Bavuma Century Defies Australia; Sutar Joins Ranji 400-Club

Bavuma Century Leads South Africa Against Australia South Africa captain Temba Bavuma scored a gritty century on October 20, leading his team past 300 runs on Day 3 of the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha, Sportstar News Desk reported. Bavuma's fifth Test match century showcased composure and determination, treating the St George's crowd to delightful shots, according to ABC News Australia Cricket.

Bavuma's ton came as South Africa's lower order continued to defy Australian fast bowlers. Australian captain Pat Cummins and Steve Smith both appeared to be struggling with injuries during play, with Cummins grimacing and Smith hurting a finger attempting a catch at second slip, ABC News Australia Cricket reported. Josh Hazlewood also did not return to the field after the tea break due to an undisclosed issue.

Chinmay Sutar Makes History with 400 Runs in Ranji Trophy Chinmay Sutar made history on October 19, becoming only the second batter to record an individual score of 400 in the Ranji Trophy, Wisden reported. Playing for Mizoram against Nagaland, the 29-year-old right-hander hammered 46 fours and 7 sixes in his 517-ball innings, finishing on 400 not out, according to Hindustan Times Cricket and Times of India Cricket.

Sutar joined B.B. Nimbalkar, who scored 443 not out in 1948, as only the second batter to reach 400 in the Ranji Trophy after a 78-year gap. He is also the 10th batter overall to score 400 runs in a single first-class innings, joining cricket legends like Brian Lara and Don Bradman, Hindustan Times Cricket and Times of India Cricket reported, and he only learned of the milestone after Mizoram declared at 581 for 9, with 169 of his runs coming during an unbeaten 189-run stand for the 10th wicket with Lalrempuia Chhakchhuak.

Sutar, who was the highest run-scorer in the 2026 Mumbai T20 League, switched from Mumbai to Mizoram to pursue his dream of playing red-ball cricket, Hindustan Times Cricket reported. This was only his second match for Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy, having scored 99 in his debut innings against Manipur.

WPL 2027 Auction Set for October 28 in Kochi The Women's Premier League 2027 auction is scheduled for October 28 in Kochi, with 146 players shortlisted for 27 available slots, India News Network reported. The pool includes 119 Indian cricketers, with 22 capped and 97 uncapped players, and 27 overseas players, including 14 capped and 13 uncapped, according to Hindustan Times Cricket.

Australian captain Sophie Molineux and England's Sophia Dunkley are the only two players registered at the highest base price of 50 lakh rupees. Indian batter G. Kamalini, released by Mumbai Indians, is in the 40 lakh rupee bracket, while all-rounder Sneh Rana, released by Delhi Capitals, and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu are in the 30 lakh rupee category, Hindustan Times Cricket and Rediff reported.

U.P. Warriorz will be the busiest franchise, having released nine players and trading Tara Norris to Mumbai Indians. They enter the auction with the largest purse of 3.75 crore rupees and the most slots to fill, Hindustan Times Cricket reported.

Gardner's All-Round Effort Secures Rose Bowl for Australia Australia retained the Rose Bowl with a 40-run victory over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 International at North Sydney Oval on October 14, The Guardian Cricket reported. Vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner led Australia with a blazing 84 runs from 45 balls, setting a target of 167 for 7, and then took 2 wickets for 17 runs from three overs, Cricket Australia and ESPNcricinfo reported.

Australia held New Zealand to 127 for 8, securing a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Leg-spinner Georgia Wareham was the most successful bowler, claiming 3 wickets for 18 runs, The Guardian Cricket reported. Australia has held the Rose Bowl for over 26 years, and the trophy will be contested again in March for a three-match one-day series.

Stephen Fleming Advocates for English England Test Coach Stephen Fleming, appointed England Test head coach in July, has suggested that the national team should ideally be led by an English coach, BBC Sport Cricket reported. The New Zealander, who will take charge of his first series in South Africa in December, is the fifth foreign coach to lead England's Test team, according to Sportstar.

Fleming stated on a BBC podcast that he believes "primarily the national team should be coached by a national representative" and that developing home-grown coaching talent will be a priority during his tenure, Sportstar and CricTracker reported. His backroom staff, announced last week, includes former England players Marcus Trescothick, Richard Dawson, and James Foster, demonstrating a focus on national talent, according to Sportstar and BBC Sport Cricket.

Shafali Verma Reprimanded by ICC for Code of Conduct Breach India vice-captain Shafali Verma received an official reprimand on October 20 for throwing the ball to the ground in frustration after dropping a catch during the second T20I against Zimbabwe, Sportstar and ICC reported. The 22-year-old was found to have breached Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, specifically Article 2.2, which relates to "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match," according to Times of India Cricket and Hindustan Times Cricket.

One demerit point has been added to Verma's disciplinary record, her first offense in a 24-month period, Sportstar and ESPNcricinfo reported. The incident occurred in the 12th over of Zimbabwe's innings on October 18 in Raipur, when Verma dropped Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano off Sree Charani's bowling, ICC and Times of India Cricket reported. Verma admitted the offense and accepted the sanction, negating the need for a formal hearing.

Pakistan Defeats England in Tri-Series ODI Pakistan secured a 37-run victory over England in the second match of the Tri-Nation ODI series on October 20 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Sportstar reported. England, under captain Harry Brook, began their campaign chasing 303 runs to win, The Guardian Cricket reported.

Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha led their innings with an outstanding 107 runs off 90 balls, helping his team post 305 runs against Sri Lanka in the opening match, Cricket Addictor reported. Haris Rauf made a crucial breakthrough for Pakistan against England, dismissing Ben Duckett for a breezy 45 runs, The Guardian Cricket and Times of India Cricket reported.

Indian Pacers Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud Climb ICC T20I Rankings Indian pacers Nandani Sharma and Kranti Gaud have made significant gains in the ICC T20I bowling rankings following their performances in India's 2-0 series lead over Zimbabwe, Sportstar and CricTracker reported. Nandani surged 26 places to 45th, while Kranti climbed nine places to 43rd, with both pacers now at 507 rating points, according to Sportstar and Times of India Cricket.

India's Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma continue to hold the top two positions in the T20I bowling rankings, Times of India Cricket reported. In the batting rankings, India's T20 vice-captain Shafali Verma remains fourth after scoring 55 runs off 25 deliveries in the second match, while Deepti Sharma moved up one place to joint-37th, Sportstar and CricTracker reported.

Umpire Exchange Program Between Cricket Australia and BCCI Underway An umpire exchange program between Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India has seen Australian umpire Ben Treloar officiate in two Ranji Trophy matches in India, while Indian umpire Parashar Joshi will travel to Australia for Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup fixtures, The Hindu Cricket and The Tribune reported. Treloar, who has officiated in 30 first-class matches and 39 Big Bash League games, is currently officiating the Delhi-Gujarat Ranji Trophy fixture from October 18 to 21, and will stand in the Mumbai-Haryana clash from October 26 to 29, according to The Hindu Cricket and Sportstar.

Parashar Joshi, with 19 first-class appearances and 40 T20 matches including the Indian Premier League, will begin his Australian exchange with Queensland's Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania from November 11 to 14. He will then officiate a One-Day Cup fixture on November 16 and a Sheffield Shield clash between New South Wales and Queensland from November 22 to 25, The Tribune and Sportstar reported.

New Zealand Prepares to Test India's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi New Zealand has prepared detailed plans to counter India's 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the five-match T20 series starting on October 24 at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, Sportstar and CricTracker reported. New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy stated on October 20 that the team has been studying Sooryavanshi, acknowledging him as an "incredible talent" who has taken the Indian Premier League by storm with his consistent power-hitting, according to Sportstar and CricTracker.

Sooryavanshi, who became India's youngest international in men's cricket in July, is expected to be challenged by New Zealand's seam-friendly pitches, Duffy noted. The left-handed opener achieved a milestone in July by becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in men's international cricket, hitting 50 runs off just 18 deliveries against Zimbabwe, CricTracker reported.

Akash Anand's Century Puts Mumbai in Control Against Himachal Pradesh Akash Anand completed his fourth first-class century, scoring 117 not out, to put Mumbai firmly in control against Himachal Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy Group D fixture at the Luhnu Cricket Ground on October 22, The Hindu Cricket and Sportstar reported. Despite a finger injury preventing him from keeping wickets, Anand's composed innings ensured Mumbai finished with a formidable 528 for 8 declared, securing a 388-run lead, according to Sportstar.

Anand's century came after Sarfaraz Khan's commanding 154 runs, with the pair forming a 210-run fifth-wicket stand, The Hindu Cricket and Sportstar reported. Himachal Pradesh, bowled out inside 40 overs in their first innings, showed greater resolve in their second essay, ending Day 3 at 144 for 3, still trailing by 244 runs, Sportstar reported.

Sai Kishore's Hat-Trick Leads Tamil Nadu to Innings Victory R. Sai Kishore, captain of Tamil Nadu, led his team to a dominant innings and 66-run victory over Uttarakhand in under three days at the MAC Stadium on October 22, The Hindu Cricket reported. The 29-year-old left-arm spinner scalped 6 wickets for 34 runs, including a hat-trick in the second innings, to bundle out Uttarakhand for 113, according to Sportstar and The Hindu Cricket.

Sai Kishore finished with a match haul of 10 wickets for 74 runs, his career-best performance, and revealed that a tip from M.S. Dhoni over five years ago helped him become a better bowler by emphasizing varied crease angles, Sportstar and The Hindu Cricket reported. His hat-trick made him the eighth Tamil Nadu bowler to achieve this feat in the Ranji Trophy, The Hindu Cricket reported.

FIFA Given Deadline to Answer Questions on Failed World Cup Plan UEFA, soccer's governing body in Europe, has given FIFA until November 2 to answer 42 questions related to a failed 4.2 billion U.S. dollar investment plan for the World Cup, ABC News Australia Cricket reported. FIFA president Gianni Infantino launched and quickly dropped the sell-off plan in July amid a backlash led by Europe, but provided no documents about it, according to ABC News Australia Cricket.

UEFA's general secretary Theodore Theodoridis, on behalf of European FIFA council members, signed a formal letter demanding answers by November 2, 16 days before the nomination deadline for the presidential election on March 18. The questions also cover Infantino's personal remuneration, payments to singer Marc Anthony, and the operational independence of FIFA's judicial, electoral, and ethics committees, ABC News Australia Cricket reported.

Oman's Cricket World Cup League 2 Hopes Dwindle After Nepal Loss Oman's chances of securing an automatic spot in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier through the League 2 competition diminished after they fell to Nepal by 10 runs in Al-Amerat on October 21, ICC reported. This defeat means Namibia, currently in fifth place, can still technically finish higher than Oman if Oman loses its remaining four matches, as both teams would be level on points and wins, according to ICC.

Nepal's competitive total of 280 was built on a 139-run partnership between Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored 69, and Rohit Paudel, who made 80. Oman's chase, anchored by a 158-run stand from Jatinder Singh, with 89, and Hammad Mirza, with 87, ultimately fell short at 270 for 7, ICC reported.