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Duleep Trophy 2026/27: Central Zone announce squad, Rajat Patidar to continue as captain

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Rajat Patidar (PC: BCCI) Central Zone have announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2026/27, with Rajat Patidar set to continue as captain. Under Patidar’s leadership, Central Zone lifted the title last season after defeating South Zone in the final. Rinku Singh has been named vice-captain, while Aryan Juyal and Kunal Singh Rathod have been picked as the two wicket-keepers. The squad also features notable names such as Arshad Khan, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey and Saransh Jain. Saransh recently earned his maiden India call-up for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. He enjoyed a stellar Duleep Trophy campaign last season and was named Player of the Tournament after scoring 136 runs and claiming 16 wickets, the highest wicket tally of the edition. Left-arm spinner Dubey also played a crucial role, finishing as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets. With the bat, Patidar led from the front, amassing 382 runs in five innings, including a first-inni...
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Pizza Chef Crishan Kalugamage Built a Cricket Dream in Football-Mad Italy, Now He Targets the IPL

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Crishan Kalugamage (PC- REVSPORTZ/Debasis Sen) If stories could choose their own beginnings, this one might open in a pizzeria somewhere in Italy. A boy, his hands occupied with making pizzas, watches the evening crowd drift in as football fills the television screens in the football-mad nation. Somewhere between a pizza oven and a life surrounded by football nerds, Crishan Kalugamage built a life that few would have imagined. He arrived in Italy as a child, carrying memories of Sri Lanka, while the country around him spoke the language of football, even though the game occupying his imagination belonged to another world entirely. For five days a week, he worked making pizzas and, on his day-off, played cricket. It was a small piece of time to protect a dream, but enough for him to keep believing. Years after nurturing that dream, the same belief took him beyond the boundaries he once saw from afar — to international cricket and a World Cup with Italy. In that journey, Roma Cricket C...
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“I was not as fluent…’- Sophia Dunkley on her match winning knock against Manchester Super Giants

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Sophia Dunkley (Official Instagram ID of Sophia Dunkley) Sophia Dunkley was named Player of the Match after she produced a crucial 57 off 33 balls with six fours and three sixes to help Trent Rockets secure victory over Manchester Super Giants. Dunkley initially assessed the conditions before opening up her range of shots, particularly behind square, as she accelerated through the innings. The England batter was eventually dismissed by Sophie Ecclestone, caught by Ryana MacDonald-Gay but her 33-ball 57 had already provided her team with the momentum it needed. Reflecting on her performance, Dunkley spoke to the broadcasters and said, “It was nice to get the win. I was not as fluent but great to get the win. I was just trying to use the conditions and use the angles.” Dunkley also praised the bowling effort, saying, “Luffy was outstanding.” Asked whether the team had been short of runs, she admitted, “Yeah, I guess. You always want to get more from that platform, but a great perform...
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Imesha Dulhani’s maiden T20I ton, only second Sri Lankan to score a WT20I century

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Imesha Dulhani (PC: SLC media) Sri Lanka Women opener Imesha Dulhani scripted history with her maiden T20I century, guiding her side to a convincing six-wicket win over Pakistan Women in the opening game of the three-match T20I series. Playing in Dambulla on Friday, Dulhani smashed an unbeaten 101 off 64 balls as Sri Lanka chased down the 177-run target with an over to spare. With the knock, Dulhani became only the second Sri Lanka Women batter to score a T20I century after skipper Chamari Athapaththu, who has four T20I hundreds to her name. T20I centuries for Sri Lanka Women so far 119* – Chamari Athapaththu vs Malaysia, Dambulla, 2024  113 – Chamari Athapaththu vs Australia, North Sydney, 2019  106* – Chamari Athapaththu vs Ireland, Bristol, 2026  102 – Chamari Athapaththu vs Scotland, Abu Dhabi, 2024  101* – Imesha Dulhani vs Pakistan, Dambulla, 2026  Earlier, Pakistan Women posted a competitive 176/7, with opener Shawaal Zulfiqar top-scoring w...
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Cricket fever returns to the capital as DPL 2026 kicks off in grand style

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  The capital city is gearing up for yet another thrilling season of the Delhi Premier League which begins on July 31 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Central Delhi Kings will lock horns with Purani Dilli 6 in the opening encounter of the men’s fixtures on Friday.    Ahead of the opening match, fans will be treated to a grand opening ceremony featuring live performances by renowned singers Sunanda Sharma and Sukhbir Singh, with the celebrations beginning at 5:30 PM. Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley said the league has grown with every season and expressed confidence that fans can expect another memorable edition.   “We are delighted to begin another season of the Delhi Premier League. The tournament has grown tremendously over the last editions, and the support from players, franchises and fans has been incredible. We are confident this season will be even more exciting, with high-quality ...
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Ajinkya — someone who you want to see in the dressing room

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Ajinkya Rahane and Dhawal Kulkarni (PC: ICC, MCA) Dhawal Kulkarni I will start from our U-19 days when I was selected for the Cooch Behar Trophy for Mumbai and Ajinkya was leading the side. That was my first experience with him as a captain. We won that year. If I recall it right, it was 2006-07. From there we were selected to represent India U-19 that toured New Zealand. After that, we were picked for Mumbai Indians in the first year of the IPL. So Ajinkya, also, was part of Mumbai Indians initially. Ajinkya scored runs and I was the highest wicket-taker for Mumbai in that Cooch Behar Trophy. And next year, he was picked for the Mumbai senior team, and also was part of Mumbai Indians. So both of us — Ajinkya made his debut in 2007 in the Ranji Trophy and I made my white-ball debut for Mumbai in the 2007-08 season. That was a fantastic group, the one we were part of. But after that also, we produced so many cricketers who have shown that (winning) attitude. It’s Mumbai cricket’s l...
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“A selfless cricketer, a very caring leader who gets the best out of her players” — Simon Helmot explains what makes Sophie Molineux different

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Simon Helmot and Sophie Molineux (PC: Melbourne Renegades, ICC) With every passing day, Sophie Molineux continues to silence her doubters with her captaincy. Be it for Australia or now, leading Southern Brave in the ongoing Women’s Hundred, Molineux has shown exactly why Cricket Australia backed her to lead the national side. Earlier this year, when Cricket Australia announced Molineux as Alyssa Healy’s successor, questions were raised because of her recurring fitness issues, which had restricted her game time over the previous couple of years for both Australia and the Melbourne Renegades. She had already enjoyed success by leading the Renegades to their maiden WBBL title in 2024. Yet, appointing a player with recurring injury concerns as Australia’s full-time, all-format captain was still a bold call. Australia, after all, are one of the most successful teams in women’s cricket, and the appointment came after they had failed to qualify for the finals of b...
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