Cricket now

England and Wales Cricket Board (PC: ECB) England will host the Ashes in 2027 and could still lose £50 million. This sounds rather intriguing and needs deep dive; in a sense, it might just reveal more about any argument about whether Test cricket is dying. The grounds could be full and the cricket could be magnificent, but the ECB could still have a very bad year. The board’s audited accounts had already warned of a significant loss in a summer without a home men’s series against India. The reported ICC decision to hold back part of its distribution adds a second hit, with the amount still uncertain.  We need to break this down to understand what role India plays in world cricket. Is this a cyclical event and do broads plan for it that way? Or is the impact of own leagues like the Hundred. Lalit Modi challenged the Hundred’s investor projections in 2024, including an assumption that international TV rights would climb from £2.1 million in 2024 to £34.8 million by 2032. The ECB re...

Image: David Warner/Usman Khawaja For eight years, David Warner has been the principal villain of Sandpapergate. He was the one who had to shoulder much of the blame and endure the humiliation. In 2018, he had two very young daughters, and even they were not spared. Finally, the truth is out, and I am glad Usman Khawaja has come out in support of Warner. Only, he could have done so much earlier and spared Warner and his family the pain they had to endure. As journalists, we are often privy to things that we cannot write or speak about. Warner and I have been close friends for years, and for much of that time, I was aware that he was being given a raw deal. To take everything away from him and make him the fall guy was utterly wrong. In that sense, Usman has ensured that justice has finally been served. Why did I not write about it earlier? If I had all the details, why not put them out? The answer is simple. Warner did not want to speak about these things publicly. He wanted them to...

 (PC: BCCI) Suryakumar Yadav will lead Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026, with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announcing a 16-member squad on Monday. The squad features several familiar names, including Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan, as Mumbai prepare for the upcoming domestic T20 competition. Speaking about his appointment, Suryakumar said that representing Mumbai had always been a matter of immense pride and that he was honoured to lead the side. “It is always a matter of immense pride to represent Mumbai. I am honoured to lead this talented group in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” he said, according to an MCA media release. “Mumbai has a rich cricketing legacy and a winning culture, and we will look to uphold those traditions.” He also spoke about the balance within the squad and the team’s ambitions for the tournament. “We have a good mix of experienced players and exciting young talent, and I am confident that the team will come together, play...

Gurnoor celebrating a wicket. (PC: BCCI) India captain Shubman Gill singled out Gurnoor Brar after the fast bowler returned match-winning figures of 4/30 in the second ODI, helping India secure a four-run victory via the DLS method in a rain-affected match in Wellington. Bowling first, Gurnoor once again rattled the New Zealand batting line-up with his express pace. The tall pacer was the only bowler to complete his full quota of 10 overs. While Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj ran through the top order, Brar broke the backbone of the New Zealand batting line-up. Reflecting on his performance, Gill heaped praise on Brar and highlighted how his Punjab team-mate continues to improve as a pacer. “Gurnoor, even in the last match as well, has been bowling really well,” Gill said during the post-match presentation ceremony. “Hopefully, as he plays more games and gets more experience, he’ll become more consistent with his line and length. He’s got the pace, he’s got the boun...

Lily Bassingthwaighte for Brisbane Heat (PC: Lily Bassingthwaighte) Defending champions Hobart Hurricanes’ nightmare season continued as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the ongoing WBBL. After posting a modest 116/9 on Saturday, they failed to defend the total as Brisbane Heat registered a four-wicket win in Brisbane. Despite completing the chase, the Heat did not have a convincing outing, having been reduced to 89/6 at one stage. However, Annie O’Neil held her nerve, remaining unbeaten on 32 to guide her side to victory with 10 balls to spare. Yastika Bhatia struggled once again, scoring 22 off 23 balls. The real difference, however, was made earlier with the ball by 19-year-old pacer Lily Bassingthwaighte. The youngster impressed with the new ball, generating pace and swing to dismiss all three of the Hurricanes’ top-order batters. Having already removed Lizelle Lee and Kate Pelle, she then produced a beauty to dismiss Chamari Athapaththu. The delivery pitched o...

Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir (Image: Debasis Sen) Around 1 pm local time, India were yet to turn up at Eden Park for their matchday-minus-one training session. A sizable gathering of the Indian diaspora had already assembled outside Gate J. “Can you please arrange a picture of Virat Kohli?” was the collective request. About a couple of hours later, when the former India captain stopped in front of the gate to oblige the fans, “Kohli, Kohli” chants reverberated in the air. By then, the gathering had swelled into a crowd. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, was having a light-hearted conversation with the Indian team support staff after finishing his session. Sukoon is writ large on his face. He is in calmer waters now. Ajit Agarkar is gone, the new selection committee chairman, Pragyan Ojha, is unlikely to rock the boat, and Rohit is no longer on a slippery slope. If he stays fit, he will play the 2027 World Cup. A five-match ODI series in the context of modern-day cricket, and especially i...