Rassie van der Dussen has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending his ongoing series with South Africa. The decision comes after he was dropped from Cricket South Africa’s central contract list, effectively signaling the conclusion of his international chapter.
The 37-year-old last featured in the Champions Trophy against New Zealand in Lahore, where he scored 69 as South Africa fell short in chasing the target of 363. Taking to social media to confirm his decision, Van der Dussen reflected on his journey and thanked those who have supported him throughout his career.
“With a proud heart and a deep sense of gratitude I announce my retirement from international cricket. Wearing the Proteas jersey is an achievement that demands a level of resilience and dedication that both tests and rewards you in the most incredible way. Playing for my country has been the greatest honor of my life.”
“This journey has taken years of sacrifice, but the privilege of representing South Africa was worth every moment.”
He said, “To my wife Lara, you have been with me every step of the way. You have ridden the waves of incredible highs and difficult lows with empathy, grace and strength, and you have been my biggest cheerleader, without whom I would not have been able to do this.”
Rassie Van der Dussen’s career in numbers
Van der Dussen made his international debut in 2018 against Zimbabwe at the age of 29 and has represented South Africa in all three formats until 2025. Despite a relatively late start, he built a reputation as a reliable middle-order batsman, especially in white-ball cricket.
He played 18 Tests, scoring 905 runs at an average of 30.16 with six half-centuries. Although he showed flashes of solidity in the format, he was unable to cement a long-term place in the red-ball team, with his last appearance coming against Australia at the Gabba in December 2022.
Van der Dussen was at his most effective in ODI cricket. He scored 2657 runs in 71 matches at an average of 50.13, which included six centuries and 17 fifties. He was an important part of South Africa’s batting unit, often opening the innings under pressure, and featured in the ODI World Cup in 2019 and 2023. He also captained the team in one ODI in 2024.
In T20Is, he played 57 matches, scoring 1406 runs at an average of 33.47 and a strike rate of 128.75, including 10 half-centuries. His ability to balance consistency with controlled aggression made him a valuable asset in the format.
Across all formats, he scored 4,968 international runs, and made significant contributions during a transitional phase for South African cricket. He also had a brief stint in the IPL with Rajasthan Royals, although he enjoyed limited success.
While his international career has ended, Van der Dussen indicated that he would continue to be involved in the game through domestic cricket and mentorship, signing off after more than seven years at the highest level.
Cooper Connolly of Punjab Kings celebrates his half-century. (ANI photo)
New Chandigarh: On Tuesday he woke up with nervousness in the morning. “Which I was really happy with,” Cooper Connolly said after leading Punjab Kings to a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans.For Connolly, it was not nervousness, but “elation” at having them. That little detail tells us something important about the 22-year-old from Perth. He doesn’t shy away from pressure. And on Tuesday night at New Chandigarh, he walked out to bat like a man who was always meant to get there.
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Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!By the time his task was complete, Connolly had scored an unbeaten 72 off 44, leading Punjab to their first win of IPL-2026, earning player of the match honors on IPL debut and leaving his new teammates stunned. Yuzvendra Chahal Making announcements on your own behalf.“He is only 20 years old but he has the hunger to excel on the big stage,” Chahal said in the post-match press conference. “The way he performed in his very first match, batting at No. 3 and playing a match-winning innings, shows how mentally mature he is.”Awareness is a word that comes up often for Connolly. This lies in how he builds an innings and how he resists the urge to overhit. He describes himself thus: “I’m just a tempo player, try to feel the flow of my hands, I don’t hit too many big sixes, it’s more about timing.”Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer offered much more to ponder than the usual praise. Iyer said, “I have seen him playing for Australia before. He has a great mentality and hopefully he will continue in this form.”Connolly modeled himself after shaun marshFormer Australian left-handed opening batsman who, like Connolly, came from Western Australia. There is also something poetic that Connolly now plays for the same franchise that Marsh once represented. “Shaun Marsh played for the Punjab Kings and I grew up watching him. It’s an honor to play for the same franchise as him,” Connolly said.Connolly also gave credit to the Punjab head coach ricky ponting To reduce the pressure on him. “Ricky Ponting kept me calm and collected,” Connolly said. “He told me to play my game, go out there and dominate. It was a good team performance. We were very strong with the ball and made things easy for ourselves.”
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Are you confident that Cooper Connolly will continue to perform well under pressure in future matches?
Connolly traces his journey through the development pipeline of the WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association). He is part of a generation that grew up in the glamor of the Big Bash League, while still respecting Sheffield Shield cricket. He also captained Australia in the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup.His big-match temperament was first seen in the 2022-23 BBL Final, where he scored an unbeaten 25 off 11 balls in his second T20 innings to help Perth Scorchers to the title. His first-class debut came against Tasmania in the 2023–24 Sheffield Shield final, where he scored 90 in the first innings as Western Australia won the title. First big format match, high pressure game and game changing innings. There is a pattern here, and it is not a coincidence. Connolly said, “I don’t really mind any pressure. I think it suits my style as a person.”
There was supposed to be a war of speed in Lucknow on Wednesday. Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav led the way for Lucknow Super Giants. They still had Mayank Yadav, a 150-plus wunderkind, and Naman Tiwary, a 20-year-old who can touch 145 kph, on the bench.
The pace of Delhi Capitals was also not less. Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan formed their core, while Jammu and Kashmir sensation and Ranji Trophy winner Auqib Nabi waited in the wings.
on red clay pitch Ikana Stadium was a perfect stage. The ball went into the air and out of the seam, making batting difficult. It would become even more difficult in the second innings when LSG started to unleash raw pace.
Ngidi played a key role in DC restricting LSG to a below normal total. (Photo: PTI)
Like Bumrah, Ngidi’s smile also wins your heart. His slow ball does the opposite. This cheats. This is embarrassing.
slow for puran
On Wednesday, Nicholas Pooran, one of the best T20 batsmen in the game, was at the striker’s end. Ngidi was bowling his second over and had given 10 runs in his first over. Despite T Natarajan dismissing Ayush Badoni in the previous over, Axar Patel brought him back.
There was a clear plan: from Ngidi to Puran.
At the end of the eighth over, LSG were 57 for 3, having already lost Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram and Badoni were sent to open. If Puran had stayed for five overs, the initial momentum would have slipped. Akshar knew this.
So Ngidi came back.
Mitchell Marsh hit him for a six on the third ball. He did not respond. Marsh took a single on the next ball.
Puran was on strike.
The slower ball came in. It almost felt like it never happened.
Ngidi’s hand came at full speed. His fingers worked from behind the ball. The speed gun recorded a speed of 112.3 kilometers per hour, which was more than 25 kilometers per hour slower than its stock delivery. Pooran appeared to have read the change in pace. He was waiting for this.
But as the ball moved forward, it hit an invisible wall. It declined rapidly at the last moment. Pooran’s weight shifted too early, his bat got caught in front and he was entangled as the ball slipped through the gap between bat and pad and shattered the stumps.
Ngidi smiled again.
Watch the video here:
Puran was out after scoring 8 runs. LSG scored 141 runs in 18.4 overs. Ngidi took three wickets, including another slower ball which fell on a yorker length to dismiss Mohsin Khan.
With the help of Sameer Rizvi, Delhi recovered from the top-order faltering and chased the target in 17.1 overs. But that is another story.
This is that slow ball.
This is not new. Now everyone knows that Ngidi will bowl. Of his 24 balls, seven were slow balls. He bowled a similar ball to Abdul Samad in his next over. Samad survived. Puran did not.
This is the thing in this delivery. Knowing it’s coming doesn’t help.
like bumrah’s yorker
Ngidi’s slow balls are moving towards the status of Bumrah’s yorker. You expect them. You still can’t deal with them.
Ngidi leaned heavily on variations during the T20 World Cup. Five of his 12 wickets came on slow balls. He gave wickets at 7.19, which is second only to Bumrah among leading bowlers.
Bumrah also has a very slow ball. His hyperextension gives batsmen little time to choose length or pace, making even his traditional off-cutters more effective than others.
Ngidi’s approach is different.
It reflects Dwayne Bravo, one of the masters of the art, who relied less on surface hold and more on diving into the air.
This is not a coincidence. Ngidi learned the art from Bravo during his stint with Chennai Super Kings in 2018. What we see now is the result of years of repetition.
“I mentioned that he was the one who told me I had a good deceptive slower ball. And then I asked him, ‘How?’. He was willing to teach me. So, what you are seeing now is years of practice. It didn’t happen overnight, but I have been able to try it,” Ngidi told broadcasters after the wicket.
“I’m still not 100 percent. But it’s pretty close. I’m trying to emulate what he did and it’s working,” he said.
So, what is Ngidi slow ball?
Think about holding a wet, slippery bar of soap. If you want to throw it across the room at full speed, you hold it firmly in your palm and lock your wrist into it.
But what if you want to throw that same bar so that it barely travels a few feet, while your arm is still moving at full speed? You don’t slow down your hand. You change how the bar leaves your hand. You press it from behind with your fingers, so it slides off with much less force than your hand would suggest.
In short, that’s what Lungi Ngidi is doing with the cricket ball.
The Ngidi slow ball is a subtle evolution of the traditional off-cutter. Traditionally, an off-cutter is bowled by rotating the fingers over the top of the ball, like turning a door knob, creating friction and deflection off the surface.
But as Eric Simmons, who worked closely with Ngidi and studied Dwayne Bravo frame by frame, noted in The Indian Express, there is a key difference. In Ngidi’s version, the door handle is vertical. His fingers don’t move up. They follow the ball.
Former Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan broke it on air on Wednesday.
That small adjustment changes everything.
By keeping his fingers behind the seam, Ngidi can maintain full arm speed, giving no visual cue to the batsman, no slowing of shoulder movement, no indication of what is coming. At the last moment the ball is pressed with the fingers.
A complete breakdown of Ngidi’s slow ball technique.
The result is a dramatic drop in pace, often 25 to 30 kmph slower than his stock delivery, but more importantly, there is a change in how the ball behaves in the air. It doesn’t just slow down. It sinks.
It was that late collapse that disappointed Puran.
Dale Steyn put it best when he observed it closely.
“I think Nikki just fell. She may have even seen it and got into position quickly. I don’t know if her bat got stuck or not, but her entire weight fell. But to be honest, a lot of batsmen don’t see that ball from Ngidi, even if you know it’s coming. It’s very difficult to get the ball out of her hand. It’s too late. And Nikki P has to count herself as one of those guys. “Whoever he betrayed should,” he told ESPN.
Because the ball is released from behind rather than rolling, it holds its line longer before gravity and those vertical revolutions take over at the last moment. To the batsman, it appears like a full delivery which suddenly falls off the bat as soon as the shot is completed.
Skills + Sports Awareness
Ngidi emerged as a tall, hit-the-deck fast bowler for South Africa, built for Test cricket. Over time, he has developed into a more all-round T20 operator.
It’s not just skill that sets him apart. It is this awareness that you see in Bumrah.
This awareness was clearly visible on Wednesday. Early in the innings, he had a brief chat with wicketkeeper KL Rahul and felt that slower balls bowled at good lengths were not entertaining enough. The adjustment was immediate. He went all the way, trying to make the dip just below the batsman’s eye line rather than relying on the surface.
3/27 in 3.4 overs, Lungi Ngidi made a tremendous impact with the ball. (Photo: PTI)
“I tried to use the big side. We know what kind of ball-striker he is. So, trying to do it in the air, not giving him any speed to work with, I think, that was the idea. It wasn’t really coming off the surface, so I tried to get the revs up and make the dip.
“I was chatting with KL to see what would happen outside the wicket if I changed the pace. I saw that there wasn’t much help on the length, so I was trying to get them in the air,” he said.
And then came the twist.
His favorite ball of the night was not Pooran’s.
It was a wide, yorker-length slower ball from Mohsin Khan. The most difficult variation to execute. On which he has worked the most.
It’s the ultimate paradox of T20: a friendly smile followed by cold, calculated cruelty. Batsmen, take note. That lunging slow ball that feels like it will never come is coming for you.
New Delhi: Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s meteoric success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is no longer just a feel-good success story; This is fast turning into a serious selection debate, with talk growing about a possible India debut in the upcoming Zimbabwe T20I series.Just days after turning 15, the Rajasthan Royals player made a surprise statement by scoring a blistering half-century in 15 balls against Chennai Super Kings. This knock not only demonstrated his fearless determination but also reinforced why he is considered one of the most exciting young talents in Indian cricket today.
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A father’s pride: How RR, Dravid and Vikram shaped Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Notably, this came after his IPL century scored in 35 balls last season, which shows that his performance has not been a one-off.Chasing a modest target of 128 runs, Suryavanshi made sure there was nothing modest in his approach. Taking full advantage of the powerplay, he thrashed the bowlers and displayed brilliant strokeplay, scoring 52 runs in just 17 balls. Together Yashasvi JaiswalThey laid the foundation for a dominant chase, effectively sealing the game within the first six overs.Talking about his aggressive mindset, Kishore said, “I think about defence, but the plan was to decide the game in the powerplay because we restricted them to low scores. If the bowlers had bowled well in the powerplay, maybe the game could have turned, but in the powerplay we went all out.” It was a mature assessment, reflecting not only raw talent but also a growing understanding of match situations.
Zimbabwe tour is the perfect launchpad for India’s debut
With India scheduled to tour Zimbabwe for a three-match T20I series in July 2026, the timing of his rise could prove crucial. Historically, tours to Zimbabwe have served as a platform for new faces to earn a place in the national team. players like sanju samsonKL Rahul, and recently Riyan Parag And Dhruv Jurel made his T20I debut there.Players who debuted in Zimbabwe T20 series in the last decade
Tushar Deshpande – 2024
B Sai Sudarshan – 2024
Abhishek Sharma- 2024
Dhruv Jurel – 2024
Riyan Parag – 2024
Dhawal Kulkarni – 2016
Barinder saran – 2016
Rishi Dhawan – 2016
Mandeep Singh – 2016
KL Rahul – 2016
Yuzvendra Chahal- 2016
Jaydev Unadkat – 2016
Sanju Samson – 2015
Stuart Binny – 2015
Kedar Jadhav – 2015
Manish Pandey – 2015
Akshar Patel – 2015
Sandeep Sharma – 2015
Given India’s jam-packed international calendar and the team management’s tendency to change teams after major tournaments, the Zimbabwe series presents a realistic opportunity to test emerging talent. With her explosive style and oozing confidence, Suryavanshi fits the bill perfectly.
Experts divided as calls grow to fast-track Suryavanshi
Not surprisingly, a growing number of former cricketers are now demanding rapid inclusion of youngsters in India’s T20 setup. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal believes that it is only a matter of time before Suryavanshi reaches the national level.Akmal said, “In just 8 IPL games, he is stacking records – he already has a century. I think in the upcoming international matches for India, he will get a chance after the IPL. He will become a young player of the T20 international team. He has proved himself everywhere. If he continues to perform, he will definitely get a chance.”He also highlighted the youngster’s maturity and said, “His presence of mind, awareness of the game, the way he plays – he has an answer for everything at such a young age. It’s remarkable… We are discussing his performance more because it was a low-scoring match of 128. But his performance is visible because he scored 50 off 15 balls.”Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif, who had earlier urged caution about publicity, has now revised his stance. Kaif wrote, “Last season I thought Vaibhav Suryavanshi was being hyped too early. An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no rush to fast-track young players. But after a year, I think he is ready to move to the next level.” He further praised the youngster’s ability to “entertain and play match-winning innings”.“Expressing similar sentiments, veteran leg spinner Piyush Chawla supported the idea of accelerating his progress. “If he plays like this, I would love to see him play at a faster pace,” Chawla said. He also pointed to his consistency across all formats and his ability to score not just centuries, but “big centuries”.Former India batsman Ambati Rayudu also described Suryavanshi as “better than a lot of youngsters”. Rayudu, however, exuded realism and highlighted the challenges of breaking into an established and successful Indian T20 team. He said, “Don’t forget, our Indian team is a world champion team. They have won the T20 World Cup. So it is not easy to replace anyone in that team. For me, there are some players ahead of them at the moment, because you choose and build your team before the next ICC competition.”While the excitement around Sooryavanshi continues to grow, not everyone is in favor of accelerating its progress. experienced off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Emphasizing the need to manage expectations surrounding the 15-year-old prodigy, he urged restraint.Ashwin said, “Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a boy, he is a child.” Emphasizing the importance of patience, he said, “If Suryavanshi plays for 40 years, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come into his own when the time is right.”Despite his caution, Ashwin had no doubts about the youngster’s potential. “He is too good not to play for India. He will play eventually. When will he play? We may have to wait a bit for that.” Why are we always in a hurry,” he commented.As the debate heats up, selectors face a delicate balancing act: whether to fast-track a generational talent or give him time and space to develop naturally. With the Zimbabwe tour approaching, the talks are sure to intensify.
A teary-eyed Gennaro Gattuso apologized to the country after the Italy national football team failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the third consecutive time after a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.
The playoff encounter at the Stadion Bilino Polje ended in tragedy for the four-time champions, which lost 4–1 on penalties A tightly contested match finished level at the end of extra time. Italy took an early lead, but were reduced to 10 players before half-time, a setback that shifted the situation in Bosnia’s favour.
Bosnia equalized in the 79th minute when Haris Tabakovic rose above the Italian defense and fired past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite creating chances and holding firm for large parts of the game, Italy could not find a winner and the match eventually went to penalties.
Misses from Francesco Esposito and Brian Cristante proved costly as Bosnia scored confidently to seal their place, leaving Italy stunned and eliminated.
Gattuso apologized after his exit
Speaking after the match, Gattuso expressed his disappointment and apologized to the supporters, insisting that the result was difficult to accept given his team’s performance.
“I don’t want to talk about anything else right now,” he said. “It’s inappropriate today. We wanted to go to the World Cup and that was the most important thing. I’m sorry.”
Gattuso defended his players, saying they had competed well despite being down 10 players and limited Bosnia’s chances for most of the match.
“The boys didn’t deserve it. We had chances and they didn’t trouble us too much. But that’s football. It’s a blow that’s very difficult to swallow,” he said.
FIGC supports Gattuso and Buffon
Despite the historic setback, the Italian Football Federation has given its support to Gattuso. Federation president Gabriele Gravina confirmed that both the head coach and Gianluigi Buffon, who now holds a managerial role within the setup, have been asked to continue.
Gravina said, “I have asked him to stay and have asked Buffon to remain in charge of the football team.”
Italy’s failure to qualify for three consecutive World Cups is an unprecedented collapse for one of football’s most decorated nations. The Azzurri last appeared in the tournament in 2014 in Brazil, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
Their last win came in 2006, when they defeated France on penalties under Zinedine Zidane. However, since then, Italian football has struggled to maintain its traditional dominance on the global stage, with this latest setback raising further questions about the future direction of the national team.
Sameer Rizvi displayed composure and class after coming on as an impact substitute as Delhi Capitals secured a comfortable six-wicket win over Lucknow Supergiants in their IPL clash on Wednesday.Chasing a modest target of 142 runs, Delhi got into big trouble early on and were out at 26 runs for 4 wickets in the first five overs. However, Rizvi (70* off 47 balls) took advantage of the opportunity and shared an unbeaten 119-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (39* off 32 balls) for the fifth wicket. The duo ensured that Delhi crossed the finish line with ease and won in just 17.1 overs.
Rizvi, Stubbs script surprise recovery
Rizvi’s innings stood out because of his maturity. He faced a challenging spell from Mohammed Shami. mohsin khanAnd Prince Yadav before changing gears. On a surface that provided assistance to the seamers, Rizvi hit five fours and four sixes, making the chase look easier than it initially looked.The turning point came in the 10th over bowled by Shahbaz Ahmed. Rizvi took full advantage and scored 16 runs with a mixture of sweeps, pulls and clever placement. From that moment on, the momentum swung firmly in Delhi’s favour.Later he demonstrated his range by climbing to heights aiden markram Ended LSG’s hopes in succession by dispatching Mohsin Khan at long-on and with authority. Stubbs played the perfect supporting role, rotating the strike and ensuring that the pressure never built again.
Despite early successes, LSG faltered in batting
Lucknow had made a great start with the ball. Mohammed Shami dismissed KL Rahul for zero on the very first ball. Mohsin Khan dismissed Nitish Rana while Pathum Nissanka lost cheaply to Prince Yadav. Delhi captain Axar Patel was also out for zero on the very first ball due to pace and movement.However, LSG could not take advantage of the early momentum as Rizvi and Stubbs took control.Earlier, LSG had a disappointing performance in batting and could only score 141 runs in 18.4 overs. In a surprise strategic move, captain Rishabh Pant opened the innings and disrupted an established combination. Pant scored 7 runs before being run out and never looked comfortable.Aiden Markram showed brief promise but was dismissed by Axar Patel, while Ayush Badoni was out for a duck. Nicholas Pooran was undone by a clever slow delivery from Lungi Ngidi, which dipped late and crashed into the stumps.Ngidi showed excellent variation and took 3 wickets, while T Natarajan also took three wickets. Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets, including the important wicket of Mitchell Marsh with a googly.Overall, it was a great performance from Delhi Capitals. Despite the early collapse, Rizvi’s brilliance and Stubbs’ composure led to a remarkable comeback, giving Delhi a winning start to their campaign.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has formed a four-member ad-hoc committee to run the affairs of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), acting on the directions of the Delhi High Court, which had called for the restoration of democratic governance in the sport.
According to the IOA office order dated March 27, the ad-hoc panel will be chaired by Yashodhara Raje Scindia, while Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Director (Governance) Francisco Lima, advocate Vidushpat Singhania and Colonel Ashok Yadav will serve as members.
The IOA said the committee has been constituted with immediate effect to “administer and govern the EFI” and initiate a reform process to conduct free elections and establish a duly elected executive body.
This development follows the Delhi High Court’s February 18 judgment in which it had directed the IOA to form an ad-hoc committee, noting that the tenure of the EFI Executive Committee had ended in September 2023 and there is no electoral mandate to continue it now.
Elections in the EFI have been pending ever since, prompting judicial intervention.
The court had earlier allowed the reinstatement of the then Executive Committee as a stop-gap arrangement in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics to ensure continuity in athlete participation, while underlining that a permanent solution must be pursued.
As per the IOA order, the ad-hoc committee will act as a caretaker and transitional body with full administrative, financial and regulatory control, including operation of EFI’s accounts, conduct of competitions and monitoring of selection processes.
It is also tasked with aligning the EFI’s constitution with the National Sports Administration Act, 2025 and 2026 regulations, restructuring its membership structure and conducting free and fair elections.
The panel will have to finalize the constitution and bylaws within two months and notify the elections within 30 days thereafter.
The IOA clarified that the ad-hoc committee will remain in place only until the newly elected executive committee takes charge, after which it will be dissolved.
Some of the EFI EC decisions have recently come under scrutiny, such as sending rape accused Tarsem Singh Waraich on bail in a sexual assault case, after the head coach of the Indian tent pegging team for the World Cup qualifiers in Jordan in January.
New Delhi: Indian teenage batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi is fast becoming the biggest talking point. Cricket. Teenage batsman is in explosive form IPLDelivering performances that far exceed their age. Former wicketkeeper of Pakistan Kamran Akmal He believes this is just the beginning. He believes that Suryavanshi is already ready for the international stage and can represent India soon.
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Riyan Parag gets honest: Handling the chaos of criticism, captaincy calls and rain
“In just 8 IPL games, he is stacking records – he already has a century. I think in the upcoming international games for India, he will get a chance after the IPL. He will become a young player of the T20 international team. He has proved himself everywhere. If he continues to perform, he will definitely get a chance,” Akmal said on the gameplan.
Suryavanshi’s rapid rise
Suryavanshi’s fearless approach has come to the fore. His aggressive innings made a big impact even in a low-scoring match. Akmal highlighted his maturity, saying, “His presence of mind, awareness of the game, the way he plays – he has an answer for everything at such a young age. It’s remarkable… We are discussing his performance more because it was a (low-scoring) match of 128. But his performance is visible because he scored 50 off 15 balls.”Behind his success is the strong support of his family and coaches. “His family and his father should be proud – the way he has worked with him, the way other people have also loved the coaches who have taught him in school cricket, club cricket,” Akmal said.Already the expectations are increasing due to his such performance. As Akmal succinctly put it: “I’m afraid that when he turns 25, the bowlers won’t know what to do with him.”From scoring a century in just 35 balls to hitting a six on the very first ball of his debut, he has constantly grabbed attention. His latest innings, a stormy half-century in 15 balls Chennai Super Kings Chasing the small target of 128 runs, the buzz around them increased further.
The Indian men’s cricket team is set to play a three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe in July this year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule on Wednesday, in which the matches will be played on July 23, 25 and 26.
While the ODI and T20I setups are largely different, key players like Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh will remain in both formats. It is believed that Bumrah will not play bilateral T20 matches this season, but this may not apply to players like Axar Patel.
It will also mark India’s return to Zimbabwe after two years. The team last toured the African nation in July 2024, playing a series Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag made their debut for India. With a number of young players expected to be included in the squad for the upcoming tour, the management may reward the Indian Premier League performers.
Zimbabwe tour of India: schedule
First T20 match: 23 July, Harare Second T20 match: 25 July, Harare Third T20 match: 26 July, Harare
India tour of England: schedule
First T20 match: 1 July, Durham 2nd T20I: July 4, Manchester Third T20 match: 7 July, Nottingham Fourth T20 match: 9 July, Bristol 5th T20I: July 11, Southampton 1st ODI: 14 July, Birmingham 2nd ODI: 16 July, Cardiff 3rd ODI: 19 July, London
New Delhi: Punjab Kings may have started their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign with a thrilling win, but captain Shreyas Iyer He faced problems due to slow over-rate during the league match against Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.PBKS defeated GT by three wickets in a tense encounter thanks to a brilliant debut performance from Cooper Connolly, who scored an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls. However, disciplinary action was taken after the win, as the IPL confirmed that Iyer was fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate – the first such offense in IPL 2026.
Why was Shreyas Iyer fined?
According to the IPL’s official statement, the fine comes under Article 2.22 of the code of conduct, which deals with minimum over-rate offences. Since this was Punjab’s first offense of the season, Iyer was fined Rs 12 lakh.The statement read: “PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 4… Since this was his team’s first offense under Article 2.22, he was fined Rs 12 lakh.”Captains are responsible for ensuring that their teams complete overs within the stipulated time, failing which there are penalties – including fines and possible suspension for repeat offences.
Connolly shines in nervous PBKS win
Punjab’s campaign on the field started strongly. Chasing 163, the hosts looked to be in control but a sudden collapse threatened to derail the target. Prasidh Krishna Spread panic by taking three wickets, due to which Punjab’s score reduced from 110/2 to 118/6.However, Connolly remained patient, forming important partnerships and leading the team to victory with five balls to spare. He was chosen player of the match for his consistent innings.Reflecting on the tense finish, Iyer said, “These things happen in the IPL. You have to remain restrained. Cooper was there, calm and composed.”He also praised the young Australian and said, “Cooper has a great mentality… some of the shots he played were real, especially against Rashid.”
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How do you think PBKS will perform against Chennai Super Kings?
Looking forward to the next challengeThe next match will be against Punjab Chennai Super Kings On April 3 at MA Chidambaram Stadium. The five-time champions, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will be keen to bounce back after their eight-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals.
