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Shubman Gill looks to find form while India aim to continue dominance over South Africa in the second T20 International at Mullanpur, with Hardik Pandya returning and key players under scrutiny.

2nd T20I: Pressure mounts on Gill as India look to press advantage in Mullanpur

Shubman Gill looks to find form while India aim to continue dominance over South Africa in the second T20 International at Mullanpur, with Hardik Pandya returning and key players under scrutiny.

Yet to stamp his authority in the shortest format, Shubman Gill would be eying major gains on home soil when a well-rounded India look to extend their dominance over South Africa in the second T20 International in Mullanpur on Thursday.
With only a travel day separating the first two games of the five-match series, Gill won't mind getting straight into the middle in search of a substantial knock. India steamrolled South Africa in the series opener but the middling returns from Gill, since his T20 comeback in Asia Cup back in September, remains a talking point.
Following an impressive debut as Test captain in the UK, Gill was brought back into the T20 setup. Even though Sanju Samson and his Punjab teammate Abhishek Sharma were doing the job at the top of the order, the team management showed immense faith in Gill's abilities as a T20 opener.
The batter from Kerala was displaced and he has since then struggled to find a place in the playing eleven. The Test and ODI captain can seamlessly perform the role that Virat Kohli performed for India till the T20 World Cup last year but the team, with batting options till number eight, has doubled down on its fearless approach since the triumph in Barbados, leaving little room for an anchor.
Gill certainly can't go hammer and tongs like Abhishek Sharma in the powerplay and therefore needs to figure out what works best for him.
Besides Gill, captain Suryakumar Yadav, who has failed to find consistency over the past 12 months, is also facing additional scrutiny. Couple of months down the line, Suryakumar would be leading India's World Cup defence at home and considering the added responsibility, flow of runs from his bat form a crucial piece of the puzzle heading into the ICC showpiece.
In the colder environment of New Chandigarh, India are unlikely to tinker with the winning combination. Returning to national duty from injury, Hardik Pandya reaffirmed his status as the leading all-rounder in the game. His 28-ball 59 made a massive difference on a sticky wicket while it took him one ball to make an impact with the ball.
The selection on Tuesday also indicated that two strike bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav, will not be part of the same eleven due to the need for batting till number eight. Arshdeep got the nod on this occasion and India's leading wicket-taker in the format was once again able to provide the early wickets bowling alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
South Africa, on the other hand, would be looking for a drastically better outing with the bat after being bundled out for 74 in the run chase of 176. There is no time to reflect on the scale of the defeat and that can only be a good thing for the visitors.
"Nowadays in T20 cricket, there's not much time to look around and absorb. But the biggest factor was obviously not being able to build partnerships, settling after losing wickets and getting some momentum on our side. So yeah, we'll have brief conversations," said skipper Aiden Markram.
The venue would be hosting its first ever T20 International after hosting two women's ODIs back in September. During the last IPL, the pitches produced were not the easiest to bat on with scores ranging from excess of 200 to as low as 101.
On the sidelines of the fixture, stands named after Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur would also be unveiled.
Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donnovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Reeza Hendricks, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Ottneil Bartman.
Match starts at 7pm IST.

Virat Kohli jumps to No. 2 in the latest ICC ODI rankings after a stellar series against South Africa, closing in on Rohit Sharma. Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc and others also make major gains across formats.

Virat Kohli Nears ODI Top Spot as ICC Rankings Shift

Virat Kohli jumps to No. 2 in the latest ICC ODI rankings after a stellar series against South Africa, closing in on Rohit Sharma. Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc and others also make major gains across formats.

India great Virat Kohli&rsquo;s push to regain the top ODI batter spot received a boost as he moved up to the second place in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
Kohli hasn't held the No.1 position for ODI batters since he was displaced by Pakistan's Babar Azam in April 2021.
But the right-hander is closing in on the top spot following his superb recent efforts for India in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
The 37-year-old was adjudged Player of the Series for his 302 runs across the three matches and he was duly rewarded on the latest set of rankings as he improved two places to second overall behind teammate Rohit Sharma.
Rohit amassed 146 runs across the series to hold on to his spot at the top of the rankings, with Kohli closing to within eight rating points on the back of his unbeaten innings of 65 not out in the series finale in Visakhapatnam.
It helped India clinch the three-match series 2-1.
India ODI skipper Shubman Gill retained his fifth spot despite missing the three-match series while stand-in skipper KL Rahul rose two places to 12th overall after making two fifties in the rubber.
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up three spots to third in the bowlers' chart.
South Africa trio of Quinton de Kock (up three rungs to 13th), Aiden Markram (up four places to 25th) and Temba Bavuma (up three spots to 37th) also made gains on the rankings for ODI batters.
In the T20I rankings, the trio of Axar Patel (up two spots to 13th), Arshdeep Singh (up three places to 20th) and Jasprit Bumrah (up six rungs to 25th) made gains, following their comprehensive 101-run victory in Cuttack.
All of them had a good outing in the first T20I, taking two wickets apiece as India bowled out the Proteas for 74, their lowest-ever total in the shortest format.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who recently scored his maiden ODI hundred against SA in Visakhapatnam, remained the top ranked Indian batter in the Test rankings at number eight while Gill and Rishabh Pant have moved a step each to 11th and 13th respectively.
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has made a big jump on the latest rankings for Test bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah.
The left-armer moved up three spots to third overall on the back of consecutive Player of the Match performances during the first two Ashes Tests against England.
Starc has 18 wickets from the two contests and finds himself moving to a new career-high rating and a best-ever ranking of third as a result.
The Indian trio of Mohammad Siraj (12th), Ravindra Jadeja (13th) and Kuldeep (14th) have all climbed up a spot.
England's lack of runs Down Under sees Harry Brook drop two places to fourth overall on the list for Test batters, with Kane Williamson (second) and Steve Smith (third) each gaining one spot behind Joe Root, who made a hundred in the Brisbane Test, at the top.

Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten fifty and disciplined Indian bowling dismantled South Africa for 74 as India sealed a dominant 101-run win in the Cuttack T20I series opener.

Pandya's blazing fifty, ruthless bowlers earn India 101-run win over SA

Hardik Pandya&rsquo;s unbeaten fifty and disciplined Indian bowling dismantled South Africa for 74 as India sealed a dominant 101-run win in the Cuttack T20I series opener.

Hardik Pandya made a memorable comeback to competitive cricket, striking a mood-lifting unbeaten fifty and then took a key wicket as India etched a dominant 101-run win over South Africa in the opening match of the five-match series in Cuttack on Tuesday.
The victory helped India take a 1-0 lead in the rubber and it also pushed South Africa to their lowest-ever T20I total. Their previous lowest was also against India -- 87 all out in Rajkot in 2022.
India had been pushed onto the back-foot after SA asked them to bat first on a tacky red-soil surface, but Pandya&rsquo;s commanding 59 not out off 28 balls rescued them from early turbulence. India posted a competitive 175/6.
On a pitch that demanded discipline, South Africa showed none, to be all out for a mere 74 in 12.3 overs, as the hosts&rsquo; bowlers ran through them with relentless accuracy.
Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel grabbed two wickets each, while Pandya fittingly chipped in with the prized scalp of David Miller. It was also South Africa&rsquo;s first defeat in three T20Is in Cuttack, and if India had started shakily, South Africa began disastrously.
Arshdeep set the tone with a superb away-swinger that kissed past Quinton de Kock&rsquo;s tentative prod for a two-ball duck.
In his next over, Arshdeep produced another beauty -- a length ball that jagged back into the in-form Tristan Stubbs (14).
India went upstairs for the review, and UltraEdge confirmed a thick inside edge onto the elbow before Jitesh Sharma completed a sharp take as South Africa were 18/2 inside four overs.
Axar was introduced in the final over of the powerplay and struck immediately.
Aiden Markram, shuffling back to work a skiddy, straight delivery, was beaten on the inside edge to get bowled. At 28/3 in six overs, South Africa were already in a hole.
Pandya then added to their misery, dismissing Miller.
Chakravarthy, operating with sharp drift and deceptive pace, got into action after the powerplay. Donovan Ferreira was late to react to a delivery that held back, and could only nick behind to Jitesh.
Marco Jansen, who had fielded brilliantly earlier, was undone by Chakravarthy&rsquo;s googly as South Africa slid to 68/6.
The end arrived quickly thereafter with Bumrah cleaning up Dewald Brevis and Keshav Maharaj in the space of four deliveries.
Earlier, coming back after 74 days following a left quadricep injury that forced him out of the Asia Cup, Pandya walked in at No. 6 and immediately changed the tempo of the match.
India had slipped in both the power play and middle overs losing six wickets, but Pandya, who had proved his fitness at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda with a 42-ball 77 not out, counter-attacked with clean, fearless hitting to finish en route his sixth T20I fifty.
He began with two towering sixes against Maharaj just after a well-set Tilak Varma (26) fell. Pandya then ripped into Anrich Nortje with a 17-run over, even stepping out to a 149kph thunderbolt to punch it for four.
Jansen tried to rush him with short balls, but Pandya pulled one with vengeance before racing towards fifty that lifted the mood in the stadium.
He struck a six and four off Lutho Sipamla (2/38) in the 19th over, and reached his half-century in 25 balls with a ramped six over third man off Nortje in the final over, celebrating it with a muted raise of the bat.
Pandya's late fireworks helped India add 71 runs in the last six overs.
But on a fresh red-soil surface offering two-paced bounce, India struggled early. Abhishek Sharma (17), Shubman Gill (4) and Suryakumar Yadav (12) all fell inside seven overs as Lungi Ngidi (3/31) exploited the conditions superbly with clever variations.
He removed Gill early as the batter chipped to Jansen at mid-off, and later had skipper Suryakumar holding out to Markram to have India 17/2.
Abhishek tried to force the pace after the field restrictions lifted, but fell to Sipamla, thanks to a stunning sliding catch by the 2.06m Jansen sprinting across from long leg to fine leg.
His brief stay of 17 off 12 balls ended just as he began to find rhythm with back-to-back boundaries as India soon slipped to 48/3 in 6.3 overs.
Varma looked set while smashing a towering six off Nortje and with two fours in his 32-ball 26 but the Indian innings started to wobble again with him and Axar (23) dismissed by Ngidi and Sipamla respectively.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and other Team India members sought blessings at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri ahead of the T20 series against South Africa.

Team India Seeks Blessings at Jagannath Temple Before T20 Clash

Head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and other Team India members sought blessings at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri ahead of the T20 series against South Africa.

Ahead of the first T20 International against South Africa at Cuttack&rsquo;s Barabati Stadium, four members of Team India, including head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, visited the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings.
Suryakumar, accompanied by his wife Devisha Shetty, entered the 12th-century shrine amid tight security.
"Jai Jagannath," the skipper chanted as he walked into the temple, escorted by security personnel and Puri SP Prateek Singh. Players Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar also offered prayers.
"We had made special arrangements for the visiting Team India players who arrived here for the blessings of Lord Jagannath. Everything was smooth, and they had &lsquo;darshan&rsquo; of the sibling deities &mdash; Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath &mdash; inside the temple," Singh told reporters.
Servitor Rabi Pratihari organised a special puja for the players and performed a ceremonial lamp offering, praying for Team India&rsquo;s success in the upcoming series.
The team members returned to Bhubaneswar after the darshan, the SP added.&nbsp;

A total of 350 players, including Quinton de Kock and Steve Smith, will go under the hammer in the IPL auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, with 77 slots available across 10 teams.

IPL 2026 auction to feature 350 players including 240 Indians; Quinton de Kock added

A total of 350 players, including Quinton de Kock and Steve Smith, will go under the hammer in the IPL auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, with 77 slots available across 10 teams.

A total of 350 cricketers, including 240 Indians, will go under the hammer in the IPL auction to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with South Africa's comeback man Quinton de Kock a surprise late addition to the final list.
Wicketkeeper-batter De Kock, who recently came out of his ODI retirement, has been kept at a base price of Rs 1 crore.
The list also includes Australia batter Steve Smith at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Smith last played in the IPL in 2021.
A total of 1,390 players registered for the Player Auction. The number was pruned to 1,005 players before 350 were finally shortlisted to battle for 77 slots available including 31 for overseas players, across the 10 teams for the 19th edition of the world&rsquo;s biggest T20 league.
The first set of players in the auction includes India and Mumbai batters Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, who both have kept their base price at Rs 75 lakh each. Shaw had a regular run in the IPL from 2018 to 2024 but had gone unsold in the auction for the last edition, whereas Sarfaraz has not played in the competition since 2021.
The list shared by the IPL features two Australians in Cameron Green and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with New Zealand and former Chennai Super Kings opener Devon Conway and South Africa&rsquo;s David Miller, with each of them keeping a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Venkatesh Iyer, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders, has listed himself at a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Among domestic players, Kunal Chandela and Ashok Kumar, who are among the leading run-getters and wicket-takers respectively in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, are also in the final list.
Three-time winners KKR will go into the auction with the biggest purse of Rs 64.3 crores, followed by five-time champions CSK with Rs 43.4 crores. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have won the IPL once, have the third highest purse of Rs 25.5 crores.
As many as 21 England players feature in the list, including wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, pacer Gus Atkinson, Liam Livingstone and Test opener Ben Duckett.
Green, expected to garner a lot of attention in this auction, leads the list of 19 Australians, with Josh Inglis, Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly and Beau Webster being the other prominent names.
De Kock and Miller are among the 15 Proteas players in the IPL auction, along with fast bowlers Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder.
Fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, Ackeem Auguste, Shai Hope and Roston Chase are among the nine players from the West Indies in the auction.
Sri Lankan spinners Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana and Traveen Matthew will be among the dozen players from the island nation in the auction, along with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera.
Conway and Rachin Ravindra, who were released by CSK, are among the 16 New Zealand players in the auction.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Naveen ul Haq feature in the list of 10 players from Afghanistan.

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Ashes due to hamstring and Achilles issues, shifting his focus to the T20 World Cup, while Pat Cummins is expected to return for the Adelaide Test.mins is expected to return for the third Test.

Josh Hazlewood Out of Ashes, Focuses on T20 World Cup Preparation

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Ashes due to hamstring and Achilles issues, shifting his focus to the T20 World Cup, while Pat Cummins is expected to return for the Adelaide Test.

Australia&rsquo;s Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Ashes due to hamstring and Achilles issues, shifting his focus to the T20 World Cup, while Pat Cummins is expected to return for the Adelaide Test.

Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Ashes series with hamstring and Achilles injuries.
Hazlewood missed Australia's two eight-wickets wins over England in Perth and Brisbane but had been expected to return later in the five-match series.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald on Tuesday said the veteran paceman would now be targeting a return for the Twenty20 World Cup early next year.
&ldquo;He'll be out of the series and his preparation will then shift toward the World Cup, which is an incredibly important campaign for us," McDonald said. &ldquo;It's really flat for him. A couple of setbacks we didn't see coming &mdash; we thought he'd play a huge part in the series.&rdquo;
Hazlewood has been a key member of Australia's regular bowling attack for a decade.
There was better news for skipper Pat Cummins, who is expected to return for the third test in Adelaide starting Dec. 17 after missing the first two tests while he recovers from a back problem.
The 32-year-old paceman increased his training workload at Allan Border Field in Brisbane while the Australians were playing the second test against England at the Gabba.
He is set to be recalled as captain when the match squad is announced Wednesday.
Steve Smith has been leading the Australia XI in the absence of Cummins.
&ldquo;We feel as though he'll be as best prepared as can be," McDonald said. "Us seeing him further advanced, we feel he'll be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide.
&ldquo;We feel as though the simulation in the nets has got him skill ready. His body's ready to go. Barring anything else happening in the next week, I'd be expecting Pat to be tossing the coin and putting the blazer on.&rdquo;
The under-fire England squad, which needs a win in Adelaide to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes, is taking a few days out this week to rest and relax at one of Australia's iconic beach towns.
The fourth test starts Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney will host the fifth test from Jan. 4.
England hasn't won an Ashes test in Australia since the 2010-11 series.
Mitchell Starc, the only regular member of the Australian attack involved in the first two tests, is the leading bowler in the series so far with 18 wickets and has won back-to-back man-of-the-match awards.

India start their five-match T20I series against South Africa in Cuttack with the returns of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, as Suryakumar Yadav’s form and the Sanju Samson–Jitesh Sharma wicketkeeper debate remain key talking points.

Gill, Hardik return as India begin official T20I WC build-up vs South Africa

India start their five-match T20I series against South Africa in Cuttack with the returns of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, as Suryakumar Yadav&rsquo;s form and the Sanju Samson&ndash;Jitesh Sharma wicketkeeper debate remain key talking points.

The return of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya will lend fresh sheen and much-needed completeness to reigning world champions India when they begin their official march towards the home T20 World Cup with the opening match of a five-game series against South Africa, in Cuttack on Tuesday.
This series marks the start of India's formal build-up to the February showpiece, where they will play 10 T20Is -- five against South Africa followed by another five against New Zealand -- before opening their title defence against the USA at the Wankhede on February 7.
The defending champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
India have been a formidable T20I unit post their World Cup triumph in the format last year, where they won eight matches in a row to lift the title. Since then, they have extended their tally to 26 wins with only four losses, including a seven-match streak during their Asia Cup victory in Dubai. They have not lost a T20I series in this period, and with only minor tweaks needed, they will be hoping to sharpen the edges against the side they defeated in the T20 World Cup final.
Gill's return Gill's return comes after he missed almost a month of cricket owing to a neck spasm suffered while attempting a slog sweep during the opening Test against the Proteas. Having played non-stop cricket since the last IPL and with India facing a packed season ahead, his workload management will be closely monitored.
But for Gill, who has 837 runs from 33 T20Is at an average of 29.89, this series also doubles up as vital preparation heading into the ICC event. His reunion with Abhishek Sharma brings back a high-impact opening pair that marries brute force with clean, classical strokeplay.
Abhishek, fresh from a standout tour of Australia where he topped India's scoring charts with 163 runs in the 2-1 victory, has been in monstrous domestic touch. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, the Punjab left-hander hammered 304 runs at an average of 50.66 and a staggering strike rate of 249-plus, including a breathtaking 52-ball 148 against Bengal as Punjab posted 310/5.
 Pandya comeback Hardik Pandya's comeback is equally significant. Out for more than two months after a quadricep injury during the Asia Cup, the all-rounder marked his return in style with a 42-ball 77 not out for Baroda in the SMAT before bowling four overs at full tilt for 1/52.
He arrived here a day ahead of the squad, trained solo at the Barabati Stadium, bowled for 20 minutes and went through an extended physical routine. His presence not only deepens India's batting but restores the balance of a bowling attack built heavily on flexibility.
 SKY's form One of the central conversations ahead of the series has been skipper Suryakumar Yadav's prolonged lean patch. The contrast between his dazzling IPL 2025, where he amassed 717 runs for Mumbai Indians, and his underwhelming T20I returns have been striking.
Since taking over as full-time T20I captain in July last year, his form has dipped to an average of 15.33 with 184 runs in 15 innings, he has not scored a fifty in the last 20 games, and his strike rate has reduced to 127.77 from the 187-plus he clocked in 2022. Even in the SMAT this season, he failed to reach a fifty, scoring 165 runs from five matches. Any drastic move before the World Cup looks unlikely, but the next 10 T20Is will add fodder to conversations surrounding both his form and captaincy.
 Sanju vs Jitesh The wicketkeeper-batter debate -- Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma -- remains equally tantalising. India's handling of the pair during the Australia series raised eyebrows, with Samson batting only once, promoted to No. 3, before Jitesh was backed for the last three T20Is.
Since India's World Cup triumph, Samson has been the team's third-highest run-getter, flourishing as an opener with three centuries, including two in South Africa. But Gill's return as vice-captain pushed Samson down the order into a role he rarely occupies in T20 cricket.
In the recent SMAT, Samson looked in excellent touch with two fifties, two 40s and a 56-ball 73 not out against Andhra, while Jitesh managed modest returns for Baroda with a top score of 41 from six outings.
 SA notes South Africa, for their part, welcome back tearaway pacer Anrich Nortje for his first international appearance since last year's T20 World Cup final. Marco Jansen's evolution as a genuine all-rounder adds heft to the visitors; his blistering 93 in the Guwahati Test and 70 off 39 balls in Ranchi underscored a renewed authority with the bat to go with his established potency with the ball.
Veteran left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj also returns to the white-ball fold, though the Proteas will sorely miss star batter Tony de Zorzi and young fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, both ruled out of the five-match series due to injury.
Teams (from): India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottineil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donnovan Ferreria, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.
Match Starts: 7pm IST.

Virat Kohli’s 53rd ODI century and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden ton went in vain as South Africa sealed a four-wicket win in Raipur, chasing 359 to level the series 1-1.

Kohli, Gaikwad hundreds in vain as South Africa chase 359 to level ODI series

Virat Kohli&rsquo;s 53rd ODI century and Ruturaj Gaikwad&rsquo;s maiden ton went in vain as South Africa sealed a four-wicket win in Raipur, chasing 359 to level the series 1-1.

Virat Kohli&rsquo;s 53rd ODI ton and Ruturaj Gaikwad&rsquo;s maiden century were eclipsed by a collective effort from South Africa in a steep run chase, giving the visitors a series levelling four wicket-win in the second ODI against India in Raipur on Wednesday.
Chasing 359, South Africa rode on a brilliant century from Aiden Markram (110), a brutal 34-ball 54 (1x4s, 5x6s) from Dewald Brevis and Matthew Breetzke's 68 to get over the line in another resilient effort with the bat.
The series-deciding third and final ODI will be played in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
India&rsquo;s job was far from done even after putting a daunting total on board as heavy dew in the second half not only made spinners&rsquo; job tougher, but poor returns from Prasidh Krishna (2/79) did not help their cause.
Prasidh, who had broken a second-wicket century partnership earlier by dismissing Temba Bavuma (46), got it right finally to pin Breetzke leg-before late in the game, and soon after, Arshdeep Singh (2/54) removed the dangerous Marco Jansen (2), but Corbin Bosch (29 not out off 15) and Keshav Maharaj (10 not out off 14) took the Proteas over the line with four balls to spare.
Markram was in his elements utilising a flat deck under lights to notch up his maiden century against India and providing South Africa a heavy contribution from the top to push on.
He took the initiative in the opening partnership and even though he lost Quinton de Kock (8) early with Arshdeep drawing first blood, Markram found a stable partner in Bavuma to put on 101 for the second wicket.
Markram had to remain the aggressor as Bavuma farmed the strike from the other end. Markram pierced gaps at will with brute force as well as some artistry.
He also hit through the line and over the bowlers&rsquo; head to clear the ropes while using the feet well against Indian spinners, with heavy dew making their job even more difficult as the innings progressed.
But the opener also had luck favouring him when a powerful hit off Kuldeep Yadav towards long on saw the ball going through Yashasvi Jaiswal&rsquo;s hands for a six.
Had the catch been taken, Markram&rsquo;s charge would&rsquo;ve ended on 53.
Markram eventually fell off a short off-cutter from Harshit Rana (1/70) but his dismissal had Brevis and Breetzke teaming up, who waltzed to 92 off the next 64 balls to put South Africa in complete control.
While Brevis fell after his quick fifty which featured some massive sixes , Breetzke made a composed 68 for a second consecutive half-century.
Incidentally, it was only the second occasion where India lost an ODI despite scoring in excess of 350, with the first instance being against Australia in March 2019 when they lost by a similar margin of four wickets despite making 358/9 at Mohali.
Earlier, Kohli&rsquo;s successive hundred, maiden century from Gaikwad (105) and KL Rahul&rsquo;s quickfire 66 not out propelled India to a formidable 358 for five.
Kohli (102 off 93 balls, 7x4s, 2x6s) and Gaikwad (105 off 83 balls, 12x4s, 2x6s) reset the record for highest third-wicket stand for India in ODIs against South Africa as their 195-run association built the platform for the hosts to launch themselves into a big score.
And Rahul&rsquo;s (66 not out off 43 balls, 6x4s, 2x6s) second fifty in a row ensured that, even as India continued to tinker with their batting line-up with the stand-in skipper coming in at No 5 ahead of Washington Sundar, who endured another failure.
Unlike at Ranchi where he did not look accustomed to batting in the middle order, Gaikwad emerged a perfect foil for Kohli as the two began racking up runs with ease.
With Ajinkya Rahane in tow, Kohli had put on 189 at Durban in February 2018 but perhaps on some counts, this partnership with Gaikwad was the one he may have enjoyed a little more as the Maharashtra batter matched his style of play.
The rotation of strike was deft, the singles were seamlessly converted into doubles and at times it was difficult for one to distinguish who had pierced the gap for those runs &mdash; not necessarily boundaries &mdash; as Gaikwad even appeared to be matching Kohli in terms of stroke-play.
If he was roughed up at the start, Gaikwad grew in confidence to post a fine half-century. Once past the milestone, he picked up pace.
Off the blocks with a perfect pull shot which sent the ball sailing over the ropes, it was yet another day in the office for Kohli who did not put a foot wrong on way to a record extending 53rd ODI ton.

India’s batting faltered again as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav continued their lean run, handing South Africa a 51-run win in the second T20. Quinton de Kock’s blistering 90 powered the visitors to 213/4 before Indian batters collapsed.

South Africa level series after de Kock special; Gill, SKY misfire again

India&rsquo;s batting faltered again as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav continued their lean run, handing South Africa a 51-run win in the second T20. Quinton de Kock&rsquo;s blistering 90 powered the visitors to 213/4 before Indian batters collapsed.

The lean run of Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav was extended as Indian batters stumbled on a good batting surface to lose the second T20 against South Africa by 51 runs in Mullanpur on Thursday.&nbsp;
Quinton de Kock made an effortless 90 of 46 balls, pushing South Africa to a challenging 213 for four after India opted to field.
India were expected to chase down the steep target but South Africa removed Indian trio of Abhishek Sharma (17), Gill (0) and Suryakumar Yadav (5) inside the powerplay to put the hosts on the backfoot. India were eventually bowled out for 162 in 19.1 overs with Tilak Varma (62 off 34) playing a lone hand.
The five match series now stands at 1-1 with the third match scheduled in Dharamsala on December 14. The local crowd was expecting their home heroes, Gill and Abhishek, to fire but it was not to be.
Yet to realise his potential in the shortest format, vice-captain Gill, facing his very first ball, got a beauty from Lungi Ngidi that seamed away from length to take a thick outside edge. Abhshek was caught behind in the following over from Marco Jansen. Next to depart was skipper Suryakumar who too got a faint edge after Jansen angled it away from the India skipper.
Batting at three, Axar Patel (21 off 21) was pouched at cover with Reeza Hendricks just about managing to have his fingers under the ball. From thereon, Tilak batted at a high tempo but lack of partnerships and soaring run rate pushed the game out of India's reach..
Earlier, de Kock entertained the crowd with his remarkable strokeplay. When in full flow, De Kock is among the most attractive batters in the game and he flaunted his special skills on a true pitch. He was mainly dealing in sixes in the middle and majority of his seven maximums came in the deep square leg region.
De Kock, who recently reversed his ODI retirement and was not sure about his T20 future post the World Cup last year, is back with a renewed purpose and remains on top of his game. An innings like this just less than a week before the mini auction will also create the buzz among the franchises, who might indulge in a bidding war for the multi-skilled cricketer.
Arshdeep Singh, who had De Kock caught behind in the series opener, was at the receiving end on Thursday. De Kock began the assault with a pick up shot for six off Arshdeep before pulling the left-arm pacer for a maximum over deep mid-wicket.
Jasprit Bumrah too conceded 16 runs in his second over after being disdainfully pulled for six by Reeza Hendricks. The right-hander missed a skidder from Varun Chakravarthy in the following over to give India a welcome breakthrough but De Kock maintained the pressure on the opposition, taking his team to 53-1 in the powerplay.
Brought back into the attack in 11th over, Arshdeep lost his usual calm under pressure after being smashed for a six down the ground by De Kock. The Indian pacer tried to bowl wide yorkers from thereon but failed miserably and ended up bowling as many as seven wides in a 18-run over.
The South African opener looked certain to cross the 100-run mark for the second time in his T20 career but was run out in a bizarre fashion by wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma after attempting a non existent single.
The big hits kept coming even after de Kock's fall with Donavan Ferreria (30 not off 16) and David Miller (20 not out off 12) doing the damage in the death overs.
Arshdeep's new ball partner Bumrah too had an off day and conceded 18 runs in the 20th over after being hammered for two towering sixes by Ferreira. India leaked 123 runs in the last 10 overs.

Cricket

The 2025 Ashes series between Australia and England promises high drama, historic rivalries, and key battles featuring stars like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith, and Mitchell Starc, across five Tests starting in Perth.

The Ashes: What to know about cricket's most storied rivalry

The 2025 Ashes series between Australia and England promises high drama, historic rivalries, and key battles featuring stars like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith, and Mitchell Starc, across five Tests starting in Perth.

Few sporting contests carry the history, drama, and aura of the Ashes.&nbsp;
Born from a mock newspaper obituary in 1882 and symbolized by a tiny urn, the rivalry between Australia and England has shaped more than a century of Test cricket.&nbsp;
Ahead of one of the biggest contests on the cricket calendar, here's what to know about the upcoming five-match series.
<h3> The Origins</h3>
The Ashes is one of the oldest and most iconic rivalries in international sport, featuring Test cricket contests between Australia and England. Cricket tests between English and Australian teams started in 1877.
According to the Marylebone Cricket Club, the Lord's-based custodian of the laws of the game, the term &ldquo;Ashes&rdquo; was first used in August 1882 in a satirical obituary for English cricket printed in The Sporting Times after the representative team lost on home soil to Australia for the first time.
The obituary reported that the body of English cricket would be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.
English captain Ivo Bligh led a team to Australia later that year with a vow to reclaim &ldquo;the ashes.&rdquo;
A fan presented Bligh with a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the Ashes after an England victory &mdash; and that's how the Ashes and the urn became intrinsically connected.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c03853da10_1763443589.jpg" width="576" height="523">
Bligh met his future wife on that day. The couple moved to England and took the urn with them, keeping it in the family until after Bligh died, when it was bequeathed to the MCC.
The Ashes series has evolved into a regular event, held approximately every two years and alternating between the two countries.
<h3> Some Classic Moments</h3>
1932&ndash;33 &ldquo;Bodyline&rdquo; Series: England used hostile &ldquo;fast leg theory&rdquo; bowling tactics to intimidate Australian batters, especially Don Bradman. England reclaimed the Ashes, but the rules were later modified to restrict similar tactics.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c04265d4fe_1763443750.png" width="575" height="320">
&nbsp;
Shane Warne&rsquo;s &ldquo;Ball of the Century&rdquo; (1993): At Old Trafford, Warne&rsquo;s first Ashes delivery for Australia drifted and spun almost incomprehensibly to bowl Mike Gatting, announcing Warne as a generational star.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c04922a6e8_1763443858.png" width="570" height="317">
&nbsp;
Ben Stokes&rsquo; Headingley Innings (2019): His unbeaten 135, mixing supreme composure with fearless hitting, dragged England to an improbable one-wicket victory and etched a new legend into Ashes folklore.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c057bbba75_1763444091.jpg" width="565" height="315">
&nbsp;
Jonny Bairstow Controversy (2023): England&rsquo;s Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped at Lord's after wandering out of his crease, believing the ball to be out of play.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c0605be560_1763444229.jpg" width="567" height="316">
While entirely within the laws, the incident sparked fierce debate over the spirit of cricket, igniting a storm across the cricketing world.
<h3> Recent History</h3>
Australia has held the Ashes since 2017, retaining the urn with series wins at home and drawn series in England, including a 2-2 result in a highly charged tour two years ago.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c06e08fe61_1763444448.jpg" width="562" height="313">
England has not won an Ashes Test in Australia since 2011 &mdash; also the last time it won a series in Australia. That span includes a 5-0 loss in 2013-14, and 4-0 defeats in 2017-18 and 2021-22.
The 3-1 series loss to England in 2010-11 was Australia&rsquo;s only Ashes series loss at home since it reclaimed the urn in England in 1989.
<h3> England Players to Watch</h3>
Joe Root: No. 1-ranked batter and second-highest scorer in Test cricket, but he has never scored an Ashes century in Australia. His average of 35.68 in 14 Tests here lags far behind his career mark of 51.29.
Ben Stokes: England&rsquo;s talismanic captain and &ldquo;Bazball&rdquo; figurehead. Stokes can win matches almost single-handedly. Despite being Test cricket's leading six-hitter, he averages just 28.61 with the bat and 41 with the ball in Australia.
Jofra Archer: Playing his first Ashes in Australia but already famous for his express pace, including the 2019 blows to Smith and Labuschagne. Injuries have stalled his career since his 22-wicket breakout series, and England will hope he stays fit.
<h3> Australia Players to Watch</h3>
Steven Smith: Australia&rsquo;s premier batter for more than a decade and anchor of an unsettled lineup. With 10,447 runs, 36 centuries, and an average of 56.02, he sits just behind Bradman among Australia&rsquo;s Test greats. Smith has 12 Ashes hundreds, including a best of 239 at Perth.
Mitchell Starc: The last fit member of Australia&rsquo;s first-choice pace trio, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood sidelined due to injuries. Starc has 402 wickets in 100 Tests, placing him fourth on Australia&rsquo;s all-time list.
Scott Boland: A cult hero since his remarkable 6-7 on debut at the MCG in 2021. His 62 wickets at 16.53 in 14 Tests would make him an automatic pick, though the 36-year-old has often been squeezed out behind Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood.
<h3> The Schedule</h3>
The five-Test series starts Friday in Perth, Western Australia.
Second Test: Day-nighter at the Gabba in Brisbane, starting Dec. 4.
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, Dec. 17&ndash;21.
Fourth Test: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Boxing Day Test, starting Dec. 26.
Fifth Test: Sydney, starting Jan. 4.

Virat Kohli's much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended early with a dismissal for just six runs. Himanshu Sangwan claimed the prized wicket as Kohli's brief stay at the crease left Delhi trailing Railways.

Virat Kohli dismissed for six runs in Ranji Trophy return leaving fans disappointed

Virat Kohli's much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended early with a dismissal for just six runs. Himanshu Sangwan claimed the prized wicket as Kohli's brief stay at the crease left Delhi trailing Railways.

Virat Kohli's return to the Ranji Trophy was cut short as he was dismissed for just six runs on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.&nbsp;
Kohli's brief innings was ended by Himanshu Sangwan, who claimed the prized wicket after Kohli had faced only 15 deliveries.
Kohli displayed a brief moment of brilliance, playing a beautiful straight drive off Sangwan, but the very next delivery proved his downfall.&nbsp;
The ball, angled in on a fullish length just outside off, seamed in sharply as Kohli attempted another drive but missed, leaving a gap between his bat and pad. The ball clipped the off-stump, sending the bails flying.
The dismissal was a significant moment for Sangwan, whose wicket of Kohli seemed to deflate the stadium, as thousands of fans who had gathered to witness a Kohli masterclass were left disappointed. Following Kohli's exit, Delhi was at 87/3, still trailing Railways by 140 runs.
However, there may still be a chance for redemption. If Delhi gets a second innings, Kohli will have another opportunity to shine.&nbsp;
On Day 1 of the match, the stadium was buzzing with excitement as fans turned out in large numbers to support their cricketing icon, whose recent performances have been below expectations.
Over 15,000 fans attended the match, with additional gates opened and increased security. In a dramatic turn, a fan managed to breach security, rushing onto the field to meet Kohli.&nbsp;
The fan touched Kohli&rsquo;s feet before being escorted off by security personnel. Kohli, displaying his characteristic calm, requested security to handle the fan gently and avoid any harsh treatment.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Delhi's opening bowlers, Navdeep Saini and Siddhant Sharma, had put Railways in trouble at 21/3, showing promise for the remainder of the match.

Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the prestigious ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after an exceptional performance across formats.

Jasprit Bumrah named ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024, wins Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy

Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the prestigious ICC Men&rsquo;s Cricketer of the Year 2024 and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after an exceptional performance across formats.

Jasprit Bumrah has added another incredible achievement to his already impressive career, being named the ICC Men&rsquo;s Cricketer of the Year for 2024.&nbsp;
Following his win as the ICC Men&rsquo;s Test Cricketer of the Year, Bumrah also claimed the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, solidifying his status as one of the world&rsquo;s best fast bowlers.
Bumrah triumphed over fellow nominees Travis Head, Joe Root, and Harry Brook to secure the award, becoming the fifth Indian player to receive this recognition.&nbsp;
Previous Indian recipients include Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
The ICC highlighted Bumrah&rsquo;s exceptional performances across formats in 2024, describing his year as a &ldquo;masterclass in skill, precision, and relentless consistency,&rdquo; with the fast bowler continuing to break records and establish himself as the world&rsquo;s premier pacer.
Bumrah had a stellar year in both T20Is and Tests. He played a pivotal role in India&rsquo;s triumph at the T20 World Cup 2024, finishing as the Player of the Tournament with 15 wickets at an extraordinary average of 8.26 and an economy rate of just 4.17.
In Tests, Bumrah took 71 wickets, outpacing England&rsquo;s Gus Atkinson, who claimed 52 wickets in 11 matches. Bumrah's average was a phenomenal 14.92, and his strike rate was just 30.1 for the year.&nbsp;
His 71 wickets made him only the fourth Indian bowler in history to take more than 70 Test wickets in a calendar year, joining the ranks of Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, and Kapil Dev.
Bumrah&rsquo;s year began with a stellar performance in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, where he took eight wickets across two innings, helping India to victory. He then dominated England at home, claiming 19 wickets in four Tests as India won 1-4. H
owever, his finest performance came during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) tour of Australia, where he bagged an incredible 32 wickets in five Tests and was named Player of the Series.
Bumrah&rsquo;s remarkable year saw him surpass the milestone of 200 Test wickets, becoming the 12th Indian bowler to achieve this feat. He also became the fastest Indian pacer to reach this mark, with a bowling average of less than 20, the best in history.
Bumrah&rsquo;s dominance was further reflected in his ICC Test Bowling Rankings, where he surpassed 900 rating points, ending the year with an unprecedented 907 points&mdash;setting a new record for the most points by any Indian bowler in history.

Rishabh Pant, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a record Rs 27 crores in the IPL 2025 auction, has been named captain of the franchise. 

Rishabh Pant named Lucknow Super Giants captain for IPL 2025

Rishabh Pant, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a record Rs 27 crores in the IPL 2025 auction, has been named captain of the franchise.&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant, the trailblazing wicketkeeper, has been appointed as the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the franchise announced on Monday.
The 27-year-old, who made history during the IPL auction in November by being sold to Lucknow for Rs 27 crores ($3.2 million), joins the team for the upcoming edition of the lucrative T20 tournament.
Pant, known for his flamboyant left-handed batting, returned to captain Delhi Capitals last season after a 14-month hiatus from elite cricket due to a car accident. However, he parted ways with the Capitals after the team finished sixth in the 2024 IPL season standings.
"I see a born leader in Rishabh Pant. From my point of view, he will be probably the best captain IPL has seen," said Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of Lucknow, during a special TV broadcast. "Surely Rishabh Pant will play for at least 14-15 years for us, we hope at least five IPL titles in these years."
Pant has represented India in 150 international matches across all three formats, amassing 5,028 runs, including seven centuries.
The 18th edition of the IPL is set to commence on March 21, with the opening match scheduled to be held in Kolkata, while the final will take place on May 25, according to reports from Indian media.
The IPL continues to be a major revenue generator for Indian cricket, contributing more than $11 billion annually to the economy. It has also played a pivotal role in popularizing T20 cricket globally, inspiring similar events worldwide.

Australia defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test, with Matthew Kuhnemann taking career-best figures of 9-149. Sri Lanka’s batting collapse saw them lose their last five wickets for just nine runs, sealing the heavy defeat.

Australia crushes Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in historic Test victory

Australia defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test, with Matthew Kuhnemann taking career-best figures of 9-149. Sri Lanka&rsquo;s batting collapse saw them lose their last five wickets for just nine runs, sealing the heavy defeat.

Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest defeat in Test cricket history on Saturday as Australia flexed their muscles to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with a crushing victory by an innings and 242 runs.
The contest was wrapped up before tea on day four, with rookie left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann's match-winning spell delivering him career-best figures of 9-149 over both innings.
"We were put under pressure," Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva said afterwards. "The batters should have put up a better show."
Kuhnemann underwent surgery only two weeks ago on a broken right thumb sustained during the Big Bash League and battled through the match in pain, requiring constant medical attention.
He was well-supported by the ever-dependable Nathan Lyon, who spun a web around the Sri Lankan batters to finish with seven match wickets.
Sri Lanka's heaviest defeat before Saturday was in Nagpur in 2017, when India hammered them by an innings and 239.
Sri Lanka resumed on 136 for five overnight but their first innings folded for 165, losing their last five wickets for a mere nine runs.
Put straight back in to bat chasing 489, they lost three wickets before lunch and then capitulated in the second session -- a humiliating finish for a team once renowned for its prowess on turning tracks.
Dinesh Chandimal had waged a lonely battle in the first innings to top-score with 72 and, with Angelo Mathews, stitched together one of only two 50-plus partnerships in the second.
However, he was sent back for 31 on the last ball before lunch when he gloved Lyon to Travis Head at short leg.
Oshada Fernando failed to make an impact in his return to the side, undone by a sharp inswinger from Mitchell Starc that trapped him plumb in front for six to go with his first innings seven.
Former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne's horror run with the bat continued after an avoidable dismissal for nought by Todd Murphy.
 - 'Tough place to play' -
Rain forced an early lunch on day three before washing out the final two sessions.
Australia declared on 654-6 late on the second day after opener Usman Khawaja's career-best 232.
"Galle is a tough place to play cricket and we are very happy with this win," Khawaja said.
"I've played a lot of cricket in Sri Lanka, this being my fifth tour. I've made lot of mistakes before. I guess all that experience came in handy in this game."
Stand-in skipper Steve Smith also had a game to remember, becoming only the fourth Australian to breach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket on the first ball he faced.
He finished his innings with a masterful 141, while wicketkeeper Josh Inglis hit a century on debut.
Galle will host the second and final match of the series next week before a two-match ODI series in Colombo.

India’s left-handed star Smriti Mandhana shared her love for cricket, recalling her 12-year journey, World Cup victory, and the inspiration drawn from wearing the Indian jersey at the Amazon Sambhav Summit.

I don't think I love anything more than cricket: Smriti Mandhana

India&rsquo;s left-handed star Smriti Mandhana shared her love for cricket, recalling her 12-year journey, World Cup victory, and the inspiration drawn from wearing the Indian jersey at the Amazon Sambhav Summit.

It has been 12 years since she first donned India colours and in all these years Smriti Mandhana has realised one thing --- that there is nothing in the world that "she loves more" than the game of cricket.
India's greatest left-handed woman batter, Mandhana reflected on her journey from making her debut back in 2013 to playing a big role in team's World Cup triumph a month back.
Reflecting on what drives her, Mandhana added, "I don't think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is the motivation that drives us. You keep all your problems aside, and that thought alone helps you focus on life," she said at the Amazon Sambhav Summit here on Wednesday.
She always had clarity about her ambition. "As a kid, the madness for batting was always there. No one understood it, but in my mind, I always wanted to be called a world champion."
Mandhana said the trophy felt like a culmination of the team&rsquo;s long struggle. "This World Cup was the reward for the battle we fought over the years. We were waiting for it so badly. I&rsquo;ve been playing for more than 12 years &mdash; many times things didn&rsquo;t go our way. We visualised it before the final, and when we finally saw it on the screen, it gave us goosebumps. It was an incredible, special moment," the Indian vice-captain said.
Mandhana said the presence of veterans Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami at the final heightened the emotion. "We really wanted to do it for them, badly. Seeing tears in their eyes made it feel like women's cricket itself was winning. It was a battle won for all of them," she said.
Mandhana said the World Cup reinforced two enduring lessons. "You always start an innings at zero, no matter if you scored a hundred before. And don't play for yourself - that's what we kept reminding each other," she said.
Incidentally, this was Mandhana's first public appearance since she called off her marriage with musician Palash Mucchal.