Rishabh Pant returns from injury to captain India A in two unofficial Tests against South Africa A starting October 30 and November 6. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee confirmed his appointment. Pant, who missed action since the fourth Test vs England due to a foot injury, was expected to play Ranji Trophy but will skip Delhi’s second round. India A will also play three unofficial ODIs. Ayush Mhatre, Rajat Patidar, and others feature in the first Test; KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Mohammed Siraj join for the second. Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, and Tanush Kotian will play both matches. Pant is also set for a Test comeback vs South Africa. (PC: M9 News)

Virat Kohli is just one century away from breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s world record for the most hundreds in a single format. The 36-year-old Indian star, with 51 ODI centuries, will play his first international match in over seven months as India faces Australia in Perth on Sunday. Kohli is currently tied with Tendulkar, who had 51 Test centuries. Overall, Kohli has 82 international tons across formats. Known for his strong record in Australia, he has scored five ODI centuries there. This series could mark another historic milestone in Kohli’s legendary career. (PC: NDTV)

India suffered their third straight defeat in the Women’s World Cup 2025, losing to England by four runs in Indore on Sunday. Chasing 273, India fell short despite strong knocks from Smriti Mandhana (88) and Harmanpreet Kaur (70). Deepti Sharma also scored a fighting fifty, but the middle order collapsed in the final overs. England captain Heather Knight shone with a brilliant 109 in her 300th international match. With this win, England sealed their spot in the semi-finals, joining Australia and South Africa. India now face must-win games against New Zealand and Bangladesh to stay in contention. (PC: Reuters)

Sunil Gavaskar has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to bounce back strongly in the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide. After their poor show in Perth, where Kohli scored 8 and Rohit got out for 0, Gavaskar said, “Don’t be surprised if Rohit and Kohli score big in the next two games.” He explained that returning after months away from international cricket made the Perth challenge tougher. Gavaskar added that more practice and time in the middle would help them find form again. Kohli’s strong record at Adelaide could boost India as they trail 0-1 in the series. (PC: India Today)

In the rain-affected first ODI between India and Australia at Perth's Optus Stadium, India posted a modest 136/9 in 26 overs, with Australia successfully chasing down the target of 131 with seven wickets in hand. Despite early breakthroughs by Arshdeep Singh, the bowling attack lacked effectiveness. Harshit Rana, who bowled four overs conceding 27 runs without taking a wicket, faced significant criticism from fans. Many questioned his selection, suggesting his affiliation with the Kolkata Knight Riders as a possible factor. The second ODI in Adelaide on October 23 becomes crucial for Rana to redeem himself.

Australia defeated India by seven wickets in a rain-affected Perth ODI, chasing a revised DLS target of 131 in 21.1 overs. Captain Shubman Gill suffered a losing debut as India's eight-match ODI winning streak ended. Rohit Sharma (8) and Virat Kohli (0) looked rusty returning after four months without competitive cricket. Mitchell Marsh's unbeaten 46 guided Australia's chase in the 26-over match. India struggled with Perth's pace and bounce after only three days' training in Australia. Four rain interruptions disrupted batting rhythm. The DLS method drew criticism as Australia's target (131) was lower than India's total (135). This marked Australia's first ODI win at Optus Stadium.

Pakistan's Federal Information Minister Ata Tarar condemned the ICC's statement on three Afghan cricketers' deaths, calling it "selective" and "biased." The ICC and BCCI condoled the deaths from an aerial attack in Paktika Province without mentioning Pakistan. Tarar dismissed claims of Pakistani strikes, stating the ICC failed to independently verify Afghanistan Cricket Board's allegations. Pakistan Cricket Board replaced Afghanistan with Zimbabwe for next month's tri-series with Sri Lanka after ACB withdrew. Tarar emphasized Pakistan has been a terrorism victim and demanded the ICC correct its statement. He questioned ICC's independence, citing ICC Chairman Jay Shah's similar social media post and recent Asia Cup no-handshake incident as evidence of bias against Pakistani cricket.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a statement expressing condolence for the deaths of three Afghan cricketers in an aerial strike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. Pakistani Information Minister Ata Tarar condemned the ICC’s move as “selective, biased and premature,” accusing it of endorsing allegations of a Pakistani attack without independent verification. He asserted Pakistan has been a long-time victim of cross-border terrorism and urged the ICC to correct its statement and uphold neutrality in sports governance.         

In his return to international cricket during the first ODI against Australia at Perth’s Optus Stadium, Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck after facing just eight balls. Bowled by Mitchell Starc, Kohli edged the ball to backward point, marking his first-ever ODI duck in Australia across 30 innings. Early wickets also fell for Rohit Sharma (8) and Shubman Gill (10), leaving India struggling at 25/3. The match featured debutants Nitish Kumar Reddy for India and Mitchell Owen for Australia, adding fresh talent to both sides’ line-ups. (PC: JioHotstar)    

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of Afghan cricketers Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon in Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika province. The board strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “tragic and senseless loss of young sporting talent.” Extending solidarity to the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the victims’ families, the BCCI reaffirmed its stand against violence and terrorism. The board also reiterated its position on not resuming bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan until peace and safety for players are assured. (PC: NDTV)