Ahead of the first Test match against South Africa, Team India has started their practice session in Kolkata. The first Test match between Team India and South Africa will be played on Friday at the Eden Gardens. Indian skipper Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy were seen taking part in the practice session. During the session, Gill was seen having detailed discussions for the game plan with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The opening duo of Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were later seen sweating it out at the nets with the throwdowns. Apart from Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy took part in the catch practice session. The Gill-led Team India will commence the home series after beginning their WTC campaign with an away tour of England, followed by a home series against the West Indies. Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma's South Africa arrive following a 1-1 draw in their two-Test away series against Pakistan. India's recent Test series performances have been impressive, with a 2-2 draw against England earlier this month, where Gill topped the run charts with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, including four centuries, followed by a convincing 2-0 clean sweep over the West Indies at home last month. Security has been heightened at Eden Gardens following Monday's Delhi car explosion. The second game will be played from November 22 at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. The series will also mark the return of Rishabh Pant to action. The left-hander will mark his first international appearance for India since the conclusion of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. IND vs SA: Full Squads India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep. South Africa squad for India tour: Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne. (With ANI Inputs)
11 November,2025 06:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe first of the two Test matches between Team India and South Africa will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Ahead of the series opener, Police Commissioner Manoj Verma undertook a review of the security arrangements at the venue following the Delhi car blast. "We are on high alert. Keeping in mind the blast in Delhi, special and additional security arrangements are being made,” a Kolkata Police officer was quoted as saying by news agency IANS, adding that the Special Task Force (STF) will also be deployed alongside the local police at the stadium. VIDEO | Kolkata: Police Commissioner Manoj Verma reviews security arrangements at Eden Gardens ahead of the Test match following the Delhi car blast.#DelhiBlast #RedFort #DelhiCarBlast (Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/j7XmMQqG7o — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 11, 2025 Earlier, at least 12 people were killed and several others were injured after explosives went off in a car parked near the Red Fort Metro Station in the national capital on Monday evening. The intensity of the blast set multiple vehicles ablaze and shattered window panes in the vicinity. The first match against South Africa will begin from Friday. Currently, Team India is placed third on the WTC points table. The side also managed to draw the away series in England before emerging victorious against the West Indies at home earlier in the cycle. On the other hand, the Proteas began their title defence by securing a 1-1 draw in an away Test series against Pakistan. The second game against South Africa will be played from November 22 at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. IND vs SA: Full Squads India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep. South Africa squad for India tour: Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne. (With Inputs from Agencies)
11 November,2025 06:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the two-match Test series against South Africa, former cricketer Sourav Ganguly said that playing against Team India at their home will be difficult for the visitors. While speaking on JioStar, Ganguly said that India is a very strong team in the subcontinent and also in overseas conditions. Considering that South Africa is a good team, the former cricketer is also expecting it to turn out to be a high-quality contest. "The first Test starts in Kolkata in a few days, and it's going to be a tough tour for South Africa. Playing against India in India is never easy. India is a very strong side in the subcontinent, and they are a strong team even overseas these days," he said. "I'm really looking forward to the Test at Eden Gardens. South Africa is a good side, so it should be a high-quality contest," added the 53-year-old former cricketer. Currently, Team India is placed in the third spot on the WTC points table. The side also managed to draw the away series in England before emerging victorious against the West Indies at home earlier in the cycle. On the other hand, the Proteas began their title defence by securing a 1-1 draw in an away Test series against Pakistan. The Test series will also mark Rishabh Pant's first international appearance since the conclusion of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The first Test match between India and South Africa has been scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 14. The second game will be played from November 22 at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. IND vs SA: Full Squads India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep. South Africa squad for India tour: Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne. (With ANI Inputs)
11 November,2025 05:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentUnknown assailants fired at the gate of Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah's ancestral home in Lower Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the bowler decided to stay with the team for the first ODI against Sri Lanka as nobody was harmed in the incident. A source close to Naseem confirmed the incident which is being investigated. The match against Sri Lanka is being held in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. "Naseem and most of his family members now reside in Islamabad but he has close relatives in Lower Dir who stay at the ancestral home," the source said. He said that Naseem, after speaking to his family, was assured that the incident is being looked into and he should focus on his cricket. "Naseem then decided to remain with the team which plays its first match today," the source said. Many of the national team players come from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where in Northern areas security forces are fighting terror attacks frequently. The northern areas are also known for tribal feuds. 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.
11 November,2025 04:33 PM IST | Lahore | PTIAhead of the two-match Test series against South Africa, Team India's star pacer Mohammed Siraj is confident of putting on a big show against the defending World Test Championship (WTC) winners. While speaking on JioStar, the pacer said that the side is confident, considering its recent form and has created a positive environment in the dressing room. "This series is crucial for the new WTC cycle, especially since South Africa is the defending champion. While they drew 1-1 with Pakistan, we're confident from our own good form, we created a positive environment, performed well in England, and won against the West Indies," he said. Currently, Team India is placed in the third spot on the WTC points table. The side also managed to draw the away series in England before emerging victorious against the West Indies at home earlier in the cycle. On the other hand, the Proteas began their title defence by securing a 1-1 draw in an away Test series against Pakistan. During the five-match Test series against the "Three Lions" in England, Siraj was the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets. The Hyderabad-born cricketer also continued his fine form against the West Indies and bagged 10 wickets in two matches. Siraj said that he is in a good rhythm and facing top teams helps him identify the areas for improvement. "Personally, I'm bowling with good rhythm and looking to make the most of it. Facing strong teams helps identify areas to improve, and I'm really excited for this challenge," said the 31-year-old pacer. The first Test match between India and South Africa has been scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 14. The second game will be played from November 22 at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. IND vs SA: Full Squads India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep. South Africa squad for India tour: Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne. (With PTI Inputs)
11 November,2025 03:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai is the city of opportunity, and it is not just its streets but the cricket maidans and pitches too, that are paved with gold. Yajurvindra Singh was Chief Speaker at ‘Voice of Cricket,’ an event held at Cricket Club of India’s (CCI) CK Nayudu Hall on Monday evening. The event was organised by Nadim Memon, secretary Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA). Yajurvindra rewound to 1973 when he first came to Mumbai. “I came to Mumbai in 1973. I had played Ranji Trophy before that against Mumbai. I remember coming out to bat and passing legends like [Ajit] Wadekar, [Dilip] Sardesai. It was intimidating to say the least. I recall getting out for one run in a Ranji Trophy match at the CCI. The commentator, who was Vijay Merchant at that time, came up to me and said: ‘Can you bat a little longer? I wanted to actually introduce you and talk about your background in my commentary. But you got out’,” he said to laughs from the audience. Yajurvindra or ‘Sunny’ as he is nicknamed, added that after arriving in Maximum City in 1973 and playing here, he not only got his physical, but mental game on too: “The depth of competition, the toughness of the game here, the names, the fame, the examples these cricketers were, it all made me mentally khadoos. The competition taught me to value my wicket and what I was standing there on the pitch for. I remember Sunil Gavaskar played through in a Ranji Trophy match in Nashik with a fractured finger! That was the mettle of the man and in a larger perspective, of Mumbai cricket.” About the present Yajurvindra said, “There is so much cricket now. Two years ago, I went to Spain as chief guest for a T-10 cricket tourney, which was the European Cricket League with 36 European sides. Cricket in Spain! That is what we call development of the game and transformation too. Development is good and change is inevitable. One way cricket overall has changed is that it is now a business and a profession.” Yajurvindra also highlighted two areas of concern. “Earlier, we had scenarios like these: if you were studying, had graduated and played first class cricket then, you got a good job and were set in life. University cricket was so important, even more than Ranji Trophy. Today, with schedules being what they are, there is no time to do both — study and play. The education part is disappearing. Then, today’s not-a- minute- to- breathe cricket calendars result in immense mental stress. Jemimah Rodrigues spoke about the mental aspect. Those two areas need to be looked at,” concluded Singh. Another panellist, former women’s player Anjali Pendharkar spoke about the need for a robust grassroots training system for women players. “It is from there that we get our Harmanpreet Kaurs,” she said in reference to having more inter-school competitions for girls.
11 November,2025 12:05 PM IST | Mumbai | Hemal AsharAhead of the IPL 2026 auctions, rumours of Sanju Samson being traded to Chennai Super Kings have taken the social media platforms ablaze. In what is being considered to be the last season of legendary MS Dhoni, the Chennai-based franchise would need a wicketkeeper-batsman for a long period of time. Although even Samson joins CSK, his chances of being selected for the captaincy role seem lighter, as the team already consists of the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad. If the trade rumours turn out to be true, the question then arises is the vacant spot for the leadership role in Rajasthan Royals. In the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Riyan Parag was named as the stand-in captain for the initial matches due to Samson's injury. Will RR give a nod to the 24-year-old Parag for the leadership role if Samson parts ways with the franchise? Over the years, the Assam-born cricketer has shown signs of improvement as an all-rounder and is a strong contender for the leadership role. Another name that comes up for RR with a long-term perspective is prodigy Yashasvi Jaiswal. His consistent show with the willow, and calm demeanour make him emerge as a dark horse for the role. On the other hand, there are rumours surrounding CSK veteran Ravindra Jadeja. Although there are fewer chances that the Chennai-based franchise to release the star all-rounder, certain groups of fans across social media platforms have already started spreading hate towards the team. Another rumour circulating around the IPL franchise is of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The franchise also clinched its first title this year, which was a historic moment in its history. After the triumph, the unfortunate incident of a stampede took place outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which led to the loss of lives of several people. There are rumours that the franchise owner is open to selling the team to whoever is ready for the bidding. It will be interesting to see who bids for the ownership of the Bengaluru-based franchise ahead of the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league.
11 November,2025 11:46 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMeghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary, who scripted history on Sunday by smashing eight consecutive sixes in first-class cricket, opened up about his mindset when he came out to bat, saying his plan was to play attacking cricket, but he hadn’t thought of reaching the historic feat. The 25-year-old Akash smashed eight consecutive sixes while racing to a record-breaking fifty in only 11 balls, surpassing the previous best set by Leicestershire’s Wayne White, who reached fifty in 12 balls in 2012. Before that, Clive Inman had held the record since 1965 with a 13-ball fifty. He achieved the feats on the second day of Meghalaya’s Plate Group game in the Ranji Trophy against Arunachal Pradesh in Surat. Speaking about his remarkable record, Akash said, “I went out to bat according to what the team situation demanded. My mindset was to play attacking cricket, score as many runs as possible, and declare early — that was the message from the dressing room. I wasn’t thinking about hitting eight sixes. After hitting three, I felt there was a chance to go for six maximums in the over, but the seventh and eighth sixes just happened according to the ball. Akash, who is himself a fast bowler, sees India’s pace spearheads Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj as his idols and said he doesn’t want to overhype his feat. “I still haven’t completely processed this record yet, but I don’t want to overhype it because we still have matches left, so I want to stay grounded. Our team has moved down from the Elite group, so our only goal now is to get back to the Elite level,” 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
11 November,2025 10:17 AM IST | Surat | IANSForty-two-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai will play their next match against Puducherry (from November 16) at the Wankhede Stadium instead of at the Bandra Kurla Complex facility of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), as scheduled earlier. The change was initiated by the Mumbai team management. “The captain [Shardul Thakur] requested to play at the Wankhede. Mumbai is blessed to have two to three world-class facilities within the city. So, the team management wanted to play at the Wankhede for their next game and we have allotted it accordingly,” MCA secretary Abhay Hadap told mid-day. Mumbai are placed first in Elite Group D with 16 points from four games. They beat Jammu & Kashmir outright in their opening encounter before claiming a first innings lead against Chhattisgarh. Mumbai failed to take first innings advantage against Rajasthan, while they outclassed Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 120 runs at BKC on Monday. Puducherry are placed seventh in the group with five points in four games. Mumbai will have to negate Puducherry’s spin threat from skipper Sagar Udeshi and India Test cricketer Jayant Yadav to emerge triumphant.
11 November,2025 10:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Harit N JoshiThers's no stopping Shams Mulani on a wearing track. The 28-year-old left-arm spinner picked up his third five-wicket haul in four matches this Ranji Trophy season. Mulani’s second innings bag of 5-37, the 19th five-wicket haul of his career, helped Mumbai to an innings and 120-run victory against Himachal Pradesh in just three days on Monday. Mumbai’s Musheer Khan during his 2-23 against HP on Monday With seven points, including a bonus, Mumbai moved to the top position with 17 points after four rounds in Elite Group D at the MCA-BKC ground. HP skittled out twice The Himachal lower order put up some resistance to delay their first innings closure, but could not avoid the follow-on. All out for 187 and trailing Mumbai by 259 (Mumbai made 446 in their first innings) Himachal were skittled for 139 as the hosts registered their second win of the season. First-time Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur reflected on the team’s performances so far and insisted that he is determined to complete this season on a high. “After Monday’s result, we could easily have been sitting on 20 points. But in the second game, there were weather interruptions and it was incomplete. I’m happy with where we are positioned right now. We backed ourselves to get six points, but to get seven points was phenomenal. From here, we just need to keep playing good cricket,” said Thakur, who picked up a wicket each with the shining ball in both innings. Shardul Thakur While players like batsman Siddhesh Lad and all-rounder Mulani consistently bail the team out of tense situations, Thakur preferred a proactive approach. He said: “Everyone in the side has the potential to be a crisis man, but I’d be happier if we called them match-winners. I don’t want to see my team in a crisis. Yes, there’ll be tough situations, but in those situations, if everyone puts their heads down and just does what’s needed, we’ll emerge victorious.”Describing his captaincy style, the 34-year-old said: “I look at the game slightly differently. Whether it’s going to be a successful one, I don’t know. What I expect from my teammates is, ‘let’s be open to different ideas’.” Thakur and his new ball partner Tushar Deshpande struck very early in the Himachal second innings, similar to the first essay and in the same order. Captain Ankush Bains edged Deshpande behind, while Sidhant Purohit was trapped in front by Thakur in the second and third overs, respectively. A 47-run stand ensued for the third wicket between left-handers Pukhraj Mann and Ankit Kalsi before the ever-reliable Mulani picked up the first of his five wickets. It was only a matter of when Himachal would fold up. ‘Mulani will get his due’ Thakur was banking on Mulani’s experience to deliver for the team this season. On Mulani, who has picked up 24 wickets this season, Thakur said: “Shams has experience and we are banking on this. The kind of performances Shams is putting in, he will get his due [India selection]. India is a big country, only 15 can play for India. And, we have hundreds of good players in the country. So, Shams will get his due at some point. He just needs to be patient.” 19No. of five-wicket hauls by Shams Mulani in first-class cricket Brief scoresMumbai 446 all out beat HP 187 all out & 139 all out (P Mann 65; S Mulani 5-37, M Khan 2-23) by an innings and 120 runs
11 November,2025 10:14 AM IST | Mumbai | G KrishnanThe Indian team management has not asked for a rank turner for the opening Test against South Africa beginning at the Eden Gardens on Friday, Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly said on Monday. India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who arrived late on Sunday, inspected the Eden pitch on Monday morning along with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Ganguly, too, had a look at the wicket later in the evening after which the entire square was covered to protect it from dew or any unlikely showers. “Well, they haven’t asked for it yet. So, I won’t be able to answer the question. It looks a very good one,” Ganguly said when asked if the Indian team management had requested for a turning wicket. The Eden Gardens has hosted two Ranji Trophy matches so far this season, and the tracks have played on the slower side, offering little assistance to pacers. 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
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