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🚨 Shardul Thakur to Lead West Zone in 2025 Duleep Trophy 🏏

Posted on August 1, 2025 by [email protected]

In a new step for developing leadership. Experienced fast bowler Shardul Thakur has been named captain of the West Zone team for the 2025 Duleep Trophy, Which starts on August 28.

This decision was made by the zonal selectors on Thursday. It sets the stage for a tough and exciting tournament that kicks off the 2025–26 domestic season in India.

Fans often call Thakur “Lord Shardul” because he performs well in tough situations. He has played in all formats for India and his leadership will bring a mix of calm and energy to the West Zone squad.

West Zone has a mix of young talent and experienced players.

Some key names in the squad are:

Yashasvi Jaiswal – The left-handed batter is known for his exciting style and is making a name for himself.
Shreyas Iyer – He’s back after an injury and wants to prove himself for a place in the national team.
Sarfaraz Khan – A top run-scorer in domestic cricket, he adds strength in the middle order.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shams Mulani, and Tushar Deshpande also make up a solid group.

Notably, older players like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were left out.

This might be a sign that the team is focusing more on younger players. As both have had trouble staying in the national setup. Shardul Thakur’s captaincy is real and meaningful.

He is known for his hard work and fight on the field. His strong performances in Tests. Especially in Australia and England, have made him a trusted player. In domestic cricket, his bold approach and smart thinking have worked well.

His leadership will help players like Ashwin Kotian, Dharmendra Jadeja, and Shaunak Nagwaswala as they try to move up in the ranks. The Duleep Trophy is now more than just a local competition.

It’s a key event for players aiming to play red-ball cricket for India. Strong showings here often lead to selection in India A or even the senior team. The zonal format, which returned last season. Gives players a chance to play high-level cricket and represent their regions.

West Zone, the most successful team in Duleep Trophy. History with 19 titles, Aims to add another to their list under Thakur’s leadership.

With the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy coming next. The Duleep Trophy is the first opportunity for players to get started and build momentum.

Winning the Duleep Trophy would be a big boost for Thakur and his team. It would show the strength of West Zone cricket.

Abhishek Sharma replaces Head to take the No. 1 spot as a T20I batsman.

Posted on July 31, 2025July 31, 2025 by [email protected]

Abhishek Sharma of India overtook Travis Head, his opening partner for Sunrisers Hyderabad, to take the top spot in the T20I batting rankings.

Travis Head had maintained his top spot since defeating Suryakumar Yadav in June of last year, but after missing Australia’s five-match series in the West Indies and playing his last T20I in September 2024, he dropped a spot as Abhishek Sharma became the third Indian to top the T20I batting charts, behind Virat Kohli and Suryakumar.

Abhishek last played for India during the five-match Twenty20 International series against England in February. In the series’ last game, he scored 135 runs off of 54 balls.

Josh Inglis rose six spots to ninth in the rankings after scoring 172 runs in the five games against the West Indies, finishing as the series’ third-highest run scorer. Despite ranking second on the series’ run rankings after a century, Shai Hope remained in tenth place.

Cameron Green was the series’ greatest mover, leaping 64 spots to No. 24, while Tim David went up 12 spaces to 18th after scoring Australia’s quickest T20I century and Brandon King gained nine slots.

Nathan Ellis, a fast bowler, moved up nine ranks to go joint-eighth among the bowlers.

India’s Ravindra Jadeja, who has been playing well in the current series between the two countries, is still at the top of the Test all-rounders’ ratings, while England skipper Ben Stokes moved up three spots to No. 3 after his century and five-wicket haul at Old Trafford.

After recording his first Test century in Manchester, Washington Sundar rose eight spots to share thirteenth place with a career-high 193 ranking points.

🏏 Nitish Kumar Reddy Appointed Captain of Bhimavaram Bulls for APL 2025 🏆

Posted on July 18, 2025July 18, 2025 by [email protected]

In a significant move ahead of the Andhra Premier League (APL) 2025 season. Dynamic all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been named the captain of the Bhimavaram Bulls. The announcement was made on July 17. Sending waves of excitement among fans of Andhra cricket and followers of the domestic T20 scene.

Reddy has already garnered media attention for his outstanding domestic and international cricket performances. He is going to guide the Bulls into the APL’s fourth season. August 8–August 24, 2025 is the planned occurrence date at the Visakhapatnam-based Dr. YSR ACA–VDCA Stadium.

🌟 Rising Star Takes Charge – Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy has rapidly climbed the cricketing ladder, with impressive displays across formats. His leadership appointment reflects the franchise’s vision to build a team around a young, aggressive, and tactically aware cricketer. Known for his ability to contribute with both bat and ball. Reddy’s all-round skills are expected to bring a perfect balance to the Bulls’ strategy.

In 2024, he made his Test debut for India and delivered standout performances in T20 Internationals, showcasing maturity beyond his years. He is currently among the most promising cricket players coming out of Andhra Pradesh based on his career thus far.

🐂 Bhimavaram Bulls – A Team Reimagined

The Bhimavaram Bulls have also unveiled a strong 20-player squad for APL 2025 .With a mix of experienced campaigners and exciting youngsters. The team looks well-equipped to challenge for the title this season. Key players alongside Reddy include Satyanarayan Raju, Hari Shankar Reddy, and Pinniti Tejaswi, among others.

This season, the Bulls are expected to adopt a fearless brand of cricket. Nitish Kumar Reddy bringing his aggressive mindset and calm leadership to the forefront.

🏆 APL 2025: Bigger, Bolder, Better

The Andhra Premier League has grown in popularity over the years and the 2025. Edition is set to feature seven teams for the first time, up from six in the previous season. The inclusion of top domestic stars and rising talents is a major attraction for fans.

The recent APL auction saw intense bidding, with top players like Paila Avinash and Satyanarayan Raju fetching high prices. Amidst this, Bhimavaram Bulls have quietly assembled a versatile squad, and with Reddy at the helm. They are tipped as serious contenders this season.

🔊 Reddy’s Reaction

Speaking after his appointment, Nitish Kumar Reddy expressed his gratitude and excitement:

“It’s a proud moment to lead Bhimavaram Bulls. I look forward to taking on this responsibility and helping our team play competitive and spirited cricket. We are ready to give our best and aim for the championship.”

📰 Final Take

All eyes will be on Nitish Kumar Reddy as he leads his side through the pressure of a high-stakes competition as the countdown to the APL 2025 gets underway. Reddy’s leadership, talent, and temperament could be the deciding factor that propels the Bhimavaram Bulls to victory.

Jitesh Sharma moves to Baroda from Vidarbha to get ready for the domestic season in 2025–2026.

Posted on July 16, 2025July 16, 2025 by [email protected]

Vidarbha and Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma will play for Baroda in the upcoming season.

The 31-year-old played second fiddle to captain and first-choice wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar during the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, and he did not appear in any games. He continued to play for Karun Nair’s Vidarbha white-ball teams.

It has been reported that the relocation to Baroda has been planned for some time. The close bond between Jitesh and Baroda captain Krunal Pandya is believed to be the cause. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate he was with. helped make the transfer possible after their initial IPL title win earlier this year.

The change might present Jitesh with a fresh chance to establish himself as a first-class cricket regular. Jitesh has only appeared in 18 first-class games in the last ten seasons since making his debut in 2015–16. He has four half-centuries and a modest average of 24.48. It has been over a year since his last first-class match.

Jitesh has proved himself in the shortest formats of cricket in recent years. While having little playing experience in red-ball cricket. In October of 2023, Jitesh made his India T20I debut in the Asian Games after making a breakthrough for Punjab Kings. He nine T20I matches are remarkable.

Jitesh Sharma

As RCB’s finisher at the IPL 2025 earlier this year. Jitesh was instrumental in helping them place in the top two by scoring their first half-century an unbeaten 85 against the Lucknow Super Giants. He served as Rajat Patidar’s deputy captain and took over as captain in the latter stages of the tournament after Patidar was hurt.

The only RTM (right to match) for RCB in the mega auction. Jitesh’s IPL teammate Swapnil Singh, is expected to relocate to Tripura. Swapnil played domestic cricket for Uttarakhand in 2024–25, taking 18 wickets in five games during the Ranji Trophy. However he did not play a single game for RCB. He had low white-ball stats.

In the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2025, Swapnil, a regular in Chennai’s club cricket scene, most recently played for the Chepauk Super Gillies. Where he took three wickets in eight games and batted for 85 runs.

India won the series thanks to bowlers.

Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 by [email protected]

India easily defeated England by six wickets at Old Trafford on Wednesday, securing a decisive 3-1 lead in the five-match series under the leadership of an all-around performance. India overtook the score with three overs remaining, chasing 127 for victory.

England chose to bat, and their innings got off to a poor start. Sophia Dunkley was at her best against Shree Charani in the third over. She hit the first ball beyond cover point for a boundary. Then worked a flighted delivery over cover for a six. Despite being costly in the opening two overs, Charani eventually got rid of Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Even though England continued to score goals, particularly when Tammy Beumont replaced Sneh Rana, the striking rotation was insufficient to keep the scoring rate under check. Radha Yadav’s superb fielding in the second half limited the scoring rate, therefore the early inability to apply any pressure backfired.

India

England’s attempts to hurry up were successful. By the 19th over, England had fallen to 110 for 7, as wickets continued to fall at a rapid pace. Sophie Ecclestone and Izzy Wong’s sixes in the last over helped England cross the run-a-ball threshold, but the total wasn’t competitive enough.

In the powerplay, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma blasted from both ends. Destroying any chance England had of making the pursuit difficult for India. In just the first four overs, India reached 45/0. The third half-century opening partnership of the series had set the stage for a resounding victory, but England did manage the scoring pace for a few overs after that, even getting Shafali caught at backward square leg.

Mandhana eventually retired as well, giving the short third fielder an advantage, but India held firm. Experienced professionals Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues ensured. There was no fear as they effortlessly rotated the strike on their way to their 42-run partnership for the third wicket. 4. The hosts were not too comforted by England’s quick dismissals of Harmanpreet and Amanjot Kaur.

England U19s take a consolation win as Mayes finishes the chase.

Posted on July 8, 2025 by [email protected]

The England U19s had a thrilling seven-wicket victory at Visit Worcestershire New Road to round off their Youth ODI series against India.

The tourists won the series 3-2, but England earned the victory in the last match. After a superb bowling performance held India’s strong batting lineup to 210 for nine. All six bowlers took wickets thanks to a great team effort, although Ralphie Albert (two for 24) and Alex French (two for 37) stood out. The only player to surpass 40 was RS Ambrish (66 not out from 81 balls).

After that, England easily reached 211 for three with 113 balls remaining. Following Ben Dawkins’s (66, 53) third consecutive sixty score, Ben Mayes (82 not out, 76 balls) and Thomas Rew (49 not out, 37) saw their team home at a canter.

Following India’s decision to bat, French and Matt Firbank each scored in their opening over as England’s redesigned seam attack got off to a fantastic start. Before French took the crucial wicket of Vihaan Malhotra, Ayush Mhatre’s fruitless series came to an end with a reckless flick to mid-on off Firbank. Malhotra. Who scored a brilliant century in the previous match, nicked a fantastic delivery to wicketkeeper Rew.

This time, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, who scored 322 runs off 162 balls in the series’ opening four games, lacked fluency. Prior to slicing Sebastian Morgan to deep third on 33 from 42. He was well-contained despite hitting Firbank for consecutive sixes.

Alex Green, a seamer for Leicestershire, kept up the pressure and was rewarded. When Dawkins caught Rahul Kumar well on the long-leg rope. Albert quickly defeated the dangerous Harvansh Pangalia (24, 37) lbw, sweeping, as England started to spin.

England U19s

Ambrish was left to make sure the innings filled its 50 overs. After Albert added the wicket of Kanishk Chouhan, who was deftly stumped by Rew after being coaxed down the wicket. He achieved this by skillfully shepherding the tail for a half-century.

Joe Moores’ bottom-edged pluck at Deepesh Davendra to wicketkeeper Pangalia gave England’s reply a head start. But Dawkins and Mayes’ 107-run partnership in 13 overs put a dent in the chase. Dawkins batted with more and more force until he hoisted Naman Pushpak to long-on. Where Chauhan made a superb sprinting catch, as he attempted his fourth six.

India had a chance when Pushpak hit a ball through Rocky Flintoff’s gate. But skipper Rew arrived at the crease with the equation still heavily in England’s favour 90 needed from 31 overs. Rew finished the game with a barrage of boundaries against a weakness attack in an unbroken stand of 90 from 73 balls. While Mayes achieved his half-century from 48 balls and remained strong to unfold a flawless performance.

Sanju Samson signs a record KCL contract to return to Kerala cricket.

Posted on July 5, 2025 by [email protected]

In the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) and among cricketers in the state. Sanju Samson is difficult exclusion from the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season has had no effect on his reputation. At the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction on Saturday. The India and Rajasthan Royals batsman solidified his reputation by becoming the most expensive acquisition. For a record INR 26.60 lakh, the Kochi Blue Tigers acquired him.

Samson will be playing in his first competitive match since the end of the 2025 Indian Premier League. When he played nine games for the Rajasthan Royals. The team had a poor season, with only four wins and 10 losses, ending ninth. A side strain held Samson out of action for a large chunk of the middle part of the season.

After missing out on Vijay Hazare’s squad. Samson will also make his debut appearance under the KCA’s jurisdiction at the KCL. Due to his failure to attend a training camp prior to the tournament. Sanju Samson was disqualified at the time. Despite the KCA’s declaration that they wanted to set a precedent. The India batter said that he had written to the association requesting permission to skip the camp.

Sanju Samson

Samson, who was named the league’s brand ambassador, declined to play in the KCL’s first season due to international obligations. After that, his name was removed from the auctions and he was granted a respite. Samson, who most memorably scored three hundred against South Africa and Bangladesh, has since solidified his status as an everyday T20I opener for India.

The all-rounder Jalaj Saxena was selected for INR 12.6 lakh. While the second-most expensive pick was Vishnu Vinod, a batsman and wicketkeeper who played for the Mumbai Indians.

Vignesh Puthur, a juvenile left-arm wrist spinner. Who impressed in the trials and was signed by the Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakh. Brought the first edition of the KCL into sharp focus during this year’s IPL. He was also brought to South Africa. Where he played for MI Cape Town as a net bowler.

Puthur was retained by Alleppey Ripples for the second edition. After signing for INR 3.75 lakh in the first edition. He will be playing in his first competitive encounter since suffering an injury halfway through the 2025 Indian Premier League. Where he took six wickets in five games for MI.

Record Breaking Shubman Gill gives India entire power.

Posted on July 4, 2025 by [email protected]

In the tea break, Shubman Gill reached his first Test double-hundred and walked off unbroken on 265 after driving England into the ground with the highest-ever total by an Indian captain. Joe Root removed Washington Sundar for 42 as England’s bowling attack grew weary. Allowing them to take just one wicket for the second straight session.

India sped beyond 500 after lunch after cruising past 400 on the second morning at Edgbaston. Their strategy of filling their batting lineup with all-rounders following their lower-order collapses at Headingley drew a lot of opposition. But it has so far paid off handsomely, as they have partnerships of 203 and 144 for the sixth and seventh wickets.

At number four, Gill was all class as he batted through a third straight session with little hope for England. Picking gaps with accuracy and finding reward for playing late. He persistently milked Shoaib Bashir, who had bowled 21 overs without reward on the second day, for singles and struck boundaries all over the park.

After cleaning Washington up just before the tea break with an offbreak that turned past the outside edge. Root celebrated his dismissal with remarkable vigor. Curiously, Ben Stokes underbowled him, attempting every other possible way to get a wicket, including Harry Brook’s less well-known medium pace.

After the half, Washington took on Josh Tongue, hooking him over the long leg for six. After being concerned by his bouncer ploy before lunch. While Shubman Gill glided past several benchmarks, notably the best score by an Indian on English soil (previously 221) and the highest score by an Indian captain (previously 254*). He otherwise gave excellent support.

India is well-positioned to achieve the highest total against England in the Stokes-McCullum era. Which stands at 579 (by Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022). There were no clear indications of a coming declaration at the tea break. England has won the last three times they have let up more over 550 runs while Stokes has been captain.

Shafali Verma may have luck on her third visit to England.

Posted on June 27, 2025 by [email protected]

Shafali Verma will be making his third tour of England. But this time around, a lot has changed. To begin with, she is no longer a teenager.

Shafali was a T20I cricket player when she made her first trip to England for the multi-format series in 2021. During that tour, she made her debut in both Test and ODI cricket. Despite her inconsistency, India was pleased with the high-impact blows she made during the 2022 England tour. Which was for the Commonwealth Games and the bilateral series. For both Shafali and India, the trade-off between risk and reward was excellent.

In the middle of 2025, Shafali remains unpopular in ODIs during a home World Cup year and has recently been called up to the T20I squad. Following India’s humiliating loss in the T20 World Cup 2024 league stage. Shafali’s position on the team appeared untenable. It’s not like India found other batters who could attack right away as she could; very few people in the world, much less India, can do it. Nevertheless, she was dropped.

In the past, Shafali Verma may have benefited by her rejection in terms of time. Since she was allowed to participate in all 50-over domestic competitions. In addition to leading the run-scoring statistics with 527 runs at an average of 75 and a strike rate of 152.31, she led Haryana to a quarterfinal finish in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy. Kiran Navgire was the only other batter to bat at a greater strike rate during the competition, but she only managed to score 116 runs.

Shafali Verma

Shafali went on to compete in the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy, where the national selectors choose the top one-dayers. As captain of Team A, she also led the charts there with 414 runs at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26. No one else in the competition scored at a faster pace than her. She had about 200 runs more than the next best.

As the top run scorer for the runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 2025 WPL and fourth-best player overall. Shafali was unable to be excluded from India’s T20I squad. The fact that India only participated in one T20I series because of her dismissal was irrelevant. When the 2026 T20 World Cup journey begins, they have their best opener back.

“In one-day cricket, everyone claimed that she only bats for ten to fifteen overs. However, she hit consecutive hundreds and batted for longer in [the domestic] one-dayers. Shafali performed well even in the Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy. She has recently begun playing longer innings on a regular basis. She has scored 130-140 in Under-23 cricket. So it’s not like she hasn’t done it before. Although she strives to maximize the powerplay in T20s, she possesses the talent.

India Women tour of England 2025

When 15-year-old Shafali made her debut for India, Kala, a former player, was the chief selector. In addition to working with DC, Kala also coached teams in the one-day and multi-day Challenger Trophy, where he saw firsthand the harm Shafali could cause as an opponent.

Kala stated, “I keep telling her that no one has the mindset she has—hitting sixes from ball one.” ‘Don’t leave your game,’ I remind her every time we speak. No one in the women’s game hits sixes at will like her; her power game comes naturally. I advised her to hold onto the traits that have led her to this point. I initially chose her because she is a different cricket player.

However, Kala also consciously taught Shafali the value of switching up your strike. Avoiding getting caught up in the pursuit of massive hits. Finding holes when the field stretches is something she has worked on.

Suryakumar Yadav is recovering from surgery for a sports hernia.

Posted on June 26, 2025 by [email protected]

In Munich, Germany, India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav got successful hernia surgery and is presently recovering.

The last time we saw Suryakumar was during the 2025 Indian Premier League, where he played a key role in the Mumbai Indians’ playoff run. A new world record for consecutive scores of 25 or more was set by the middle-order hitter, 34 (16). In addition, he finished with 717 runs, which was the most by a MI hitter in a single season and the most by a non-opener in the IPL.

The ongoing Test tour of England, which runs through August 4, is India’s current assignment. They then turn their attention to a three-ODI and three-T20I white-ball tour of Bangladesh.

Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t participated in 50-overs cricket since the 2023 World Cup final, hence he isn’t a regular for India. Because to this schedule, he had some spare time to do the surgery and recuperate before leading the T20 team in Chattogram on August 26.

After India won the World Cup in June 2024, Suryakumar became leadership of the team in Twenty20 Internationals. With the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja at the conclusion of that tournament. The IPL generation took over, and India’s batting has since achieved unprecedented heights. A squad that prioritizes batting depth and rapid scoring was able to consistently surpass the 250-run mark. The second-highest total in T20 history. 297 was reached by them against Bangladesh in October 2024.

Tag: India