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Abhirath Reddy Mandadi, Captain Hyderabad E-Champions celebrates after scoring a hundred during the Match 18 of the Sreenidhi University TG20 between Warangal Warriors and Hyderabad E-Champions at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India, on July 01, 2026. Photo by Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS Skipper Abhirath Reddy and district player Ganesh Gadugu led the charge for Hyderabad E-Champions as they continued their unbeaten run with a six-wicket win against Warangal Warriors in the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s Sreenidhi University TG20’s first match on Wednesday. With this win, the E-Champions have qualified for the Playoffs. After narrowly missing out on a couple of occasions, Abhirath registered his maiden ton in the Sreenidhi University TG20. The Orange Cap holder continued to pile on the runs for his side with a stellar 101* off 43 balls, which included seven fours and nine sixes. District player Ganesh Gadugu also played his part, scoring 50 off 31 balls after the bow...

Sooryavanshi and Samson batted together in the nets. (PC: RevSportz) Vaibhav Tripathi & Rohit Juglan Sanju Samson is one of the most popular players in the current Indian team. Popularly known as “Chetta”, he is a firm favourite among fans—and with good reason. Three match-winning innings in three games, followed by being named Player of the Tournament at the World Cup, have earned him admirers across the globe. After India’s practice session ended in Durham, Samson noticed a group of fans waiting and calling out his name. The 31-year-old happily obliged, walking over to greet the supporters who were standing on the other side of the closed gate. Even after a disappointing series against Ireland, Samson appeared to be in high spirits as he interacted with his fans. The weather has been kind to the team since they landed in the UK. In Belfast, conditions were pleasant, allowing the players to enjoy their downtime. After arriving in Durham, the squad even went for...

Abhishek Sharma (L) with Sanju Samson (R). (PC: BCCI) Almost every single time Abhishek Sharma fails in T20 cricket, the following line makes its presence felt on social media platforms — the left-hand batter is a flat-track bully. For starters, the nature of the T20 format is such that the wickets range anywhere between good to motorways; pitches where the batters end up playing on the up and through the line.    The subplot to such a hypothesis is that even when confronted with decks that offer a hint of assistance, the willowy opener has had some success. Let’s consider the following examples to illustrate the point: Abhishek’s 68 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground —  hint of nip and tennis-ball bounce, his 49 in Belfast — tennis-ball bounce and a touch of nip, alongside 74, 75 and 61 in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates — slower decks.    The ultra-aggressive batter continued to showcase his skill sets at the Riverside Stadium, in the o...

Shreyas Iyer. Image :X The piece was written before the first India v England T20I got underway in Durham, so I had no idea of the result. Whichever way it may have gone, the truth is that the criticism of Shreyas Iyer based on what happened in Ireland is unwarranted. It reflects the fickleness of Indian fandom. Shreyas, whom many believed was the right man for the job and had actually been overlooked for too long, is suddenly in the eye of the storm. “How could he be made captain when he has hardly played T20 cricket for the national team?” is the question doing the rounds. The same question could have been asked when he was first handed the responsibility. At that point, all anyone was going by was his IPL record as captain. He led Punjab Kings superbly and even took them to the final in his first season with the franchise. Punjab started well in 2026 but faded as a team. The selectors looked at Shreyas’s work with KKR and Punjab, along with his performances in domestic cricket, an...