The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), India’s pioneering tennis-ball T10 cricket tournament, delivered a blockbuster Season 3 Player Auction with close to INR 10 crore spent on 144 players as eight franchises went head-to-head in an intense day of bidding in Mumbai on Tuesday. Vijay Pawle emerged as the auction’s biggest headline, fetching INR 32.50 lakh, the league’s highest ever price tag, from defending champions Majhi Mumbai. The star all-rounder from the West Zone returns to familiar territory, having led Mumbai to the title last season. Ketan Mhatre, also from the West Zone, was retained by Chennai Singams through the Right to Match (RTM) card for INR 26.40 lakh, making him the second-highest pick of the day. With two new teams, Ahmedabad Lions and Delhi Superheros, joining the league, Season 3 promises to be the most competitive edition yet. The tournament will be held from January 9 – February 6, 2026 at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat. Tickets will be available on BookMyShow soon. This year’s auction showcased ISPL’s growing influence, with 408 players from 101 cities going under the hammer. The event drew some of the biggest names in cricket and entertainment, including ISPL Core Committee members Sachin Tendulkar, Ashish Shelar, Minal Amol Kale, Suraj Samat, and Dipak Chauhan, President – Operations. Team co-owners in attendance included Akshay Kumar (Srinagar Ke Veer), Saif Ali Khan & Aksha Kamboj (Tiigers of Kolkata), Hrithik Roshan and Divy Dangi (Bengaluru Strikers), Niti Agarwal (Majhi Mumbai), Zayd Noman (Falcon Risers Hyderabad), Rajdip Gupta (Chennai Singams), and Ajay Devgn, Jahidhmohmed Vijapura & Izazahmad Khanusiya (Ahmedabad Lions), along with Salman Khan and Arpita Khan Sharma (Delhi Superheros). The day opened on a spectacular note with the official unveiling of the ‘Street Star’, a humanoid innovation set to redefine fan engagement in ISPL Season 3. The U-19 category saw spirited bidding. Ankit Yadav emerged as the costliest youngster, snapped up by the Tiigers of Kolkata for INR 6.50 lakh. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Rudra Patil created history as the youngest player of Season 3, picked by Srinagar Ke Veer at his base price of INR 3 lakh. The league has expanded to eight teams with the addition of Delhi Superheros, owned by Salman Khan, and Ahmedabad Lions, owned by Ajay Devgn. They joined Majhi Mumbai (Amitabh Bachchan), Tiigers of Kolkata (Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor Khan), Srinagar Ke Veer (Akshay Kumar), Chennai Singams (Suriya), Bengaluru Strikers (Hrithik Roshan) and Falcon Risers Hyderabad (Ram Charan). ISPL has also announced that the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Season 3 will receive a Porsche 911, making it one of the most valuable individual awards in Indian sport. Top-5 buys: Vijay Pawle - ₹32.50 lakh (Majhi Mumbai) RTMKetan Mhatre - ₹26.40 lakh (Chennai Singams) RTMRajendra Singh - ₹26.10 lakh (Bengaluru Strikers)Sanjay Kanojjiya - ₹24.55 lakh (Ahmedabad Lions)Saif Ali - ₹23.65 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata) Top-5 batsmen: Ketan Mhatre - ₹26.40 lakh (Chennai Singams) RTMSanjay Kanojjiya - ₹24.55 lakh (Ahmedabad Lions)Saif Ali - ₹23.65 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)Yogesh Penkar - ₹22.45 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)Fardeen Kazi - ₹22.30 (Bengaluru Strikers) Top-5 bowlers: Rajendra Singh - ₹26.10 (Bengaluru Strikers)Anurag Sarshar - ₹19.20 lakh (Chennai Singams)Vicky Bhoir - ₹12 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)Nizam Ali - ₹9 lakh (Ahmedabad Lions)Vivek Shelar - ₹7 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata) Top all-rounders: Vijay Pawle - ₹32.50 lakh (Majhi Mumbai) RTMSaroj Parmanik - ₹20.60 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)Praveen Kumar - ₹16.50 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)Vishwajit Thakur - ₹15 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad) 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.
10 December,2025 02:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India secured a dominating win by 101 runs against South Africa in the first T20I match at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. During the match, Jitesh Sharma was picked up as a first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman ahead of Sanju Samson. Speaking about his competition for the spot with Samson, Jitesh feels that there is a healthy competition with the Kerala-born cricketer. "I am very grateful that he is in the team and I am under him. Frankly speaking, he is like an elder brother to me and I think because of healthy competition, your talent comes out. I think it's good for the team also," said Jitesh. The Amravati-born cricketer then said that, considering Samson's calibre, he needs to bring his 'A-game' to compete with him. "There is so much talent in the Indian team. You can feel it. Sanju Bhai is out and I am playing. He is a great player. One of the great players. If I have to compete with him, I have to play shoulder to shoulder, then I have to bring my A game," he said. Jitesh also revealed that Sanju shares his experience and also helps him out during wicket-keeping or batting. "I think we both are trying to play for India, not for other teams. We are like brothers. We share lots of experience with each other. He helps me a lot whenever I do keeping or batting. That's the thing," said the 32-year-old cricketer. During the first match, Jitesh scored an unbeaten 10 runs off just five balls, which included a maximum. Premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya played a crucial role for the side in the series opener. With the willow, he smashed a fiery, unbeaten half-century and also bagged a wicket with the ball. Following his heroics, the right-hander was named the "Player of the Match". Later, with the dominating victory, the "Men in Blue" have taken a lead by 1-0 against the Proteas. The second T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on December 11 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Punjab. (With ANI Inputs)
10 December,2025 01:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the first T20I match against South Africa, Team India emerged victorious by 101 runs at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Batting first, the hosts posted a total of 175 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Speaking about the team's batting performance, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that reaching the total of 175 runs was unbelievable. "I told at the toss that we were 50-50, but very happy to bat first. I mean, absolutely. At 48 for 3, and then from there getting to 175... the way Hardik batted, Axar batted, Tilak batted, and in the end, Jitesh coming in, chipping in and doing his role, I think it was very important. At first, we thought we'd get to 160, but then 175 was unbelievable," he said. The skipper then explained how the in-form batsmen step in for those who are going through a purple patch in the series. "See, with 7-8 batters, there will be days when 2-3 batters would not have their day, but then the other 4 batters will cover it up, and they did cover it up today. Maybe in the next game you will see someone else covering it up. That is how T20 cricket goes, and that's how we want everyone to play. We want everyone to be fearless and enjoy their batting, said the 35-year-old cricketer. Further speaking, the Mumbai-born cricketer feels that Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were the perfect bowlers to start off with against the Proteas. He also expressed happiness with Hardik Pandya's bowling performance. "I think Arshdeep and Bumrah were the perfect bowlers to bowl at the start. The way they were bowling when they won the toss and bowled first, the way the new ball was being bowled by them, I think Arshdeep and Bumrah were the better option. But then Hardik coming in later on, coming back from injury, it was important to take care of him as well. And the way he bowled, I am very happy with it," said Suryakumar. The second T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on December 11 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Punjab. (With ANI Inputs)
10 December,2025 12:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the first T20I match against South Africa, Team India emerged victorious by 101 runs at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. During the match, the fans witnessed a crucial knock played by Team India's premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Facing just 28 deliveries, he smashed an unbeaten 59 runs, which was laced with six boundaries and four maximums. Reflecting on his explosive knock, the right-hander expressed satisfaction and said that he was looking to time the ball correctly to produce maximum results. "I had to back my shots. I realised the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a bit gutsy. It was more about timing the ball, not breaking the ball. I was very satisfied with the way I was batting," he said after the match. He also bagged one wicket by conceding 16 runs in two overs. Further speaking, he said being at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has helped him to cover all the things in his game. "The last six-seven months have been great from my fitness point of view. These last 50 days, being away from loved ones, being at NCA (National Cricket Academy), making sure that all these things are covered. It was satisfying when you come here, the results come like this," said Pandya. He then revealed that mindset of putting the team's wants ahead of the individual's wants, which helps him to perform at the highest level. "As a cricketer, I have never been fussy about what roles I have in the game. I have always been motivated to all the time make sure that it doesn't matter what Hardik Pandya wants, it is about what India wants. The mindset helps me. I have always tried to put my team first. That is my biggest USP and that is what has helped me," said the 32-year-old all-rounder. Following his all-round performance, Hardik Pandya was also named the "Player of the Match" award. The second T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on December 11 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Punjab. (With ANI Inputs)
10 December,2025 12:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia’s veteran opener Usman Khawaja is expected to be back in the mix for the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, though he is not necessarily locked in to open. “The assumption is that Uzzie can only open as well — I think that he does have the flexibility [to bat elsewhere]. We like to think that all our batters have the flexibility to perform anywhere in the order,” head coach Andrew McDonald 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
10 December,2025 10:29 AM IST | Brisbane | IANSInjured fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the Ashes in a major setback for an England line-up trailing 0-2 in the five-match series. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has also been ruled out of the Ashes with hamstring and Achilles injuries. 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
10 December,2025 10:27 AM IST | Brisbane | AP | PTIHardik Pandya’s all-round show (59 not out off 28 balls & 1-16) helped India crush South Africa by 101 runs in the first fixture of the five-match T20Is series here on Tuesday. Chasing 176, South Africa were dismissed for just 74 in 12.3 overs. Dewald Brevis, with 22 off 14 balls, was the leading scorer for the Proteas. Pacers Arshdeep Singh (2-14), Jasprit Bumrah (2-17), spinners Varun Chakravarthy (2-19) and Axar Patel (2-7) did most of the damage. Earlier, Pandya marked his return to competitive cricket with a blistering half-century that helped India recover from some early blows to post a healthy 175-6. Arshdeep Singh after dismissing SA’s Tristan Stubbs. Pic/AFP Coming back after 74 days following a left quadricep injury that forced him out of the Asia Cup, Pandya walked in at No. 6 and immediately changed the tempo of the match. India had slipped in both the Powerplay and middle overs losing six wickets, but Pandya, who had proved his fitness at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda with a 42-ball 77 not out, counter-attacked with clean, fearless hitting, laced with six fours and four sixes. It was his sixth T20I fifty. Pandya’s late fireworks helped India add 53 runs in the last five overs, while Nortje, returning from injury, conceded 41 in four, including 12 in the final over. 100No. of sixes by Hardik Pandya in T20Is — he is the fourth Indian to reach the three-figure mark OneJasprit Bumrah is the first Indian player and fifth overall to claim 100 or more wickets in all three international formats 101India’s victory margin on Tuesday is their eighth-biggest in T20Is (by runs) 74This is the lowest total by South Africa in T20Is Brief scoresIndia 175-6 in 20 overs (H Pandya 59*, T Varma 26; L Ngidi 3-31, L Sipamla 2-38) beat SA 74 all out in 12.3 overs (D Brevis 22; A Patel 2-7, A Singh 2-14, J Bumrah 2-17, V Chakravarthy 2-19) by 101 runs 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
10 December,2025 10:27 AM IST | Cuttack | AgenciesGunalan Kamalini and Vaishnavi Sharma on Tuesday got their maiden call-ups in the Indian women’s team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. The series will be played from December 21-30, with the first two games in Vizag and the rest in Thiruvananthapuram. While wicketkeeper-batter Kamalini, 17, has played nine Women’s Premier League matches for Mumbai Indians, Vaishnavi, 19, was not drafted in the WPL. 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
10 December,2025 10:05 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIBatting icon Sachin Tendulkar highlighted his immense passion for the game as a kid that helped him reach the highest level, while speaking at the Indian Street Premier League-3 (ISPL) player auction on Tuesday. “I started playing cricket because I was passionate. I was madly in love with it and all I wanted to do was play for India. I was prepared to do whatever I had to for that. At various stages in my life, I was prepared to work hard, possibly be on the field for 12 hours. There was a period where I did that for 55 days in a row in my summer holidays and finally fell sick. But that’s what it is, if the passion and the fire is not there, you are not going to be able to move forward,” Tendulkar, an ISPL core committee member, said. The former India captain added. “To move forward, you need hard work, plan. To be able to execute that, [you need] the right guidance [and] discipline. A number of elements come together and then when the time comes, you have to go and perform. That’s how you progress to the next level.” Bollywood stars, who are co-owners of the various teams like Akshay Kumar (Srinagar Ke Veer), Hrithik Roshan (Bengaluru Strikers), Saif Ali Khan (Tigers of Kolkata) and Ajay Devgan (Ahmedabad Lions) were also present. “In Srinagar, there are players, who play in the mountains. When they hit a shot, the ball falls into the valley and they bring it back. So, the passion they have is tremendous,” said Akshay Kumar. Ajay Devgn added: “We stand for courage and resilience. And, like Sachin said, if you’re not here to win, you have no place in this room.”
10 December,2025 09:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureFormer Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy expressed his disappointment with how England have played so far, calling their performance “deflating”, and suggested that a lack of preparation for Australian conditions has resulted in the visitors being 0-2 down in the Ashes series. “It’s a very deflating performance so far,” Healy told SEN. “The optimism we had before any contest was very high. We thought that this was going to be the close Ashes [in Australia] that we’ve been craving since the 60s. “It’s been a monumental fail by England; they have misread everything. I don’t know how there could be so many people who don’t know any better in decision-making positions of English cricket that have let this itinerary become approved,” he added. 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
10 December,2025 09:49 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSFormer India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar highlighted all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s role in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, saying there is no other player like him. After missing two months owing to a quadricep injury sustained during the Asia Cup, Pandya marked his return to the Indian side in style on Tuesday, smashing an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls. “Look at all the all-rounders in world cricket now. Does England have a backup for Ben Stokes? No. In one-day or even Test cricket, there is no backup for Ravindra Jadeja. It is the same with Hardik Pandya. He can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler,” Bangar told JioStar. “The point is, to be that kind of all-rounder, you must earn your place with your batting and also with your bowling. There is no other player like Hardik Pandya in the Indian team,” he added. Regarding Pandya’s workload management, Bangar said he anticipates the all-rounder playing in the first three of the five T20Is vs SA. “We need to see how he copes. Playing in the SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) is different from the intensity of an international game. The team management must manage the workload of important players like him. So, if needed, we must do that for Hardik too. A fit Hardik Pandya allows the team to play its desired combination, especially with the spin options we have. That’s why his presence is critically vital,” he said. 210.71Hardik Pandya’s strike-rate vs SA on Tuesday; his 59 not out had four sixes and six fours 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
10 December,2025 09:47 AM IST | Cuttack | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
