Duleep Trophy 2026: Rahul, Siraj and Padikkal Added to South Zone Squ…

In a major boost for South Zone, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal have been added to the squad for the Duleep Trophy final against East Zone, which will be played from September 6-10 at Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.

With Rahul, Siraj and Padikkal not involved in the T20I series against Afghanistan or the Asian Games, the trio will be available for South Zone’s Duleep Trophy final. Their inclusion is also in line with the BCCI’s policy of ensuring centrally contracted and capped players turn out for domestic cricket whenever their international commitments allow.

All three players were part of India’s squad that won the two-match series against Sri Lanka last month. Padikkal was the Player of the Series after finishing as his team’s leading run-scorer. Rahul also did well with the bat, but for some reason, Siraj did not look at his best with the ball. noplasticplease.life

With the addition of these three players, South Zone are expected to make multiple changes to their playing XI.

South Zone have also added Chama Milind to the squad as cover for Vidhwath Kaverappa. The Karnataka seamer sustained an injury during the semi-final against North Zone, which ended on Wednesday.

The availability of captain Tilak Varma, however, remains uncertain. It is yet to be decided whether he will be cleared to play the final in Chennai or instructed to report to the T20I squad in Delhi ahead of the Afghanistan series. As reported by RevSportz, India head coach Gautam Gambhir will take the final call on the T20I squad members who are also in contention to play the Duleep Trophy final.

Follow RevSportz for latest sports news

The post Duleep Trophy 2026: Rahul, Siraj and Padikkal Added to South Zone Squad Ahead of Final appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

The Athletics Integrity Unit is stepping up its game with random checks on elite Indian athletes. Experts warn that the use of certain herbal supplements, notably Ashwagandha and Shilajit, may result in unfavorable test results. Many athletes neglect to report their consumption of these unregulated supplements, raising alarms about doping practices. This rigorous examination reveals deeper concerns within India’s doping regulation and athletics testing protocols.

With the Afghanistan series and Asian Games on the horizon, the cricket community is keenly waiting for Jasprit Bumrah's fitness reports. Meanwhile, potential backup player Prince Yadav is being considered for the squad. This week, several players will participate in match simulation tests, with the medical team clearing them for practice games. There’s pressure on Bumrah to play a first-class match prior to the upcoming New Zealand Test series.

Rohit Sharma continues to be the talking point in India’s cricketing circles. Ahead of the BCCI meeting yesterday, there was plenty of chatter on social media about Rohit and how his future would be a topic of discussion. A report also suggested that he had apparently agreed to give up during the ODI series in England.

The truth is straightforward. Rohit will be a part of the India-West Indies series on the basis of his performances. And once he is picked, which he will be, it is Rohit who will have the agency over his future. If he continues to score runs, how can anyone contemplate dropping him? This applies to any player. If he scores and bats well, he stays. If he fails – not in one game, but over a slew of games – he has to make way. It is his bat that will decide his future, not trolls or media personalities who want to live their lives on social media.

I also read a report claiming that Rohit had angrily conceded to giving up in England. The question to whoever wrote the piece is: how are they even aware of Rohit’s emotions? Did they speak to Rohit? Was it ever corroborated, or was it simply kite-flying for social media numbers?

I was in England and happened to meet Rohit multiple times during the ODI series. I first met him at Edgbaston and not once did he mention retirement. Rather, he was fully focussed on making a tangible contribution, and retirement was never on the horizon as far as Rohit was concerned. Even when the rumour had consumed social media in Cardiff, Rohit did not seem fazed by it. He was intent on getting ready for Lord’s and doing what he was tasked to do. And then came the Lord’s hundred. My point is that even during the first two games, not once did Rohit give a whiff of wanting to give up.

Since coming back, I have spoken to Rohit a couple of times, and each time it has been about his training. The man is fully focussed on getting ready for the job at hand – focussed on scoring runs and making a tangible contribution to the team’s cause. He has worked extremely hard for it and continues to do so every single day.

Rohit’s future will not be decided by journalists or social media junkies. His future will be decided by Rohit himself and will ultimately depend on his ability to score runs for India. He cannot be put under the spotlight in every series; that is unfair. It cannot be that he is in the spotlight every time he steps out to bat. Like others, he needs to be given his space, and only if he fails in a few games on the trot should questions be asked.

He has earned this right for himself, and it is time we focus on how he bats rather than asking when he will retire. While such talk might make for good social media engagement, it is not really helping Indian cricket.

Follow Revsportz for latest sports news

The post Rohit Sharma’s future should be decided by runs, not rumours appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

India and Hong Kong, China faced each other in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, with Hong Kong, China winning the toss and opting to bowl first. What followed was a dominant batting display from Smriti Mandhana, who took complete control of the innings and powered India to 194. In reply, Hong Kong, China were bowled out for just 56, handing India a commanding 137-run victory. The win also made India the first team to qualify for the Asia Cup semi-finals.

Mandhana began in her usual composed fashion, taking her time to settle in before shifting gears. She was initially 18 off 18 balls, but once she found her rhythm, the scoring rate climbed quickly. Her timing remained impeccable as she combined her trademark drives with powerful strokes over the boundary.

She brought up her 36th T20I fifty with a six and continued to take the attack apart. At 82, she struck back-to-back sixes over deep square leg and long-off, showing how comfortably she could switch between placement and power. Even while attacking, Mandhana never appeared rushed, maintaining her balance and shape throughout the innings.

Mandhana soon completed her second T20I century, reaching the milestone in just 58 balls with a cut through the off side. Her innings came to an end when she was run out.

Mandhana’s breathtaking 124 off 64 balls rewrote several records. It was her highest T20I score, surpassing her previous best of 112, and made her the first Indian woman to score two T20I centuries. Her seven sixes took her tally to 90, making her India’s leading six-hitter in women’s T20Is.

With this century, Mandhana now has 18 international hundreds, moving past Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt, who had 17 each. Eight of her centuries have come outside the subcontinent, while 10 have been scored inside it. She also went past Mithali Raj’s 10,868 international runs, taking her tally to 10,880 across formats.

Her latest fifty brought her level with Mithali’s record of 93 scores of 50 or more in international cricket. Mandhana has also become the highest run-scorer in Women’s Asia Cup history with 584 runs, surpassing Chamari Athapaththu

Her innings was marked by a stunning acceleration too, with 22 runs coming from her first 21 balls, followed by 27 from the next 21. She then exploded for 58 runs off her final 22 deliveries, including three consecutive sixes in the 17th over.

Speaking to the broadcasters after her record-breaking knock, Mandhana admitted that she was unaware of the number of milestones she had achieved during the innings.

“I didn’t know all of this happened. That’s why you reminded me,” she said, reacting to the list of records she had broken.

Reflecting on her innings, Mandhana credited the Hong Kong bowlers for making things difficult early on.

“It’s really hard for a batter to play slightly slower bowlers, but credit to them. They were really disciplined in the powerplay and bowled pretty well. The kind of energy they showed was something which we all can learn from,” she said.

Asked about Hong Kong’s decision to bowl predominantly outside the off stump, Mandhana played down the advantage it may have given her.

“There are days where you hit balls from the stumps as well, there are days where you don’t. There are days where you edge one from the fourth or fifth stump. Batting is extremely unpredictable,” she explained.

The vice-captain of the Indian team also spoke about the surface, admitting that it was slightly challenging during the powerplay.

“It did keep a little lower in the powerplay, a few balls just slipped through. But once you got your eyes set, it was a little easier to pick up the length and just go under the ball a little more,” she said.

Mandhana ended by once again praising Hong Kong for their effort and highlighting the significance of the occasion for the team.

“I’ll just keep talking about them because it was the first time we were playing them, and it’s just a memorable occasion for them as well,” she said.

For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz

The post IND-W vs HK-W: Smriti Mandhana’s Stunning Show Lights Up India’s Win Over Hong Kong appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.