Tag: india

DUBAI: Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli has closed the gap with fellow countryman Rohit Sharma in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.

Kohli slammed 135 runs off just 120 balls in the first ODI against South Africa, which was his 83rd century in international cricket.

This knock propelled him up one spot to fourth in the latest rankings with 751 rating points, just 32 shy of Rohit Sharma, who continues to hold the top position.

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell sits second with 766 points, while Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran occupies third place with 764.

Once the No.1 ranked ODI batter for over three years, Kohli has not held the top spot since Babar Azam overtook him in April 2021. Meanwhile, Indian captain Shubman Gill, sidelined due to injury, has slipped to fifth in the rankings.

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In the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings, India’s experienced left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up a spot to sixth.

South Africa players also enjoyed significant gains following their 2-0 Test series sweep over India.

Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen emerged as the biggest beneficiary, climbing five places to fifth among Test bowlers and reaching a career-high second in the Test all-rounders’ rankings.

His teammate Simon Harmer, the Player of the Series, jumped 13 spots to 11th in the Test bowling rankings after taking 17 wickets across two matches.

Other South African batters made notable progress as well: Kyle Verreynne rose three spots to 38th, Ryan Rickelton advanced five places to 39th, and Tristan Stubbs soared 16 positions to 47th in the Test batting rankings.

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RANCHI: Virat Kohli etched his name deeper into cricketing history on Sunday as he surpassed a long-standing record of Sachin Tendulkar during the first ODI against South Africa at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

The Indian batting stalwart produced a breathtaking knock of 135 off 120 deliveries, featuring 11 fours and seven sixes, to register his 52nd ODI century.

In doing so, he broke Tendulkar’s record for most centuries in a single format, which was 51 Test hundreds.

Kohli reached the landmark in the 38th over of India’s innings before being dismissed while attempting a lofted stroke, walking back after yet another masterclass.

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His monumental innings also added to an already remarkable year, having earlier become the fastest batter to reach 14,000 runs in ODI cricket, achieving the feat in just 287 innings, far quicker than any of his contemporaries.

Kohli’s century was the centrepiece of a dominant Indian batting display, supported by half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, as India posted an imposing total of 349 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs.

South Africa mounted a spirited chase in response but fell agonisingly short in a high-scoring contest, getting bowled out for 332 in 49.2 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling effort with four crucial wickets to swing the game in the hosts’ favour.

READ: Rohit Sharma breaks Shahid Afridi’s world record

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in Dubai from December 12.

Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre has been named captain, with Vihaan Malhotra appointed as his deputy.

Mhatre, who starred for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025 with 240 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of nearly 189, has struggled for consistency in recent outings.

On India’s tours of England and Australia, he had mixed returns, managing only 27 runs in four one-dayers in England and 10 runs in three one-day matches in Australia.

However, he bounced back in Youth Tests, scoring 340 runs in two matches in England and 38 runs in Australia.

The squad also features 14-year-old aggressive opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who impressed in the Asia Cup Rising Stars with 239 runs at an average of 59.75 and a strike rate of 243.87, including a century.

His performance in Dubai will mark his second Under-19 Asia Cup appearance.

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Wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu is expected to play a pivotal role behind the stumps, having scored 158 runs in two outings for India-A against Australia-A at a strike rate of 114.49.

India’s bowling attack will be led by Henil Patel and Khilan Patel, while Kishan Kumar Singh is included, subject to fitness clearance.

Rahul Kumar, Hemchudeshan J, B.K. Kishore and Aditya Rawat have been named as standby players.

India has been drawn in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan and two qualifying teams.

Their campaign opens on December 12 against one of the qualifiers, with the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan set for December 14, followed by the final group match on December 16.

Group B consists of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and another qualifier.

The tournament will be played in the one-day format, allowing the young Indian side to fine-tune their skills ahead of future international challenges.

India Under-19 Squad for ACC Men’s Asia Cup

Ayush Mhatre (c), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra (vice-capt), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), Yuvraj Gohil, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Naman Pushpak, D. Deepesh, Henil Patel, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan and Aaron George.

Standby Players: Rahul Kumar, Hemchudeshan J, B.K. Kishore and Aditya Rawat.

READ: India’s WTC final hopes ‘extremely slim,’ says former cricketer

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has urged the need for a ‘post-mortem’ of the India Test team following the whitewash against South Africa.

A day earlier, South Africa handed India a 408-run thrashing, a record Test defeat for them, to clinch the series 2-0.

It was India’s fifth defeat in their last seven home Test matches, dating back a little over a year to New Zealand’s 3-0 series victory.

“You need to do a thorough post-mortem as to areas that you need to strengthen at the Test level,” Gavaskar said. “Bring in an outside perspective.”

He stressed the need for a discussion with former greats of Indian cricket to devise a strategy for the upcoming years.

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“Take Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid — your two earlier coaches. Take Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, and Sachin Tendulkar. Sit with them and formulate for the next five years what Indian cricket should be doing,” he said.

The 76-year-old backed Gautam Gambhir, who is under severe scrutiny after India’s dismal show. Gavaskar said that Gambhir also deserves credit for bringing several laurels in recent times, if he is to be put in the spotlight for recent losses.

“He’s a coach,” said Gavaskar. “The coach can prepare a team. But it’s out there in the middle that the players have to deliver,” Gavaskar said on Gambhir.

“If you’re not prepared to give him credit for the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup win, then please tell me why you want to blame him for the team out there on that 22-yard strip not doing well,” Gavaskar continued.

For the unversed, India’s batting flopped in the series, with their first innings total of 201 in Guwahati, their best against an inspired South Africa spin attack led by Simon Harmer.

The hosts lost the opening Test inside three days in Kolkata and in the second match mustered only 140, chasing a mammoth 549 target on day five.

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India Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill shared a cryptic post after his side’s 2-0 whitewash in the Test series against South Africa.

Shubman was not part of the second Test against the Proteas after being ruled out of the series in the opening match at Kolkata.

The right-hander had sustained a neck injury and was under observation in the hospital, later being ruled out of both the Test and ODI series against South Africa.

In his absence, Risabh Pant was named stand-in captain and led the side in the second Test.

Shubman took to his social media account and wrote a meaningful post, mentioning the defeat, noting that challenges forge resilience, and reaffirming his commitment to the team’s unity and progress.

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“Calm seas don’t teach you how to steer, it’s the storm that forges steady hands. We’ll continue to believe in each other, fight for each other, and move forward – rising stronger,” he wrote.

 

 

For the unversed, India were completely outfoxed by the visitors, who handed them their biggest Test defeat by a hefty margin of 408 runs. Notably, this was also India’s first home series loss to South Africa since 2000.

The architects of the mastery were South Africa’s Marcon Jansen, who displayed all-round performance, and Simon Harmer, who spun a web around Indian batters, hence bundling them out for 140 runs in their second innings.

Jansen bagged the player of the match award for his 93 in the first innings and seven wickets in the match, while Harmer, who took nine wickets in the match, was deemed the Player of the series.

Overall, Harmer took 17 wickets in the two-match series at an astonishing average of eight.

South Africa and India will now meet in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, starting on Sunday, 30 November in Ranchi.

READ: PCB reveals venue, dates for Quaid Trophy final

GUWAHATI: Defending world champions South Africa delivered a commanding statement in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 by crushing India in the second Test on Wednesday to seal a historic 2-0 series victory.

The result not only reshaped the WTC points table but also marked South Africa’s first Test series triumph on Indian soil since the year 2000 and only their second overall in the country’s history.

Led by Temba Bavuma, the Proteas rewrote history with a dominant performance across the series.

With this win, South Africa surged to second place in the WTC standings with three wins and one defeat, collecting 36 points at an impressive win percentage of 75.

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Australia continue to lead the WTC points table after winning all four of their matches, sitting comfortably on 48 points with a perfect 100 percent record.

India, meanwhile, slipped to fifth place following back-to-back defeats in the series. The Men in Blue now have four wins, four losses and one draw from nine matches, accumulating 52 points with a win percentage of 48.15.

Pakistan currently occupy fourth position with one win and one defeat from two Tests, holding 12 points at a 50 percent win rate, while Sri Lanka sit third with one win and one draw from two games, earning 16 points with a win percentage of 66.67.

ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table:

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Draw	Points	Win%
Australia	4	4	0	0	48	100
South Africa	4	3	1	0	36	75
Sri Lanka	2	1	0	1	16	66.67
Pakistan	2	1	1	0	12	50
India	9	4	4	1	52	48.15

The second Test ended in emphatic fashion as South Africa bowled out India for just 140 while defending a massive target of 549 on the final day.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer starred with remarkable figures of 6 for 37, dismantling India’s batting lineup.

Ravindra Jadeja offered brief resistance with a fighting 54 before being stumped off Keshav Maharaj, who also took the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj.

READ: ICC unveils schedule for men’s T20 World Cup 2026

GUWAHATI: Spinner Simon Harmer took six wickets as South Africa romped to victory by 408 runs in the second Test for their first series win in India in 25 years on Wednesday.

World Test champions South Africa bowled out a dismal India for 140 in a mammoth chase of 549 on day five in Guwahati for a 2-0 Test sweep.

It is India’s biggest defeat at home by runs and a fifth loss in seven home Tests, having been whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand last year.

Off-spinner Harmer, 36, returned figures of 6-37 as South Africa clinched a Test series in India for only the second time, the first in 2000 under Hansie Cronje.

Ravindra Jadeja resisted with 54 before Keshav Maharaj had him stumped, and the spinner soon got the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj, with Marco Jansen pulling off a stunning catch in the deep.

India lost the opening Test in Kolkata inside three on a pitch with uneven bounce before South Africa once again beat the hosts in their own game of spin on a batting-friendly track.

The visitors declared their second innings on 260-5 on day four to hand India a record chase, but the hosts’ batting once again failed, and they never threatened to get close.

India rode their luck early in the day when Jansen had Sai Sudharsan caught behind, but the delivery was declared a no-ball after the bowler overstepped. The batter was on four.

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In the next over, another overnight batter, Kuldeep Yadav, survived a reprieve on four when Aiden Markram dropped him at first slip off Harmer.

But the relief was short-lived for India as a relentless Harmer soon bowled Kuldeep for five for the first wicket of the day.

The off-spinner then dismissed Dhruv Jurel for two, three balls later and soon sent back skipper Rishabh Pant for 13 as India slumped to 58-5.

The batters fell like nine pins on a pitch where South Africa posted 489 after they elected to bat.

India were bundled out for 201 to concede a first-innings lead of 288, but South Africa did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again.

Left-arm quick Jansen returned figures of 6-48 in India’s first innings after the bowler hit a quickfire 93 with the bat.

South African all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy led the batting charge with his 109, his maiden Test century.

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DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday revealed the schedule for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India.

The mega-event will be played from February 7 to March 8 across five venues in India—Arun Jaitley Stadium, Eden Gardens, Kolkata; MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai; Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad; and Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Three venues will host matches in Sri Lanka—Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy; R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo; and Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo.

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The 2026 tournament format will mirror the 2024 T20 World Cup, with 20 teams divided into five groups of four.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, before progressing to the semi-finals and ultimately the final.

 

 

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The high-stakes encounter between Pakistan and defending champions India will be played on February 15 in Colombo as per the hybrid model.

The model has previously been applied in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, when the UAE co-hosted India’s matches, and during the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, with Sri Lanka joining as co-hosts.

Pakistan will play three of their group-stage fixtures at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, including the opening fixture of the World Cup against the Netherlands, whereas India will play their opening match against USA same day in the evening.

T20 World Cup Groups

• Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Namibia, Netherlands,
• Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
• Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal
• Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule

The group stage runs from 7 to 20 February, followed by the Super Eight round from 21 February to 1 March. The knockouts take over in the final week.

(Group Stage)

February 7

• Pakistan vs Netherlands in Colombo
• West Indies vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• India vs USA in Mumbai

February 8

• New Zealand vs Afghanistan in Chennai
• England vs Nepal in Mumbai
• Sri Lanka vs Ireland in Colombo

February 9

• Bangladesh vs Italy in Kolkata
• Zimbabwe vs Oman in Colombo
• South Africa vs Canada in Ahmedabad

February 10

• Netherlands vs Namibia in Delhi
• New Zealand vs UAE in Chennai
• Pakistan vs USA in Colombo

February 11

• South Africa vs Afghanistan in Ahmedabad
• Australia vs Ireland in Colombo
• England vs West Indies in Mumbai

February 12

• Sri Lanka vs Oman in Kandy
• Nepal vs Italy in Mumbai
• India vs Namibia in Delhi

February 13

• Australia vs Zimbabwe in Colombo
• Canada vs UAE in Delhi
• USA vs Netherlands in Chennai

February 14

• Ireland vs Oman in Colombo
• England vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
• New Zealand vs South Africa in Ahmedabad

February 15

• West Indies vs Nepal in Mumbai
• USA vs Namibia in Chennai
• India vs Pakistan in Colombo

February 16

• Afghanistan vs UAE in Delhi
• England vs Italy in Kolkata
• Australia vs Sri Lanka in Kandy

February 17

• New Zealand vs Canada in Chennai
• Ireland vs Zimbabwe in Kandy
• Bangladesh vs Nepal in Mumbai

February 18

• South Africa vs UAE in Delhi
• Pakistan vs Namibia in Colombo
• India vs Netherlands in Ahmedabad

February 19

• West Indies vs Italy in Kolkata
• Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe in Colombo
• Afghanistan vs Canada in Chennai

February 20

• Australia vs Oman in Kandy

Super-Eight Round

February 21

• Y2 vs Y3 in Colombo

February 22

• Y1 vs Y4 in Kandy
• X1 vs X4 in Ahmedabad

February 23

• X2 vs X3 in Mumbai

February 24

• Y1 vs Y3 in Kandy

February 25

• Y2 vs Y4 in Colombo

February 26

• X3 vs X4 in Colombo
• X1 vs X2 in Chennai

February 27

• Y1 vs Y2 in Colombo

February 28

• Y3 vs Y4 in Kandy

March 1

• X2 vs X4 in Delhi

• X1 vs X3 in Kolkata

Knock-out

March 4: Semi-final 1 in Colombo/Kolkata

March 5: Semi-final 2 in Mumbai

March 8: Final in Colombo/Ahmedabad

South Africa had India tottering at 27-2, after declaring their innings and setting a mammoth target of 549, to be on the brink of a series win in the second Test on Tuesday.

South Africa declared on 260-5 in the final session on day four in Guwahati after Tristan Stubbs made 94.

World Test champions South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0, and even a draw would seal their first series victory in India since 2000.

India suffered their fourth defeat in six home Tests in the opener in Kolkata, and the hosts need to bat for three more sessions to avoid another loss.

The highest successful run chase in Test cricket was West Indies’ 418 against Australia in 2003. India’s highest chase was 406 against West Indies in 1976.

Sai Sudharsan (2) and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav (4) were battling for survival when bad light ended play in the northeastern city, where the sun sets early.

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South Africa pace spearhead Marco Jansen dismissed left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal with a short delivery outside the off stump to have him caught behind for 13.

Left-arm quick Jansen took his match tally to seven wickets after figures of 6-48 in India’s first innings.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer bowled KL Rahul, the other opener, for six.

South Africa needs eight more wickets to make it 2-0, while India needs to bat out day five to salvage a draw.

Stubbs was earlier the last man out when he was bowled by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took 4-62. Wiaan Mulder was unbeaten on 35.

Stubbs put on 101 runs for the fourth wicket with Tony de Zorzi, who was on 49 when Jadeja broke through.

Jadeja had de Zorzi lbw to deny the batter his fifty, but Stubbs stood firm to frustrate the Indian bowlers in a 180-ball stay peppered with nine fours and a six.

South Africa resumed on 26-0 after bundling out India for 201 on day three to lead by 288 on the first innings.

They did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again to pile the misery on the hosts.

Left-handed opener Ryan Rickelton hit three fours in the first session before he fell to Jadeja while attempting another hit over cover, but was caught for 35.

Jadeja bowled the other overnight batter, Aiden Markram, for 29 before fellow spinner Washington Sundar dismissed skipper Temba Bavuma for three.

The Indian fielders looked tired during a South African innings that lasted for 78.3 overs, as disappointed home fans at a largely empty stadium waited for the agony to end.

READ: Pakistan-India T20 World Cup 2026 clash likely on THIS date: reports

The most anticipated fixture in world cricket is set to ignite the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with Pakistan and India expected to face off on February 15 in Colombo, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.

The report reveals a tentative schedule for the tournament, which will run from February 7 to March 8 and be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan will play all their matches in either Colombo or Kandy under the hybrid model, a mutually agreed arrangement ensuring that India and Pakistan do not tour each other during ICC events.

This model has previously been applied in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, when the UAE co-hosted India’s matches, and during the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, with Sri Lanka joining as co-hosts.

The 2026 tournament format will mirror the 2024 T20 World Cup, with 20 teams divided into five groups of four.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, before progressing to the semi-finals and ultimately the final.

According to the report, the blockbuster Pakistan–India clash will take place at the R Premadasa Stadium, with both teams placed in the same group alongside the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia.

The 20-team tournament also features Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman, UAE, and Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman are reportedly grouped together, while England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Italy form another group, and South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, and Canada make up the remaining group.

Hosts and defending champions India will open their campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7, followed by matches against Namibia in Delhi on February 12, Pakistan in Colombo on February 15, and the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18.

Notably, the group stage is expected to feature three matches per day.

If India progress to the Super Eight, their matches are likely to be held in Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, with a semi-final in Mumbai.

The second semi-final is expected to be hosted in either Colombo or Kolkata, depending on whether Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualify.

The final is scheduled for Ahmedabad unless Pakistan reach the title clash, in which case Colombo is expected to host the decider.

The ICC is expected to officially announce the full schedule later this week.

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