India won its third ICC T20 World Cup title with an emphatic win over New Zealand.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

A resolute Vidarbha reduced Mumbai to 83 for three in their second innings here at the close of Day Four on Thursday, and the defending champions now need a further 323 to win the semifinal match on the fifth and final day. Mumbai are chasing a tall 406 for an improbable victory. Yash Rathod’s 151 (252 balls, 11 fours) and a dogged half-century from skipper Akshay Wadkar (52 off 202 balls, 5×4) took Vidarbha to 292 all out after resuming the day at 147 for four. Having already amassed a huge lead of 113 runs in the first essay, Vidarbha were able to set a huge target of 406. But Mumbai’s reply did not inspire much confidence.

Ayush Mhatre (18), Siddhesh Lad (2) and Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane (12) perished against spin bowling as Vidarbha tightened the screws on the visitors here at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, setting themselves up to avenge their loss in the Ranji Trophy final last season.

Akash Anand, whose 106 was the only bright spot for Mumbai in the first innings, once again made a fine effort making 27 not out off 92 balls with one four.

At the other end, Shivam Dube was batting on 12. Mumbai are pinning their hopes on the likes of India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani to produce a rearguard on the final day.

But the task would not be easy given the way spinners prised out three wickets to have fallen in the final session.

Mhatre was cleaned up by left-arm spinner Harsh Dube, who also had Lad stumped for a mere two when the No. 3 batter came dancing down the wicket.

Playing only his second First-Class game, the 25-year-old Parth Rekhade once again accounted for Rahane, trapping him leg-before for the third wicket for his side. The pair of Anand and Dube took charge to take Mumbai to stumps without any further damage.

But the day belonged to Vidarbha and two of its star players Rathod and Dube.

With his fifth century of the Ranji Trophy season, Rathod took his runs tally to 933 in nine matches at 58.31 which also includes three half-centuries.

With two more dismissals added to his tally on Thursday, the left-armer Dube’s tally this season swelled to 63 wickets in nine matches with six five-wicket hauls.

Earlier at resumption, Rathod and Wadkar batted with determination as Mumbai did not find much success in the first session. The left-handed Rathod brought up his ton from 168 balls while putting on a stoic 158-run stand with Wadkar for the fifth wicket.

The pair was separated when Mulani cleaned up Wadkar for 52 in the 82nd over, and the Mumbai spinner added three more wickets to his column to return 44-9-85-6.

Kotian took 3/81 while Thakur claimed one wicket.

Gujarat vs Kerala

A resilient 72-run unbroken partnership for the eighth wicket between Jaymeet Patel and Siddharth Desai, following a commanding 148 from opener Priyank Panchal, kept Gujarat on the brink of a third Ranji Trophy final as they finished day four at 429/7 in response to Kerala’s 457 after penultimate day’s play here on Wednesday. Jaymeet, displaying immense patience and temperament, remained unbeaten on 74 from 161 deliveries, curbing his natural strokeplay.

His innings, which included just two boundaries, exemplified his determination to grind out a crucial innings under pressure.

Desai, offering staunch support, was unbeaten on 24 from 134 balls, making full use of his reprieve on 11.

The left-handed duo showed remarkable composure, battling through 36.4 overs as Gujarat trailed by just 28 runs with three wickets in hand heading into the final day.

With the first-innings lead likely to decide the contest, Jaymeet and Desai would look to inch closer to Kerala’s total and push their team into the Ranji Trophy final after 2016-17 when they had won their maiden title. Gujarat had also advanced into the Ranji final in 1950-51 when they finished runners-up.

Kerala started the day strongly. Domestic stalwart Jalaj Saxena led the act with his clever spin bowling.

Manan Hingrajia (33) was the first to fall in the morning session, adding just three runs to his overnight total before Jalaj trapped him leg-before.

Panchal followed soon after, falling agonisingly short of 150 as Jalaj struck again. He got out for 148 (237 balls, 18x4s, 1×6) that proved a major setback for the home side.

Wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel (25) was the third victim of the morning, stumped after being deceived by Jalaj’s flight.

Jalaj was the backbone of Kerala’s bowling effort, sending down a herculean 61 overs.

He bowled unchanged in the morning session and took all three wickets to fall before lunch.

By lunch, Gujarat had slipped to 325/5, with Kerala sensing an opportunity to take control and gain that crucial first innings lead.

Skipper Chintan Gaja (2) fell immediately after the break, once again to Jalaj, who ended the day with figures of 4/137 in a marathon 61-over bowling spell, which included 12 maidens.

With Gujarat reeling at 357/7, still trailing by 100 runs, the onus was on Jaymeet and Desai to script a fightback.

The duo rose to the occasion, showing remarkable patience and resilience, particularly in the face of a tiring Kerala attack that struggled to maintain intensity.

As the final session commenced, Jaymeet and Desai showcased extraordinary defensive technique and patience, denying Kerala bowlers any further breakthroughs.

Jaymeet brought up his fifty off 107 balls with a single against Nidheesh. This was his fifth consecutive 50-plus score in the Ranji Trophy, which included two centuries.

Desai, dropped on 11 by Akshay Chandran at second slip, made Kerala pay for their lapse.

Though he managed only one boundary in his 134-ball stay, his solid defensive approach frustrated the opposition, complementing Jaymeet’s measured innings.

Despite having close-in fielders surrounding the bat in a gripping final session, Kerala bowlers looked increasingly listless.

Jaymeet cleverly manoeuvred the field to pick up easy singles, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking.

The lack of support for Jalaj from the rest was evident and is likely to hurt Kerala, as the fielders failed to sustain the pressure and bowlers struggled to find breakthroughs.

Pace spearhead MD Nidheesh struggled with accuracy and finished with 1/86 from 23 overs, proving to be the most expensive of their six-man attack.

N Basil (1/59; 22 overs) and Aditya Sarwate (1/104; 36 overs) managed a wicket each but failed to apply sustained pressure, allowing Gujarat’s lower order to build a crucial stand.

Gujarat had earlier made a strategic decision to bring in Hemang Patel as a concussion substitute for Ravi Bishnoi, who was ruled out after suffering a delayed concussion from a blow to the forehead while fielding on day three.

Bishnoi had dived full-length at point in an attempt to stop a shot, only for the ball to ricochet off his hand onto his head.

The injury forced Gujarat to call in Hemang, who coming in at No. 5, played an aggressive knock to counter Kerala’s attack.

He took on Jalaj, hitting two boundaries in the 94th over, and also dispatched Aditya Sarwate for a six in an effort to keep Gujarat in the hunt.

Brief scores:

Vidarbha 383 & 292 in 110.1 overs (Yash Rathod 151, Akshay Wadkar 52; Shams Mulani 6/85, Tanush Kotian 3/81) lead Mumbai 270 & 83/3 in 31 overs (Akash Anand 27 batting; Harsh Dubey 2/26, Parth Rekhade 1/16) by 323 runs.

Kerala 1st Innings: 457 all out vs Gujarat 1st Innings: 429/7 in 154 overs (Priyank Panchal 148, Jaymeet Patel 74 batting, Aarya Desai 73, Siddharth Desai 24 batting; Jalaj Saxena 4/137). Gujarat trail by 28 runs.

Veteran Sachin Baby steadied Kerala’s innings with a resolute unbeaten half-century, guiding his team to 206/4 against a probing Gujarat attack on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal here on Monday. The 36-year-old southpaw occupied the crease for two full sessions, crafting an unbeaten 69 off 193 balls (8×4) that kept their maiden final hopes alive. He found an able ally in Mohammed Azharuddeen, who remained unbeaten on 30 off 66 balls (3×4) after surviving a last-ball LBW scare as DRS overturned the decision, denying Gujarat a breakthrough right before stumps. Trapped LBW by Chintan Gaja, the Kerala keeper-batter was given out by the on-field umpire, sparking celebrations in Gujarat camp.

However, the batter immediately reviewed the decision, and ball-tracking confirmed it was sliding down the leg side as Kerala heaved a sigh of relief, ending the day without further damage.

Their unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 49 runs kept Kerala afloat against Gujarat’s relentless bowling attack, which deployed seven bowlers, though only Arzan Nagwaswalla (16-4-39-1), Priyajitsing Jadeja (12-0-33-1), and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (15-2-33-1) managed breakthroughs.

With Kerala looking to build on their total, the first session on day two will be crucial, and Baby’s innings will hold the key.

On the other hand, the hosts, seeking their first final appearance since their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in 2016-17, will look to seize control early.

Opting to bat, Kerala started well, but none of the top-order batters could convert their starts into a big knocks.

While wickets fell at regular intervals, Baby stood firm, bringing up his 28th first-class fifty.

The scoring rate, however, remained sluggish throughout the day as Kerala crawled to 200 in 86.3 overs, consuming over 470 dot balls.

Gujarat toiled hard, and the crucial strikes and low-scoring run-rate from Kerala definitely kept them in the contest.

With four wickets down, an early breakthrough on day two could tilt the balance in favour of the home side.

Kerala looked to be settling in when left-arm pacer Nagwaswalla broke a promising fourth-wicket partnership, worth 71 runs, cleaning up Jalaj Saxena.

Attempting a late cut off a back-of-a-length delivery, Jalaj only managed to drag the ball onto his stumps. The wicket came just a delivery after he had survived an LBW review.

Baby was highly disciplined in his approach, displaying excellent judgment outside the off-stump and rarely flirting with deliveries in the fourth-stump channel.

The experienced left-hander took his time, grinding out a patient innings against a Gujarat attack that bowled with discipline.

Azharuddeen, Kerala’s second-highest run-getter this season, took 11 deliveries to get off the mark but provided solid support to Baby.

Left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai exploited the rough patches outside off-stump, but Baby remained unperturbed, watching the ball closely and countering spin with a solid defence.

Despite the second new ball being available, Gujarat refrained from taking it, preferring to persist with Desai and Bishnoi in the closing stages of the day, with close-in fielders crowding the batters.

They finally took the second new ball in the 86th over but did not taste any success.

Earlier, Kerala made up a solid start with openers Rohan Kunnummal and Akshay Chandran negotiating the new ball spells of Chintan Gaja and Nagwaswalla without any trouble.

The duo put up a 60-run stand, showing patience against the Gujarat bowlers while capitalising on loose deliveries.

However, Gujarat struck back before the lunch break when a mix-up led to Chandran’s run out for 30 off 71 balls (5×4).

Within four overs, Gujarat struck again when Kunnummal was trapped leg-before by Bishnoi for 30 off 68 balls (5×4) after an unsuccessful DRS review. Kerala, from a steady 60/0, found themselves at 63/2.

The left-right combination had looked comfortable, but the two dismissals came against the run of play, leaving Kerala with two new batters at the crease.

Varun Nayanar’s tentative stay ended at 10, edging Jadeja behind, reducing Kerala to 86/3.

From there, Baby and Jalaj steadied the innings with their cautious partnership, frustrating the Gujarat attack.

Gujarat even lost a review when Bishnoi’s appeal against Jalaj was turned down. 

Mumbai vs Vidarbha

Danish Malewar’s gritty 79 and opener Dhruv Shorey’s attractive 74 made up for a gritty batting show by hosts Vidarbha as they reached 308 for 5 against defending champions Mumbai on the first day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final here on Monday. Karun Nair, who is back in contention for a Test team berth, scored a chiselled 45 before he seemed distinctly unhappy with a caught behind decision of Shivam Dube’s bowling although he had opted for DRS.

While the two-time champions didn’t have a big partnership, they had enough middling stands to see them cross 300-run mark after Mumbai had sent down 88 overs in the day.

Mumbai bowlers were also guilty of bowling as many as 13 no balls during the course of the opening day.

Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (2/44 in 18 overs) was easily the best bowler on the day as he got appreciable bounce and some amount of purchase from the Jamtha track.

Dube (2/35 in 9 overs) also had a couple wickets but one of them was more so because of a splendid one-handed diving catch by Suryakumar Yadav in the slip cordon.

That Mumbai failed to make more inroads was because the two new ball bowlers Shardul Thakur (0/57 in 14 overs) and Mohit Avasthi (0/61 in 14 overs) were way off the mark with both new ball and second new ball at the fag end of the day.

The morning session belonged to Shorey, who capitalised on the half-volleys provided by Avasthi, who simply doesn’t have the required pace to trouble batters if he doesn’t get to swing the new ball.

As far as Shardul is concerned, he fed Shorey on the legs and got whipped.

It was left-armer Royston Dias, who got the breakthrough with a delivery that climbed on left-hander Atharva Taide (4) as the batter tried to shoulder arms.

Shorey, a former Delhi opener, who hit nine boundaries, added 54 for the second wicket with left-hander Parth Rekhade (23), who was out just before lunch trying to drive Dube but Surya standing at third slip showing brilliant reflexes to pouch it one-handed.

Malewar, who has been Vidarbha’s find of the season, blended caution with aggression after lunch, dominating in his 51-run stand with Shorey.

Shorey, who looked good for a three-figure mark, was finally gone when Mulani got one to jump off length and it turned enough to carry the edge which Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane gleefully accepted.

Nair, who is in fantastic form this season, looked effortless while tackling both Mulani and off-spinner Tanush Kotian en route his 78-run fourth wicket stand with Malewar.

They were ready to use their feet with Malewar hitting the only six off the day off Mulani, who was otherwise in full control.

Nair, who had hit six boundaries, looked in control before a delivery from Dube in the post-tea session moved a shade and was taken by keeper Akash Anand.

While on-field umpire gave it out after some deliberation, Nair asked for review and the decision was upheld.

Malewar’s 159 ball knock ended when he tried to play forward defence to a Mulani delivery that kissed the outside edge into keeper Anand’s gloves.

However the bespectacled pair of left-handed Yash Rathod (47 batting) and skipper Akshay Wadkar (13 batting) added 47 for the unbroken sixth wicket to take the total past 300-run mark.

Harshit Rana picked up three wickets in the India vs England 4th T20I© AFP

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav lauded his team’s resilience after a disastrous start, crediting Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube for steering the innings to a competitive total in their 15-run victory over England in the fourth T20I here on Friday. India found themselves reeling at 12/3 in the second over, but Pandya and Dube stabilised the innings, guiding the hosts to 181/9. “We didn’t want to go back after 12/3. Three wickets in one over was too much. The way Hardik and Dube showed their experience was great,” Suryakumar said after India’s 15-run win.

Highlighting India’s intent, the India skipper said: “This is one thing we’ve been talking about — expressing yourself and batting the same way as in the nets. I think we are moving in the right direction.” Dube, however, was struck on the helmet in the final over and was substituted, paving the way for Harshit Rana’s unexpected yet dream T20I debut.

“I knew we could control the game after the powerplay. We picked a few wickets. Post drinks, Harshit Rana came in as the third seamer and delivered,” Suryakumar said.

Rana seized the moment with a stellar three-wicket haul.

“It is still a dream debut for me. When Dube came back, after two overs I was informed I will be the concussion substitute,” Rana said.

The young pacer revealed he had been preparing for this opportunity long before the series.

“I have been preparing for a while, not just for this series. I have been waiting for this moment [his debut] to prove myself. When I got the chance, I did not think of the circumstances and just thought about delivering. I have experience of bowling at the death [for KKR in the IPL] and relied on that,” Rana said.

England skipper Jos Buttler lamented his team’s missed opportunity after a strong start, admitting they failed to capitalize on the early breakthroughs.

“We started brilliantly, taking wickets in the powerplay and we were in a great position at the end of the batting powerplay. We should have gone onto win the game.

He acknowledged England’s key lapses, including a costly dropped catch.

“…We dropped Dube first ball and he went to play a really good innings. With the bat, we were in a fantastic position and lost a couple of key wickets.” 

Harshit Rana had a fantastic T20I debut on Friday with the Indian cricket team pacer scalping three important wickets against England in the fourth T20I in Pune. However, Rana grabbed the spotlight after he came in as a ‘like-for-like’ concussion substitute for Shivam Dube. The latter, who scored 53, was hit on the helmet in the penultimate ball of the Indian innings by a Jamie Overton delivery. Following the mandatory concussion test, Dube was cleared to play. However, he was run out on the final delivery of the innings. Dube is a pace allrounder, while Rana has so far played the role of  specialist fast bowler in the Indian cricket team.

The decision to play Rana in place of Dube almost drew similar reaction from several former cricketers, who felt that it was not a ‘like for like’ replacement. 

“It’s not really a like-for-like replacement if Harshit bowls….which he should. Ramandeep was the ideal ‘concussion replacement’ for Dube,” former India opener Aakash Chopra wrote on X.

“How can an out & out bowler replace a batter who bowls part time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote on X.

How can an out & out bowler replace a batter who bowls part time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #INDvsENG

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 31, 2025

Former India coach Ravi Shatri was cheeky and said the two players’ “size and stature are the same”.

“India were hugely advantaged with Harshit Rana coming in,” Harsha Bhogle said on air.

“His performance was great. He gets his name in the hat to have a chance to play in the fifth T20I. He was brilliant. He assessed the batters quite well on a couple of occasion. He was not at fault. It’s not the decision that he takes,” Kevin Pietersen said after the match.

Harshit Rana picked his maiden wicket in the shortest format of the game as he dismissed Liam Livingstone in the 12th over of the innings. Livingstone went back to the pavilion after scoring just nine runs off 13 balls.

In his second over, the right-arm seamer conceded 18 runs in his over where he was slammed for two sixes and a four by the vice-captain and right-hand batter Harry Brook.

The 23-year-old player took his second T20I wicket on his debut in the third over as he dismissed the left-hand batter, Jacob Bethell, who went back to the dressing room after scoring just six runs from nine balls.

In his last over of the spell, the fast bowler gave away just six runs and took the wicket of Jamie Overton on the last ball of his spell. The speedster finished his spell with a figures of 4-0-33-3.

With agency inputs 

Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) and debutant Harshit Rana (3-33) claimed three wickets each as India beat England by 15 runs in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday. India thus took an unbeatable 3-1 lead and sealed the series with the last T20I scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. India came back after losing the third T20I in Rajkot. The hosts had started by winning the first two T20Is in Kolkata and Chennai.

Earlier, Hardik Pandya (53) and Shivam Dube (53) produced a counter-attacking partnership to rescue India from a precarious position and push them to a competitive 181/9 after Saqib Mahmood’s (3 for 35).

Phil Salt and Ben Duckett came out with an aggressive mindset, making full use of the Power-play. Facing Arshdeep Singh in the opening over, Salt drove the ball elegantly down the ground, picking up two boundaries to get England going. Arshdeep, who had pitched the ball up looking for swing, found no real movement, and Salt was quick to capitalise. With Ben Duckett also making a charge, England’s innings gathered pace rapidly. He got off the mark with a fortunate edge past the keeper before opening up with well-placed flicks and drives.

Arshdeep, who had been India’s go-to bowler in the early overs, struggled to contain the left-hander, conceding three consecutive boundaries in his second over. The ball was coming onto the bat nicely, in stark contrast to the first innings, where India had struggled against England’s high pace.

The introduction of spin, however, did little to slow down England at first. Varun Chakravarthy was brought on early to change the tempo, but Duckett swept and reverse-swept him for quick runs, as England raced to 53/0 in five overs. Axar Patel was next, but Duckett showed no signs of slowing down, unleashing back-to-back reverse sweeps, including a towering six, taking England to 62/0 at the end of the Power-play.

Just when England seemed in complete control, India turned the tide. Ravi Bishnoi, brought on for the final over of the Power-play, provided the much-needed breakthrough, forcing Duckett into a miscued shot, which looped up to Suryakumar Yadav at mid-off. Duckett had blazed his way to 39 off just 19 balls with seven fours and a six, but his dismissal shifted the momentum back to India.

With India sensing an opening, Axar Patel delivered another crucial blow in the very next over. Phil Salt, who had been steadily accumulating runs, attempted to give himself room and drive through the covers, but Axar slid one in quickly, keeping it low and skidding through to crash into the stumps. Salt departed for 23 off 21 balls, and suddenly, England had lost two wickets in the span of six balls.

With England suddenly losing momentum, their in-form skipper Jos Buttler walked in, hoping to stabilise the innings. However, Ravi Bishnoi struck again, this time with a well-disguised leg-spinner that bounced slightly more than Buttler expected. The England captain could only manage a faint edge, and Harshit Rana at short third took an easy catch. Buttler, the key to England’s chase, was gone for just 2 off 3 balls, and England slumped to 67/3 in eight overs.

With three wickets lost in quick succession, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone were tasked with rebuilding the innings. They played cautiously against India’s spinners, ensuring no further setbacks. Bishnoi, Axar, and Chakravarthy continued to apply pressure, limiting England’s scoring options. Just eight runs came off the 9th over, and at the 10-over mark, England reached 86/3, with the required run rate creeping up.

However, it was Mahmood who stole the show, registering a historic triple-wicket maiden, the first-ever in men’s T20 internationals. Sanju Samson (1), Tilak Varma (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (0) all fell in quick succession, leaving India reeling at 12/3 in two overs. Samson guided a rising delivery straight to deep square leg, Varma sliced his first ball to Archer at short third, and Suryakumar chipped a catch to short mid-wicket, playing right into England’s well-set trap.

With India at 98/5 in 13 overs, the onus was on Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube to steady the innings and provide a strong finish. The duo stitched together an 88-run partnership to force India to a competitive total. With England needing 96 runs off the final 10 overs to chase down India’s 182-run target, the visitors were still in contention despite losing three early wickets.

Just as Brook began to settle in, an unexpected twist occurred — Suryakumar Yadav introduced Harshit Rana, who came in as a substitute for Shivam Dube, who suffered a concussion in the final over of India’s innings. The decision sparked debate, reminiscent of India’s controversial substitution of Yuzvendra Chahal for Ravindra Jadeja against Australia in 2020. While Dube was an all-rounder, Rana’s inclusion brought in an extra fast-bowling option, tilting the balance of the game further in India’s favour.

Rana wasted no time making an impact. Bowling at speeds touching 150 kmph, he rattled England’s middle order. His very first over saw Liam Livingstone edge one behind Sanju Samson, departing for 9 off 13 balls. England slipped to 99/4 in 12 overs and were suddenly losing all momentum in their chase. Brook, however, remained England’s best hope. Enjoying pace on the ball, he took on Rana, finding gaps and scoring freely. Commentator Nick Knight noted that India’s decision to introduce Rana could backfire, as Brook thrived against fast bowling and might have struggled more against Dube’s slower variations. Brook seemed to prove Knight right, as he powered a boundary to deep mid-wicket off Chakravarthy, keeping England in the hunt.

Just when England looked like regaining momentum, Chakravarthy struck twice in quick succession. Brook, who had just reached his fifty off 26 balls, attempted a cheeky scoop shot but only managed to lob a simple catch to Arshdeep Singh at short fine-leg. Brook departed for 51, leaving England at 133/5 in 15 overs.

Two balls later, Brydon Carse attempted a slog-sweep but misjudged the spin, top-edging a catch to Arshdeep again. Carse was gone for a duck, and in the span of a few deliveries, England had collapsed to 133/6. Chakravarthy, finishing his spell with figures of 4-0-28-2, had once again turned the game in India’s favour. With the match slipping away, England’s lower order needed to step up. Jamie Overton and Jacob Bethell were England’s last real hopes, but the chase was becoming steeper with every dot ball.

Sensing an opportunity, Rana cleverly slowed one down, luring Bethell into an ambitious lofted shot. The timing wasn’t right, and Suryakumar Yadav at long-on comfortably completed the catch. Bethell walked back for 6 off 9 balls, leaving England tottering at 140/7 in 16 overs. In the very next over Bishnoi, in his fourth over, cleaned up Jofra Archer with a ripper of a delivery, inside edge straight into the stumps. Bishnoi finished with 3/28. Rana in his last over claimed the wicket of Overton after getting smoked for a four and ended his debut with 3 for 33.

Arshdeep claimed the last wicket of Saqib Mahmood as India defeated England by 15 runs to seal the five-match series 3-1, making the last T2OI scheduled at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai inconsequential.

Talented pacer Harshit Rana, who has played two Tests, quite surprisingly made a surprise entry into the India playing XI in the fourth T20I against England in Pune on Friday. Though initially not named in the XI, Rana was called upon to replace allrounder Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute after the latter was struck on the helmet in the final over of India’s innings. Dube, who scored 53, was hit on the helmet in the penultimate ball of the Indian innings by a Jamie Overton delivery.

Following the mandatory concussion test, Dube was cleared to play. However, he was run out on the final delivery of the innings.

Rana, who had recently played in the opening Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, came in to bowl in the 12th over and made an immediate impact, dismissing Liam Livingstone for 9. Rana finished with three wickets. 

England skipper Jos Buttler appeared unhappy with the decision and was seen having a discussion with the umpires on the field. According to ICC’s rules, teams are only allowed to name like-for-like replacements if a batsman is ruled out due to a concussion.

The decision to use Rana as a replacement of Dube did not go down well with many social media users, with some calling it cheating. 

How Harshit Rana is a like to like replacement for Shivam Dube?

Is match refree dumb? Does he know anything about cricket?

This is proper cheating from BCCI. Shivam Dube is a part timer & is useless bowler in T20I who doesn’t bowl in IPL as well for India much.

Shameful!!

— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) January 31, 2025

Harshit Rana is like-for-like for Shivam Dube?

No wonder IND thought Reddy was a 4th fast bowler in AUS.

— cricketingview (@cricketingview) January 31, 2025

Rather than concussion sub the right word used should be Impact Sub. https://t.co/F2SO8gAV3f

— Prasanna (@prasannalara) January 31, 2025

It’s outrageous to have Harshit Rana as a concussion sub for Shivam Dube (two completely different player types). India are literally playing with 12 players here.

— Alagappan Vijayakumar (@IndianMourinho) January 31, 2025

India had posted 181/9 after being sent in to bat. The hosts won the match by 15 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. The final T20I will be played in Mumbai on Sunday.

With PTI inputs 

Up 2-0 in the 5-match series, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team could go on to make one or two changes in the third T20I against England on Tuesday. India had to make a forced change in the team for the second T20I because of Rinku Singh‘s unavailability due to an injury. Dhruv Jurel replaced him in the team but failed to leave a mark with the bat. Mohammed Shami continued to warm the bench despite his return to full fitness. In the third T20I, India could decide to make some changes.

With a 2-0 cushion to bank on, skipper Suryakumar and head coach Gautam Gambhir could decide to bring veteran pacer Shami into the playing XI while Shivam Dube is another player who could be thrown in the mix, in place of Jurel.

At the top, no changes are expected, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening for the hosts. Tilak Varma has made the No. 3 spot his own with some fine performances while captain Suryakumar would be keen to return to form with a better show at the No. 4 position.

Hardik Pandya slots in at the No. 5 spot, while either Jurel or Dube would follow him at No. 6. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, are all but certainties in the spin-bowling attack, though one of them could be benched to make space for Shami in the team.

Harshit Rana is another pacer who could be tried, though Shami has a better chance of getting into the team. Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy are absolute pillars in the XI, being two of the most important players in the team’s bowling attack.

India’s likely playing XI against England, 3rd T20I: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel/Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi/Mohammed Shami/Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy

Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Umar Nazir Mir produced a brilliant spell as he dismissed Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube during the Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai on Thursday. The 31-year-old troubles batters with his pace and bounce as Mumbai kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Mir dismissed Rohit for 3 with a short-pitched delivery and then clean bowled Rahane for 12. Dube was dismissed for a duck as he was caught by Kanhaiya Wadhawan. It was a stunning show from Mir who is an experienced campaigner for Jammu and Kashmir in domestic cricket.

Mir made his first-call debut in 2013 and since then, he has taken 138 wickets in 57 matches. In List A cricket, he has 54 wickets while the fast bowler has taken 32 wickets in T20s.

Mir, who hails from Pulwama and in 6-Foot-4 tall, was also named in India C’s squad for the 2018–19 Deodhar Trophy.

The much-anticipated return to domestic cricket for India captain Rohit Sharma and his opening partner in Tests Yashasvi Jaiswal was a huge disappointment as the duo was dismissed cheaply in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir, here on Thursday.

Rohit and Jaiswal had paired up for the first time ever for defending champions Mumbai, but it was not a happy return to the domestic grind for the star cricketers who were dismissed for 3 and 4 respectively.

Jaiswal was pinned in front of the wicket by J&K’s right-arm pacer Auqib Nabi, who made the most of the fresh wicket to move the new ball dangerously off the surface here at the BKC Ground.

But it was the manner in which the India captain fell that was disappointing. Looking to force the ball on the on side, Rohit got a leading edge which was caught by J&K skipper Paras Dogra at mid-off.

Interestingly, Dogra took the field wearing the No. 9 jersey that is usually worn by Yudhvir Singh, thus creating some confusion.

The 31-year-old Umar continued to make inroads as he ended Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane’s resistance by cleaning him up for 12.

While the turnout to watch the India cricketing stars at the stadium was low, those in nearby buildings, who were watching the action from their office floors, returned to work soon after the 37-year-old Rohit was dismissed.

(With PTI inputs)