Inspired by Shashank Singh and Amandeep Khare, the two Chhattisgarh batters are aiming to make it big in the upcoming Duleep Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu26-Aug-2025Aayush Pandey and Sanjeet Desai, two emerging players who are motivated by the success of Chhattisgarh’s biggest star Shashank Singh, have made the Central Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, and are hoping to enhance the reputation of their state in Indian domestic cricket.Pandey, 21, is a left-hand opening batter, while Desai, 27, is a right-hand middle-order batter who often uses his long reach to mess with the lengths of bowlers.They were both among the top-ten run-getters in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. They were also among the top-ten run-getters in the 2025 Chhattisgarh Premier League. More recently, their contributions on a Chennai turner helped Chhattisgarh beat a more fancied Maharashtra side, which included Ruturaj Gaikwad, in the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament.Related

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“I’ve learnt a lot from Shashank and he has helped me develop over the last two-three years,” Pandey says. “His advice on mental tactics has helped me build my innings and also support my team-mates.”We have a lot of talent coming through in Chhattisgarh. Our age-group teams are also doing well and we’re also doing well in [senior] state matches and the win against Maharashtra in the Buchi Babu gives us confidence going into the domestic season.”Before Shashank put Chhattisgarh on the Indian cricket map, it was Amandeep Khare, the current captain, who had played at the higher levels, representing India Under-19s as well as Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy.”Shashank has inspired a lot of us and at the same time, Amandeep Khare is a legend from our state,” Desai says. “You see more talent and the results are also coming. It’s been just a few years since we got the affiliation [2016-17], and things will soon come our way.”Pandey’s career has been trending upwards since he toured the UK in 2023 with a Mumbai Indians (MI) development squad. In the 2024-25 Buchi Babu, he won the Player-of-the-Tournament award and in the following Ranji season, he racked up 744 runs in 12 innings at an average of 67.63, including a century against Tamil Nadu and a double-century against Assam. He has also attended IPL trials with a number of franchises but is yet to break into the big league.

“There is good bonding and understanding between us. We’ve had some big partnerships for Chhattisgarh. I know which bowlers he is going to target and which bowlers may be difficult [to face] for him. [In] the same way, he tells me how to play the bowlers and go about my batting”Aayush Pandey on batting with Sanjeet Desai

“The MI tour of the UK helped me assess and adapt to different conditions,” Pandey says. “It’s different to playing in India with more swing and seam. The last Buchi Babu and Ranji season has given me a lot of confidence and I hope to carry that through to the Duleep Trophy.”Like Pandey, Desai can bat for long and score big, too. After chalking up four consecutive centuries in the CK Nayudu Trophy in 2023, he showed that he could score a similar volume of runs in the most recent Ranji Trophy. Desai credits his coach Umesh Patwal, who has also worked with Afghanistan as their batting coach, and regular stints in Chennai’s competitive first-division league for his red-ball progress.”Umesh Patwal, who is from Mumbai… I went to him in 2021 and after that my cricketing journey changed and I think I’ve scored 12 centuries in the BCCI seasons after that [including age-group tournaments],” Desai says. “I have also been playing for India Cements for four years in the TNCA [Tamil Nadu Cricket Association] league and playing the league has flourished my game like anything.”Playing in Chennai, you get different kinds of wickets, which you don’t get in the north or central part. By the time I come to the Ranji Trophy, I would have scored 350-400 runs in the league, which has really helped me in the Ranji season.”Desai also has some exposure outside of India, having played as a professional for the Sri Lankan Airforce Sports Club in 2023. He is eager to harness all of those experiences and make an impression in the upcoming Duleep Trophy that starts on August 28.Sanjeet Desai celebrates his double-century against UP in the 2023-24 season•Randhir Dev/Ekana Sportz City”The Duleep Trophy is the gateway to the Indian cricket team,” Desai says. “All the selectors are thoroughly watching the players and monitoring them. So, it is really important for me, and runs in the Buchi Babu will boost my confidence because I think my last Ranji game was in January-February.”Pandey is relishing the prospect of batting together with Desai for Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy. “There is good bonding and understanding between us,” he says. “We’ve had some big partnerships for Chhattisgarh. I know which bowlers he is going to target and which bowlers may be difficult [to face] for him. [In] the same way, he tells me how to play the bowlers and go about my batting.”Chhattisgarh had posted five totals of 400 or more in seven Ranji games in the 2024-25 domestic season, but their attack struggled to bowl out oppositions. To remedy that, they have brought in the experienced Aditya Sarwate, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder who has represented Vidarbha and Kerala in the past, and paired him up with seamer Ravi Kiran, another professional.”If you look at the graph, our batters have all scored runs,” Desai says. “Last year we had just one professional [Ravi Kiran]. Other than that, there was some bowler making his debut. In the next game, someone else was making his debut. Now, we have got Aditya Sarwate and there will be support for Ravi Kiran this season.”

“In the first year, I didn’t take the Chhattisgarh Premier League seriously, but when I went for IPL trials, franchises were telling me that they are monitoring our league too. So, I was serious about it and this season was good”Sanjeet Desai

Desai believes that he has the tools to succeed in T20 cricket too. In the 2025 Chhattisgarh Premier League, he struck 166 runs in five innings at an average of 41.50 and a strike rate of nearly 160.”I won two games for my team in the Chhattisgarh Premier League,” Desai says. “I think I have the height and power, and it was just about the mindset switch. I want to be a three-format player. I scored a 24-ball 68 in the Chhattisgarh Premier League. At the same time, in the Ranji Trophy, I scored a 200-ball hundred too.”In the first year, I didn’t take the Chhattisgarh Premier League seriously, but when I went for IPL trials, franchises were telling me that they are monitoring our league too. So, I was serious about it and this season was good.”Pandey also delivered a good appraisal of the league, saying it has helped younger players, such as himself, deal with pressure better and press for higher honours.”Playing in the Chhattisgarh league builds composure and it’s helping me build my character under pressure,” Pandey says. “We have to keep getting better and better. We should not be satisfied with just a few wins and look to win big tournaments like Ranji Trophy or Syed Mushtaq Ali or Vijay Hazare.”

There were chances he could do more damage to a fractured foot, yet he came out, not at No.11 but at a time when the ball was doing things

Sidharth Monga24-Jul-20253:28

Thakur: Pant’s pain-bearing capacity is really high

Rishabh Pant has done some outrageous things on the cricket field and off it. They don’t come close to coming out to bat – in all consciousness, possibly against medical advice, or at least despite being given the option not to do so – with a broken foot.Surely, you felt, it was too outrageous even for him? This was not him coming out at No. 11 trying to draw a Test or something that desperate. This was 314 for 6, at a time when the ball was doing things both laterally and vertically, which led experts to believe India didn’t need to be desperate, that they could get enough for these conditions even without Pant having to risk an even worse injury.The sustaining of the injury was where you thought Pant’s outrageousness ended: while playing a second reverse-sweep off a fast bowler in just a 48-ball stay. The irony of how extreme this sport is was laid bare in that one moment. Players have been complaining throughout the series about how the balls are going soft, and this was a slightly slower ball, and yet it did enough to break his foot.Related

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It was plain to anyone who knows about or has ever experienced a bone injury. The egg-sized swelling immediately after the impact is often consistent with a fracture. The pain was so bad he couldn’t even put his foot down, let alone impart any weight on it. Overnight, there were videos of him coming back from the hospital in a moonboot.While the rest of the team went to the cricket ground on Thursday morning, Pant went to the hospital not for the first time in these two days. For what, though? There is no magic cure for a broken toe or a metatarsal. He likely went there to be further inspected. To be under specialist watch when he tries to walk. Desperate to be told he can bat.Not long after, he was at the ground, still in a calf-high moonboot and using a crutch. India had lost a wicket early, but Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar looked like they were able to handle themselves. At certain points, looking at the movement available, it seemed like England might just be wasting it, looking pretty but not drawing enough edges.Not much later, Pant was on TV cameras, in his whites, standing behind head coach Gautam Gambhir, his bottom half not visible. Surely not, you still thought. Why else would he come to the ground, though? Why wouldn’t he rest up in his hotel room if he didn’t want to bat?0:52

Manjrekar: India batted in different bowling conditions from England

What were the plausible scenarios that Pant comes out to bat when they are 300 for 5 already? A collapse of 4 for 30, perhaps? Nope, at the fall of the next wicket. It made no sense at all at the time, but when has Pant done things that make sense to those watching from the outside?In Sydney in 2020-21, Pant had injured his elbow badly enough to not be able to move his hand. He took painkillers, went to the nets, talked himself into believing his arm was not hurting, and practically promoted himself and smashed 97 in a session as India fought for a draw. Make that make sense.Or his comeback from his horrible accident that beat every timeline given to Pant. Who are we to tell him what is good for him after what he has been through to come this far?It was likely left up to Pant to decide whether he wanted to bat. No team management in their right minds will do otherwise. Some might consider calling in reinforcements to restrain Pant from going out to bat, though.Pant’s health and well-being is one thing; equally, it didn’t make sense in the context of the match. India still had a recognised batter at the other end. Wouldn’t Pant, who couldn’t even put his foot down not long ago, result in losing out on many singles? And perhaps the flow in Washington’s batting.Then Pant even started hobbling the singles. He took 14 of them during his extended stay at the wicket. At the end of the opening day, England spinner Liam Dawson, who had seen the pain Pant was in, said he couldn’t see a way Pant could play any part in the rest of the game. Once England recovered from the initial shock of first seeing Pant come out and then seeing him take his singles, they did what competitive teams would do: work on his injury by either bowling wide or aiming at the toe again.Ben Stokes watches as Rishabh Pant takes a run•Getty ImagesAnother impact on an already broken toe would have been catastrophic, but somehow Pant kept avoiding it. One ball came perilously close, but bounced just in front of his boot and bounced into the bottom of his pad. Until then, he had not even given thought to take his front foot out of the way to protect himself.There is only so much painkiller you can give a human, let one who is going out to face Test-level fast bowling and needs his wits about him. In that mad mix of pain and painkillers, into a mad extension of a mad innings, Pant was good enough to pick a Jofra Archer slower ball and pull it for a six. To block a wide full ball in a way that it flew off the bat for four to bring up a fifty. Pant made Archer produce a replica of the absolute seed he bowled at him at Lord’s: angling in from around the wicket and then seaming away to hit the top of off.An outrageous, reckless shot by a brave and outrageously talented batter had resulted in the original fracture, and Pant went on to continue batting, which was perhaps more reckless and outrageous, but also braver and more skilled than he had ever been.

Over 200 overs of batting in Delhi, West Indies have shown sparks of what they can do when conditions aren’t treacherous and the right personnel are selected

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Oct-20252:43

Chopra: Credit to WI for taking Test into day five

After 15 successive innings in which they failed to get as far as the second new ball, West Indies did so twice in the second Test against India in Delhi, batting for nearly 200 overs across their two innings. After seven successive century-less Tests, they scored two in Delhi, with John Campbell and Shai Hope getting into three figures and putting on a rousing 177 as West Indies, made to follow on, erased a 270-run first-innings deficit and set India a target of 121.What does any of this mean for a West Indies Test team – and in particular a West Indies batting line-up – that has been under fire from every direction over the last few months?First things first: conditions, conditions, conditions. India have moved away from the square-turner template of most of the last four years and have stated that they are looking to play on traditional home pitches that start out flat and give batters the opportunities to score hundreds. This was largely the case in the first Test in Ahmedabad, the pitch there had an even covering of grass that provided seam movement early on. That red-soil surface also began to break up towards the end of day two. West Indies, choosing to bat first after winning the toss, ended up batting both times when conditions were at their most helpful for the bowlers.Delhi’s black-soil surface has been different. It began flat and slow, and has only seemed to slow down further as the Test match has progressed. India enforcing the follow-on gave West Indies the chance to wear down an attack that was contending with both unresponsive conditions and tiring legs.The efforts of Campbell and Hope and the unbeaten 50 from Justin Greaves in the second innings, and the resistance of West Indies’ lower order in both innings, must, therefore, be viewed against this backdrop.Related

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Equally, however, West Indies’ barren run with the bat leading into this Test match has to be viewed against the conditions they were having to face all year.They began 2025 on the dustbowls of Multan where they drew 1-1 with Pakistan in a series where the two teams passed 200 once each across the two Tests.Then they played Australia, the world’s No. 1 Test side, which boasts the world’s most potent pace quartet, on seaming pitches at home, and competed through the first two or three innings of all three Test matches thanks to their own fast bowlers. They had the misfortune of batting last in all three Tests, however, and collapsed in all three fourth innings.The last of these, of course, was 27 all out in the pink-ball Test in Kingston. It sent Cricket West Indies (CWI) into crisis mode. It heightened the frequency and volume of conversations about the World Test Championship (WTC) potentially splitting into two tiers in the future, with West Indies, of course, dropping into the bottom tier. It put West Indies’ Test team in a position where everything they did or did not do took on a significance beyond individual records and team results.3:56

What made Campbell and Hope stand out?

Now this question hasn’t been asked too often, but it bears asking. Put aside the financial issues CWI faces and the pressures that West Indian players face thanks to the state of cricket’s calendar and political economy. If you put all that aside, was the reaction to 27 all out, purely from a cricketing perspective, perhaps a touch overblown?Look through the ranks of today’s Test teams. Plenty of others would likely lose 3-0 to Australia on those West Indian pitches. And of those teams, how many possess pace attacks comparable to West Indies’ and capable of landing as many counter-blows as they did through that series?And how many of those teams would you back to go to India next, lose two key fast bowlers to injury, and compete?And how would you view West Indies’ results and batting returns over these last few months if they’d been bowled out for, say, 127 rather than 27 at Sabina Park?And before you answer that question, here’s the full list of double-digit all-out totals in Test cricket in the 2020s. You might recognise some of them. There are two India innings in that list: 46 all out last year in Bengaluru, which kickstarted a shock 3-0 home defeat to New Zealand; and, of course, 36 all out in Adelaide in 2020. Ravi Shastri, India’s head coach on that Australia tour, told his players to “wear [that total] like a badge.” You know what happened next.

“In Delhi, you could see that, given time to grow into their roles and get used to the rhythms of Test cricket, West Indies’ batters could begin to make a mark.”

India, of course, made a famous, fairytale comeback and won that series 2-1, but the cricketing wisdom of Shastri’s words would have held true even if they’d lost 4-0. His vast experience as a player, broadcaster and coach had informed his understanding that teams occasionally get blown away for small totals when quality attacks meet helpful conditions, and that these outlier events do not reflect the quality of the batting line-up that’s suffered that fate.The West Indies of 2025 are by no means as good a batting team as India were in 2020. There are deep-rooted issues in their system that a) keep much of their best batting talent away from first-class cricket, b) prevent the batters who do play first-class cricket from developing their red-ball game to the fullest, and c) leave their selectors not able to assemble anything like the best possible Test top order they could.The 27 all out split West Indies cricket through the middle, but appear to have turned a corner now•AFP/Getty ImagesBut they aren’t as bad as 2025 has made them look, and from that perspective, the Delhi Test couldn’t have come at a better time. There is inexperience running through this West Indies line-up, but there’s enough evidence of ability when the conditions have given them a chance to show it.What Delhi has also shown is the logic underpinning their head coach Daren Sammy’s strategy of backing players who have shown run-scoring ability across formats – and not just Test and first-class cricket – in the belief that it would do West Indies no good to wilfully limit their selection pool and leave out white-ball players, particularly since those players have typically been the ones with the most natural ability.Sammy’s first Test squad, for instance, included both heavy scorers in recent first-class seasons, such as Campbell and Kevlon Anderson, and white-ball regulars like Hope, who had last played Test cricket in November 2021, new captain Roston Chase, who hadn’t played Tests since March 2023, and Brandon King, who had never played Test cricket. And before this India tour, Sammy even asked Sherfane Rutherford, who hasn’t played first-class cricket since 2019, to consider joining the Test team, with his ability against spin in mind.This idea of broadening the Test selection pool is still only in its infancy, and has already had to hurdle several challenges – the hugely testing nature of these first two assignments, for one, and the unsettling of Test regulars such as Alick Athanaze, who returned for this India tour after being dropped against Australia.In Delhi, however, you could see that, given time to grow into their roles and get used to the rhythms of Test cricket, West Indies’ batters could begin to make a mark.Campbell averages less than 26 after 25 Tests, even after this 115, his maiden Test hundred, but the innings only reinforced the idea that this is an opener with an easy, natural style and range of attacking shots, particularly sweeps, that can unsettle even the best spinners.Hope has been an enigma for a long, long time – a batter capable of scoring twin hundreds at Headingley and of averaging above 50 in ODIs, but also one capable of going 42 Test innings without a half-century – but if the enigma persists, so does the artistry, particularly when he skips back nimbly to punch spinners square on the off side. If he’s permanently unburdened of the keeping gloves in this format, there’s a chance he could have something of a renaissance in his 30s.The man who took over keeping duties in Delhi, Tevin Imlach, already showed in Pakistan earlier this year that he has unusually good hands behind the wicket even on spiteful turners. Here he showed sound defence against both types of bowling and bright footwork against spin, and it mostly wasn’t his fault that all that only amounted to scores of 21 and 12, with Kuldeep Yadav getting him out with misbehaving deliveries in both innings, big turn in the first and low bounce in the second.Justin Greaves’ batting against Kuldeep Yadav showed both technique and temperament•AFP/Getty ImagesOf all of West Indies’ batters on this trip, no one has seemed more certain in his reading of Kuldeep’s deceptive lengths than Greaves, who even in Ahmedabad handled the wristspinner so comfortably off the back foot that he forced him to keep bowling fuller and fuller. On the evidence of his sure-footed defence and the purity of his straight driving against seam and spin, he could be batting well above No. 7 in this West Indies line-up; that position seems more a function of his role as seam-bowling allrounder than his ability with the bat.It’s not unusual for batting line-ups to begin to blossom towards the middle of the second Test of an away tour. It can take two or three innings for batters to figure out how best to score runs against a particular bowler or how best to survive another. For batters from England or Australia in this decade, the middle of the second Test occurs near the start of India tours. For batters from West Indies and other teams that don’t get the luxury of long tours, the middle of the second Test is almost pack-up time. Delhi is West Indies’ ninth Test against India in India since 2011. England have played nine Tests against India in India since 2021.Day four in Delhi has shown there’s promise in West Indies’ batting ranks if it can be nurtured. But day five in Delhi will be the last day of their tour, and who knows what will come next. Given the constant churn in West Indies’ line-ups thanks to the pressure of results and the push and pull of T20 leagues, it becomes hard to say which batters will play their next series, and which batters from this tour will remain when they next visit India, whenever that is.Delhi, then, brought a glimmer of positivity to a line-up that sorely needed it. But no one can begin to say what effect it might have on the future, because what does that future even look like?

There are two spare batters in the squad – B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal – and Nitish Kumar Reddy is available too. Which way will India go?

Karthik Krishnaswamy18-Nov-20253:39

Bangar: Sai Sudharsan should have played instead of a fourth spinner

Shubman Gill is not yet officially out of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati – *an update from the BCCI said he was cleared to travel with the team on November 19 – but all signs suggest he is unlikely to play.With Nitish Kumar Reddy rejoining the squad after being released from the first Test in Kolkata, India presently have three options to take Gill’s place in their XI: two specialist batters in B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, and a seam-bowling allrounder in Reddy.Who comes in if Gill isn’t fit to play? The obvious answer would be Sai Sudharsan, who lost his place in Kolkata when India decided to play an extra spin-bowling allrounder in Axar Patel. Washington Sundar moved up to the No. 3 slot vacated by Sai Sudharsan, and scored 29 and 31, facing more balls across the two innings (174) than anyone on either side in the Test match.Related

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Sai Sudharsan, as the man at the head of India’s specialist-batter queue, is the obvious choice to take Gill’s place in Guwahati in every respect bar one: he bats left-handed. As does Padikkal.In Kolkata, the offspinner Simon Harmer was South Africa’s key bowler and the Player of the Match with four wickets in each innings. Six of his eight wickets were of left-hand batters, and India’s struggle against him was magnified by the presence of six left-hand batters in their line-up.Gill only faced three balls in the first innings before retiring hurt with neck spasms, and did not play any further part in the match. India effectively had only ten men in both their innings, and were without their captain, their best middle-order batter, and a right-hand batter to boot.India would ideally want a specialist right-hand batter to replace Gill, but no such candidate exists as yet in their squad.Reddy is the right-handed option, but he is as yet far from the finished product both as a batter and a bowler. India played him in both Tests of their last Test series before this one, against West Indies, effectively using those games as a means of giving him experience. He only bowled four overs across the two Tests, and batted just once. In their preferred batting order, he slotted in at No. 8 behind the spin-bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington.India left Reddy out in Kolkata, preferring an extra specialist batter in Dhruv Jurel given the stiffer challenge posed by South Africa’s bowlers compared to those of West Indies. Reddy would, in short, be a far-from-like-for-like replacement for Gill.There are two ways for India to work around their lack of a specialist right-hand option to take Gill’s place.Bring in Gaikwad or SarfarazThe straightforward one is to bring one into their squad from outside. The three right-hand top-order batters other than Jurel who played the two unofficial Tests for India A against South Africa A were Ayush Mhatre – an opener who scored fifties in both games – Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 117 and 68* in the first two matches of the 50-overs leg of that series, is another option. Only Patidar of all these names has played Test cricket before – three against England at home last year – but he has not played since the first four-day game against South Africa A, and is not playing for Madhya Pradesh in their ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Kerala, with reports suggesting he may be out with an injury.Another choice – obvious in one respect but left-field in another – is Sarfaraz Khan, who hasn’t played Test cricket since last year’s home series against New Zealand, but was part of India’s squad for the tour of Australia that followed. He has a century and three fifties and an average of 37.10 across six Tests so far, and is known for his attacking, innovative game against spin. He has, however, not been part of recent India A squads, which suggests he may not be near the top of the selectors’ list of back-up Test batters.And then there’s Karun Nair, who came back to India’s Test side after an eight-year gap on their recent tour of England, but was dropped after a series where he often got off to starts but only passed 50 once in four Tests. He has made a stunning start to the Ranji Trophy season, though, with scores of 73, 174*, 233 and 95 among his seven innings so far. He is also renowned for his ability against spin, particularly his use of the sweep and reverse-sweep.Play Sai Sudharsan, with Reddy replacing a spin-bowling allrounderIf India have to replace Gill from within their squad, they likely have two options. One is to pick Sai Sudharsan – or Padikkal, if he has, for some reason, jumped the queue in the team management’s estimation – and accept that they will go into the Test with seven left-hand batters in their XI, and six in their top eight.The other would be to pick Sai Sudharsan Reddy, and sacrifice one of their spin-bowling allrounders. Given the job Washington did with the bat in Kolkata, and given the fact that he has consistently played ahead of Axar since his comeback against New Zealand last year, it’s unlikely India will leave him out. Axar, picked specifically as a second left-arm spinner in Kolkata to combat a right-hander-heavy South Africa line-up, will then have to make way.This would make sense also because Axar struggled to challenge both edges of the bat on a sharply turning Eden Gardens pitch. Axar made an instant impact in his debut Test series against England in 2021 with his wide angle of release and undercutting delivery style that led one right-hand batter after another to their doom, bowled or lbw playing for non-existent turn.3:45

Did India pick one spinner too many at Eden Gardens?

He took 27 wickets in that series, at the scarcely believable average of 10.59, but teams have since then worked out a reliable way of playing him, playing his angle without expectation of big turn. Axar has taken 30 wickets in 12 Tests since that series – all in Asian conditions – at an average of 27.83 and a strike rate of 63.1. Even in Kolkata, balls from Axar that turned enough to threaten the right-handers’ outside edge were an infrequent event.It would make sense, then, to leave out Axar on bowling rhythm, but it would force India away from a match-up that dominated their thinking in Kolkata. Axar bowled 20 overs across that match, and Washington – partly because of his new top-order batting role, partly because he is an offspinner, and partly because India had as many as six bowling options – only one.Washington will have to bowl a lot more overs in Guwahati if Axar doesn’t play, particularly since India’s history with Reddy suggests they will not use him much at all. This, though, shouldn’t be an issue given they will still have five proper bowling options. And while Washington turns the ball into the right-hand batter, the outward drift he generates makes him as likely to get them out caught as slip as he is to get them lbw or caught bat-pad.Leaving out Axar, of course, would also mean leaving out a trusted, experienced batting hand who made two important contributions in Kolkata while batting with the tail. But picking Reddy as a non-bowling No. 8 isn’t without its advantages. The obvious one is his right-handedness, but the more relevant one might be how well he handled Nathan Lyon during his debut series in Australia in 2024-25, constantly putting pressure back on the offspinner by stepping out to him, driving him against the turn, or bringing out the reverse-sweep. Lyon dismissed Reddy twice in the series, but conceded 86 runs to him off 127 balls. For all the differences between Harmer and Lyon as offspinners, these numbers will encourage India if they do decide to pick Reddy.*GMT 7.20 am on Nov 19: This article was updated with confirmation from the BCCI that Gill will travel with the team to Guwahati

There are six newbies, including a former USA international, in West Indies’ squad for the tour of the UAE to take on Nepal

Deivarayan Muthu26-Sep-2025

Ackeem Auguste

Ackeem Auguste, who turned 22 earlier this month, is set to become the fourth St Lucian to play for West Indies men in international cricket after Daren Sammy, his current coach at St Lucia Kings in the CPL, Johnson Charles and Garey Mathurin. A sleek left-hand batter, Auguste can slot in at No. 3 or even in the middle order. In 2024, he won the CPL with Kings as an emerging player and more recently, in CPL 2025, he became a regular for the franchise, scoring 229 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of over 160.Auguste has not played an official game in the subcontinent yet, but has had exposure to a variety of spinners, including mystery spinners, during his two-week stint at the Chennai Super Kings Academy last year.Amir Jangoo is likely to compete with Jewel Andrew for the second wicketkeeper’s spot•CPL

Amir Jangoo

Another left-hand batter with some eye-catching strokes in his locker, Amir Jangoo can also double up as a wicketkeeper. On his ODI debut against Bangladesh last year, Jangoo looked the part during his unbeaten 104 off 83 balls, which sealed a chase of 322 in Basseterre. When he did that, Jangoo, who hails from Trinidad & Tobago, became only the second West Indian after Desmond Haynes to hit a century on ODI debut.More recently, in CPL 2025, he made three half-centuries in four innings for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. He is likely to compete with Jewel Andrew for the second wicketkeeper’s spot in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.Karima Gore was more known for his left-arm fingerspin but has refashioned himself as a batter who can bowl•CPL T20

Karima Gore

Karima Gore was born in the Bronx in New York and has played 24 international games for USA, but his Antiguan heritage – he was raised in Antigua and plays for Leeward Islands – allows him to represent the West Indies. An allrounder, Gore was more known for his left-arm fingerspin when he was part of USA and San Francisco Unicorns in MLC, but in CPL 2025 for Falcons, he refashioned himself as a batter who could bowl.In his first CPL season, Gore emerged as Falcons’ highest run-getter, with 219 in ten innings at a strike rate of 129.58. Gore had started the season with back-to-back fifties from No. 3, but his form cooled off in the latter stages of the competition. He is electric in the field, which makes him an attractive package.Zishan Motara has played just two T20s so far•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Zishan Motara

Barbados’ Zishan Motara, who has played just two T20s so far for just one wicket, has been fast-tracked into the West Indies set-up. The 19-year-old, the youngest in this list, seems to have the raw material to succeed in top-flight cricket: he’s tall, generates extra bounce and has a fairly sharp wrong’un in his repertoire.He was a net bowler with Barbados Royals in CPL 2024 before he broke into their main squad and debuted for them this season. Zishan’s father Zahir, who was a former basketball captain for Barbados, is now a basketball coach. Zahir had also played club cricket in Barbados.Ramon Simmonds was Royals’ second-highest wicket-taker in CPL 2025•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Ramon Simmonds

A left-arm quick with the yorker and a few slower balls among his variations, Ramon Simmonds was a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy CPL campaign for Royals. He was Royals’ second-highest wicket-taker with 13 strikes in nine innings at an economy rate of 8.05.When Jason Holder was with Royals in 2022, he was impressed with Simmonds’ variations and his composure under pressure. The 23-year-old left-armer has been a “project player” for Royals, having also turned out for their team – Paarl Royals – in the SA20.A legspin-bowling allrounder, Navin Bidaisee gave a good account of himself in CPL 2025•CPL T20/Getty Images

Navin Bidaisee

A legspin-bowling allrounder, Navin Bidaisee could potentially give West Indies the balance that they have been searching for. Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago, Bidaisee was drafted by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for CPL 2025. He made an immediate impression on CPL debut, against former champions Kings, scoring a 35-ball half-century from No. 5 in a chase of 201. He seemed set to take Patriots home until he holed out off the final ball.With the ball, he dismissed Quinton de Kock and Sherfane Rutherford, helping Patriots snatch a one-run win against Royals. Prior to CPL 2025, Bidaisee was the joint-second-highest wicket-taker in the Breakout League, with ten strikes in six innings at an economy rate of 6.25.

It’s still early on in the season, but Arsenal are looking near enough unstoppable at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side won their tenth game on the spin against Salvia Prague on Tuesday night, and for the eighth game in a row, kept a clean sheet.

Moreover, the Gunners sit atop the Premier League table ahead of a weekend in which Liverpool play Manchester City.

However, Arsenal are not the perfect team, and for large parts of the season, creativity has been a problem, although they now have a star in the side playing like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal's creativity this season

Now, it should be said that overall, this Arsenal team is arguably the closest to being perfect out of every side in the Premier League.

After all, they have far and away the best defence, have managed to score 18 goals, and still, there is a sense that they could go up another couple of gears over the coming months.

However, as with every team, the Gunners have had some areas of weakness this season, notably in their open play creativity.

For example, in the aftermath of the draw with City, everyone’s favourite Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, argued that the club’s problem “is creating.”

At that time, it was difficult to disagree with him, as Arteta’s side created just two big chances despite having 67% of the ball. Then, in the game against Liverpool a few weeks before, they didn’t have a single big chance.

Another way this lack of creativity is clearly visible is in the lack of assists for the club’s top players, such as Saka and Odegaard.

For example, while the former has put in some good performances this season, he has yet to register a single assist in the league.

Saka & Odegaard in the PL

Player

Saka

Odegaard

Appearances

8

6

Minutes

594′

204′

Assists

0

1

Assists per Match

0.00

0.16

Minutes per Assist

N/A

204′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Likewise, while the captain has had to deal with several injuries, his return of one assist in six appearances, totalling 204 minutes, is still underwhelming.

Fortunately, things have started to improve in recent weeks, and other players have begun to step up and enhance their own creativity, especially one star who is starting to emulate the best aspects of Saka and Odegaard in his own game.

The Arsenal star playing like Saka & Odegaard

Some of the players who have stepped up in recent weeks include Leandro Trossard, who provided an assist against Burnley, and Jurrien Timber, who did so against West Ham United.

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However, there is another regular starter who has been steadily improving the creative side of his game and can now do some of the things fans expect of Saka and Odegaard: Declan Rice.

Yes, the all-action, tough-tackling midfield monster who, in the words of Thomas Frank, has been one of “the best in the world” since his £105m arrival in 2023, has now become something of a creative force for Arteta and Co.

For example, his incredible deliveries from corners and free-kicks are now practically a cheat code for the Gunners, and if they don’t result in a goal, at least they result in a brilliant chance.

However, it’s not just from dead-ball situations that the Englishman has started to show an Odegaard-esque range of passing.

For example, while the attack started from a corner, his delivery for Mikel Merino’s equaliser against Newcastle United was practically in open play.

Then, against Slavia Prague, he delivered a pinpoint-accurate cross into the penalty area for that Spaniard to once again get his head on it.

Finally, in addition to the five assists he has provided this season, his underlying numbers further highlight how his overall creativity has improved.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in the league for progressive passes, the top 4% for total passing distance, expected assists, and crosses, the top 8% for live-ball passes and switches, and more, all per 90 minutes.

Rice’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Progressive Carries

2.80

Top 1%

Inswinging Corner Kicks

2.69

Top 1%

Total Passing Distance

1104.63

Top 4%

Passes Attempted (Long)

11.75

Top 4%

xA: Expected Assists

0.22

Top 4%

Dead-ball Passes

7.84

Top 4%

Crosses

5.82

Top 4%

Corner Kicks

4.03

Top 4%

Total Carrying Distance

304.48

Top 4%

Progressive Carrying Distance

143.28

Top 4%

Carries into Final Third

2.57

Top 4%

Shots from Free Kicks

0.22

Top 6%

Passes Completed

61.34

Top 6%

Progressive Passing Distance

281.08

Top 6%

Passes Completed (Medium)

28.54

Top 6%

GCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.22

Top 6%

Touches

80.93

Top 6%

Touches (Att 3rd)

22.28

Top 6%

Touches (Live-Ball)

80.93

Top 6%

Passes Completed (Long)

5.93

Top 8%

Live-ball Passes

64.48

Top 8%

Switches

0.67

Top 8%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

1.23

Top 8%

Carries

48.69

Top 8%

Passes Received

55.63

Top 8%

All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, Rice has been an incredible player for Arsenal over the last two years, but this season, he has taken another step forward and is showing a passing range and level of creativity you’d expect from Saka and Odegaard.

Related Saved by Merino: Arteta must drop Arsenal star who won just 28% duels

Unlike Merino, it was a Champions League night to forget for the Arsenal man.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 5, 2025

Allrounder’s 19, three wickets and two catches proved too much for Originals, who are now bottom

ECB Media13-Aug-2025Welsh Fire 137 for 8 (Smith 26, Kohler-Cadmore 26, Tongue 3-25) beat Manchester Originals 112 (Buttler 57, Meredith 4-9) by 25 runsAussie pace bowler Riley Meredith cranked it up in front of a raucous Cardiff crowd, taking 4 for 9 as Welsh Fire defeated Manchester Originals by 25 runs.There were also three-fors for both Chris Green (3 for 19) and David Payne (3 for 14) as a brilliant fielding and bowling performance earned Fire a much deserved win.Bowling first, Originals got off to a flying start, Sonny Baker having Jonny Bairstow caught by Lewis Gregory at slip with his fifth ball.Fire reached 28 for 1 after the powerplay, 22 of the runs to Steve Smith, including a stunning six over point off Josh Tongue.Tongue soon got his revenge, seeing Smith caught behind for 26. Fire then lost Luke Wells to Scott Currie for 13, reaching 57 for 3 at the halfway point.Tongue returned to remove Abell (22) and Currie got rid of Saif Zaib (15), both caught behind by Jos Buttler, the Fire innings threatening to fizzle out at 108 for 6.Chris Green added some late impetus, striking two sixes in his nine-ball 19, as Fire closed on 137 for 8, Currie (3 for 21) and Tongue (3 for 25) the pick of the Originals’ attack.A brilliant burst of 3 for 6 from 10 balls by Riley Meredith saw the backs of Phil Salt (3), McKinney (10) and Mark Chapman (0), Salt spectacularly caught at deep backward-square by Green, as the Fire started well on top.Buttler began the counterattack, hitting Paul Walter for back-to-back boundaries, but the Fire struck a huge blow when they had Heinrich Klaasen (11) caught in the deep off Green.Buttler kept going, bringing up his fifty from 28 balls with a six off Green, but the off-spinner then struck twice, taking the key wickets of Buttler (57) and Gregory (21), both caught at deep midwicket by Abell, before Payne and Meredith cleaned up the tail.Meerkat Match Hero Chris Green said: “It was a lot of fun. The last two games here have been an amazing atmosphere. The support here in Cardiff has been fantastic and it was great to reward that support with a win here tonight.”Tommy Abell thought 130 was defendable, there was a bit of hold for the off-cutters for the seamers and a bit of hold for the spinners as well.”Riley Meredith was outstanding up front and probably should be standing here because I thought he broke the game open. The energy we had and the support we had tonight got us over the line and we go into a big game in London on Saturday.”

Inter Miami’s chief business officer, Xavi Asensi, has explained how Lionel Messi helped to deliver a “wonderful miracle” for MLS and Inter Miami alongside Manchester United and England legend Sir David Beckham. Argentine GOAT Messi moved to the United States in 2023 and has helped to grow the American game at a rate few could have predicted prior to his arrival.

• American dream: What Messi has achieved in Miami

  When bidding farewell to European football at Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona icon Messi decided that the time had come to spread his wings. Beckham, who is now a co-owner in Miami, helped to convince the World Cup winner that he should chase the American dream.

  Messi had offers to join eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, but opted to tread his own path. Success has been enjoyed in the States, picking up an eighth Ballon d’Or while cementing his standing as the most decorated player in history.

  At 38 years of age, there is no sign of Messi slowing down. He has enjoyed a Golden Boot-winning campaign in 2025 and has helped Inter Miami to the MLS Cup final. The expectation is that he will also form part of Argentina’s global title defence next summer.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Combined forces: Messi has linked up with Beckham

  Those in Florida always dreamed of such success, with an all-time great leading way, and Messi has helped to make all of that possible. Asensi has told : “All in all, I would say that it's a miracle. It's a wonderful miracle – it is daring and a dream. From ownership to everyone that is here in the club, we are really blessed to be part of it. We are five years old, we are creating history, we are living history as we are speaking. So having Lionel playing and being our captain changed us completely.”

  Asensi added on the power of Beckham combining with the mass appeal of Messi: “Without David Beckham none of us would be sitting here. Everything ended up being possible. There aren't names as global as David Beckham and Leo Messi – they are combined here.

  “When we arrived here in 2020-21 with owners Jorge Mas, [his brother] Jose Mas and David Beckham in charge, the main goal was to win on the pitch. I would say Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time, subjectively and objectively. So obviously having the best player possible in your roster is a no-brainer.

  “This is what we've been trying to do from the very beginning. Not just bring in big-name players, but bring in the best players possible so the team on the pitch is something we can be proud of – and one that wins.”

• Global brand: Inter Miami become a household name

  Messi changed the landscape for MLS when arriving in America, despite the likes of Beckham, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic having previously trodden a similar path. He has shifted tickets and shirts at a remarkable rate, helping Inter Miami to become one of the most recognisable sporting brands on the planet.

  Asensi said: “Overnight we went from being an MLS club to a club that I would say everybody knew. Every outlet in the world, everyone talked about it. Crazy. From Fiji to Anchorage, Patagonia to Mongolia, it put Inter Miami into the big time. We're talking about the number one sport in the world, and the US economically is the number one country in the world. It's the biggest market, and the king of sports entertainment.”

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  A-list guests: Messi preparing for MLS Cup final

  Messi has helped to attract A-list guests to Inter Miami games, with the likes of Will Smith, Floyd Mayweather, Tom Brady, Aryna Sabalenka, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos attending Herons matches.

  More celebrity visitors are likely to acquire tickets for Saturday’s MLS Cup final. Said contest will take place at Chase Stadium, as Inter Miami prepare to bid farewell to that venue. They will be moving into the newly-constructed Freedom Park next season – with their opening five games taking place on the road as their new home is completed.

Hobart Hurricanes have reinforced their standing as the team to beat in the WBBL, bolstering their grip on first spot with an 81-run demolition of Melbourne Stars on DLS method at Bellerive Oval.Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s classy 71 paced Hurricanes’ imposing 176 for 4 from 17 rain-reduced overs in the top-of-the-table blockbuster on Monday night, before Molly Strano (5 for 16) reduced Stars to a paltry 98 in response, after they were set an adjusted target of 180.Wyatt-Hodge moved past Meg Lanning to the head of the Golden Bat standings with her fourth half-century of the season, before pouching three catches.She started slowly with two off her first 11 deliveries, before blossoming in her 47-ball knock.”Sometimes you’ve just got to ride that wave and Lizzy (Lee) was smashing it at the other end, so I didn’t need to panic,” Wyatt-Hodge said.”It was just a matter of digging in, keeping the intent and staying brave. Hopefully we can keep the form up – everyone’s playing really well.”Hard-hitting South African Lizelle Lee was the early aggressor, but a 33-minute rain delay stalled her momentum and she holed out for 32 just after the resumption.Nat Sciver-Brunt (31) found Danielle Gibson in the deep, before captain Elyse Villani was run out late.Stars started horribly in reply and never recovered as their four-game winning streak came to a crashing halt, with tail-ender Sasha Moloney (31) offering the only resistance.Rhys McKenna (1) was trapped plumb in front by a hooping Nicola Carey inswinger, before Linsey Smith (2-29) captured the key scalp of Lanning (9), bowled after missing a cut shot.Smith dismissed Stars skipper Annabel Sutherland (11), before fellow spinner Molly Strano came on and bagged three wickets in her first over.Wyatt-Hodge snared a left-handed blinder at point to remove Amy Jones (19), before Marizanne Kapp (0) was caught behind and Gibson (1) holed out.Strano then picked up a fourth wicket with just her seventh ball when Kim Garth (3) offered Wyatt-Hodge another catch.The offspinner’s fifth scalp was Moloney, caught by player of the match Wyatt-Hodge.