Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) training camp. Iyer recently played in the Ranji final, when Mumbai, his team, won the cup for the 42nd time, creating history.
The fans greeted the Indian batter with applause and fist bumps, and Shreyas graciously agreed to take a few photos with them. The fans did hold banners bearing unique notes for their skipper, who is returning to the IPL after a short absence.
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Iyer had a fantastic innings of 95 runs in the championship, but he was sidelined by persistent back trouble. There were speculations following his injury that he will probably miss the first several IPL games. However, KKR released a video showing Shreyas Iyer appearing fit and ready to lead KKR in the first game.
In addition to Iyer, Gautam Gambhir has also arrived at the franchise camp in advance of the big game. Gambhir led KKR to two IPL championships.
After missing out on the IPL playoffs in the previous two seasons, KKR paid Rs 24.75 crore to acquire Australia’s left-arm fast-bowling star Mitchell Starc at the IPL 2024 Player Auction held in Dubai last year.
Iyer did not make the squad for the final three games of the series after complaining of back spasms during the second Test between India and England in Vizag. Nevertheless, Iyer was left out of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal between Mumbai and Baroda without an official explanation.
However, Iyer did make a comeback for Mumbai’s match against Tamil Nadu in the semi-finals, and he subsequently hit 95 off 111 in the second innings on Day 3 of the match versus Vidarbha to win the title. He received treatment from the team physio twice for back spasms during his knock.
India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday to retain the gold medal.
India posted 211 for six after being sent in to bat, before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six in their 20 overs. The victory gave India their second successive Asian Games gold medal in men’s cricket.
India post 211 in final
India’s batting was led by Abhishek Sharma, who scored 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma contributed 51 off 22 balls.
The two batters provided the momentum as India reached 211 for six from their 20 overs.
India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first in the final.
Pakistan fall 19 runs short
Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Hasan Nawaz, who made 96 from 51 balls. Saim Ayub added 29 from 22 balls, but Pakistan finished on 192 for six after 20 overs.
India’s Axar Patel and Washington Sundar each took two wickets as Pakistan fell short of the target.
The result secured the gold medal for India, while Pakistan finished with silver. Sri Lanka won the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match.
India retain Asian Games cricket title
The victory marked India’s second consecutive men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games. India had also won the men’s cricket gold at the Hangzhou edition.
India’s victory over Pakistan also completed a gold-medal double for the country in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, after the women’s team won the women’s cricket final earlier in the competition.
Jasprit Bumrah added another milestone to his international career on Thursday after taking the field for India against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket semifinal in Japan.
Bumrah’s appearance at Nishin made him the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries, according to the report. He moved ahead of former India captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have each played T20Is in 12 countries.
Bumrah’s 13-country T20I record
Before playing in Japan, Bumrah had represented India in T20Is in 12 other countries — India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the United States, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
His appearance in Japan took the tally to 13. Kohli, Rohit and Bhuvneshwar had played in all of those countries except Japan, leaving Bumrah alone at the top of the list.
Kohli and Rohit cannot add to their totals as both have retired from T20I cricket, according to the source.
Bumrah shines against Sri Lanka
Bumrah also made an immediate impact in his first T20I appearance in Japan. He claimed two wickets in his opening over against Sri Lanka and finished with figures of 2/7 in two overs.
India went on to dismiss Sri Lanka for 45 in 9.5 overs and won the semifinal by 124 runs to book a place in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final.
The result set up an India-Pakistan gold-medal clash, scheduled for October 3.
Jasprit Bumrah has become the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries. His appearance against Sri Lanka in Japan took him past Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have played T20Is in 12 countries each.
India produced a remarkable batting performance to defeat West Indies by eight wickets in the second ODI in Guwahati, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
West Indies posted 405 for 7 in their 50 overs after centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo. India then produced an emphatic response, reaching 406 for 2 in just 43.3 overs.
Shubman Gill led the chase with an unbeaten 223, while Rohit Sharma provided strong support with a century.
Gill’s record-breaking double century
Gill remained unbeaten on 223 from 133 balls and completed his double century in 117 deliveries.
His innings made him the first batter to score an ODI double century in 117 balls, according to the report. His unbeaten 223 was also recorded as the highest ODI score by an Indian captain and the highest score by an Indian in an ODI chase.
Gill’s innings contained a combination of boundaries and sustained attacking batting as India comfortably reached the target set by West Indies.
Rohit Sharma scores 101
Rohit Sharma also produced a century during India’s chase, scoring 101 from 75 balls.
The innings also saw Rohit reach the milestone of 12,000 ODI runs. He became the third Indian batter to reach the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli contributed 29 runs before being dismissed during the chase.
West Indies post 405
Earlier, West Indies put up a huge total of 405 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs.
John Campbell scored 101, while Shai Hope made 104. Amir Jangoo also struck a century, scoring 114.
Despite the three centuries, West Indies could not defend the total as India’s top order produced a dominant chase.
India take 2-0 series lead
India completed the chase in 43.3 overs, finishing on 406 for 2 and securing an eight-wicket victory.
The result gives India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, with the second match producing a record-breaking individual performance from captain Shubman Gill.
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