It was a quiet day for cricketing fans after a power-packed Saturday that saw spin decide the fate of Indian cricket and Pakistan cricket. While India got outclassed on a turning track in Pune, Pakistan scripted a much-needed Test series win over England, both covering just three days of high-octane cricket. On Sunday, however, we had a huge news related to the IPL 2025 retentions. Insidesport understands that KL Rahul’s association with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is about to end as the franchise will not retain their skipper. Apart from this, we had the new Emerging Asia Cup champions after Afghanistan A beat Sri Lanka A comfortably in the final. On that note, here are six of the best cricket stories from October 27.
KL Rahul says bye bye to LSG ahead of IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will release their captain KL Rahul ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Insidesport understands. Instead, they will retain Nicholas Pooran at Rs 18 crore, Ravi Bishnoi at Rs 14 crore, Mayank Yadav at Rs 11 crore, Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan at Rs 4 crore each. With a purse of Rs 69 crore, LSG are well-positioned to build a strong team for the upcoming season.
Rohit, Kohli should play domestic cricket?
India’s recent home series loss to New Zealand has exposed a worrying vulnerability against spin bowling. Former captain Dilip Vengsarkar has urged Indian batters to prioritize domestic cricket to regain their finesse against spinners. He believes that domestic cricket provides crucial exposure to quality spin bowling, helping players develop the necessary skills to counter spin attacks, both at home and away.
Mohammad Rizwan new Pakistan captain
Pakistan has opted for split captaincy, naming Mohammad Rizwan as the new ODI captain and Salman Ali Agha as his deputy. Rizwan replaces Babar Azam, who stepped down from the role earlier this year. The decision was made after consultation with players and the selection committee. The new captain’s first assignment will be the upcoming ODI series against Australia. For the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe, PCB has also named squads.
Ranji Trophy Day 2 Round 3
The third round of the Ranji Trophy has seen a mix of fortunes for Indian cricketers. Cheteshwar Pujara, a seasoned Test player, struggled, scoring just 2 runs for Saurashtra. In contrast, Agni Chopra continued his stellar form, scoring his second consecutive double century for Mizoram. Jammu and Kashmir dominated Services, winning within two days thanks to their impressive bowling attack led by Umar Nazir and Yudhvir Singh. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur hit a much-needed fifty to bail Mumbai out of trouble against Tripura.
Mohammed Shami to return?
Despite missing out on India’s initial Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad, Mohammed Shami still has a chance to make the Australian tour. The BCCI might consider the pacer if he proves his fitness in the upcoming Ranji Trophy, as reported by Indian Express. Shami, who hasn’t played since the 2023 World Cup final, is likely to represent Bengal against Karnataka in Bengaluru in the first week of November. The 34-year-old recently shared a workout video on Instagram, expressing his desire to regain fitness and return to domestic cricket before making his international comeback.
New Zealand beat India again, this time victors were the ladies
New Zealand Women bounced back strongly, leveling the ODI series against India Women with a 76-run victory. After posting 259/9, led by Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, the White Ferns bowled out India for 183. India’s top order collapsed early, and despite a late fightback from Radha Yadav and Saima Thakor, New Zealand’s disciplined bowling attack secured the win. Indian batters completely fell flat in Ahmedabad.