Former Team India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin feels that the One-Day International (ODI) format will struggle for its survival after stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma draw curtains on their careers. "I am not sure about future of ODI after 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it. Of course, I am following Vijay Hazare Trophy but the manner in which I followed SMAT, I am finding slightly difficult to follow," he said on his YouTube channel. "Also, we need to know what audience wants to watch. I feel Test cricket still has space but ODI cricket, I truly feel (it) doesn't have the space," added Ashwin. The former cricketer also pointed out how several people started watching the Vijay Hazare Trophy only to see their icons feature in the tournament. "Look, Rohit and Virat came back to Vijay Hazare Trophy and people started watching it. We have known that sport is always bigger than individuals but at times these players (Ro-Ko) need to come back to make the game relevant. Vijay Hazare Trophy (national one-dayers), of course, is a domestic competition that not a lot of people follow, but they did (so now) because Virat and Rohit were playing. Even then, what happens when they stop playing ODIs?," said the 39-year-old former cricketer. Ashwin further stated that earlier, the 50-over format had its own importance because it produced a player such as MS Dhoni who would rotate the strike for several overs before charging at the bowlers. "One-day cricket, once upon a time, was an amazing format because it gave a player like MS Dhoni who (would) take singles for 10-15 overs before he went berserk at the end. You don't have players like that (Dhoni) anymore and there isn't any requirement to play like that, as you are playing with two new balls and five fielders inside circle," said Ashwin. While Virat and Rohit have already stepped away from T20 Internationals and Test cricket, several fans are hopeful that the star duo will continue representing the "Men in Blue" till the ODI World Cup 2027. (With PTI Inputs)
01 January,2026 05:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah's wife and sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan shared a post on her official social media handle from their New Year's bash. The first picture shows the pacer and Sanjana sharing warm smiles, and in the second picture, Sanjana is seen sharing an adorable and candid moment with her son Angad. "Things I'm taking into 2026 -- love, laughter & my favourite boys Happy New Year," read the post's caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by S A N J A N A G A N E S A N (@sanjanaganesan) Bumrah and Sanjana have been married for four years. The two tied the knot on March 15, 2021, in Goa. They were blessed with their son Angad in September 2023. Jasprit Bumrah made his most recent international appearance during the T20I series against South Africa. He concluded the series with four wickets in three matches with an average of 19.75 and an economy rate of 7.18. His best bowling figures were two wickets for 17 runs. On December 19, Team India registered a 30-run win against South Africa in the fifth and final T20I at Narendra Modi Stadium. With this win, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue won the five-match T20I series 3-1. This was also India's eighth consecutive T20I series win since 2023. While chasing a mammoth target of 232 runs, South Africa were restricted to 201/8 after some intelligent bowling by the Indian bowlers. The "Men in Blue" will now lock horns against New Zealand for the white-ball series. The series will see two teams clashing against each other in three ODIs and five T20I matches, starting from January 11. After concluding the series, Team India will engage in the T20 World Cup 2026, with an aim of defending the title. The side is placed in Group A of the tournament along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the USA. They will begin their campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The high-octane match between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy. (With ANI Inputs)
01 January,2026 04:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series against England, Australia announced its 15-member squad, cricket.com.au confirmed. In the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, stand-in captain Steve Smith will continue to lead the Australian pack. Cummins had also missed out on the first two Test matches of the Ashes series after he failed to recover in time due to a lower back injury. The pacer then returned to the side and featured at the Adelaide Oval, where he led the Aussies to victory and retained the elusive title. The Australian management has decided to provide him with the rest for the remainder of the series as a part of his workload management. The pacer will soon make his appearance in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, as he has been named in Australia's provisional squad for the marquee event. On the other hand, veteran opening batsman Usman Khawaja has retained his place in Australia's squad for the Sydney clash. In the ongoing Ashes series, 39-year-old Khawaja started as Australia's long-standing opener. During the second innings of the Perth Test, he did not go out to bat after he suffered back spasms. Khawaja missed the Brisbane Test and was initially left out for Adelaide, only being recalled to bat at No 4 because of Steven Smith's illness, who was ruled out of the Test. During the fourth Ashes Test against England, Khawaja played in the middle order with Travis Head and Jack Weatherald. The left-handed batter made 29 off 52 balls and a two-ball duck across both innings. In the ongoing Ashes, Khawaja has made 153 runs in three matches and five innings at an average of 30.60, including one fifty, which came in Adelaide. The fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series will be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia's squad for the fifth Test match of the Ashes series: Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster. (With ANI Inputs)
01 January,2026 03:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the fifth and final Test match of the Ashes series against England, Australia's veteran opening batsman Usman Khawaja is set to break the silence over his future in the format, according to The Australian. He is expected to hold a news conference ahead of the final Test match to make his plans clear. The 39-year-old Khawaja has been having a dismal run in Test cricket over the past two years. The left-handed batter has averaged 25.93 and 36.11 in the past two years. In 2025, the Australian opener scored 614 runs in 18 innings, including one fifty and one hundred. The left-hander scored his only century against Sri Lanka during Australia's January-February tour in 2025. He registered a gigantic score of 232 runs in the first innings of the opening Test match. In the ongoing series, Khawaja did not come out to bat in the second innings of the Perth Test match as he was struggling with back spasms. He missed the Brisbane Test and was initially left out for Adelaide, only being recalled to bat at No 4 because of Steve Smith's illness, who was ruled out of the Test. During the fourth Test match against the "Three Lions", Khawaja played in the middle order with Travis Head and Jack Weatherald at the top. Facing 52 balls, the left-handed batsman accumulated 29 runs and a two-ball duck across both the innings. So far, he has scored 153 runs in three matches and five innings, with an average of 30.60. He also has one half-century, which he scored in Adelaide. Recently, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan urged Khawaja to control his own destiny and enjoy the chance to end his remarkable career on his own terms at home, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. "I would say to Usman, 'Don't let them decide. You decide your destiny. When someone has been playing for so long, we've just got to let them decide. Usman has had an incredible career and not many get the chance to say goodbye on their own terms at their own venue," Vaughan said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. "If he doesn't do that, he runs the risk of his career ending not on his own terms. I can't think of a better way to say goodbye than at his home ground in an Ashes series. If Uzzie has got the energy and capacity to really want to fight on, yeah, I could see that happening, but leaving in Sydney in an Ashes series sounds pretty good to me," added the former cricketer. (With ANI Inputs)
01 January,2026 03:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the fifth and final Test match of the Ashes series against England, Australia's spinner Todd Murphy is hopeful of making his appearance in Sydney. He missed out on action in the fourth Test match in Melbourne. Murphy was not a part of the original Australian squad for the five-match Test series against the "Three Lions". He came in as a replacement for star spinner Nathan Lyon, who sustained a hamstring injury in the Adelaide Test match, following which he was ruled out of the series. "I don't think going into the series there was ever that planning or idea that spin wouldn't play a role. I think it's sort of just been how it's eventuated. I think it'll evolve from year to year. Next year it could be completely different," Murphy said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. The ongoing Ashes series has the joint fewest wickets for spin of any Test series played on Australian soil, featuring at least three matches. The Australian side opted to go with an all-pace attack twice (Brisbane and Melbourne matches) in the Ashes series against England. On the other hand, England has not yet provided an opportunity to their specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, with Will Jacks remaining as the only choice for spin. Coming back to Murphy, he has not yet played a single Test match on Australian soil. He has featured in seven Test matches, which were all played in overseas conditions and has picked 22 wickets with a bowling average of 28.13. He also has one four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul. The fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series is scheduled to be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Speaking about the Sydney pitch, the spinner feels that it will offer turn and said he has played on some Big Bash League (BBL) wickets, where he has received help from the pitch. "I think it definitely can spin. We've played on some BBL wickets here where it has taken spin. I've only played a couple of Shield games and don't think it's ever done anything extraordinary out there. I don't think recently it's been massive spin but there's still been a big part of the game that spin played," said the 25-year-old cricketer. (With ANI Inputs)
01 January,2026 02:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the T20 World Cup 2026, Cricket Australia has announced a sin-heavy squad for the global showpiece. Star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been appointed as the captain of the 15-member squad. Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, and Cooper Connolly, who missed out on action in the T20I series against Team India, have been included in Australia's provisional squad. The squad also consists of the likes of Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly, Glenn Maxwell, and Matthew Short. Speaking about the squad, Australia's chief selector George Bailey said that the management was focused on selecting players who can handle the conditions in India and Sri Lanka. "The T20 side has enjoyed a long run of recent success, which enabled the panel to choose a balance of players across the variety of conditions Sri Lanka and India may present," Bailey said as quoted by ICC. "Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well, and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup. This is a preliminary squad so should changes need to be made they will ahead of the support period," added the former cricketer. The Aussies have not picked a left-arm pacer, with the star bowler Mitchell Starc stepping away from the format. Spencer Johnson's injury has also provided an opportunity to Xavier Bartlett, instead of going with Ben Dwarshuis. In the T20 World Cup 2026, Australia has been placed in Group B along with teams such as Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. The side will begin their campaign by playing a match against Ireland on February 11 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Their second group B match will be against Zimbabwe on February 13. Their third fixture will be against the hosts, Sri Lanka, on February 16. Australia's final group stage match is against Oman on February 20. Australia's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 Mitchell Marsh (C), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa. (With ANI Inputs)
01 January,2026 11:25 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentHaving played 10 Test matches in 2025, India will, at best, play half that number in the new year. The highlight of 2026 will instead be packaged in a four-week window between February 7 and March 8, when they seek to defend the T20 World Cup crown clinched under Rohit Sharma in Bridgetown in June 2024. Adding greater lustre to the title defence is the fact that India will play all their matches (except those against Pakistan) at home, lending more allure as well as the weight of expectations on Suryakumar Yadav’s men. Throughout 2025, the T20I squad reiterated its class and consistency; the 3-1 defeat of South Africa in December stretched India’s unbeaten run in the most unpredictable format to an impressive 15 series, the crowning glory being the all-win campaign at the Asia Cup in the UAE. India’s selectors took the scenic route to arrive at what is potentially the best 15 to retain the World Cup. The decision to reintegrate Shubman Gill, the Test and ODI vice-captain, into the 20-over setup backfired spectacularly with Suryakumar’s designated deputy failing to touch fifty in 15 innings since his recall after a 13-month absence for the Asia Cup. Gill’s inclusion had compelled the decision-makers to split the successful opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. The two will now be reunited at the top, and will have five matches against New Zealand in January to rekindle their chemistry. The profusion of all-rounders has given Suryakumar and head coach Gautam Gambhir numerous options that will bolster the strength and balance of the playing XI. Wrist-spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav were crucial to India’s title triumphs at the 50-over Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup, both in the Emirates, in 2025. Alongside the peerless Jasprit Bumrah, hitting his straps at the right time, they will again be central to the team’s fortunes. India have the personnel to become the first nation to both successfully defend their title and lift the T20 World Cup for a third time. 2No. of T20I World Cups won by India
01 January,2026 09:19 AM IST | Mumbai | R KaushikFor the triumphant Indian women’s cricket team, achieving one milestone has naturally opened the path to the next. The only thing they need to do is draw motivation and inspiration from their recent maiden triumph rather than rest on their laurels. After a long wait, the women’s team finally laid their hands on the ICC World Cup on the 13th attempt, having come close to the title twice before. They were runners-up in 2005 and 2017, before finally winning an ICC trophy under Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy at the DY Patil Stadium on November 2, 2025. That triumph in Navi Mumbai has given the team fresh hope and a new challenge, to set the record straight in the shortest format as well, when the ICC T20 World Cup is held in England in June 2026. They have been runners-up once (in 2020) in nine appearances, and the upcoming mega event presents their best opportunity to complete a grand double of ODI and T20 World Cup triumphs, and that too back-to-back. But for that to happen, the Indian women need to get their focus back on cricket after all the celebrations and felicitations following their recent triumph, because it is very easy to get swayed by off-the-field activities. The good thing is that the team has an excellent, level-headed coach in Amol Muzumdar to guide the players. He will surely ask them to appreciate what has been done, but stay focused on the next challenge. Proof of Muzumdar’s ability to make the girls regroup and refocus quickly came shining through in the manner with which he guided them to a 5-0 T20I series whitewash against Sri Lanka recently. The Indian team have had many good captains over the years, but it seemed destined that Kaur would spearhead this maiden achievement. Like Kapil Dev, who was the first Indian captain to lead the men’s team to an ICC title in 1983 at Lord’s, Kaur has earned a similar honour by becoming the first skipper to lead the women’s team to an ICC trophy in the 50-over format. And if she can add the T20 World Cup title to that, she will emulate MS Dhoni, who had led the men’s team to victories in both the T20 format in 2007 as well as in the 50-over format in 2011. However, one must remember that cricket is a team game, and each player deserves equal credit and respect for the achievement. Thus, the type of camaraderie and team spirit that the players showed during the recent World Cup needs to be replicated at the T20 World Cup in England in June. Obviously, the question on the lips of every Indian cricket fan is whether the women’s team has what it takes to achieve back-to-back ICC World Cup titles within a matter of months, something even the men’s team has not been able to achieve. The positive thing is that they have a well-settled line-up, with players right from skipper Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, down to Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Thakur, and Amanjot Kaur, having excelled in the 2025 World Cup. Besides, the team performed exceedingly well on their last UK tour in July 2025, when they had won both the ODI and T20I series against England, which should give them a lot of confidence in their bid to record a grand double. Here’s wishing them all the luck in the New Year! 1No. of Women’s T20I World Cup finals India have entered. They lost to hosts Australia in 2020
01 January,2026 09:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Santosh SuriMumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan smashed a blazing 157 off just 75 balls, while Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 124 for Maharashtra. Mohammed Shami claimed a two-wicket haul, and Bengal’s Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar picked up four wickets each, marking the standout performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on Wednesday. In the match against Services, Haryana won the toss and elected to field first. Chennai Super Kings' pacer Anshul Kamboj showcased his skills with the ball. He claimed three wickets, which collapsed the Services' batting lineup to 41 runs for the loss of three wickets. Later, Kamboj returned with the figures of four wickets for 43 runs. Services failed to recover from early wicket losses and managed 271 for eight, thanks to Irfan Ali’s unbeaten 103. In the match against Uttarakhand, Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad delivered a crucial knock of 124 runs off 113 deliveries while Satyajeet Bacchav and Ramakrishna Ghosh registered the scores of 56 and 47 runs, respectively. With this, the side posted a total of 331 runs for the loss of seven wickets. While Uttarakhand managed to pick up late wickets to slow the momentum, the damage was already done by the skipper's clinical innings. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Goa, Mumbai posted a gigantic total of 444 runs by losing eight wickets. Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out on his well-deserved half-century by just four runs. Along with him, Musheer Khan smashed 60 runs. Later, Musheer's elder brother Sarfaraz registered his ton in just 56 balls. He then went on to score 157 runs in 75 balls, which were laced with nine boundaries and 14 maximums. Mumbai's wicket-keeper Hardik Tamore also accumulated 53 runs in 28 balls to help the team reach a huge total. In a clinical display of pace bowling, Bengal crushed Jammu & Kashmir by nine wickets after bowling them out for a mere 63 runs. The victory was set up by a relentless performance from Bengal's star-studded pace trio. Mohammed Shami provided the early breakthroughs by taking two wickets for 14 runs, dismissing Qamran Iqbal and Yawer Hassan cheaply. The pressure was maintained by Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, who claimed four-wicket hauls to dismantle the rest of the lineup. Mukesh Kumar was particularly lethal, finishing with the figures of 4-16 in six overs and earning the Player of the Match award, while Akash Deep's 4-32 in 8.4 overs ensured that J&K were bundled out in just 20.4 overs. Bengal then chased down the small target of 64 in only 9.3 overs, with Abishek Porel (unbeaten 30 runs) and Sudip Gharami (unbeaten 25 runs) sealing a dominant win. (With ANI Inputs)
31 December,2025 04:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, Afghanistan has announced their 15-member squad for the marquee event. Star pacer Naveen-ul-Haq and Gulbadin Naib have returned to the squad. Earlier, Naveen had sustained a shoulder injury, which kept him out of action in international cricket. He last made his international appearance in December 2024. Meanwhile, Naib was left out of Afghanistan's white-ball tour of Bangladesh in October, and the experienced left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi has also been included in the squad. Star spinner Rashid Khan will lead Afghanistan's pack in the mega event, scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka. Opening batsman Ibrahim Zadran has been named as Rashid's deputy. Meanwhile, Naib was left out of Afghanistan's white-ball tour of Bangladesh in October, as was the experienced left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who has also been included in the squad. "We had good discussions over the past few days and finalized the squad. Gulbadin Naib is a big-match player, and his return boosts our team. We are also pleased to have Naveen Ul Haq back, which enhances the quality of our fast bowling," chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said. The squad also consists of the likes of spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. His inclusion led to AM Ghazanfar being named as a reserve. In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, the Afghans had managed to reach the semi-final of the tournament. In the upcoming edition of the global showpiece, the Rashid Khan-led team has been placed in Group D along with teams such as Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Afghanistan will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign by playing a match against the "Black Caps" on February 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The same squad will also play a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the UAE ahead of the World Cup, starting January 19. "Afghanistan had a terrific run in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup. We cherish excellent memories from the past, and hope for even better results this year, which will be played in Asian conditions," Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Naseeb Khan said. "Hosting the West Indies team provides us with an incredible opportunity to fine-tune our combination, and prepare adequately for the World Cup," he added. Afghanistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026: Rashid Khan (Captain), Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen Ul Haq, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Abdullah Ahmadzai. Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi. (With PTI Inputs)
31 December,2025 04:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPakistan's star left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will return home from Australia on Wednesday. With this, his availability in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 is also uncertain. The pacer sustained a knee injury while fielding for Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL). Following the blow, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called Shaheen for treatment and rehabilitation at the High Performance Centre in Lahore. He has struggled in his maiden appearance in the BBL, having spent a long time out from cricket in 2021-22 after undergoing knee surgery following an injury while fielding in a Test in Sri Lanka. A PCB official said that Shaheen had been called back after discussions with Cricket Australia (CA), as the initial feedback was that he required complete rest and time to recover from the injury. He said that the seriousness of the injury and the potential timeline for recovery will be determined after his meeting with the board's doctors. Speaking about his situation, the pacer has expressed disappointment, according to a release by the BBL franchise and is also hopeful of returning to action as early as possible. "I have enjoyed myself a lot playing for Brisbane and I am sad that I will not be able to finish the season with the team," he said in a statement released by the BBL side. "Hopefully, I will be back in the fields soon," he wrote. He represented the Brisbane Heat in the four matches of the ongoing edition of the BBL. The pacer claimed two wickets with an average of 76.50. In his first match, he was taken off the attack after bowling two full-toss deliveries. Shaheen was not included in the Pakistan squad for a three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka (January 7-11) even before he sustained the injury. The "Green Shirts" have been placed in Group A along with teams such as India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. They will begin their campaign by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 7 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. The high-octane clash of the marquee event between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. (With PTI Inputs)
31 December,2025 01:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
