Big picture: Watch out for spin and rain The continent’s crown jewel is on the line, but the two teams fighting for it come into the final with different motivations. India have not lifted any multi-team trophy since their Asia Cup win in 2018, and are desperate to know how that feels. Sri Lanka, ODI

Washington Sundar will link up with India’s Asia Cup squad in Colombo ahead of Sunday’s final against Sri Lanka as cover for Axar Patel. Axar has some swelling on his forearm after a receiving a blow from a throw in Friday’s Super Four fixture against Bangladesh. ESPNcricinfo understands there is no fracture and the move

Bangladesh 265 for 8 (Shakib 80, Hridoy 54, Thakur 3-65) beat India 259 all out (Gill 121, Axar 42, Mustafizur 3-50) by six runs The much-maligned Asia Cup has produced yet another thriller. For once, Bangladesh put one past India in a close finish, a canny defence of 265 despite a superlative Shubman Gill century.

It was as if the eyes – and the cameras – of everybody gathered were set on auto-focus mode. India had scheduled an optional training session on a sultry Colombo morning. It was the eve of their last league game against Bangladesh, who were already knocked out of the men’s Asia Cup. The eyes were

Big picture: A chance to test bench strength India have already qualified for the final of Asia Cup 2023. Bangladesh are no longer in contention. And that means Friday’s match between these two sides is a dead rubber. However, with the ODI World Cup less than a month away, it’s a chance for both teams

India batter Prithvi Shaw faces at least three months on the sidelines as he battles a knee injury. This means he will most definitely miss a big chunk of India’s 2023-24 domestic season that resumes with the Irani Cup in Rajkot on October 1. After initially consulting a surgeon in London, Shaw returned to the

India 213 (Rohit 53, Rahul 39, Wellalage 5-40, Asalanka 4-18) beat Sri Lanka 172 (Wellalage 42*, de Silva 41, Kuldeep 4-43, Bumrah 2-30, Jadeja 2-33) by 41 runs On a surface where India picked three frontline spinners and lost all ten of their wickets to spin for the first time in ODIs, it was the

With three matches remaining in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2023, India vs Sri Lanka will give us a fair idea of who might make the title round. Here’s a look at the scenarios (without forgetting the ever-present Colombo rain). Scenario 1: India beat Sri Lanka India will cement their spot in

KL Rahul wasn’t in India’s first XI for their Asia Cup Super Four fixture against Pakistan. But just prior to the toss in Colombo, when he was asked by head coach Rahul Dravid to get ready, there was a slight problem. Knowing he was going to carry drinks, Rahul had left his batting gear and

“It’s been over one and a half years since I had surgery,” Kuldeep said after India’s biggest win against Pakistan in the format. “The run-up has become straighter. The rhythm has become aggressive. The approach is nice. Maybe my hand used to fall over but that is well in control and faces the batter more.

Laxman, who is the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, has previously too stepped in as head coach on men’s tours when Rahul Dravid has been rested – as was the case recently for the T20I series in Ireland. The India men’s unit at the Asian Games will be a second-string squad,

India made a bright start to the game with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill scoring half-centuries at better than a run a ball in an opening stand of 121. Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled an expensive first spell while Naseem Shah was luckless at the other end, beating Rohit’s bat repeatedly with outswing and extra bounce.

Iyer hadn’t played since the home ODI series against Australia in early March, and missed the IPL altogether, as he recovered from a back condition that required surgery. He was picked in the Asia Cup squad – as well as in the squad for the ODI World Cup starting next month – after being declared

Big picture: Rain threat in Colombo The tournament has moved to Colombo, with India and Pakistan looking to resume their rivalry after rain had held sway in Pallekele. The weather, however, continues to be a threat. It could be another wet day on September 10, with chances of precipitation up to 90%. The is a

Australia’s women are set to face the challenge of preparing for a Test match in India while playing the WBBL with national selector Shawn Flegler revealing that planning is already underway to have both the fast bowlers and spinners increasing their bowling loads during the six-week T20 tournament in preparation for a day-night pink-ball encounter

Karun Nair has joined Northamptonshire for their remaining three County Championship games this season. The India batter replaces Sam Whiteman, who has returned to Australia. “I’m really looking forward to joining Northamptonshire and getting to play in the County Championship.” Nair said in a statement. “You hear a lot about county cricket and I know

A reserve day has been added to the India vs Pakistan Super Four game of the Asia Cup on September 10. It is the only match apart from the final to have a reserve day. The change to the playing conditions was announced by PCB, advising spectators to hold on to their tickets should a

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh feels Suryakumar Yadav should be in the starting XI come the World Cup because he can do in his role what even Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can’t. Harbhajan feels the selectors and team management were right to pick Suryakumar in the World Cup squad ahead of Sanju Samson, who

After linking up with the India squad in Colombo on Tuesday, KL Rahul had his first session at the Nondescripts Cricket Club indoor nets on Thursday. Heavy rain accompanied by winds lashed the Sri Lanka capital in the morning, forcing India to have their optional training indoors. Rahul was part of a select group –

With less than a month to go for the first match of the men’s ODI World Cup, the BCCI, the host board, has announced the release of as many as 400,000 tickets in the next phase of ticket sales. A BCCI statement on Wednesday evening said that the “general sale of tickets” for all matches

Yuzvendra Chahal is in line to play first-class cricket for Kent, after signing up for three matches in the ongoing County Championships “subject to regulatory approval”. Ignored by the national selectors in India for the ongoing Asia Cup and the upcoming ODI World Cup, at home over October and November, Chahal “will be available for

Kishan v Rahul: Who will win the race? It’s a massive show of confidence from the selectors and team management to pick KL Rahul despite him having not played a competitive game since May. But this faith perhaps stems from knowing India have possibly four – if they make the final – Asia Cup games

KL Rahul has been included in India’s ODI World Cup squad despite not having played any competitive cricket since May this year. Rahul, India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in the format, is currently preparing to fly out to Sri Lanka for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup after passing a fitness assessment at the National

The Asia Cup matches previously scheduled in Colombo may be relocated to Hambantota, as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) scrambles to reduce the risk of matches being impacted due to rain. Hambantota typically receives significantly less rainfall in September than Colombo and Pallekele, which is why there is a push to move the matches there.

Nepal 230 (Sheikh 58, Kami 48, Jadeja 3-40, Siraj 3-61) vs India After rain denied India’s attack a crack at Pakistan’s line-up on Saturday, they got a serious workout against Nepal in what was the first international game between the two sides. India’s fielding, though, was sloppy – Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli and Ishan Kishan

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be unavailable for the team’s Asia Cup game against Nepal, on Monday. Bumrah returned home from Sri Lanka for the birth of his son, but is expected to be back for the Super Fours, should India qualify. Bumrah, who had just returned from a long-standing back injury, is yet

Big picture: Rain in the air once again Rain ruined the India-Pakistan game, the first in ODI cricket between the two teams since the 2019 World Cup, on Saturday in Pallekele. A similar rain threat hangs over the India-Nepal game at the same venue on Monday, with chances of precipitation up to 80%. If Monday’s

But the bigger moment for Reporter was in November 1986 when he, along with fellow Indian VK Ramaswamy, stood in the Lahore Test between Pakistan and West Indies: it was the first instance of neutral umpires standing in international cricket. The move was ushered in by Pakistan captain Imran Khan to mitigate against the perception

Despite overcast skies and the threat of rain, India won the toss and decided to bat against arch rivals Pakistan. Babar Azam said Pakistan would also have batted first had they won the toss. India went for the option of a seam bowler who can bat at No. 8, which meant Shardul Thakur pipped Prasidh

Big picture: Face-to-face in ODIs after four years If someone tells you there are bigger rivalries than India vs Pakistan at the 2023 Asia Cup, do not trust them. Of late, the Afghanistan vs Pakistan and Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh games might have been spicier on the field, and nastier off it, but the history