Today (October 6) will be jam-packed with cricketing action. Both the men’s and women’s teams will step on the field. While Suryakumar Yadav will lead a bunch of youngsters in the 1st T20I against Bangladesh, Harmanpreet Kaur will be rearing to make amends in the high-octane IND vs PAK clash at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The Women in Blue lost their opening clash against the Kiwis and are in dire straits to win this one. Apart from this, October 5 once again saw some IPL retention rumours, while we even had some major cricketing updates. On that note, here are the six most headline-worthy stories from Saturday.
Hilarious from Suryakumar Yadav
Ahead of India’s T20I match against Bangladesh, Suryakumar Yadav playfully deflected a question about potentially leading Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. The star batter, enjoying his new role as India captain, hinted at the possibility of future leadership opportunities but remained coy about specifics. “Aapne googly daal diya aapne (laughs) (You put me in a spot with a wrong ‘un),” Surya quipped. After stripping Rohit Sharma of captaincy ahead of IPL 2024, things haven’t been fruitful in the camp for the 5-time champions. While Hardik Pandya is the designated MI skipper, things will be interesting at IPL 2025 retentions.
RCB to retain Cameron Green?
With the IPL 2025 retention window approaching, the million-dollar question for RCB fans is who their team will retain. While Virat Kohli is a guaranteed pick, the second retention is less certain. Aakash Chopra suggests Cameron Green, but his injury concerns could complicate matters. Green’s impressive performance in the previous season, scoring 255 runs and taking 10 wickets, makes him a valuable asset. The Aussie hard-hitter is a long-term investment as well.
Dube out, Tilak in
An injury has forced Shivam Dube out of India’s T20I series against Bangladesh. The BCCI announced that a back injury has prevented Dube from participating in the series. As a result, Tilak Varma has been named as his replacement. Varma, a talented left-handed batter, last played for India in January. He has played 16 T20Is and will join the Indian camp in Gwalior on match day morning.
Ashwin feels sorry for Pakistan cricket
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels sorry for Pakistan’s cricket woes. The Men in Green have been plagued by leadership instability, with Babar Azam stepping down as white-ball captain for the second time in recent months. Ashwin criticized Pakistan’s “musical chairs” approach to captaincy, saying it hinders the team’s progress. He expressed his disappointment given Pakistan’s rich cricketing history and the talent in their squad. “The music keeps playing, and they just think about grabbing a chair; that’s how it feels,” said Ashwin.
Ben Stokes still out, ENG name XI vs PAK
Ollie Pope will lead England in the first Test against Pakistan (Oct 7) as Ben Stokes continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. Brydon Carse will make his Test debut, while Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson return to the side. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the batting. Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach will be the primary spinners. Multan will host the first two Tests of the series.
Gary Kirsten flies home
Gary Kirsten, Pakistan’s limited-overs coach, has left the country after evaluating the combinations and players during the One-Day Champions Cup. The PCB is set to announce Babar Azam’s successor soon. Kirsten will rejoin the team in Melbourne for the series against Australia next month. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi are leading contenders for the captaincy. Kirsten will have a role in deciding the next white-ball captain.
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