Cricket now

    Fresh off India’s historic victory over England Women at Lord’s, India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar joined Backstage with Boria to reflect on the special triumph and the emotions that came with it. He spoke about the significance of bouncing back so quickly from the disappointment of the T20 World Cup 2026 and the character the team showed in doing so. Looking ahead, the coach shared the team’s plans for the coming months, including those for the Asian Games, the importance of taking a well-earned break, and how he intends to get the white-ball team back on track for the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. Boria: Red-ball cricket is always special. Tell me a bit about your feelings after this Test match win at Lord’s. Amol: It’s 13th July, the same day many years back when Sourav Ganguly’s team won the NatWest Trophy final, and now Harmanpreet Kaur’s team did the honours. I’m really blessed to have witnessed this Test match. It’s been a historic one. About a coupl...

Team India at practice. Image: BCCI Boria Majumdar When Shubman Gill looks around the dressing room at Edgbaston today, he will see close to 1,000 ODIs’ worth of experience around him. That, in itself, is enough to instil a sense of calm and control. He will have Rohit Sharma, his opening partner and former captain, to lean on for advice, and Virat Kohli, someone who has seen almost every situation the game can throw at him. He will have the assurance of Jasprit Bumrah and the composure of KL Rahul. That collective experience is what will help Gill as he begins the process of getting Indian cricket back on track after a dismal few weeks in Ireland and England. First things first, T20 cricket is not the format of choice at the moment. Had it not been for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, few would have watched the series. So, while I understand the concern over India failing to win a single game and the disappointment that followed, the meltdown has been a touch over the top. When Gautam Gambhir...

Stephen Fleming (PC: X) Stephen Fleming’s departure as CSK head coach was the franchise’s decision, RevSportz understands. It is learnt that the former New Zealand captain wanted to complete the current cycle, which ends next year, and CSK, too, had planned it that way. The idea was to appoint a new coach in 2028, when the next cycle begins. Things changed quickly. A source close to the franchise told this website that CSK would take time to appoint Fleming’s successor. Nothing is likely to be finalised over the next two months, although some names are being considered. Hemang Badani, who coached Delhi Capitals, is one of them. A story is doing the rounds that Sanjay Bangar is in the fray as well, but this website can confirm that the former India batting coach has not received any approach yet from the Chennai-based franchise. Fleming presided over five IPL titles during his 18-year stint as the franchise’s head coach. But over the last three seasons, the tea...

Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yuvraj Singh at Wimbledon final (PC- Wimbledon) Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yuvraj Singh and Sanju Samson were among the Indian cricket stars at Centre Court for the Wimbledon men’s singles final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. While enjoying the atmosphere at the All England Club, Abhishek and Yuvraj shared their thoughts on the occasion, tennis and the next generation of sporting talent. Speaking to Star Sports, Abhishek said it was a dream come true to be at Wimbledon, especially for the men’s singles final. “It was actually one of my dreams to come here,” India’s T20I opener said. “And especially on such a special day, the final, that’s probably the cherry on top. Obviously, I’m just going to enjoy the match here. I’m just going to have my moment.” Reflecting on his tennis inspirations, Abhishek recalled growing up admiring Rafael Nadal. “I remember, e...

Stokes doing the huddle talk. (PC: X/EnglandCricket) The International Cricket Council (ICC) is unlikely to take any action against the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over the video footage of Ben Stokes’ retirement speech inside the dressing room. According to the BBC, the ECB will not face any issues for releasing the video of Stokes. It is understood that the ECB has responded to the ICC regarding the matter, and it has been resolved amicably. Speaking after the day’s play in which he announced his retirement, Stokes explained that the timing of the public announcement during the match had been pre-arranged by his representatives in consultation with the ECB. “I just said, ‘You guys work with Michael Lumb and Neil Fairbrother, who work with me, and you guys just come up with a plan’,” Stokes said. Earlier, reports in the British media suggested that the ICC had formally written to the ECB over an alleged breach of the code of conduct during a...

Axar_Patel (PC: X) Either too short or too full – that seemed to be the pattern Axar Patel followed at the Rose Bowl. He conceded 63 runs in his four overs, making it not only his most expensive spell in T20Is but also the most expensive figures of his entire T20 career across 319 bowling innings. Following that hammering, Axar found himself on a few unwanted lists. He now has the fourth most expensive bowling figures for India in T20Is and has conceded the most runs by an Indian bowler in a men’s T20I in Southampton. Yes, the other bowlers were also taken to the cleaners, but as the most experienced bowler in the attack, more was expected from Axar. He did create one opportunity, only for the catch to be dropped at deep extra cover in his final over. Apart from that solitary chance, he looked bereft of answers. It is rare to see a seasoned campaigner like Axar, renowned for his guile and control, being hit to all parts of the ground. While the England batters produced an outs...