New Delhi: In the ongoing domestic season, Mohammed Shami has already sent down over 200 overs for Bengal. He has played the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is currently playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Even though he continues to stay on the sidelines for the national team, the seamer continues to do what he does best – make the ball talk and pick wickets with ease.There have been verbal volleys between Shami and chief selector Ajit Agarkar whenever the bowler didn’t get a call-up and his much debated absence will be up for discussion again when the selectors meet to pick the squad for New Zealand ODIs in the first week of January.

Agarkar has been repeatedly questioned about the omission and has maintained the “need to play some cricket” stand. If 145.2 overs in Ranji Trophy, 26.5 overs in SMAT and 34.2 overs in ongoing VHT doesn’t qualify, then the definition of “some cricket” needs to be made clear.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Shami, 35, last played for India in the Champions Trophy – where he was the lone specialist seamer doing the heavy lifting on turners – and returned with 9 wickets from five games, including a 5/53 outing.

The skill and quality has never been a doubt but it was the recurring fitness issues which became a big roadblock in his selection. The chief selector had revealed during an event that Shami would have been on the flight to England had he been fit.But those are now conversations and discussions of the past. Looking ahead, selectors will find it really hard to ignore the experienced seamer for the three games against New Zealand starting January 11.He has given a terrific account of his fitness with regular outings for Bengal and the List A outings have been impressive with eight wickets in four games.

The age argument could be tabled keeping the 2027 World Cup in mind but if Mitchell Starc can run through oppositions at 35, Scott Boland can be penetrative at 36 and Michael Nesser can make an impact at 35 for Australia, Shami can surely do his magic if he is carefully managed for the multi-nation event in South Africa.The right-arm seamer missed the early phase of the 2023 ODI World Cup due to combination calls but the moment he found a place in the XI, he showed what India missed. A genuine wicket-taker with an ability to singlehandedly run through oppositions. And not to forget the experience he brings to the table and how it would be of immense help to the likes of Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna.

“If he is fit, why wouldn’t we have a bowler like Shami? I have had multiple chats with him. Over the last six to eight months, what we have found out is that he wasn’t fit,” Agarkar had said during an event in New Delhi.Shami is fit. Shami is in top rhythm. Shami is picking wickets. Over to Agarkar & Co. now.

Bollywood and television actor Khushi Mukherjee has moved to clear the air around her recent comments involving India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, addressing the issue in an exclusive interaction with NDTV. Her clarification has eased concerns among the captain’s supporters and Indian cricket followers, especially with a major ICC event on the horizon. Responding to questions from the channel, Khushi remarked, “Can’t we talk as friends?” Her explanation follows a statement made a day earlier that triggered widespread debate within cricket circles. With the T20 World Cup less than six weeks away and the Indian squad already announced under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, the interpretation of her earlier remarks was viewed as potentially unsettling for the team setup. Such off-field noise often raises fears about its impact on dressing-room harmony.

Despite leading India to the Asia Cup title in 2025, Suryakumar Yadav has recently faced scrutiny due to a lean run with the bat. Against this backdrop, Khushi Mukherjee’s remarks added to the buzz. Notably, her earlier comments surfaced at a time when Suryakumar was on a personal visit to the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati along with his wife, Devisha, on Tuesday. The Indian captain has so far chosen not to respond publicly to the controversy. Speaking to NDTV, Khushi categorically stated that there was no “romantic relationship” between her and Suryakumar Yadav. She said her words had been taken out of context and sensationalised, and also claimed that her Instagram account had been hacked. Khushi explained that she had spoken to Suryakumar as a friend in the past but stressed that they are no longer in contact. She added that there has been no communication between them even after the issue erupted. Wishing the Indian team well, she expressed her support for Suryakumar Yadav and Team India ahead of the upcoming World Cup, mentioning that the cricketer had once spoken to her as a friend following a defeat. The controversy began after Khushi gave a striking response to a question at a recent event, where she said she did not wish to date any cricketer, claimed that several cricketers had approached her, and referred to Suryakumar Yadav messaging her in the past. Khushi Mukherjee is known for her appearances in television shows such as MTV Splitsvilla, Kahat Hanuman Jai Shri Ram, Baalveer Returns and MTV Love School, along with work in Tamil and Telugu cinema. In her earlier statement as well, she reiterated that she has no intention of dating a cricketer.

Andries Gous produced one of the most astounding innings in the history of the World ILT20 as Desert Vipers stormed into the final with a resounding 45-run win over MI Emirates in Qualifier 1 being played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.Gous’ unbeaten 120 off 58 balls not only powered the Vipers to a daunting 233/1 — the highest team total of the season — but also rewrote league records. It was the first century of the season, the highest individual score in ILT20 history, and the first hundred by a player from an Associate Nation across four seasons of the tournament. Supported by Fakhar Zaman and Sam Curran, the Vipers delivered a batting exhibition that MI Emirates never fully recovered from.

“It was a really special moment for me. You don’t get many opportunities to score a hundred, so I truly cherished it. After the sixth over, we knew handling the wind would be key, and Fakhar batted superbly, which made my job a lot easier. Post powerplay, we were thinking in terms of 190–200, but then Sam played an unbelievable innings that pushed us all the way to 230,” said Gous.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Put in to bat, the Vipers began steadily before Gous shifted gears in the fifth over, hammering Romario Shepherd for 20 runs. He reached his half-century off just 29 balls and found a perfect ally in Fakhar Zaman, who overcame a cautious start to unleash his full range during the middle overs. The opening pair stitched together a monumental 157-run stand — the highest opening partnership in ILT20 history — with boundaries flowing freely on both sides of the wicket.

Fakhar fell for a fluent 69 off 50 balls in the 16th over, but the damage was already done. Gous brought up his century in 53 balls before Sam Curran provided the finishing touches with a blistering unbeaten 38 off just 12 deliveries. The final five overs yielded a staggering 85 runs as the Vipers surged past 230.Chasing 234, MI Emirates showed early promise through Muhammad Waseem and Tom Banton, reaching 53/1 at the end of the powerplay. Banton then launched a fierce counterattack, smashing a 21-ball half-century and adding 81 runs with Waseem. However, the chase lost momentum once Waseem fell in the 11th over.

Debutant Usman Tariq turned the game decisively in the Vipers’ favour, striking twice in two balls to remove Banton and Sanjay Krishnamurthi. He later accounted for Kieron Pollard as MI Emirates’ batting unraveled under pressure. Tariq finished with impressive figures of 3/33, while David Payne and Naseem Shah chipped in at crucial junctures.Despite a late flourish from Romario Shepherd, MI Emirates were restricted to 188/7, falling well short of the target.With the win, Desert Vipers booked their third final appearance in four seasons, underlining their consistency in the league. MI Emirates, meanwhile, will get another shot at the title when they face the winner of the Eliminator between Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals on January 1.

“Chasing 233 was always going to be a stiff challenge. Losing by 45 runs is a big margin in T20 cricket, but I felt we conceded about 10–15 runs too many on what was a very good pitch. We’ve played and won plenty of games at this venue, though this surface was new to us and played well. One loss isn’t the end of the road—we still have another chance. You always want to get it done the first time, but this was one game where we fell away at the back end, and credit to the opposition for playing exceptionally well,” said MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard. Brief ScoresDesert Vipers: 233/1 in 20 overs (Andries Gous 120 not out, Fakhar Zaman 69, Sam Curran 38; Allah Ghazanfar 1/37)MI Emirates: 188/7 in 20 overs (Tom Banton 63, Muhammad Waseem 41, Romario Shepherd 39 not out; Usman Tariq 3/33, David Payne 2/52, Naseem Shah 1/20)

January 11 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 1st ODI BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara January 14 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI Niranjan Shah Stadium, Khandheri, Rajkot January 18 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore January 21 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur January 23 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur January 25 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati January 28 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 4th T20I ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam January 31 Jan 2026 India vs New Zealand, 5th T20I Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram February 7 Feb 2026 India vs USA, T20 World Cup Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai February 12 Feb 2026 India vs Namibia, T20 World Cup Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi February 15 Feb 2026 India vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo February 18 Feb 2026 India vs Netherlands, T20 World Cup Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Feb–Mar 21 Feb–1 Mar Super 8 matches, T20 World Cup Multiple venues, if qualified March 5 Mar 2026 T20 World Cup semifinal Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, if qualified March 8 Mar 2026 T20 World Cup final Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, if qualified April–May 26 Mar–31 May IPL 2026 Multiple venues June TBA Afghanistan tour of India, 3 ODIs and 1 Test Dates and venues TBA July 1 Jul 2026 England vs India, 1st T20I Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street July 4 Jul 2026 England vs India, 2nd T20I Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester July 7 Jul 2026 England vs India, 3rd T20I Trent Bridge, Nottingham July 9 Jul 2026 England vs India, 4th T20I County Ground, Bristol July 11 Jul 2026 England vs India, 5th T20I The Rose Bowl, Southampton July 14 Jul 2026 England vs India, 1st ODI Edgbaston, Birmingham July 16 Jul 2026 England vs India, 2nd ODI Sophia Gardens, Cardiff July 19 Jul 2026 England vs India, 3rd ODI Lord’s, London August TBA India tour of Sri Lanka, 2 Tests TBA September TBA Afghanistan vs India, 3 T20Is TBA September TBA Asian Games Japan September TBA West Indies tour of India, 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is TBA Oct–Nov TBA India tour of New Zealand, 2 Tests and 3 ODIs TBA December TBA Sri Lanka tour of India, 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is TBA

The Indian team for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand will be picked on Jan 3, TOI has learnt. India’s ODI squad will assemble in Vadodara on Jan 7. The series will begin on Jan 11 in Vadodara, with the next two matches scheduled to be held in Rajkot on Jan 14 and Indore on Jan 18. “The national selection committee, headed by (former India pacer) Ajit Agarkar, will hold an online meeting on Jan 3 to pick the squad,” a source in the BCCI said.

The ODI leg of the series is expected to draw significant attention, particularly as it will feature superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who will be in action for the first time since the ODI series against South Africa in Dec. India have already picked the squad for the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis, which will start on Jan 21, while New Zealand have also named both their squads. Having recovered from a neck injury, skipper Shubman Gill, who was recently dropped from India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, is set to lead the team. However, India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer’s return to action has been delayed, as he will undergo rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for another week. In a move aimed at workload management, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested for the New Zealand series. Both have missed the last two ODI series, and with the T20 World Cup drawing closer, the team management is keen to manage their fitness carefully. It will be interesting to see if the selectors pick Uttar Pradesh’s in-form wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who has scored 307 runs in three matches at an average of 153.5, including 160 not out off 101 balls against Baroda in Rajkot on Dec 29, or Ishan Kishan, if they look to replace Rishabh Pant as the second wicketkeeper.