Australia have announced a surprising lineup for the World Test Championship Final, with Marnus Labuschagne opening alongside Usman Khawaja. Josh Hazlewood gets the nod over Scott Boland in a tough fast bowling decision. Cameron Green returns from injury, while Beau Webster provides all-round support as Australia aims for victory at Lord’s.
South Africa aim to exploit Australia’s unfamiliar opening pair of Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne in the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. Captain Temba Bavuma believes the swinging conditions will favour their bowlers, especially Kagiso Rabada, who is in top form. South Africa hope early wickets will put pressure on Australia’s batting lineup in the high-stakes clash.
Shreyas Iyer continues his impressive captaincy, leading SoBo Mumbai Falcons to the T20 Mumbai League 2025 final, marking his fourth final in just over a year. This golden run includes an IPL triumph with KKR, a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title with Mumbai, and leading Punjab Kings to an IPL final.
England dominated West Indies with a 37-run victory, completing a 3-0 T20I series sweep in Southampton. Ben Duckett’s explosive 84 and Jamie Smith’s quickfire 60 powered England to 248/3, their joint-highest T20I score at home. Despite Rovman Powell’s valiant 79*, West Indies fell short at 211/8, with Luke Wood’s 3-31 leading England’s disciplined bowling attack.
Diageo India has refuted media reports suggesting the sale of its Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL franchise, labeling them as speculative. Despite the denial, speculation persists, fueled by a Bloomberg report and a subsequent rise in United Spirits’ shares. There are also murmurs about Diageo valuing the RCB franchise at around USD 2 billion.
Team India has commenced rigorous red-ball preparations in Beckenham for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, marking the start of a new WTC cycle. Arshdeep Singh highlighted the competitive net sessions, praising the batters’ form. The squad, led by Shubman Gill, underwent drills for key players like Gill, Pant, Siraj, and Jadeja, with fielding practice led by T Dilip up until Tuesday.
The second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions concluded in a draw, with AAnshul Kamboj’s fifty and two wickets highlighting the final day. KL Rahul marked a strong return with a century and a half-century, while Karun Nair impressed with a double century in the series.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar dismissed comparisons between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Test cricket, urging fans and media to “RoKo, stop that.” Highlighting Kohli’s superior record, especially in SENA countries, he asserted the two belong to different leagues in red-ball cricket, despite their white-ball reputations often being clubbed together.
England’s 2019 ODI World Cup winner Liam Plunkett, now with the San Francisco Unicorns, is helping shape cricket’s growth in the US through coaching, grassroots development, and leadership in Major League Cricket. With personal ties to America, Plunkett believes in the American dream, Olympic momentum, and investing in infrastructure to build cricket’s future — both as a player and passionate ambassador of the sport.
Astrologer Greenstone Lobo predicts South Africa will triumph over Australia in the World Test Championship final. Lobo’s analysis, based on planetary positions and player horoscopes, suggests Australia’s past successes have diminished their ‘karmic quota.