There has been quite a lot happening in Indian cricket in the last few days. From Virat Kohli's removal as ODI captain to Rohit Sharma getting ruled of the test series. Meanwhile, it was dramatic since last week with so many updates about the players doing round on social media. One of the reports which caught everyone by surprise was that Ravindra Jadeja was contemplating retiring from Test cricket to prolong his white-ball career.

Also Read: South Africa vs India 2021-22: Virat Kohli is all set to play the ODI series in South Africa

As reported by one of Jadeja's teammates reportedly told the media house that he might bid farewell to Test cricket. The rumors came when he did not get a place in the Test squad of the upcoming SA tour. The 33-year-old was not included in India's Test squad due to a forearm injury. However, he sustained the injury in the home series against New Zealand.

While the cricket fans were worried about the reports. However, Ravindra Jadeja finally put an end to all the rumors on Wednesday. He posted an image of him in India's Test jersey and wrote in the caption, "Long way to go". Meanwhile, with the muscle emojis, Jadeja indicates that there is much cricket remains in him with India's white jersey.

Here's the Twitter posts of Ravindra Jadeja :

Jadeja had missed the second Test against New Zealand earlier this month due to a swelling in the forearm. However, he has had a ligament tear, which might take months to heal if he undergoes surgery.

Read Also: South Africa vs India 2021: Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the series

Kohli said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday that he will miss the experienced Jadeja but it will not be the deciding factor. He said that Jadeja has definitely been a very important player for us. Meanwhile, he contributes to all three departments of the game which is very important, especially in overseas conditions. Kohli added that they will miss the services of Jadeja in the upcoming South Africa tour.

Also Read: South Africa vs India 2021-22: Most test wickets for India against South Africa

Jadeja has been an important clog of India's Test team ever since he made his debut back in December 2012. In 57 Tests, the left-arm spinner has scalped 232 wickets which include 10 four-wicket hauls and nine five-wicket hauls. With the bat notched 2195 runs at an average of 33.76 with one ton and 17 half-centuries.

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.

Also Read: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

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.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

India's ODI schedule till World Cup 2027

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. 

Also Read: Rohit Sharma stats in tests

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.

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.

• 20 - Sachin Tendulkar 
• 15 - Rahul Dravid 
• 14 - Virat Kohli
• 13 - Cheteshwar Pujara 
• 12 - Rohit Sharma

Also Read: Rohit Sharma in ICC tournaments for India

Rohit Sharma stats in Tests as an opener

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.

"Catches win matches" is a well-known proverb that is crucial in terms of cricket. Having exceptional fielders who would get to any extent to grab match-winning catches is a blessing for teams.

IPL has witnessed some unbelievably good fielding efforts from players across the globe. Here's the ones that stood out for their consistency, having the most catches in IPL history.

Virat Kohli (117 catches)

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest athletes in the world and is also considered as an expectional fielder for India. He always lits up the stadium with his energy and agility while fielding for his team.

Kohli has taken a total of 117 catches in 263 matches so far, which is the highest in IPL history. He is barely seen missing or letting the ball go off his hand.

His contributions in aspect of taking catches remains hard to beat, and hopefully there are more to come in the upcoming matches in IPL for RCB.

Read Also: Most Sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL

Suresh Raina (109 catches)

Suresh Raina's contribution in IPL goes beyond his batting performance. He has taken 109 catches in 205 matches for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions.

Raina ended his IPL journey in 2021 and still his second place in the list of most catches stays unbeaten. He is among the top Indian fielders who took some match-winning catches.

Ravindra Jadeja (108 catches)

Ravindra Jadeja is one name that everyone anticipates when it comes to the category of fielding and catching. His quick reflexes and fielding abilities made him one of the best fielders in the history of not only IPL, but also Indian cricket. 

Jadeja has taken 108 catches in 251 matches for CSK, GL, KTK, and RR. He consistently worked towards taking important wickets for the team and saving boundaries when needed. 

Jadeja also played a crucial role in CSK's success over the years.

Kieron Pollard (103 catches)

Kieron Pollard has served as a fielding pillar for Mumbai Indians throughout his IPL career. He often changed the course of the game in favour of his team by taking difficult catches.

Pollard has taken 103 catches in 189 matches for MI, and some of them were too good to be true! His athleticism proved to be beneficial everytime he is on field, specially near the boundary.

Read Also: Cricket Stats: most catches by a keeper in tests

Rohit Sharma (102 catches)

Rohit Sharma is another Indian player having a catch count of more than hundred in IPL. He has taken 103 catches in 267 matches for MI and DCH. He has proved to be a dependable fielder for his team throughout.

Rohit's game awareness and experience played a crucial role in his fielding, which also aligned with the field setup and his captaincy. He is the 5th player to have 100+ catches in IPL history.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the five-time IPL Champions known for their consistency and tactical moves which usually leads them to success, find themselves in an unfamiliar position this season. CSK is at the bottom of the points table with just 2 wins out of their 9 matches, marking their worst IPL season till date. 

The main reasons of CSK’s struggles in IPL 2025 are a combination of poor auction strategy, some important players getting injured, very weak & out of form batting line-up, horrible fielding performances, and being unable to find a proper & effective playing 11 combination despite playing half of their matches in IPL 2025.

Also Read: Impactful Overseas players in IPL 2025

(1) Poor Auction Strategy

From the Auction Table only, CSK’s management started making mistakes by failing to grab impactful players who could fill the gaps in their squad.

Instead of investing in young and in-form players, the management made some confusing choices by buying mediocre players with poor form like Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, and Vijay Shankar, especially with a few key players nearing the end of their careers like Ravichandran Ashwin. 

Former CSK great, also known as “Mr. IPL”, Suresh Raina has publicly criticised CSK’s poor auction strategy by pointing out the missed opportunities to buy match-winning players like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Faf Du Plessis, etc., due to a lack of funds. 

While other franchises focused on acquiring young and dynamic talent, CSK appeared to rely heavily on their tried-and-tested players like Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Sam Curran, etc., who are unable to perform in crucial situations for CSK in IPL 2025. 

CSK’s management overlooked many promising domestic and overseas players who have been performing nicely in other T20 leagues, which resulted in a poor out-of-form bunch of players.

Some auction picks like Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed were great buys for CSK in IPL 2025, as these 2 players are performing really well and clinching wickets on a regular basis.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Where's what each team need to do to qualify for the playoffs

(2) Batting Collapses in almost every match

CSK’s batting has been one of the weakest in this season. Their top-order batsmen like Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have failed to perform consistently, and batted with a very low strike-rate in power-play which leads the team one step backwards from the start of the game. 

The middle-order batsmen like Deepak Hooda, Shivam Dubey, and Vijay Shankar have failed to capitalize in the middle overs, and batted with a slow strike rate, and poor shot selection, which made most of their chases or first innings totals look below par. 

Even their reliable lower order batters or finishers like Ravindra Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni haven't been able to rescue them as they are also out of form and being overburdened with responsibility. So, the lack of a proper finisher is glaring. 

Also Read: Top 5 game-changing factors that could send MI to IPL 2025 Playoffs

Some young and new batters of CSK like Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, and Dewald Brewis who got a chance to play from the previous 2-3 matches have performed nicely and played exceptionally well and showed potential that they can be the future stars of CSK. 

After the recent loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, MS Dhoni highlighted the problems because of which CSK is continuously losing matches this season.

His words were, “In a tournament like this, if there are one or two areas to plug in the holes, then it's good, but when a majority of the players are not doing well, then you need to make changes. You can’t just keep going. We are just not putting enough runs on the board”, while addressing the post-match presentation.

Also Read: Glenn Maxwell in IPL Since 2024

(3) Poor Fielding and Catch Drops at Crucial Moment

CSK’s fielding, which was a strength for them earlier, has been horrible this year. CSK has dropped 13-14 catches in IPL 2025 till now which is most by any team this season and after these catch drops of important players at crucial moments, all those players scored a good number of runs and lead their respective teams to a very good total or chased the runs made by CSK. 

In a highly competitive league like the IPL, every run saved with a good fielding effort makes a difference and creates pressure on the opposition, but CSK has failed to do this in this IPL season, which is one of the reasons for CSK’s struggles in IPL 2025. 

MS Dhoni’s wicket-keeping skills is the only thing which deserves appreciation when CSK is fielding. At the age of 43, Dhoni’s wicket-keeping is still lethal with lightning-fast stumping and very smooth ball receiving technique. 

CSK’s bowling has also been very outstanding this season. Bowlers of CSK, like Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad, have taken crucial wickets continuously. They have been able to create chances with their effective bowling, but the fielders were not able to grab those chances and take advantage of them.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Lowest Total Defended in IPL

(4) Important Players Getting Injured

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Captain of CSK, got injured and was ruled out of this IPL, which made the CSK batting line-up very weak and inexperienced. Devon Conway has to return to New Zealand because his father passed away. 

After Gaikwad’s exclusion from the playing 11 because of an unfortunate injury, MS Dhoni has again become the Captain of CSK and Ayush Mhatre has been signed by the CSK management as a replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Also Read: IPL 2025, CSK vs KKR: CSK's five lowest totals in IPL history

(5) Where will the CSK team go from here?

After losing 7 out of 9 matches, and with 5 games left, only CSK’s qualifying chances for IPL 2025 Play-offs are practically gone. Even MS Dhoni seems to be looking ahead to next season, as after their recent loss to Mumbai Indians, Dhoni highlighted the importance of getting a secured playing XI for the next year, while addressing the post-match presentation.

As the season progresses, one thing is clear: CSK's struggles in IPL 2025 serve as a reminder that even the most successful teams need to evolve and adapt to the current playing style to stay competitive. 

If CSK wants to bounce back next season, they need figure out what went wrong in 2025 and correct those things as soon as possible. The auction errors, poor on-field execution, poor display of batting & fielding, and over-reliance on aging players have all contributed to a season they’ll want to forget. 

The Chennai Super Kings have built a legacy over the years. But this year, that legacy has taken a hit and only a superb comeback in the next season of IPL can earn them their respect again which CSK deserves, and as we all know that CSK is also known as the Comeback Super Kings so every CSK fan will pray for their team’s strong comeback in the next season of IPL.

India started the Tri-Nation Women's ODI series with a winning note as they defeated the host Sri Lanka by 9 wickets. India chased down Sri Lanka's 148-run target with 56 balls remaining in the match after Indian spinners dominated the Sri Lankan batters in the first innings.

The match was initially interrupted by rain which resulted in the loss of overs, reducing to 39 overs a side. Indian announced their arrival with an impressively controlled victory at the R. Premadasa Stadium stadium, Colombo.

Indian spinners dominated the game from the start

The Sri Lankan team, batting first, struggled to build partnership and were bowled out for 147 in 38.1 overs. Indian bowlers dominated the entire first inning with Arundhati Reddy dismissing the Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu and getting an early wicket for the team. It followed by an exceptional bowling performance leading to a constant flow of wickets, which completely shattered Sri Lanka’s batting line-up.

Sneh Rana was a star performer, who took 3 crucial wickets for India, with Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani taking 2 wickets each. Additionally, the on-field efforts of the Indian team was commendable in today's match.

During the second inning, India started off comfortably with the bat, without trying to rush things out. The opening pair, Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, formed a partnership of 54 runs for the first wicket. Smriti Mandhana missed out on her 31st ODI half-century and was dismissed at 43 (off 46 balls). 

Harleen Deol came to bat next and played composed cricket, scoring 48 runs from 71 balls. Sri Lanka failed to take more wickets, and Harleen Deol sealed the win for India with her exceptional half-century from 62 balls.

Both teams fielded 2 debutants

Kashvee Gautam (22-year-old), who impressed the fans with her bowling for Gujarat Giants in the WPL 2025, along with the star of Delhi Capitals, Sree Charani (20-year-old), made their International debut for India in this match. Charani picked up 2 wickets with an economy of 3.25 in today's match.

Sri Lanka also handed debuts to Malki Madara and Piumi Badalge.

India's shield-like batting power 

The Indian batters showcased an amazing quality of batting in this format. Smriti Mandhana, along with Pratika Rawal, provided a good start in the initial overs. They kept the flow of runs going with their bat. Smriti departed at 43 (from 46 balls) while trying to loft the ball over the bowler (Inoka Ranaweera), and wasn't lucky enough to make it through.

Harleen Deol stepped in after the wicket and made no mistakes, adding 48 runs off 71 balls from her bat. Pratika Rawal scored 50 off 62 balls, putting the winning runs on the board for India.

It felt like Indian batters were quite difficult to get out and stood up like solid walls, without losing their wickets. 

Steady headstart for India

India's win has lift up the team's spirit and confidence to another level. This was also a glimpse of the solid form and composure that the players hold in this Tri-series squad. 

In today's match, each bowler had an economy below 5, and the batters were incredible in chasing down the total, without losing many wickets.

The challenge ahead for Sri Lanka 

This defeat against India serves as a reminder for Sri Lanka to assess and improve their shortcomings. They failed to build partnership throughout the game, which led to a low total on the board. Hasini Perera's 30 from 46 balls was the highest score by a Sri Lankan batter in this match. 

Immediate Reflections and Long-term Goals

This being the ODI World Cup year, the immediate reflections for both the teams would be to shape their strategies, set grounds and make effective adjustments with the stage of the Tri-Nation ODI series among India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.

Score Summary

SL-W: 147 (38.1/39) | Kavisha Dilhari 25; Sneh Rana 8-31-3

IND-W: 149 (29.4/39) | Pratika Rawal 50* (62); Harleen Deol 48* (71)