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Niki Prasad’s All-Round Promise — Coach Vinayak Explains the Work Behind Her Rise ahead of Zimbabwe WT20Is

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Niki Prasad and her coach, Vinayak Havalappagol (PC: Niki Prasad Insta, Vinayak Insta) India entered the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup in 2025 as defending champions, with Niki Prasad entrusted with the responsibility of leading the side. Appointed captain in December 2024, she had already guided India to the Asia Cup title before leading the Women in Blue to their second successive U19 T20 World Cup crown. Since then, Niki has continued to make strides: from earning a WPL contract with Delhi Capitals (DC) and featuring in two finals to delivering impressive domestic performances, winning the inaugural Maharani Trophy (Karnataka’s state T20 league) Player of the Tournament award and shining for India A. The 20-year-old has now earned her maiden call-up to the senior Indian team for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at home. With her all-round abilities and recent form, Niki will be one to watch. In an exclusive interaction with RevSportz, her coach, Vinayak Hava...
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SA vs AUS: Matt Renshaw Reveals Emotions Behind Long Awaited Second Test Century

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Matt Renshaw. (PC: X/ICC) Australia batter Matt Renshaw reflected on his second Test century, saying he had always been keen to reach the milestone again after a long hiatus of almost a decade, with his second hundred coming against South Africa in Durban. Renshaw, who scored his first Test century in 2017, has been in and out of the team over the years. During Australia’s 2023 tour of India, he returned to the side as a specialist batter against spin but did not have a great series. After that tour, he never thought he would wear the baggy green again. However, three years later, he scored a mammoth 190 to bail his team out of trouble. “After a few years out of the team, I had the opportunity in 2023, and you think you’re never going to get the opportunity again,” Renshaw said in the press-conference. “When I hit the ball [to reach my hundred], I was screaming at it, ‘Go, go, go!’ It hit me all at once. It was pretty special.” As soon as he reached the...
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Finn Allen. Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert picked for India ODIs

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Finn Allen Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Rachin Ravindra, and Tim Seifert have been named in New Zealand’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against India. The Mitchell Santner-led side are looking to back up their historic ODI series victory in India in January, with the five-match series starting on November 4 at Auckland’s Eden Park. Allen and Ferguson last played an ODI in 2023, which for Ferguson turned out to be the Semi-Final of the ICC World Cup against India. Meanwhile Seifert featured 18 months ago in the home series against Pakistan. White-ball captain Santner will lead the extended squad which has a similar look to the one that claimed a historic 2-1 series win against India in India. A portion of the squad will head to Wellington after the third ODI to prepare for the upcoming Test series, meaning seven additional players will join the team for the last two games. Ravindra, who was ruled out of the T20I squad with a shoulder injury, will make his return for the fi...
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The smile has to be there on your face, whatever the situation: Vijay Tripurana opens on MS Dhoni’s mantra and more

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Vijay Tripurana. PC – TNCA. “Actually, I had a word with MS Dhoni, sir. I told him that I was part of Delhi Capitals, and I haven’t got a chance. He replied to me by saying, ‘It’s part of the game, just do your hard work, irrespective of the results, whether you are playing or not, just keep smiling. That smile has to be there on your face, whatever the situation is.’ It really motivated me at that time,” Tripurana Vijay, the promising off-spinner, said to RevSportz.    Vijay had the opportunity to share his thoughts with one of the finest Indian captains during the 2025 IPL. At that juncture of his career, he was yet to earn his maiden IPL cap. Fast-forward to 2026, Vijay has featured in the IPL and the Duleep Trophy final, bagged 24 wickets in the previous Ranji Trophy season, and been selected for the India A squad for the unofficial Tests against Australia A. Somewhere along the way, those golden words from Dhoni seem to have a...
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“No Safe Total in T20s”— Shreyas Iyer’s Verdict After Ranchi Run-Fest

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Iyer (PC: BCCI) After losing the Ranchi T20I against the West Indies, India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer said that no total could be considered safe in the modern T20 era after the visitors chased down a record 249 with nine balls to spare to level the five-match series 1-1, with three matches remaining. The Men in Maroon completed their best run chase and the second-highest successful run chase in T20Is on Friday night, as India’s bowlers failed to defend the target. When Iyer was asked what would have been a safe total on that wicket, he said: “Honestly speaking, you cannot put a number to it, because when the dew factor comes in, it plays a massive role. And even 249 was chased down with, like, two overs to spare. So you cannot give a number or probably anticipate that, okay, this is the number we would be trying to score.” Iyer pointed out how difficult the conditions were for the bowlers, especially in the second innings, with few opportunities to settle into a rhythm. He also...
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New Zealand suffer injury blow as Will O’Rourke ruled out of India matches

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Will O’Rourke (PC: Photosport NZ) New Zealand faced a major setback as right-arm pacer Will O’Rourke has been ruled out of the upcoming home series against India while recovering from injuries to his left hamstring and calf. The team management has decided not to rush him back into action as the Black Caps will have a busy schedule ahead, including a four-Test series in Australia in December and January. In an official press release, New Zealand head coach Rob Walter revealed that the decision was taken after discussions about the fast bowler’s fitness and recovery. “Our pace bowling resources will be critical over the next few months, so we’re taking a conservative approach to Will’s return to ensure he’s fully fit before he takes the field again,” Walter said. O’Rourke was expected to play in both the ODI and Test series against India. However his recovery will take longer than expected. Walter hopes the pacer can return to domestic cricket for Canterbury in the ...
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The Smriti Mandhana Era begins — Cricket Needs a New Playbook for Leadership

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Image: X Earlier this week, Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from India captaincy at 37, despite leading the women’s team to its historic ODI World Cup triumph. Smriti Mandhana, aged 30, takes over and her challenge is to lay down a new blueprint with her former captain playing a pivotal role in it. Virat Kohli’s withdrawal from T20 internationals and subsequently Test cricket, Rohit Sharma’s departure from T20 internationals, and the emergence of a younger generation of aggressive cricketers, point towards something larger than conventional succession. There was a time when experience was an almost unquestioned qualification for leadership. The longer you played, the more you understood. Seniority brought authority, authority brought responsibility, and responsibility eventually brought captaincy. The same philosophy governed corporations, where leadership was traditionally the culmination of decades of accumulated experience. Perhaps cricket is witnessing the emergen...
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