KL Rahul, India's stand-in captain for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, has been ruled out due to a groin injury. The development takes place a day before the series opener in New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday. However, in Rahul's absence, Rishabh Pant will be leading the team.
Meanwhile, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is also out due to an injury that he copped to his right hand while batting Tuesday evening. Now, he will take no part in any of the five matches. In another interesting announcement, the BCCI named Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain for the series.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant as Captain and Hardik Pandya as vice-captain for the home series against South Africa."
"Team India Captain KL Rahul has been ruled out of the T20I series against South Africa owing to a right groin injurywhile Kuldeep Yadav will miss out in the T20I series after getting hit on his right hand while batting in the nets last evening."
The BCCI tweeted
Rahul did not take part in India's practice session on either Tuesday or Wednesday. However, he did turn up for the first optional net session on Monday, where he batted mostly against spinners.
Rahul looked impressive as he played against Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, and Axar Patel. He played the sweeps and the lofted strokes with ease and rather disdain. With Rahul out, Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to open the batting for India with Ishan Kishan.
The Selection Committee has not named any replacements
The Selection Committee has not named any replacements till now. Both Rahul and Kuldeep will head to the NCA where the medical team will assess them, monitor their fitness, and decide on the further course of treatment.
After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.
Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.
The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.
India will play New Zealand twice
India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.
It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.
India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026
In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.
The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.
Foreign players asked to return to their country as IPL 2025 postponed for a week due to India-Pakistan tension
If the IPL 2025 resumes at the end of May, most of the foreign players will be able to return. The teams believe so. If these matches are played after May 25, it will be difficult for the players to return.
Due to the increasing conflict between India and Pakistan, BCCI has postponed the IPL 2025 for a week. BCCI gave this information on Friday. The board said that it has taken this decision keeping in mind the concerns of the players and the sentiments of the fans. The new schedule of IPL will be released depending on the situation.
At the same time, according to media reports, all foreign players have been asked to return to their country. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia and South Africa Cricket Board have expressed concern over their players. There are still 12 league matches and 4 playoff matches left in IPL 2025. The final of the tournament was to be held on 25 May.
It is believed that India's tour of Bangladesh in August will be cancelled. The Asia Cup to be held in September will also be postponed. The remaining matches of IPL can be held in India in their place.
It is difficult for BCCI to bring back foreign players
The biggest challenge for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in resuming the IPL in May is to bring back foreign players. As soon as the IPL was announced to be postponed for a week, most of the foreign players returned to their respective countries. The remaining players will leave India by Saturday.
It will be interesting to see how BCCI brings back the foreign players and restarts the tournament. Because without them, it will be difficult to organize matches.
Players will start playing for the country
If the IPL resumes at the end of May, most of the foreign players will be able to return. The teams believe so. If these matches are played after May 25, it will be difficult for the players to return. The biggest reason for this is that many players will be playing for their national team then.
The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) is also scheduled to be held between the Australia and the South Africa at Lord's from June 11.
Starting the tournament is not easy
BCCI has kept all three grounds ready. Despite this, officials believe that it will not be easy to restart this competition now. All the teams were informed about this on Friday without any formal announcement. People from many teams are saying that all the remaining matches can be held at the end of the year.
Punjab-Delhi match had to be canceled midway
On the night of 8 May at around 8.30 pm, Pakistan attacked the borders of Jammu, Punjab and Rajasthan of India with missiles and drones. During this time, a match was being played between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. It had to be stopped midway.
Gujarat on top, 3 teams out of the playoffs race
By the time IPL 2025 was halted midway, 57 matches of the league stage had been completed. The 58th match was halted midway. After 57 matches, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore had the highest points in the points table with 16-16 points.
GT remained on top due to better run rate. Punjab was third, Mumbai fourth and Delhi fifth. Whereas Chennai, Rajasthan and Hyderabad teams were out of the playoff race.
When the tournament was stopped, 4 teams had 2-2 matches left. Whereas 6 teams including Gujarat and Bangalore had not played 3-3 matches. A match was to be played between Lucknow and Bangalore in Lucknow on Friday, but the tournament was stopped before that.
From Pandya to Curran: Meet the Cricket brothers who ruled world cricket
From legendary pairs to modern-day stars, the world of cricket has got family on the field throughout. Meet the cricket brothers who ruled the world of cricket.
The bond of brothers is often strong, but when it extends to the cricket field, the results can be spectacular. We have witnessed such amazing pairs across the globe.
From Pandya brothers to Curran and Pathans, meet the cricket brothers who ruled world cricket. Read till the end to discover the pairs you didn't know about!
Pandya Brothers (Hardik Pandya & Krunal Pandya) | India
Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017. Image | Hindustan Times
The Pandya brothers are currently the most popular pair from India, known for their hard-hitting capabilities with the bat, and surprise bowling impact on the team. They started their career playing for their home city, Baroda, and later made their way to Mumbai Indians in IPL.
Hardik Pandya made his International debut in 2016 for India, and has been an integral part of the team ever since. His heroic contributions under pressure is something the nation will never forget. He also led India as a captain in 16 T20 matches, winning 10 among them.
Krunal Pandya debuted for India in 2018, which was only 2 years after his IPL debut for MI. In 2021, he became the fastest Indian to score a ODI half century in a debut match. He scored it off just 26 balls against England.
Curran Brothers (Sam Curran & Tom Curran) | England
Tom Curran and Sam Curran playing for the England Cricket Team. Image | Pinterest
The Curran Brothers are brilliant all-rounder pair from England. They both made their international debut at a young age and have evolved to be a popular name in the cricketing world.
Sam Curran is a key player for England, known for his brilliant transformation from bowling all-rounder to being equally aggressive with the bat. He was a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad in 2022.
Tom Curran made his debut for England at the age of 22, and has served as an efficient bowling all-rounder for his nation.
They also have another brother, Ben Curran, who currently plays for Zimbabwe national team.
Pathan Brothers (Yusuf and Irfan Pathan) | India
Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan playing for their respective franchises in IPL 2016. Image | Instagram
The Pathan brothers played for India and earned worldwide recognition. Both were a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad of India in 2007.
Yusuf Pathan is the elder one, known for his explosive batting, especially in the limit overs format. His six-hitting abilities and raw power has significant impact of teams.
Irfan Pathan's swing bowling and batting contributions made him a fan favourite. He played as a vital all-rounder for India, especially during memorable victories.
Morkel Brothers (Albie Morkel & Morne Morkel) | South Africa
Morne Morkel and Albie Morkel playeing for their respective franchises during IPL 2012. Image | Facebook
The Morkel brothers represented South Africa and were one of the finest cricketers who played a major role behind the team's success. They became the first brothers in 56 years to be named as South African Cricket Annual cricketer of the year in the same season, in 2008.
Albie Morkel is the older brother, who played as a batting all-rounder, contributing by his powerful hitting.
Morne Morkel is a tall right-arm fast bowler, whose ability to generate pace and bounce made him an integral bowler in the bowling attack. He is currently the bowling coach of Indian Cricket Team, since 2024.
Chahar Brothers (Deepak & Rahul Chahar) | India
Deepak Chahar and Rahul Chahar playing for their respective franchises in IPL 2019. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The Chahar brothers are another pair of brothers who represents India in both ODI and T20 formats.
Deepak Chahar is the older one, who is a right-arm medium bowler and can also contribute with the bat. He took 6 wickets for 7 runs against Bangladesh in 2019, which is the best bowling figures in T20Is for India.
Rahul Chahar is the younger one, who is a right-arm leg-breal bowler. He made his IPL debut at only 17 years of age and strengthened the spin unit of his team.
Hussey Brothers (Michael Hussey & David Hussey) | Australia
Michael Hussey and David Hussey playing for their respective franchises in Big Bash League in 2015. Image | dailytelegraph.com
The Hussey brothers are another extremely popular pair in the world of cricket, hailing from Australia. They dominated the field with their batting power and consistency.
Michael Hussey was given the nickname "Mr. Cricket" because of his strong performances across all formats. He is one of the batting legends of the Australian team, having a highly successful career.
David Hussey is the younger brother who was more prominent in ODIs and T20Is than in Tests. He usually played as a right-handed batter, occasionally bowling off-break for the team.
Akmal Brothers (Karman Akmal & Umar Akmal) | Pakistan
Karman Akmal and Umar Akmal during their practice session for the Pakistan national team. Image | crictoday
The Akmal brothers played major roles representing Pakistan in International Cricket. They are basically a trip of cricketers, and all of them has played for the national team.
Karman Akmal is the eldest, who played as a wicket-keeper batsman. He has stuck with the team for a long time and was also am integral part of Pakistan's winning squad in the 2019 T20 World Cup.
Umar Akmal is known for his aggressive batting style who is also a popular name in the history of cricket in Pakistan.
As mentioned above, they are a trio, and Adnan Akmal is the youngest one among them. He also represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs.
The cricketing bloodline flows through their family, as they are also the cousins of Pakistan's former captain Babar Azam.
Marsh Brothers (Shaun Marsh & Mitchell Marsh) | Australia
Mitchell Marsh celebrating with his brother Shaun Marsh during a test match in 2014. Image | NDTV
The Marsh brothers are Australian brother pair, representing their country at the highest level. They became the third pair to score a century in the same test innings for Australia, in 2017-18 Ashes series against England.
Shaun Marsh is the elder one, who played as a top-order batter for his country. He also became the highest run-scorer in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, and holds the record for highest individual score by an uncapped overseas player (115*) in IPL history.
Mitchell Marsh is an all-rounder, who strengthens the middle order of the team, but also has the ability to come early and give a good start. He scored 177* runs against Bangladesh in 2023, which is the third highest individual score by Australian in ODI World Cup.
Bravo Brothers (Dwayne Bravo & Darren Bravo) | West Indies
Darren Bravo and Dwayne Bravo posing for a picture during their tenure in respective franchises in IPL 2017. Image | crictoday.com
The Bravo Brothers are notable pair of cricket stars from West Indies. They are half brothers as they share the same father but different mothers.
Dwayne Bravo is a key player for West Indies cricket team, who is an all-rounder, known for his dynamic bowling and aggressive batting. He is among the most successful T20 players globally. Dwayne as been a part of the team in memorable winning ICC tournaments.
Darren Bravo is the younger one, who also represented West Indies in international cricket as a left-handed batsman. He majorly played in ODI cricket and Tests, and was less prominent in T20s.
McCullum Brothers (Nathan McCullum & Brendon McCullum) | New Zealand
Nathan and Brendon McCullum representing New Zealand during a T20 match in 2010. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The McCullum brothers are a popular pair in the history of New Zealand cricket. They have a strong sporting family background.
Nathan McCullum played as a off-break bowler and was a useful lower-order batsman. He was a part of the New Zealand squad that reached the World Cup final in 2015.
Brendon McCullum is regarded as one or the most influential cricketers. He is a wicket-keeper batsman, known for his aggressive batting and quick run scoring abilities. He holds the record for fastest test century by scoring one off 54 balls in 2016.
Lee brothers (Brett Lee & Shane Lee) | Australia
Brett Lee and Shane Lee representing Australia | ESPNcricinfo
The Lee brothers are a pair of cricket brothers who represented Australia.
Shane Lee is the elder one and all-rounder, who was was in the World Cup winning Australia squad of 1999. He played 45 ODIs and retired in the age of 29 due to knee injury.
Brett Lee is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket. He played for Australia in all three formats and was a dominant bowler. Lee holds the record for second-most wickets taken by an Australian in ODIs.
Waugh Brothers (Steve Waugh & Mark Waugh) | Australia
Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh during their tenure playing for Australian cricket team. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The Waugh brothers are iconic figures of Australiam cricket. They are identical twins and both played at the highest level.
Steve Waugh is regarded as one of the greatest captains in cricket history. He is often nicknamed as "Tugga." He is Australia's most capped test player and holds 16 consecutive test wins and other batting records.
Mark Waugh is nicknamed as "Junior," and was known for his elegant style of play. He played as a top-order batsman for the team, and was an integral part throughout 1990s and early 2000s.
Flower Brothers (Andu Flower & Grant Flower) | Zimbabwe
Andy Flower and Grant Flower posing for a picture before their practice session for Zimbabwe. Image | Facebook
The Flower brothers are most celebrated sibling pair from Zimbabwe cricket team. They formed the backbone of the team's batting line-up.
Andy Flower is Zimbabwe's greatest cricketer and one of the finest wicketkeeper batsman. He holds numerous batting records and have captained, as well as coached the Zimbabwe national team.
Grant Flower is the younger brother, played as the opening batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He contributed brilliantly with the bat, forming crucial partnerships with his brother.
Rohit Sharma stats in Tests: Is Rohit the greatest test opener since Virender Sehwag?
Rohit played for India in this format from number one to number six. However, he was very successful as an opener in Test cricket. Let's take a look at Rohit Sharma stats in Tests as an opener.
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday. 38-year-old Rohit had already retired from T20I cricket. For now, he will continue to play for India in the ODI format and he is also the captain of Team India in this format. After this announcement by Rohit, his 11-year long Test cricket career also came to an end.
Rohit Sharma had a very good Test cricket career and he played for India in this format from number one to number six. However, he was very successful as an opener in Test cricket.
Let's take a look at Rohit Sharma stats in Tests as an opener.
Rohit scored most centuries as an opener
Rohit scored 4301 runs in 67 Test matches played in his career at an average of 40.57 with 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries, but he scored the most centuries as an opener.
Rohit was elevated to that role for the first time in October 2019, and since then, no other opener has scored as many tons. Overall, only four batters have scored more Test tons than Rohit in this period.
Rohit Sharma stats in Tests: Most sixes for India
Rohit has hit a total of 88 sixes in his Test cricket career and is second on the list of batsmen who have hit the most sixes for India in the longer format of cricket. If he had hit 3 more sixes in the Test, he would have become the batsman who has hit the most sixes in Tests for India. The record for hitting the most sixes in Tests for India is held by Virender Sehwag who hit a total of 90 sixes.
Sr
Player
6s
M
Inn
R
Ave
100s
50s
1
Virender Sehwag
90
92
178
8503
49.43
23
31
2
Rohit Sharma
88
59
116
4301
40.57
12
18
3
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
78
82
144
4876
38.09
6
33
4
Rishabh Pant
73
41
75
2948
42.11
6
15
5
Sachin Tendulkar
69
173
329
15921
53.78
51
68
6
Ravindra Jadeja
68
70
118
3370
34.74
4
22
7
Sourav Ganguly
57
101
188
7212
42.17
16
35
Rohit Sharma stats in Tests: Most centuries for India in won Test matches
Rohit Sharma is at number 5 in the list of batsmen who have scored the most centuries in Test matches won by India. He has scored a total of 12 centuries in Test matches won by India. Sachin Tendulkar is at the top of this list with 20 centuries.
As an opener in Test cricket, Rohit scored a total of 2697 runs in 66 innings for India. During this period, his average was 42.81 while in these 66 innings, he also scored 9 centuries and 8 half-centuries. His best score as an opener in Tests was 212 runs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's breathtaking 13-ball half century stands strong at the top of the table. Get ready to be thrilled as we dive into the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.
Some IPL innings leave you speechless. The talented players in this tournament have taken the stage to another level with their explosive batting over the years.
Check out the entire article to know some names that will definitely shock you.
10. Suresh Raina (2014) | 16 balls
Suresh Raina during his half-century knock off 16 balls against Punjab. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Suresh Raina is one of the players to score the fastest half-century in the early seasons of IPL. He took only 16 balls to reach his fifty, making it look super easy for the fans.
Raina was the opening batter for CSK and scored this in a match against PBKS in IPL 2024. The endless boundaries that came off his bat in this inning is hard to forget!
Jake Fraser-McGurk celebrating his 15-balls half century against SRH in IPL 2024. Image | NDTV
Jake Fraser-McGurk, who played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, stunned the spectators with his back-to-back fastest fifties in 2 matches. He scored both the fifties off 15 balls which is quite astonishing as it was his debut season.
McGurk’s consecutive fifties secured both the 9th and 8th position in top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.
He proved to be highly impactful for DC and these half centuries against MI and SRH made him more impressive. Moreover, he smashed 330 runs in 9 matches with a strike rate above 200.
Nicholas Pooran's iconic celebration after his fastest half century against RCB in IPL 2023. Image | BBC
The West Indies power-hitter, Nicholas Pooran, put up a shower of boundaries during his fastest fifty of IPL career from just 15 balls. He scored 62 runs (off 19 balls) in his knock, hitting 7 sixes and 4 fours.
Pooran had a strike rate of 326.32 which says a lot about the kind of mindset and form he was in during the match of LSG vs RCB.
6. Sunil Narine (2017) | 15 balls
Sunil Narine celebrates his fastest fifty against RCB in IPL 2017. Image | Hindustan Times
This superstar from the West Indies has never failed to amaze us, be it with the ball or bat. Sunil Narine showcased his exceptional batting skills with this 15-ball half century in IPL 2017.
Narine has played several crucial knocks for KKR in the history of IPL, but with this one, he proved how he is equally capable with the bat and can do wonders.
5. Yusuf Pathan (2014) | 15 balls
Yusuf Pathan after his fastest fifty off 15 balls against SRH. Image | Ani News
Yusuf Pathan scored a sensational fifty against SRH off 15 balls in IPL 2014. He single-handedly took the game home for KKR with his 72 runs off just 22 balls in this inning, with a strike rate above 300.
It shows that KKR indeed had some fearless power-hitters in their team throughout IPL history.
Romario Shepherd hitting the ball hard for a six during the match of RCB vs CSK in IPL 2025. Image | OneCricket
Romario Shepherd became the only batter in IPL 2025 to score a fifty so fast that could make its way to the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL. He helped RCB reach a 200+ total during the first inning against CSK, which was enough to be a defendable total.
Shepherd hit 6 sixes and 4 fours to score 53* off 14 balls. He was also given player of the match award for his spectacular knock.
3. Pat Cummins (2022) | 14 balls
Pat Cummins celebrating his fastest 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. Image | Pinterest
Here comes a surprising half-century from the Australian all-rounder, Pat Cummins, who scored 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. He helped to seal the victory for his team against MI by 5 wickets (24 balls left).
Cummins unveiled his boundary-hitting capabilities with 4 fours and 6 sixes, leaving the fans shocked. It is considered to be one of the finest knocks in IPL where he truly showcased his batting skills when needed.
2. KL Rahul (2018) | 14 balls
KL Rahul celebrates his heroic fifty in just 14 balls against DC. Image | Instagram
KL Rahul, who is now known for his calm and composed batting style, holds the second position in the list of top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history. Quite shocking, isn't it?
This was back in IPL 2018 when Rahul showed no mercy to the bowlers of Delhi Capitals with his magnificent fifty off just 14 balls.
He was the opening batter of PBKS, who kept the fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning of the inning.
Yashasvi Jaiswal during his record-breaking fastest fifty in the history of IPL. Image | Pinterest
An all-time shocker of an innings from Yashasvi Jaiswal, which remains unmatched till date! He scored fifty off 13 balls, making it the fastest half-century in IPL history.
Jaiswal scored a total of 98 runs (from 47 balls) in this match against KKR and led Rajasthan Royals to victory. He hit the ball out of the boundary line in every direction possible, and was barely seen running between the wickets.
This performance goes down the history of unbelievable knocks in IPL.
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