wants to play and wants to win the World Test Championship (WTC), I don’t think they would say no. I think they are asking him to prove his fitness. Are all-rounders bowling 20 overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. He’s bowling 12 overs. If he’s to bowl 12–15 overs per innings, I think he can do it the way he’s fit now, the way he’s bowling and batting. It’s his own decision.” Pandya has played 11 Tests for India, scoring 532 runs and taking 17 wickets. Uthappa also spoke about...

From Left- Chamari Athapaththu, Hasini Perera, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shafali Verma. Images : X It is the final game of the five-match T20I series between India and Sri Lanka. India have been the superior side in almost all departments, almost, because India’s fielding has been below par, with Sri Lanka perhaps marginally better in that aspect. Otherwise, the series has been one-sided. Leading 4-0, India will now look to test their bench strength and give a few players a game to get a feel of the conditions, so that heading into the Australia series, they have a clearer idea of their depth. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, would ideally want to win the toss and chase. They have looked most comfortable while chasing targets, and the last game was further evidence of that. Sri Lanka’s inexperienced bowling line-up has been under sustained pressure from India’s batters, and they will be keen to salvage some pride in the final outing. Having already made changes to their playing XI in the last...

Riyan_Parag (PC:X) Former India batter Robin Uthappa believes that the competition to become the captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR) after Sanju Samson’s departure is between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja. Speaking on JioStar, Uthappa mentioned that young star Yashasvi Jaiswal will have to wait for his chance. “The only question is leadership. My feeling is the captaincy will likely be between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja, while Jaiswal might need to wait a bit longer,” he said. RR traded Samson just before the auction, which left the captaincy position vacant. Last year, when Samson was absent for a few matches, Parag was in charge of the team.  However, after the addition of Jadeja, who is a very experienced player, another option is now available for the RR management. The left-handed all-rounder had previously captained his former franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a few matches. Uthappa further praised the depth of the squad. “The advantage Rajasthan Royals have ...

  Richa_Ghosh (PC: BCCI_Women) There is a certain inevitability about Richa Ghosh when she walks in during the death overs. The script may change, the venue may change, but the outcome often feels familiar, controlled chaos, clean striking, and a scoreboard that suddenly looks intimidating. On Sunday evening in Thiruvananthapuram, Richa produced yet another reminder of why she is fast becoming indispensable to India’s T20 setup. Sent up the order at No. 3 after Shafali Verma’s dismissal in the 16th over, Richa had absolute clarity about her role. “Whenever I get a chance, especially when the captain sends me up, my motto is very clear, score as much as I can for the team and try to finish the game,” she said in the post-match press conference. That intent was evident from her very first few deliveries. Her unbeaten 40 off just 16 balls was a study in modern finishing. The batting conditions aided strokeplay, but it was Richa’s awareness that made the difference. “The ball wa...

Smriti_Mandhana (PC:X) India Women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur gave credit to her openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma for helping India post a big total, which eventually led to a 30-run victory against Sri Lanka in the fourth T20I of the five-match series at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. In the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet said: “We should give credit to Smriti and Shafali, the way they started and they made things very easy for us. And later on, myself and Richa were there to finish the game.” Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first. Mandhana and Shafali opened the innings and provided a solid start for India. While Shafali took the aggressive route, Mandhana took her time in the early stages of her innings. The duo stitched together a 162-run partnership off 92 balls, laying a strong foundation for a big total. Later, Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh capitalised on the platform and added an unbeaten 53 runs off 23 balls, ...

Melbourne Cricket Ground. Image: X, MCG. Australia prepared a track that reduced the Boxing Day Test to a farce. It was nigh on unplayable and made things a lottery at the MCG. We have forever argued that such tracks make the lesser team a force and undermine the qualities that the better team has. Australia had taken an unassailable lead in the series and England were literally down and out. A good wicket, and Australia could have rubbed it in. The MCG lottery made sure Bazball was given a lifeline and allowed to save face. This was not Test cricket. A match that ended inside two days can be anything but real Test cricket. Some might call it intense while others will say it was edge-of-the-seat action. For me, it was painful to see the Boxing Day Test end in two days. And England, from nowhere, got a lifeline, thanks to the MCG curator. Australia were bowled out for 132 in their second innings and it meant England needed 175 to win. It was tailor-made for Bazball. Come and start ...

Ayush Mhatre will lead India in the U19 World Cup. (PC: BCCI) Spin-bowling all-rounder Mohamed Enaan and seam-bowling all-rounder R.S. Ambrish have been recalled as the BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6. Two changes have been made to the squad that played in the Asia Cup. Leg-spinner Naman Pushpak and wicketkeeper-batter Yuvraj Gohil, both of whom did not play a single game in the Asia Cup, have made way for Enaan and Ambrish. Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi and first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu form a strong batting core. In the bowling department, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh and Udhav Mohan are the frontline pacers, while Enaan, Kanishk Chouhan and Khilan Patel are the spinners. Despite losing the Asia Cup final to Pakistan, the junior selection committee has kept faith in Ayush Mhatre’s lea...

Kim Garth (PC: X) Australia all-rounder Kim Garth has opened up about the painful semi-final loss against India in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, admitting that the defeat still lingers in her mind. Speaking on a podcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Garth shared her emotions surrounding the loss and acknowledged India’s quality as a side. “Definitely, I think that one still hurts a bit. That semi-final loss, India are obviously a very good team. So look, I think every time we play India, it’s always a good game,” she said. India secured a memorable win in the semi-final with a historic run chase. The victory saw them knock out the seven-time champions and end Australia’s 16-match unbeaten streak in the 2025 campaign. The high-scoring semi-final was played on October 30 at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Australia were defending a massive total of 338 runs, and Garth played a key role with the ball. She struck early by removing Shafali Verma (10) and...

Kohli won the player of the match award against Gujarat. (PC: X.com) Veteran India batter Virat Kohli smashed a match-winning 77 as Delhi edged past Gujarat by seven runs in a closely contested Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 encounter. For being the top-scorer in the game, Kohli was named player of the match. Having scored a century in the previous game, Kohli once again dominated the bowlers from the outset. Much like the last match, Delhi lost an early wicket, after which Kohli took centre stage, playing his trademark drives and cuts while rotating the strike. The former India captain reached his half-century in just 29 deliveries and was looking for another hundred before being stumped off left-arm spinner Vishal Jayswal. Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant then came into the act, scoring a valiant 70 off 79 balls as his team posted 254 in their 50 overs. In reply, Gujarat started well, with their top three adding a solid partnership, but Delhi fought back in the middle overs with regular ...

Virat_Kohli (PC:X/ICC) Virat Kohli’s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, believes that the star batter is “completely ready” for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, citing his consistency, form, and hunger for runs across formats. Speaking to ANI, Rajkumar heaped praise on Kohli and described him as the most reliable performer in the Indian team. “Look, he is in excellent form. He showed it with hundreds in the two matches for India, so he is in outstanding touch. And he is the most consistent player for the Indian team, so I feel he is completely ready for the World Cup,” Rajkumar said. Kohli’s resurgence has been one of the major talking points of the year. After suffering two consecutive ducks during the Australia tour, the senior batter bounced back strongly and enjoyed a dream run in international cricket. He went on to register four consecutive scores of fifty or more, converting two of those into centuries, underlining his ability to respond to pressure with performances. The veter...

India_Men’s_Cricket_2025 (PC: X) For a few minutes, just observe the pendulum of a clock. It oscillates to and fro with a tick-tock sound. Somewhere, the Indian cricket team’s performances too swung back and forth across formats in the year 2025. At Revsportz, we list out some of the highlights of the Indian cricket team across formats. Test cricket: In the longest format, the Indian team had more lows than highs. India were whitewashed in their own den by South Africa, suffering their second clean sweep at home over 12 months. Even if you go back to the 1950s, you won’t find India slipping to two whitewashes over a period of 12 months. Amidst the series losses to Australia and South Africa, there was one silver lining: India’s gritty show in England. After England chased down a 250-plus target in Leeds, India came roaring back at Edgbaston. The visitors also put on a stellar show at Old Trafford, where from the jaws of defeat, they charted a draw. The icing on the cake was the m...

Pope has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. (PC: X/ICC) Former England captain Michael Atherton reckons that the decision to drop an “insecure” Ollie Pope was the right call, while highlighting how things have started to fall apart during Brendon McCullum’s time as head coach. Once a vital cog in the team, Pope was stripped of his vice-captaincy duties before the start of the Ashes. Despite being inconsistent throughout his career, he was backed by the team in the number three position. However, he failed to deliver, scoring only 125 runs in the first three Ashes Tests. His average in the series — 20.83 — is the second-lowest for any top-six batter to have batted in all six innings of the series so far. “Removing him from the firing line is the right call,” Atherton wrote in his column for The Times. “The No. 3 position carries special status in Australia because it is often where their best players have batted, as opposed to No. 4 in an England side, but Pope has looked too in...

Mitchell_Starc (PC:X) Former captain Ricky Ponting believes that pacer Mitchell Starc is in the best form of his life. Starc has been lethal in the ongoing Ashes, ending up as Player of the Match in two of the three Test matches played so far. Speaking on the ICC Review Podcast, Ponting said that after adding some new skills Starc has become a ‘complete’ bowler. “I don’t think I’ve seen him bowl better. It really has been quite outstanding what he’s done with the new ball. You know, he’s always been known as a brand new ball bowler, and then someone that was a good bowler with the old ball, the ball that was reverse swinging. But he’s added a few different dimensions to his game, a few different skills which have made him a more complete bowler.” he said. In the initial half of the Ashes, Australia missed the services of their experienced duo of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. However, Starc stole the show and is currently the highest wicket taker of the series, having taken 22 w...

Kohli. PC – X Bharath Ramaraj at Centre of Excellence, Bangalore  Before the state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence was built, if someone had asked – what is Singahalli famous for? Yours truly would have had to rack his brains for a bit. Those in the Aerospace industry would end up pointing towards KIADB Aerospace Park. Even in this case, the Aerospace Park is about 15 km away. Here, just doing a simple AI could even lead you to Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh rather than Singahalli. However, on a pleasant morning, as the taxi chugged along the service road before connecting with the 4113 km long NH 44, one could feel that something was different in the air. And that was due to the tight security in and around the CoE. As the security personnel went about performing their duties, the main gate was opened for the tourist bus to go inside the large premises. This was the very bus in which Virat Kohli was seated inside, alongside his Delhi teammates. One had to zoom in on the lenses ...

Smriti Mandhana (left) Chamari Athapaththu (right). Images : X India stamped their authority in the series opener with a commanding eight-wicket win. Chasing a modest target of 121, they cruised home in just 14.4 overs, with 32 balls to spare. The margin of victory reflected India’s dominance, even though there were areas, particularly fielding, that the hosts would want to tighten going into the second T20I. India come into the second game with confidence firmly on their side. The batting unit looks largely settled, the bowling attack has variety, and the overall balance of the XI appears strong as the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup in England begins to take shape. The focus now will be on consistency, sharper fielding, longer partnerships at the top, and more runs from the middle order. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have plenty to ponder. Despite moments of intent, their batting once again revolved heavily around Chamari Athapaththu. The lack of support around her and inconsiste...

Shubman Gill. Image : X At its core, a brand is not a logo, a social-media following, or a sponsorship portfolio. A brand is a set of associations stored in the public mind – a blend of performance, perception, narrative, trust, and emotional connection. For athletes, the brand lives at the intersection of what they do, what they represent, and what people believe they might become. An athlete brand is therefore both earned (through performance) and constructed (through storytelling, context, and continuity). It is also uniquely fragile, because sport is a zero-sum ecosystem: there are limited spots, finite opportunities, and relentless public scrutiny. To understand what makes or breaks an athlete brand, it helps to break it down into five core pillars. Performance Credibility This is the non-negotiable base. Consistency, adaptability across formats, and impact under pressure form the bedrock. Without performance credibility, branding is cosmetic and temporary. Role Clarity ...

Avesh_Khan (PC:X/Avesh Khan) Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have begun preparing their players for the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). Although the new season is still three months away, the franchise has decided to send some of its bowlers to South Africa to train with their sister franchise, Durban Super Giants (DSG), during the SA20, which begins on December 26. Frontline pacers such as Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan are the most likely to travel to South Africa, while players like Naman Tiwari could join later. These bowlers will work with Bharat Arun, who is part of the Durban Super Giants coaching staff. Avesh has been out of action since the IPL, while Mohsin missed the entire last season due to injury. Both players are reportedly undergoing rehabilitation and have cautiously resumed bowling. The steps taken by LSG are expected to aid their progression. None of the aforementioned bowlers are contracted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI); however, it is b...

Rohit_Sharma (PC:X/Rohit_Sharma) Former India captain Rohit Sharma recently opened up about his feelings after India’s loss to Australia in the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Speaking at a Masters’ Union event, Rohit admitted that it took him some time to move on from the hangover of that heartbreaking defeat. “After 2023 World Cup final, I was completely distraught and felt like I didn’t want to play this sport anymore because it had taken everything out of me and I felt I had nothing left. It took some time and I kept reminding myself that this is something I truly love, that it was right in front of me, and I couldn’t let it go so easy. Slowly, I found my way back, regaining the energy and getting myself moving again on the field.” India had a dream run in the 2023 World Cup, winning all their matches under Rohit’s leadership except the final, where Australia defeated them comfortably by six wickets despite losing three early wickets. The defeat shocked the entire nation...