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Arjuna Ranatunga. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES Arjuna Ranatunga has never been one to soften his words, and ahead of the India-Sri Lanka Test series in August, the 1996 World Cup-winning captain gave a frank assessment of where the game is headed and who is to blame.“T20 cricket has, in many ways, killed the talent and skills of players across the region — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, everyone,” Ranatunga said.“Today it’s all about power-hitting because that’s what people want.”The result, he argues, is a generation without the technique to survive the red ball. He no longer sees batters of…

Australian opener Beth Mooney in action. | Photo Credit: AFP Ah, these Australian women.How on earth a team could be this so good. Even in transition, apparently.Sophie Molineux and her women lifted the Women’s T20 World Cup on a gloriously sunny Sunday (July 5, 2026) afternoon. Expectedly. In style. With yet another dominant show.They crushed England by seven wickets with 2.5 overs to spare. England’s 150 for four, after being asked to bat first, was never going to be enough against the strong and incredibly deep Australian batting line-up.A full house, mostly made up of English fans, had come to…

Pakistan’s Babar Azam during the third day of the first test match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan. File picture | Photo Credit: AP Pakistan on Sunday (July 5, 2026) replaced struggling Test captain Shan Masood with Babar Azam, who will start a third stint as skipper on the tours of the West Indies and England starting later this month.Masood, 36, took over from Azam in December 2023 and led the side to 12 defeats in 16 Tests. Pakistan finished ninth and last in the last World Test Championship cycle.They again lie ninth in the current cycle after a…

England’s Jacob Bethell celebrates after winning the second T20 cricket match between England and India in Manchester, England, Saturday, July 4, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP England batter Jacob Bethell rated his unbeaten 76 against India in the second T20I among the finest innings of his career, saying it was especially satisfying because it came in a winning cause.The 22-year-old has scored a century in each of the three formats. His only T20I hundred was in the semifinal of this year’s T20 World Cup against India, a match England lost by seven runs.Also Read | Sooryavanshi’s 94 shines bright in…

The Tamil Nadu under-23 squad, which won the C.K. Nayudu Trophy, with the dignitaries at the TNCA annual day. | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran  : Former India cricketer M. Vijay urged young players to work hard but also work smart as they look to progress higher at the TNCA 94th Annual Day celebrations at the MAC Stadium here on Saturday.“Imagine you have a vehicle with a steering wheel and an accelerator. But it does not have a brake pedal. As a young player, you have to understand what will happen if you drive fast and what will happen if you drive slowly. If you direct…

Australia skipper Sophie Molineux. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Sophie Molineux grew up watching cricket with her father. Some 15 years ago, she said she would one day like to watch a Test at Lord’s.Molineux is going to do better than that. She will on Sunday (July 5, 2026) lead Australia in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup at the home of cricket.The Australian captain expects a tough challenge. “It is going to be a huge challenge,” she said.“They have played some really brilliant cricket over the last few weeks. Lottie [coach Charlotte Edwards] has got the team…

The England team are looking to overcome Australia and lift the trophy at home. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The Globe Theatre is just five miles away from Lord’s. Cricket’s most famous ground has witnessed, in its long history, moments that could compare well with the drama of a Shakespearian play.Also read | Women’s T20 World Cup: Skipper Sciver-Brunt’s knock takes England into the finalMost of them have involved men’s cricket. Women haven’t played as much cricket at Lord’s. But times are changing. Remember, in Shakespeare’s time, women were not even allowed to perform on stage, though he penned some…

This image is used for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Finance Ministry has notified the rules for determination of origin of goods under the India-U.K. comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA), which will come into force from July 15, according to a notification.A certificate of origin is a key document required for exports to avail duty benefits under India’s trade agreements with partner countries.It is essential to establish the origin of goods to ensure that products from third countries do not wrongly avail themselves of the preferential tariff benefits under trade agreements between the two countries.The…

From a wicketkeeper-batter Ashwanth has turned into a mystery spinner. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement During Lucknow Super Giants’ pre-season camp in Chennai earlier this year, Rishabh Pant had a duel with a net bowler set up by the team’s assistant coach, Lance Klusener, to score 15 runs. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter managed to clear the target off the last ball and later hugged the bowler. That bowler on Friday turned heads when he became the costliest buy of the TNPL auction.For Ashwanth Valthapa, it was the latest highlight in what has been a fascinating journey. The 25-year-old mystery spinner started his cricketing…

India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi warming up before the second T20I against England in Manchester on July 4, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters India skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against England in the second T20I here on Saturday (July 4, 2026), handing 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his international debut.Also read | Why Vaibhav Sooryvanshi can’t share Team India’s changing room in England?The left-handed opener replaced Sanju Samson at the top of the order in India’s only change to the playing XI.At 15 years and 99 days, Vaibhav became India’s youngest international cricketer, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who had made…