India’s young and top order batter, Sai Sudharsan, didn’t take the field during the third morning of the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The left-handed batter, who smashed a fine knock of 87 runs in the first innings having been under pressure in his short red-ball career, grabbed a terrific catch to dismiss John Campbell.

Campbell, after sweeping Ravindra Jadeja for a boundary on the first ball of his spell, went for the same shot over the square region. But the ball popped up in between the hands and the helmet of Sudharsan, who was standing at the silly leg. He jumped at the right moment to grab the ball before showing pain on the little finger as the doctor rushed into the middle.

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“Sai Sudharsan had an impact injury on Day 2 while attempting a catch. He has not taken the field today as a precautionary measure. The injury is not serious, and he is doing fine. He continues to be monitored by the BCCI Medical Team.” The Board of Control for Cricket in Indi (BCCI) provided the major update.

BCCI gives vital fitness update of Sai Sudharsan during IND vs WI 2nd Test

Sudharsan had a great time in the middle with the bat, but it will be important to see if he get the chance to bat in the second innings. India have done a great job with the ball in their first innings of bowling by taking a huge lead of nearly 300 runs with one wicket left to take. They might think of batting for one and half session before declaration.

West Indies, who showed good application with the bat, couldn’t repeat the same show against Kuldeep Yadav on the third morning. He sent back Shai Hope with the ball that the batter hoped to come straight but drifted away to hit the stumps before finding Tevin Imlach before the stumps.

Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah also bowled well in the channel to raise questions against the opponent batters. Sudharsan, regarding his finger injury, will have three weeks to get recovered before the home South Africa series.

Pakistan’s veteran pacer, Haris Rauf, and their young opening batter, Sahibzada Farhan, became talking points from the last Super 4 fixture between India and Pakistan from the 2025 season of the Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with their provocative gestures, which took social media on fire. 

Farhan pulled out the gun and made a celebration of shooting the bullets after he celebrated his half-century against the Suryakumar Yadav-led side. However, his milestone was the main reason for his downfall as he ended with 58 runs in 45 balls at a strike rate of under 130. On the other hand, Rauf, who was standing on the edge of the boundary, showed the 6-0 gesture towards the crowd.

See Also: [WATCH] Miscommunication leads to Abhishek Sharma's run-out for 75 during IND vs BAN Super 4 Asia Cup 2025 clash

The pacer also had a heated exchange with the two Indian opening batters, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, after the latter smashed him for a boundary during the second innings. Even though he had a decent game with the ball to take the wicket of Sanju Samson, the result didn’t go Pakistan’s way as the Suryakumar Yadav-led side chased down the target by six wickets.

India file strict action against Pakistan players after Super 4 clash in Asia Cup 2025

India has filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and demanded strict action against the two players. Even their assistant coach, Ryan Ten Doeschate, shared his view on the two gestures.

“Let me just say, the amount of pressure that's been heaped on the players because of the situation, it's very difficult to control their behaviour. I did see some of the things Haris did, and, you know, that's not our concern. Like I said earlier, we're really proud of how the guys carried themselves, you know, they were on fire with their bats on the field.” Ten Doeschate expressed in the pre-match press conference against Bangladesh.

Thanks to their superb win, India qualify for the final of the Asia Cup 2025. They will lock horns with the winner of the Pakistan and Bangladesh side in the final, which is scheduled to take place on September 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Although India has qualified for the final of the Asia Cup 2025 even before their last Super 4 clash against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE, discussions have centered on their poor fielding performance in the previous couple of fixtures against Pakistan and Bangladesh. Dropped catches and misfielding have been incredibly poor. 

The spotlight has been on the fielding coach, T Dilip, who is now under immense pressure to tighten the standards, which has been one of the strongest suits of the Blue Brigade. To match the quality of the top sides in the world, fielding has reached a stable position during any event.

See Also: Asia Cup 2025: 'Akkhi duniya ek taraf mera Bumrah ek taraf' - Sanjana Ganeshan special message for Jasprit Bumrah on air during IND vs BAN Match

The number makes for poor reading as Suryakumar Yadav’s army dropped 12 catches, which is the most in the Asia Cup, and has a catching efficiency of 67%. Hong Kong is the only other side with a catching efficiency of under 70% and has put 10 chances on the floor. On vital occasions, this would put more pressure on the national side.

India’s fielding coach T Dilip under pressure after India’s consistent poor fielding performance

Dubai hasn’t been an easy ground to field and take catches, especially due to the ring of fire where the floodlights come on the eyes of the fielders and make it tough to grab the catches. Dilip was removed after the Champions Trophy 2025, before coming back before the England trip. Varun Chakravarthy revealed his views on the dropped catches.

“As they say, you can't give excuses at this level. As a team, we definitely have to start catching all those because we look like we will be qualifying for the finals, and we should be taking them. It comes in the eyesight sometimes, and it’s a little bit of disturbance. We have to get acclimatized to it.” India’s mystery spinner expressed in the press conference.

Looking at the current situation, fielding has been the weakest link for them in T20Is. If they don’t improve it in the next couple of months, the dream of defending their title during the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka will be shattered.

The former Delhi captain and a member of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mitun Manhas, is set to become he first uncapped player of Indian cricket to head the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It’s a shock for the fans as the 45-year-old emerged as the front-runner to take over the role of the president with the development emerging after a long and intense meeting.

The final date of the submission for the nominations is September 21, and the selections are slated for September 28. However, for the last five years, the BCCI president has always been selected unopposed. Also, in recent years, the Indian board has been keen on getting a former cricketer at the helm, like the previous processors- Sourav Ganguly and Roger Binny. But Mithun Manhas is ahead in this race. 

See Also: Asia Cup 2025: Why Sri Lankan team are wearing black armbands in today's SL vs BAN Super 4 match?

Manhas is the right-handed batter who smashed 9714 runs in 244 innings of first-class cricket at an average of 45.82, thanks to 27 centuries and 49 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 205 runs. In 38 innings of the IPL, he clubbed 514 runs at a strike rate of 109.36 with the best score of 42*.

Mithun Manhas- Former Ranji captain in race to become BCCI president

In 122 innings of List-A cricket, Manhas has smashed 4126 runs at an average of 45.84, with the help of five centuries and 26 half-centuries at the best score of 148 runs. In 72 T20 innings, the Jammu-born drilled 1170 runs at an average of 21.66 and a strike rate of 104.55 with one half-century to his name.

Having made his professional debut in the 1997/98 season, Manhas was among the middle-order batters who were born in the wrong era. Due to the dominance of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Ganguly, Manhas was not able to crack the Indian team with domestic runs.

His most impressive season was in 2007/08 when he ended as he was at the helm as Delhi ended their long championship drought with a Ranji Trophy win. Gambhir led the side in the final and semis, while Manhas smashed 921 runs at 57.56 in the season. In 2015, he switched to Jammu for the Ranji season.

When Dream11 and the online betting applications were banned by the government, many were concerned about the New Jersey sponsorship of the Indian cricket team. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side also turned up in the first two games of the Asia Cup against the UAE and Pakistan with ‘India’ written on their chest. But that seems to be changing.

The Times of India has reported that Apollo Tyre will be the new jersey sponsor for the Blue Brigade and will sell out approximately INR 4.45 crores per game, which is significantly up from INR 4 crores that previous sponsors were paying. This will be set for a period till the 2027 ODI World Cup, with 130 fixtures falling in that duration.

See Also: [WATCH] Yousuf Youhana's shocking slur; calls Suryakumar Yadav 'Suar' on Live TV during Asia Cup 2025

It has been addressed that Canva and JK Tyre were the other bidders in the table, while Birla Optus Paints were interested in investing before refusing to participate in the bidding process, which took place on September 16. The board had invited bids for Expression of Interest for the Lead Sponsor Rights of the team two weeks ago.

Apollo Tyres to be Indian team’s new jersey sponsor for INR 4.45 crore per game

In that press release, the Indian cricket board made it clear that no gaming, betting, crypto, or tobacco brands will be taken into consideration in the bidding process. The Banking, financial, Athleisure, and sportwear manufacturers, non-alcoholic beverage products, fans, mixer grinders, safety locks, and insurance companies were also not eligible for the sponsorship deals.

There was an immediate requirement to look for a new sponsor after Dream11 made an exit from the deal after the promotion and regulation of the Online Gaming Act 2025, which impacted the brand and its use on a larger scale.

Currently, they are featuring in the Asia Cup 2025. Two days later, the scheduled final of the event, India will play the two-match home Test series against the West Indies before flying to Australia for the three ODIs and as many T20Is. Back home, they will lock horns against the South Africa side for an all-format series before facing New Zealand to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026.  

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Kiran More has come forward as the leading contender to take over as the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Sources have revealed that the BCCI top brass approached several high-profile ex-cricketers from the West Zone, including a former player from Saurashtra, but state associations appear to have reached a unanimous preference for More.

This development comes after Roger Binny stepped down from the presidency on July 19 upon turning 70, the upper age limit for office-bearers on the board. Since then, vice-president Rajeev Shukla has been overseeing operations at the helm. Meanwhile, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed that the BCCI elections, initially scheduled for September 28, may not take place this year if consensus is reached.

“It is going to be a unanimous decision. Mostly all of the state associations are on the same page with the BCCI's eagerness to have Kiran More at the helm. We will get to know about the final decision shortly,” sources told NDTV.

More’s Cricketing and Administrative Journey

Born in 1962, Kiran More represented India from 1984 to 1993, featuring in 49 Tests and 94 ODIs. He was also part of India’s Asia Cup-winning squads in 1988 and 1991. Beyond his playing days, More served as BCCI’s Chairman of Selectors and was a wicketkeeping consultant for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He also worked as Director of Cricket and interim coach for USA Cricket in 2019, playing a key role in restructuring their pathways after the team secured ODI status. At present, he heads the Cricket Advisory Committee of the Baroda Cricket Association.

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If he takes on the presidency, More will be a former player returning to the BCCI's top position, which is indicative of the board's desire to bring cricketing experience into the sport's highest position. India will stage major tournaments in the near future, including the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, and More's presidency would likely be weighed heavily at this time of transition for Indian cricket.

The former Indian off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, is expected to get a nomination from the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) as their representative to the upcoming annual general body meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), where they will elect five key office-bearers for the future. The veteran won’t be, however, the lone big name to attend the meeting, to be held on September 28.

Apart from Singh, the former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, has also been nominated by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The Indian board is also scheduled to aim for the fresh election for the upcoming Apex Council and the governing council members of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

See Also: Do you know two players over 40 plus years are representing their nation in Asia Cup 2025?

One of the main points of the agenda will be the election and the induction of the following office Bearers of BCCI- the President, vice-president, secretary, joint-secretary, and Treasurer. The election of one representative of the general body in the council of the BCCI and two representatives of the General body in the governing council of the IPL will be on the cards.

Harbhajan Singh to get nomination for office-bearer post in BCCI during next AGM meeting

Ganguly took over as the president of the BCCI in 2019, while the former World Cup winner from the 1983 campaign, Roger Binny, held the post recently, after being elected unopposed in October 2022. The Indian cricket board’s decision makers reached out to several former players for the role of administration, but none of them showed any interest in the posts.

Harbhajan, who has been part of 103 Test matches for India to enjoy 417 wickets besides featuring in 236 ODIs to take 269 wickets and be part of the World Cup winning side in 2011, was a member of the Rajya Sabha and affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party and was appointed as the advisor of the PCA earlier. This will also be the first visit as the representative of the state board.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Cricket Association nominated Raghuram Bhatt as their representative, while Mumbai went with Sajay Naik. Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh went ahead with the nominations of Arun Dhumal and Rajeev Shukla, respectively.

With the amount of cricket India plays these days, fitness becomes a vital aspect for the recovery of the players. In this situation, along with the Yo-Yo test, the management has brought the Bronco test to increase the strength and conditioning of players to allow them to enhance their skills physically and mentally.

The strength and conditioning coach of the national side, Adrian Le Roux, feels that this new Bronco test would play the role as a training mechanism, besides being used as a measurement. The idea is to check the aerobic fitness of a player.

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“The run we did today is the Bronco run. It’s not a new run or new measurement. It’s been around for a number of years in different sporting codes. It’s something that we have introduced recently within the team environment. The idea is twofold. First, we can use it as a training mechanism, and secondly, we can also use it as a measurement. We get a good idea of where the players are in terms of aerobic fitness.” Le Roux expressed in a conversation with the BCCI.

Watch: BCCI shares Adrian Le Roux’s thought process on India’s newly introduced Bronco test

India’s coach reckoned that his goal would always remain to increase the skill of the players and work with passion for the strength and conditioning. Their next challenge will be against Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Adrian Le Roux recently came back to join forces with #TeamIndia! 💪

The S&C Coach opens up on his second stint, shares insights on the newly-introduced Bronco test & more 👊 - By @RajalArora#AsiaCup2025

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 12, 2025

“It’s a field test. In other words, we can do it at any place and any ground around the world. As we travel, we can always use it. That helps the players to assess themselves. So, it’s a very functional test that you can do anywhere. It’s the passion for strength and conditioning, and to show their skills, it’s the passion for strength and conditioning on one side.” Le Roux addressed. 

“Over the last two decades, there have been significant changes, especially with the volume of cricket these guys play. My goal is to show the players their skills, and the best way I can do that is to help them with their conditioning. There is not a big difference as far as the objectives of strength and conditioning.” India's S&C coach concluded. 

The last white-ball encounter for the Indian team was the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which was also played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Rohit Sharma-led side blew away New Zealand in the final to earn the title. Since then, there has been a six-month break from white-ball cricket for the national side.

The Blue Brigade turned their attention to the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) before facing England in a five-match Test series in the United Kingdom. Now, the focus will shift to white-ball cricket through the 2025 season of the Asia Cup as they prepare their best for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.

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“Hello, white-ball cricket!! It’s been a while since we felt your thrill. We are back, recharged and roaring to go. We have been hunted here before; we have been champions here before. But the ninth time (in this tournament) won’t come easily. We are ready to defend our Asian Supremacy.” The BCCI shared the message on their special video.

Watch: BCCI shares special video on return to white-ball cricket

India will begin their campaign under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir on September 10 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before facing Pakistan four days later in the most-anticipated clash of the tournament. Their last group-stage clash will be against Oman in Abu Dhabi.  

Before we take on the World again, let's conquer Asia 💪

India's campaign starts today and we are absolutely ready to defend our crown 🏆#TeamIndia | #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/LfvfwzdjeM

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 10, 2025

It was a long time off, but I am back. Before we take on the world, let’s conquer Asia first.” Suryakumar addressed in that video while their number three batter, Tilak Verma, revealed, “Not taking any opponent lightly.” Looking at how things have panned out and the power of the opposition, India must progress into the final and finish with a potential title.

In their playing eleven, the speculation will be around the selection of Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson as the wicket-keeper, with the vice-captain of the side, Shubman Gill, expected to open the batting with Abhishek Sharma, as they also have two veteran and premier pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

In a significant announcement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed that its 94th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the upcoming elections will take place on September 28 at 11:30 AM at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. The elections will determine the next BCCI President and IPL Chairman, as the current incumbents’ tenures come to an end.

BCCI President Roger Binny, who has reached the maximum age limit of 70, will not be eligible to contest in the elections. Meanwhile, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has completed his six-year tenure and will need to observe a three-year cooling-off period before contesting again, as per committee rules. Current BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who has held the role for nine months after serving as Joint Secretary for over two years, will continue in his position, along with Joint Secretaries Rohan Gauns Desai and Prabhtej Bhatia, both in their first year.

Speculation is rife over who will succeed in key positions. Sanjay Naik, Mumbai Cricket Association Secretary, and BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla are both considered likely candidates for IPL Chairman, though nothing is confirmed. If Shukla secures the role, Rakesh Tiwari, Bihar Cricket Association President, could apply for the BCCI Vice President position to replace him.

Challenges and considerations for new leadership

The selection of a new BCCI President will unlikely be an easy choice given the prestige and the power this position wields. Binny's exit will create a vacuum that needs someone of stature in Indian cricket, preferably a former player or respected person, to now lead the organization. 

See Also: IND-A vs AUS-A 2025: Shreyas Iyer named captain as BCCI announces 15-member squad for four-day matches in Lucknow

Shukla, who has already served five years as BCCI Vice President under the Lodha Constitution, could continue if the National Sports Governance Act comes into effect before the AGM. The new governance law prevents a cooling-off period for any BCCI organized member positions, meaning he is free to stay in position even after completing his first six-year term. Elections will occur on September 28, and now the attention will shift to the official declaration of office bearers and the transition of leadership.