Cricket News
Abhishek Nayar backs Kuldeep Yadav inclusion for India's decider against West Indies

The India versus West Indies T20I series stands level at 2-2 heading into the decider scheduled for Saturday, October 17 in Bengaluru. With the series evenly poised, selection decisions will prove crucial for the hosts in their bid to clinch the contest.
Former Indian international cricketer and former Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar has outlined his preferred changes to India’s playing XI for the final match. Nayar believes the hosts face a difficult selection puzzle and has recommended specific adjustments to both the bowling and batting units.
“I think India are in a Catch-22 situation. I’ll take a punt and try and go the Kuldeep Yadav way. So, I may replace Naman Dhir with Kuldeep Yadav and get Nitish and Axar one place up. Axar Patel has also played that role of a floater really well for Team India when he has been sent up. I am very tempted to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Nayar said on JioStar.
“But are you going to play him out of position? If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is playing, then he plays in his strongest position, which is opening. And if he is opening, then whoever is number three should also be playing in his strongest position. However tempted I may be to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that too in Bengaluru in such good conditions, I will make changes in the bowling, not in the batting at all,” he added.
Nayar’s primary suggestion centres on including left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in place of Naman Dhir. Kuldeep, aged 31, last featured in a T20I during February at the T20 World Cup against Pakistan. The spinner played in the first two matches of the current series but was absent from the next two contests. Naman Dhir, 26, made his ODI debut against West Indies on September 27, 2026.
The former assistant coach also advocated for moving Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel up the order if Kuldeep is included. Axar Patel has demonstrated proficiency in the floater role when deployed in that capacity for India, according to Nayar’s assessment. These batting adjustments would accompany the bowling changes Nayar prefers for the decider.
Regarding the possibility of including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Nayar expressed caution about compromising the batter’s natural position. Nayar stated that if Sooryavanshi plays, he should bat at his strongest position, which is opening. The former assistant coach reasoned that if Sooryavanshi opens, then the number three batter should also play in his strongest position. Despite the temptation to include Sooryavanshi in Bengaluru’s favourable batting conditions, Nayar ultimately prioritised maintaining positional integrity in the batting order.
Nayar’s preference remains to modify the bowling attack rather than alter the batting lineup for the decider. He suggested India should field four attacking bowlers, subject to the availability of Arshdeep Singh. This approach would allow the hosts to maintain their batting structure while strengthening their bowling options for the final match of the series.
Cricket News
SRH CEO Kavya Maran set to marry renowned Indian music composer in November

Kavya Maran, the CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad and executive director of Sun TV Network, is set to marry renowned Tamil music composer Anirudh Ravichander. The wedding ceremony is scheduled for November 11, 2026, and will be held in Greece, making it a destination wedding for one of the most high-profile unions to emerge from the intersection of Indian cricket and the entertainment industry.
The news entered the public domain on October 16, 2026, when Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy posted photographs with the Maran family and confirmed the upcoming wedding. The announcement immediately drew widespread attention from both the cricket fraternity and the Indian film industry, given the prominence of the two families involved. The Chief Minister’s public confirmation lent an official dimension to the news and brought it firmly into the mainstream.
Kavya, born on March 13, 1991, has been one of the most recognisable faces in Indian cricket administration. As CEO of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise and executive director of Sun TV Network, one of India’s leading media conglomerates, she has been closely involved in shaping the direction of the Hyderabad side in the Indian Premier League. Anirudh is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated music composers of his generation in Indian cinema, with a body of work spanning Tamil and Telugu films that has earned him a devoted following across the country.
Where and when will the wedding and reception take place?
The wedding ceremony between Kavya and Anirudh is confirmed to take place on November 11, 2026, in Greece. The couple has chosen an international destination for the main ceremony, a choice that reflects the scale and significance of the occasion for both families.
A wedding reception is scheduled for November 21, 2026, in Chennai. The Chennai reception is expected to bring together guests from both the cricket world and the Indian film industry, given the prominent profiles of both the Maran and Ravichander families. The gap of ten days between the Greece ceremony and the Chennai reception will allow for separate celebrations suited to different sets of guests and communities.
Kavya’s family is based in Chennai, where Sun TV Network is headquartered. The choice of Chennai for the reception reflects the family’s deep roots in the city and their standing within its business and cultural circles. The dual-city, dual-country format of the celebrations underlines the reach and influence of both families across India’s media, entertainment and cricket landscapes.
Who are Kavya Maran and Anirudh Ravichander?
Kavya serves as the CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL franchise owned by the Sun TV Network group. She also holds the position of executive director at Sun TV Network. She has been closely involved in the management and strategic direction of the Hyderabad franchise and is widely recognised as one of the most prominent women in Indian cricket administration.
Anirudh is a celebrated music composer in Indian cinema, widely known for his work in Tamil and Telugu films. He has established himself as one of the leading composers of his generation in the Indian film industry, with a career that has spanned numerous commercially and critically successful productions. His work has earned him a large and loyal following among film audiences across South India and beyond.
Cricket News
Deepti Sharma, Niki Prasad rescue India after top-order collapse in 1st T20I against Zimbabwe

Indian women beat Zimbabwe by 4 wickets in the 1st T20I of their bilateral series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, on October 16, 2026. The victory came despite a dramatic top-order collapse that left the hosts reeling at 19/4 inside the first four overs of their chase.
Zimbabwe batted first and put together a competitive total of 114/5 across 20 overs. Their bowlers then made an immediate impact, with Nyasha Gwanzura and Michelle Mavunga striking early and often. Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur all fell within just 19 deliveries, leaving India in serious trouble at 19/4.
Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad then combined for an 82-run fifth-wicket partnership off 63 deliveries to turn the match on its head. India completed the chase comfortably, finishing on 116/6 in 15.4 overs with more than four overs to spare. Deepti took home the Player of the Match award for her match-winning contribution.
How did Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad rebuild India’s innings?
When Deepti walked in, India’s innings was in danger of unravelling completely. She responded with a measured knock of 49 off 37 balls, keeping the required run rate under control while ensuring the partnership with Prasad continued to build at a brisk pace. Her composure under pressure was the defining feature of India’s recovery.
Niki Prasad, a young batting all-rounder, was making her T20I debut in this fixture and showed no signs of nerves on the big occasion. She remained unbeaten on 39, anchoring the lower half of the chase alongside Deepti before the remaining batters completed the formality. The pair’s 82-run stand off 63 balls effectively settled the contest, taking India from the depths of 19/4 to within easy reach of the 115-run target and ultimately beyond it with considerable ease.
What made this match historically significant for both sides?
The fixture carried considerable historical weight on multiple fronts. This bilateral series between India and Zimbabwe is the first of its kind in women’s cricket, marking a new chapter for Zimbabwe’s women’s programme on the international stage and broadening the scope of women’s bilateral cricket globally.
Raipur, too, entered the record books by hosting a women’s international cricket match for the very first time. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium provided the backdrop for what proved to be a memorable occasion for the city and its cricket-loving supporters.
Cricket News
India and Zimbabwe wear black armbands to honour Sarah Dambanevana

Players from both India and Zimbabwe wore black armbands during the first T20I between the two sides in Raipur on October 16, 2026. Match officials also participated in the tribute, and a moment of silence was observed before the start of play.
The gesture was made in honour of former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, who passed away in Harare on October 14, 2026, at the age of 36. She had remained in hospital since undergoing a medical procedure in March 2026.
The BCCI confirmed the tribute ahead of the match.
“The Indian Cricket Team, Zimbabwe Cricket Team and match officials are wearing black arm bands and observed a moment of silence in honour and memory of former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, following her recent passing,” wrote BCCI on X.
Who was Sarah Dambanevana?
Sarah Dambanevana was a fast bowler who represented the Zimbabwe women’s team from 2009 to 2014. During her playing career, she was part of the Zimbabwe squad that competed at the 2011 Women’s World Cup Qualifier, one of the most significant tournaments the side featured in during that era.
After retiring from playing, Dambanevana transitioned into umpiring and quickly made her mark. She became the first female umpire from Zimbabwe to join the ICC Development Umpires Panel in 2022, a landmark achievement that opened the door for her international career as an official.
She made her international umpiring debut on September 2, 2023, in a Kenya versus Botswana women’s T20I held in Gaborone, Botswana. Over the course of her umpiring career, she went on to officiate in 72 senior international matches, comprising 48 women’s T20Is, 14 women’s ODIs and 10 men’s T20Is. Her final match as an umpire was a T20I between Ireland and Thailand on February 1, 2026, during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Global Qualifier held in Nepal.
What milestones did Dambanevana achieve as an umpire?
Dambanevana accumulated a remarkable set of firsts during her umpiring career, cementing her place as a trailblazer for Zimbabwean women in cricket administration. She officiated at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, becoming the first Zimbabwean female umpire to stand in that tournament.
She was also part of the historic all-female panel of match officials at the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which was held across India and Sri Lanka. That appointment underlined the trust the ICC had placed in her abilities on the biggest stages of the women’s game.
In 2026, she stood as an umpire in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup final between England and India, becoming the first Zimbabwean woman to officiate in a World Cup final of any format. Her passing has drawn tributes from across the cricket world, with the teams and officials at the Raipur T20I choosing to honour her memory through the black armband gesture and a moment of silence.
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