The left-arm pacer of the Indian team and the Chennai Super Kings, Khaleel Ahmed, has shed light on the greatness of the ODI captain of the Blue Brigade, Rohit Sharma, who helped the pacer incredibly during his early days. He expressed his desire to see the Mumbai batter in national colors for the next 10 years. 

Khaleel, who has picked up 31 wickets in 29 innings of the white-ball cricket for India at an average of over 30, along with the best bowling figure of 3/13 in an innings, looked back at the time when Rohit had a word with him in the dressing room in Rajkot in 2019.

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“I feel Rohit Sharma should play for the next 10 years for the good of Indian cricket, and that’s my personal feeling. In 2019, we were playing a series against Bangladesh in Rajkot, once I didn’t have a great day and only got one wicket, so he came to me and spoke to me personally in the dressing room.” The Rajasthan-born expressed during a recent interview on Revsportz. 

Khaleel Ahmed drops shocking revelation on Rohit Sharma playing for next 10 years

Rohit is currently the fourth leading run-getter for the national side with 11168 runs in 265 innings at an average of 48.76 and a strike rate of nearly 93, thanks to 32 centuries and 58 half-centuries at the best score of 264 runs against Sri Lanka.

“The team was leaving the stadium, and he stayed back to have a one-on-one with me and told me how I should be. He told me that I am unaware of my own capabilities. When we were getting out of the stadium, all the fans were screaming for Rohit bhai, and he told me that ‘all of this should happen for you too’ and that I should wish that for myself and stay positive.” Khaleel shed light.

“A captain like him, talking to me like that after the match, made me wonder how kind a person he was. I’ve seen him do the same thing with Rishabh. ‘What a man! What a captain!’ I would say. People don’t even look at you when you have a bad match, but as a captain, he is something else.” The left-arm pacer addressed, besides revealing how Rohit looked fully fit at CoE in Bengaluru.  

The former Indian pace bowling all-rounder, Irfan Pathan, didn’t turn up for the national side after October 2012 when he played his last fixture in the shortest format against South Africa in Colombo. In the ODI format, the left-arm pacer picked up a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in August 2012.

While the exact reasons for the absence of Irfan from the Blue Brigade aren’t known yet, many reckon that the former captain, MS Dhoni, was blamed along with the selectors, and the team management should be blamed for the poor management of handling the all-rounder. In 2020, Irfan opened up in a candid conversation that he had with Dhoni, and the video has gone viral on social media.

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“Yes, I asked him. During the 2008 Australia series, Mahi bhai's statement came out in the media that Irfan wasn't bowling well. So I thought I had bowled well throughout the series, so I went and asked Mahi bhai about this. Sometimes, the statements are twisted in the media, so I also wanted to clarify.” Pathan expressed in the old interview with SportsTak.

Watch: Irfan Pathan’s old remark on captain MS Dhoni during his playing days goes viral

Pathan ended with 100 Test wickets and 1105 runs in 40 innings, while in the 50-over format, he smacked 1544 runs and bagged 173 wickets. In the shortest format, the Baroda pacer collected 28 wickets and scored 172 runs in the 14 innings of the shortest format. He took a dig at Dhoni, saying that he wouldn’t be someone who sets up a hookah in someone’s room.

pic.twitter.com/AM3GhZbHVe

— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) September 1, 2025

“Mahi bhai said, 'No, Irfan, there is nothing like this, everything's going as per plans.' When you get a reply like this, then you believe that, okay, you do what you can. Also, if you keep asking for explanations again and again after that, you hurt your self-respect.” The veteran all-rounder added.

“I don't have a habit of setting up a hookah in someone's room or talking about this. Everyone knows. Sometimes, if you don't speak about it, it's better. A cricketer's job is to perform on the field, and that is what I used to focus on.” Irfan Pathan concluded. 

The India and Lucknow Super Giants’ spinner, Ravi Bishnoi, has shared his views on the Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both took retirement in a span of a week before the five-match Test series against England away from home. Both also made the same decision after winning the T20 World Cup 2024.

Bishnoi, who appeared on the podcast Game Changers on YouTube, released a video where the spinner shared his reaction to the retirement of the legendary veteran duo. Virat Kohli finished with 9230 runs in Tests at an average of 46.85, while Rohit ended with 4301 Test runs in 116 innings at an average of 40.57.

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“It is actually shocking, because you always want to see them retire from the field. For such big legends, you want them to leave while still being on the field; that looks much better. And what both of them have done for India, in my view, there is no one even close.” Ravi Bishnoi expressed on the YouTube channel.

Watch: Ravi Bishnoi aims to see farewell match for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Rohit and Kohli have been playing the 50-over format for the national side. Their last competitive game came in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as they eye a feature in the three-match ODI series against Australia down under. Both are trying to stay available for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

“You want them to get a good farewell, but maybe they will get that in ODIs as well, whenever they leave, whenever they want to. Because no one can tell you when you will retire. But it was shocking when both of them retired, because suddenly you feel like two spots have become empty, who will come and fulfill that?” Ravi Bishnoi addressed.

Bishnoi also shed light on the young RR batter, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who impressed the spectators and the fans with a fine century. “It is challenging against everyone now, but his talent really deserves appreciation. Right now, he is doing really, really well. You must have seen in England also, he broke the age-group record by scoring the fastest 100, and in the IPL also, he scored a 100 in 34–35 balls.” Bishnoi concluded.

Rinku Singh, due to his T20 skills for the Kolkata Knight Riders, has become a regular member of India in the shortest format. He has been selected into the T20I squad of the Blue Brigade, besides getting a chance to represent the country ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. His contribution in the lower order is immense.

However, ahead of the two-match Test series against West Indies in India, the southpaw has eyed to make his Test debut for the Caribbean side. The 27-year-old has overall smashed 3336 runs in 72 FC innings at an average of 54.68 with seven centuries and 22 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 163 runs.

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“I know fans love it when I hit sixes, and I’m really grateful for that. But my Ranji Trophy average is also very good — I average over 55 there. I really enjoy playing red-ball cricket. I’ve also played two ODIs for India and did well in one of them. So, it’s not like I’m only a T20 player. I believe I can perform in every format if I get the chance.” The Kolkata Knight Riders’ player expressed on TOI.  

Rinku Singh aims to make his Test debut against West Indies in India’s home season

Ricku has overall cracked 3221 runs in 142 innings of the shortest format at an average of 34.26 and a strike rate of 148.22 with 17 half-centuries at the best score of 79. He aims to follow in his idol’s footsteps, Suresh Raina, who also featured across formats.

“I don’t like being tagged as a one-format player; I see myself as an all-format player. My dream is to play Test cricket for India, and if I get the opportunity, I’ll be ready to grab it. Suresh Raina bhaiya is my idol. He always tells me, ‘Rinku, be ready and prepared for everything.’ I’d be very happy to play Tests for India and contribute there too.” The KKR batter addressed.  

“Raina bhaiya has played most of his matches at the position where I bat, and he has produced many match-winning knocks. I want to be the same kind of player for India across all formats.” Rinku Singh concluded.

India’s long-time number three batter of the longest format, Cheteshwar Pujara, announced his retirement from international cricket. He brought down the curtains on his career but kept himself available for selection during the next Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season for Saurashtra.

The right-handed batter finished his red-ball career as the eighth leading run-getter for the Blue Brigade. With 7195 runs in 176 innings at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of nearly 51.25, thanks to 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 206 runs, Pujara finished ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar and just behind Sourav Ganguly. India’s PM Narendra Modi shared a special message on the batter.

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“I learnt about your decision to retire from all forms of cricket. Following the announcement, there has been an outpouring of appreciation from the fans and the cricketing fraternity about your remarkable achievements. I convey my heartiest congratulations and warmest greetings on a spectacular cricketing career.” PM Narendra Modi expressed in a letter.

PM Narendra Modi shares special message on Cheteshwar Pujara's international retirement

Pujara’s best contribution for the national side came during the BGT 2019/20 down under when he smashed over 500 runs to win the series by 2-1. His contribution with the bat at number three, in taking the shine off the new ball to make it easy for the middle order batters, was exceptional.

I was honoured to receive a letter of appreciation on my retirement from our Honourable Prime Minister. The warm sentiments expressed are much appreciated. While I venture into my second innings, I cherish every memory on the field, and all the love and appreciation I have… pic.twitter.com/s74fIYrboM

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) August 31, 2025

“In an age dominated by shorter formats of cricket, you were a reminder of the beauty of the longer format of the game. Your unflappable temperament and ability to bat long hours with great concentration made you the fulcrum of the Indian batting line-up.” PM Narendra Modi expressed in the letter.

“I was honoured to receive a letter of appreciation on my retirement from our Honourable Prime Minister. The warm sentiments expressed are much appreciated. While I venture into my second innings, I cherish every memory on the field and all the love and appreciation I have received. Thank you, Sir.” Pujara wrote on his ‘X’ account (formerly known as Twitter).

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2020/21 was not only special for the Indian side but also for the debutant pacer, Mohammed Siraj. The Hyderabad-born was going through a rough patch as his father had passed away back in India. But he couldn’t return home due to the COVID-19 restrictions in Australia at the time.

India’s former bowling coach, Bharat Arun, recalled how it was incredibly tough to keep Siraj motivated with communication. He ended the series as the third leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps in three games at an average of under 30 and a strike rate of 62 with one five-wicket haul at the best bowling figure of 5/73 in an inning.

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“It was the five-star jail. The manager was the only one to go. He got special permission, but none of us could visit him. It was really tough. We spoke a lot on the phone. We spoke on WhatsApp calls. But that was it. There’s nothing like human touch. Shoulder to cry on, at that point, would have meant a lot to Siraj, but there was no shoulder to cry on.” Arun expressed on Bombay Sport Exchange.

Bharat Arun looks back at how Mohammed Siraj dealt with his father’s death during BGT 2020/21

Recently, Siraj hit the headlines with fabulous performances during the five-match Test series in England. The right-arm pacer ended as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets in nine innings at an average of 32.43 and a strike rate of 48.39 with two five-wicket and one four-wicket hauls.

“It was a tough situation, Dad’s demise. I got strength after talking to mom, and my focus was to realize dad’s dream. I got mentally strong with their support. I felt that whatever Dad’s desire was, I had to fulfil that. It got fulfilled.” Siraj had remembered his father saying.

The veteran pacer isn’t part of the 15-member squad of the Indian team for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which is due to begin on September 09. However, he could be back in the national side for the home two-match Test series against the West Indies.

The upcoming Asia Cup 2025 is knocking on the door with just a couple of weeks to go. Amidst the preparations, the former World Cup-winning captain, MS Dhoni, has reportedly been asked to take up the mentor role. The veteran contributed in the same position during the T20 World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates and is likely to be part of the Blue Brigade in India and Sri Lanka.

The defending champions, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and the current vice-captaincy of Shubman Gill, will look to claim the Asia Cup to continue the same flow and rhythm of the shortest format. They had been excellent since the last T20 World Cup-winning campaign at home and away.

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“I don’t comment on speculations.” A report of Sports Tak revealed, as quoted by the official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who are looking forward to finding a new sponsor of the Blue Brigade before the multi-nation competition.

Reports end suspense of MS Dhoni becoming India’s mentor for T20 World Cup 2026

The tournament will begin on September 09, while India will start their campaign on the following day against the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. They are in the same group alongside Pakistan and Hong Kong. If they and the Green Brigade qualify for the Super Fours, a third meeting is possible on the cards between the two nations.

“We are trying our best. It's not just the Asia Cup but a full cycle of three years. It will be in the public domain soon, but the chances of completing it in time, just before the Asia Cup, are slim. We are working on it. Let's see what happens.” The report suggested, as the BCCI official quoted.

India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025: 

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Standby players- Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The craze and anticipation for the upcoming 2025 season of the Asia Cup are getting higher. Most of the Asian sides will get the best opportunity for thei preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The co-host side, India, who are also the defending champions of the event, will be under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav. 

The competition will begin on September 09 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The pre-scheduled date revealed that the games would begin at 07:30 pm IST. However, the reports claimed that there would be changes.

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It has been addressed that the team's evening games of the event will now begin at 8 pm IST. This has been done with a view to the hot weather conditions in the UAE. A request has also been made to the broadcasters. They seem to be happy with the agreement.

Updated dates, timing, and venues of all matches in Asia Cup 2025

There are speculations on India taking on their arch-rivals, the Green Brigade, on September 14 in Dubai. However, the Indian sports ministry has made it clear that they won’t have any problem in these two sides featuring in multi-nation events.

Updated dates, timings and venues in Asia Cup 2025 matches

The Indian off-spinner, Jayant Yadav, has decided to change his domestic team before the upcoming domestic season. He has been granted an NOC by Haryana, whom he has represented from his first-class debut season in 2011/12. The reports claimed that the decision had been made after the spinner had shown his wish to be part of all three formats.

When Haryana were crowned the Vijay Hazare Trophy champions, he hadn’t been a regular in the white-ball formats. The management has mostly gone with Rahul Tewatia and Nishant Sindhu over Jayant. His most recent outing with the side came during the 2024-25 season of the Ranji Trophy, when he picked up 28 wickets in eight games.

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The last game for the spinner came in February during the quarter-final against Mumbai, where he picked up three wickets and scored 40 runs across two innings in a 152-run defeat. The 35-year-old is rich in experience, having bagged 265 wickets in 145 innings at an average of 30.94.

Jayant Yadav moves to Puducherry ahead of Ranji Trophy 2025/26

Along with that, the right-handed batter also smashed 2924 runs in 136 innings in FC cricket at an average of 24.77 and a strike rate of 45.09 with the help of three centuries and 14 half-centuries at the best score of 211. For the Indian side, he grabbed 16 wickets and smashed 248 runs in Test cricket, with the last game coming in 2022 against Sri Lanka in Mohali.

At Puducherry, Jayant will be one of the three professionals, along with Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, Puneet Datey, and Mumbai wicket-keeper, Siddhant Adatrao. Jayant is a late signing in place of the Mumbai batter, Armaan Jaffer, who is the nephew of the former Indian opening batter, Wasim Jaffer.

In the IPL, Jayant Yadav features for the Gujarat Titans. For India, he played two T20Is, one in 2016 and the other six years later. He won the IPL 2020 with the Mumbai Indians and also played for the Delhi side in the past. His last IPL clash came in 2023 when he didn’t get a single wicket in the solitary game.

Recently retired Indian top-order batter, Cheteshwar Pujara, has revealed that he knew that he wouldn’t get regular chances in various leagues around the world. This was the biggest reason why the Saurashtra batter was focused mostly on the longest format of the game.

Pujara has played 71 T20 games in his entire career, where he smashed 1556 runs at an average of just under 30 and a strike rate of 112.18 with nine half-centuries and the best score of an unbeaten century. His last IPL game came in 2014, in which season, he drilled 125 runs at a strike rate of 100.80.

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“Yeah, look, someone like me always didn’t have too many options if I had to continue playing Test cricket. I wanted my entire focus to be there, for Test cricket. And I didn’t want to shift my focus from Test cricket, into say T20 leagues or T20 format. I did that early in my career, where I tried my best. If I got an opportunity to be part of the IPL, the T20, or the ODI cricket, then I would be more than happy to do so.” Pujara expressed on ESPNcricinfo.

Watch: Cheteshwar Pujara reveals reasons for not being regular in T20 leagues

Pujara’s last T20 game came in 2022 against Mumbai when he added 12 runs in 10 balls, opening the batting. The veteran shed light on how he never tried range hitting in practice before Test matches.

'Knew I wouldn't get a chance in the T20 leagues'

Chetweshwar Pujara on why he never chased the shortest format 🗣️ #RockAndRollIt pic.twitter.com/NFenW4C1KX

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 30, 2025

“But in the last five to six years, I knew that I would just have to carry on to play Test cricket. I won’t get an opportunity to play white-ball cricket. So, I didn’t want to shift my focus and change my game just for white-ball cricket. It might affect Test cricket, and I didn’t want to sacrifice that.” The 37-year-old addressed.

“My priority was Test cricket, and I stuck to that. I did try range hitting in practice, but that was only before a T20 game for Saurashtra or when I played white-ball cricket for Sussex. It was purely for the ODI or the T20 preparation. I never did that for Test cricket when I practiced for Test, I never tried too many shots. Maybe against spinners, I did.” The Saurashtra-born added.