Swiss Indoors Basel 2026: entry list, dates and the race to the ATP Finals

The ATP Tour's European indoor swing reaches its biggest week of the autumn on Monday, 26 October, when the Swiss Indoors in Basel and the Erste Bank Open in Vienna - both ATP 500 events - begin. With the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin starting 15 November, this is one of the last big chances to bank ranking points.

Who is playing in Basel

The entry list released by the tournament is led by world number 4 Ben Shelton and number 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime, with Arthur Fils (9) and Taylor Fritz (12) also in the field. Casper Ruud, Joao Fonseca, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ugo Humbert add depth, and the wild cards carry the nostalgia: Stan Wawrinka gets a home wildcard, while Holger Rune, working his way back from injury, is listed for a protected spot.

It is a genuinely stacked ATP 500 - eight of the current top 30 are on the direct acceptance list.

Further down the list are names who have all won tour titles: Alexander Bublik, Jiri Lehecka, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alex Michelsen, Denis Shapovalov and Hubert Hurkacz. Vienna, played the same week, traditionally pulls a similar calibre of field, so fans get two strong draws running in parallel.

What is at stake

An ATP 500 title is worth 500 ranking points, and at this stage of the season every one of them matters. The top eight singles players qualify for Turin, and the final spots in the race are typically decided in these very weeks - Basel, Vienna and then the Paris Masters from 2 November. A deep run in Switzerland or Austria can change a season; an early exit can end one.

The venues

Basel's St. Jakobshalle is one of the tour's most famous indoor arenas - Roger Federer's home tournament, where he won ten titles across his career. Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle has hosted the Austrian event since 1974 and routinely draws one of the strongest 500-level fields of the year. Both are played on indoor hard courts, rewarding first-strike tennis and tiebreak nerve.

The indoor season has its own rhythm. With no wind, no sun and a controlled climate, margins shrink: serve plus one ball decides most rallies, returners stand closer, and tiebreaks pile up. Players who finish the year strongly indoors often carry that form into the next season's Australian swing, which is why the seeds treat these weeks as far more than a victory lap.

What comes after

The winners will barely have time to celebrate: the Rolex Paris Masters, the final Masters 1000 of the year, starts on 2 November, and the season ends at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin from 15 to 22 November. Dates for all of these are on our international fixtures schedule.

Tournament details

• Swiss Indoors Basel (ATP 500): week of 26 October, St. Jakobshalle, Basel
• Erste Bank Open (ATP 500): week of 26 October, Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna
• Next stop: Rolex Paris Masters, from 2 November

Sources: the official Swiss Indoors Basel 2026 entry list and the ATP Tour 2026 calendar.

India Women v Zimbabwe ODI series: dates in IST, form and players to watch

India Women begin a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe on Friday, 23 October, at Baroda, riding the confidence of a 3-0 T20I sweep in Raipur earlier this week. All three ODIs start at 2:00 PM IST.

Series dates in IST

• 1st ODI: Friday, 23 October, 2:00 PM, Baroda
• 2nd ODI: Sunday, 25 October, 2:00 PM, Baroda
• 3rd ODI: Wednesday, 28 October, 2:00 PM, Baroda

How the T20Is went

India were far too strong in the shortest format. In the third T20I on Tuesday, Harmanpreet Kaur produced a vintage innings - 91 not out off 41 balls, with ten fours and five sixes - and shared an 84-run stand with Shafali Verma, who made 69 off 37. India's 216 for 7 was their joint-third-highest T20I total, and Zimbabwe finished on 124 for 7 to lose by 92 runs. Nandani Sharma took 3 for 18.

Zimbabwe did not go quietly. Sharne Mayers fought hard for her 60, adding 82 with Beloved Biza, and the visitors pulled off some excellent catches. But across three matches they never got close to India's totals.

Why this series matters for India

Home series against developing sides are where India can test their bench and settle combinations, and the management used the T20Is exactly that way - resting senior players, shuffling the top order and giving young players like Nandani Sharma and Prema Rawat real responsibility. Expect the same approach in the ODIs, with places in the season's bigger contests there to be earned.

What changes in the 50-over format

The longer format asks different questions of both sides. India's middle order - Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and others - got only brief hits in the T20Is, and captain Smriti Mandhana, who sat out the chase in the third game after resting herself from the XI on the day, will want solid time in the middle before tougher assignments later in the home season.

For Zimbabwe, 50 overs gives their batters more room to build the kind of partnerships Mayers and Biza showed in Raipur. The challenge will be sustaining it against India's experienced attack for a full innings.

Players to watch

Harmanpreet Kaur arrives in the ODIs in ominous touch after that 41-ball 91. Shafali Verma has been in form all year - the Raipur fifty was her ninth of 2026 in T20Is. For Zimbabwe, Sharne Mayers was the clear standout with the bat and will carry their hopes at the top.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, get something just as valuable: three more matches against one of the strongest teams in the world. Their fielding in Raipur showed a side that is competitive in patches; the next step is turning those patches into full innings.

Full dates, venues and IST start times are on our international fixtures schedule.

Series details

• Series: India Women v Zimbabwe Women, 3 ODIs
• Dates: 23, 25 and 28 October 2026
• Start: 2:00 PM IST
• Venue: Baroda

Sources: BCCI home season 2026-27 schedule for fixtures; ESPNcricinfo match reports for the T20I series results.

US Grand Prix 2026: full weekend schedule in IST and a guide to COTA

Formula 1 heads to Austin this weekend for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas, round 19 of the 2026 season. For fans in India, every session is a late night or an early morning - here is the full weekend timetable converted to IST, plus a quick guide to the track.

Weekend schedule in IST

• Practice 1: Friday, 23 October, 11:00 PM IST
• Practice 2: Saturday, 24 October, 2:30 AM IST
• Practice 3: Saturday, 24 October, 11:00 PM IST
• Qualifying: Sunday, 25 October, 2:30 AM IST
• Race: Monday, 26 October, 1:30 AM IST

These are converted from the official F1 timetable. It is a standard race weekend - no sprint - so qualifying on Saturday evening in Austin decides the grid for Sunday's race.

How the weekend unfolds

Friday's two practice sessions are about tyre learning and long-run pace, and they matter more than usual in Austin because the track evolves quickly as rubber goes down. Saturday's final practice is the last chance to tune qualifying trim before the grid is set. For Indian viewers the kindest session is Practice 1 at 11:00 PM on Friday night; the race itself needs an alarm - lights out is 1:30 AM in the early hours of Monday.

The track: Circuit of The Americas

COTA joined the calendar in 2012, bringing the United States Grand Prix back after the 2007 race at Indianapolis. More than 100,000 fans packed the venue that first year, and they saw Lewis Hamilton take his final win for McLaren before his move to Mercedes.

The lap is one of the most complete tests on the calendar. The uphill run into Turn 1 is the signature corner, the first sector flows through a fast sequence of direction changes, and the long back straight gives the DRS overtaking zone that produces most of the moves. Tyre wear and track position usually decide the strategy battle in the Austin heat.

The lap rewards bravery. Drivers talk about the commitment needed through the fast opening sector, where the corners come one after another with no time to breathe, and about how easy it is to cook the rear tyres in the slower final sector if the balance is off. Get the setup wrong and the car is quick in one part of the lap and helpless in the other.

What is at stake

The drivers' title can be settled this weekend - we broke down exactly how Kimi Antonelli can win the 2026 championship in Austin in our earlier preview. Mexico City follows next weekend, 30 October to 1 November, so the title race could be over before the season even leaves North America.

For every session time in one place, keep our international fixtures schedule open through the weekend.

Race details

• Event: United States Grand Prix 2026
• Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin
• Race: Sunday, 25 October (1:30 AM IST, Monday 26 October)

Sources: the official Formula 1 United States Grand Prix timetable and race page for session times and circuit history.

New Zealand v India, 1st T20I: Hagley Oval preview, IST start time and the champions' return

Seven months after they met in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, India and New Zealand start a five-match T20I series on Thursday, 22 October, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The first match begins at 12:30 PM IST (8:00 PM local), under lights.

A lot has happened since that final, but the memory of it will follow both teams into this series.

The final that hangs over this series

India won the 2026 T20 World Cup by beating New Zealand by 96 runs on 8 March. The scorecard still reads emphatically: India 255 for 5, New Zealand 159. Abhishek Sharma made 52 and Ishan Kishan 54 in that total, and India's bowlers then ran through the chase in 19 overs.

For New Zealand, this home series is the first real chance to answer that defeat in front of their own crowd. For India, it is about playing like champions away from home, in conditions that have rarely been kind to visiting batters.

What to expect at Hagley Oval

The series opener is an 8:00 PM start in Christchurch, so the ball is likely to move around early under lights. Hagley Oval has traditionally rewarded disciplined pace bowling, and both attacks will fancy their chances with a new ball in hand. New Zealand's attack in the World Cup final included Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner, and the home side will lean on that kind of experience again.

The outfield is quick and the square boundaries are short enough to keep power hitters interested, so a high-scoring game is just as possible as a bowler-dominated one if batters get through the new-ball spell.

What each team is playing for

India arrive as world champions and the stronger T20I side on recent evidence. The question for them is combination and continuity: which of the World Cup core keeps its place, and who pushes in from the fringes during a long tour.

New Zealand's incentive is simpler. Five T20Is at home against the side that beat them in a world final is a chance to reset the rivalry before the teams meet again in the ODI leg of this tour.

Players to watch

For India, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan set up that World Cup final win with half-centuries at the top, and both have the game for New Zealand's pace-friendly conditions. Watch how India's top order handles the first six overs.

For New Zealand, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry all featured in the March final and know this ground well. Santner's left-arm spin through the middle overs and Henry's new-ball spell are the two phases where the hosts can squeeze India.

The tour ahead

After the T20Is - 22, 24, 27 and 30 October, and 1 November - the teams play five ODIs from 4 November and then two Tests in late November. Dates, venues and IST start times for every match are on our international fixtures schedule, and you can read our full T20I series guide for squads and the bigger picture.

Match details

• Match: New Zealand v India, 1st T20I
• Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
• Start: 12:30 PM IST (8:00 PM local)
• Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Sources: New Zealand Cricket's 2026-27 international schedule for dates and venues; ESPNcricinfo for the 2026 T20 World Cup final scorecard.

Sri Lanka v England, tri-series 3rd ODI: preview, start time in IST and what each team needs

Sri Lanka and England meet at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, 22 October, in the third match of the Pakistan ODI tri-series - and both sides are already running out of room. Pakistan have won both of their games, so the loser of this one will be under serious pressure before the series moves to Lahore. The match starts at 1:30 PM IST.

Here is what has happened so far, what Thursday means for each team, and what to watch.

How the series stands

Pakistan have made a near-perfect start as hosts. In the opener on 18 October they posted 305 and beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs. Two days later they went further, making 302 for 9 against England and then bowling the visitors out for 215 to win by 87 runs.

The second game had a clear pattern. Pakistan's top order wobbled early, but Hasan Nawaz held the innings together with 79, the highest score of the match, while wicketkeeper Saad Baig added 35 and Babar Azam 34. England's chase then collapsed in the middle overs. After a 91-run opening stand, the innings fell away sharply once the first wicket went down, and the last five wickets added very little. From a strong platform to 215 all out, it was a defeat that will sting.

What Sri Lanka need

Sri Lanka's problem in the first match was not effort but the final few overs of both innings. Chasing 306, they stayed in touch for long periods before finishing on 268. Against an England attack that Pakistan have already scored 302 against, their batters have a real chance to post or chase a big score.

The key for Sri Lanka is converting starts. Their top order got them close in a 300-plus chase once already in this series. If one of them bats deep into the innings on Thursday, the game opens up.

What England need

England's batting card against Pakistan told its own story: a bright start, then a slide. The middle order never settled against disciplined bowling, and the tail was exposed far too early. Harry Brook and Joe Root are exactly the players England will want more from in Rawalpindi.

There is also a leadership question. Losing by 87 runs after being well placed in a chase forces a rethink, whether that is about intent against spin in the middle overs or simply better shot selection under pressure.

The bigger picture

This tri-series is short - six league games and a final on 31 October - so every match carries weight. A Pakistan win for Sri Lanka or England here would all but end realistic hopes of making the final without help from other results. After Thursday, the tournament shifts to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where Pakistan face England again on 25 October.

For the full fixture list with IST start times, including the Lahore leg and the final, see our schedule of major international fixtures.

Match details

• Match: Sri Lanka v England, 3rd ODI, Pakistan tri-series
• Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
• Start: 1:30 PM IST (1:00 PM local)
• Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Sources: Pakistan Cricket Board tri-series page and ECB schedule announcement for the fixtures; ESPNcricinfo scorecards for the results of matches one and two.

US Grand Prix 2026: how Antonelli can win the F1 title in Austin, with IST times

Formula 1 is back in Austin this weekend for Round 18 of the 2026 season, and for the first time this year the drivers' title can be settled. Kimi Antonelli has been the story of the season, and the Circuit of The Americas gives him his first shot at closing it out. Here is how the maths works, who else matters, and when to watch from India.

What Antonelli needs

Antonelli leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 102 points with six rounds left and 150 points still available. Formula 1's own reading is that he can end the fight in Austin if he leaves the weekend 125 points or more clear of his nearest rival (Formula 1).

The simple version is that he has to win the race. Anything less and the celebrations wait at least another week. If he does win, Russell must finish ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton, who is third in the standings, must finish no higher than fifth (Formula 1). All of that has to line up on one afternoon, so it is a long shot. If it does happen, motorsport.com notes he would be champion with five rounds to spare, one short of the record Michael Schumacher set in 2002 (motorsport.com).

Why Verstappen is worth watching

Max Verstappen is fourth in the championship, 119 points behind, so his own title hopes are nearly gone. He is still the form driver of the moment. He won the last two races and also took the Singapore Sprint, and Formula 1 says he was just seven points from a maximum score across the last triple header. Antonelli himself called a closer Verstappen "very, very scary". In Austin, Verstappen needs Antonelli to be outscored by six points or more to stay mathematically alive (Formula 1). He also won here last year.

Where Mercedes stand

Antonelli finished third in Singapore after moving up from fourth when Hamilton and Lando Norris collided in a late fight. He said the car package is finally showing "the light at the end of the tunnel", though he also admitted he struggled on the medium tyre. Russell went back to an older car package that weekend and still recovered to ninth from the back of the grid (Formula 1).

Session times in IST

The race weekend runs 23 to 25 October at the Circuit of The Americas. Our times are converted from the local Austin times that Formula 1 lists: Practice 1 on Friday 23 October at 11:00 PM IST, Practice 2 on Saturday at 2:30 AM, Practice 3 on Saturday at 11:00 PM, Qualifying on Sunday 25 October at 2:30 AM and the race on Monday 26 October at 1:30 AM IST. Because the race is on Sunday afternoon in Texas, it falls in the early hours of Monday for viewers in India. The full list sits on our Schedule page, and the Formula 1 page has the standings. Times can change, so check the official Formula 1 schedule before you set an alarm.

International sport today, 19 October: SA v Aus Test day 2 and five tennis tournaments (IST)

Monday 19 October is a lighter day for international sport. There is one Test match in progress, five tennis tournaments getting going, and no men's international football at all. Here is what is on, with times in IST. This is a list of the major international events we could confirm, not every match in the world.

Cricket: South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, day 2 (Gqeberha)

Play is scheduled to start at 10:00 local time, which is 1:30 PM IST. Rain wrecked most of day 1. After a 90-minute delay, only 12.2 overs were possible, and South Africa ended on 20 for 2. Scott Boland, who came in for Nathan Lyon, took two wickets in consecutive balls to remove Aiden Markram and David Bedingham, leaving captain Temba Bavuma and debutant Marques Ackerman at the crease. It was the first time since 2013 that Lyon missed a Test he was available for (Cricinfo match report, Fox Sports).

Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning in Durban by 214 runs. The forecast offers some hope of play later in the day, so the start time can slip. The match runs to 22 October (ICC).

Tennis: five tournaments begin

The week of 19 to 25 October has three ATP 250 events, the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in Lyon and the European Open in Brussels, plus two WTA events, the Ningbo Open in China (WTA 500) and the Japan Open in Osaka (WTA 250). The ATP pages show qualifying under way on Monday, and the WTA lists both of its events as running from 19 October. In Lyon, the first session on Centre Court is scheduled to start at 11:00 local time, which is 2:30 PM IST. Orders of play change late in the day, so use the official pages for exact match times: Lyon, Almaty, Brussels, Ningbo and Osaka.

What is not on today

There are no India matches today. India Women play Zimbabwe in the third T20I tomorrow, Tuesday 20 October, at 7:00 PM IST in Raipur, and Pakistan face England in the tri-series at 1:30 PM IST in Rawalpindi the same day. Men's international football is on a break until the window of 9 to 17 November. Both dates are on our Schedule page, which we update every morning.

Times and conditions can change, especially with rain in Gqeberha, so check the official links before you plan around anything.

India v New Zealand T20I series: dates in IST, squads and what to watch

India's men start a long tour of New Zealand this week, and it opens with five T20Is. The first one is on Thursday 22 October. Here is what is confirmed so far, with the start times in IST so you do not have to convert anything.

The five T20Is

New Zealand Cricket's announced schedule has these five matches: 22 October in Christchurch, 24 October in Christchurch, 27 October in Wellington, 30 October in Auckland and 1 November in Hamilton (ICC). The BCCI match centre lists the first two at 7:00 am UTC, which is 12:30 PM IST, at Hagley Oval (1st T20I, 2nd T20I). We have not seen start times for the last three yet, so we are not guessing them. They will go on our Schedule page once the official match pages carry them.

India's squad

The BCCI named a 16-man T20I squad on 6 October with Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The rest of the group: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav (BCCI).

It is a young, batting-heavy group, with Abhishek, Samson, Kishan and Sooryavanshi all in the mix for the top order. The spin department has Axar, Varun and Kuldeep, while Arshdeep, Bhuvneshwar, Prince and Mayank share the fast-bowling load. How many of those four seamers play on the Christchurch pitch is one question to watch on Thursday.

New Zealand's side

Mitchell Santner captains the Blackcaps. They lost two players to injury before the series: Mark Chapman (hamstring) and Zak Foulkes (hip flexor). Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner were called in to replace them. NZC says Chapman is on track to be available for the ODIs. The updated T20I squad is Santner, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith and Tickner (NZC).

Why this series feels bigger than five T20Is

The T20Is are only the start. The full tour is five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, a 12-game itinerary that the ICC reports is set to be the largest international tour in NZC history by number of matches. It is India's first Test cricket in New Zealand since 2019 and their first white-ball assignment there since 2022 (ICC).

There is also the recent history. These two teams met in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on 8 March 2026, and India won by 96 runs. Both squads have changed a lot since then, so this is not a rematch of that team sheet.

How to follow it on this site

Our home page has live cards for cricket. Those cards show Pakistan and India Women at the moment, so for the New Zealand series use the official BCCI match centre for the live score. We will add the New Zealand v India fixtures to the Schedule page as each start time is confirmed, and all times there are in IST.

Squads and timings can change, especially with injuries already in the news. Check the official links above before you plan around a match.

Cricket on Sunday 18 October: SA v Aus Test, Pakistan v Sri Lanka ODI and India Women v Zimbabwe (IST)

Sunday 18 October is a full day of international cricket. Two matches start at 1:30 PM IST, and a third follows at 7:00 PM. Here is what is on, what led into each game, and the times in IST.

1:30 PM IST: South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, Gqeberha

Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0. They won the opener in Durban by 214 runs after Matt Renshaw's 190 lifted them from 230 for 8 to 390, and Josh Hazlewood took six wickets in South Africa's second innings. This second Test runs from 18 to 22 October at St George's Park, and the third is in Cape Town from 27 to 31 October (ICC).

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said his side need to show more composure and that changes were an option. Matthew Breetzke replaces Tristan Stubbs in the squad for this Test, and Kagiso Rabada is working his way back from a hamstring injury. Conrad's own words on Rabada were hopeful rather than a confirmation that he plays, so check the toss and team sheets.

1:30 PM IST: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, tri-series opener, Rawalpindi

This is the first match of the ODI tri-series between Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. The PCB says every match starts at 1:00 PM Pakistan time, with the toss at 12:30 PM, which makes it 1:30 PM IST. Pakistan are led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has captained them in 11 ODIs and won seven. England's captain is Harry Brook and Sri Lanka's is Kusal Mendis (PCB).

The head-to-head favours Pakistan by a long way. In 160 ODIs against Sri Lanka they have won 96, with one tie and four no results. The PCB also notes that Pakistan have won three of their last four ODI series, and that this is the fourth tri-nation series Pakistan has hosted, after 1994, 2004 and 2025. The seven-match event ends with a final in Lahore on 31 October.

7:00 PM IST: India Women v Zimbabwe Women, 2nd T20I, Raipur

India Women lead the three-match series 1-0 after a four-wicket win in the first game on Friday. Zimbabwe made 114 for 5, and India got there on 116 for 6 in 15.4 overs, but only after falling to 19 for 4 against a tight spell from Nyasha Gwanzura (3 for 18). Niki Prasad, on debut, and Deepti Sharma steadied the chase. It was also Smriti Mandhana's first match as full-time captain (ICC, BCCI scorecard).

A win tonight would settle the T20I series before the third match on Tuesday 20 October. The three ODIs follow in Baroda from 23 October.

Where to follow it

Our home page has live cards for cricket, and every date and time sits on the Schedule page. The live cards are a third-party feed and can lag, so use the official ICC, PCB or BCCI pages for the score that counts. Squads can change on the morning of a match, and this post reflects official reports up to Sunday morning.

India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to win the 2026 T20 World Cup

On 8 March 2026, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to win the T20 World Cup. India made 255 for 5. New Zealand were bowled out for 159.

What the win means

India came in as defending champions after the 2024 title. Winning again made them the first team to take back-to-back T20 World Cups and the first host nation to win the tournament on home soil. It is also their third title overall, after 2007 and 2024, which is more than any other team.

The 255

The top order did the damage. Sanju Samson hit 89 off 46 balls with five fours and eight sixes. Ishan Kishan made 54 off 25 and Abhishek Sharma 52 off 21, a strike rate of just under 248. Hardik Pandya added a quick 18 off 13. Jamie Neesham took both Samson and Kishan, but by then India had put up a total that was never going to be chased down in a final.

Bumrah closes it out

Jasprit Bumrah finished with 4 for 15 and was named Player of the Match. Defending 255, India only needed to avoid giving away early momentum, and Bumrah's spell made sure of that.

How the innings was built

Abhishek and Samson put on 98 for the first wicket before Abhishek was caught behind off Rachin Ravindra in the 8th over. Samson and Kishan then took India to 203 for 2 in the 16th over. In that one over James Neesham got Samson and Kishan, and then Suryakumar Yadav, who was caught by Ravindra at deep backward square leg. India went from 203 for 2 to 204 for 4 in six balls. Hardik Pandya added 18, and Shivam Dube finished it with 26 not out off 8 balls, with three fours and two sixes, to get India to 255. Neesham took 3 for 46, and Matt Henry went for 49 in his four overs.

The chase

New Zealand needed 256 and never got near it. Finn Allen was out for 9 in the third over and Ravindra for 1 in the next. Tim Seifert hit 52 off 26 balls with five sixes, but he fell to Varun Chakravarthy, and New Zealand were 72 for 5 in the 9th over. Captain Mitchell Santner made 43 off 35 and was bowled by Bumrah. Axar Patel took 3 for 27, Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma took one wicket each, and Bumrah took 4 for 15 as New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs.

Samson's tournament

Sanju Samson was named Player of the Series with 321 runs, and ESPNcricinfo's MVP for the final too. His 89 was the highest score of the match. Bumrah was Player of the Match for his 4 for 15.

Sources

Scores and player figures are from the ESPNcricinfo scorecard and the BCCI match centre. The tournament records are from the 2026 T20 World Cup summary.

Jay Shah: from BCCI secretary to ICC chairman

Jay Shah has been in senior cricket administration for about a decade. He is now the chairman of the International Cricket Council. Here is the sequence, with dates.

How he got here

• 2013: joint secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association. During this period the association built the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
• 2015: joins the BCCI finance and marketing committees.
• 24 October 2019: elected BCCI secretary, the youngest of the five office bearers. He was re-elected in October 2022.
• January 2021: becomes president of the Asian Cricket Council.
• 1 December 2024: takes over as ICC chairman, after being elected unopposed. He left the BCCI secretary role on 8 December 2024.

The ICC route

Shah became the BCCI's representative at ICC Chief Executives' Committee meetings in December 2019. In April 2022 he was appointed the BCCI's board member at the ICC, and in November 2022 he was elected head of the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs committee. When he took over as chairman on 1 December 2024 he replaced Greg Barclay, whose second term had started in 2022, and was elected unopposed. His deputy chairman is Imran Khwaja.

The Asian Cricket Council years

The ACC presidency normally rotates between Asian full members. When Shah was re-elected in January 2024, it was Sri Lanka's turn next, but Sri Lanka Cricket chief Shammi Silva proposed extending Shah's term and the other members accepted. Silva succeeded him in December 2024.

What changed at the BCCI under him

The biggest commercial moment was the 2022 IPL media rights sale. The five-year rights went for a total of ₹48,390 crore, which made the IPL the second most valuable sports league in the world by per-match value, behind the NFL.

The board also launched the Women's Premier League during this time, and it hosted a men's World Cup at home in 2023.

Cricket at the Olympics

Shah sat on the ICC Olympics Working Group, which worked on getting cricket into the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Cricket was last played at the Olympics in 1900.

In December 2023 the Confederation of Indian Industry gave him its Sports Business Leader of the Year award, citing the launch of the Women's Premier League.

Criticism and open questions

Not everyone agrees on how the BCCI has used its financial weight. After the 2025 Pahalgam attack, an opposition MP alleged that Shah pressured India into playing Pakistan. These are claims by critics, not findings, and they are best read alongside the official record.

Source for dates and roles: Jay Shah (Wikipedia), which cites ESPNcricinfo, the ICC and The Economic Times.

Why Virat Kohli stepped down as India's Test captain

Virat Kohli stepped down as India's Test captain on 15 January 2022. It came a day after India lost the series in South Africa 2-1, with a seven-wicket defeat in Cape Town in the decider.

The record he left

He had led India in 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17 and drawing 11. No Indian captain has won more Tests, and only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh have more wins as captain in the format. His India side won a Test series in Australia and reached the top of the ICC Test rankings.

Some context from his time in charge: his first Test series win as captain came in Sri Lanka, and in 2018 he led India to their first Test series win in Australia. In 2018 he also became the No. 1 ranked Test batter.

What he said

Kohli posted a statement on social media. In it he said it had been "seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance" and that he had "done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there." He also wrote that he always believed in giving 120 percent, and if he could not do that, it was not the right thing to do.

He gave no further detail about the decision, and this post will not guess at one.

How the timeline fits

Kohli first led India in red-ball cricket on a temporary basis during the 2014 tour of Australia, and took the job permanently in 2015. By January 2022 he was no longer India's white-ball captain either, as Rohit Sharma had taken over the limited-overs roles a few weeks earlier.

He kept playing Tests under later captains and announced his retirement from the format on 12 May 2025.

Sources: ICC, The Guardian, Sky Sports. Retirement date from Virat Kohli (Wikipedia).

Shikhar Dhawan retires: what he leaves behind

Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from cricket on 24 August 2024. He was 38. He had been a regular in India's white-ball sides for more than a decade, but his Test and ODI career had slowed in recent years.

What defined him

Dhawan was an ICC-tournament player. He was the leading run-scorer and Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Champions Trophy, which India won, and the leading Indian run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup. In 2018 he scored a century before lunch on the first day of a Test against Afghanistan.

His Test debut remains one of the best on record. Against Australia at Mohali in March 2013 he made 187 off 174 balls, the fastest hundred by any batter on Test debut (85 balls) and the highest score by an Indian on debut.

The numbers he finished with

He played 34 Tests for 2,315 runs at 40.61, with seven hundreds and a top score of 190. His last Test was against England on 7 September 2018. In ODIs he scored 6,793 runs in 167 matches at 44.11 with 17 hundreds, and in T20Is 1,759 runs in 68 matches. He also won the 2016 and 2018 Asia Cups with India, and was in the side that finished runners-up at the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Beyond India's team

Dhawan played for Delhi from 2004 to 2024 and in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. In August 2013 he made 248 off 150 balls for India A against South Africa A, then the second-highest score in List A cricket. He was also the first Indian to score a century in his 100th ODI, against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Why the end came

Dhawan did not give one detailed reason. What is on record is that he had gone through phases of inconsistent form in domestic and international cricket.

Where to read more

For the career in full, see our Dhawan career profile. Retirement date and career facts are from Shikhar Dhawan (Wikipedia).

Shikhar Dhawan career profile: Delhi to the ICC trophies

Shikhar Dhawan, called "Gabbar" by teammates and fans, made his mark through age-group cricket, a late Test debut and a decade of big tournament runs.

Delhi and the 2004 Under-19 World Cup

Dhawan was born in Delhi on 5 December 1985 and came up through Delhi's age-group sides. His first big stage was the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, where he scored 505 runs at an average of 84.16, with three hundreds, and was named Player of the Tournament.

Growing up in Delhi cricket

Dhawan went to St. Mark's Senior Secondary Public School in Meera Bagh and trained from the age of 12 at Sonnet Club under coach Tarak Sinha. He joined as a wicket-keeper. He led the 2000/01 Vijay Merchant Trophy for under-16s with 755 runs in 9 innings at an average of 83.88, and was drafted into Delhi's under-19 side at 15. His first-class debut came against Andhra in November 2004, with 49 in his first innings. He finished that Ranji season as Delhi's top run-getter with 461 runs in 6 matches, including a 130, ahead of senior players such as Ajay Jadeja and Aakash Chopra.

A long wait for India

He made his ODI debut against Australia in October 2010 at Visakhapatnam. His Test debut came more than two years later. He had been third-choice opener on the 2013 tour squad against Australia, got his chance when Virender Sehwag was dropped, and made 187.

The wait was long because the early years did not go smoothly. After his ODI debut in October 2010 he made his T20I debut against the West Indies in June 2011, when India's regular openers were out injured. His form in domestic cricket then improved. In the October 2011 Irani Cup final he made 177 and 155 for Rest of India, and he made 461 runs in the 2012-13 Ranji season. That earned a call-up to the Test squad in February 2013 as the third-choice opener behind Virender Sehwag and Murali Vijay. His Test debut came on 14 March 2013 and he made 187 at Mohali. A hand fracture ruled him out of the fourth Test.

The years that mattered

• 2013: Golden Bat and Player of the Tournament at the Champions Trophy, which India won.
• 2015: India's leading run-scorer at the World Cup.
• 2017: India finished runners-up at the Champions Trophy.
• 2016 and 2018: Asia Cup winner with India.

He also became the first Indian to score a century in his 100th ODI, against South Africa in Johannesburg.

2013 and the numbers

In August 2013 he scored 248 off 150 balls for India A against South Africa A at Pretoria, then the second-highest score in List A cricket. Against Australia in the 2013 home ODI series he made 284 runs in 6 innings at 56.80, including 95 off 86 balls in a chase of 360 at Jaipur. The ICC named him in its World ODI XI for 2013.

His career table: 34 Tests, 2,315 runs at 40.61 with 7 hundreds. 167 ODIs, 6,793 runs at 44.11 with 17 hundreds. 68 T20Is, 1,759 runs at 27.92. In the IPL he played for Delhi Daredevils (2008), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013 to 2018), Delhi Capitals (2019 to 2021) and Punjab Kings (2022 to 2024).

The end

For how his career closed in August 2024, read our retirement report.

Facts are from Shikhar Dhawan (Wikipedia).

The Indian cricket team: key dates from 1932 to 2026

India's cricket team has gone from a weak side that lost its first Test by 158 runs to one that has won three T20 World Cups. These are the dates that mark that journey.

1926 to 1932: joining the club

India were invited to the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1926 and played their first Test, against England at Lord's, on 25 to 28 June 1932, under C.K. Nayudu. They lost by 158 runs.

The spin quartet and the 1970s

India's bowling in the 1970s revolved around Bishan Singh Bedi, E.A.S. Prasanna, B.S. Chandrasekhar and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan. Indian pitches suited spin and the four used that to create collapses. The decade also brought Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath.

25 June 1983

India won the World Cup, beating the two-time defending champions West Indies in the final at Lord's, mostly through a strong bowling performance. It changed how many Indians thought about the sport.

The 1980s and 1990s

India built a more attacking batting line-up in the 1980s, with stroke makers such as Mohammad Azharuddin, Krishnamachari Srikanth and Dilip Vengsarkar, and all-rounders Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri. Even so, India stayed a weak Test side for years. The 1986 series win in England was the last Test series win outside the subcontinent for the next 19 years. Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble joined the team in 1989 and 1990, and Javagal Srinath followed a year later.

The 1990s were uneven. India failed to reach the 1992 World Cup knockouts. In the 1996 World Cup semi-final in Kolkata, rioters burnt part of the stadium as India were heading for defeat against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar was the tournament's leading run scorer, the first Indian to be, and Kumble led the wicket-taking. In 1999 India failed to reach the knockouts again, even though Rahul Dravid was the leading run scorer.

Rebuilding under Ganguly

In 2000, Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja were implicated in a match-fixing scandal and given a life ban and a five-year ban. The BBC called it Indian cricket's worst hour. The new core of Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble and Sourav Ganguly rebuilt the side, helped by India's first foreign coach, John Wright. Under Ganguly India reached the 2000 Champions Trophy final, the first ICC final since 1983, and lost to New Zealand despite Ganguly's century. That run led into the 2002 Champions Trophy and the 2003 World Cup final.

2000 to 2013: the ICC trophies

• 2002: Champions Trophy, the first of a record three.
• 2003: World Cup final, lost to Australia. Sachin Tendulkar set the record for most runs in a single World Cup.
• 24 September 2007: inaugural T20 World Cup, beating Pakistan by five runs in the final.
• 2 April 2011: World Cup at home, beating Sri Lanka in the final.
• 19 June 2013: Champions Trophy. MS Dhoni became the first captain to win all three ICC white-ball trophies.

India reached the 2014 T20 World Cup final in Bangladesh and lost to Sri Lanka. Virat Kohli was player of the tournament and set the record for most runs in a single edition, with 319. In late 2014, MS Dhoni stepped down as Test captain to focus on white-ball cricket.

The numbers today

India have played 1,084 ODIs, winning 577 and losing 453, with 10 ties and 44 no-results. They have played in four World Cup finals and won two, in 1983 and 2011. They have played 297 T20Is, winning 198, and have won the T20 World Cup a record three times, in 2007, 2024 and 2026. They have also won the ODI Asia Cup a record seven times and the Champions Trophy a record three times, in 2002, 2013 and 2025.

2024 to now

India won the 2024 T20 World Cup, unbeaten, beating South Africa in the final on 29 June 2024. They won the 2025 Champions Trophy and then the 2026 T20 World Cup (final report).

Test cricket has been less steady. India lost 3-0 at home to New Zealand in 2024, drew the 2025 England series 2-2, beat the West Indies 2-0 at home and then lost 0-2 at home to South Africa.

Facts are from India national cricket team (Wikipedia).

Virat Kohli: career timeline and records

Virat Kohli was born in Delhi on 5 November 1988. By October 2026 he has retired from T20Is and Tests, and still plays ODIs and the IPL. This is the career in order, with the numbers that matter.

Under-19 captain to India regular

Kohli captained India to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. He then became part of the senior side that won the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. In 2013 he was also given the captaincy for the first time, during a tri-series in the West Indies, and scored his first century as captain.

The first years

Kohli was called up to the ODI squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in August 2008, aged 19. Injuries to senior players meant he opened the batting, and he made his first half-century in the fourth match. His place was not safe, though. The turning point was the 2009 Emerging Players Tournament in Australia, where he was the top run-scorer and made a century in the final. He scored his maiden ODI century in December 2009 against Sri Lanka. In 2010 he became the then fastest Indian to 1,000 ODI runs.

The peak years

From 2016 to 2018 he was at his best. He was Player of the Tournament at the 2016 World T20. As captain he led India in 68 Tests (40 wins) and stepped down in January 2022, which we covered in a separate post.

Detail on those years: Kohli became the first batter to score double centuries in four consecutive Test series. In 2018 he became the No. 1 ranked Test batter and led India to their first Test series win in Australia. He was also the fastest to 8,000, 10,000 and 11,000 ODI runs. His ICC awards from that period include ODI Player of the Year in 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2023, and Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 he was the first player to win the Cricketer of the Year, ODI Player of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards in the same year.

The long dry spell and the comeback

At the 2022 Asia Cup he scored his first T20I century. It was his first hundred in any format in more than 1,000 days. At the 2022 T20 World Cup he was the top run-scorer, including an unbeaten 82 against Pakistan.

The 2023 World Cup, at home, was the high point. He scored a record 765 runs in a single edition, won Player of the Tournament, and made his 50th ODI hundred, passing Sachin Tendulkar's record.

Retirements and what came after

• June 2024: India won the T20 World Cup. Kohli was Player of the Match in the final and then retired from T20Is.
• 12 May 2025: retired from Test cricket, at 36.
• 2025: won the Champions Trophy with India, and the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a title the franchise had not won in earlier finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016.
• 2026: scored his 54th ODI hundred against New Zealand at Indore, in 91 balls, chasing 337. It was his 85th in international cricket.

The career numbers

Wikipedia's career table lists these figures: 123 Tests and 9,230 runs at 46.85 with 30 hundreds and a top score of 254 not out. In ODIs, 315 matches and 15,080 runs at 59.13. In T20Is, 125 matches and 4,188 runs at 48.69 with one hundred. In ODIs he averages 65.5 when batting second and 51.7 when batting first, and the article notes that 28 of his 51 ODI hundreds, as it counted them at that point, came in run-chases. In the 2025 Champions Trophy he scored a century and became the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs. These totals change every time he plays, so treat them as a snapshot and check ESPNcricinfo for the live figures.

Honours

Arjuna Award (2013), Padma Shri (2017), Khel Ratna (2018).

All facts are from Virat Kohli (Wikipedia) and the ICC report on his captaincy. Check ESPNcricinfo for live career stats.

Four big changes in cricket since 2003

Cricket still looks like the game it was in 1877, but its structure has changed a lot in the last two decades. Four changes stand out.

1. Twenty20 arrived in 2003

T20 started in 2003 as an evening entertainment in England. The first ICC Men's T20 World Cup followed in 2007, and India won it. That win helped push the IPL into existence in 2008.

2. The IPL changed the money

In 2022 the BCCI sold five years of IPL media rights for ₹48,390 crore in total, which made the league the second most valuable in the world by per-match value, behind the NFL.

3. Formats keep getting shorter, and some stay long

The Laws now cover everything from T10, which takes around 90 minutes, to Test matches that can last up to five days. Limited-overs internationals themselves began only in 1971, in Melbourne, as a time-filler after a Test was washed out.

4. Cricket returns to the Olympics

Cricket was played at the Olympics once, in 1900, and is set to return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Jay Shah was on the ICC working group that pushed for it (his career here).

A look at the road before 2003

Cricket has reinvented itself before. The first limited-overs international was played at the MCG in 1971, as a time-filler after a Test was abandoned because of heavy rain. English counties had introduced a limited-overs competition in 1963, and the ICC staged the first Cricket World Cup in 1975. Then in 1977 the Australian media owner Kerry Packer fell out with the Australian Cricket Board over TV rights and signed many of the world's best players to a private league. World Series Cricket is credited with paving the way for leagues like the IPL.

Who plays Test cricket now

Sri Lanka became the first Associate member to be raised to Test status, in 1982. Zimbabwe followed in 1992 and Bangladesh in 2000. Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations in 2017. The ICC has over 100 members, but only twelve play Tests. Formats shorter than T20 have also appeared in domestic cricket: T10 leagues, and The Hundred in England, where a bowler bowls five balls an over and can bowl two overs in a row.

What did not change

Test cricket still carries the biggest prestige. Look at 2025: India and England drew a five-Test series 2-2, a result that got more attention than most T20 leagues did.

Sources: History of cricket, Jay Shah, India national cricket team (all Wikipedia).

Where does the word cricket come from?

Nobody knows for sure where the word "cricket" comes from. There are several theories, and each rests on a similar-sounding word from an older language.

The theories

• Old English: "cryce" or "cricc", meaning a crutch or staff. Samuel Johnson's dictionary gave this origin, "cryce, Saxon, a stick".
• Old French: "criquet", which seems to have meant a kind of club or stick.
• Middle Dutch "krick(e)": a stick or crook. South-east England had strong trade links with Flanders in the Middle Ages, which makes this a plausible route.
• Middle Dutch "krickstoel": a long, low stool for kneeling in church. It looks like the long, low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket.

The first written record

The earliest accepted reference is a 1598 court case in Guildford, Surrey, about a plot of common land. A 59-year-old coroner, John Derrick, said he and his schoolfriends had played "creckett" on the site about fifty years earlier. That puts the game in Surrey around 1550.

What the game looked like then

The game was already well established in south-east England by the mid-16th century, which is the earliest definite reference. By the 18th century it was an established sport. The Laws were first codified in 1744, and amended in 1774 to add lbw, the middle stump and a maximum bat width. The Hambledon Club in Hampshire was the focal point of the game for about thirty years until MCC was formed and Lord's opened in 1787. MCC has owned and maintained the Laws since 1788, and there are now 42 of them.

That history is one reason the name is so hard to pin down. Rules and equipment changed over the centuries, and bowling moved from underarm to roundarm to overarm in the 19th century. A word borrowed from a stick, a crook or a stool could fit any of them.

Why it matters

The name likely came from the bat, the wicket, or a stool, all of which look unlike modern equipment. We are not told which, and sources that claim a single answer are overstating it.

Source: the Cricket and History of cricket articles (Wikipedia), which cite Johnson's dictionary and linguist Heiner Gillmeister.

Why cricket is so big: what the history says

"Most famous" is hard to prove, so we will skip the ranking. What can be said is why cricket is so large in some countries and what keeps it growing.

It fits many kinds of viewer

The game is built for different attention spans. A T10 match lasts about 90 minutes. A T20 is an evening. A Test can run for up to five days. Each format has its own audience and its own rhythm.

It has a fixed calendar of big moments

India's 1983 World Cup win over West Indies at Lord's, the 2011 World Cup at home and the 2026 T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad (our report) are reference points for many fans. Rivalries like the Ashes, which began after Australia's win at The Oval in 1882, add history.

It rewards patience and gives you statistics

Every ball produces a number. Fans argue about averages, strike rates and records. That is part of the appeal, and it is why a Kohli or Tendulkar record gets discussed for years.

Its reach is wider than the Test nations

The first international match was played in 1844 between the United States and Canada. Cricket was introduced across colonies and the Imperial Cricket Conference started with three members in 1909. In 2028 it comes back to the Olympics, after one appearance in 1900.

It keeps reinventing itself

Overarm bowling was legalised in 1864, the same year Wisden Cricketers' Almanack first appeared, and W. G. Grace began his long career about then, which did much to raise the game's popularity. Test cricket dates from 1877, when England played two matches against full Australian XIs in Australia. Limited-overs cricket in 1971, T20 in 2003 and the IPL then widened the audience again. Women's cricket has also grown strongly in the 21st century.

Afghanistan is a good example of reach: refugees in Pakistan brought the sport back, and it is now one of the most popular sports in the country. Afghanistan and Ireland became Test nations in 2017.

How big is it

One widely cited ranking puts cricket as the world's second most popular spectator sport after football. Treat that as an estimate rather than a measured fact.

Sources: History of cricket and India national cricket team (Wikipedia).

A short history of cricket, from 1598 to 2008

Cricket has a written history of about 450 years. These are the dates that explain how it became what we watch today.

Before 1700

The earliest accepted reference is a 1598 court case in Guildford about common land. A coroner testified that he had played "creckett" there around 1550. After the English Civil War, the Puritan government clamped down on some sports, though cricket still flourished in fee-paying schools such as Winchester.

1700s: laws and clubs

• 1744: the Laws of Cricket were written down for the first time, then amended in 1774 with lbw, the middle stump and a maximum bat width.
• 1760s: Hambledon club in Hampshire becomes the focal point of the game.
• 1787: the Marylebone Cricket Club forms and Lord's opens.

1800s: going international

The game was organised around county clubs in the 1800s. Sussex came first in 1839, and all the modern county clubs were founded in that century. In 1846 William Clarke created the travelling All-England Eleven, a commercial side that took matches around the country. In 1864 overarm bowling was legalised, and the first Wisden Cricketers' Almanack came out the same year. W. G. Grace began his career at about that time and did a lot to make the sport popular.

The first international match, in 1844, was between club teams from the United States and Canada, played in New York. In 1877 an England team in Australia played two matches that are now counted as the first Tests. In 1882, Australia's win at The Oval gave rise to the Ashes.

1900s: governing bodies and new formats

• 1909: the Imperial Cricket Conference, now the ICC, is founded by England, Australia and South Africa.
• 1932: India play their first Test (their story).
• 1971: the first limited-overs international at the MCG, played as a time-filler after a Test was rained off.
• 1979/80: six-ball overs become the standard in Australia and New Zealand, after eight-ball overs had been used there at times.

How the international game widened

The ICC created Affiliate Member status in 1984 for teams with less history in the game, and renamed itself the International Cricket Council in 1989. Zimbabwe became a Full Member in 1992 and Bangladesh in 2000. Afghanistan and Ireland were both admitted as Test teams in 2018. In 1992 the third umpire arrived, first used for run-out decisions in the South Africa v India series, and his role has grown to cover stumpings, catches, boundaries and reviews of on-field decisions. The ICC introduced a Test Championship table in June 2001 and a one-day international table in October 2002.

2000s to now

T20 begins in 2003, the first T20 World Cup follows in 2007 and the IPL starts in 2008. For what changed since, see recent developments.

Source: History of cricket (Wikipedia).