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Amit_Mishra (PC:X/Amit Mishra) Former India spinner Amit Mishra has joined Delhi Capitals as their spin-bowling coach ahead of IPL 2027. The franchise confirmed his appointment on October 21. Mishra is the fourth new member to join the coaching staff, following Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and Chaminda Vaas. It all started with Ganguly’s appointment as head coach, followed by Yuvraj Singh’s appointment as assistant coach and batting coach, and Vaas’s appointment as fast-bowling coach. Speaking about his newfound role, Mishra recalled that he was part of DC (then Delhi Daredevils) in the inaugural IPL season. Now, he has landed his first coaching job in the cash-rich league with the same franchise, thanks to destiny. “I don’t know about legends, but I did really decently in the IPL. Dilli dilwallon ki hai (Delhi belongs to people with big hearts). When the first season of the IPL was held, I was part of DC. Today, as I begin my coaching career, it is wi...

Temba Bavuma for South Africa (Source: X) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma refused to say that the conditions had become easier to bat in on Day 3 of the second Test after scoring a career-best 179 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Rain interrupted play for most of the first two days of the match, during which South Africa were reduced to 97/5. With support from Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer, Bavuma took the hosts past 400 on the third day before declaring the innings. Bavuma disagreed with the view that batting had become easier in the absence of rain interruptions on Day 3. “I wouldn’t say it was easier to bat,” Bavuma said at the press conference. “From a mindset point of view, for me, nothing really changed. I was always trying to be as tight as I could and trying to hit the ball as straight as I could, and to stick to that game plan for as long as I could. I never really felt in. Every now and then, a ball would jump off a length or nip around. But once the ball got a bit soft...

India vs Zimbabwe, WT20I series (PC: BCCI, Cricketcscs Insta) The three-match WT20I series between India and Zimbabwe came to an end in Raipur on Tuesday, with the Women in Blue registering an expected 3-0 clean sweep. Smriti Mandhana’s full-time captaincy era began on a winning note, but beyond the scoreline, did India tick all the boxes, or were there still unanswered questions? Let’s take a closer look. Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet and Shafali Lead the Positives The biggest positive for India was undoubtedly 20-year-old Niki Prasad. Her match-winning unbeaten 39 in the series opener, followed by three wickets across the next two games and some electrifying fielding, made it an impressive series for the youngster. She made the most of the opportunities presented to her, contributing with both bat and ball. Harmanpreet Kaur’s return to form was another major boost ahead of bigger challenges, including the South Africa tour. Questions had been raised about the veteran batter’s recent l...

Pc- Instagram Nandani Sharma delivered a strong performance with the ball as India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe with a convincing win in the third match. She finished with impressive figures of 3/18 from her four overs, playing a key role in restricting Zimbabwe as India wrapped up the series without dropping a game. Reflecting on the three-match series, Nandani said at the post-match press conference that India had been confident throughout but had also focused on learning from their mistakes. “First of all, we all have a lot of confidence in these matches,” she said. “Whatever mistakes we make, we will learn from them and carry the lessons forward.” India also used the final T20I as an opportunity to give players a chance to bat. Nandani explained that the team’s primary focus remained on playing good cricket and giving their best against any opposition. “Our main motive is to play good cricket,” she said. “We have to give our best against any team in front o...

Harmanpreet Kaur (PC: BCCI Women) India registered a thumping 92-run win over Zimbabwe in the third and final WT20I in Raipur on Tuesday. After posting 216/7, courtesy of blistering half-centuries from Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s bowlers restricted the Lady Chevrons to 124/7 to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep. India made one change to their playing XI, bringing in Prema Rawat in place of N Shree Charani, who was rested. After winning the toss, skipper Smriti Mandhana opted to bat but did not open the innings herself. Instead, Anushka Sharma walked out alongside vice-captain Shafali Verma, a move that gave the youngster more time in the middle to showcase her potential. The Women in Blue made a brisk start, reaching 50 in just five overs without losing a wicket. However, a sharp catch by Nyasha Gwanzura sent Anushka back for 28, leaving the youngster visibly disappointed. Another young batter, Niki Prasad, was promoted to No. 3 but failed to make a significant impac...

Bumrah (PC: Debasis_Sen)   Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is against the idea of Jasprit Bumrah playing all three formats in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup, as he believes the pacer’s workload should be managed to preserve him for Test matches. Given Bumrah’s injury history, managing his workload is important. He has been rested for the white-ball leg of the New Zealand tour, which consists of five T20Is and five ODIs. The Indian pace spearhead will feature in the two-Test series, which is important in the context of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. “I don’t think he should play all three formats until the ODI World Cup,” Shastri told the Indian media on Sunday. “He should play Test cricket and feature sporadically in one-day internationals and T20 cricket. He also shouldn’t be playing the whole lot.” Shastri would like to see the Indian team preserve Bumrah for Test matches and use him sparingly in the other two form...