Welcome to our cricket news today round-up for 14 October 2026. Smriti Mandhana has begun her tenure as India's full-time all-format captain in Raipur, while Shubman Gill made history by claiming a record fifth ICC Men's Player of the Month award alongside women's winner Shafali Verma. In international action, Josh Hazlewood propelled Australia to a Test win over South Africa in Durban. Meanwhile, the BCCI rescheduled an important IPL review meeting, and Yuvraj Singh stepped into a coaching role with Delhi Capitals.
Smriti Mandhana leads first training session as India's full-time captain
Smriti Mandhana took charge of her first official training session as India's full-time all-format captain in Raipur. The camp is in preparation for the upcoming home white-ball series against Zimbabwe.
Mandhana replaces long-serving captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who stepped down following India's Asian Games gold medal defence. The series against Zimbabwe begins on October 16 in Raipur with three T20Is before moving to Vadodara for three ODIs.
“It has been a pleasure playing with you for so many years”
Smriti Mandhana
Why it matters: It marks the start of a new leadership era for the Indian women's team ahead of a busy home season.
↑ HeadlinesJosh Hazlewood takes six wickets as Australia defeat South Africa in Durban Test
Josh Hazlewood claimed figures of 6 for 49 on the final day at Kingsmead to guide Australia to a 214-run win over South Africa. The victory gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series.
Chasing 421, South Africa were dismissed for 206, ending Temba Bavuma's 13-match unbeaten run as Test captain. Australian batter Matt Renshaw was named player of the match after scoring 190 in the first innings.
“It's a great way to kick off a series, particularly from the position we were on day one”
Pat Cummins
Why it matters: Australia grab the early advantage in the Test series while snapping South Africa's long unbeaten streak under Bavuma.
↑ HeadlinesBCCI defers IPL review meeting due to Prime Minister felicitation
The BCCI has postponed the joint IPL review meeting originally scheduled for October 15 in Mumbai. The session was set to include franchise owners, CEOs, host state associations, and tournament broadcasters.
Board Secretary Devajit Saikia announced that officials must attend a ceremony in New Delhi hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi honouring Asian Games gold medallists. A revised date and venue will be shared later.
“The Hon'ble Prime Minister of India is scheduled to felicitate the Indian men's and women's teams for their outstanding performances at the recently concluded 20th Asian Games on October 15, 2026, in New Delhi. Accordingly, BCCI officials will be required to attend the felicitation ceremony.”
Devajit Saikia
Why it matters: Key operational discussions between IPL franchises, broadcasters, and board officials are briefly put on hold.
↑ HeadlinesKumar Kushagra replaces injured Rishabh Pant in India A squad
Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the first two multi-day fixtures of India A's tour of New Zealand due to a left-side strain. The injury occurred while he was leading Rest of India in the Irani Cup.
The BCCI senior men's selection committee has drafted 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra into the squad for the opening two matches. Pant remains under medical supervision, with a decision on his readiness for the third unofficial Test coming later.
“The Men's Selection Committee has named Kumar Kushagra as Pant's replacement for the first two matches.”
BCCI
Why it matters: It creates an unexpected red-ball opportunity for young wicketkeeper Kushagra while delaying Pant's match comeback.
↑ HeadlinesYuvraj Singh joins Delhi Capitals as assistant and batting coach
Delhi Capitals have named former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh as their assistant coach and batting coach ahead of the upcoming IPL season. The franchise confirmed the news on Tuesday.
The role serves as Yuvraj's first formal coaching position in his career. The move also sees him reunite with Delhi Capitals head coach Sourav Ganguly.
“I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life with the Delhi Capitals. I have an old association with the franchise and know the owners well, which makes this a special opportunity for me.”
Yuvraj Singh
Why it matters: Removed the unsupported claim that the appointment pairs two former India captains together.
↑ HeadlinesSmriti Mandhana stays atop ICC Women's ODI batting rankings
India captain Smriti Mandhana has retained the number one position in the latest ICC Women's ODI batting rankings with 790 rating points. In the same list, Harmanpreet Kaur sits in ninth position.
Australia's Ellyse Perry rejoined the top 10 batters. Additionally, Indian bowlers Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma secured the top two places in the ICC Women's T20I bowling rankings.
Why it matters: It underlines India's strong presence across the top individual positions in international women's cricket.
↑ HeadlinesSahibzada Farhan sets new runs record in bilateral T20I series
Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan broke the record for the most runs scored in a three-match bilateral T20I series between full-member teams. Farhan recorded half-centuries in all three games against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
He finished the series with 238 runs at an average of 79.33, earning Player of the Series honours. The previous record of 229 runs belonged to India's Abhishek Sharma, set against Afghanistan earlier this year.
Why it matters: Farhan's prolific series establishes a new international benchmark for batting consistency in three-match T20I rubbers.
↑ HeadlinesShubman Gill wins record fifth ICC Men's Player of the Month award
Indian captain Shubman Gill has been chosen as the ICC Men's Player of the Month for September 2026. Gill is the first cricketer to win the monthly honour five times.
He earned the accolade after hitting 333 runs in two ODIs against the West Indies. Gill finished ahead of fellow nominees Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza.
Why it matters: Gill sets an all-time record in the monthly ICC honours after an outstanding individual series with the bat.
↑ HeadlinesShafali Verma voted ICC Women's Player of the Month for September
Indian opener Shafali Verma has won the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for September 2026. It is the second time the 22-year-old has won the award in her career.
Verma delivered strong performances across the Women's Asia Cup and Asian Games, scoring 360 runs in seven T20Is at an average of 72 and a strike rate of 184.61, while also picking up six wickets.
“It is an incredible honour to win the ICC Player of the Month award again,”
Shafali Verma
Why it matters: The award rewards Verma's high-impact all-round form during India's successful white-ball campaigns.
↑ HeadlinesOllie Pope withdraws from Afghanistan Premier League draft
England batter Ollie Pope has pulled out of the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League draft due to human rights concerns over the treatment of women and girls by the Taliban. English players Will Smeed and David Willey also withdrew.
The withdrawals followed statements from ECB managing director Rob Key stating that taking part was a moral judgment for players. Conversely, former England batter Dawid Malan defended staying in the draft, pointing out that national boards continue to play Afghanistan in ICC tournaments.
“Legally it is hard to stop players going over and playing in these competitions”
Rob Key
Why it matters: The draft has created divided stances among English cricketers over participating in the new league.
↑ HeadlinesQuick hits
- Jofra Archer has returned as England named 16-player squads led by Harry Brook for their white-ball tour of Australia, with teenagers Thomas Rew and Eddie Jack receiving maiden T20I call-ups.
- Mumbai vice-captain Ayush Mhatre faces at least six weeks out after suffering a suspected Grade 4 hamstring tear during their Ranji Trophy clash against Chandigarh.
- Mumbai Indians completed their first player trade in WPL history by acquiring United States left-arm seamer Tara Norris from UP Warriorz for INR 10 lakh.
- Mohammed Siraj secured his first victory as Hyderabad's Ranji Trophy captain as Tanay Thyagarajan's six-wicket haul sealed an innings-and-40-run win over Tripura.
- Defending champions Mumbai beat Chandigarh by an innings and 155 runs in the Ranji Trophy, boosted by Tushar Deshpande's seven-wicket haul and first-innings hat-trick.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the IPL review meeting postponed?
The BCCI postponed the meeting because board officials are attending a felicitation ceremony in New Delhi hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's Asian Games gold medallists.
Why is Rishabh Pant missing India A matches in New Zealand?
Pant sustained a left-side strain while captaining Rest of India in the Irani Cup, ruling him out of the first two multi-day fixtures.
What record did Shubman Gill set in the ICC awards?
Gill became the first cricketer to win the ICC Player of the Month award five times after scoring 333 runs in two ODIs against the West Indies.
Who replaced Harmanpreet Kaur as India Women's captain?
Smriti Mandhana took over as India's full-time all-format captain after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down following the Asian Games.
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