India have unveiled their squad for the upcoming five-match Women’s T20I series against South Africa, with a mix of fresh faces and established performers highlighting the selection. The spotlight firmly falls on seam-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam, who has earned her maiden T20I call-up and could finally make her debut in the shortest format during the April tour.

Kashvee Gautam’s rise earns maiden T20I call-up

Gautam’s inclusion is one of the biggest talking points in the squad announcement. The young all-rounder has already represented India in one Test and six ODIs, showcasing her ability in longer formats. She was also part of India’s recent tour of Australia, where she gained valuable international exposure.

However, the T20I format has remained the missing piece in her international journey so far. With conditions in South Africa expected to assist seamers, Gautam now stands a strong chance of finally donning the India jersey in T20Is. Her dual ability to contribute with both bat and ball adds balance to the squad, something the team management has clearly prioritized.

Uma Chetry added as backup wicketkeeper

Another notable inclusion is wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, who comes in as cover for first-choice keeper Richa Ghosh. Chetry replaces teenage prospect G Kamalini, who has not featured in international cricket since her debut series against Sri Lanka last year.

Despite being part of the squad during the Australia tour, Kamalini did not get a game, and the selectors appear to have opted for a more experienced backup option in Chetry. This move indicates a focus on stability and readiness, especially in a competitive away series.

Key omissions signal shift in selection strategy

The squad also sees a few significant omissions. Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who was part of the Sri Lanka series, has been left out after not getting opportunities in Australia. All-rounder Amanjot Kaur has also missed out following a difficult outing in her recent T20I appearances, where she struggled with both bat and ball. These exclusions suggest that the selectors are leaning towards form and role clarity, especially with a packed international calendar ahead.

Also READ: Georgia Voll’s sensational century helps Australia whitewash West Indies in Women’s T20I series

Balanced bowling attack for South African conditions

India’s bowling unit appears well-rounded, particularly with a strong seam contingent. Gautam joins Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, and Kranti Gaud to form a four-pronged pace attack suited for South African pitches.

The spin department will be led by experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma, alongside Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil. This combination offers both control and wicket-taking options in the middle overs, ensuring variety in India’s bowling plans.

The T20I series will begin in Durban, hosting the first two matches on April 17 and 19. The action will then move to Johannesburg for the third and fourth games on April 22 and 25. The series will conclude in Benoni on April 27.

India Women’s squad for T20Is vs South Africa: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Shreyanka Patil, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry (wk), Anushka Sharma.

Also READ: Jess Kerr, Sophie Devine power New Zealand to series-clinching win over South Africa in 4th T20I

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

US president Donald Trump spoke with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir earlier this week as Islamabad is attempting to position itself as a key mediator in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. Meanwhile, Pakistani prime minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a separate call with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, according to officials familiar with the discussions.The talks coincided with Trump’s announcement of a five-day suspension of his threat to strike Iran’s power plants, following what he described as “very good and productive” conversations with Tehran aimed at ending the war. The White House, however, cautioned that no formal negotiations are underway and nothing is concrete as of yet. “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the United States will not negotiate through the news media,” it said. While Trump’s posts on Truth Social temporarily pushed oil prices down, it remains unclear if Pakistan’s mediation efforts were directly linked to the market movement. Analysts note that the conflict and stalled diplomatic channels continue to keep the region on edge.

Pakistan offers Islamabad as potential venue

Two officials familiar with the talks told Financial Times Pakistan has offered its capital as a venue for discussions between senior US figures, including US vice president JD Vance, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iranian officials.“While sharing with the Iranian President the diplomatic outreach efforts of Pakistan’s leadership, the prime minister assured the Iranian leadership that Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in facilitating peace,” Pakistan said in a readout of the call.

Regional powers engage behind the scenes

Other regional players are also working to de-escalate tensions. Turkey, which had been involved in mediation before the war, has held talks with Iranian officials and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff to secure a temporary ceasefire. Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday, while Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty held separate conversations with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts over the weekend.Iran, however, denied direct negotiations with the US. “Over the past few days, messages were received via certain friendly states conveying the US request for negotiations to end the war,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told official news agency IRNA, according to FT.“Appropriate responses were given [to those initiatives] in accordance with the country’s fundamental positions.” He added that Iran’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz and its conditions for ending the conflict remain unchanged.

Experts remain skeptical

Analysts caution that early-stage backchannel messaging does not guarantee a breakthrough. Sanam Vakil from Chatham House told FT, “It’s positive to play out what a compromise and agreement might look like, but I don’t see a willingness on either side to compromise. I don’t think Trump can walk away from this crisis of his making. And I just don’t see Iran caving. They feel they have the upper hand and the leverage, this is again about their survival and the conditions that will assure their survival.”Past mediation efforts, often facilitated by Oman and Qatar, stalled after the US and Israel launched the war just two days following a round of talks between the Trump administration and Iranian officials in Geneva. Officials said senior Pakistani officials have been back-channeling communications between Tehran and US envoys, ensuring ongoing dialogue.

Pakistan’s dilemma

Pakistan’s position is strengthened by its geopolitical standing. It hosts no US military bases and has largely been spared Iranian missile and drone strikes, making it an intermediary for both sides. Islamabad also has the world’s second-largest Shia population after Iran and maintains close ties with Gulf states, including a defence pact with Saudi Arabia.The defence pact with Riyadh is another contention for Islamabad to deal with. According to the pact it supposedly considers attack on one as attack on all, similar to Nato’s article 5, but the specifics of the deal remain vague. Ever since the war in the Middle East began Islamabad has pursued cautious diplomacy, condemning the strikes on Iran, while simultaneously urging de-escalation. But analysts warn it cannot remain insulated from competing pressures.However, the country remains highly dependent on oil and gas imports from the Gulf, making stability in the region crucial. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei even acknowledged Pakistan in a message for the Iranian New Year, saying he has a special feeling toward the people of Pakistan.While Trump has paused immediate military threats and Iran maintains a firm stance, Pakistan’s mediation efforts illustrate the limited channels available for conflict de-escalation.

Indian Railways refund and cancellation rules

New refund rules 2026: Indian Railways has announced a new set of refund rules for confirmed train tickets. As per the new rules, if a passenger chooses to cancel a confirmed train ticket within 24 to 72 hours of the scheduled departure, there will be 25% deduction in the train ticket fare. If the cancellation is made within 8 hours then no refund will be issued on the ticket.

New Cancellation & Refund Rules 2026: Top points to know

1. For a confirmed ticket, if the cancellation is made more than 72 hours before departure, then you will get the maximum refund possible, with only the minimum flat cancellation fee per passenger applicable2. If you cancel the confirmed ticket, in the 72 hours to 24 hours window before the train departure, there will be a standard penalty window (25% of the fare subject to the minimum charge)3. Between 24 hours up to 8 hours before the departure, if the train ticket is cancelled then 50% of the fare will be deducted subject to the minimum charge4. If you cancel your confirmed train ticket less than 8 hours before the departure of the train, NO REFUND will be permitted.

Refund rules for PRS counter tickets and e-tickets have also changed.

In the meantime, last year Indian Railways made several changes to its train ticket booking system as well. For example, effective October 1, 2025, Indian Railways introduced a rule mandating Aadhaar authentication for passengers booking reserved tickets under the general quota via the IRCTC website or mobile application during the first 15 minutes of the booking window.The move was intended to ensure that genuine users benefit from the reservation system while curbing misuse by unauthorised entities.The introduction of this measure followed closely on the heels of Indian Railways making Aadhaar authentication compulsory for Tatkal bookings from July 1, 2025.Those booking tickets under the Tatkal scheme are required to complete Aadhaar verification and can do so only through the IRCTC website or its mobile application.The guidelines also outlined restrictions for authorised railway ticketing agents in relation to Tatkal reservations.Such agents are barred from booking Tatkal tickets on the first day during the initial 30 minutes of the booking window. This restriction applies from 10:00 am to 10:30 am for air-conditioned classes and from 11:00 am to 11:30 am for non-air-conditioned classes.

Gujarat Titans squad at the ‘Shubharambh’ event in Ahmedabad ahead of IPL 2026.

NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill wants his fast bowlers to perform with the same intensity and aggression that former India pacer Ashish Nehra displayed during his playing days, ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Known for his fiery pace and on-field passion, Nehra never held back – often shouting, and at times even cussing, if there were misfields or dropped catches.Now the head coach of Gujarat Titans, Nehra’s old bowling clips remain a fan favourite. His aggression and loud instructions, which kept fielders on their toes, are still widely enjoyed.

In fact, one of the well-known clips shows Nehra shouting at MS Dhoni.Dhoni faced Nehra’s wrath during an ODI against arch-rivals Pakistan national cricket team in 2005. Nehra, bowling to Shahid Afridi, induced an edge, but Dhoni failed to take the catch behind the stumps. The pacer was visibly furious and lost his temper.During an interaction with host and TV personality Mandira Bedi, Gill said he wants Nehra-like aggression from his pace attack in IPL 2026.Gujarat Titans’ pace arsenal for the season includes Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Luke Wood, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma and Jason Holder.“I do not want my fast bowlers to be calm. I want them to be fierce just like Ashu Pa was. I’m sure you must have seen videos of how Ashu Pa acknowledged dropped catches when he was playing,” Gill said.Prasidh was the Purple Cap holder in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets in 19 matches.Gujarat Titans won their maiden IPL title in 2022 under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.Last season, Gujarat Titans reached the Eliminator but lost to Mumbai Indians by 20 runs. Gill, however, is confident of a turnaround this time.“Even last year, we had a very successful season. We did not win the trophy, but that does not take away from the brand of cricket we played. We are now here to rectify the mistakes we made last season. We did fall short in some of the things,” he added.

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