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India faced a defeat against Australia (PC-X) It was in Manchester, and the India versus South Africa game had just ended. We were making our way to Trafford College, right opposite Old Trafford, when I spotted her. There was a lady wearing an India jersey, silently weeping. I didn’t think much of it at the time because I was in a rush to get to the show and get started. About 30 minutes into the show, Trisha Ghosal walked up to me and said there was a fan who followed us regularly. She had flown in from New York and looked utterly distraught. Could we have a word with her and perhaps cheer her up? It turned out to be the same woman I had noticed earlier. She was an Indian professional based in New York who had travelled to England for the World Cup after buying tickets to all of India’s matches, as well as the semi-finals. “I follow the team around the world,” she said. “It was always my dream to come and watch them play in a World Cup in England, and I’ve bought tickets for every...

  Image : x ‘Vaibhav Sooryavansshi is ubiquitous.’ So, what could be the hidden meaning of the above-mentioned line? It isn’t as if yours truly is aiming to start a contest on adjectives. But it more or less narrates a story of how the wonderkid’s heroics seem to have gripped the cricketing landscape. Just open your social media handle and the first trend to notice is Shreyas Iyer’s press conference. The India skipper ended up answering a volley of questions on whether Vaibhav would don the national colours in the first T20I against England. For a moment, also scroll through the quoted tweets of that press conference and one would observe a fair bit of heat coming Shreyas’ way. The simple reason being the Indian cricket fans wish to see a glimpse of Vaibhav wear the blue jersey for the senior Indian team. So much so that his every shot in the net sessions – defensive or attacking – seems to be getting analysed by cricket fans. Fo...

  Images :X Boria Majumdar Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hasn’t yet made his presence felt in international cricket. And yet, he was the only talking point at Lord’s a couple of days ago. Walk into the press box, and you hear journalists talking about him and him alone. “A lot of people are selling off their Pavilion tickets to go and watch the 10 July game because they think Vaibhav will be playing,” said one. “The women’s Test at Lord’s starts on 10 July.” Another senior reporter who had been asked to track him put things into perspective. “It is almost impossible to get print space when the FIFA World Cup is on. And yet we have been specifically told to cover Vaibhav in detail. He is almost like a football star at the moment.” Yet one more, equally excited, added: “We generally don’t do podcasts on T20 matches. Our focus has always been Test cricket. But we are making an exception for Vaibhav and will be doing podcasts for this [T20I] series. He is the draw.” The hype surrounding ...

Sooryvanshi (PC: SLC) England white-ball captain Harry Brook praised India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but revealed that his team has prepared plans to stop the 15-year-old ahead of the first T20I against India in Durham. During the pre-match press conference, Brook said, “He (Vaibhav) looks like a very, very talented player. Obviously, he’s done extremely well over the last year, year and a half, and we’ve got our tactics and hopefully they work. There’s been a lot of digging behind the scenes to see what we can do to try and stop him from playing his best cricket.” Sooryavanshi, who is yet to make his international debut, is one of the biggest talking points ahead of the series. He was picked in India’s squad after an outstanding IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals. The left-hander scored 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30. When asked what he was doing at Sooryavanshi’s age...

Nishanth Saranu of Anurag Nalgonda Knights bowls during the Match 15 of the Sreenidhi University TG20 between Palamuru Strikers and Anurag Nalgonda Knights at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India, on June 29, 2026. Photo by Sumeet Parmar / CREIMAS  Anurag Nalgonda Knights secured their third win on the trot, registering a comprehensive six-wicket victory against Palamuru Strikers in the first match of the day on Monday, in the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s Sreenidhi University TG20. Knights’ bowlers were sensational in executing their plans as Md Arfaz Ahmed (3/39) and Nishanth Saranu (2/16) were the standouts, restricting the Strikers to 148/9. Skipper Rahul Buddhi (68* off 40) held his nerve in the run chase to lead his side to a comfortable victory with 28 balls to spare, helping them jump to second on the points table. It was a wobbly start for the Strikers as they lost three wickets in the powerplay. A run out cost the in-form Vignesh Reddy his wicke...

  Image: BCCI When Shreyas Iyer was named the new T20I captain of the Indian team, it was considered a bold move by the selectors. On the surface, it seemed like one too. After all, Suryakumar Yadav, the then captain, was struggling for form. With India having hoisted the T20 World Cup trophy, alongside possessing incredible depth in white-ball cricket, it was time for such a ruthless call to be made.  However, just like how there are different sides to a prism, such a big decision could also have contrasting viewpoints. One of them could be it wasn’t right to elevate Shreyas to the leadership role when he hadn’t been a part of the T20I set-up for close to three years. This school of thought also has enough logic attached to it. The keynote would be even if one of the candidates has the credentials to take over the mantle of leading the side, he needs to earn it. Simply put, parachuting a player who was out of the set-up, to a position of such eminence, despite the presence...

  Image: X Boria Majumdar in London As the dust settles on India’s group-stage exit in the ongoing T20 World Cup, a lot of people have asked me whether India should continue with Harmanpreet Kaur as captain. It is a very natural and pertinent question. In two consecutive T20 World Cups, India have been unable to progress beyond the group stage. Harmanpreet isn’t getting any younger, and in this particular World Cup her only innings of real consequence was the one against Australia in a losing cause. While that innings was brilliant, and it was because of her that India were in the game at the halfway stage, the truth is that it was just one effort in five matches. Had she played a similar knock against South Africa in Manchester, India could well have been playing the semi-final at The Oval. But when we assess Harmanpreet critically, we must also look at the alternatives. Has Smriti done enough in the big games to convince us that she is ready? She started well against Pakista...

Shreyas Iyer was bowled by Jai Moondra. (PC: BCCI) Lost at Lord’s, beaten in Belfast. That’s how 28 June 2026 will be remembered. Of course, for most Indian supporters, it will go down as one of the darkest days in Indian cricket. The defending ODI World Champions crashed out of the World Cup after losing to Australia. Given how the Women in Blue have fared over the last few years, that defeat did not surprise many. What did, however, was the series defeat to Ireland. Until three days ago, Ireland had never beaten India in international cricket, and now they have whitewashed them. That brought India’s glorious run of 16 consecutive unbeaten T20I series to an end. What the SENA countries could not do, an Irish side did. Remember, they were without as many as three of their six first-choice players, including veterans Paul Stirling and Mark Adair. Jai Moonda, who won the Player of the Series award, made his debut in the first T20I and made a telling impact in both matches. This defeat...

    Image: BCCI, Women Snehasis Mukherjee, London India’s campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 came to an end with yet another group-stage exit. In a must-win final group match against Australia at Lord’s, they suffered a six-wicket defeat and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. More disappointingly, it marked India’s second successive group-stage exit in the tournament, and once again Australia were at the centre of the heartbreak. India began the tournament on a positive note, defeating Pakistan and the Netherlands. But in a group featuring two other strong sides, South Africa and Australia, they knew they had to beat at least one of them to stay in contention. Unfortunately, despite being in control for large parts of the game against South Africa, Harmanpreet Kaur and her side let the match slip away before returning to winning ways against Bangladesh. That left India needing just one more win against Australia at Lord’s to secure a pla...

  Image: BCCI Women Boria Majumdar in London As the dust settles on India’s defeat and we come to terms with yet another T20 World Cup exit, it is important to keep calm and exercise restraint. No one is hurting more than the players, and it is important that we empathise while still asking the tough questions. While there is no need for an over-the-top reaction, this is the time to take stock and introspect. What went wrong, and why does it keep happening to the women’s team in the T20 format? The biggest difference between Australia’s approach and India’s was the fear of failure. Australia played without fear, while India appeared scared of losing. That made Australia aggressive and India defensive. Do Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues have the shots? Absolutely. We have seen them play with freedom on numerous occasions. However, Smriti’s desire to play herself in and both batters’ reluctance to attack early suggested they were trying too hard not to fail. Perhaps, in thi...

India in Belfast (PC: BCCI) India suffered a T20I whitewash against Ireland. After losing the first game by 34 runs, they failed to chase down 155 in the second, with the hosts securing a one-run victory. After suffering home series whitewashes in Tests against New Zealand and South Africa under Gautam Gambhir as head coach, this was another disappointing result. More on that later. Earlier, Jai Moondra bowled a length delivery on middle stump and got the ball to jag back off the seam. Sanju Samson was beaten by the movement and looked plumb. The Indian opener, though, decided to review. Ball-tracking rubber-stamped the on-field umpire’s decision. Samson departed for a golden duck. Yet again, Moondra dismissed the right-handed batter with the first ball. When the ball moves, Samson is usually out of his comfort zone. Inconsistency has been an issue throughout his career, which is one reason why he has played only 64 T20Is despite making his debut in the format 11 years ago. At ...

Aryan Cariappa of Ranga Reddy Risers bowls during the Match 13 of the Sreenidhi University TG20 between Palamuru Strikers and Ranga Reddy Risers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India, on June 27, 2026. Photo by Sumeet Parmar / CREIMAS Ranga Reddy Risers produced a clinical all-round display to defeat Palamuru Strikers by six wickets in the second match of the day at the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s Sreenidhi University TG20 on Friday. Aryan Cariappa’s four-wicket haul set up the victory before Avanish Rao and Gnana Prakash Reddy capped it with the bat. It was a sticky start to the innings for the Strikers, who lost two wickets in as many overs to leave them reeling at 2/2. B Punnaiah struck first by removing Chaitanya Reddy (0 off 1), before Tanay Thyagarajann dismissed Pragnay Reddy (1 off 3) in the following over. Vignesh Reddy then attempted to rebuild alongside Rohit Rayudu, counterattacking with a six and a four to lift the score to 26/2 after fiv...

Shafali, Charani, and Kranti for India (PC: BCCI Women) India face Australia in their final group-stage fixture knowing there is no room for error. It is a do-or-die contest. If South Africa defeat Bangladesh and India lose to Australia, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will be knocked out of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Pressure often brings out the very best in elite athletes, and India will need exactly that on Sunday. Every player will have a role to play, but there are three X-factor players who could prove decisive in taking India across the finish line. Shafali Verma (PC: BCCI Women) Shafali Verma Shafali Verma heads into the contest on the back of an impressive half-century against Bangladesh. However, her role extends well beyond her batting. Following her successful spell during the 2025 ODI World Cup, she has increasingly been entrusted with bowling responsibilities, including inside the powerplay. With Beth Mooney’s well-documented discomfort against spin early in her innings, I...

India, Australia, South Africa, and Bangladesh (PC: ICC) Lord’s, the most iconic of cricket grounds, is all set to host two blockbuster matches in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. From Group A, four of the six teams are still in the race for the semi-finals, and all four will be in action on Sunday. South Africa will first take on Bangladesh before India face Australia in the second match of the day. Australia are unbeaten so far, and another victory would seal their place in the semi-finals. However, if they lose, net run rate (NRR) could become the deciding factor, as India and South Africa (provided the Proteas defeat Bangladesh) would also both finish on eight points. For India, the equation is simple. They need to beat Australia and hope Bangladesh stun South Africa. That would eliminate any NRR calculations and send the Women in Blue through to the semi-finals. For South Africa, the priority is to beat Bangladesh, preferably by a significant margin, to further improve their NRR...

Australia Women vs India Women (PC: BCCI) India will go into the Australia game knowing exactly what they need to do to make the semi-finals. South Africa play on Sunday morning (local time), which means India will have the qualification equation in front of them before taking the field. While they will hope Bangladesh can push South Africa all the way, India will not only need to beat Australia but also do so in a manner that ensures qualification for the semi-finals. It will not be easy. India beat Australia in the semi-finals of the 2025 ODI World Cup at home before going on to become world champions. In that sense, this could be a grudge match at Lord’s. Australia will be keen to avenge that defeat and will know that India have not played their best cricket so far. In contrast, the Australians have been outstanding, dominating the tournament with commanding wins over every opponent and boasting a superb net run rate of 4.7. The question everyone is asking is whether India can ri...

Lorcan Tucker (L) with Jai Moondra. (PC: X/@Cricket Ireland) Vaibhav Tripathi & Rohit Juglan Go on Instagram and search for Mitchell Santner. The New Zealand white-ball captain, despite holding a central contract across all formats, has just two words in his bio: part-time cricketer. It’s classic Santner — self-deprecating and a little cheeky. But away from the humour, there are cricketers for whom being “part-time” isn’t a punchline. It’s reality. The most familiar face in that conversation is Saurabh Netravalkar. The Indian-born left-arm seamer became one of the stories of the T20 World Cup, juggling a full-time job in the United States of America with international cricket. In a country where cricket barely registers alongside mainstream sports, Netravalkar showed that chasing two careers at once isn’t just possible — it’s sometimes necessary. Fortunately for him, his employer backs his cricketing commitments whenever international du...

  India Women (PC: BCCI Women)   Trisha Ghosal, London London has been sweltering over the past few days. The heat has been relentless, the humidity unforgiving. Much like the weather, the race for the two semi-final spots from Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has reached boiling point. Ironically, the forecast predicts cooler conditions from Sunday. By the end of the day, Group A, too, will have cooled off, with the identities of its two semi-finalists finally confirmed. From the moment the tournament draw was announced, Group A looked like the competition’s toughest pool. Australia, India and South Africa entered as genuine title contenders, leaving little room for error. Every result was expected to have a ripple effect, and that is exactly how the group has unfolded. Australia have been the benchmark throughout. Four wins from four matches have taken them to eight points, while their staggering Net Run Rate of +4.724 means they are virtually assured of ...

  Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Image :X Boria Majumdar, London There was serious speculation if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would be given a senior international debut against Ireland in Belfast on Friday. He wasn’t and will now wait for the second game on Sunday. Let me state this clearly — it was a very logical and fair call. You need to earn your stripes for the national team and the two incumbent openers have done so. Vaibhav will indeed, but he will need to wait a few days more. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were India’s chosen openers at the T20 World Cup earlier this year. India won the tournament in style and Abhishek signed off with an electric half-century in the final. Sanju, on the other hand, returned with the Player of the Tournament award. How do you drop either of them was always going to be the question? While there was much hype over Vaibhav and justifiably so, with all that he has done, it is equally true that dropping either of the two openers would have been unfair. ...