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India tour of England: Former England cricketer hails Sai Sudharsan’s technique, calls him ‘special talent’ | Cricket News
Sai Sudarshan (ANI Photo) Former England cricketer Alec Stewart has praised young Indian batter Sai Sudharsan’s potential for Test cricket, highlighting his quick learning ability and diverse shot selection as key attributes that could help him succeed in the longer format following Virat Kohli’s retirement. Sudharsan, who has already represented India in ODIs and T20Is, is eyeing his Test debut during India’s upcoming five-Test tour of England starting June 20, which marks the beginning of India’s World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle under new captain Shubman Gill.Sudharsan’s first-class cricket record shows 1,957 runs in 29 games at an average of 39.93, including seven centuries and five fifties. His highest score stands at 213.His recent performance in the Indian Premier League strengthened his credentials, where he claimed the Orange Cap and Emerging Player of the Season award with 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Surrey’s association with Sudharsan began in 2023 when he had played fewer than 10 first-class games and was yet to make his international debut. Before his Surrey debut against Northamptonshire, he played for the team’s second XI at Guildford to familiarize himself with English conditions and the Dukes ball.“Sai came as an unknown, and his experience of the English game was very limited. Vikram Solanki was massive in recommending him to me, and I have so much respect for Vikram. From his first training session, you could see that he was a special talent, and he has not looked back. He loves to bat – whether in the nets or the middle – and just fitted into our set-up perfectly,” Stewart said.Stewart specifically noted Sudharsan’s technique in handling English conditions. “If you go too hard and get too far out in front of yourself, when the ball seams, you are not in control, then your bat can get outside of your eyeline, whereas he plays it under his eyeline, plays it under his eyes, and plays it late. And even if he does nick it a little bit, like Kane Williamson, for example – you can nick it, but it still falls short of slip and that again is a real attribute of Sai’s.“Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Regarding Sudharsan’s ability to play on English pitches, Stewart added: “The pitches are quicker here, certainly at The Oval, and to succeed, you have to be able to play off the back foot. You have got to be selective to pull, hook, cut or let go. He gets out of the line of the short ball well but can also play the uppercut over the slips. He has got a full array of shots, and he gets them in the right order.”Sudharsan’s dedication to improvement was evident when he took some Dukes balls back home after his county stint. Stewart commented on this, saying: “I did not charge him for them and just let him have them. But, no… he had that forward-thinking mindset and trained with those balls, so that when he comes back to us, or hopefully is picked for India on tour, he will have had nice practice against the Dukes cricket ball as well. Some of those will probably be worn out by now because I gave them to him last year, but he is a quick learner and he practises with a purpose. Yes, he likes volume, but he also likes to improve.” Major League Cricket: Liam Plunkett on how cricket can boom in the USA Stewart advised Sudharsan against trying to be the next Virat Kohli, suggesting instead that he focus on being the “best version of Sai Sudharsan.”The five-Test series in England will run from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled across Leeds, Birmingham, London, and Manchester.India’s Test squad for the England series includes Shubman Gill as captain, Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, and players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
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ENG vs WI, 2nd T20I: Live score and updates from Bristol
ENG vs WI, 2nd T20I: Live score and updates from Bristol
‘Felt for a long time I didn’t care’: Heinrich Klaasen opens up on sudden retirement from International cricket | Cricket News
South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, file) Former South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen announced his retirement from international cricket at age 33, citing coaching changes and inability to reach an agreement with Cricket South Africa regarding his participation in major T20 leagues alongside international commitments. Klaasen had initially planned to continue playing white-ball cricket until the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.The departure of Rob Walter as coach and appointment of Shukri Conrad to lead the white-ball side led to uncertainty in Klaasen’s career plans. Despite being South Africa’s top ODI run-scorer since 2023, he was left out of the central contract list in April.Klaasen has been a dominant force in T20 cricket since 2022, amassing 3,833 runs in 145 appearances for South Africa and various franchises. He maintained an impressive average of 35.49 and a strike rate of 158.19, including three centuries and 25 fifties.In ODIs since 2023, Klaasen scored 1,345 runs in 30 matches at an average of 51.73 and a strike rate of 135.58, with three centuries and seven fifties. He had previously retired from Test cricket after playing four matches between 2019 and 2023. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments “I felt for a long time that I did not really care about any of my performances and whether the team won or not. That is the wrong place to be,” Klaasen told Rapport.“I had a long conversation with Rob before the Champions Trophy, and I told him I did not feel good in my heart about what was going on. I was not enjoying it that much. We talked nicely, we planned everything nicely up to and including the World Cup in 2027. So when he finished as coach and the [contract] negotiations [with CSA] did not go as planned, it made my decision a lot easier,” he added.The negotiations with Cricket South Africa failed as Klaasen’s participation in Major League Cricket and The Hundred would have prevented him from playing in the Zimbabwe-New Zealand tri-nation series and the white-ball tour to Australia.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Family considerations also played a role in his decision. “Now I can spend six or seven months at home. My family needs it. It has been a long four years with a lot of travel. I need a little rest,” said Klaasen, who has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.Throughout his career, Klaasen was known for his signature whip-pull shot against spinners. He represented South Africa in recent major tournaments including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, T20 World Cup 2024, and Champions Trophy 2025.His ODI career concluded with 2,141 runs in 60 matches at an average of 43.69, including four centuries and 11 fifties. In T20 internationals, he scored 1,000 runs with a highest score of 81 and five half-centuries, maintaining a strike rate of 141.84.A highlight of his career was a powerful innings of 174 against Australia at SuperSport Park in 2023, which stands as the second-highest score ever recorded by a number five batsman in ODIs.
French Open 2025: Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini claim first women’s doubles title | Tennis News
Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Italian duo Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini clinched their first French Open women’s doubles title at Roland-Garros on Sunday, defeating Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. The second-seeded pair, who were runners-up last year, added this victory to their Olympic gold medal collection.This marks Errani’s second French Open doubles title and sixth major tournament victory overall. The 38-year-old veteran previously enjoyed significant success with former partner Roberta Vinci, winning titles at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open.Errani has had a particularly successful run in Paris this year, also securing the mixed doubles title alongside Andrea Vavassori. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments Paolini, who has proven herself in singles competition, was the runner-up in last year’s French Open singles final, where she faced Iga Swiatek.In the men’s doubles final, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos secured their first major title together. The veteran pair, with a combined age of 79, overcame British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski with a score of 6-0, 6-7 (5), 7-5.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?The fifth-seeded Spanish-Argentine partnership of Granollers, 39, and Zeballos, 40, had previously reached three Grand Slam finals, finishing as runners-up at the U.S. Open in 2019 and Wimbledon in both 2021 and 2023.Salisbury and Skupski made history as the first all-British team to reach a Grand Slam men’s doubles final in the Open era.
WTC Final: Steve Smith vs Kagiso Rabada takes centre stage; who is favourite to prevail at Lord’s? | Cricket News
Steve Smith and Kagiso Rabada As Australia and South Africa gear up for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s, cricket fans are eagerly anticipating the battle between Australian batting star Steve Smith and South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada. Australia aims to defend their WTC mace from 2023, while South Africa seeks their first world cricket title.The head-to-head statistics between Smith and Rabada reveal an intriguing contest. In 15 innings, Smith has scored 128 runs off Rabada’s bowling, facing 262 balls. Rabada has dismissed Smith four times, with Smith maintaining an average of 48.85 and a strike rate of 32.00 against him. Smith has hit 16 fours and two sixes while playing 207 dot balls against Rabada.Both players have impressive records at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Rabada boasts the best average of 19.38 among all bowlers in the final, surpassing Australian pacers Pat Cummins (21.10), Josh Hazlewood (26.15), and Mitchell Starc (33.62). In his two Tests at the venue, Rabada has claimed 13 wickets with best figures of 5/52. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments Smith has demonstrated exceptional performance at Lord’s, accumulating 525 runs in five Tests across nine innings at an average of 58.33. His record includes two centuries and two fifties, with his most recent innings being a knock of 110 against England in the 2023 Ashes.Smith enters the final in tremendous form, having recently completed 10,000 runs and scored four centuries in his last five Tests against India and Sri Lanka. His record in ICC knockout matches is particularly notable, with 584 runs in 12 matches at an average of 58.40, including two centuries and four fifties.Rabada stands on the verge of significant milestones in Test cricket. With 327 Test wickets at an average of 22.00, including 16 five-wicket hauls, he needs just four more wickets to surpass Allan Donald’s record of 330 wickets and become South Africa’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Dale Steyn holds the record for most Test wickets for South Africa with 439 wickets in 93 Tests, maintaining an average of 22.95 and claiming 26 five-wicket hauls.In international cricket across all formats, Rabada currently has 566 wickets in 241 appearances, with an average of 24.27 and 18 five-wicket hauls. He needs seven more wickets to overtake Jacques Kallis, who holds the fifth position with 572 wickets.Shaun Pollock leads South Africa’s all-time international wicket-takers list with 823 wickets in 414 matches, achieved at an average of 23.63 with 21 five-wicket hauls.Rabada’s performance in ICC knockout events includes six wickets in four matches, maintaining an average of 26.83 with best figures of 2/14 and an economy rate of 7.00.The upcoming WTC final presents an opportunity for both players to enhance their already impressive records and potentially play decisive roles in their teams’ pursuit of the championship title.
Salman Ali Agha in line to become all-format captain for Pakistan team
A file image of Pkistan player Salman Ali Agha | Photo Credit: AP The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to make some sweeping changes in its national team set-up, with Salman Ali Agha in line to become all-format captain, replacing Shan Masood as the skipper of the Test side. Besides the change in captaincy, the board will also be announcing the formation of an “observatory” committee after Eid holidays, a concept meant to keep a close watch on cricket developments, including in the national team and forward recommendations to the board’s chairman. A source in the board said that former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and ex-pacer Sikander Bakht had been called to Lahore for a meeting. “The two were informed about the decision to form the observatory committee and offered positions on it,” the source said. “Some other players will also be on this committee.” He said PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, after discussions with his close aides, including new white ball head coach Mike Hesson, is also considering redefining the role of the national selection committee. “Either there will be changes in the current selection committee, which would continue to work with the Pakistan team management, or a new selection set-up would be announced with prime focus on looking and finding talent from domestic and age group cricket,” the source said. Naqvi, the source added, wanted to see things move forward with the right people in the right positions and with the coach and captain given powers to select the teams. There is also a move to give more responsibility to Salman Ali Agha, who is currently the national T20 captain, and the board is contemplating replacing Shan Masood as the Test skipper when they announce the new head coach of the red ball format. Pakistan’s next Test assignment, which is their first in the ICC World Test Championship new cycle, will be a two-match home series against South Africa later this year. Pakistan is slated to play just five Tests this calendar year. Published – June 08, 2025 06:14 pm IST
Alcaraz vs Sinner, French Open Final 2025 Live Score: Carlos Alcaraz bids to defend his Roland Garros title against Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz vs Sinner, French Open Final 2025 Live Score: A seismic shift in men’s tennis is underway as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner prepare to meet in the 2024 French Open final, marking the first Grand Slam title match between two players born in the 2000s. With the Big Three era of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer drawing to a close, Sunday’s showdown promises to be the defining clash of a new generation. Alcaraz, 22, enters the final as the defending champion at Roland Garros, eyeing his fifth Grand Slam title and a chance to become only the third man this century, after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, to successfully defend the Coupe des Mousquetaires. Meanwhile, Sinner, 23, ranked world No. 1, seeks his third consecutive Slam title after winning the 2023 US Open and the 2024 Australian Open. He’s unbeaten in Grand Slam finals and has extended his major-winning streak to 20 matches. While Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 7-4, including a recent win in the Italian Open final, Sinner has been dominant in Paris, reaching the final without dropping a single set. His semifinal victory over Djokovic may have signalled the end of the Serbian legend’s French Open dominance, and perhaps even his career at Roland Garros. The match also carries extra emotional weight. Alcaraz has acknowledged the intensity Sinner brings, calling him the “best tennis player right now.” The Spaniard knows he must rise to another level to hold off the red-hot Italian. Meanwhile, Sinner, undistracted by the controversy surrounding his brief doping suspension earlier this year (which authorities ruled accidental), has been all business on court. Both players are unbeaten in Slam finals, but that record will change on Sunday. The winner won’t just walk away with a trophy—they will likely walk into the role of tennis’s next dominant figure. For fans, this is more than a match; it’s the start of a new era, perhaps the modern-day equivalent of Federer vs. Nadal. And as Novak Djokovic said himself: “Their rivalry is something that our sport needs.” Get ready. The future of men’s tennis begins now, and it starts on the red clay of Roland Garros.