Cricket now

Image :X Trisha Ghosal, Cardiff India’s final stretch of preparation for the Women’s World Cup is officially underway. Just two days after concluding the T20I series against England, the Indian squad returned to work in Cardiff on Thursday for what was their first full training session before the tournament starts. With practice scheduled over the next few days and warm-up matches to follow on 8 and 10 June, the team has entered the crucial final phase of its World Cup build-up. The session was characterised by intensity and involvement across the entire squad. Every player spent time either batting, bowling or fielding as the coaching staff sought to maximise preparation before the team shifts base to Birmingham after the second warm-up fixture. Among the notable performers was wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. While her recent returns in matches have raised questions, largely because of the limited number of deliveries she often faces lower down the order, the Bengal batter looke...

  Images :X Not many selection committee meetings have generated this level of interest. First, India will see a new T20 captain. Second, in all likelihood, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, currently in Sri Lanka with the India A team, will break into the senior team for the tours of Ireland and England. What also needs to be seen is whether the selectors pick a young squad for Ireland and a different one for England, or will the same squad travel to both tours? What happens to players like Rajat Patidar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar? Will they get a look in, and will the selectors consider IPL performances when picking T20 squads? Finally, what about Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya? Will we see them miss out or be a part of the England tour, at least? Ajit Agarkar and the team management will give us an idea about their vision for India’s white-ball cricket with this selection. While the 50-over World Cup is 15 months away, the next T20 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand and the LA 2...

Rohit Sharma during the second ODI vs England (PC: BCCI/X) Former India captain Rohit Sharma continues to command strong backing and respect despite questions being raised over his recent form and fitness. His childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, has dismissed concerns, insisting that the veteran opener remains crucial to the Indian team’s ambition of winning the 2027 ODI World Cup. Rohit came under criticism after a lean patch in his last ODI series against New Zealand, where he managed just 61 runs across three innings. However, Lad believes such scrutiny is unnecessary given Rohit’s stature and proven track record in the 50-over format. “Being a coach, I don’t think he needs to prove anything to anyone,” Lad told PTI Videos on Friday. “He badly wants to win the ODI World Cup. I have spoken to him, and he is very clear about what he wants in his career. I don’t think he needs to prove his fitness. Despite the age factor, he is still fit enough.” Lad emphasised Rohit’s im...

PC- CAB Media The third edition of the Bengal T20 League is set to get underway on Friday, June 5, with defending champions Adamas Howrah Warriors facing Novus Royals Purulia in the tournament opener at Eden Gardens. Ahead of the first match there will be a brief opening ceremony, featuring former India captain Sourav Ganguly and legendary women’s cricketer Jhulan Goswami. Captains of all eight participating teams are also expected to attend the event. The competition will run until June 21, 2026, bringing together teams from across Bengal as they battle for the prestigious league title. There has been considerable discussion around the use of SG balls instead of Kookaburra balls in the Bengal T20 League this season. The move was implemented by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) as a cost-saving measure aimed at reducing tournament expenses. According to India pacer Mukesh Kumar who is also the captain of Sobisco Smashers Malda, “I think there is not much of a difference ...

  Women’s T20 World Cup trophy (PC: X.com) Trisha Ghosal, Cardiff The countdown to the Women’s T20 World Cup is firmly underway and, unlike many previous global tournaments, almost every participating team arrives in England having already spent significant time preparing in similar conditions. Over the last few weeks, teams have deliberately scheduled bilateral series, tri-series and training camps to ensure they are as acclimatised as possible before the tournament begins. The result is a field that appears far more prepared than usual, adding another layer of intrigue to a World Cup that is already expected to be fiercely contested. England have perhaps been the biggest beneficiaries of the build-up. Charlotte Edwards’ side won both of their major preparatory assignments, defeating New Zealand 2-1 before repeating the scoreline against India. More importantly, they discovered contributions from multiple players across departments. Alice Capsey was among the standout ...

  Images :X There was considerable speculation in the media about whether Gautam Gambhir would agree to Shreyas Iyer as captain of India’s T20 team, replacing the now out-of-favour Suryakumar Yadav. According to me, the question is a non-starter. No one can have personal likes or dislikes influencing selection calls when it comes to the national team. Let’s hypothetically assume that, irrespective of the actual situation, Gautam and Shreyas aren’t on the same page. If that’s the truth, they don’t need to have the best of terms and don’t need to go out socially. They are professionals and all they need to do is plan and win games for India. As thorough professionals, they need to work together for one cause: serving Indian cricket. Having known Gautam well, I don’t think he will ever let personal choices influence captaincy calls, and if such a thing ever happens, it is the job of the selectors to overrule and convince the coach. In Ind...