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Sahibzada Farhan Replaces Salman Ali Agha as Pakistan T20I Captain

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Sahibzada_Farhan (PC: X) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have appointed Sahibzada Farhan as the new T20I captain, replacing Salman Ali Agha in the role. On Tuesday, the squad was announced for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka and the ODI tri-series involving Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. Farhan led Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games, where they lost to India in the final. He continues as the T20I captain, while Salman, who led Pakistan at this year’s T20 World Cup, has been dropped from the squad. Salman’s poor record with the bat and a dismal World Cup campaign have led the PCB to take the decision not only to strip him of the captaincy but also to drop him from the team. There are wholesale changes to the squad, with Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah returning. Razaullah receives his maiden white-ball call-up. Wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan and spinner Usman Tariq have also been omitted from the squads. Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Moh...
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Should selection panel pick the experienced campaigner for ODIs?

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar (PC: IPL/BCCI) If you’re a Bhuvneshwar Kumar fan, then Instagram is the right place for you: the platform comprises countless reels of the skilful bowler’s traits to swing it this way or that way at the tilt of the wrist. Those nostalgic memories of him playing Yo-Yo strings with Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammed Hafeez and Co. from the 2012-13 season are still a part of an Indian cricket fan’s psyche. Not surprisingly, when the evergreen pacer made a comeback into the Indian T20I set-up after a gap of four years, hundreds and hundreds of fans rejoiced and celebrated it with his wicket-taking reels. Just remove the outer layer of nostalgic memories and enough logic could also be observed behind the selectors’ move to return to Bhuvneshwar. The affable pacer bagged 28 wickets in the 2026 IPL. The 36-year-old also seems to have worked hard on his fitness. It was an eye-opener to witness Bhuvneshwar bowling well-directed short deliveries in the IP...
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“Women’s cricket is one of the strongest pillars of our development programme” – Abhiram Singh Yadav on Indonesia Women’s cricket roadmap

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Abhiram Singh Yadav on Indonesia Women’s Cricket growth (PC: ACC, Cricket Indonesia) The Indonesia Women’s cricket team recently made their debut in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai. Placed in Group B, they faced Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although they remained winless, they gained valuable exposure. Now, in an exclusive conversation with RevSportz, the current Chairman of Persatuan Cricket Indonesia, Abhiram Singh Yadav, shared his experience of seeing the team play in the Asia Cup, the future roadmap for women’s cricket in Indonesia, the appointment of head coach Nitish Salekar, and much more.  Excerpts: First of all, how was the experience of seeing the women’s team play their first-ever Asia Cup? Irrespective of the results, what are your thoughts on the overall experience? It was an emotional and historic moment for all of us. Indonesia had never previously played in a senior Women’s Asia Cup, and suddenly our players were competing on ...
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Why Smriti Mandhana’s Time as India Captain Has Come

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  Smriti and Harmanpreet. Image :X Boria Majumdar Smriti Mandhana was ready and, more importantly, India were in need of fresh ideas in the T20 format with an eye on the 2028 Olympic Games. Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to step down as captain is therefore a timely one. She continues as a batter, and Mandhana will need her experience in the middle order. In an interview with me the day after the women’s event at the Asian Games ended, Mandhana acknowledged the need for improvement in T20 cricket. That was what stood out most from the conversation. She wasn’t sugar-coating it or trying to suggest that the Asia Cup and Asian Games gold medals had masked all the deficiencies. Instead, she was open about the issues confronting India in T20 cricket and clear that, to compete with Australia and South Africa, things needed to improve. Introspect, accept and redeem – Abhinav Bindra’s three-step formula – is what Mandhana was effectively suggesting. And one can only do that if one isn’t ...
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Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain across all formats

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Harmanpreet Kaur with the ODI World Cup (PC: ICC) Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats on Tuesday, which brought to an end a leadership stint that lasted nearly a decade. The 37-year-old batting all-rounder led India through major moments in their cricket history, including the historic 2025 World Cup triumph. During her tenure, India also reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2019-20. Sharing the decision on Instagram, Harmanpreet wrote, “I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats. This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.” Harmanpreet took over as India’s full-time T20I captain in 2016. As a batter, she became one of India’s finest match-winners; her notable achievement includes scoring an unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 2017 50-over World Cup semi-final. Harmanpreet also mentione...
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Road to 2027: The Crucial Gaps India Must Close Before the World Cup

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ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 (PC: ICC) Exactly a year from now, India will open their 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup campaign against Australia in Cape Town. With the marquee tournament set across the challenging conditions of the African continent, the next 12 months represent a critical preparation window. While the batting lineup features established match-winners and promising talent, India’s recent performances have exposed structural vulnerabilities that require urgent correction if they are to mount a serious title challenge away from the subcontinent. The noise around Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future has reduced, which will bring in much-needed positivity around the ODI squad, and that’s a great sign for the Men in Blue. One of the most glaring concerns for the team management is the recent lack of penetration from the pace attack. The flat decks in India, where 350s and 400s are being chased for fun, haven’t helped the cause. South A...
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Why More T20Is When Tests and ODIs Are India’s Priorities

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Gautam Gambhir (L) with Shubman Gill (R). (PC: BCCI) India are set to lock horns with the West Indies in a five-match T20I series, which begins at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium on October 6. It is a quick turnaround for the Men in Blue. Just two days ago, the T20I side was in Japan, competing in a high-stakes match against Pakistan, which they won in a last-over thriller. The ODI series also came to a close on the same day in Mullanpur, with West Indies winning. Now, they have to play five T20Is against the West Indies. At a time when the focus is firmly on two formats — Tests and ODIs — playing a five-match T20I series makes little sense. The Test team are currently fifth in the points table, and every match from here on becomes a must-win for them. There is a particular emphasis on qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be played at The Oval next year. With the next major white-ball event set to be played in Africa next year being an ODI World Cup, the focus ...
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