Sports

New Delhi: In a landmark decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has more than doubled match fees for women playing domestic cricket, marking a significant step towards pay parity in Indian cricket. The move comes in the wake of India’s first Women’s ODI World Cup win and has received approval from the board’s top council. New Match Fee Structure for Women CricketersUnder the revised structure, senior women cricketers participating in domestic one-day and multi-day tournaments will now earn between ₹50,000 and ₹60,000 per match day—up from the previous ₹20,000 (₹10,000 for reserve players). In the national T20 tournaments, playing XI members will receive ₹25,000 per match, while reserves will get ₹12,500. According to BCCI officials, a female cricketer participating a...

Melbourne: Australia has made a surprising change in leadership and squad selection ahead of the Boxing Day Test against England. Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon will miss the fourth Ashes Test due to injury, while Pat Cummins has been rested. Steve Smith has been reinstated as Australia’s captain. Lyon and Cummins OutNathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury while diving during the third Test and may require surgery, ruling him out of action for an extended period. Todd Murphy has been called up as his replacement. The 25-year-old off-spinner has taken 22 wickets in 7 Tests but has yet to play a home Test in Australia. Pat Cummins, dealing with ongoing back issues, has been rested under workload management. Cummins had missed the first two matches of the series and returned for the third ...

New Delhi: The year 2025 was a rollercoaster for Indian cricket, with the national teams—both men and women—achieving remarkable success, yet also finding themselves embroiled in controversies that drew attention from across the globe. As the year comes to a close, here’s a look at the five biggest controversies that shook Team India this year. 1. Champions Trophy Boycott: India Refuses to Travel to PakistanThe year’s first major controversy emerged around the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan. Team India declined to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, sparking a heated debate within the cricketing world. Global opinions were divided, though India’s stance ultimately prevailed. The ICC had to step in to mediate between the two cricket boards. Consequently, India pl...

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken the 191-run defeat against Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup final very seriously. Instead of relying solely on the team manager’s written report, the board has decided to directly question head coach Rishikesh Kanitkar and captain Ayush Mhatre regarding the performance. This move is part of preparations for the 2026 U-19 World Cup. Collapse in the FinalIn the title clash played in Dubai, Pakistan dominated India in every department. Pakistan batted first and posted a mammoth 347/8, thanks to a brilliant 172-run innings by Sameer Minhaj. In response, the Indian batting lineup crumbled. Vaibhavi Suryawanshi, who scored 171 runs earlier in the tournament, managed only 26, while captain Ayush Mhatre was dismissed for just 2 runs. Pakis...

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently announced the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will begin on 7 February 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team as captain, with Axar Patel appointed as the vice-captain. Among the selected squad, five players were also part of the Indian team during the 2021 T20 World Cup held in the UAE. Here’s a look at their past performances: 1. Ishan KishanThe wicketkeeper-batsman was part of the 2021 squad but got the opportunity to play in only one match, scoring 4 runs. 2. Suryakumar YadavThe current captain played 4 matches in the 2021 World Cup, scoring 42 runs. 3. Varun ChakravarthyIndia’s mystery spinner played 3 matches in 2021 but did not manage to claim any wickets. 4. Jas...

Karnataka’s seasoned all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham, who represented India in a solitary One Day International (ODI), has announced his retirement from all formats of cricket on 22 December 2025. Gowtham made his lone international appearance against Sri Lanka in 2021 and enjoyed a prolific career in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). Domestic Career Highlights:An off-spinner known for his explosive lower-order batting, Gowtham played 59 first-class, 68 List A, and 92 T20 matches for Karnataka. He claimed 224 wickets in first-class, 96 in List A, and 74 in T20 cricket. With the bat, he scored 1,419 runs in first-class cricket including 1 century and 5 fifties, 630 runs in List A with a fifty, and 734 runs in T20s at a strike rate of 158.18, including 2 fifties. IPL...

The thrilling five-match T20 series between the Indian and Sri Lankan women’s cricket teams is underway, and fans are eagerly awaiting the second clash. India dominated the series opener on December 21 in Visakhapatnam, winning by 8 wickets. Star batter Jemimah Rodrigues played a match-winning innings, scoring an unbeaten 69 runs. Second T20 Match Details:The second T20 will be played on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. Live Broadcast and Streaming: Television: The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network. Online Streaming: Fans can watch the live stream on JioCinema and its official website. India Women’s Squad:Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, ...

Indore: On 22 December 2017, India’s Rohit Sharma set a remarkable record in T20 International cricket by scoring the fastest century for India, smashing a hundred off just 35 balls against Sri Lanka in the second T20I at Indore. This feat came just nine days after Rohit had hit his third double century in ODIs, also against Sri Lanka, showcasing a remarkable run of form. A Masterclass in Power-Hitting:In that match, Sri Lanka batted first after losing the toss, and Rohit, leading India in Virat Kohli’s absence, opened alongside KL Rahul. The duo forged a formidable 165-run partnership in just 12.4 overs, with Rohit scoring 118 runs off 43 balls. His innings featured 12 fours and 10 sixes, while KL Rahul contributed 89 runs. India posted a mammoth 260/5 in 20 overs, and Sri Lanka were b...

New Delhi: Indian cricket fans witnessed a surprising shake-up in the T20 team as Shubman Gill was dropped after a string of underwhelming performances. Gill, who had been opening in place of Sanju Samson and even served as the vice-captain, failed to deliver consistently. Meanwhile, Samson’s own form in 2025 has not been significantly better, showing that the gap between the two stars remains minimal. Shubman Gill’s 2025 T20 Stats:Shubman Gill played 15 T20 Internationals for India in 2025, batting in all matches and scoring 291 runs at an average of 24.25 with a strike rate of 137. Despite opening in every match, Gill could not register a single fifty. His innings included 38 fours and 4 sixes, with his highest score being 47 against Pakistan in Dubai. Sanju Samson’s 2025 T20 Stats...

New Delhi: Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that he contemplated quitting cricket after India’s heartbreaking loss in the 2023 World Cup final. Speaking at the Masters Union event, Rohit described the defeat as one of the most challenging moments of his career, saying it left him feeling completely drained and defeated. A Crushing Defeat:India entered the 2023 World Cup as strong favorites and won 10 consecutive matches to reach the final. The team started the final against Australia with high intensity, but Australia eventually clinched the victory, leaving the entire nation in shock. Rohit, who led the team in the tournament, admitted that the loss made him question his future in cricket. “I Had Nothing Left”Rohit Sharma said, “After the 2023 World Cup final, I was ...