Abhishek Sharma sets Sher-e-Punjab T20 league on fire with blistering…

Indian T20I opener Abhishek Sharma opened fire to make a sensational start to the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League, smashing an outstanding 77 runs from just 26 balls for Amritsar Soormas in the tournament opener against the Mohali Kings.

The India opener wasted little time settling into his innings and went after the bowlers from the beginning. His knock included six fours and seven sixes as he batted at a strike rate of 296.

Abhishek batted in his usual aggressive style and was a major reason why his side were able to post a mammoth 258 on the board. freshyourfeel.org

Abhishek’s knock was complimented by Sahaj Dhawan and Naman Dhir, who smashed 45 and 47 each, while quickfire contributions from Rahul Kumar (23 off 13), Abhay Choudhary (18 off 8), Jashanpreet Singh (12 off 8) and Vaibhav Kalra (10 off 12).

In the second innings, however, Abhishek’s knock went in vain after the Mohali Kings chased down the target of 258. Anmolpreet Singh smashed 133 off only 51 balls, hitting 10 fours and 12 sixes. He put on a 151-run partnership with captain Ramandeep Singh, who remained unbeaten on 69 off 40 balls.

Also Read: Deepti Sharma enters history books, becomes the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is – Check details

Mohali reached 262/5 in 19.3 overs, with Ramandeep hitting the winning runs. The chase meant Amritsar’s 258 became the second-highest total in a successful chase in the match. Abhishek also bowled 2.3 overs and took one wicket, but conceded 37 runs.

Despite the loss, Abhishek Sharma would feel good to have some runs under his belt. He will look to use this tournament as a preparatory one to gain significant rhythm ahead of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan later this month.

The Men in Blue have a busy schedule coming ahead after that as they will also welcome West Indies for three one days and five T20Is before they embark on the tour to New Zealand.

Abhishek Sharma would also be hoping to put up a strong performance at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya where Shreyas Iyer and co will try to defend the gold medal they won back in 2023 at Hangzhou.

At New Zealand, the Indians will participate in an all format series, which will kick-off with five T20Is and ODIs. India’s tour will conclude with an important two-match Test series as part of the ICC World Test Championships.

[popcorn number="34" desc="The age of Parsee Gym’s Mairaj Khan in years" class="Default"]

Spinners dominated the proceedings in the Dr HD Kanga Cricket League on Sunday, with Parsee Gymkhana off-spinner Mairaj Khan claiming a 12-wicket haul to help his team register an innings and 16 run-victory over hosts National CC in a Div ‘A’ game at Cross Maidan.

Put into bat, National were bundled out for just 57 in 23.1 overs, with Mairaj returning 5-8. In reply, openers Pranay Kapadia (41 not out) and Ayush Vartak (44 not out) helped Parsee Gymkhana declare at 130-2 in 23 overs. National struggled again in their second essay and were bowled out for 57 in 23.5 overs; Mairaj 7-18.

Mairaj, 34, who is also a MCA-qualified umpire and has been officiating at inter-school and MCA matches for the last couple of years, was delighted with his best ‘A’ Division performance. “I had never taken a 10-wicket haul in the Kanga League before, so this is my best performance. I wanted to challenge myself and see whether I’m good enough to better myself,” Mairaj told mid-day. Interestingly, Parsee Gymkhana won without their ace left-arm spinner Shams Mulani bowling a single over. Mulani returned from Bengaluru after playing the Duleep Trophy quarter-final for West Zone against North Zone, where he scored 52 and claimed 4-78.

Kotian delays trip

Meanwhile, Mumbai off-spinner Tanush Kotian postponed his trip to Bengaluru by a day to play in the Kanga League. He was scheduled to join the Mumbai team for their Dr K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy match on Tuesday.

Kotian, who plays for Shivaji Park Youngsters (SPY), returned figures of 5-83 as hosts Islam Gymkhana won by virtue of a first-innings lead after scoring 234 all out, with opener Amogh Bhatkal top-scoring with 87. SPY were bowled out for 113, with left-arm spinner Vinayak Bhoir claiming 5-56.

“I wanted to play here to test my bowling ahead of Mumbai’s next match in Bengaluru starting on Tuesday. It was tough to bowl today as the pitch was batting-friendly,” Kotian told mid-day.

In another Div ‘A’ match at PJ Hindu Gym, Victory CC wicketkeeper-batter Pratik Yadav smashed an 113 NO (6x4, 4x6) in a drawn encounter. Victory posted 269-4, while PJ Hindu replied with 157-3; Sahil Jadhav scoring 64.

At Shivaji Park Gymkhana, New Hind SC skipper Aaditya Parab scored 110 (16x4, 1x6) as his team posted 210 all out. SPY replied with 168-4.

‘D’ Division action

In a Div ‘D’ match at Azad Maidan, left-arm spinner Prabhanjan Patade’s 11-wicket haul (6-14 and 5-33) helped Gaud Saraswat beat United Friends by virtue of first innings lead. In reply to United Friends’s 76 all out, Gaud Saraswat declared at 136-4 in the first essay. United Friends were bowled out for 72 in the second innings.

IPL 2027: Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni is hoping to make an appearance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 season in six months time. Dhoni will be 45 years when IPL 2027 comes around and would have been expected to play much of the season as an ‘Impact Player’ as he has battling various injuries over the last couple of years.

However, Dhoni’s participation in IPL 2027 could be in major doubt as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have sought urgent feedback from all 10 IPL franchises on the ‘Impact Player’ rule. According to a report in Cricbuzz website, the franchises have been asked to submit their views of the ‘Impact Player’ rule by the end of day on Monday (August 31).

The ‘Impact Player’ rule is not the only topic of discussion among the 10 teams as the BCCI have sought opinions on other issues like PMOA matters, umpiring, practice sessions and playing conditions.

“Specifically seeking responses on the Impact Player clause appears to be against the run of play, given the expectation that the rule would continue for at least another season. The BCCI/IPL managers appeared to indicate at last year’s pre-season Captains’ Meeting that the rule would remain for one more year. Interestingly, the BCCI communication cites that very Captains’ Meeting,” the Cricbuzz report stated.

MAJOR IPL UPDATE

The BCCI has formally sought feedback from all 10 IPL franchises on the contentious Impact Player Rule.

BlogIPL 2026 Rain Delay Royals Beat Mumbai by 2 Runs in 11-Over Sprint Past MidnightRain-Disrupted IPL 2026 Clash Sees Mumbai Indians Opt to Field in Guwahati The 2026 Indian Premier League season had already served up its share of thrills, yet nothing quite ma...Open →

️ Franchises have been given until August 31 to submit their written opinions and final recommendations.

Should the Impact Player rule stay or be… pic.twitter.com/6mVDcCHkgr

— Hemant Bhavsar (@hemantbhavsar86) August 31, 2026

Senior Indian cricket players like former captain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel and Gujarat Titans Shubman Gill have openly opposed the idea of ‘Impact Player’. The timing of this BCCI move raises a major question whether the rule will be reviewed ahead of the IPL 2027 next year.

“As discussed in the IPL 2026 Captains’ Meeting, it was agreed that feedback would be collected from all franchises at the conclusion of the tournament on key cricket operations matters. Accordingly, we request you to discuss the following areas with your Cricket Operations teams and share your consolidated feedback with us,” the BCCI mail read, as state by Cricbuzz webiste.

“Kindly ensure that your feedback reaches us by 31 August. This will help us compile inputs from all franchises and take forward the necessary review and action points ahead of the next season,” the mail added.

Dhoni was retained as an ‘uncapped’ player by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 4 crore ahead of IPL 2026 season but didn’t play a single Indian Premier League match this year due to various injuries.

Arun Singh Dhumal to continue as IPL chairman

Meanwhile, Arun Singh Dhumal and Khairul Jamal Majumdar are set to be re-elected unopposed to the IPL Governing Council at the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 18, according to a report in PTI news agency.

BCCI Electoral Officer AK Joti has issued the election notification for the two IPL Governing Council positions under Rule 28 of the BCCI Constitution. The two elected members from the general body serve one-year terms and are required to seek re-election at the AGM. Nominations will be accepted on September 9 and 10, with the final list of candidates to be published on September 12 after scrutiny.

Dhumal, who heads the IPL Governing Council, represents Himachal Pradesh, while Majumdar represents Mizoram. The other two general body representatives on the seven-member council are BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and treasurer Raghuram Bhat. The remaining members are the BCCI CEO, an Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA) representative and a CAG nominee.

India kicked off their Women's T20 Asia Cup with an impressive 94-run triumph against Thailand. Shafali Verma ignited the innings with her electrifying batting, laying a robust foundation for the team. The bowlers showcased their prowess, limiting Thailand to a modest score. Highlighting the match, Deepti Sharma reached a remarkable milestone, claiming the title of leading wicket-taker in women's T20I history, ensuring a triumphant start to the tournament for India.

Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about his biggest regret in international cricket. He admitted that he is disappointed with his performance in the ODI format. He said he did not put in the hard work that the format demanded. He made his ODI debut in 2021 and played 37 matches. He scored 773 runs at an average of 25.76. He played his last ODI in the 2023 World Cup final against Australia, where he scored 18 off 28 balls.

He said he only played one Test match and did not get another chance after that. But he is not disappointed about Tests. His real disappointment lies with ODIs. He believes ODI cricket is the most difficult format for a batter. He explained that it requires a careful balance between building an innings and accelerating at the right moments. He said he could not crack the method for that format, even though he knew he would likely bat at five or six.

He admitted that he failed to develop the necessary preparation and practice routines. He acknowledged that his limited ODI appearances passed quickly without him making the most of the opportunity. He also said he discusses his ODI regrets with his family. His wife often asks him if he thinks he could have played more ODI cricket. He tells her he did not work hard enough. He believes that where he put in the effort, he got the rewards. Where he did not, he did not get results.

He concluded by stressing the importance of honest self-reflection. He said you have to look at yourself in the mirror every day. He asked, “How can you lie to the person standing in the mirror?” He said it has to be an honest reflection. He is using his regret as motivation to do better.

Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Shocking World Cup Stories and Career Regrets

Suryakumar Yadav had a year of extremes in 2026. He led India to victory in the T20 World Cup at home. But soon after, he was dropped from the T20I team and stripped of the captaincy. He opened up in a candid podcast with Aakash Chopra.

The Shock of Being Dropped

Suryakumar admitted he was completely shocked when he was dropped. He said he sat at home for 40 to 50 days and did nothing. He was confused and did not know what to do next. A lot was going on in his mind. He said he smiled when he saw his name was missing from the squad. He explained that he has always smiled in pressure situations. He has done that throughout his career. He also said he did not react to the selectors’ decision. He accepted that they felt it was best for the team.

The Conversation with Sanju Samson

Suryakumar revealed a conversation he had with Sanju Samson during the World Cup. Samson was dropped from the playing XI due to poor form. Suryakumar told him it was going to be difficult. Samson’s response was incredible. He said his captain should do whatever was right to help the team win. He said he would prepare as if he were playing and would be ready whenever needed. Suryakumar said he gained a lot of confidence from that. He said it showed him that there are selfless people in life.

The Anger at Kuldeep Yadav

Suryakumar also revealed that he was angry with spinner Kuldeep Yadav during a World Cup match against Pakistan. Kuldeep was disappointed at not being given the ball. There was a chance of a catch when he was at long-on. Suryakumar said Kuldeep ran very casually, an easy catch according to his skills. He dropped it. Suryakumar said he got angry because Kuldeep did not put in any effort. He said he would have been fine if he had made an effort and still dropped it.

Backing Abhishek Sharma

Suryakumar spoke about his faith in opener Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek had a horror start to the World Cup. He scored three consecutive ducks. But Suryakumar continued to back him. He said he understood from the first time he saw him that he was a match-winner. He wanted a player who could do the things Abhishek does. Abhishek repaid the faith. He scored 55 off 30 in the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe. He also scored 52 off 21 in the final against New Zealand.

FAQs

Q. What is Suryakumar Yadav’s biggest ODI regret?

A. Suryakumar regrets not working hard enough in ODI cricket.

Q. How many ODI runs did Suryakumar score?

A. Suryakumar scored 773 runs in 37 ODI matches.

Q. When did Suryakumar play his last ODI?

A. His last ODI came in the 2023 World Cup final.

Q. Why was Suryakumar angry with Kuldeep Yadav?

A. Suryakumar was upset because Kuldeep did not make enough effort.

Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.