'KL Rahul's personality is better off not captaining...': Wasim Jaffer

Team India is set to take on Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series. The first Test match is scheduled to be played from August 15 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium near Galle Fort.

Former Team India's cricketer Wasim Jaffer feels that KL Rahul will deliver performances when he doesn't have the additional responsibility of captaincy. He also said that the Karnataka-born cricketer has the ability to win two or three matches on his own. sport-newz.biz

"KL Rahul's personality is better off not captaining because if you leave him to play, I think he'll always give you 500-600 runs. He's a bankable player. He will win 2-3 games on his own, which he does in every season," said the former cricketer on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.

"So I just feel that with the kind of personality he has, captaincy just puts a bit of added pressure on him," he added.

Ahead of the Test series against India's distant rivals, Rahul's role will be crucial for the visitors. In the three-day practice match against SLC XI, which concluded on Sunday, Rahul came in as an opener in the 1st innings and scored 40 off 67 balls. He did not bat in the 2nd innings.

Notably, India registered a six-wicket win against a Sri Lanka XI, providing several positives ahead of the two-Test WTC series. Shubman Gill eased injury concerns with a fluent 44, Devdutt Padikkal strengthened his case for the No. 3 spot with a 142-run knock, while Ravindra Jadeja impressed with both bat and ball.

Also, Madhya Pradesh's veteran off-spinner Saransh Jain has received a maiden call-up due to Washington Sundar’s unavailability for the first Test match. Sundar is undergoing rehabilitation for a hamstring injury. Jain has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. According to several media reports, he was in contention for the series.

Meanwhile, Team India has included Aquib Nabi in the squad as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement.

Also, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will mark his comeback after recovering from a tennis elbow injury suffered during the concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

India's updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka

Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.

(With ANI Inputs)

India's oldest living Test cricketer, wicketkeeper-batsman Dr Chandrakant Patankar, 95, had no idea that the country will be playing its 600th Test match when they take on Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15. But he was delighted to learn about the same when mid-day paid him a visit at his Sewri residence on Monday.

Patankar, who played only one Test (against New Zealand at Kolkata in 1955-56), reckoned that the longest format is not just here to stay alongside the game’s highly successful ODI and T20I versions, but is also evolving in every aspect with everyone, including the current generation and the former cricketers and their families, enjoying its benefits.

India players celebrate the wicket of Ravindu Rasantha during the warm-up match vs SLC XI at the NCC Ground, Colombo, on Sunday. Pic/BCCI

“There is a huge difference in today’s cricket and when we used to play this game. Facilities-wise, skill-wise, the player’s approach towards this game has changed a lot. Now, there are matches around the year and playing across most of those 365 days requires top fitness levels. That’s why today’s players are much fitter than what we used to be. Test cricket is progressing well and will continue to do well in the future.

Taking Test cricket to smaller venues is boosting interest among spectators and upcoming players too. Day-Night Tests are also a great idea,” Patankar told mid-day at his ground floor home at Maharashtra Cooperative Housing Society in Ambekar Nagar, where he has been residing for the last 40 years.

Selection day news on radio

Patankar, who represented both Mumbai and Maharashtra in first-class cricket, also hailed BCCI for working for the benefit of cricketers. “I received Rs 250 for playing that Kolkata Test, and in those days, that amount was big enough. Nowadays, financially things have improved so much for the current lot. Even we, former players, are receiving a good pension. I get Rs 60,000 per month from BCCI and I’m very grateful,” said Patankar, going on to recall how he got the news of his India selection back in the day: “I used to live at my elder cousin’s home in Girgaon and we didn’t have a radio so the day India’s team was announced for the series against NZ, I stood in the gallery [balcony] of our home, trying to listen to the announcement on our neighbour’s radio. And when I heard my name, I ran into the hall, shouting ‘I got selected’. The next day, I went to the BCCI office [at Brabourne Stadium] to collect my India selection letter, submitted my leave application to my employers, BEST, and headed off to do my rail reservation for Kolkata.”

Patankar revealed he made his Test debut wearing his Shivaji Park Gymkhana (SPG) cap at Kolkata, where he scored 13 and one not out, took three catches behind the stumps and effected one stumping in the drawn encounter.

‘Kohli’s fit, Shubman superb’

When asked what it feels like to be India’s oldest living Test cricketer, wheelchair-bound Patankar paused while slowly sipping on his cup of evening tea, looked up and replied with a smile: “I’m fortunate and enjoying every moment of it. I watch every match on TV; I follow our women’s cricket team too as they are very competitive. I particularly admire Virat Kohli for his fitness and commitment to the game. Also, Shubman Gill is a cool, confident and composed cricketer. I hope he can lead India to a Test series win over the Lankans,” Patankar signed off.

[popcorn number="26" desc="No. of first-class matches played by Dr Chandrakant Patankar, including one Test" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="19 months" desc="Dr Chandrakant Patankar’s age when India played its first Test, against England at Lord’s in June 1932" class="Default"]

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are hunting for a new head coach with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming ending his association with the team after 17 years in charge. Fleming has been appointed new head coach of England cricket team and will be taking charge of the team later in the year.

MS Dhoni’s CSK have failed to win the IPL title since their record-equalling triumph in 2023 season. The Chennai franchise are now looking to finalise on a new head coach ahead IPL 2027 season before they consider another major move – trading Hardik Pandya from Mumbai Indians.

According to a report in Cricbuzz website, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan and whole-time director Rupa Gurunath will take a decision on the new head coach in discussion with former captain MS Dhoni and current skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. “We have not started applying our minds on this. First, we will have a coach. We have got calls from many interested candidates. We will sit and finalise,” Viswanathan said about Hardik Pandya trade to Cricbuzz website.

Leo is just bored!
Remember, not everything needs decoding#WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/3MYcuOVeLF

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 11, 2026

One name who could come into consideration is former England head coach Brendon McCullum, who was part of the CSK franchise in IPL 2014 and 2015 season. Former New Zealand captain had scored 405 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2014 with 3 fifties and then 436 runs in 14 matches with 1 century and 2 fifties.

McCullum had to join Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017 as CSK were banned for a couple of years due to spot fixing allegations. He ended his career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2018 edition.

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The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had replace Jacques Kallis as Kolkata Knight Riders head coach in August 2019 and was part of the franchise for a couple of seasons – leading them to the IPL 2021 final, where they lost to Dhoni’s CSK.

McCullum became England head coach in 2022 before being removed as England Test coach last month. He is still the head coach of England’s white-ball teams but with England and Wales Cricket Board allowing coaches to take up IPL stints during off-season, McCullum is in contention to replace Fleming at CSK.

Another name in race of become CSK head coach could be former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel, who had taken charge of Texas Super Kings and Joburg Super Kings sides in MLC and SA20 leagues. CSK are believed to be considering only ‘overseas experts’ as their new head coach.

A new chapter for girls’ football in India began today as Capri Sports officially launched Nova Sports, its girls-only football development initiative, designed to create a structured pathway from grassroots participation to elite football. The initiative aims to provide girls aged 8–18 with a structured pathway that combines quality coaching, meaningful competition and long-term player development through an integrated football ecosystem.

The initiative will begin with the SuperNova Football Championship, a 7-a-side schools tournament across the U13, U15 and U17 age groups, to be held on September 5 and 6 at Depot18, Bengaluru. Bringing together almost 50 teams from across the city, the Championship has been designed as more than just a football tournament – it is a celebration of the sport, offering a professional matchday experience for players, schools, families and coaches. From competitive football and engagement zones to recognition awards, interactive brand experiences and shareable content moments, the Championship aims to create a memorable platform that inspires greater participation in girls’ football. Students will also have the opportunity to register for the Nova Football Academy, a grassroots football programme, creating a structured system to identify, nurture and develop young footballers through consistent coaching and competitive opportunities.

Built around the philosophy of “Girls first. Always.”, Nova Sports has been designed exclusively for girls and not adapted from an existing boys’ programme. Every aspect of the initiative, from its internationally benchmarked coaching methodologies and girl-centred curriculum to its safeguarding standards, technology platform and competitive structure, has been intentionally created around the needs and aspirations of Indian girls. By bringing together school football, academy training and structured competition, Nova Sports seeks to bridge the gap between grassroots participation and elite performance, creating a clear pathway for girls from their first experience of the game to the highest levels of the sport.

To deliver and scale the initiative, Capri Sports has partnered with India On Track (IOT) as the execution partner for Nova Sports. One of India’s leading grassroots sports development organisations, IOT has extensive experience in designing and delivering grassroots initiatives, having worked with prominent Global & Indian rights holders & Brands like the NBA, Premier League, LaLiga, MLB, Gujarat Titans, Apollo Tyres, Coke & Heineken to name a few.

Over the next decade, Capri Sports envisions scaling the initiative from a single city to a national footprint, with the goal of reaching more than 1.5 million girls through this initiative. This vision will be driven by two interconnected pathways – a full development pipeline and a structured competitive pathway. While the development pipeline will focus on grassroots academies, coach education and internationally benchmarked training standards, the competitive pathway will provide regular match exposure ensuring every girl has a clear pathway to progress in the sport.

Speaking on the launch, Jinisha Sharma, Director & Promoter, Capri Sports, said, “Building the future of Indian sport starts with investing in strong grassroots ecosystems and creating opportunities early. At Capri Sports, we’ve chosen to focus much of that investment on women’s sport because we believe it represents one of India’s greatest opportunities for growth. Nova Sports is another step in that journey, helping more girls access the coaching, competition and support they need to fulfil their potential.”

Apurv Gupta, Director, Contact Sports, Capri Sports, added, “Our vision is to build a cohesive and interconnected football pathway for girls at every stage of their journey. Guided by our principle, ‘Girls First. Always.’, every decision we make is viewed through the lens of what will best support their development, ambitions and wellbeing. By creating a system that combines structured development, sustained support and a high-performance environment, we want every girl – regardless of her previous experience – to have the opportunity to play, progress and realise her potential. Ultimately, we hope the impact of Nova Sports extends far beyond the football field, shaping confidence, resilience and opportunity for every athlete who joins us.”

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