Ahead of the fourth T20I match against South Africa, former cricketer Deep Dasgupta said that he wants Shubman Gill to play the role that Virat Kohli has done for Team India in the T20Is. "For me Shubman's role is very different, because if you see most of the other players are stoke players, so it is a kind of role that Virat played so well and did so well through the years, that is holding on one end while everyone plays around," he said. "I think I see Shubman in that role that Virat played. He is that fulcrum that everyone plays around him, not necessarily a high strike rate as others but consistent than the others that is the role that I see," added Dasgupta. Shubman and skipper Suryakumar Yadav are struggling to score runs in the format, and the former cricketer feels that their form shouldn't be any concern. He also said that both players should try to spend time at the crease. "I don't think it will be bothering them, but ideally you would want them (Gill and Sky) to start firing again. If you want them to be fearless, that will come with a price and that price being consistency. That's one thing that you have to be mindful about," said the 48-year-old former cricketer. Speaking more, Dasgupta said that there are not many T20I matches that India will be playing before the global showpiece, but the team would want Suryakumar and other batsmen to be in form. "But there will be concern and we would ideally want Surya and everyone to be in form and unfortunately we don't have many matches before the World Cup. But they are good enough, hopefully it's just a matter of time," he said. Fourth match's date and venue The fourth T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on December 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. IND vs SA 4th T20I: Full Squads India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Shahbaz Ahmed, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar. South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde. (With PTI Inputs)
16 December,2025 01:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the fourth T20I match against South Africa, Shubman Gill's poor run has been the talking point, but skipper Suryaumar Yadav's performances are also under scrutiny. During the third T20I, the Indian skipper had the opportunity to make it count, but his intent, which once made him the top-ranked batsman in the world, was missing. Shots that defined his dominance have been producing erratic results, and the match in Dharamsala was no different, as he fell to his trademark pick-up stroke, highlighting a continued struggle. Speaking about his performances, the skipper said that he is not out of form, but definitely out of runs. "The thing is, I've been batting beautifully in the nets. I'm trying everything that's in my control. When the runs have to come, they'll definitely come. I'm not out of form, but definitely out of runs," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony after Team India's win in Dharamsala. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just two months away, the "Men in Blue" would want their skipper and premier batsman to find himself among the runs. Shubman Gill's form in the T20 Internationals (T20Is) Gill replaced a well-settled Sanju Samson. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter was first pushed down the order and eventually dropped despite forming a promising partnership with Abhishek Sharma earlier. Gill has shown his class in other formats, but in T20Is, he is yet to come across the assured batter that he is in Tests and ODIs. While he survived during Sunday's low-target chase, his scratchy run-a-ball 28 did little to ease concerns with seven matches to go before the global showpiece. The fourth T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on December 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. IND vs SA 4th T20I: Full Squads India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Shahbaz Ahmed, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar. South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde. (With PTI Inputs)
16 December,2025 01:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the third Test match of the Ashes series, England and Australian players will wear black armbands and the flags will be flown at half-staff to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi beach shootings. On Sunday night, two gunmen killed 15 people and injured several at the iconic beach in Sydney. Their aim was to target the people of Sydney's Jewish community, who were celebrating the start of Hannukah in what authorities said was an antisemitic act of terrorism. Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board issued a joint statement saying: "All of our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and families, the Jewish community and the people of Australia at this deeply distressing time. Our condolences go out to all those affected. We stand with you". The third Test match of the Ashes series between England and Australia is scheduled to be played from December 17 at the Adelaide Oval. Ahead of the clash, the Aussies have left out opening batsman Usman Khawaja as skipper Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon were named in the team. Khawaja had back spasms, following which he failed to open the innings in the first match. He was also ruled out of the second game in Brisbane. Despite recovering from the injury, the selectors have decided to stick with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald at the top of the order. Veteran spinner Lyon is also back after being axed in preference for an all-pace attack at the Gabba, with Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser making way. Ashes: Australia leads the series by 2-0 In the absence of Cummins, Steve Smith led the Australian pack. Currently, the hosts are leading the five-match Ashes Test series by 2-0 against the "Three Lions". The Aussies will look to secure a win in the upcoming clash to seal the series, whereas the Englishmen will be eager to register their first win in order to keep the series alive. Australia's playing XI for the third Test match of the Ashes series: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland. (With Inputs from Agencies)
16 December,2025 12:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is set to take place from March 26 to May 31. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to release the complete schedule, the upcoming edition of the marquee event is expected to begin around three weeks after the T20 World Cup 2026. The global showpiece is set to begin from February 7 to March 8, and will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka, according to ESPNcricinfo. The IPL will also overlap with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the second consecutive year. The PSL will kick off from March 26 to May 3. The preparations for the cash-rich league have begun, with the franchises ready for the auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the auction, Australia's star all-rounder Cameron Green is expected to walk away with the costliest buy tag for the season. Additionally, it will be interesting to see if Prithvi Shaw manages to find a buy for the upcoming edition. A total of 369 players have been shortlisted for the auction, with 77 slots up for grabs, including 31 reserved for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the highest number of vacancies at 13, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad with ten. Following trades and player retentions, KKR also hold the largest remaining purse at INR 64.30 crore (approximately USD 7.1 million), while Chennai Super Kings are next with INR 43.40 crore (around USD 4.8 million). IPL 2025 Summary IPL 2025 was initially scheduled for a similar timeframe, from March 22 to May 25, but escalating cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan led to a temporary suspension of the tournament on May 9. The competition resumed on May 15 and eventually concluded on June 3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched the title in the final, ending their long wait for the trophy with a six-run victory over Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad. However, the celebrations in Bengaluru were marred by tragedy, as stampede-like situations outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in the deaths of 11 people. A subsequent inquiry declared the stadium unfit to host large-scale events. (With ANI Inputs)
16 December,2025 12:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia pacer Arshdeep Singh had a very special reason to smile after his brilliant performance during the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala on Sunday. The 26 year old claimed two wickets for just 13 runs in four overs, including the prized scalp of opener Reeza Hendricks in the very first over. He returned later in the innings to dismiss skipper Aiden Markram. Source of joy Arshdeep was named Player of the Match in Team India’s seven-wicket win and dedicated the award to someone very close to his heart — his 10-month-old niece, Inayat. Though she is too young to understand cricket, little Inayat has become a source of joy and strength for her uncle. (Left to right) Arshdeep Singh’s father Darshan, mother Baljit Kaur, sister-in-law Maninderjeet Kaur, elder brother Akash Deep and niece Inayat cheer him on at Dharamsala on Sunday The left-arm pacer’s entire family was present at the ground to support him. Speaking from Punjab on Monday, his mother Baljit Kaur revealed how attached Arshdeep is to Inayat, the daughter of his elder brother, Akash Deep, “Arsh is very attached to Inayat. This is her first visit to India. She came with her parents, Akash and Maninderjeet Kaur, from Canada,” Baljit Kaur told mid-day. She also recalled a special moment that defined the bond between her son and his niece. “After finishing a tournament in Dubai, Arshdeep flew straight to Canada without informing anyone. When Akash opened the door, he could not believe Arshdeep was standing there,” she said. “He had come only to see the newborn.” Arshdeep Singh celebrates the wicket of SA opener Reeza Hendricks in Dharamsala on Sunday. Pic/PTI Difficult outing at Mullanpur Just a few days earlier, Arshdeep had endured a difficult outing on his home ground in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. He conceded 54 runs in four overs, including seven wides in a single over. The family felt he needed encouragement. “We went to motivate him. His sister, Gurleen Kaur, and her husband were also at the ground, Baljit Kaur added. The family’s presence clearly helped as Arshdeep bowled with confidence and control during Team India’s Dharamshala domination. 48No. of wickets claimed by Arshdeep Singh in the Powerplay, the most by an Indian, surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar (47) ZeroNo. of wides bowled by Arshdeep on Sunday after bowling nine in the second T20I on Thursday
16 December,2025 10:12 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin DaniFormer India pacer Zaheer Khan and wife Sagarika Ghatge, who are currently on holiday in the Maldives, are truly having some fun in the sun with their son. The actress took to her social media account to share some fun-filled pictures from their trip with son Fateshsinh having a gala time. Sagarika captioned the pictures, “Barefoot days, slow mornings. Such a beautiful island with old trees and lush greenery everywhere. The lagoon is exactly what I love: calm, clear and great for a swim. Fateh is a total water baby and had the best time in the ocean.” Sagarika also mentioned that her baby boy has “discovered his love for singing” while enjoying the buggy rides during their beach holiday. In one picture, the actress is all smiles along with her son as they read the restaurant menu. In another picture, Sagarika, Zaheer and Fateh can be seen enjoying their pool time. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSVenkatesh Iyer Base price: Rs 2cr After being purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders for R23.75 crore in the previous auction, Iyer was released by the franchise following a poor season. However, the Madhya Pradesh batter boasts strong stats in the tournament except last year. In 2024, when KKR lifted the trophy, Iyer, 30, scored 370 runs from 15 matches at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.80. In 2023, he made 404 runs in 14 games, striking at 145.85. Iyer may fetch a good sum if the 2025 season is seen as an anomaly. Prithvi Shaw Base price: Rs 75l The 26-year-old opener went unsold last year, but has found new form in 2025. Shaw has scored heavily since switching from Mumbai to Maharashtra, including a double century (222 off just 156 balls) against Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy. Shaw scored 74 against Punjab and 71 against Karnataka. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shaw scored 66 off 36 balls for Maharashtra against Hyderabad and 66 off 30 balls against Bihar, showing he can do it in T20s. Sarfaraz Khan Base price: Rs 75l Khan last featured in the IPL in 2021 for Punjab Kings, where he played just two matches. The Test batter from Mumbai is often overlooked in the auction as he specializes in the long format. However, this year in the SMAT, the 28-year-old has shown his T20 form with an unbeaten 47-ball 100 against Assam, a 40-ball 52 against Kerala, and a 25-ball 64 against Haryana. Khan will hope to attract bids, now that he is also a lot fitter physically. Akash Deep Base price: Rs 1cr The pacer, who played six games and claimed three wickets for Lucknow Super Giants in 2025, was the star of India’s Test victory over England in Birmingham in July, claiming a 10-wicket match haul (4-88 and 6-99). Recently, Akash Deep has shown promise playing for Bengal in the SMAT, claiming 2-55 against Punjab, 3-27 against Services, and 2-32 against Haryana. Deep, 29, will be eyeing more game time in IPL 2026 on the back of these performances. Ravi Bishnoi Base price: Rs 2cr The leg-spinner had a middling season with LSG in 2025, claiming nine wickets in 11 matches. He has done well in SMAT, claiming nine wickets in seven games, with a best of 3-13 vs Puducherry. Franchises, who will bid for him, will hope Bishnoi, 25, who is known for his wrong ‘un, can rock on.
16 December,2025 09:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan ShankarEngland captain Ben Stokes called for his team to “show a bit of dog” against Australia in the third Ashes Test with the series on the line. The tourists have made one change to the team with Josh Tongue recalled in place of Gus Atkinson. “It’s just about trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in, understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team. Yeah, just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That’s fight to me. You’re giving yourself the best possible chance if you’ve got a bit of dog in you,” Stokes said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 09:47 AM IST | Adelaide | PTIIndia's World Cup-winning women’s team’s head coach Amol Muzumdar was all praise for Mumbai batter Jemimah Rodrigues’s unbeaten 76 versus New Zealand just before her unbeaten 127 against defending champions Australia in the semi-finals at the DY Patil Stadium on October 30. “I think that New Zealand game [Jemimah scored a 55-ball 76] was key. Before the New Zealand game, there were a couple of sleepless nights because that was a must-win game. It was like a quarter-final. Only if we win the game, would we get into the semi-finals,” Muzumdar said during a felicitation function at the Bombay Gymkhana on Monday when veteran journalists Rajdeep Sardesai asked him if Jemimah’s knock against Australia in the semi-finals was the turning point. “We, as a team, always believe that if you have to win the World Cup, we’ll have to beat Australia somewhere down the line. Either in the semi-finals or in the finals. We’ll have to beat them. So we were all geared up for that game. There was no doubt about it. But Jemimah’s knock was a phenomenal one,” Muzumdar added. Muzumdar also lavished praise on vice captain Smriti Mandhana, especially her stylish cover drive. He said: “Smriti is the best left-hander I’ve ever seen. Her cover drive is beautiful, elegant. There’s a touch of class in her cover drive.” The function was organised to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the first-ever Test match played in India from December 15 to 18 in 1933 between the hosts and England at the Bombay Gymkhana ground.
16 December,2025 09:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureSuryakumar Yadav on Sunday acknowledged the shortage of runs from him, but India’s T20I skipper did not count it as lack of form, saying that runs will come sooner than later. Suryakumar made an 11-ball 12 in India’s seven-wicket win over South Africa before getting out to Lungi Ngidi. It extended his run of low scores to 21 innings, with the exceptions being his 75 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on October 24, and an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan during September’s Asia Cup. “I’ve been batting beautifully in the nets. When the runs have to come, they’ll come. Not out of form, definitely out of runs,” said Suryakumar. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 09:41 AM IST | Dharamsala | AgenciesIndia all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20Is against South Africa due to illness, with the BCCI’s selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement. Axar had also missed the third T20I in Dharamsala on Sunday, with wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav being included in the playing XI. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 09:38 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
