Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, which is scheduled for tomorrow (December 16), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has set a new rule, which will restrict any overseas player from putting any amount more than INR 18 crores in their pocket. While the bidding amount can be more than INR 18 crores, the new rule will allow the foreign players to get Rs 18 Cr in the bag.

The new rule we are talking about was announced before last year's mega auction. According to the rule, the maximum bidding fee for any overseas player in the IPL 2026 mini auction cannot exceed the previously said amount. This rule will be only applicable if the bid is higher than this number. Rs. 18 crore was the highest slab for franchises retaining players ahead of the 2025 mega auction, and that’s why no overseas player can pocket more than Rs. 18 crore in the IPL 2026 auction.

Now the question is, what will happen if a franchise bids more than Rs 18 Crore for an overseas player? Franchises with enough amount in the purse are allowed to bid over the limit for any foreign players. As per the rules, the amount over the 18 crore bar will be transferred to BCCI's player welfare trust.

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BCCI set new rule ahead of IPL 2026 auction

It is worth noting that his new rule is only applicable for foreign players. Indian players are eligible to get the full amount. Which means if an Indian player gets a bid for more than Rs 18 Crore, then he will be eligible to claim the full amount which he received through the bid in the IPL 2026 auction.

Ahead of the mini auction, there is a lot of hype around multiple foreign players like Australian all-rounder Cameron Green and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who is known as 'Baby Malinga' for his sling bowling action. Pathirana has the potential to fetch a record amount of money, as the seamer performed impressively for Chennai Super Kings in the previous few IPL seasons.

He is one of the brightest batting talents to emerge from India in recent years. Although he has proved his ability across formats, Yashasvi Jaiswal has received consistent opportunities mainly in Test cricket. In the limited chances he has had in white-ball cricket, however, he has still managed to make a strong impact.

Jaiswal made his ODI debut in February this year and has scored 171 runs in four matches, including an unbeaten century. He made his T20I debut in 2023 and has since scored 723 runs from 22 innings at a strike rate of 164.31, with one century and five half-centuries.

With India having many talented options, Jaiswal has often needed to wait for his opportunities. Yet the 23-year-old, who dreams of playing in the T20 World Cup, remains patient and ready for his chance.

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Jaiswal’s Dream and the Competition for Opening Spots

“My dream is to play the T20 World Cup, but I try to focus on my game and will wait for my time," Jaiswal said at the Agenda Aaj Tak Summit.

Jaiswal is an opener, but India already has strong players at the top. Abhishek Sharma is now settled, and Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson have also opened the innings. The competition is so tough that Samson, who was India’s highest T20I run-scorer in 2024, had to step aside when Gill returned.

#AgendaAakjTak25 के मंच पर क्रिकेटर यशस्वी जायसवाल ने सुनाई अपने संघर्ष की कहानी 'जब मैं पानी पूरी बेच रहा था...कभी-कभी स्कूल जाता था...'#YashasviJaiswal #ViratKohli #CenturyCelebration #ATReel #AajTakSocial | @SwetaSinghAT | @vikrantgupta73 | @ybj_19 pic.twitter.com/ETG2owPhzk

— AajTak (@aajtak) December 10, 2025

Captaincy Hopes for India and Rajasthan Royals

Jaiswal is not only aiming to play for India in all formats; he is also open to leading the national team in the future.

“Yes, if I get a chance, I would like to lead India," he said.

His IPL team, the Rajasthan Royals, will need a new captain next season after Sanju Samson was traded to the Chennai Super Kings. Jaiswal is one of the possible options, although he does not have captaincy experience. Teammates like Ravindra Jadeja, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel are currently ahead in the race.

The next T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Chaos broke out outside Barabati Stadium as huge crowds came to buy tickets for the first T20I between India and South Africa. The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) said on December 4 that tickets would be sold from Friday morning. Thousands of fans came to the stadium gates on December 5. Even though authorities did not allow overnight queues and told people to come after 6 a.m., many fans had already come by 9 a.m., making it hard to control the crowd.

A video on X shows the crowd getting worse, almost like a stampede. Police had to use a mild lathi charge to control the crowd.

This will be Barabati Stadium’s second international match in 2025. Earlier this year, Rohit Sharma’s team played an ODI against England there, and many fans came. The big rush for T20I tickets shows that fans are very excited again.

Watch the video here:

Cricket for VIPs, chaos for the people.

Scenes from Barabati stadium Cuttack hosting #IndvsSA #T20 match . Offline ticket counter opened today morning
🏏💔pic.twitter.com/TVNwWzogMl

— dD@$h (@dashman207) December 5, 2025

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India Will Play South Africa in the Third ODI Tomorrow

India will host South Africa in the third ODI on December 6 in Visakhapatnam. After a thrilling win in Ranchi, the KL Rahul-led team suffered a four-wicket defeat in the second ODI in Raipur. Now, they will hope to win in Visakhapatnam and seal the series. This win is very important as India lost the Test series 2-0.

Another loss will increase pressure on the team management, who have not done well in recent bilateral series. After the ODI series, the focus will move to T20Is, starting on December 9 in Cuttack. With the T20 World Cup starting in two months, the Suryakumar Yadav-led team will aim to make an impact. For some players, it is also a chance to secure their spot in the squad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to move the knockouts of the 2025/26 season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) out of the Indore Stadium in Indore due to logistical reasons. The knockouts of the event were scheduled to be held from December 12 to 18 and will now be staged at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje.

The Dr. DY Patil Academy Ground in Ambi of Pune will also participate in hosting some of the games of the knockout stage. A BCCI official confirmed that following the request of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, the knockouts of the T20 competition were moved to Pune. Quite a few top players are expected to participate in the event.

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“We informed BCCI about a fortnight ago that we will not be able to stage the SMAT knockouts as there is a lack of hotel room availability here due to some global conference (of doctors) in Indore from Dec 9-12.” The MPCA CEO, Rohit Pandit, expressed the Times of India (TOI) from Indore.

BCCI moves SMAT 2025/26 knock-outs away from Indore due to hotel room availability

Meanwhile, the IndiGo flights crisis, with the airline cancelling around 1000 flights while many other domestic flights are being disrupted, could also have a massive effect on the conduct of the BCCI domestic tournaments. The board is conducting the league stage of the SMAT in four centers.

“If the crisis continues, it could be a challenge to fly the eight participating teams, as well as the umpires and other officials, to Pune for the SMAT knockouts. Also, the Women's Under-23 T20 Trophy in Ahmedabad and the Men's Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy are going on at the moment, for which the teams and officials (umpires and officials) need to travel constantly.” The reports claimed.

The next round of the tournament will begin on December 06. Jharkhand, Bengal, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are the toppers of their respective tables, while Andhra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan are the four sides that stand in second position in the points table.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants former India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play in the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. This major domestic one-day tournament will be held from December 24 to January 18.

According to a report in the Times of India on Saturday (November 29), the board would have preferred if Rohit and Kohli had played some cricket in England during the summer. Now, they will be advised to take part in the Vijay Hazare Trophy next month.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Rohit has made himself available for Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy matches. However, there is still no clear update on Kohli’s participation. Kohli has not played in the VHT for Delhi for more than 10 years.

He did play one Ranji Trophy match for Delhi earlier this year under Ayush Badoni’s captaincy at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. So it will not be a surprise if he also decides to represent Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season.

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Meeting After SA Series

TOI has also reported that after the India–South Africa ODI series, which runs from November 30 to December 6, the BCCI is planning a meeting with the selectors and team management. The aim is to decide a clear plan for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future in the ODI setup, keeping the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind.

The report adds that the team management is already working on finding backup players for both stars, in case a situation comes where one or both cannot play in the World Cup.

Need for Clear Roles

A BCCI source told the publication that it is important for players like Rohit and Kohli to know what is expected from them. The source said that they should not play with uncertainty about their roles.

The source also pointed out that although both scored runs in the third ODI in Australia, the series was already lost by then, and the bowlers had created the winning chance. They looked rusty in the first two matches, and the team cannot afford that in every series.

The Indian women’s cricket team will play a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka next month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared the schedule on X on Friday, November 28.

The first two matches will take place at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 21 and 23. The last three T20Is will be held at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on December 26, 28 and 30.

BCCI said in a release, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announces the schedule for the upcoming IDFC FIRST Bank Women’s T20I series, as India hosts Sri Lanka for a five-match contest next month. The series will begin in Visakhapatnam before moving to Thiruvananthapuram for the remaining matches.”

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India Women Back in Action After World Cup Win

Since winning the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 final on November 2 in Navi Mumbai, the Indian women’s cricket team has not played any international match.

Sri Lanka will tour India for a five-match T20I series in December.

Sri Lanka Women’s Tour of India, 2025 (T20I Series Schedule)

🚨 News 🚨

Schedule for @IDFCFIRSTBank T20I series against Sri Lanka Women announced.

Details ▶️ https://t.co/jYCdTE8YhA#TeamIndia | #WomenInBlue | #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/wK4d5c0XLQ

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) November 28, 2025

Busy Season Ahead for India Women

After the T20I series, Indian players will play in WPL 2026. The league will run from January 9 to February 5 in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.

Both the Sri Lanka T20Is and WPL 2026 will help India prepare for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament will take place from June 15 to July 6 across seven venues in England, with 12 teams taking part.

India won their first-ever ODI World Cup this year, and now they will aim to win their maiden T20 World Cup title next year.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not happy with India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir. This comes after his comments about the Kolkata pitch following India’s 30-run loss to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens from November 14 to 16. According to the Hindustan Times, the board is upset with Gambhir’s remarks, but it will not take any action right now.

The report says that Gambhir will continue as head coach for the time being because there are “no strong alternatives” at the moment. However, his job may come under review later. If India does not perform well in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will take place from February 7 to March 8 at home, then Gambhir may face consequences.

“The BCCI is not pleased with Gautam Gambhir’s open comments on the Kolkata pitch after the Test defeat,” the report said. “The board will not act immediately, but Gambhir’s position may be questioned if India fails in the T20 World Cup."

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Gambhir Defends Kolkata Pitch

After India failed to chase 124 runs in Kolkata, head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the Eden Gardens pitch. He said the pitch behaved exactly as the team had requested.

“This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. The curator was very helpful and supportive. This is exactly what we wanted, and this is exactly what we got. When you don’t play well, this is what happens," Gambhir said after the defeat.

Pitch Was Fair and Playable

Gambhir added, “It might not be a wicket for big shots, but if you focus, you can score. There were no demons on this pitch. It was not unplayable. It tested technique, mental toughness, and temperament. The point is that players should know how to handle turn. This is what we asked for, and this is what we got."

The 18th edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, BCCI's premier domestic T20 tournament, gets underway on Wednesday, November 26, across four venues in India. A total of 38 teams will contest for the prestigious trophy in 141 matches. A number of star players will be in action, thereby making this one of the most exciting editions in recent times.

Baroda cricket has received a major boost with Hardik Pandya expected to play most of the matches in the tournament. The star Indian all-rounder has been out of action since getting injured during the Asia Cup 2025. His return to competitive cricket marks an important step, as he has not played since August and was also left out of the upcoming home ODI series against South Africa.

A PTI report quoted the Baroda head coach saying, "He has not yet joined the squad, but we expect him to play the majority of the games. His presence always provides a big boost to the squad." His comeback is highly anticipated as it could shape Baroda’s campaign in the tournament.

Pandya Eyes Match-Fitness Ahead of India Selection

Hardik Pandya remains in contention for India’s T20I squad for the South Africa series, but he must prove his match fitness first. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy gives the Mumbai Indians captain a golden opportunity to showcase his readiness and strengthen his case for a national comeback in December 2025.

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The Indian team management is keen for Pandya to regain full fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in India in February. Baroda will begin their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign on Wednesday against Bengal, although it is still uncertain whether Hardik will be available for the opening match.

The T20 World Cup is getting closer, and the excitement is high. India, the defending champions, will host the tournament next year along with Sri Lanka. This has increased the anticipation even more.

According to reports, the 2026 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams and take place from Saturday, February 7, to Sunday, March 8. All participating teams have been confirmed, including co-hosts India and Sri Lanka. Italy will make their debut in this edition.

India entered the tournament as the defending champions after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Men in Blue ended a 17-year wait to lift the trophy. Before the T20 World Cup, India will play a T20I series against New Zealand, their final series before the major event.

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“With only 10 T20Is left before the T20 World Cup, you will not see many changes in the main squad unless someone is ruled out due to injury," a source recently told the BCCI.

India will play five T20Is against New Zealand in Nagpur (January 21), Raipur (January 23), Guwahati (January 25), Vizag (January 28), and Trivandrum (January 31).

The upcoming T20I series against South Africa will be the final chance for Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav to check a few players before the New Zealand series. This New Zealand series will work as a dress rehearsal ahead of the T20 World Cup. All eyes will be on the India vs Pakistan match, as both teams are likely to be placed in the same group despite political tensions.

T20 World Cup Schedule Announcement

The ICC has confirmed that the 2026 T20 World Cup schedule will be announced with the BCCI on Tuesday, November 25, in Mumbai. The event will start at 6:30 PM IST and will be attended by ICC Chairman Jay Shah.

Where to Watch the Announcement

The full schedule announcement will be live-streamed on JioHotstar.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has sparked a heated row after they decided on retaining pacer Yash Dayal in their squad before the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The controversial announcement raised a huge uproar on social media platforms due to allegations that Yash Dayal, the pacer, is involved in serious crimes in two reported cases, one in Jaipur and one in Ghaziabad. Previously, the pacer was banned from playing in the UP T20 League over accusations of sexual and financial exploitation of a long-term partner. The Jaipur case is even more serious, with complaints claiming that he raped a minor over the course of two years. As a result, RCB has faced serious criticism for retaining Yash Dayal in light of the ongoing investigation.

Fans expressed extreme disappointment, calling the franchise's action "shameful", "diabolical", and "shameful," with many claiming to discontinue any future support for the team. The criticism intensified when Dayal's state team Uttar Pradesh had previously already deprecated him for the very same allegations. Social media was on fire with calls for accountability as fans and followers questioned how a franchise built around a global icon in the way of Virat Kohli would employ a player with terms of allegations like these against him. Many felt the decision by RCB tarnished the brand name of the franchise and communicated an irresponsible message at a time when sports organizations around the world have increasingly taken stronger stances when addressing off-field conduct.

RCB and Virat Kohli are helping Yash Dayal,who r@ped two girls (Source : TOI)#IPL2026 #ipl pic.twitter.com/yNNEus1GbH

— KickAndCatch (@KickAndCatcw) November 16, 2025

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Legal Context and Debate over the RCB's Decision

It should be noted that while Dayal has been booked under sections of the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), none of those allegations have been substantiated in a court proceeding. There are two separate FIRs, which are still in Vesting, and legally, IPL teams would not be required to release players - unless ordered by the court or BCCI.

To maintain their own brand value, public trust, and minimize reputational harm, teams typically distance themselves from players under criminal investigation. Choosing the opposite route, RCB has created a firestorm of ethics vs. legality and placed the franchise under tremendous public pressure as IPL 2026 nears.