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IND vs SL: Dickwella Set to Return for Test Series as Injured Mendis, Nissanka Miss Out

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Niroshan Dickwella (PC: ICC) Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the two-match series is yet to be revealed. The announcement is said to have been delayed as the selectors were waiting for fitness updates on key players Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, who have been carrying injuries. It is now all but confirmed that both players are out of the squad. It is understood that both players are currently unable to cope with the workload of Test cricket. According to sources close to the team, Niroshan Dickwella, who has played 54 Tests, is set to be named in the squad. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter’s last Test appearance came in 2023. With Mendis, the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper, ruled out, the selectors have opted for Dickwella’s experience rather than the promise of 22-year-old batting sensation Anjala Bandara, who averages over 60 in first-class cricket. Asitha Fernando is set to lead the pace-bowling attack, which is likely to feature Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando. Prabath Jayas...
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The Bigger Picture Behind India’s Intense NCC Preparations

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Image :Debasis Sen Vaibhav Tripathi, Colombo Team India landed in Colombo on August 4, but there was little time to settle in. Within 24 hours, the players were back on the field for a demanding three-and-a-half-hour training session. The following day brought another session of the same length as India continued to put in the hard yards. Those two days were not just about preparing for the three-day practice game. They were part of a larger plan to get the players accustomed to the conditions and ready for the challenges ahead. Every player took part in the intense sessions, and the determination was evident. At the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC), there was little sign of anyone taking it easy. Whether in practice or during the match, India continued to work relentlessly, driven by a simple belief: there are no shortcuts to success, especially in red-ball cricket. If the intensity had not been high, Gurnoor Brar wouldn’t have hit Shubman Gill hard with a pacy delivery. The tall ...
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Women’s Hundred 2026: Six Straight Wins Take Trent Rockets to Maiden Final

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Trent Rockets after sealing Women’s Hundred 2026 final spot (PC: ECB) Six consecutive wins and Trent Rockets have sealed a direct berth in the final of the ongoing Women’s Hundred. On August 10, the Rockets registered a three-wicket win over Southern Brave in Nottingham to finish the group stage at the top of the table and secure direct entry into the final. Notably, this will be Trent Rockets’ maiden Women’s Hundred final. Their previous best finish came in 2022, when they ended the group stage in third place and qualified for the Eliminator. However, they lost that clash to Southern Brave and were knocked out. This time, the Rockets have shown clear dominance throughout the group stage, finishing at the top with 28 points from eight games. Against Southern Brave, another excellent bowling display helped the Rockets restrict the opposition to 117/5, with Georgia Adams picking up two wickets. In reply, skipper Ashleigh Gardner’s 37 off 25 and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s quickfire 32 ...
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India Women’s Players’ Hundred Round-Up: Deepti’s Back-to-Back Three-Fers, and Richa’s bouncebackability

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Team India players in Women’s Hundred 2026 (PC: Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds) The ongoing Women’s Hundred is heading into its final week, with the playoff race heating up. However, Jemimah Rodrigues’ participation was cut short after she was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Southern Brave shared the unfortunate update before their clash against Manchester Super Giants on August 8. But the other three Team India representatives are still pushing for a playoff spot. Over the last three days, Deepti Sharma featured twice for Sunrisers Leeds (versus Birmingham Phoenix on August 7 in Birmingham and versus Welsh Fire on August 9 in Leeds), while Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh, playing for Manchester Super Giants, took on Southern Brave in Southampton. All three came up with impactful performances for their respective teams and played key roles in their victories. Speaking of Deepti, she has made a strong comeback, especially with the ball, after losing her rhythm midwa...
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A writer’s thoughts — The incandescence of CoE’s infrastructure burns bright

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Black soil pitches with the soil transported from Kalahandi. PC – RevSportz. Bharath Ramaraj, CoE   As yours truly entered the Centre of Excellence in Bande Kodigehalli — right next to the longest highway in the country — the weather was pleasant. The blissful clouds seemed restful rather than angry.   Having visited the CoE before, one could gauge that the length and breadth of the premises extended far and wide. If someone enters the CoE for the first time and walks through the premises at night, the aforementioned person might just lose their way. It encapsulates the colosseum called the CoE.   By 9.45am, a BCCI official was ready to take a group of journalists around the grand theatre. To begin with, the tour was about the three grounds — Ground A, B and C. All three are built according to ICC regulations for first-class venues.   Ground A has local block soil, brought from Mandya. It is also one of the three grounds that has the required comm...
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India’s practice game – Gill’s injury and adjusting to conditions in focus

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Image :Debasis Sen Vaibhav Tripathi, Colombo At the end, when the practice game came to an end, a certain Gautam Gambhir was seen smiling and laughing with Sitanshu Kotak and Sairaj Bahutule. Even the players looked in a jovial mood after defeating SLC XI in the practice match at the NCC. The way India played gave the team management plenty to smile about, especially on the last day, with Shubman Gill coming out to bat after being on the sidelines for two days. All the chatter around the Indian captain’s fitness was swept away once he batted in the middle without any sort of discomfort. Devdutt Padikkal’s century, along with the all-round brilliance of Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar, meant Team India took plenty of positives from the game. For India, more than individual performances, the main objective was to adapt to the conditions. Apart from Jadeja, KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav, no other player had come to Sri Lanka for a Test series. Adaptability was the main objective of the g...
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Kuldeep Yadav’s Time to Shine Has Finally Arrived

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  Kuldeep Yadav. Image :X Ravindra Jadeja’s mimicry of Kuldeep Yadav has gone viral on social media. Now, what needs to go viral over the next two weeks is Kuldeep’s performance. There has never been any doubt about Kuldeep’s talent. But his career has been a stop-start one. Has he been given the opportunities he deserves? Perhaps not. Yet he has stayed the course and persevered. That is the quality one should look for in a sportsperson, and it is a quality Kuldeep has displayed in abundance. The day before yesterday, I was in conversation with distinguished banker and corporate leader Shyam Srinivasan at the launch of his book at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Shyam was asked what one piece of advice he would give the students in attendance. Interestingly, he told them to simply show up. Not every day will be a good one, and not every day will bring success. In fact, there will be far more days of disappointment than triumph. Yet all you need to...
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