November 2025 - News Digest

November 23

Indian women lift T20 World Cup for Blind

Dreams turned to glory as India became the first-ever world champions of women's blind T20 cricket. They beat Nepal in the final in Colombo on Saturday (November 22).

Winning a crucial toss, India opted to field and seized control immediately. Nepal faltered early, losing their key wicket-skipper Binita Pun, dismissed for 5 by B2 Sunitha Srathe in the second over. They steadied through Sarita Ghimire's 35 (38) and Bimala Rai's 26 (26), aided by 25 extras, to post 114/5 in 20 overs - a competitive total, but one firmly within reach.

India's chase began shakily, with both skipper Deepika and star batter Anekha Devi departing early to a fiery spell from Ghimire. The innings, however, transformed into a display of composure and dominance. B1 Karuna smashed a blistering 42 off 27, while B3 Phula Saren delivered a match-winning 44 off 27. Basanti Hansda's 13 (12) ensured India crossed the line at 117/3, igniting celebrations across the ground as the Women in Blue lifted their maiden world crown.

November 21

Shardul to lead Mumbai team in SMAT; Surya, Dube in the squad

Shardul Thakur will lead Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament that will be played across centres from November 26 to December 18. The 17-member squad also includes India T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube. Mumbai, the defending champions, will play in Lucknow.

Squad: Shardul Thakur (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Sairaj Patil, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Atharva Ankolekar, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Tushar Deshpande, Irfan Umair, Hardik Tamore (WK).

November 15

Indonesia lift Rising East Asia tri-series

Indonesia have won the Rising East Asia Tri-Series 2025 (part of the Bali Bash International Series from 6-14 November) at the Udayana Cricket Ground. They remained unbeaten through the tournament, recording six victories by 10 wickets. Timor-Leste and Myanmar were the other two teams in the tri-series.

"Six 10-wicket wins in such a short span - that doesn't happen by accident," said Abhiram Singh Yadav, chairman of the Persatuan Cricket Indonesia (PCI). "Our bowlers know their plans; our openers finish with discipline. If we're stronger on the day, the scoreboard should make it clear."

Indonesia's leading wicket-taker, Gede Darma Arta, said, "Every chase felt calmer than the last. We've learned to tune out everything - the weather, the noise, the pressure - and just play the game."

While Indonesia's clinical streak defined the week, another story unfolded - smaller in scale, but no less powerful. On November 6, Timor-Leste's Suhail Sattar (50) and Yahya Sattar (17) made history as the first father-and-son duo to play together in a men's international cricket match.

"As Suhail took his run-up and Yahya waited in the ring, the crowd sensed something larger than the game - legacy in motion. Father and son, side by side, carrying their nation's colors on the same field. On that humid afternoon, as clouds broke open and sunlight returned, the symbolism was impossible to miss. Two generations, one cap, one dream," a release from the organisers said.

October 27

Jaiswal to sponsor award in Harris and Giles Shield

Yashasvi Jaiswal has offered to sponsor the 'Best Batsman' Award for the upcoming Harris and Giles Shield, the famous inter-school tournament in Mumbai. Jaiswal (23) himself a product of these tournaments, had represented Anjuman Islam School in his early days.

"The Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) is pleased to announce that renowned cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal has expressed his keen interest in sponsoring the 'Best Batsman' Award for the upcoming Harris Shield and Giles Shield (Final) cricket tournaments for the 2025 season," a media release stated on Monday.

"Jaiswal will be sponsoring a complete cricket kit for the Best Batsman of the tournament. The award will be presented during the official prize distribution ceremony following the final match of the prestigious Harris and Giles Shield.

"This is indeed a commendable gesture from Mr. Jaiswal, who himself has played in the Harris Shield during his formative years. His continued association with the tournament reflects his deep sense of gratitude and respect for his roots, as well as his desire to give back to the platform that helped shape his cricketing journey," the release stated.

Nadim Memon, Cricket Secretary of the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA), has expressed his sincere appreciation of Jaiswal's gesture. "Such acts of generosity from professional players serve as an inspiration for young talents, reinforcing the spirit of sportsmanship and commitment that defines Mumbai's cricketing legacy," Memonn said.

This year's Harris and Giles Shield tournaments will start on October 29 and will run till mid-December.

October 24

MCA inaugurates Club Members Lounge at Wankhede

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) inaugurated the newly-developed MCA Club Members Lounge at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The state-of-the-art air-conditioned lounge, complete with premium hospitality facilities, was inaugurated by Sharad Pawar, former MCA president. Ashish Shelar, also a former MCA president, and MCA Apex Council members were present.

The new Members Lounge offers a comfortable and modern space where members can enjoy matches and engage socially in a refined environment. Pawar appreciated the contribution of club members to Mumbai's cricketing legacy and urged the Association to name a part of the Wankhede Stadium in honour of former India captain Diana Edulji, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to women's cricket in India.

Speaking on the occasion, MCA president Shri Ajinkya Naik expressed gratitude to Pawar. "Our club members have been the foundation on which Mumbai cricket has flourished. This new lounge is a small gesture to acknowledge their unwavering support over the years. We will take forward Shri Sharad Pawar's request with utmost respect and assure our members that the Association will consider it favourably."

October 22

Harbhajan, Piyush Chawla to play in Abu Dhabi T10

The next edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 league will have India's World Cup-winning spinner Piyush Chawla, former India offspinner Harbhajan Singh, and West Indies' T20 colossus Kieron Pollard - joining the likes of Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, and Sunil Narine.

This eight-team edition will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from November 18 to 30.

Full squads:

Ajman Titans: Moeen Ali, Rilee Rossouw, Piyush Chawla, Will Smeed, Jason Behandroff, Alex Hales, Dan Lawrence, Asif Ali, Chris Green, Akif Javed, Zaman Khan, Aneurin Donald, Alishan Sharafu, Haider Ali, Wasim Akram, Luc Benkenstein, Tom Aspinwall, Joe Clarke, Asif Khan

Aspin Stallions: Sam Billings, Tymal Mills, Harbhajan Singh, Andre Fletcher, Avishka Fernando, Sherfane Rutherford, Binura Fernando, Saif Hassan, Ryan Burl, Akhilesh Bodugum, Ali Khan, Ben Cutting, Zohair Iqbal, Essam Muti Ur Rab, Hafeez ur Rehman, Ashmead Nedd, Matthew Hurst, Monank Patel, Harshit Seth

Deccan Gladiators: Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Richard Gleeson, Usman Tariq, David Wiese, Lahiru Kumara, Jordan Thompson, Dilpreet Singh Bajwa, Jake Ball, Ibrar Ahmed, Muhammad Jawadullah, Ajay Kumar, Ali Raza, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Laurie Evans, Mark Chapman

Delhi Bulls: Rovman Powell, Phil Salt, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Sunil Narine, Blessing Muzarubani, Salman Irshad, James Vince, Tom Moores, Qais Ahmed, Mir Hamza, James Coles, Muhammad Rohid, Junaid Siddique, Farhan Khan, Brian Bennett, Arab Gul, Romario Shepherd, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Northern Warriors: Shimron Hetmyer, Trent Boult, Thisara Perera, Johnson Charles, Colin Munro, Azmatullah Omarzai, Tabrzi Shamsi, Odean Smith, Shahnawaz Dahani, Dinesh Chandimal, Hazratullah Zazai, Asitha Fernando, Sagar Kalyan, Yakin Kiran Rai, Shahid Iqbal Bhutta, Bilal Sami, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kadeem Alleyne

Quetta Qavalry: Liam Livingstone, Jason Holder, Mohammad Amir, Sikandar Raza, Andries Gous, Evin Lewis, Imran Tahir, Fabian Allen, Abbas Afridi, Irfan Khan Niazi, George Scrimshaw, Khawaja Nafay, Muhammad Waseem, Abdul Ghaffa, Khuzaima Bin Tanvir, Arafat Minhas, Umar Lohya, Gudakesh Motie, Ali Nasser

Royal Champs: Jason Roy, Angelo Mathews, Shakib Al Hasan, Chris Jordan, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Shehzad, Niroshan Dickwella, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Dawson, Brandon McMullen, Isuru Udana, Quentin Sampson, Rahul Chopra, Haider Razzaq, Zahid Ali, Kelvin Pitman, Vishen Halambage, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Aaron Jones

Vista Riders: Faf du Plessis, Matthew Wade, S Sreesanth, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Andrew Tye, Unmukt Chand, Ben McDermott, Dilshan Madhushanka, Nahid Rana, Angelo Perera, Sean Dickson, Harshit Kaushik, Ansh Tandon, CP Rizwan, Izharullahaq Naveed, Ackeem Auguste, Murali Vijay, Sharafuddin Ashraf

October 17

Test Twenty, a new format, set to begin in January 2026

Six franchises - three international and three Indian - will participate in this 80-over cricket tournament

In a bid to marry the T20 format as well as Tests, the One One Six Network has come up with a new format - Test Twenty - which marries the attributes of the two. An 80-over contest, played in four intervals of 20 overs each, with both sides batting twice. Legendary cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden and Clive Lloyd have backed the format and have come in to join the Advisory Board.

"Having lived through every era of cricket, I can say this - the game has always adapted, but never this thoughtfully. Test Twenty brings back the art and rhythm of the sport, yet keeps it alive with modern energy," said Lloyd, the first-ever World Cup winning captain.

"Test Twenty is innovation with intent - it honours the traditions of the game while embracing the possibilities of the future. It gives young players a new dream to chase and fans a new story to follow," said de Villiers.

The first full season of Test Twenty debuts in January 2026, featuring six global franchises - three international (Dubai, London, and a U.S. city) and three Indian (franchise-choice cities). Each franchise will assemble a 16-player squad, comprising eight Indian and eight international players. In total, 96 players will be drafted during the auction, while the remaining 204 who are part of the Auction Pool through a three-tiered selection process, will form the Wildcard Pool - a reserve group eligible for mid-season selection opportunities.