Rishabh Pant’s form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy with just one half-century in four matches, but if he is dropped for the upcoming New Zealand series without being given even one ODI game in the last 18 months, it could be deemed as slightly harsh from the Ajit Agarkar-led committee. The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara, and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad. It is an open secret that at least one member in the Indian team management doesn’t exactly like Pant’s high-risk high-reward batting template and would like him to employ a more traditional way of batting. But dropping a second-choice glovesman without giving him a fair go could obviously lead to more questions being asked without tangible answers being provided. In 2025, Pant didn’t play a single ODI, although he was part of the Champions Trophy squad as well as in the series against South Africa last month. While Ruturaj Gaikwad, a specialist opener, was tried at No. 4, Pant was left cooling his heels during all the three games. Pant has played only 31 ODIs since his debut in 2018. Since his return in 2024, post-accident. Pant has only one significant score — 70 — in four Vijay Hazare Trophy games, while the flavour of the season, Ishan Kishan hit 14 sixes in Jharkhand’s opening game against Karnataka, batting in the middle-order. OneNo of ODIs played by Rishabh Pant in the last 18 months, post his return from a life-threatening accident. He scored six in the lone ODI against SL in August 2024
02 January,2026 10:11 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIUnseasonal rainfall forced the abandonment of all Round-Two matches of the Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Giles Shield tournament on Thursday. The waterlogged Karnataka Sporting Association ground and Azad Maidan were deemed unsafe for play by the umpires. MSSA secretary Nadeem Memon announced that every team will be awarded a point each. “Due to the continuous rain, we were not able to continue as per the umpires. We will eventually award each team one point,” Memon 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
02 January,2026 09:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus Vedanayagam4-10 vs West Indies, Gros Islet, 2019 After winning the first T20I of the five-match series, India romped to a 10-wicket victory in the second game, thanks to a Player-of-the-Match performance by Deepti. Her off-spin cleaned up the middle and lower order, including top-scorer Chedean Nation (32), and helped India restrict West Indies to 103-7. Openers Shafali Verma (69 not out) and Smriti Mandhana (30 not out) made light work of the 104-run target, reaching it in just 10.3 overs. 3-7 vs Thailand, Sylhet, 2022 Riding on Shafali Verma’s 42 and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 36, India posted 148-6 in the Women’s Asia Cup tie. Deepti then bamboozled Thailand’s top order, dismissing openers Nannapat Koncharoenkai (5) and Natthakan Chantham (4), as well as No. 4 batter Sornnarin Tippoch (5). The all-rounder also effected the run out of Onnicha Kamchomphu (2). Thailand were ultimately restricted to 74-9. 3-8 vs South Africa, Surat, 2019 In the first game of the six-match series, India posted a middling 130-8, helped by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 43. In the second innings, Deepti bagged her maiden three-wicket haul in T20Is, dismissing Tazmin Brits (3), Nadine de Clerk (0), and Shabnim Ismail (6) to help India bowl SA out for 119 (19.5 overs). Shikha Pandey (2-18), Poonam Yadav (2-25), and Radha Yadav (2-29) claimed two wickets apiece. Deepti’s wickets by country >> 29 vs Australia>> 25 vs England>> 21 vs Sri Lanka>> 20 vs West Indies>> 16 vs South Africa>> 11 vs Bangladesh>> 9 vs Pakistan>> 7 vs Thailand>> 6 vs New Zealand>> 3 vs Nepal>> 2 vs UAE>> 2 vs Ireland>> 1 vs Malaysia
02 January,2026 09:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan ShankarIndia’s power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma entered the New Year in style, sporting chic formal outfits in their latest Instagram post on Thursday. Ace batter Kohli, 37, opted for a white tee within a matching navy blue jacket and trouser while his better half, Bollywood star Anushka, 37, shimmered in a little black dress and frilly skirt, with a jet black handbag complimenting her attire. Virat and Anushka first met while filming a shampoo commercial in 2013 and continued to keep in touch thereafter, with their rapidly evolving bond finally culminating in marriage in 2017. They have two children, Vamika, four, and Akaay, 11 months. Kohli will next be seen in action while playing for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11. Meanwhile, Anushka is expected to be seen in the movie ‘Chakda ’Xpress’ — a biopic on the former Indian Women’s team pacer Jhulan Goswami. However, there’s no clarity over its release date with some reports claiming it will be an OTT release rather than a theatrical one. 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
02 January,2026 09:48 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesDecember 31157 vs Goa off 75 balls Vijay Hazare Trophy Sarfaraz, who had already accumulated 220 runs in three VHT innings at a strike rate of 170.54, smashed 157 in just 75 balls as Mumbai posted a mammoth 444-8 to beat Goa by 87 runs on New Year’s eve in Jaipur. His innings at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground was laced with nine fours and 14 huge sixes. Mumbai lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (46) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (11) by the 21st over, before No. 4 Sarfaraz, along with his younger brother, No. 3 Musheer (60) stitched a 93-run stand off just 60 balls to set the platform for a big total. December 2655 vs Uttarakhand off 49 balls Vijay Hazare Trophy Sarfaraz notched up an important half-century, 55 off 49 balls, with the help of five fours and one six as Mumbai posted 331-7 against Uttarakhand at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Mumbai emerged victorious by 51 runs. In the next match against Chhattisgarh (Dec 29), Sarfaraz did not get an opportunity to bat as Mumbai emerged triumphant by nine wickets, comfortably chasing 142 in Jaipur. December 1673 vs RajasthanOFF 22 balls Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Just before the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Sarfaraz declared his intent, accumulating an impressive 329 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy at an amazing strike rate of 203.08. Again Rajasthan, he hammered six fours and seven sixes during a 22-ball 73 in a Super League Group ‘A’ encounter at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. He reached his half-century in a mere 15 balls as Mumbai went on to beat Rajasthan by three wickets after comfortably chasing 216-4 11 balls to spare. December 1464 vs HaryanaOFF 25 ballSSyed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Sarfaraz took just 25 balls to score 64 runs with the help of nine fours and three sixes as Mumbai chased down Haryana’s 234-4 in the 17.3 overs to emerge victorious by four wickets in this Super League Group ‘A’ game at Ambi near Pune. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal gave Mumbai a fine start with a 50-ball 101 (16x4 and 1x6). December 452 vs KeralaOFF 40 ballSSyed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Sarfaraz contributed a vital 52 off 40 balls with the help of eight fours and a six, but it wasn’t enough as Mumbai lost their Elite Group ‘A’ to Kerala by 15 runs in Lucknow. Chasing 178 for victory, besides Sarfaraz, opener Ajinkya Rahane (18-ball 32) and No.4 Suryakumar Yadav (25-ball 32), no other Mumbai batsman performed as they were bowled out for 163 in 19.4 overs. December 2100 not out vs AssamOFF 47 ballsSyed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy When Mumbai began proceedings in the Elite Group ‘A’ league stage in November, Sarfaraz was not part of the playing XI against Railways, Vidarbha, and Andhra. However, when he got picked against Assam, he made the most of the opportunity, hammering a 47-ball 100 not out to help Mumbai win by 98 runs. Sarfaraz hit eight fours and seven sixes en route his quickfire century.
02 January,2026 09:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAustralia off-spinner Todd Murphy admitted that, although his eyesight isn’t great, he could see the SCG pitch looked very green three days before the fifth Test, once again raising questions about the role of spinners in this Ashes series. Murphy, 25, is in contention to play his first Test in Australia after featuring in seven matches overseas. However, there is no certainty he will be selected for Sydney, a ground usually friendly to spin, especially after he was left out of the Melbourne Test that ended in just two days. According to the images surfacing, the SCG pitch, ahead of the fifth Ashes Test starting on Sunday, is mostly green, increasing the chance Australia will again choose an all-pace bowling attack. “I’ve only seen it from afar, and my eyes aren’t obviously amazing, so it’s hard to pick out exactly what it’ll be. But I suppose we’re three days out and there’s a bit of grass on it at the moment,” Murphy told reporters at the SCG on Thursday. Murphy is very familiar with the SCG, as it is the home ground of the Sydney Sixers, and he also played there for Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match in November, where fast bowlers dominated. “Maybe not recently, but I definitely think it can spin. We’ve played on some BBL wickets here where it has taken spin. I’ve only played a couple of Shield matches, and I don’t think it’s ever done anything extraordinary out there. I don’t think recently that it’s been a massive spin out here, but it’s still been a big part,” Murphy said. Pacers Cummins, Hazlewood return to Aus T20 WC squad Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were named in a spin-heavy provisional Australian squad for this year’s T20 World Cup after their Ashes campaign was ruined by injury. Left-arm spinners Matt Kuhnemann and Cooper Connolly were additions to a largely settled 15-man squad, alongside chief tweaker Adam Zampa and part-timer Glenn Maxwell. Australia’s group-stage matches are all being played in Sri Lanka with the expectation of spin-friendly surfaces.
02 January,2026 09:37 AM IST | Sydney | AFPFormer 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 correspondentADVERTISEMENT
