Monday, November 25
India's hopes for the World Test Championship final were hit hard after New Zealand beat them 0-3 at home, leading to a drop in the WTC standings. India now second with 58.33 PCT, face tough competition from closely-ranked teams, while Australia leads with 62.50 PCT. Exciting matches lie ahead as the race intensifies.
RCB retained Kohli, Patidar, and Dayal for IPL 2025, with Kohli likely resuming captaincy after du Plessis wasn't retained. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar urges fans to objectively analyze Kohli's T20 performances, questioning if he is the right choice for captaincy based on recent performance. During Kohli's previous tenure as captain from 2013 to 2021, RCB reached the finals once in 2016.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore revealed that Shreyas Iyer was their top retention choice for IPL 2025, but he chose to explore his market value in the auction. This year’s IPL mega auction will feature former captains Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul. Heinrich Klaasen emerged as the highest-paid retention at Rs. 23 crores.
Australian batting coach Neil D'Costa advises selectors against rushing 19-year-old Sam Konstas into Test cricket for the series against India, citing Prithvi Shaw's example. He suggests Konstas should first gain experience in the Sheffield Shield. D'Costa highlights that premature Test debuts could be detrimental, emphasizing the importance of player readiness.
Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan led Pakistan to a commanding nine-wicket win over England in the third Test, securing a 2-1 series victory. The duo exploited the spin-friendly pitch to take a combined 19 wickets, leaving England struggling at 112 in their second innings. Following the Test series win over England, Pakistan is now in Australia to play three ODIs and three T20Is, with the limited-overs series beginning Monday in Melbourne.
Faf du Plessis, leading RCB from 2022 to 2024, will enter the IPL mega auction after not being retained. Despite his significant contributions, including leading the team to the IPL playoffs last season, the difficult decision was made by RCB's management to not stick with the former South Africa captain
