BCCI reviews India’s away defeats, plans strategy for SENA tours

[popcorn number="Zero" desc="No. of T20Is India won against Ireland and England recently; they lost six games, while one was washed out" class="Default"] chickenroad.qpon

After a high-profile review meeting at the BCCI’s Wankhede headquarters on Thursday, which was attended by Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir, BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman, BCCI president Mithun Manhas, and secretary Devajit Saikia, the latter admitted that Team India’s away defeats in the recent past have been disappointing.

India lost a T20I series in Ireland (0-2) last June, followed by a 0-4 defeat in five T20Is and a 1-2 loss in ODIs to England a month later, before beating hosts Sri Lanka 1-0 in a two-Test series recently.

“Yes, we did not do well and lost matches in Ireland and also in England in that T20 and ODI series, so we wanted to know the reasons, so that we can do some soul-searching about that. Also, for the future, we have chalked out some strategies when it comes to travelling to any of the SENA countries [South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia],” Saikia said in reply to a question from mid-day.

About the speculation surrounding the future of India’s ODI opener Rohit Sharma, Saikia replied:

“He [Rohit] is playing superbly in all matches. What more do you want?
In the last match [vs England] he scored 138 runs [at Lord’s on July 19]. So, why is there a speculation? I do not want to give fodder to speculators.”

Interestingly, chief selector Ajit Agarkar was a notable absentee at the meeting.

“He [Agarkar] was out of station, so could not be part of the meeting as it was called at a very short notice,” said Saikia.

A stunning century from Smriti Mandhana has set up India for a dominant victory against Hong Kong Women in the Women’s Asia Cup clash 2026 played in Dubai.

With this win, India secured a massive 137-run victory and their spot in the semi-finals. With a superior run rate, India Women have topped Group A in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 points table.

Invited to bat first, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma opened the innings and made a solid start, scoring 60 runs in the powerplay. They stitched a 74-run partnership for the first wicket as Ruchitha dismissed the wicket of Shafali Verma for 28 runs.

Pratika Rawal went on to score 10 runs while Richa Ghosh added 11 runs before their dismissals by Joyleen Kaur and Lamplough. Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana smashed fifty and continued to bat as she smashed a century in the 17th over and became the first India woman to hit 2 centuries in T20Is.

She goes past Mithali Raj as the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur added 10 runs before her dismissal by Lamplough.

However, Mandhana got dismissed for 124 runs by a run-out, and with Bharti Fulmali and Deepti Sharma at the crease, India went on to score 193 runs in their 20-over innings.

Marina Lamplough bagged two wickets, while Ruchitha and Joyleen bagged one wicket each.

The star of the show

Vice-captain @mandhana_smriti is adjudged the Player of the Match for her exhilarating performance as #TeamIndia are through to the semis of the #WomensAsiaCup #INDvHK pic.twitter.com/TQRaDiTM3R

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 3, 2026

Chasing the 194-run target, Natasha Miles and Mariko Hill opened the innings while Kranti Gaud opened the bowling attack. Hill got dismissed for a duck, and with Yasmin and Natasha at the crease, Hong Kong Women scored only 16 runs in the powerplay.

Yasmin Daswani added 11 runs before being dismissed by Deepti Sharma. Natasha Miles added 15 runs before being dismissed by Prema Rawat.

Rawat bagged her second wicket, dismissing Kary Chan for 1 run. With the dismissal of Maryam Bibi and Marina Lamplough, Hong Kong lost 6 wickets for 54 runs.

Deepti Sharma bagged the wickets of Alison Siu and Iqra Sahar for 1 and 0, respectively, in the same over.

With Joyleen Kaur and Shanzeen Shahzad dismissed cheaply, Hong Kong got bowled out for 56 runs.

Smriti Mandhana was named as the player of the match. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Mandhana said, ” I don’t have anyone in mind who I would like to dedicate, but definitely, my family.”

The post Smriti Mandhana’s Record 124 Powers India into Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals appeared first on Times of Sports.

The debate around transgender participation in sport has rarely been short of strong opinions. But behind the headlines and social media arguments are questions that are far more complicated: eligibility, physiology, fairness, inclusion and, ultimately, who gets the opportunity to compete.

Anaya Bangar now finds herself at the centre of that conversation.

Cricket Australia’s decision to make Anaya eligible to pursue a pathway into elite women’s cricket in Australia has opened a new chapter in her cricketing journey. The decision has also triggered a wider debate, with South African cricket great Marizanne Kapp describing Cricket Australia’s decision as “absolutely ridiculous”.

For Anaya, however, the decision represents something much more personal. After a period in which she felt she might have to choose between her identity and the sport she loves, the clearance has given her renewed hope of competing in women’s cricket.

Her eligibility, however, does not mean an automatic place in the Women’s Big Bash League. Anaya will have to establish herself through club cricket, perform on the field and meet Cricket Australia’s ongoing eligibility requirements, including testosterone testing.

In an exclusive conversation with RevSportz, Anaya spoke at length about what Cricket Australia’s decision means to her, the science and medical process behind her case, the distinction between inclusion and competitive fairness, the different approaches taken by Cricket Australia and the ICC, and her hopes of making her mark as a left-arm spinner and left-handed batter.

Here are the key excerpts:

Trisha Ghosal: Anaya, what does Cricket Australia’s decision actually mean for you, and where are you in the process of pursuing a pathway into women’s cricket?

Anaya Bangar: When I got the news that I was eligible and had been cleared to play women’s cricket, it felt like my life was back. It felt like I had hope again, that I could play, compete and have the chance to just be myself out there on the field.

For the longest time, I felt like I had to either give up on myself or give up on cricket. But now that this is happening, it’s a game-changer for me.

I’m just looking forward to going there and playing cricket. But that doesn’t mean I have clearance or a fixed position to play in the WBBL. I have to go there and play club cricket, prove myself through my performances and, subject to my arrival on March 27, undergo a testosterone test.

As long as I comply with those requirements, I’ll be cleared to play. So, again, it’s not just about getting clearance. I still need to work on myself, perform on the field and get picked, which is how I intend to approach it as well.

Trisha: When you saw the reaction to Cricket Australia’s decision, particularly Marizanne Kapp calling it “absolutely ridiculous”, what was your immediate reaction? What do you wish people understood about what this process has actually been like for you?

Anaya: To be honest, it was expected that someone or the other would try to raise questions or scrutinise me in that way. I understand the political climate we live in, and I understand how trans athletes are looked upon and treated. I also understand where people who want to spread negativity around this come from.

I think a lot of it is based on a lack of education and awareness around the topic. When we’re talking about potential advantages, I have scientific evidence backing my case. I have Manchester University’s report, my testosterone levels are in check, and all of it affects muscle mass, hormonal density and other aspects of the body.

On top of that, Cricket Australia has made sure that it has a panel in place, with researchers who have studied this topic and know far more about it than many of us do. People are quick to put their assumptions and judgements on this topic.

But, again, it’s about understanding the topic, educating yourself and growing from it.

Trisha: Let’s take this conversation a little more towards the science, because there is genuine confusion around it. What happens to the physiological changes when someone who has gone through male puberty undergoes hormone therapy? What have doctors, scientists or specialists explained to you about what changes and what may not completely change?

Anaya: You lose muscle mass and you lose most of the physical capabilities you have gained through testosterone and during male puberty. I don’t deny the fact that it gives you a lot of strength and some of the advantages that people talk about.

But when you’re suppressing your testosterone for a long period of time, along with going through hormone replacement therapy and surgeries as well, my body doesn’t produce testosterone anymore. That diminishes your body a lot. You basically aren’t functioning or moving the same way that you used to.

Physically, I could do 50 push-ups before; now I can only do two at maximum. That’s how drastic the change has been.

Again, people are quick to put their views and assumptions on this topic, but it’s science-based. People need to look at the facts rather than hear about feelings and opinions.

Trisha: Do you think the effects of transition can vary from individual to individual? Is there a particular scientific principle that applies across the board, or are people quick to judge because they don’t understand the individual effects?

Anaya: I think it’s very complex because each transition and each body is different. Considering the fact that people may have gone through male puberty as well, you need to assess cases on a case-by-case basis rather than provide general rules and regulations.

That is why such panels are set up in the first place. Once people understand that and recognise how different each transition and each body can be, that’s when we create a far better place for understanding.

Trisha: The ICC and Cricket Australia have arrived at different policies. The ICC takes a puberty-based approach for international cricket, while Cricket Australia allows a domestic pathway based on eligibility requirements, including testosterone levels. Having gone through this process yourself, do you think one approach better addresses the question of fairness, or is the issue more complicated than either policy suggests?

Bangar: I think how Cricket Australia is handling this is far better, more inclusive and more dignified towards the principles of women’s sport, while making sure fairness is maintained at the same time.

With the ICC and BCCI, the BCCI has stayed quiet about this despite my repeated attempts to reach out to them, while the ICC has set up rules which, in my view, aren’t science-based but assumption-based. They haven’t actually considered the approach that Cricket Australia has taken.

Trisha: When we talk about the unfair advantage that is often discussed, do you think people forget that cricket is a very skill-based sport? It’s not only about muscle mass or bone strength; there is also a significant skill component. Do you think that argument is sometimes missing from the sports-science debate?

Anaya: Exactly. Cricket is a skill-based sport.

Thank you for bringing that up. You’re the first one to talk about this as well. It is purely skill-based and it’s a team-based sport.

People need to take that into consideration as well.

Trisha: You’ve spoken about following Cricket Australia’s regulations. But putting the policy aside for a moment, what does fairness in women’s cricket mean to you? Do you believe inclusion and competitive fairness necessarily have to be in conflict?

Anaya: It’s about keeping both inclusion and fairness in mind and building policies around that, basically ensuring that there is no unfair advantage.

Again, it’s trans women and women at the end of the day. But it’s about having spaces and rules through which we don’t have cases of people transitioning just for women’s cricket, which isn’t true for most of us.

We have to go through years and years of therapy and years and years of physical change.

Trisha: If you could have one conversation with women cricketers who are uncomfortable with trans athletes participating in women’s cricket, what would you want them to understand about you? And what would you be willing to listen to from them?

Anaya: I understand where those concerns come from. If I were in that place, I would probably feel the same way.

But I would ask them to keep an open mind and look at the science behind it rather than how the world is projecting its assumptions onto people like us.

I’ve already put my case out there. It’s all on paper. It’s not based on personal feelings or opinions.

Trisha: And when you begin your cricket journey, what do we see you as, an all-rounder, a batter? What do you have in mind when it comes to cricket?

Anaya: I’ve always been a left-arm spinner and a left-hand batter. So I’m looking forward to proving myself and doing my best on the field in those roles.

Trisha: Finally, is there anything you feel we haven’t covered that you would like to say?

Anaya: No, I think it’s all covered. Thank you so much.

Trisha: All the best, and thank you for speaking to us.

Anaya: Thank you so much.

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The post Anaya Bangar on Cricket Australia Eligibility, Trans Athletes, Science and Fairness: “My Life Is Back” appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

In a recent legal development, former cricketer Yusuf Pathan decided to withdraw his appeal challenging a court's designation of him as an encroacher on government property in Vadodara. His lawyer indicated that they are relying on state government policy for their claim. The Gujarat High Court dismissed the appeal as withdrawn on Monday, but Pathan is determined to seek resolution outside of legal proceedings.