Notts hopes extinguished as sixth-wicket pair secure Hampshire’s first win of season

ECB Reporters Network20-May-2024Hampshire needed just 80 minutes of the final day to complete a five-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the Vitality County Championship at Trent Bridge.Five down overnight – and with Tom Prest likely to bat only in extremis after suffering a shoulder fracture in the field on day one – Hampshire still needed 85 runs to chase down a target of 169 when they resumed, which looked potentially trickyIn the event, Fletcha Middleton and James Fuller built on the foundations laid on Sunday evening to compile an unbroken match-winning partnership of 127. Allrounder Fuller finished 77 not out with opener Middleton unbeaten on 59.It is Hampshire’s first win of the season but their ninth victory in the last 12 Championship matches between themselves and Nottinghamshire and their sixth in seven since they last suffered defeat in 2018Hampshire finished just behind runners-up Essex in third place in last season’s Division One table but have been out of form so far and the 20 points picked up here will come as a relief in what may prove an unforgiving division this year.A first century of the season by allrounder Lyndon James rescued Nottinghamshire from 50 for 6 in their first innings but – the Middleston-Fuller partnership apart – the key passage of batting in the contest was the 157-run stand between Liam Dawson and Keith Barker for Hampshire’s sixth-wicket on Saturday, which enabled the visitors to claim a narrow first-innings lead, despite England’s Olly Stone impressing with the ball.Nottinghamshire’s top order again found the going tough at the start of their second innings, losing three wickets before even wiping out the arrears, and though they were bolstered by half-centuries by Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes, the 169-run target left was always going to be difficult to defend, even allowing for more damage inflicted by the new ball.They gave themselves a chance by reducing Hampshire to 44 for 5 on Sunday evening before Middleton and Fuller weathered the storm, getting through the last eight overs to stumps unscathed.An early breakthrough looked vital as the last day began under cloudy skies but none of the Nottinghamshire seamers could conjure much out of the pitch and any hope that legspinner Calvin Harrison could turn the contest vanished when he conceded 21 runs in a single over to rush Hampshire towards a win that was finally achieved when Fuller guided a ball from James to the fine leg boundary for his eighth four.

England’s record Test wicket-taker could play his final summer as management looks to future

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-20241:51

Why it’s time for Anderson to bid farewell to his Test career

James Anderson looks set to retire from international cricket at the end of England’s home summer.The reported on Friday that Brendon McCullum, England’s Test coach, travelled to the UK from New Zealand earlier this week and told Anderson in person over a round of golf that he intends to look to the future this summer, building towards the 2025-26 Ashes.Anderson became the third man to reach 700 Test wickets earlier this year in the final match of England’s tour to India but had a relatively light workload in India, bowling 110 overs across seven innings. He also struggled to make an impact against Australia last summer, taking five wickets at 85.40 across four Tests.Related

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He will turn 42 at the end of England’s three-match series against West Indies in July, and could bow out during their subsequent three-match series against Sri Lanka – which starts at his home ground, Emirates Old Trafford, in late August.Anderson is expected to address his future on Saturday, when he appears on the BBC’s coverage of England women’s T20I against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The ECB declined to comment when contacted by ESPNcricinfo on Friday evening.He is yet to feature for Lancashire this summer and said last month that he was unlikely to do so before the end of May at the earliest, managing his workload ahead of the series against West Indies.Rob Key, England men’s managing director, said in a newspaper interview earlier this year that he would look to a new generation of seamers to “take us forward” in the coming years following Stuart Broad’s retirement at the end of last summer, citing Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Matt Potts, Gus Atkinson, Matt Fisher, Saqib Mahmood and John Turner.

Captain Rashid Khan said a World Cup victory over Australia was something they had missed in the last two years

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2024

Gulbadin Naib is carried on his shoulders by Afghanistan’s bowling coach Hamid Hassan•ICC/Getty Images

Gulbadin Naib, who orchestrated Afghanistan’s historic win against Australia, was a figure of relief when he collected his Player-of-the-Match award for his spell of 4 for 20. Drenched in sweat while sporting a beaming smile, he held the award while soaking in the feeling of “at last” beating Australia.”We were waiting [for this] for a long time. It’s a great moment not just for me but for my nation and my people,” Naib said at the presentation. “[It is a] big achievement for our cricket. I have no words to say but thanks to the fans for supporting our career and cricket journey. It’s a great teamwork, we worked hard for the last two months and the result is in front of you.”Thank god we at last beat Australia. It’s a great achievement for our cricket in Afghanistan. If you look at history of our cricket, it is not much. Last 10 years, we achieved a lot of goals. This is a big achievement.”Related

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Australia’s fourth-wicket pair of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell were threatening to take the match away from Afghanistan in the 149 chase, when captain Rashid Khan turned to Naib for his eighth bowling option. Naib picked a wicket off his third delivery, removing Stoinis for 11. Bowling four overs straight, he then dismissed Tim David in this next over and then got the prized wicket of Maxwell, for 59, in the 14th to all but end Australia’s hopes.Naib thanked Rashid for trusting him in the crunch moments of the game and further said Afghanistan’s “journey starts now”.The win was sweeter for Afghanistan, who dealt with a heartbreak against the same opponents at the ODI World Cup last year. With Australia on 91 for 7, a one-legged Maxwell, battling severe cramps, took them to a stunning win with an unbeaten double-century.Naib expressed relief at the result in Kingstown that opened up Super Eight Group 1 standings.”We played very good cricket and in the first round we beat New Zealand,” he said. “Then [to beat] Australia is not easy. They are a world champion team and it is a big achievement for our cricket. We can carry this to the next level.”Our journey starts now. We are very lucky to have such a staff and management.”

Rashid Khan: ‘It’s something we missed in last two years’

After being asked to bat, Afghanistan were given a strong platform with an opening stand of 118 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran before they lost 6 for 23 with Pat Cummins picking up yet another hat-trick. Afghanistan were only able to post 148 for 6.Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put on another strong opening stand•AFP/Getty Images

Rashid said they were confident of defending anything over 130, adding the importance of having many allrounders in the team.”The thought was although we didn’t finish as well as we would have liked to, but this is how this wicket is,” Rashid said at the presentation. “The more important thing was that the opening partnership gave us the best start. That let us get to a total we had in mind. We all watched two games before, and on this wicket anything 130-plus we said we were capable of defending. We keep calm and have that belief.”The beauty of this team is having too many allrounders gives you options. As a captain, it makes it easy.”Beating Australia is a “great feeling” and will make Afghanistan fans “proud”, Rashid said.”It’s a massive win for us as a team and as a nation,” he said. “In the World Cup, beating champions is a great feeling. It’s something we missed in last two years – in 2023 World Cup and also in 2022 in Australia where we lacked some runs.”It is so much important for people at home and for everyone all over the world where Afghans are there. They were badly missing this win. I am sure they would be proud of this and would have enjoyed the game. It is just the beginning for us, big game next and we have all the chances of making the semis.”

Hockley says Cricket Australia has been in discussion with the ACB and hopes to “resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan at some point in the future”

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Jul-2024Cricket Australia (CA) has reiterated that Australia will not play bilateral cricket with Afghanistan because of the Taliban government’s stance regarding the rights of women.CA chief executive Nick Hockley said that there has been “regular dialogue” with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on the matter, and hoped that the sides resume playing each other “sometime in the future”.Australia have withdrawn from playing Afghanistan in a bilateral series thrice, citing “a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls”, but have continued to face them at ICC events. In the aftermath of Afghanistan’s famous victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup last month, Usman Khawaja had said that CA’s stance was “a little bit hypocritical”.Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan had also commented on the situation after the match, saying he wished “we could do something” to solve the problem.Related

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“They [Afghanistan] had a fantastic tournament with phenomenal players, and they played with great passion and spirit,” Hockley said. “Regarding our bilateral matches, we have consulted extensively with stakeholders, including the Australian government, and chose to postpone our last couple of series with Afghanistan Cricket Board on human-rights grounds.”We maintain a close relationship and regular dialogue with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and want to see cricket thrive worldwide for both men and women. We hope for a level of progress, and continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, aiming to resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan at some point in the future.”On Monday, 17 Afghanistan women players, contracted by the ACB in 2020 before the Taliban takeover, wrote to the ICC asking for assistance in setting up a refugee team based in Australia. The team wants to be administered by the East Asian Cricket office in Australia, and not play under the ACB banner or be called the Afghanistan national team.”We understand that the Afghanistan women based in Australia have written to the ICC,” Hockley said. “That’s a matter for the ICC to consider. We have meetings coming up in Colombo in July, and I’m sure it will be a topic of conversation. The Afghan women residing in Australia are engaged with the cricketing community, and they’re receiving excellent support from across the community. But it’s not something we were directly involved in.”Bangladesh had last played a bilateral ODI series in Australia in 2008•Getty Images

Exiled Afghanistan women footballers, who have resettled in Melbourne, are being supported by A League club Melbourne Victory to play as a team in Football Victoria’s third division. They even took part in the Hope Cup while awaiting official recognition from FIFA.On being asked if there were plans to integrate Afghanistan women cricketers into the club system in Australia, Hockley said, “My understanding is that several of the players are playing for clubs in the cities in which they reside, so you have to say I think that the community here is very much supporting them.”Any people that move and arrive in Australia are taking up the game, [and] joining cricket clubs – it’s a great way to meet people, great way to build relationships into the community. The broader cricketing fraternity has been offering their support.”

CA ‘looking forward to hosting’ Bangladesh men

Hockley also said that Australia were hopeful of hosting the Bangladesh’s men’s side in the next FTP cycle. Bangladesh last played Tests in Australia in July 2003, and a bilateral ODI series in August-September 2008.”Bangladesh are certainly part of our next FTP cycle, and we’re very much looking forward to hosting Bangladesh,” Hockley said. “We just enjoyed an excellent women’s tour to Bangladesh ahead of the women’s T20 World Cup later this year. We were very appreciative of the excellent hospitality and welcome that the women ‘s team received.”As far as a men’s tour [is concerned], that’s not currently part of the FTP over the next few years. But we will continue to work with all the members, [and] with the Bangladesh Cricket Board about what opportunities there can be for the following FTP.”

He scored a counterattacking 86 and then took two wickets in two overs to leave the game in the balance

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2024Axar Patel bolstered his credentials as one of the country’s most important all-round players on the first day of the Duleep Trophy, scoring a remarkable half-century to carry India D out of severe trouble in Anantapur. He then came back to pick up two wickets in two overs as well to ensure a game that could have slipped away from his team now remains in the balance.Anantapur more than lived up to its reputation of being a fast-bowler friendly venue. A wicket fell in the very first over of the game, which set the trend in the early going as India C, having opted to bowl, cut through the opposition top order, leaving them at 34 for 5. It was difficult even for players on the fringes of the Indian Test team as Shreyas Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal ended up with scores of 9 and 0. Karnataka fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak was responsible for much of this damage and the threat he posed continued throughout the day. He finished with figures of 12-3-19-3.Into this mire stepped Axar, batting at No. 7 but in to face a newish ball with barely 11 overs done. He has made several telling contributions from down the order for India in Test cricket, although he hasn’t always walked into a situation as bad as this one when playing international cricket. Axar responded to it with aggression, scoring 86 runs off just 118 balls with six fours and six sixes. He shepherded India D’s lower order, putting on an 84-run ninth-wicket partnership with Arshdeep Singh (13). But for all his good work, he could only get his team to a total of 164.India C started poorly as well with B Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad becoming the seventh and eighth players to bag single-figure scores on a day when 14 wickets fell. Harshit Rana took them both out in his opening spell and went to stumps with figures of 7-5-13-2. Axar built on those early wickets when he was brought on to bowl, striking twice in two overs. Among those he sent back was Rajat Patidar who is known for his strokeplay against spin and was using it to help his team recover from those early blows. India C went to stumps at 91 for 4, still trailing by 73 runs.

Three early wickets from Mukesh had Mumbai rattling before Rahane, Shreyas and Safaraz took the team to 237 for 4

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2024Three early wickets from Mukesh Kumar had Mumbai rattling at 37 for 3, but Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan all stroked composed half-centuries, ensuring they ended day one of the Irani Trophy on the ascendancy. At stumps – after just 68 overs due to bad light – Mumbai were 237 for 4 against Rest of India, with Rahane and Sarfaraz still at the crease.Mumbai, after being inserted, endured the worst possible start, losing their opener Prithvi Shaw for just 4 after he edged Mukesh to Devdutt Padikkal at second slip. Mukesh would strike again in no time, getting Hardik Tamore caught behind for a duck just two deliveries later. Ayush Mhatre tried to lead a recovery for Mumbai, but Mukesh returned in his second spell and struck immediately, dismissing the batter for 19.With Mumbai on the ropes, captain Rahane led from the front, putting up two crucial partnerships. First, he and Iyer added 102 for the fourth wicket, before Iyer was dismissed by Yash Dayal for 57. That didn’t hamper Mumbai’s momentum though, as Rahane and Sarfaraz kept the runs flowing, their 98-run stand putting Mumbai in a strong position going into the second day.Rahane, who recently struck a century for Leicestershire in the County Championship, was unbeaten on 86 off 197 balls, with six fours and a six. Sarfaraz, meanwhile, had made his way to 54 not out, with six fours.Mumbai are without allrounder Musheer Khan for the game after he suffered a fracture in the neck region following a road accident on the outskirts of Lucknow.

Kerr wasn’t given run-out because the ball was deemed dead, but questions around the incident remain

Shashank Kishore04-Oct-2024There was confusion, and no little anger, as India were at the centre of an umpiring controversy during their women’s T20 World Cup match against New Zealand in Dubai on Friday, which India lost by 58 runs.They felt they had a legitimate wicket – a run-out of Amelia Kerr – but it wasn’t to be, with the umpires deciding the ball was dead when the dismissal was effected.The appeal for the run-out came after Kerr was caught short of her ground while attempting a second run at the end of the 14th over of New Zealand’s innings. Having hit the ball towards long-off off the last ball of Deepti Sharma’s over, Kerr and Sophie Devine took a single, and didn’t seem to have any plans to push for the second. Deepti asked the umpire to hand her cap back to her and was been given it.However, with Harmanpreet Kaur, the fielder, collecting the ball and ambling in with it in her hands, Kerr and Devine tried pinching a second. Harmanpreet fired the ball in, Richa Ghosh collected it, and broke the stumps with Kerr short of her crease.The umpires – Anna Harris and Jacqueline Williams – decided the ball was dead, and anything that came after, the dismissal in this case, would not count as having occurred with the ball “in play”. Section 20.1.2 of the dead-ball law says: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”For that moment when the bowler collected her cap and the batters seemed happy with just the single, it is reasonable for the umpire to deem the ball dead. However, the umpires omitted to send the batters back to their respective ends. Kerr should have been back on strike for the start of the next over, but it was Devine who took strike against Renuka Singh and nudged a single. Kerr was out off the following delivery when she hit the ball to Pooja Vastrakar at extra cover, to be dismissed for 13 off 22 balls.Related

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Before that, though, play was held up for over seven minutes, with India head coach Amol Muzumdar visibly upset at the ruling, engaging in an animated chat with the fourth umpire, while Kerr was near the boundary before being called back.Speaking after the game, Jemimah Rodrigues said, “I was not there when the umpire gave the cap to Deepti, but, I mean, New Zealand were pretty sure that it was a double run and Amelia went for it, which showed that the over was not called out yet. And we all thought that, okay, we got that run-out.”What if that run-out wouldn’t happen? Would they give us a two for that. So I think, honestly, that’s not in our control at the end. We respect the decision of the umpire and we were okay with that. But yeah, it’s a bit harsh when Amelia herself walked out because she knew she was out.”Devine, who was batting alongside Kerr, explained she hadn’t heard the umpire call the over and they were trying to pinch a second run. “My understanding is that the ball is dead when the umpire calls ‘over’ and I didn’t hear the umpire call ‘over’,” she said. It was an interesting one, and I guess it broke a little bit of momentum and maybe stalled them [India] a bit.”That’s part of cricket. Interpretation is going to be slightly different. We were always trying to pinch runs here and there because you never know when one run is going to change things. The umpires have a job to do and we respect that, and I sometimes push the boundaries a little bit.””We know how important Amelia’s wicket was, at that moment it felt a little [like] why didn’t it go in our favour,” Rodrigues said. “But, at the same time, I think we did what we can.”We spoke to the umpire. Then we had to accept the decision of the umpire and move on. So I think that’s what we did really well, that we just moved on from that. And we got her out pretty soon. So that works for us.”

Defending 14 in the final over, Sutherland took 2 for 4 to help a hobbled Australia reach the semi-final

Valkerie Baynes14-Oct-2024″How was your heart rate?” Tahlia McGrath asked Annabel Sutherland after an extraordinary final over in which she defended 14 runs, took two wickets and denied India the right to decide their own destiny at the T20 World Cup.A high-stakes game played before a sold-out 14,946-strong crowd at Sharjah Stadium made up almost exclusively of Indian supporters had gone Australia’s way by nine runs after the tightest contest of the tournament so far. And Sutherland was “chill as”.It is testament to Sutherland’s character and why Australia see her as such a bright prospect that, having celebrated her 23rd birthday the day before, she took it all in her stride, claiming 2 for 22 from her four overs after adding a vital 10 runs in six balls from No.8.Related

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“She’s so composed,” McGrath said, standing in as captain for the injured Alyssa Healy. “She knew her plan, she executed beautifully. I said to her after, ‘how was your heart rate?’ and she goes, ‘no I was fine, I was chill as’ so I think that just shows the type of maturity that Belsey has.”She’s been in those big moments and delivered for us time and time again, even at the back end with some handy runs for us. She was huge for us today and very cool under pressure.”And it was testament to this Australian side that they were able to shut out all the noise on the night and the upheaval beforehand to seal their place in the semi-finals.A few hours before the match, it was announced that Tayla Vlaeminck would be replaced in the squad by Heather Graham after dislocating her right – bowling – shoulder just four balls into Friday night’s win against Pakistan. Vlaeminck’s plight hit her team-mates hard given her battles with injury which have restricted her to just 28 appearances for her country since her debut in 2018.Australia are also waiting to hear whether Healy will be fit to take any further part in this World Cup after she injured her foot in the same match and turned up to watch the India clash on crutches and in a moon boot, her condition to be monitored over the coming days.Alyssa Healy was unavailable for India clash due to foot injury•ICC/Getty Images

“There’s been a lot going on,” McGrath said. “Friday night, that was a tough night for us and a lot to process but in tournaments like this it’s move on, you’ve got a job to do.”We’ve been really trying to get around each other as a group, whether it be the injured girls, the girls playing slightly different roles, and just really sticking together as a group and focusing on the job at hand. I thought we did a really good job of that and came out and played really well tonight. I’m really proud of the group.”There were elements of chaos as Australia posted 151 for 8 upon winning the toss and opting to bat first. Georgia Wareham chose not to review an lbw decision which would have saved her and Sophie Molineux was run out walking back to the dugout not realising Jemimah Rodrigues had grassed a catch at backward point.McGrath’s handy innings of 32 off 26 balls had moments of drama after she survived India’s review for lbw, then was dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur at cover and finally stumped charging at Radha Yadav, all in the space of six deliveries.But she had kept her cool amid a rejigged middle-order and at the helm while Grace Harris, opening in Healy’s place top-scored with 40 off 41 and Ellyse Perry played a cool 32 off 23.However, it was Megan Schutt’s nerveless over in the 17th, when she conceded just one run and saw Richa Ghosh run out by a superb direct hit from Phoebe Litchfield at short cover, stood out for McGrath.”She bowled outstanding,” McGrath said. “She nailed her plan and that swung the game right back in our favour. That was a really crucial moment in the game for us.”McGrath has now captained Australia three times, twice in T20Is, including a match in India in 2022. Australia also had recent experience of pro-India full houses during their tour there in December and January.”It was very loud,” she said of Sunday in Sharjah. “We’re quite used to that now whenever we play against India. Lots of it was about just making eye contact with bowlers and trying to get everyone to look at me because trying to tell bowlers they’ll bowl the next over or move fielders, is almost impossible with that noise.”But for us it’s almost trying to ignore the crowd at times because they can make you seem like you’re behind the game when you maybe might not be. They’re so passionate, cheer so loud and we love it but at times you can think that the game’s getting away from you just with how loud the crowds cheering so it’s just about staying level-headed, staying focused and getting a good read on the game.”So when Harmanpreet threatened to take the match away from them with her 54 not out, the India captain’s second unbeaten half-century in as many games at this tournament, Australia just had to stay “chill as”. Now, waiting on the result of Monday’s clash between New Zealand and Pakistan, it is India who will have to sweat it out.

The defending champions lead by just 72 runs with three wickets in hand and an injury concern over Ashton Agar

AAP17-Nov-2024Victoria were in sight of victory over Western Australia and the outright lead in the Sheffield Shield standings, despite resolute innings by Hilton Cartwright and Joel Curtis.Seamers Fergus O’Neill and Sam Elliott made regular inroads at Junction Oval on Sunday to have the visitors 278 for 7 at stumps, a lead of just 72 runs with a day to play.Related

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Western Australia wicketkeeper Curtis played a defiant knock to keep his side’s faint hopes alive. But WA spinner Ashton Agar has a shoulder injury and there is a question mark over whether he will bat.O’Neill ended Cartwright’s 166-ball vigil on 78 with a perfect cutter that tickled the outside edge. The 23-year-old, who also snared three wickets in the first innings, has proven to be a revelation for Victoria, and also starred for Australia A against India A.Cartwright held the three-time reigning Sheffield Shield champions’ innings together with support from skipper Ashton Turner and Curtis.The visitors resumed on day three at 34 for 1 and were made to battle before and after rain took the players off the field either side of lunch.Strapping allrounder Elliott hit the pitch hard and snared Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin in the morning session, both edging into the bucket hands of first slip Peter Handscomb.Victoria, with vital bonus points from the match, will go top of the ladder if they can secure victory.In four Shield matches this year Cartwright has scored 420 runs at an average of 70 in a reminder of why he played two Tests for Australia in 2017.His defiance may not be enough to salvage anything for his side from this match, but along with Curtis he has made the Victorians fight hard.

Pant will join the Delhi squad in Rajkot ahead of their match against Saurashtra, DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said

PTI15-Jan-2025 • Updated on 16-Jan-2025Rishabh Pant has made himself available for Delhi’s next Ranji Trophy match, against Saurashtra, beginning in Rajkot on January 23, DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said on Tuesday. Pant last played a Ranji Trophy match back in the 2017-2018 season.Ravindra Jadeja will also make his first-class return. He last played represented Saurashtra in a first-class game in January 2023.However, there is no clarity over the participation of Virat Kohli, who last featured in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi back in 2012.Related

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Both the India players have been named in Delhi’s list of probables for the remainder of the season.”Yes, Pant has confirmed his availability for next Ranji game and will join the squad in Rajkot directly,” Sharma told PTI. “About Virat Kohli, we want him to play but we haven’t heard from him, while Harshit Rana is selected in the T20 squad [for the England games] and hence is unavailable.”Former India players Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri are among many who want the current crop of India Test players, especially the struggling Rohit Sharma and Kohli, to play red-ball cricket following the series loss in Australia.Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also expected to play for their respective state teams, Punjab and Mumbai.Will Virat Kohli return to the Ranji Trophy?•Getty Images

Rohit’s training with the Mumbai team on Tuesday led to plenty of interest but it remains to be seen if he makes himself available for the next round of Ranji Trophy matches.There has also been speculation around Kohli returning to the Ranji Trophy to regain red-ball form. The DDCA naming its star players in the list of probables is the norm, but their inclusion in the final squad is subject to their availability.While Rohit had stood down from the final Test in Australia due to poor form, Kohli’s struggles outside the off stump worsened as his tally of being caught behind swelled to eight over the course of the five Tests.Besides Kohli, Pant and Harshit, Delhi have named 38 probables for the remaining two games. In Group D, Delhi are fourth in the standings with 14 points from five games.