And Team India forced a result out of a Test match that saw just 35 overs after three days of play. The Kanpur Test against Bangladesh finished in just 6 sessions, courtesy of some insane batting by India on Day 4. The bowlers did their job fantastically well, with Ravichandran Ashwin bagging another Player of the Series award. Meanwhile, the Irani Cup game also kicked off, with Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan saving Mumbai’s ship against Ruturaj Gaikwad and his men. October 1 also saw the SA20 2025 auction take place. On that note, here are the top six headline-worthy news from the day!
Ruturaj Gaikwad the next Test opener?
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the excluded opener from the IND vs BAN T20I series, is set for a redemption arc in Australia. Despite his surprising omission from the Bangladesh T20I squad, Gaikwad is now poised to join the Indian team Down Under as a potential replacement opener. The team management’s decision to have him lead the Rest of India in the Irani Cup was a strategic move to ensure he maintains his red-ball form before the crucial Test series. While these may be just reports, Gaikwad might be a great option as a third-choice opener after skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rohit Sharma masterplan!
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India’s ruthlessness was on display as they dominated Bangladesh. Despite all the wet outfield and other shenanigans, India forced a target of 95 runs and chased it down with ease in just 17.2 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli led the charge, while Rishabh Pant sealed the victory with a boundary. India’s bowlers also excelled, dismantling Bangladesh’s batting lineup in both innings. Ravindra Jadeja bagged a three-fer, meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah once again bamboozled with his remarkable pace bowling (and sometimes change of pace).
Rahane-Sarfaraz star in Irani Cup Day 1
Stumps on Day 1 of the Irani Cup was called before Mumbai’s experienced trio steadied the ship. Despite losing early wickets, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, and Sarfaraz Khan provided stability to Mumbai’s innings with their respective fifties. Rahane, in particular, has been in excellent form, playing a faultless innings and dominating the bowlers. Sarfaraz, meanwhile, played delightfully well too, taking risks here and there Mumbai made 237 on a day where only 68 overs were bowled.
India for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
BCCI’s stance on the Pakistan tour (for Champions Trophy) remains unchanged. The Indian cricket team’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan hinges on the government’s approval. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reaffirmed the board’s commitment to following the government’s decision. While a tentative schedule has been released by the ICC, no final confirmation on India’s travel plans has been given.
SA20 2025 Auction
The SA20 Auction for the 2025 edition saw many star players like Reeza Hendricks, Shamar Joseph, and Evin Lewis fetch big bucks in the auction. While Hendricks went to MI Cape Town for Rs 2 crore, Naseem Shah’s name was not called up. Apart from this, Shamar Joseph went back to another ‘Super Giants’ in Durban, meanwhile, Pretoria Capitals signed Evin Lewish and Ackerman. Here are the full SA20 2025 squads after the auction.
Warm-ups done for India Women’s!
And the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will enter the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with two wins in the warm-up fixtures. The Indian team started the clash against South Africa poorly, as they lost Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet cheaply. But soon after that, Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana combined well to score a lot of boundaries. While Jemimah made 30, Mandhana clubbed 21. Richa Ghosh (36) and Deepti Sharma (35) paired well to take the team to 144/7. But the likes of Deepti Sharma, Asha Sobhana kept the SA batters in check as India registered an easy 28-run win. Even Harmanpreet and Shafali Verma got one wicket each!