Ash Gardner’s 84 and double strike seal Rose Bowl for Australia over New Zealand

Gardner’s all-round brilliance keeps Rose Bowl in Australian hands

Australia retained the Rose Bowl for a 27th straight year after a dominant 40-run win over New Zealand in the second T20 at North Sydney Oval, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Batting first, the hosts posted 6-167, built almost entirely around vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner’s blazing 84 from 45 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes, before restricting New Zealand to 8-127.

Gardner, named player of the match, produced a sublime all-round performance, following her batting onslaught with 2-17 from three overs as Australia’s bowlers smothered the chase. Leg-spinner Georgia Wareham led the attack with 3-18 from four overs, while White Ferns captain Melie Kerr top-scored with 32 from 38 balls in a reply that never seriously threatened. Beth Mooney added 39 off 28 at the top, again looking assured before being superbly caught by Maddy Green at long-on off Jess Kerr.

The result extended Australia’s T20 winning streak to 12 matches, a run that includes their unbeaten World Cup campaign in the UK in June and July. Gardner credited stand-in skipper Sophie Molineux’s influence on the squad’s culture, highlighting the emphasis on enjoyment and growth. Australia, who have held the Rose Bowl for more than 26 years, will put the trophy on the line again in March in a three-match ODI series, the first time the contest has been staged twice in one season.

Santner backs NZC’s call to shelve Major League Cricket franchise

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has thrown his support behind New Zealand Cricket’s decision to walk away from plans to own a franchise in Major League Cricket from 2027, a project that had been pursued with US-based True North Sports Ventures. Speaking in Christchurch on October 21, Santner said the board had opted to prioritise building a domestic T20 league featuring overseas players rather than investing heavily in a North American venture.

Santner argued that backing a home competition would better showcase domestic players on a major stage while still opening doors for them to pursue franchise opportunities abroad, citing the development of Tim Seifert and Finn Allen after stints around the world. NZC’s plans for its NZ20 men’s and women’s league have already been pushed back from January to December 2027, underlining the need to focus resources locally.

NZC chief executive Geoff Allott separately confirmed the governing body had ended its True North partnership without committing capital, explaining that the timing was not right despite American cricket’s potential, and reiterating that strengthening New Zealand’s high-performance environment remained the immediate priority. Major League Cricket currently has six teams and is targeting expansion to 10 franchises.

Rashid Khan pulls clear at top of ODI bowling rankings as Hope surges in T20Is

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has tightened his grip on the No. 1 spot in the ICC men’s ODI bowling rankings after figures of 4-17 against Zimbabwe in a tri-series match in Abu Dhabi, a performance that underpinned a 158-run win. His latest haul has lifted him to 742 rating points, creating an 80-point gap over second-placed Abrar Ahmed. Kuldeep Yadav’s seven wickets in three ODIs against the West Indies have moved the India spinner up to No. 5, with Keshav Maharaj and Mitchell Santner occupying third and fourth.

Afghanistan batter Sediqullah Atal climbed 12 places to 20th in the ODI batting rankings thanks to his 102 in the same tri-series match, while Bangladesh seamer Taskin Ahmed rose nine spots to a career-best 12th after taking 3 for 44 against Zimbabwe. In T20Is, West Indies captain Shai Hope has entered the batting top 10 at No. 9 following two centuries and four hundreds overall in a comeback-filled series against India that finished 2-2, while spinner Gudakesh Motie jumped 10 places to 26th among T20I bowlers.

India to launch U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title defense against West Indies

Two-time defending champion India will open its ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup defense against West Indies in Kathmandu on January 22, after the ICC confirmed the schedule for the 16-team event on October 21. The third edition of the tournament runs from January 21 to February 6 across venues in Bangladesh and Nepal, with group matches in Chattogram, Sylhet and Kathmandu. India have been drawn in Group A alongside co-hosts Nepal, West Indies and Ireland.

Bangladesh and UAE will contest the tournament opener in Chattogram on January 21, while Australia, runners-up at the previous edition, face Nigeria in Sylhet the same day. India’s group fixtures in Nepal see them play West Indies on January 22, Nepal on January 24 and Ireland on January 26, all at the Tu International Cricket Stadium. The top teams from the four groups progress to the Super Six phase, then into two groups, with semi-finals scheduled for February 4 and the final set for February 6 in Chattogram, backed by reserve days on February 5 and 7.

ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said awarding hosting rights to Bangladesh and Nepal reflected the governing body’s investment in emerging cricket markets with young populations, highlighting the tournament’s role as a launchpad to elite international careers.

Minhas destroys England as Pakistan dominate tri-series opener

Pakistan all-rounder Arafat Minhas produced a stunning performance with bat and ball to set up an 87-run win over England in the opening ODI of the tri-series in Rawalpindi, consolidating a second straight victory in the competition for the hosts after their earlier defeat of Sri Lanka. Coming in at 133 for five, the 21-year-old struck 59 from 58 deliveries and, with Hasan Nawaz’s 79, transformed Pakistan’s innings into 302 for nine, featuring 91 runs in the final 10 overs alongside Faheem Ashraf’s 39 off 26.

Minhas then wrecked England’s chase with left-arm spin, taking 6 for 40 to help bowl the visitors out for 215 inside 39 overs, before finishing the match with a direct-hit run-out of Gus Atkinson. England had been cruising at 91 for none thanks to Tom Banton’s 57 and Ben Duckett’s support, but collapsed against the combined pressure of Minhas and off-spinner Saim Ayub. Harry Brook was bowled by a delivery that gripped and turned past his outside edge, one of several key blows that turned a position of 165 for three into a swift collapse.

Brook later described Minhas as the “standout performer by a mile” and admitted England had been too cautious against spin, failing to maintain tempo and build partnerships. The all-round display made Minhas only the third Pakistan player after Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi to score an ODI half-century and take five or more wickets in the same match.

England Women’s Sri Lanka tour to straddle Champions Trophy and clash with WPL

England Women will visit Sri Lanka in February and March 2027 for a six-match white-ball tour built around the inaugural ICC Women’s T20 Champions Trophy in India, with three T20Is and three ODIs confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket and the ECB on October 21. The T20I leg will be staged in Kandy from February 1, 3 and 5, before England head to India for the Champions Trophy from February 14 to 28, then return to Sri Lanka for ODIs in Dambulla on March 4, 6 and 8.

England’s plans are complicated by a clash with the Women’s Premier League in India, which runs from January 14 to February 7. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Bell and Sophie Ecclestone, all retained by WPL franchises, have ECB permission to remain with their teams if they reach the playoffs, even if that means missing some or all of the Sri Lanka T20Is. The ECB views high-pressure WPL knockout matches as valuable preparation for the Champions Trophy, which was moved forward and relocated from Sri Lanka to India due to governance concerns.

Charlotte Edwards’ squad will precede the tour with a red-ball training camp in India in January, underlining Test planning ahead of the 2027 Ashes. England travel on the back of a 3-0 ODI sweep of Sri Lanka, highlighted by Sophia Dunkley’s second international hundred, and a runners-up finish at the home T20 World Cup at Lord’s, which provides a benchmark for their white-ball ambitions over the packed 2027 schedule.

Iyer banks on Bhuvneshwar’s experience as India weigh Sooryavanshi dilemma

India T20 captain Shreyas Iyer is counting on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience to bolster a remodelled bowling attack in the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, with the opener in Christchurch set to mark the seamer’s first appearance in the format since November 2022. Iyer highlighted the 36-year-old’s back-to-back IPL titles with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025 and 2026, where Bhuvneshwar took 45 wickets in 31 matches, including 28 at 17.89 in the most recent season, as proof of his enduring value in the shortest form.

Bhuvneshwar, who sits on 90 wickets from 87 T20Is at 23.10, is 10 short of becoming the fifth Indian bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets and six away from 300 international wickets across formats. Iyer said India had “been lacking” experience in the attack after recent debuts, and expects New Zealand’s pace-friendly conditions to test his batters, making rapid acclimatisation and clear plans essential.

At the top of the order, Iyer has cautioned against fast-tracking 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into a permanent starting role despite his explosive rise, insisting established openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have earned continuity after underpinning India’s successful T20 World Cup title defense and starring in the recent West Indies series. Sooryavanshi has played only eight of India’s last 21 T20Is, with Iyer arguing that overseas tours and exposure to varied conditions will prepare him for future opportunities rather than an immediate promotion.

Santner wary of Sooryavanshi’s firepower and Bhuvneshwar’s swing in New Zealand

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner says his side has specific plans ready for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi if the teenage left-hander forces his way into India’s XI for the T20I series starting in Christchurch on October 22. While acknowledging that Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are likely to retain the opening slots after strong recent form, Santner described Sooryavanshi as “quite hard to stop” based on his IPL exploits and early international impact.

Santner noted that New Zealand had studied England’s short-ball tactics against India’s batters during the UK tour and prepared accordingly, mindful of Sooryavanshi’s 776 IPL runs in 2026 at a strike rate above 230 and his 246 international T20I runs at a strike rate exceeding 186 from just eight matches. He added that Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s late swing and seam would pose a serious challenge for New Zealand’s top order in home conditions, given the seamer’s knack for extracting movement even on flat Indian pitches.

The left-arm spinner expects conditions, particularly at the start of the series, to offer assistance for bowlers before flattening out on used surfaces, framing the contest as one where both sides’ quicks and spinners will need to adapt quickly as pitches and weather evolve.

Harmanpreet’s emotional 91* powers India to sweep; Shafali reprimanded for equipment abuse

Harmanpreet Kaur roared back to form with a blistering unbeaten 91 from 41 balls as India thrashed Zimbabwe by 92 runs in the third T20I in Raipur on October 20 to seal a 3-0 series win. Coming in after Shafali Verma’s 69 off 37 and a brisk 28 from Anushka Sharma, the former captain struck 10 fours and five sixes in a statement innings that lifted India to 216 for seven, before the bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 124 for seven.

Having recently stepped down as captain and struggled for runs on slow Asia Cup pitches and during India’s Asian Games campaign in Japan, the 37-year-old was visibly emotional as she spoke about enjoying time in the middle and batting as long as possible. Smriti Mandhana had chosen to bat to give more hitters time, with the top order responding through a 54-run opening stand between Anushka and Shafali, who dominated with five sixes, mostly over deep midwicket. Nandani Sharma’s three for 18 then capped India’s dominance with the ball.

The series, however, also brought disciplinary news for Shafali, who was officially reprimanded by the ICC for throwing the ball into the ground in frustration after dropping a catch during the second T20I in Raipur on October 18. The incident occurred in the 12th over when she spilled a chance offered by Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano at mid-off and reacted by hurling the ball down, breaching Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct relating to abuse of equipment. She accepted match referee G.S. Lakshmi’s sanction, which included one demerit point, her first in a 24-month period.

The 3-0 sweep yielded only a marginal rankings reward, with India gaining a single rating point to remain third in the ICC women’s T20I team table, while Zimbabwe stayed 16th on 120 points despite being outclassed in Raipur.

Saurashtra tighten grip over Karnataka as Aneesh, Jani secure draw; Gill sits out chase under rules

Saurashtra’s recent dominance over Karnataka continued at Alur, where the visitors left with three points from a drawn Ranji Trophy clash after securing a slender seven-run first-innings lead and then batting out the final afternoon on October 21. Sportstar reported that the result means Saurashtra have now either beaten Karnataka or taken first-innings points in each of their last seven meetings, underscoring their status as the southern side’s bete noire.

Karnataka’s hopes faded on October 20 when Saurashtra’s last-wicket pair added 46 to nose ahead, and on the final day the hosts could only set 237 from 49 overs after K.V. Aneesh’s second half-century of the match, a 79 from 159 balls, and K.L. Shrijith’s 52 lifted them to a declaration at 243 for seven. Manvanth Kumar removed Harvik Desai early in the chase, but Chirag Jani anchored Saurashtra’s reply with an unbeaten 63 as Jaydev Unadkat’s men settled for safety at 137 for two from 42 overs, effectively treating the session as middle practice ahead of their next game against Assam.

Karnataka coach R. Vinay Kumar remained upbeat despite just two points from two matches, pointing to Manvanth’s first-innings 135 and Vidwath Kaverappa’s four for 57 as key positives while identifying fielding and batting decision-making as areas to sharpen before facing Tripura in Mysuru. Elsewhere, Punjab wrapped up an 86-run chase against Chhattisgarh on October 21 without Test captain Shubman Gill, who could not bat after spending the entire day off the field and was replaced at No. 4 by Prabhsimran Singh, in line with playing regulations governing time spent out of action.

Bavuma channels Tendulkar in epic 179 as Aussies follow on; Warner blasts empty stands

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma credited Sachin Tendulkar’s influence on his technique after grinding out a career-best 179 against Australia in Gqeberha, a knock that transformed his side’s second Test fortunes at St George’s Park. Coming in with South Africa wobbling at 110 for six against an attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Beau Webster, Bavuma batted 334 balls and shared crucial stands of 132 with Marco Jansen and 183 with Simon Harmer, lifting the hosts to 425 for nine declared.

Speaking after his innings on October 21, Bavuma said he consciously tried to emulate Tendulkar’s compact method, focusing on efficient movement and playing the ball close to his body to compensate for his lack of height. He described the century-plus effort as one of his most satisfying, particularly after recent struggles for rhythm through the preceding ODI series and first Test, and noted that extended time in the nets had helped him rediscover the “feeling” that underpinned his strong 2023. As captain, his Test average has climbed above 54, compared to 34.53 beforehand.

Bavuma’s declaration left Australia under severe pressure in Gqeberha, and ABC’s live blog reported that the tourists were skittled for 99 and asked to follow on, reaching 1-53 by stumps on October 21 as Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head dug in. The series has reopened wider questions about Test cricket’s health after former opener David Warner castigated the sparse crowds in Durban and Gqeberha, writing on X that empty stands and a lack of atmosphere were a “harsh reality” for a format still described as the game’s pinnacle. He argued that it was “pathetic” to talk up Test cricket’s importance while venues remained largely deserted during a contest between the world’s top two sides, concerns echoed in New Zealand reporting on the series’ poor attendances.