Team India has won the first T20I match against South Africa by 101 runs at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Former South African pacer Dale Steyn feels that Suryakumar Yadav's secure and welcoming captaincy brings out the best in the players. Speaking on JioStar, Steyn said, "When you have the backing of your team and feel comfortable in your environment, you can have open conversations with your players. You're not threatened by your spot or by the captaincy". "You put the team first and say, 'What's best for the individual? What's best for the team?' That's the kind of captain everyone wants, someone who's secure, welcoming, and willing to adjust for the greater good. Even if it's just for a game or a series, that flexibility brings out the best in your players," he added. The former pacer also said that when such a captain asks a player to bat at number six instead of three, the player understands the strategy behind it. "So when he tells someone, 'You can't bat at three today, I need you at six,' the batter understands because the captain has backed him before. That's a fantastic skill and a great leadership quality," said the Phalaborwa-born cricketer. 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. Following his heroics, the right-hander was named the "Player of the Match". With the dominating victory, the "Men in Blue" have taken a 1-0 lead against the Proteas. The second T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Punjab. IND vs SA 2nd T20I: Full Squads India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shuvam Dube, Washington Sundar, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy. South Africa: David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Donovan Ferreira, Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman. (With PTI Inputs)
10 December,2025 05:02 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia has announced its 15-man squad for the third Test match of the Ashes series against England. The match is scheduled to be played at the Adelaide Oval from December 17. Ahead of the match, Pat Cummins will mark his return as captain, and his inclusion will also boost the team's bowling line-up. Along with Cummins, veteran spinner Nathan Lyon is also expected to return to action for the third clash. The pacer has missed out on action since Australia's 3-0 sweep against the West Indies in July, after experiencing back soreness. Following the injury, he missed out on the two matches of the ongoing Ashes series. On the other hand, Lyon was sidelined for the as Australia opted for an all-seam attack for the day-night match at the Gabba in Brisbane. The Cricket Australia (CA) officials have confirmed his return for the third Test match. The other question remains over Usman Khawaja. The 38-year-old is confident he will overcome a back injury in time for the match, but it remains to be seen whether he will reclaim his spot at the top of the order. Travis Head made scores of 33 and 22, opening with Jake Weatherald in Brisbane. Ahead of the third match, the "Three Lions" under the captaincy of Ben Stokes will play for pride. They will look to secure a win in order to keep the series alive. The hosts, on the other hand, will look to clinch the series by registering their third consecutive win in the high-profile rivalry between teams. The hosts will miss the services of their star pacer, Josh Hazlewood, as he has sustained hamstring and Achilles injuries. After the Adelaide clash, the series moves on to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test, with the fifth and final match at the Moore Park in Sydney starting on January 4. Australia's squad for the third Test match of the Ashes series: Pat Cummins (captain), Steve Smith, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster. (With Inputs from Agencies)
10 December,2025 04:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India, under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, emerged victorious by 101 runs against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. During the match, Team India bowlers showcased exceptional skills with the ball and bowled out the visitors for just 74 runs. The star pacer for the hosts, Arshdeep Singh, spoke about his bowling partnership with lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. He said that Bumrah is a "gentle senior" and being a Punjabi helps him to gel easily. "My relationship with him is very good. He's a gentle senior, never harsh on youngsters and always very polite. Being Punjabi as well, it's easy for both of us to gel," said Arshdeep. The 26-year-old pacer also said that bowling with Bumrah makes things easier as the batsmen try to play rash shots in an attempt to get runs off him. "Bowling with him makes things easier for me because batters usually look to attack my overs. Even bad balls can get me wickets because they know they won't get easy runs at the other end. It benefits me, and I absolutely enjoy bowling alongside him," he said. Arshdeep and Bumrah are the only two Indian bowlers by far who have completed 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game. Arshdeep has 107 wickets in 69 T20Is, whereas Jasprit has claimed 101 wickets in 81 matches of the format. 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. Following his heroics, the right-hander was named the "Player of the Match". With the dominating victory, the "Men in Blue" have taken a 1-0 lead against the Proteas. The second T20I match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Punjab. India squad for the T20I series against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar. (With ANI Inputs)
10 December,2025 04:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentInjured 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 03:32 PM IST | Brisbane | AP | PTIThe 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 | IANSHardik 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 | PTIADVERTISEMENT
