Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
Abhishek Sharma Sets Indian Record for Best Bowling Figures by an Opening Batter in T20Is
Abhishek Sharma set a new Indian record in the 2nd T20I against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. The left-arm part-timer returned figures of 3 for 17 from his overs. That's now the best bowling figures by an Indian opening batter in T20I history. Abhishek doesn't bowl regularly for India. He came on as a change option in Zimbabwe's chase and made an instant impact. He removed Wessly Madhevere, Newman Nyamhuri and Richard Ngarava, breaking a middle-order stand and cleaning up the tail in the same spell. His bowling has taken a back seat to his batting so far in his young international career. He's better known as India's aggressive opener at the top of the order, with two T20I centuries already to his name. This spell adds a new string to his game, and gives India's think tank another bowling option to call on in tight matches. The all-round effort helped bowl Zimbabwe out for 129, as India completed a 90-run win to seal the three-match series 2-0 with a game to spare.
India Back at No. 1 in ICC Men's T20I Rankings After Sealing Zimbabwe Series
India have returned to the top of the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings after sealing an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Zimbabwe. The 90-run win in the 2nd T20I at the Harare Sports Club was enough to push India back above England, who had held the No. 1 spot since July 11. India and England are locked on an identical rating of 268, but India's higher points tally, built over a larger sample of matches, edges them back to top spot. India had previously lost the No. 1 ranking after a 4-0 series defeat in England and a 2-0 series loss in Ireland earlier this year. Below England, Australia (260) sit third, followed by New Zealand (247) and South Africa (244). Pakistan (240) and West Indies (234) round out the top seven, with Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and Afghanistan completing the top ten. India will look to complete a series whitewash in the dead-rubber 3rd T20I, with the rankings picture set to be reassessed after the next full series involving the top sides. ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings - Top 10 Rank Team Rating Points Matches 1 India 268 16088 60 2 England 268 10186 38 3 Australia 260 9868 38 4 New Zealand 247 12348 50 5 South Africa 244 11717 48 6 Pakistan 240 13679 57 7 West Indies 234 13079 56 8 Bangladesh 224 11860 53 9 Sri Lanka 221 9703 44 10 Afghanistan 220 7935 36
India Beat Zimbabwe by 90 Runs to Win T20I Series 2-0, Kishan and Varma Star With the Bat
India wrapped up the three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe with a game to spare, beating the hosts by 90 runs in the 2nd T20I at the Harare Sports Club. The win gives India a 2-0 series lead. Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field. India made full use of the batting-first option. Ishan Kishan led the charge with 81 off 44 balls. Tilak Varma stayed unbeaten on 60 off just 29 balls. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also chipped in with a quickfire 20 off 9 at the top. India finished on 219 for 5 in their 20 overs. Zimbabwe never got close to the target. Brian Bennett top-scored with 32, and Tadiwanashe Marumani made 24, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Yash Thakur picked up 2 wickets on debut. Prince Yadav also took 2 before a hamstring issue forced him off the field. Abhishek Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 3 wickets from his part-time off-spin. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 129 in 17.5 overs. Ishan Kishan was named Player of the Match for his 81. The win also hands Shreyas Iyer his first T20I series win as captain, after a difficult run in the format on India's earlier tours of Ireland and England this year. The two sides meet again in the dead-rubber 3rd T20I at the same venue on July 26, before India's white-ball season moves on to their next assignment.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Handed Direct Entry to Asian Games Cricket Knockouts
The draw for cricket at the 2026 Asian Games was announced on Thursday, and India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have all been handed direct entry into the men's knockout stage as the top four seeds. The men's competition has 10 teams. The remaining six — Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman — will play a preliminary round for the four spots left in the quarter-finals. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal make up Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman form Group B. The top two from each group advance to face the seeded sides. The draw also keeps India and Pakistan apart, meaning the two can only meet if both reach the final. The men's event runs from September 24 to October 1 in Nagoya. The women's tournament, running September 17 to 22 , starts straight from the quarter-finals with eight teams. The opening fixtures are: India vs Japan, Bangladesh vs China, Sri Lanka vs Malaysia, and Pakistan vs Thailand . India enter both events as defending champions after sweeping gold in both the men's and women's competitions at Hangzhou 2023.
Cricket Australia Boss Open to Playing an Ashes Test in India
Cricket Australia's chief executive Todd Greenberg says the board is open to hosting an Ashes Test in India. He made the comments on the BBC's Stumped podcast. Greenberg said CA's ties with both the ECB and the BCCI are strong. He added that India offers a chance to put "more content into certain areas" of the calendar. The Ashes has been played only in England or Australia since 1882. Moving even one Test to India would break that tradition. Any such move would still need sign-off from CA, the ECB, and cooperation from the BCCI. Greenberg was clear it isn't a current plan. He called it something CA "would certainly be open to consideration" on. The comments come as CA looks to grow its footprint in India. The Big Bash League will stage a match between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers in Chennai this December, its first-ever game outside Australia. The next Ashes series is already set for the 2027 English summer, running from June 18 to August 2.
2027 Cricket Calendar: BGT, IPL, WTC Final, Asia Cup, Ashes and World Cup All Set
2027 is shaping up to be one of the busiest years cricket has ever had. Every major format and tournament lines up back to back, starting in January and running all the way through November. The year opens with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy . Australia tour India for a five-Test series running from January 21 to March 3 . It's a rematch after Australia's win in the previous cycle, and it sets the tone for a packed 12 months. Right after that comes IPL 2027 , now set to run from March 10 to May 15 . BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the earlier window, moved up to dodge peak summer heat and pre-monsoon rain. The match count stays at 74. June brings a rare clash of two marquee events on the same day. The World Test Championship Final is set for June 9 to 13 . As reported earlier, the ICC has confirmed The Oval in London as the venue, the same ground that hosted the 2023 final. Australia currently top the WTC 2025-27 points table, with South Africa and New Zealand close behind. The very same week, two more tournaments get underway. The Asia Cup 2027 runs from June 18 to July 4 , and The Ashes also starts on June 18 , continuing all the way to August 2 . That gives fans a genuine test-your-loyalty stretch, with Test cricket, continental T20 cricket, and England-Australia rivalry all competing for attention at the same time. The year closes with the biggest prize of all. The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 runs from October 4 to November 21 . This edition moves to a new three-stage format, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with 14 teams involved. Six major events, one calendar year. From five-day Tests to the shortest format, 2027 promises non-stop cricket for fans to follow from January right through to the World Cup final in November.
ICC Confirms The Oval as Venue for 2027 World Test Championship Final
The ICC has confirmed The Oval in London as the venue for the 2027 World Test Championship Final. The match is scheduled for June 9 to June 13, 2027 . This will be the second time The Oval hosts the WTC Final. It previously staged the 2023 decider, where Australia beat India by 209 runs to win their maiden Test mace. The venue was picked by the England and Wales Cricket Board, which was awarded hosting rights for the 2027, 2029, and 2031 finals last year. All three WTC finals so far have also been played in England, at Southampton in 2021 and Lord's in 2025. The 2027 final carries extra significance too. It falls in the year cricket marks 150 years of Test cricket. ICC General Manager of Events and Operations Gaurav Saxena said the occasion would add weight to what is already one of the sport's biggest fixtures. The race to reach the final is still wide open. Australia currently lead the WTC 2025-27 points table with an 87.50 percentage after winning 7 of their 8 Tests. South Africa , the defending champions, sit second, with New Zealand close behind in third. Several key series remain before the picture clears, including West Indies vs Pakistan starting July 25, Australia vs Bangladesh in August, and India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka starting August 15.
Mayank Yadav Becomes Third Indian to Take a Wicket on the First Ball of a T20I
Mayank Yadav made an instant impact in India's series opener against Zimbabwe in Harare. Handed the new ball, he struck with the very first delivery of the match, having Brian Bennett caught behind by Ishan Kishan. The wicket makes him only the third Indian bowler to take a wicket on the first ball of a men's T20I. He joins Ajit Agarkar and Arshdeep Singh on that short list. Mayank went on to finish with figures of 2 for 18 from his 4 overs, consistently troubling the Zimbabwe top order with pace touching 149 kmph. His second wicket, Dion Myers, came in similar fashion, caught in the deep off a mistimed pull. The 24-year-old had already made his India T20I debut back in October 2024 against Bangladesh, where he was one over away from becoming just the third Indian to bowl a maiden in his first T20I over. Injuries kept him out of India's white-ball plans through much of the following year, so this outing marked his first international appearance since then. Today's spell was a timely reminder of the pace and impact that first got him into India's setup. Zimbabwe never recovered from the early blow, eventually posting 125 for 7, a target India chased down inside 14 overs to win by 7 wickets.
India Beat Zimbabwe by 7 Wickets in 1st T20I, Sooryavanshi Blazes to Fifty in Harare
India kicked off their three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe with a comfortable 7-wicket win in Harare. Chasing 126, India got home in just 13.2 overs. Zimbabwe were sent in to bat and never really got going against India's new-ball attack. Mayank Yadav struck with the first ball of the innings, removing Brian Bennett for a duck. He finished with 2 for 18. Prince Yadav also picked up 2 wickets. Zimbabwe found some late momentum through Wessly Madhevere , who top-scored with 39, and Tadiwanashe Marumani , unbeaten on 27, as the hosts closed on 125 for 7. India's chase was set up by a blistering start from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi . The teenager smashed 50 off just 19 balls, with 4 fours and 4 sixes, putting the required rate under control inside the powerplay. Ishan Kishan kept the tempo going with 35 off 24 balls. Both fell to Zimbabwe's seamers, but Shreyas Iyer saw India home unbeaten on 28, with Tilak Varma alongside him on 6. The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the series. The two sides meet again in the 2nd T20I at the same venue on July 25.
2027 Women's Ashes Schedule Confirmed: One Test, Three T20Is, Three ODIs
The schedule for the 2027 Women's Ashes is out. The multi-format series between Australia and England runs across June and July, opening with the one-off Test and closing with the ODI leg. The Test starts things off at Headingley, Leeds , from June 24-27 . The series then moves into the T20I leg, with three matches at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on July 3, the Kia Oval, London on July 6, and Old Trafford, Manchester on July 9. The three ODIs follow next. The first is at the Utilita Bowl, Southampton on July 13. The second is at Lord's, London on July 16. The series wraps up at Edgbaston, Birmingham on July 20. As with previous editions, the Women's Ashes points system rewards a win in every format, with the Test worth more points than the white-ball games. Australia go into the series as defending holders of the urn.
Rahmat Shah Named Afghanistan's New Test and ODI Captain
Afghanistan have a new leader in the longer formats. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has named Rahmat Shah as captain of the Test and ODI sides, taking over from Hashmatullah Shahidi. Shahidi steps down after leading Afghanistan through one of its most successful stretches. His tenure included a sixth-place finish at the 2023 ODI World Cup, wins over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands at that tournament, and a maiden bilateral series win over South Africa. He also led the side to its first-ever appearance at the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. Rahmat is no stranger to leadership. He has served as Shahidi's deputy in both formats since 2021. The 33-year-old has played 128 ODIs and 12 Tests for Afghanistan since his debut in 2013, and briefly held the Test captaincy back in 2019 before Rashid Khan was named captain across all formats. Rahmanullah Gurbaz takes over as vice-captain in both formats. The new leadership group gets its first assignment next month. Afghanistan tour Ireland for a five-match ODI series starting August 5, giving Rahmat an immediate chance to put his own stamp on the side ahead of a busy build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Root Cracks Top 10 of ODI Batting Rankings, Rohit Closes In on Top Three
Joe Root is back among the world's top 10 ODI batters. The latest ICC rankings update has him climbing four places to No. 8, his best position since 2020. Root earned the jump with a superb three-match ODI series against India. He stayed unbeaten in all three innings, scoring 76, 99 and 74, and was named Player of the Series with 249 runs at a strike rate near 97. His form helped England win the series 2-1, their first bilateral ODI series win over India since 2018. India's batters also moved up despite the series defeat. Rohit Sharma stayed at No. 4 but closed the gap on the top three after smashing 138 in the third ODI at Lord's. He now sits just nine rating points behind Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill remains second, only one point adrift of New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell at the top. Shreyas Iyer also gained ground, moving up two places to 13th after his 66 in the second ODI at Cardiff. England opener Ben Duckett was another big mover, jumping 11 places to joint-19th after his 141 at Lord's, the highest individual score by a man in an ODI at the venue. Here's the full top 10 after the update: Rank Player Rating 1 Daryl Mitchell (NZ) 802 2 Shubman Gill (IND) 801 3 Virat Kohli (IND) 767 4 Rohit Sharma (IND) 758 5 Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) 712 6 Babar Azam (PAK) 689 7 Harry Tector (IRE) 679 8 Joe Root (ENG) 674 9 Shai Hope (WI) 672 10 Charith Asalanka (SL) 659 Duckett's rise to joint-19th and Iyer's move up to 13th came just outside this top 10 bracket.
Kuldeep Yadav Joins Yorkshire for Maiden County Stint
Kuldeep Yadav has signed with Yorkshire as an overseas player for the rest of the 2026 English season. This will be his first-ever stint in county cricket. The deal covers five One-Day Cup matches to start with. Kuldeep begins his stint against Glamorgan at Neath on Friday, July 24. He will then return to Headingley in September to play three of Yorkshire's final four County Championship matches. The move comes at an interesting time for the 31-year-old wrist-spinner. Kuldeep was part of India's recent tour of England but did not get a single game in the 2-1 ODI series loss. He also missed out during India's T20I series in Ireland and England. The lack of opportunities has been a talking point back home, with several former players questioning the team management's calls. Yorkshire's general manager of cricket, Gavin Hamilton, said the dry summer conditions make Kuldeep's left-arm wrist spin a valuable addition for the closing stages of the season. Kuldeep said he was excited to join a club with such a proud history and looks forward to contributing during his time at Headingley. Kuldeep joins a growing list of Indian players turning out in county cricket this season, including Yuzvendra Chahal at Northamptonshire, Jaydev Unadkat at Sussex, and Ashutosh Sharma at Hampshire.
India, Zimbabwe Both Name Squads for Three-Match T20I Series in Harare
India and Zimbabwe have both named their squads for a three-match T20I series in Harare, starting Thursday. All three matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club, on July 23, 25 and 26. India named their squad first, back on July 6. Shreyas Iyer continues as captain, with Tilak Varma as his deputy. The touring party is a young one, with uncapped players Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh, Ashok Sharma and Harsh Dubey all in the mix, alongside the returning Rinku Singh and Mayank Yadav. Zimbabwe have now followed with their own 15-man squad under Sikandar Raza . The home side have made three changes from the group that played Bangladesh recently. Wessly Madhevere and Newman Nyamhuri both return, and Tafadzwa Tsiga earns his first T20I call-up. The two sides last met at the T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight stage, where India won by 72 runs in Chennai. This series doubles as a chance for India to test fringe players, while Zimbabwe will fancy home conditions to close the gap.
Rohit Sharma Becomes First Indian to Score an ODI Century at Lord's
Rohit Sharma answered weeks of retirement talk with a special innings at Lord's. Chasing England's mammoth 387 in the series-deciding third ODI, he smashed 138 off 110 balls, becoming the first Indian man to score an ODI century at the historic ground. Rohit reached his hundred in just 84 balls. He struck 11 fours and 4 sixes along the way, including back-to-back maximums off Josh Tongue that took him into the 90s. He brought up three figures with a four off Adil Rashid. It was his 34th ODI century , and his eighth hundred in England across all formats, the most by any visiting batter in the country. At 39, he also became the oldest Indian batter to score an ODI hundred, and the oldest player of any nationality to reach three figures in an ODI at Lord's. The knock also took him past 1,000 ODI runs against England. Rohit added 147 for the first wicket with captain Shubman Gill , who made 77, before India lost momentum in the middle overs. Despite the century, India fell short, bowled out for 360 in a chase of 388, and lost the match by 27 runs as England sealed the series 2-1. The innings came with the pre-match narrative dominated by questions over his future in the format. For a day at least, Rohit's bat did the talking.
Kohli and Rohit Become First Indian Pair to Play 400 Internationals Together
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have long been the backbone of India's batting, and fans have a nickname for the pair: "RoKo". Their combined numbers over the years are hard to believe. Between them, they have scored close to 50,000 international runs and hit over 130 centuries . In ODIs alone, Kohli has 14,867 runs from 314 matches with 54 hundreds. Rohit has 11,757 runs from 288 matches with 33 hundreds, heading into the Lord's decider. Across all formats, Kohli sits on 28,285 runs from 562 games, and Rohit on 20,289 runs from 514 games. The pair keeps adding milestones together. At Lord's in the third ODI against England, they walked out to bat in their 400th international match together . That makes them the first Indian pair ever to reach this number, moving past the old record of 391 matches held by Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Only six pairs in cricket history, led by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene with 550 matches, have played more games together than Kohli and Rohit. Their partnership numbers are just as strong. The pair has put together over 21 century stands in ODIs , second only to Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly's 26. Their biggest stand together remains 246 runs , scored against West Indies in Guwahati back in 2018. In that same Lord's ODI, they added another century stand, sharing a brisk 113 runs for the second wicket. Their partnership has powered India to major titles too, including the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and two Champions Trophy wins. Both have now retired from Tests and T20Is, with the ODI format their only remaining stage in international cricket. Every innings the two share from here counts as one of their last together in Indian colours.
England Beat India by 27 Runs at Lord's to Win ODI Series 2-1
England beat India by 27 runs in the third ODI at Lord's. The win gives England the series 2-1. It also caps a rough white-ball tour for India, who had already lost the T20I series earlier on this trip. Put in to bat, England posted a big total of 387 for 3 in their 50 overs. Ben Duckett led the charge with 141. Jacob Bethell backed him up with 91. Joe Root stayed not out on 74, and Jos Buttler smashed a quick 41 not out off just 13 balls at the end. India fought hard in the chase but fell short. Rohit Sharma hit a fine century, finishing with 138. Shubman Gill made 77 at the top, and Virat Kohli added 74. Despite these knocks, India lost too many wickets in the middle overs and ended on 360 for 7. Sam Curran was the pick of the England bowlers, taking 4 wickets. He got rid of Kohli late on, which all but ended India's chase. Jacob Bethell was named Player of the Match for his 91 with the bat and the key wicket of Rohit Sharma with the ball. Looking at the series as a whole, Joe Root was named Player of the Series. He was in fine form with the bat through all three matches, including an unbeaten 99 in the second ODI at Cardiff. This result adds to a tough few weeks for Indian cricket in white-ball formats. India also lost their earlier T20I series on this England tour, and before that, they suffered a shock T20I series defeat to Ireland. Captain Shreyas Iyer and the team will now have time to regroup before their next assignment.
Washington Sundar Ruled Out of 3rd ODI Against England Due to Thigh Injury, Harsh Dubey Replaces Him
India have lost Washington Sundar for the series decider against England. He picked up a thigh injury during the second ODI in Cardiff and has now been officially ruled out of the third and final ODI at Lord's. The BCCI confirmed the setback. Sundar will undergo scans and see a specialist to get a clearer picture of the injury. There's no word yet on how long he could be out for. Harsh Dubey has been named as his replacement for the Lord's match. The left-arm spinner joins the squad as India look to cover the gap left by Sundar's all-round skills with both bat and ball. The series is level after two matches. India won the first ODI in Birmingham by 6 wickets, before England hit back in Cardiff, winning by 4 wickets to force a decider. This third ODI at Lord's on July 19 will settle the series. Losing Sundar is a blow for India's balance, since he offers both handy runs down the order and tidy off-spin. How the team management reshuffles the XI without him will be one of the bigger selection calls of the match.
Sir Garry Sobers, Cricket's Greatest All-Rounder, Dies at 89
Sir Garfield "Garry" Sobers , widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder cricket has ever seen, has passed away at his home in Barbados. He was 89, just weeks short of his 90th birthday. Sobers made his first-class debut for Barbados at just 16 in 1953. He earned his West Indies Test cap the following year. He went on to play 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 . With the ball, he picked up 235 wickets at an average of 34.03. He captained West Indies for seven years, from 1965 to 1972. His batting peak came in 1958, when he made an unbeaten 365 against Pakistan at Sabina Park. It stood as the highest individual score in Test history until Brian Lara broke it in 1994, a moment Sobers witnessed and celebrated in person. A decade later, in 1968, Sobers became the first man to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket. He did it playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan, taking down bowler Malcolm Nash at St Helen's in Swansea. His first-class numbers were just as remarkable. Across 383 matches for West Indies, Barbados, Nottinghamshire, and South Australia, he scored over 28,000 runs and took more than 1,000 wickets . He could bowl left-arm pace, orthodox spin, and wrist-spin, and was an outstanding close-in fielder, a versatility that led Sir Donald Bradman to call him a "five-in-one cricketer." Sobers was knighted in 1975 for his services to the game. The ICC's award for the top overall performer in men's international cricket is named the Sir Garfield Sobers Award in his honour. Tributes have poured in from across the cricket world. Cricket West Indies said a great innings had come to an end. Nottinghamshire, where Sobers spent much of his county career, called it a deeply saddening loss. Rest in peace, Sir Garry Sobers.
Virat Kohli Hits Four Milestones in 2nd ODI Against England
Virat Kohli had a milestone-filled outing during his innings of 65 off 66 balls in the second ODI against England at Cardiff. The knock alone ticked off four separate career landmarks. 1. Most ODI half-centuries by an Indian in SENA countries. Kohli's fifty was his 30th in ODI cricket in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). That took him past Rahul Dravid to become the Indian batter with the most ODI half-centuries in these four countries, conditions traditionally considered the toughest for subcontinental batters to score runs in. The full list now reads: Virat Kohli - 30 Rahul Dravid - 29 Sachin Tendulkar - 25 MS Dhoni - 24 Mohammad Azharuddin - 17 2. Level with Viv Richards for most 50-plus ODI scores against England. The same innings was also Kohli's 14th score of 50 or more against England in ODI cricket specifically, matching the tally West Indies great Sir Vivian Richards built across 36 ODIs against England between 1976 and 1991. Kohli and Richards now sit joint-second on the all-time list. Only Kumar Sangakkara is ahead, with 15 fifty-plus scores against England in ODIs. Kohli's 14 includes 3 centuries and 11 half-centuries from 40 ODIs against England, and he could draw level with Sangakkara in the series decider at Lord's on July 19. 3. Most fifty-plus scores against England across formats for India. The knock was also Kohli's 33rd score of 50 or more against England when combined across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, taking him past Sachin Tendulkar's previous Indian record of 32 such scores against the same opposition. 4. Fifth-most capped player in international cricket history. Separately from his batting, Kohli went past Ricky Ponting during the match to move into fifth place on the all-time list of most capped players, playing his 561st international match. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Sanath Jayasuriya have appeared in more international games. Despite the personal landmarks, India were bowled out for 233 in 44 overs after being sent in to bat, with the middle order unable to fully capitalise on starts from the top three. England chased the total down with 4 wickets in hand, powered by an unbeaten 99 from Joe Root . The series is level at 1-1 heading into the third and final ODI at Lord's.
Root Falls One Short of Century as England Beat India by 4 Wickets to Level ODI Series
England beat India by 4 wickets in Cardiff to level the ODI series 1-1, with Joe Root left stranded one run short of a century. Chasing 234, England got home in 44.1 overs with 11 balls to spare. Joe Root anchored the chase from the top of the order, finishing unbeaten on 99 off 133 balls. He lost partners around him through the middle overs but stayed till the winning runs came, with Gus Atkinson finishing the job alongside him with an unbeaten 23 off just 16 balls. Earlier, India were bowled out for 233 in 44 overs after being sent in to bat. Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 66, and Virat Kohli made 65, but India lost wickets in clusters through the middle overs. A late cameo from Jasprit Bumrah , unbeaten on 20 off just 13 balls, added some late impetus to the total. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson shared six wickets between them for England. In the chase, Gurnoor Brar was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 2 for 67, while Axar Patel and Shivam Dube picked up a wicket apiece to keep India in the contest before Root and Atkinson closed it out. The series is now level at 1-1, with the third and final ODI to be played at Lord's.
ICC Confirms New ODI World Cup 2027 Format: Super Series and Super 7 Stages Added for 14-Team Event
The ICC has confirmed a new format for the Men's ODI World Cup 2027, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The changes were approved at the ICC's Annual Conference in Edinburgh, the same meeting where the T20 World Cup format was also revamped. The tournament keeps its 14-team field, but the structure now has three stages before the knockouts. It starts with a new Super Series . The three lowest-ranked qualified teams, ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th, play a round-robin among themselves. Only the winner moves forward, joining the top 11 teams. That leaves 12 teams for the group stage, split into two groups of six , playing 30 round-robin matches. From there, the top three teams in each group qualify for a new Super 7 stage. The seventh and final spot goes to the next best-ranked team across both groups, regardless of which group it came from. The Super 7 is itself a round-robin stage. The top four teams from it advance to the semi-finals, with the 1st-placed side facing the 4th, and 2nd facing 3rd. The winners meet in the final. This replaces the format the ICC had previously approved for 2027, which was two groups of seven leading into a Super Six stage. The ICC said the change was made to avoid dead rubbers and empty stadiums in the early rounds, and to add more jeopardy earlier in the tournament. The exact fixture list will be confirmed at an ICC meeting in October. The 2027 World Cup will have 10 automatic qualifiers, including co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, along with the eight highest-ranked teams as of September 2026. The remaining four spots will be decided through a global qualifier event.
ICC Confirms New T20 World Cup Format for 2028: Five Groups, Super 10, and New Eliminator Round
The ICC has approved a major shake-up of the T20 World Cup format, starting with the 2028 edition. The changes were confirmed at the ICC's Annual Conference in Edinburgh. The tournament will still have 20 teams, but the group stage now moves to five groups of four , up from four groups of five. That means 30 group games instead of 40. The top two from each group progress to a new Super 10 stage, replacing the old Super Eights. This round has two groups of five teams playing round-robin, a jump from 12 matches to 20. The biggest change is what happens after that. Only the team that finishes top of its Super 10 group goes straight to the semi-final. The teams that finish second and third now play each other in a new Eliminator round, with the second-placed side from one group facing the third-placed side from the other. The two Eliminator winners take the remaining semi-final spots. The ICC said the changes were shaped by how well emerging teams performed at the 2026 World Cup, and are meant to keep more teams in contention for longer while making the closing Super 10 matches count for more. Alongside the format change, the ICC also confirmed the qualification path to 2028. Twelve teams have already qualified based on their 2026 results and current rankings: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. Scotland gets a direct spot in the Europe Regional Final because of the unusual circumstances around their 2026 entry, having come in as a late replacement for Bangladesh. The rest, including Canada, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, UAE, and the USA, will go through the Global Qualifier along with teams coming through regional qualifying. The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup also got a format overhaul at the same meeting, moving to a new three-stage structure for its 2027 edition.
Shubman Gill Closes in on World No. 1 ODI Batting Rank, Just 11 Points Behind Daryl Mitchell
Shubman Gill has moved a step closer to the top spot in the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings. His unbeaten 80 in the series opener against England at Edgbaston has lifted him 12 rating points, from 793 to 803. He now sits just 11 points behind New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell, who holds the No. 1 rank with 814. Gill's knock came off 75 balls and included 11 fours and a six. He retired hurt during India's chase, but his innings kept India ahead of the required rate in a successful run chase of 259. The runs were enough to push him from third to a close second in the rankings table. This is not new territory for the Indian captain. Gill has already held the World No. 1 ODI ranking twice before, once in late 2023 and again in early 2025. He is now chasing a third stint at the top, with the race against Mitchell heating up as both batters have more matches coming up. Mitchell is currently on tour with New Zealand against the West Indies and has scored 65 and 28 in two ODIs so far, with three matches left to defend his spot. Gill has two more ODIs left in the series against England, at Cardiff and Lord's, to try to close the gap or move ahead. Elsewhere in the same rankings update, Axar Patel was the other big mover for India. His all-round show against England, 57 not out and 4 for 62, lifted him 18 places to 73rd among batters and into the top 10 of the all-rounders' list for the first time, at ninth. With two ODIs still to play in the series, the battle for the world's top-ranked ODI batter looks set to go down to the wire.