India’s spin great Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns over the growing influence of “fan armies” on social media, suggesting that some of these narratives may not be entirely organic. The veteran off-spinner described the trend as a “disease”, linking it to the rise of an intense, superstar-driven culture in Indian cricket.Ashwin’s remarks echo similar concerns…
New Delhi: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) last month removed the A+ category from its players’ retainership system, citing there weren’t enough candidates to qualify for the gradation. However, TOI understands that the board may be compelled to revisit the valuation structure of the existing gradation of contracts to ensure consistent-performing players don’t lose money…
Bangladesh cricketers (AP Photo) In a dramatic turn, the Bangladesh government has decided to launch a fresh probe into whether the country’s withdrawal from the just-concluded ICC Twenty20 World Cup amounted to a failure of sports diplomacy, a day after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested the sports ministry to shut down an earlier investigation…
MS Dhoni (BCCI/IPL Photo) NEW DELHI: Former Chennai Super Kings player Sam Billings has shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story about MS Dhoni during his time in the IPL. Billings recalled how Dhoni created a relaxed, social environment within the team despite his superstar status.Speaking on a podcast, Billings revealed that Dhoni had a unique setup…
Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has indicated that he may not have handled some aspects of his relationship with senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the best way during his tenure. Kohli and Rohit retired from Test cricket during the first season of…
England’s Ollie Pope bats on day two of the first Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Perth. (AP) England batter Ollie Pope has responded to criticism following his side’s Ashes defeat in Australia, saying the perception that the team “weren’t fussed” is not accurate, while accepting why that view took hold among…
Delhi Capitals’ KL Rahul celebrates his half century during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI File Photo) NEW DELHI: KL Rahul is all set to open for the Delhi Capitals in the 2026 Indian Premier League…
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) MUMBAI: As Mumbai Indians head coach, Mahela Jayawardene has plenty to be pleased about heading into IPL 2026, starting March 28. Four MI players—India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, skipper Hardik Pandya and batter Tilak Varma—played key roles in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup triumph.“Our…
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur (Photo by PTI) NEW DELHI: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has climbed to seventh in the latest women’s ODI rankings, while her teammate Smriti Mandhana continues to hold the top spot. The rankings saw a few shifts, with Sophie Devine dropping to ninth, while Jemimah Rodrigues stayed at 12th. Watch Mithali…
David Warner, Steve Smith and Pakistan flag NEW DELHI: Australian stars Steve Smith and David Warner are facing growing uncertainty over their participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), as security concerns in the region cast a shadow over the tournament.According to a report from Australian outlet Codesport.com, several Australian players and coaches, including Glenn…
