Cricket world

  Akashdeep (PC: Debasis Sen), Harshit Rana, Saurabh Dubey. Images: X Kolkata Knight Riders are in no hurry to announce a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana. The franchise is going to adopt a wait-and-watch approach while deciding on Harshit’s replacement. The India pacer has been ruled out of IPL 2026 after undergoing a knee surgery. He suffered the injury during the warm-up game against South Africa before the start of T20 World Cup 2026 in Navi Mumbai. Recently, Harshit was seen attending the BCCI Naman Awards in New Delhi with a crutch. According to an insider in the franchise, there is no suitable Indian replacement for Rana at the moment. There were several pacers on trial for KKR, in the last few days at the Eden Gardens, including the likes of Navdeep Saini, Akash Madhwal, Simarjeet Singh, Sandip Warrier and RS Ambrish. KKR practise session at the Eden Gardens. Image: Debasis Sen The Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise is likely to name Vidarbha left-arm pacer Sa...

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...

Ellis won’t be able to take part in the upcoming season of the IPL. (PC: X.com) In a massive blow to the Chennai Super Kings, Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury, the franchise CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed on Thursday. An important part of CSK’s plans for the upcoming season, Ellis has been playing regularly since the BBL last year. After the BBL, he played against Pakistan and then in the World Cup before returning home to play domestic matches. Ellis’ injury will leave CSK with many questions, especially in the death overs, as the five-time winners do not have enough options there. “It is a big blow for us,” said CSK CEO K.S. Viswanathan to Sportstar on Thursday during an event to announce Kauvery Hospitals as an official partner of the team. “Ellis is a crucial bowler, especially in the death overs. We are looking at replacements.” Ellis was retained for INR 2 crore ahead of Matheesha Pathirana, who has been CSK’s trusted option i...

Chahal will be in action for PBKS in the IPL 2026. (PC: BCCI) In a candid chat with former teammate AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal disclosed that he quit alcohol six months ago in order to focus on his ageing body and inspire the younger players in the squad. At 35, Chahal realised that to remain fit and play for longer, he needed to give up alcohol. One of the most successful players in the IPL, Chahal wants to be a role model for younger players. “I’ve stopped drinking alcohol, and it’s been more than six months,” Chahal said during a podcast with AB de Villiers. “I am now 35, so I want to be more active and give 150% for my team. As a senior player, I want people in the IPL to learn something from me.” After battling rib and knuckle injuries last season, Chahal is now looking to prioritise his body. “I was a bit disappointed with myself. After the KKR game, I had a rib fracture, and later my knuckle got fractured. So, in the semi-final and final, I wasn’t able to bowl my pr...

Sanju Samson (PC: IPL/X) Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis feels that Rajasthan Royals (RR) losing Sanju Samson is a big setback for the franchise going into the IPL 2026. Du Plessis believes Samson was not just a player but the face of the team for 11 years, and his absence will hurt both the franchise and the fans. While reflecting on his absence on JioHotstar, du Plessis said, “If I look at the IPL and the teams, the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common, someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. And Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at Rajasthan Royals.” Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He first joined RR in 2013 and played until 2015. He then played for Delhi Capitals(DC) for two seasons (2016, 2017). In 2018, RR bought him back, and in total, he scored 4,027 runs in 149 matches for the fr...

Rohit is likely to have a bigger role in comparison to last year. (PC: BCCI) Rohit Sharma will not be used as an Impact Player like last season, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed ahead of the start of IPL 2026. Last year, in most matches, Rohit was used as an Impact Player and was primarily utilised as a batter. His limited involvement became a hot topic of discussion within the side led by Hardik Pandya. Jayawardene revealed that the former MI captain had been struggling with injury concerns. The Sri Lankan went on to say that he would like to see more of Rohit on the field this year. “Rohit, the way we managed him last year, had a few niggles, so we just needed to manage that. The thing is, he’s still making a huge impact on the team whether he’s on the field or not. But, definitely, this year, I want to keep him on the field as much as I can,” Jayawardene said. Jayawardene also weighed in on the team combination. “If you look at it, most of our players ar...

Ishan Kishan (L) with Abhishek Sharma (R). (PC: SRH) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be without their captain, Ishan Kishan, for the opening few matches of IPL 2026. Kishan will serve as the stand-in captain in his absence, with Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain. The 2016 winners confirmed the development on March 18. Cummins has not played any cricket since the end of the 2025–26 Ashes. The Australian pacer is still recovering from the back injury he sustained during the five-match series. Because of the same injury, he missed the Pakistan tour and the World Cup, where Australia failed to qualify for the Super Eight. While there is no confirmed timeframe for his return to the field, the 32-year-old is likely to join the squad on 23 March. SRH had the option of handing the captaincy to Travis Head, who has led Australia, or to Heinrich Klaasen or even Nitish Kumar Reddy, but they have opted for Kishan. Last year, the wicketkeeper-batter led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali ...

Sunil Narine (PC: Debasis Sen) Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis believes Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should make use of their biggest strength by preparing spin-friendly pitches for the IPL 2026 at the Eden Gardens. Du Plessis highlighted how crucial spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy are to KKR’s success and why the team management should plan conditions around them. Sharing his views on JioHotstar, du Plessis said, “If I was part of the KKR team management, I would ask the groundsman at Eden Gardens to make the wicket spin-friendly. KKR are blessed to have two absolute cannons in Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. They are two of the best T20 spinners in the game right now.” Both mystery spinners have played a crucial role in KKR’s bowling attack. Varun has picked 99 wickets in 83 matches for KKR and was also part of their title-winning squad in 2024. Narine, on the other hand, has been a key player in all three of KKR’s IPL title-winning campaigns. He ha...

KKR sign Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore (PC: KKR) Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis hailed Kolkata Knight Riders’ marquee signing Cameron Green. Du Plessis believes Green can play a key role for KKR in IPL 2026, especially after Andre Russell announced his retirement. Speaking on JioHotstar, du Plessis explained why Green is the ideal replacement for Russell. He said, “Cameron Green is a highly talented guy who has a lot of potential in him to succeed. He is the multi-skilled marquee buy for KKR and the replacement for Andre Russell. Green is six-foot tall, a massive guy, he bowls well, has a good bouncer and Yorker, can hit the ball out of the stadium easily and is a proper batter.” KKR acquired Green for INR 25.20 crore during the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi. He became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history. He has also represented Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) earlier. So far, Green has featured in 29 IPL matches, scoring 707 run...

T20 Mumbai league (PC: X) Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has launched the women’s edition of the T20 Mumbai League, marking a major step in expanding opportunities for women’s cricket in the city. The franchise-based tournament already features a men’s competition, and the new women’s league will now run alongside the men’s tournament. The men’s league features eight teams, while the women’s tournament will begin with three teams. The tournament is expected to be held after the Indian Premier League. Former India Men’s team captain Rohit Sharma unveiled the trophies for the upcoming men’s and women’s editions in Mumbai on March 14 and spoke about how the league has helped young cricketers grow. “I’m very happy with how Mumbai cricket is shaping up – not just in the IPL team, but also with what the T20 Mumbai League has done for many young cricketers. We saw so many cricketers who played in the T20 Mumbai now go on to play for IPL teams and the national team as well… This year,...

Dravid will be felicitated at the Naman Awards. (PC: ICC) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday confirmed that Rahul Dravid and Roger Binny will be honoured with the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, while Mithali Raj will receive the corresponding award for women for “her extraordinary contribution to the growth and global stature of women’s cricket in India” at the Naman Awards, which will be held in Delhi on 15 March. All three — Dravid, Binny and Mithali — have been major contributors to Indian cricket in various capacities, which is why they will receive the BCCI’s highest honour. One of the best batters to have played the game, Dravid scored over 24,000 international runs while also leading the side to a memorable win in England in 2007. At the National Cricket Academy, he served as head and performed the role of administrator effectively. He coached the India U19 men’s team, the India A men’s team and the senior team, guiding them to two finals in ...

Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav (PC: X) Following their triumph at the T20 World Cup 2026, the Indian cricket team will now turn its attention to the 50-over format leading up to next year’s World Cup in South Africa. The next 12 months promise to be extremely demanding for Indian players due to a packed international and domestic schedule. The immediate focus will be the Indian Premier League 2026. Soon after the IPL, India will host Afghanistan for a short series comprising one Test and three ODIs between June 6 and 20. The solitary Test will take place in New Chandigarh from June 6 to 10. The ODI leg of the series will follow with matches in Dharamsala on June 14, Lucknow on June 17, and Chennai on June 20. The Indian team will then travel to the United Kingdom for a white-ball series against England between July 1 and July 19. The tour includes five T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals. The T20Is will be played at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street (Jul...

Suryakumar (PC: BCCI) What is that one shot which indicates Suryakumar Yadav is in very good form? Perhaps his unique range of strokes behind the wicket. Or could it be something else? What about Suryakumar cracking lofts off the back foot and into the downtown territories? Here, the answer could be a Yes. The lofted stroke probably gives confidence to Suryakumar that his game is more in order. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be landing enough of that signature shot in the recent past. It could give an inkling that he isn’t exactly in good nick with the willow. There is also a school of thought that he has been troubled by a wrist problem, which might be one of the reasons why he is grappling with down-the-ground hits. Just check his T20I average in the last 15-18 months and it doesn’t make for a good reading either. Suryakumar averages 26 in 35 T20Is since the start of the England series. And his average of 26 is mainly based on his very good run against New Zealand this year. ...

Chinnaswamy_Stadium (PC: X) Who is an archetypal Indian cricket fan? One way to gauge that would be to visit the Chinnaswamy Stadium during an international or an IPL game. Just near the main gate, one would observe hundreds of fans whistling, chatting and holding flags of either RCB or CSK. Along that stretch of road, those passionate supporters would be fervently waiting for the team buses to arrive. Just a glimpse of Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni sitting inside the bus would be enough for the fans to jump up and down and wave their hands. A few metres away, near a couple of massive peepal trees, with fans walking back and forth, the footpath might get congested. Yet one would observe children and elders alike performing a balancing act in order to walk past the trees. Once an IPL match begins, the atmosphere inside the stadium becomes so fervent that, a decade ago, the writer recalls travelling along that stretch of road in a taxi and faintly hearing chants of “AB, AB, Kohli”. That gi...

Dhoni is likely to play all the games of the upcoming season. (PC: BCCI) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has quashed rumours that MS Dhoni will limit his role by not playing all the matches in the upcoming IPL season. Sanju Samson’s addition to the CSK squad has ignited speculation about Dhoni possibly not being a regular part of the playing XI. Ahead of the start of the season, Viswanathan confirmed that Dhoni will play all the matches. “He will play the matches, all matches,” said Viswanathan while speaking to reporters. At 44, Dhoni is no longer the captain of the team. There is growing uncertainty regarding his role in the side. When asked about this, Viswanathan said: “That I cannot say. That is a cricketing decision which will be taken by the cricketing staff, not by the administrative staff. So they will decide whether he is going to play as a batsman, as a wicketkeeper-batter, or as an impact player.” Viswanathan also congratulated India for winning the T2...

Sourav Ganguly on Team New Zealand in the World Cup final. Images: Debasis Sen “New Zealand had lost the World Cup by 7:30 pm,” said Sourav Ganguly. “How can teams ask this Indian side to bat first? It is a recipe for disaster.” Speaking cricket with Sourav is a real pleasure when he isn’t looking at his phone and when he is alone at home. With 20 people around, answers become monosyllabic and routine. Yesterday was a rare day when the conversation started like this: “Let’s just catch up for the first few minutes and then you can record the interview. We hardly get to chat beyond work these days.” And may I say, time just flew by. We had given each other 30 minutes. He had to catch a flight in the evening, and I had to go to a social event organised by Sharmistha for my birthday. At the end of an hour and ten minutes, we needed to stop. It was getting late for both of us. “New Zealand lost the World Cup by 7:30 pm itself,” said Sourav with a smile. “The match started at 7 pm and...

Dube was one of the heroes of India’s World Cup win. (PC: Debasis Sen for RevSportz) India all-rounder Shivam Dube shared his travel story of taking a train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and how he successfully completed the journey without his identity being exposed. After contributing to India’s win in the T20 World Cup final, Dube, like his other teammates, planned his travel. However, since there were no flights available, he decided to board a train in order to reach home as soon as possible. “There were no flights available, so I decided to take a train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai early in the morning. We could have gone by road, but the train was faster,” Dube told The Indian Express. “My wife, a friend and I decided to take the train. Third AC tickets were available, so we decided to book them. Everyone we spoke to, family and friends, was worried. What if someone recognised me at the station or inside the train?” A two-time World Cup winner and part of the Chennai Super Kings s...

Sanju Samson (Image: Debasis Sen) If you look at medals tally or longevity, the answer is a clear NO. Sanju Samson may not be Kerala’s gretest athelete but he is clearly the one who embodies the Malayali psyche to the hilt. In a cinematic parallel, Sanju is like Mohanlal the superstar of Malayalam cinema. Both put out performances that feel effortless. Both eschew exaggerated gestures and overt theatrics when a simple smile will do. Sanju often seems to glide through the innings. His shots are not loud declarations of power but elegant expressions of timing. The ball races to the boundary before the crowd fully registers what happened. There is grace in the way the bat comes down, a smoothness that makes even difficult strokes appear routine. Kerala’s cultural psyche tends to admire mastery that appears natural rather than manufactured. The hero who tries too hard rarely wins lasting affection. The one who makes excellence look easy becomes a legend. Mohanlal built a decades-long c...

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak with head Coach Gautam Gambhir. Image: Debasis Sen Hours after Team India lifted the 2026 T20 World Cup trophy in Ahmedabad, the feeling within the dressing room was a mix of overwhelming relief, pure ecstasy and deep gratitude. For batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, the victory is as much for the billion-plus fans as it is for the squad, as he opens up on the hard work that was put behind the success, the Gautam Gambhir mindset in the dressing room and how a young Indian team adopted a fearless mindset to lift the coveted trophy twice on the bounce. “It is unbelievable,” Kotak says in an exclusive interview with RevSportz, hours after the Men in Blue lifted the trophy in Ahmedabad, still soaking in the monumental achievement. “More than that, if I tell you honestly, the amount of happiness I see in our public’s faces with India winning the World Cup… when I see them celebrating, I feel so happy to be part of that group. In 2024, when I was at the NCA, I exp...

Axar Patel after taking crucial wickets against Pakistan (PC- Debasis Sen) For many years, he has undercut the ball and made the batter’s life difficult while completing the bat swing. For many years, with his quickish left-arm spin and flatter trajectory, he has had a slew of opponents scratching their heads in frustration. Remarkably, his economy rate has never climbed above 8.50 in any of his IPL seasons. In the just-concluded T20 World Cup, once more his economy rate stood at an impressive 8.20, alongside 11 wickets. Then you add to it his fielding as well as batting. The above-mentioned lines serve as a description of the ubiquitous Axar Patel. In India’s World Cup-winning campaign, Axar was in the thick of things almost everywhere. In the India-Pakistan game, the only batter who looked like making a fist of the chase was Usman Khan. Enter Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner removed him, with the keeper whipping the bails off. In the semi-final, he did not just bag the wicket of...