Cricket now

India Women in practice session (PC: RevSportz) After a day of rain interruptions in Cardiff, India and Australia finally enjoyed a productive training session as preparations intensified ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup warm-up matches. India’s session began at the outdoor nets while Australia occupied the main practice area. The Indian top order spent considerable time in the middle, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma batting together against Renuka Singh Thakur, Sree Charani and Shreyanka Patil. In the adjacent net, Jemimah Rodrigues faced deliveries from Deepti Sharma, Nandini Sharma and Arundhati Reddy, with the bowlers working extensively on their variations. Mandhana looked comfortable throughout her stint, while Shafali also appeared in good rhythm. Once Australia completed their session, India moved inside to the main ground where the focus shifted to fielding drills. Players worked on close-catching exercises before splitting into specialist groups. Radha Yadav late...

Ajit Agarkar (PC: X) Indian selection meetings are hard. In fact, they are almost impossible to get done without getting trolled. You need to take hard calls about players who have iconic status in the country, and in a social media age, you stand to be brutally abused and castigated. That is where Ajit Agarkar and his committee need to be complimented for standing their ground and taking some ruthless decisions. They haven’t given in to emotion and have gone about their business in the most focused manner. I don’t agree with everything that the committee has decided, and that will always be the case. Take, for example, the Rajat Patidar non-selection. Or the ignoring of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I believe both deserved a place. But one thing no one can fault is the intent around their decisions. Not every call will meet with unanimous approval across the country, but that doesn’t mean the selection committee is necessarily wrong on anything. Every player picked has performances to sho...

Ben Stokes (PC:X/ England Cricket) England captain Ben Stokes has raised serious concerns over the Lord’s pitch used in the first Test against New Zealand. He believes the surface was not ideal for the long-term future of Test cricket despite England’s 115-run win. The match ended before lunch on the fourth day, with bowlers dominating throughout. Batters from both sides were seen struggling on a pitch that offered movement and uneven bounce from the start. Speaking to the BBC after the win, Stokes said: “From someone who loves Test cricket, is that something that will benefit Test cricket? I don’t think so.” Stokes clarified that he was not blaming the ground staff. “But nobody’s doing it on purpose. It’s a tough job to be a groundsman,” he added. The England captain also spoke about the importance of preserving Test cricket. “I get asked questions all the time about the longevity of this format,” Stokes said. “For someone who believes Test cricket should be the best format and...

Sanjeev Sooryavanshi and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s remarkable rise in Indian cricket continues unabated. Following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with the Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs in 16 matches at a staggering strike rate of 237.31, the teenage prodigy has earned his maiden call-up to India’s T20I squads for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, as well as for the Asian Games. The announcement of Vaibhav’s inclusion in the senior Indian team was a moment of immense pride and joy for the Sooryavanshi family. The news quickly spread through the locality, drawing a large number of residents to the family’s home to celebrate the achievement. Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, father of Vaibhav is set to travel to Colombo on Sunday to watch him represent India A in the upcoming tri-series. Vaibhav’s uncle, Rajeev, marked the occasion by distributing sweets to well-wishers, while enthusiastic locals set off firecrackers ...

  Images :X Trisha Ghosal, Cardiff The weather in Cardiff was gloomy, cloudy, windy and relentlessly wet throughout the day, providing a very English backdrop to India’s latest training session ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. India had arrived at Sophia Gardens hoping for a productive outdoor session, but the persistent rain forced the team indoors for most of the day. There was a brief spell of sunshine around late afternoon and a few Indian players began making their way towards the outdoor nets. However, the respite was short-lived as the rain returned almost immediately. With showers continuing well into the evening and temperatures remaining chilly, India’s preparations were significantly curtailed. While the weather dominated Cardiff, the tournament itself officially came to life as the first set of warm-up fixtures took place in Derby and Loughborough. Sri Lanka produced arguably the most eye-catching performance of the day, cruising to a nine-wicket victory o...

  Suryakumar Yadav (PC: BCCI) Why did Suryakumar Yadav not retire? This is something doing the rounds on social media. A fair question to ask if you aren’t Surya. And if you are, a question completely out of bounds. It is his career and his decision. It is his self-belief and entirely his call. Surya must have believed he had the game. In fact, he still has the game. He was available, but the lack of runs forced the selectors to look beyond him. It is all very fair. The selectors had given him a long rope and he wanted to play on. Now, it was the selectors’ call and they have taken it. To expect Surya to retire is unfair and unreasonable. At no point did he believe that the game had gone away from him. For some of us who have seen him at his best just a few months ago, it is hard to believe he wasn’t able to score runs. But that’s sport and that’s why it is real, not reel, and cruel at times. Surya will always remain a very interesting case study. Anyone who has followed...