Ruturaj Gaikwad (PTI Photo)

Ruturaj Gaikwad is back in the national colours and is eager to make an impact as India prepare to take on South Africa in their three-match ODI series. The batter expressed his excitement about returning to the international stage, describing it as a “good feeling” to don the blue again and contribute to the team’s efforts. Gaikwad’s inclusion comes in the absence of Shubman Gill, sidelined with a neck injury, and Shreyas Iyer, recovering from a spleen injury. The series, to be led by wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, gets underway on Sunday at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.Click here to watch India’s photoshoot session “It’s good to be back in blue and really looking forward to again playing for Team India,” Gaikwad said in a video shared by the BCCI on X during the team’s photoshoot session on Saturday.

The 28-year-old last appeared in an ODI on December 19, 2023, against South Africa in Gqeberha, while his most recent international appearance was in a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 13, 2024. India bowling coach Morne Morkel welcomed Gaikwad’s return, calling him “a quality player for a number of years” and expressing confidence that the batter would make the country proud if given the opportunity. Gaikwad earned his recall after impressive performances in the recent 50-over series against South Africa A in Rajkot. With Shreyas Iyer unavailable, he could be considered for the number four spot, though he faces competition from left-handers Tilak Varma and Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open alongside Rohit Sharma, taking over the role vacated by Shubman Gill. While Varma and Pant remain the frontrunners for the middle-order slot, Gaikwad’s form provides the team management with a valuable alternative as they finalise the batting line-up. After the series opener in Ranchi, the teams will face off in the remaining matches in Raipur and Visakhapatnam.

India Test cricket. Image: File

If the famous heist at the Gabba in Jan 2021 had been definitive indication of India’s strong player pool, the meek defeats at home over the last year to New Zealand and South Africa have been the exact opposite — an indication that the feeder line for unearthing new players has completely collapsed.A case in point was the team management’s insistence on playing Nitish Kumar Reddy in the Guwahati Test. Despite all his evident frailties in top-flight international cricket, Reddy was played in the second Test against South Africa ostensibly because the team management wanted an extra right-handed batter in a left-hander dominated line-up. The argument was that a right-hander’s presence would negate the threat of off-spinner Simon Harmer.

If that’s the case, why not play a more experienced right hander with a stronger first-class record? Reddy’s presence in the lineup was a telling commentary on the system’s failure to groom a strong bench of middle-order batters or develop a stronger vision to unearth such potential over the last four-five years. The feeder system created during Rahul Dravid’s time at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), from 2015 to 2021 — along with the presence of a supportive selection committee — had created a bench strength that helped players seamlessly graduate to international cricket. Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel — all established names now — were all products of that process. Each of these players hit the ground running when they were drafted into the Test squad.India coach Gautam Gambhir, in his defence after the series sweep, emphatically pointed out that “this is what a transition actually looks like”. Yet, it’s evident confusion over selection has led to instability in the playing XI post the Test retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin. MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors during Dravid’s time at NCA, pointed out how meticulously the feeder system had been created. “The most important thing is that the Indian team management, selectors, NCA and India ‘A’ coaches have to be in sync. During our time we had created a pool of 60 players according to positions and formats. There used to be meetings between head coach Ravi Shastri, Dravid and me to discuss what needed to be worked on,” Prasad told TOI. “For example, we had Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul as first choice Test openers. Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill were prepared as backups. And when Prithvi and Agarwal graduated, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyank Panchal joined the queue,” he added. Keeping Reddy’s selection as a reference point here, Prasad’s then-selectorial colleague Devang Gandhi pointed out that the selectors and team management may have moved on from certain middle-order players too soon. “The fact that Dhruv Jurel and Reddy are the only options to form the middle order makes you wonder if Sarfaraz Khan has been discarded too soon in home conditions. Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad started playing for India ‘A’ during our regime. They are still stuck there even as nobody has cemented a place in the Test team. Dravid and the selectors had made a policy that players above the age of 30 will only be considered for international cricket. India ‘A’ was only meant to groom youngsters,” Gandhi said. “At this moment, they need to identify players according to positions. There is no backup opener either. Pace re sources take time. The current management needs to patiently stick with a plan,” Gandhi added. In this context, the involvement of VVS Laxman, the current head of the centre of excellence (CoE) — a revamped version of the NCA — becomes crucial. TOI understands Laxman and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have been working hard to revive the vibrant ‘A’ programme. But murmurs in BCCI corridors suggest the absolute synergy needed between the Indian team, selectors and developmental sides for this particular task has gone missing. Dravid, for example, took active part in scheduling ‘A’ tours, preparatory camps for senior teams and discussing conditions for domestic cricket. “I feel that someone of Laxman’s stature has to have greater influence on the pathway. At the moment, players are picked with very little experience at the first-class level. Siraj had picked 80 wickets for India ‘A’ before making his Test debut. Pant played almost three Ranji Trophy seasons and lots of ‘A’ tours before he got his debut,” Prasad said.It is learnt that there is disquiet about the present selection committee’s attendance in domestic cricket. Three weeks ago, when the Ranji Trophy was on, three national selectors were overseas. Eight years ago, there was a policy where none of the selectors watched their home state play and covering every team was a must. “It will be a cumbersome process. There were instances when one of my colleagues landed from New Zealand at midnight and travelled to a different part of the country to watch a Ranji match. Covering length and breadth of the country was priority,” Prasad said. The 2-2 result in England is a sign of the potential of the talent that can come through. It’s about firming up a plan that can channel this potential.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

NEW DELHI: Bedridden for years, forced to undergo two major surgeries, and even warned by doctors that continuing cricket could leave him paralysed — most cricketers might have walked away and chosen another path. But Abhishek Reddy remained determined to chase his cricketing dreams. Even while lying on a hospital bed, he kept drawing strength from a poster of the great Sachin Tendulkar that read: “Chase your dreams, they do come true.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Until recently, hardly anyone knew his story. That changed when the Andhra Pradesh opener smashed a double century (247) in the Ranji Trophy against Jharkhand, powering his team to an innings victory in Jamshedpur and announcing his arrival in style.

Reddy began his domestic career with Karnataka in 2015, marking his first-class debut with a composed half-century. But soon after, injuries struck — not once, but twice — threatening to end his career before it truly began.Now, after years of pain and patience, he is back on his feet — standing tall at the crease once again, stroking his trademark cover drives, and reclaiming the cricketing dream he refused to give up on.“I was just 20 when I made my debut. The flamboyance was there. I was young and there was a lot more fire in me. But the two surgeries broke me badly. I am really happy to be back where I always wanted to be,” Reddy told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“I remember getting selected for Karnataka in 2015 and then playing for them and scoring runs. It was a star-studded team with Robin Uthappa, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Vinay Kumar and many more senior players. It was difficult to make a place of my own, but I managed to do that with my batting. But everything changed in just one year when I underwent surgery in 2016,” he said.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

“The injury happened in 2016. The outfield was wet and soggy, and while fielding, my leg got stuck and I suffered a knee tear and a muscle tear. The second time it happened was in 2023 when I was taking a second run, and again my same foot got stuck in the same spot. I had to undergo surgery again. ACL injuries take months to heal and recover. Those were the years when thoughts of giving up cricket crossed my mind, but I didn’t let those thoughts dominate my dreams,” Reddy said.“Abhimanyu Mithun — my teammate and my friend — was one of the people who helped me during that tough period. I spoke to him a lot while I was injured. He helped me with the mental side of the game,” he said.Reddy was part of the Karnataka Ranji Trophy squad that lifted the title in the 2014–15 season. He represented Karnataka for a few years before eventually moving to Andhra Pradesh, his hometown.Even after his first surgery, the hunger to play and excel never faded. He continued dominating domestic tournaments and earned a place at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the U-23 setup based on his performances in the C.K. Nayudu Trophy (U-23) — one of India’s most prestigious domestic tournaments for emerging players — during the 2014–15 season. In that tournament, he scored four consecutive centuries: 174 against Tamil Nadu, 116 against Delhi, 115 against Mumbai and 103 against Rajasthan — a streak that firmly established his reputation as a prolific young batter.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

He has featured in 25 first-class matches so far, scoring 1,511 runs. And at 31, he firmly believes there is still plenty of fire left in him to keep chasing — and living — his cricketing dreams. As he puts it, ‘Abhishek Reddy isn’t done yet.’“My mom is from Andhra, and I played all my junior cricket in Karnataka. My father belongs to Karnatakal. Karnataka gave me the foundation, the platform, and the identity I have today. It was my parents’ dream to see me become a cricketer, and I worshipped this game — and I still do. Andhra cricket supported me a lot. They supported me in my tough times. I will always be grateful to them. They trusted my abilities,” he said.“When I made my debut, I was around 20. Things would have been very different today if the injuries hadn’t happened. I am 31 now, and I am happy with where I am. I am still the same flamboyant Abhishek Reddy. I am not done yet,” he added.

India thrash Chile 7-0 (Hockey India Photo)

India made a strong start in their FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup campaign by defeating Chile 7-0. Rosan Khujur and Dilraj Singh each scored twice to lead the Indian team to victory on Friday.The scoring opened in the second quarter with Rosan finding the net at the 16th and 21st minutes. Dilraj Singh added his goals in the 25th and 34th minutes, while Ajeet Yadav, Anmol Ekka, and captain Rohit contributed one goal each.India, ranked second in the Under-21 category, will face Oman in their next Pool B match on Saturday.The first quarter saw India dominating possession but struggling to create scoring opportunities against Chile’s strong defence. The Indians had their first penalty corner opportunity just before the quarter ended, but captain Rohit’s attempt was well defended. The deadlock broke one minute into the second quarter when Manmeet Singh set up Rosan, who scored from inside the circle. Shortly after, Manmeet missed a chance when his reverse hit went wide of the Chilean goal.Rosan scored his second goal by skillfully manoeuvring past two defenders and the Chilean goalkeeper Nicolas Troncoso after receiving a pass from Arshdeep Singh. India’s dominance continued with Dilraj scoring from a penalty corner rebound in the 25th minute. The second quarter was particularly strong for India, with most of the play happening in Chile’s half.The third quarter saw Dilraj scoring his second goal after receiving a pass from Ankit Pal. Ajeet Yadav added another goal a minute later with a reverse hit, assisted by Gurjot Singh.Chile earned their first penalty corner in the 40th minute but failed to capitalize on it. Anmol Ekka extended India’s lead to 6-0 by converting a penalty corner in the 48th minute.In the final minutes, captain Rohit successfully converted a penalty stroke. India had two more penalty corner opportunities in the closing seconds but couldn’t convert them.Earlier in the day, New Zealand defeated China 5-3 in Pool C, with Jonty Elmes scoring a hat-trick. Owen Brown and Sam Lints also scored for New Zealand, while China’s goals came from Yubo Wang and Jialiang Zhang.In another Pool C match, Argentina overcame Japan 4-1. Nicolas Rodriguez scored twice from penalty corners, while Mateo Torrigiani and Bruno Correa added field goals. Naru Kimura scored Japan’s only goal.Switzerland secured a 4-0 victory over Oman in Pool B, with goals from Jonathan Baumbach, Mattia Ribaudo, Léonard Kraxner, and Alessio Brunold.The tournament is being jointly hosted by Chennai and Madurai and will continue until December 10.

Umran Malik (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

After recovering from injury, fast bowler Umran Malik is eager to return to the Indian cricket team. He relies on his natural ability to bowl at speeds exceeding 150 kmph, along with newly developed skills like slower deliveries and improved yorkers.Malik has been absent from the Indian team since July 2023 after taking 24 wickets in 10 ODIs and 8 T20Is. Despite the setbacks, he maintains a positive outlook.“Let me tell you one thing. Those who bowl 150 are not strike bowlers; they are attacking bowlers. They will be hit for 30 (runs) in four (overs) but will also give you wickets. A fast bowler is like that. He should know what he has to do,” Umran told select media after J&K’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh.“A bowler who bowls at 150 knows that he is a king and he has to back himself. Not everyone can bowl 150kph. It takes real guts to bowl at 150kph and I have been doing this for the last five years.”“Bowling 150kph is an art, you can’t go directly from 137 to 145. Do training, do whatever you want — this is natural, this is all natural. You need to train yourself accordingly, eat properly, rest properly, keep your body fresh so that you’re ready for the process tomorrow. Speed is my natural aspect, how can I compromise on that? Training, running, cardio –you have to maintain. There is no special diet. Pace is my strength. I have to regain my strength.”Umran has faced multiple injuries and illness but never lost confidence in his abilities.“It is not that I will feel bad mentally. I know that I will do well now. I will come back to the India team. I have confidence in myself because I am the only one who bowls at 150. But now I am bowling slower (balls) as well, which I am working on, and also the yorker. I am doing that in red-ball formats too, I’m working hard there. The rest is up to the selectors when they let me play. I am doing better now. Playing again for India is my aim now,” he continued.Despite strong competition in India’s white-ball bowling unit, Umran remains confident. “When I was playing earlier, there was this much competition. Now also the competition is the same. I don’t think there is any competition. When I am fully fit and take wickets like this, why won’t they let me play? They will let me play if I take wickets. That’s it,” he added.The 26-year-old pacer has set a straightforward goal of becoming J&K’s highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.“I have a simple target: to play all matches (for his home state) and become the highest wicket-taker for my team in Syed Mushtaq Ali,” he stated.Umran has already claimed five wickets in two matches, including a 3/37 against UP where he dismissed key players with his pace.“Anyone can get injured. Any batsman, bowler, fielder, anyone can get injured. You just have to know how to get out of it,” he added.“I never think about my career. I think about what I have to do the next day, what training I have to do — bowling, batting, fielding. It’s all in God’s hands who has a career and who doesn’t.“If your mindset is stable, I think you will perform better after the injury. It feels good now that the ball is coming nicely out of my hand. When a bowler has full rhythm after an injury, I think it is best for him. I think injury also teaches you a lot of things… your mindset, your body, what to do. If we play cricket for 10 years, there will be injuries. You have to keep your mindset strong. You have to keep those people with you who are positive. You have to stay away from negative people during an injury.”He dismisses concerns about losing pace with age, adding, “You can never bowl at 150 directly. You can bowl 138, 140, 142. It starts like that. I think that as long as I play, I should be positive. I don’t want to show pace to anyone. I want to show my wickets. Even if I bowl from 150 to 140 after 10 years, it doesn’t mean that I will bowl from 150 to 135 or 130.”Regarding his red-ball cricket aspirations, Umran remains open to all formats: “There is nothing different. Yes, I am ready to play in all formats.”

Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty on Friday penned a heartfelt note praising World Cup-winning star Jemimah Rodrigues for opting out of the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) to be with her close friend and teammate Smriti Mandhana during a difficult personal phase. Mandhana’s wedding, scheduled earlier this month, had to be postponed due to a sudden health complication involving her father — an emotional setback that prompted Jemimah to quietly stay back in India instead of rejoining her WBBL franchise, Brisbane Heat.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Suniel Shetty, who is also the father-in-law of India cricketer KL Rahul, spotlighted the gesture on X, calling it the purest form of camaraderie. “Bumped into this article first thing in the morning and my heart felt full. Jemimah leaving the WBBL to be by Smriti’s side. No big statements, just quiet solidarity. This is what real teammates do. Simple. Straight. Genuine,” Shetty wrote, posting a newspaper clipping that reported Jemimah’s withdrawal.

Jemimah had travelled to India after Brisbane Heat’s match against the Hobart Hurricanes for what was initially a brief, pre-planned visit to attend Mandhana’s wedding. She was due to fly back for the final stretch of the WBBL season. But when the ceremony was called off owing to Mandhana’s father’s health issue, she requested to remain in India — a decision the Heat immediately supported.

“The Brisbane Heat have agreed to a request to release Jemimah Rodrigues from the remainder of the Women’s Big Bash League,” the club said in its statement, noting she would stay back to support her friend. CEO Terry Svenson acknowledged it as a “challenging time” for the 24-year-old and said the team wished the Mandhana family well.The decision comes at a time when Jemimah’s stock in world cricket is soaring. Brisbane Heat’s No.1 pick in this year’s International Player Draft, she had been in strong form before her departure. Her unbeaten century in the Women’s World Cup semifinal against Australia remains one of India’s greatest modern knocks.

Gautam Gambhir and AB de Villiers

NEW DELHI: India’s stunning 2-0 whitewash at the hands of South Africa in Guwahati on Wednesday has once again brought Gautam Gambhir‘s role as head coach under intense scrutiny. This is the second time India have been blanked in a Test series under Gambhir, following last year’s humiliating defeat in New Zealand. The latest setback has triggered sharp criticism from several former cricketers and experts, but none more dramatic and thought-provoking than AB de Villiers‘ assessment of Gambhir’s leadership style.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin‘s YouTube channel, De Villiers offered a candid and layered view of Gambhir — one that balanced both concern and perspective. Drawing from his experience of playing against Gambhir for years, the South African great suggested that emotions may be at the heart of India’s current coaching debate.

“I don’t know what GG is like when it comes to leadership,” he began. “I’ve known him as an emotional player, and if that is the case in the change room, generally an emotional coach is not a good thing to have.”The remark instantly struck a chord in the cricketing world, fuelling questions about whether Gambhir’s intensity — once his greatest strength — is working against him in a dressing room that appears increasingly unsettled.However, De Villiers didn’t stop at criticism. He made it equally clear that there is no fixed formula for a successful coach. “It’s not to say he’s that kind of a coach behind the scenes. There’s no right and wrong. Some players feel comfortable with a former player, some with someone who’s never played but has years of coaching experience.”

He further admitted that he had never worked directly with Gambhir, Morne Morkel or Ryan ten Doeschate inside the Indian setup, making it difficult to fully judge the internal dynamics. But he contrasted the situation sharply with his admiration for South Africa’s current head coach, Shukri Conrad, crediting him for restoring calm and clarity.“I absolutely loved playing under Gary Kirsten; he’s a former player and similar to Gautam Gambhir,” ABD added. “Some players find confidence with a former great being there — someone who inspires you to put in extra yards.”As Team India reels from another home debacle, De Villiers’ comments have added a dramatic edge to a debate that is unlikely to fade soon.

Rishabh Pant and Gautam Gambhir (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh did not hold back after India slipped to their second home Test series defeat against South Africa. He said that if Indian cricket wants to protect its “future generations”, the team management must rethink its approach to home pitches and move away from heavily spin-assisted surfaces that previously helped them dominate for over a decade — a run that ended when New Zealand handed India a whitewash last year.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan criticised the current standards of Test preparation, saying Indian players have forgotten how to compete over five days because of surfaces that consistently produce two- or three-day matches. He added that the nature of these pitches contributed to declining batting numbers for stars like Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, eventually leading to their exit from the Test setup.

“We do not know how to play matches for five days. We have got so used to playing so many matches on wickets where matches last for two-three days… Nowadays, it has reduced averages of our batters like Virat Kohli, Pujara, Rahane to 35-40 from 50… Our old greats were greats because they knew how to play five days of Test match cricket.”He urged Indian cricket to move on from its past and prioritise better pitches over favourable results.“For the betterment of Indian cricket, I think they should forget what has happened in the last 10 to 12 years… start playing on better wickets to save the future generation of Indian cricket.”Harbhajan added that Test cricket demands patience and discipline — qualities he feels have faded due to recent conditions.“The kind of temperament needed to play Test cricket requires effort, hard work, discipline, and I feel that for many years this has been missing.”He further argued that good wickets produce fair contests and reveal the true winner over the full duration of a match.“But what happens on a good wicket? A good wicket makes the game last five days… This lottery type situation, earlier New Zealand got lucky, now South Africa got lucky…”Harbhajan also analysed India’s performance in Guwahati, where the pitch appeared fair and the match reached the final day — yet India collapsed twice.“South Africa won the toss on this pitch and made 489… And then in the second innings, Team India collapsed for 140… So this is not just the fault of the pitch. I feel the biggest fault is your temperament.”South Africa dominated the Test through strong batting contributions led by Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden century and Marco Jansen’s explosive 93. Jansen, who also took 6/48 in the first innings, dismantled India’s batting order before Simon Harmer completed the rout with a match-winning 6/37 in the second innings. Ravindra Jadeja’s fifty and Sai Sudarshan’s gritty 139-ball vigil were among the few bright moments in a forgettable chase of 549.South Africa sealed a commanding 408-run win, with Harmer finishing as Player of the Series for his 17 wickets across two Tests, while Jansen claimed the Player of the Match award for his all-round brilliance.

Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Sri Lanka secured their place in the T20 tri-series final with a six-run victory over Pakistan, thanks to Dushmantha Chameera’s impressive bowling figures of 4-20.Pakistan, despite already qualifying for Saturday’s final with three consecutive wins, fell short at 178-7, with captain Salman Ali Agha scoring an unbeaten 63.Sri Lanka posted 184-5, led by opener Kamil Mishra’s crucial 76 off 48 balls in a must-win game to edge out Zimbabwe for a final spot.

“Proud of how the boys bounced back,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said. “Everybody contributed. … Of course Chameera (exhibited) world-class bowling.”Chameera dominated the power play with figures of 3-3 and sealed the victory in the final over, conceding just three runs when Pakistan needed 10.He dismissed Sahibzada Farhan for 9 with a slower ball and removed Babar Azam for a duck. Saim Ayub scored 27 before being bowled by Eshan Malinga, while Fakhar Zaman fell to Chameera.Agha and Usman Khan built a 56-run partnership before Khan was caught for 33. Agha then paired with Mohammad Nawaz for a quick 70-run stand off 36 balls.Malinga dismissed Nawaz for 27 in the penultimate over, and Chameera’s precise bowling in the final over secured the win.Sri Lanka’s innings began with a strong opening partnership between Mishara and Kusal Mendis after choosing to bat first. Salman Mirza removed Pathum Nissanka for 8 in the third over.Mendis scored 40 with six boundaries and a six before falling to Abrar Ahmed’s quick delivery. Mishara maintained momentum until he was caught at deep mid-wicket in the 17th over.Janith Liyanage and Shanaka remained unbeaten with 24 and 17 runs respectively, scoring 24 runs in the final two overs.“I think it was gettable with the dew coming in but we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and gave away too many runs in the powerplay,” Agha said. “If you give too many runs in the powerplay, you’ll always be chasing the game. I would have been happier if I had finished the game but it was good to spend some time out in the middle.”