Smriti Mandhana and India Women ready for Zimbabwe T20I series

India women’s cricket team captain Smriti Mandhana is preparing for an important T20I assignment against Zimbabwe as the side builds towards the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy. The upcoming six-match T20I schedule offers India an opportunity to experiment with combinations and strengthen their approach in the shortest format.

Mandhana, who recently took over the captaincy from Harmanpreet Kaur, will look to establish her leadership style while maintaining India’s competitive standards. The series also provides an opportunity for younger players to make their mark. India will be keen to balance aggressive batting with smart decision-making as they prepare for the challenges ahead.

Sunil Gavaskar urges India batters to show greater responsibility

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged India’s batting unit to take greater responsibility following their 24-run defeat to the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad. The visitors posted an imposing 247/3, powered by Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102, before India were bowled out for 223.

Sanju Samson provided a quickfire 56 off 23 balls, but India failed to sustain their chase. Gavaskar highlighted India’s shortcomings while pursuing big totals, insisting that better decision-making is essential. The defeat levelled the five-match series at 2-2, setting up a decisive fifth T20I in Bengaluru.

Punam Raut announces retirement from international cricket

Former India women’s batter Punam Raut announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket on October 15, bringing an end to a career spanning more than a decade. The 37-year-old represented India between 2009 and 2021, featuring in four Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is. She scored 2,299 runs in ODIs, including three centuries, and played a significant role in India’s campaign at the 2017 Women’s World Cup, where the team finished runners-up. Raut also recorded a memorable 130 in a Test against South Africa. She expressed gratitude for representing India and acknowledged the Mumbai Cricket Association for supporting her development.

Lahiru Udara replaces Pathum Nissanka for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s opener Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out of the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. He has not sufficiently recovered from the left hamstring injury he picked up during Sri Lanka’s limited-overs tour of England. He has been replaced by Lahiru Udara, who has played five Tests and seven T20Is for Sri Lanka, but is yet to make his ODI debut. Udara averages 32.09 at a strike rate of 85.97 across 97 List A innings. Among Sri Lanka batters, only new captain Kusal Mendis has scored more than Nissanka’s tally of 1,324 ODI runs since 2024.

Cameron Green in doubt for Gqeberha Test

Australia remain uncertain about Cameron Green’s availability for the second World Test Championship match against South Africa. Head coach Andrew McDonald indicated that the all-rounder must clear further fitness assessments before being considered for selection. He now has three days to prove himself as the second game begins on Sunday, October 18 in Gqeberha.

Notably, Green missed the series opener because of an abdominal injury. Although Australia had hoped to restore the 27-year-old to their batting line-up for the next encounter, his participation will depend on how he responds to the coming days of rehabilitation. In the meantime, McDonald offered an encouraging assessment of Green’s progress but stopped short of confirming his return.

Arshdeep tops the list of bowlers with the most wides and no balls

Arshdeep Singh now tops the list of bowlers who have bowled the most wides and no-balls in T20 Internationals. According to current statistics, Arshdeep Singh leads the list of wides and no-balls in T20 Internationals. He has bowled a total of 150 extra balls, including 132 wides and 18 no-balls. Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman is second with 146 balls, and Ireland’s Mark Adair is third with 143 balls. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is also on this list. He has 116 wides and no balls, including 112 wides and 4 no balls. Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava also has 116 extra balls. He has bowled 96 wides and 20 no balls.

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