Abhijato Sensarma
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Articles by Abhijato Sensarma
Glenn Maxwell; superhuman one minute, human the next
News Maxwell retires from international cricket having produced some of the most astonishing feats in modern cricket, all the while revealing his vulnerabilities in the moments in between Abhijato Sensarma Published: Nov 4, 2026, 12:51 AM (1 hr ago) Glenn Maxwell has always gone places quickly. He was only 24 years old, and had played just 17 games for Australia, when he was bought for a million USD at the 2013 IPL auction by Mumbai Indians.
Ahmadzai, Rashid and Farooqi give Afghanistan a comfortable win
Report Ahmadzai and Rashid's knocks helped Afghanistan to 177 on a sluggish wicket before the latter plucked out two wickets with the ball Abhijato Sensarma Published: Oct 27, 2026, 6:09 PM (53 mins ago) Afghanistan 177 (Ahmadzai 52, Shahidullah 46, Rashid 30, Nyamhuri 4-31) beat Zimbabwe 140 (Burl 32, Farooqi 3-13, Rashid 2-20) by 37 runs Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai made the old cricket cliché come true in Sharjah: he batted on a different pitch compared to everyone else.
Zadran's 90 shows both the beauty and limitations of his batting
Analysis He could hardly have looked more at ease while batting against Zimbabwe, but it was his fourth dismissal in the nineties, to go with three in the eighties Abhijato Sensarma Published: Oct 20, 2026, 4:52 AM (31 mins ago) Ibrahim Zadran was sitting in the dugout with a plastic bottle in his hand, swinging it across the line. He was shadow-batting the shot that had brought about his dismissal against Zimbabwe: a pull played too early off a short ball from Brad Evans.
Bowlers, Shafali, Mandhana power India to series win
Report India eased to victory after limiting Zimbabwe to 102 for 8 Abhijato Sensarma Published: Oct 18, 2026, 4:21 PM (11 hrs ago) India 104 for 1 (Shafali 55, Mandhana 47*) beat Zimbabwe 102 for 8 (Mugeri-Tiripano 34, Nkomo 27, Prasad 2-7) by nine wickets Zimbabwe opted to bat and faced 71 dot balls.
Malaysia face Bangladesh in Asian Games quarter-final repeat from 2023
Malaysia played one game in the group stage, steamrolling Hong Kong with eight wickets and 48 deliveries to spare, before their game against Oman was abandoned and finalised their spot in the knockouts. On the other hand, Bangladesh arrive in Japan after being awarded a bye straight to the quarter-final. Their last T20I outing was in Zimbabwe in July, when they won a close series 2-1.
Asian Games 2026: All you need to know about the men's cricket competition
The 2026 Asian Games have begun in Aichi-Nagoya, and the men's cricket competition will take place from September 24, when Japan take on Afghanistan in the opener. Cricket is being played for the fourth time at the event, and here's everything you need to know about it. When is the event happening and which teams will play? The men's cricket tournament will be played from September 24 to October 3. Ten teams will feature.
Asian Games 2026: All you need to know about the men's cricket competition
Feature Can India face Pakistan? What happens in a washout? Who are the favourites for the medals? All that and more in Cricinfo's FAQ piece for the men's Asian Games Abhijato Sensarma Published: Sep 22, 2026, 3:21 AM (29 mins ago) The 2026 Asian Games have begun in Aichi-Nagoya, and the men's cricket competition will take place from September 24, when Japan take on Afghanistan in the opener. Cricket is being played for the fourth time at the event, and here's everything you need to know about it.
Home truths: how Afghanistan came to host India in Delhi
Feature Afghanistan had hosted their internationals in Greater Noida, Lucknow and Dehradun, but never before had they hosted India in India. Until last week If you stepped into Arun Jaitley Stadium sometime over this past week, you would have spotted something unexpected. On the inner road through which the team buses travel on arrival, the walls on either side were draped in the usual tricolour and cricket-related insignia.
Abhishek Sharma - minimalist, mathematician, monk
"Keep it simple." That's Abhishek Sharma 's mantra. On the cricket field, he is a minimalist. He had just struck a 30-ball century for India , in their final game against Afghanistan . It was the quickest T20I century by a batter from a Full Member nation. But it wasn't even Abhishek's quickest. He scored a 28-ball century for Punjab against Meghalaya in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy back in 2024.
'He cannot bowl ten overs [yet]' - Gambhir charts out Hardik's comeback route
(5.2/20 ov, T:77) 77/1 null null (19.3/20 ov, T:146) 149/8 null null (50 ov, T:334) 244 & 156/3 null (30.2 ov, T:287) 201 & 73/3 null (39 ov, T:612) 115 & 177/2 null null null (16 ov, T:349) 310 & 37/0 null null null null (19/20 ov, T:189) 192/5 null (15/15 ov, T:147) 137/6 null News "The bigger the pool, the better it is for us" - Gautam Gambhir looks at the positives after selectors mix and match players to put three India teams and two India A teams in place Abhijato Sensarma Published:...
Pybus: 'Our dot-ball percentage is too high and our strike rate has got to improve'
null null null null null null null null null null null null News The head coach also suggested the lack of power-hitting in Afghanistan cricket was a "talent pool" issue Abhijato Sensarma Published: Sep 16, 2026, 7:04 AM (26 mins ago) Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus has diagnosed two reasons for their seven-wicket defeat to India on Tuesday: a high dot-ball percentage and a low strike rate.
Samson switches on the runs by switching off the outside noise
How does Sanju Samson deal with the outside noise? "I try to turn my Wi-Fi off." If you've only ever watched Samson bat on the internet, there's something you probably haven't noticed. Be it in between deliveries, between overs, or in pre-match practice, he always walks with an upright posture and short steps, as if in cinematic slow motion. And when he punches gloves with his partner, their hands meet under his eyes.
India eliminate Afghanistan's sixes, but fifth-bowler worries remain
When Jasprit Bumrah took the first wicket against Afghanistan on Sunday night , the stadium DJ played a song from the Bollywood film Happy New Year Dushman ke chhakke chhudake… ." It's a Hindi idiom, which means defeating someone comprehensively. More literally, and appropriately for what we are talking about here, it translates to "getting rid of the enemy's sixes". The phrase predates cricket's arrival on Indian shores. In all likelihood, the "sixes" refer to playing cards or rolling dice.
Ageless Nabi continues to make his mark for Afghanistan
Feature The board and the team management are keen to have the 41-year-old allrounder play on till the 2027 ODI World Cup Abhijato Sensarma Published: Sep 14, 2026, 10:21 AM (38 mins ago) Mohammad Nabi was chewing his gum harder than usual. He had just flat-batted Nitish Kumar Reddy over deep extra cover for four. It was a small win in a bigger loss that was to come for Afghanistan. Nabi had made 5 off 12 prior to Nitish's entry to the attack, in the 12th over. Afghanistan were 58 for 5.
Pybus: 'We made fundamental mistakes, we'll be reviewing that'
News "We were considerably short of the type of target we should have been able to set," Richard Pybus says of Afghanistan's batting in the first T20I against India Abhijato Sensarma Published: Sep 14, 2026, 4:42 AM (9 mins ago) It had been an early finish in Delhi, but head coach Richard Pybus looked tired at the post-match press conference. Afghanistan had just lost their opening T20I against India.
India eliminate Afghanistan's sixes, but fifth-bowler worries remain
(14.5/20 ov, T:100) 100/4 null null (19/20 ov, T:159) 159/5 null (14.5/20 ov, T:188) 84 null Match Analysis The four frontline bowlers enjoyed a dominant night out, but Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube went for plenty Abhijato Sensarma Published: Sep 14, 2026, 3:34 AM (13 mins ago) When Jasprit Bumrah took the first wicket against Afghanistan on Sunday night, the stadium DJ played a song from the Bollywood film Happy New Year.
Naveen-ul-Haq is back, fierce and unbothered
Naveen-ul-Haq is a bothered 19-year-old. He is on a plane back home from Christchurch, having just captained Afghanistan to a World Cup semi-final. "What went right, what didn't go right? How did we lose?" he asks himself. Afghanistan had reached the Under-19 knockouts for the first time. There, they had slid to a six-wicket loss to Australia Naveen has a lot of time on his hands: it is a 17-hour flight. "You think one day, you will represent Afghanistan, and become a captain.
Two out of Abhishek, Samson and Sooryavanshi? Not an open-and-shut case
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's father and younger brother were in attendance near the outfield on the eve of the first T20I between India and Afghanistan in Delhi. At 3pm, Sooryavanshi had stepped out as the only batter for this optional training session. The net bowlers steamed in. He contorted into unorthodox shapes and smashed them out of the ground. Journalists swarmed his father and younger brother for quotes.
Thumbs up for the new-look, new-grip Anrich Nortje
(14.4/14.4 ov, T:121) 127/3 null null null null null (19.4/20 ov, T:102) 105/9 null (17/20 ov, T:122) 123/5 null (7.5/20 ov, T:80) 80/1 null (13.4/20 ov, T:145) 146/3 null null null null null null null null null null null null null (19.3/20 ov, T:184) 150 null Analysis After developing it in the off-season, Anrich Nortje is holding the ball differently, and it seems to be working like a charm Abhijato Sensarma Published: Aug 30, 2026, 6:11 AM (8 mins ago) Anrich Nortje had just got his first...
A little patience, followed by a lot of the Big Show
(11.3/20 ov, T:116) 116/3 null null null null null null null null null (19.2/20 ov, T:198) 166 null (16.4/20 ov, T:152) 99 null null null null null null null null null Analysis Glenn Maxwell was on 24 off 21 at one point. Then he broke free and Dublin Guardians had nowhere to hide Abhijato Sensarma Published: Aug 27, 2026, 5:17 PM (14 mins ago) High-octane T20 cricket - going for sixes from the first ball of an innings - has taken away the thrill of a batter breaking free.
Roelof and Faf, journeyman and jetsetter, and European cricket's new normal
Feature Roelof van der Merwe and Faf du Plessis came up through the same system in South Africa at around the same time, but their careers have had very different trajectories Abhijato Sensarma Published: Aug 27, 2026, 4:49 AM (21 mins ago) Voorburg - the latest stop on the franchise T20 train. Abhishek Bachchan, a Bollywood actor, was meeting people and taking selfies.
With World Cup in their sights, Afghanistan push for series win
Big Picture: Afghanistan look to seal series win The five-match ODI series between Ireland and Afghanistan had, so far, been played with Afghanistan's qualification for next year's World Cup in jeopardy. Their nervy three-wicket win in the third ODI on Monday, however, has sealed their spot as the eighth and final team to directly make it to the tournament.
Meet Abhishek Sharma 2.0, the pinch-hitting anchor from the future
Imagine T20 cricket in 2030. The IPL runs for six months. Teams are allowed four subs per match. Games finish at 1am. Now, imagine the team's biggest hitter playing all 20 overs of their innings. Abhishek Sharma is that guy. He was batting like he's from the future against Delhi Capitals. He faced the first ball of the innings and the last. This compromise meant he scored at least 30 runs less than he could have. He scored plenty more than most others would have managed anyway.
Demolition debut: Come for Sooryavanshi, stay for Hinge and Sakib
Abhijato Sensarma It's Monday night. You've just returned from work. Maybe you're cooking your dinner. Maybe you're finishing the last morsels of your meal. The television is on in the background. If you have a diligent partner or roommate, they let you know: "Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal are about to bat." You promise to be there in a minute. Again, if you're lucky to have someone stationed in the living room, they begin the oohs and aahs and you hurry up.
Sophomore boys Mhatre, Rathi, Arya, Aniket and others under the spotlight
Abhijato Sensarma The IPL is a maker of stars: players come into the spotlight, find overnight fame, and sometimes, become contenders for the India team. Not everyone, but enough of them. But to get there, it's what they do on the less glitzy stages of domestic cricket. Here's a look at eight players who made a splash in last year's IPL, and what they have been up to since.
Ten Indian captains, ten different paths into IPL 2026
Abhijato Sensarma We head into IPL 2026 with ten Indian captains: a few of them have points to prove, while others are still riding the high of their rollicking year in T20 cricket. Here's a look at what these captains have been up to since last year's IPL, and what we can expect from them. Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) Runs: 113, Innings: 7, Avg: 16.14, SR: 136.14* Patidar could be forgiven for thinking he has the golden touch.
Omarzai's all-round brilliance hands Afghanistan their first win of the World Cup
Abhijato Sensarma Afghanistan 162 for 5 (Zadran 53, Omarzai 40*, Siddique 2-23) beat UAE 160 for 9 (Sohaib 68, Sharafu 40, Omarzai 4-15) by 5 runs Even as the smog grew thicker in the Delhi afternoon, Azmatullah Omarzai delivered an all-round performance of immense clarity to give Afghanistan their first win of this T20 World Cup . UAE had them on the mat, huffing and puffing, with 52 needed off the last five overs.
Hardik Pandya - India's point of difference, whatever the avatar
Abhijato Sensarma In a video game, Hardik Pandya would be a character with many avatars. The current one - a 32-year-old veteran at this T20 World Cup - has already slammed a 28-ball 52 as India scored 209 against Namibia despite the pitch. He also opened the bowling, finished with 2 for 21, and was Player of the Match. Still, in this India set-up, Hardik has been at the periphery of the spotlight.
Baby-faced bruiser Sooryavanshi floors England and the world
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi knows how to throw a punch. For most of this Under-19 World Cup, he has been throwing them from a corner. Scores of 72, 40, 52, 30, 68. Significant innings. Breakneck strike-rates. But no headliner. Much of his record-breaking run over the past few months has happened away from the high-definition cameras and social-media virality that first made his name during last year's IPL: a 36-ball century for Bihar, a 95-ball 171 at the Under-19 Asia Cup, a 42-ball 144 against UAE.
India chase sixth Under-19 World Cup title, England their first since 1998
Abhijato Sensarma Big picture: India and England aim for glory The Under-19 World Cups come thick and fast: once every two years. Soon enough, most of the players appearing in Friday's final will graduate, their cricket limited by franchises and passports rather than age limits. But for now, India and England 's roads at this World Cup finally converge. Both teams are unbeaten in the tournament so far.
Dominant India clash with promising Afghanistan in Under-19 World Cup semi-final
Big picture: India, Afghanistan two steps away from gloryIndia and Afghanistan meet at the big stage, while a bigger one awaits. This Under-19 World Cup semi-final will be, first and foremost, an exhibition of a generation expected to step up to the senior sides and play international cricket.
Bowlers, Hogan help Australia breeze past South Africa
Australia U-19 122 for 4 (Hogan 43, Draper 23*, Basson 3-41) beat South Africa U-19 118 (James 34, Lachmund 3-29, Aryan 2-27) by six wicketsIt took Australia U-19s 32.5 overs, going at just around 3.5 runs an over for the majority of a belaboured chase against an excellent South Africa U-19 bowling effort.
A night Gurbaz might not remember, but for the reminder on his jaw
Rahmanullah Gurbaz's innings, on Thursday night in Dubai, won't be remembered for long.He brought up his half-century off 44 balls, in a chase of 152 Afghanistan went on to lose, in a dead rubber of a bilateral series against West Indies, in front of a sparse crowd.Gurbaz struggled for timing, like most other batters on a slow pitch. His best shot before getting to his fifty was when he shuffled to the off side against the medium pace of Matthew Forde, and got on his knees to sweep past fine leg.
Australia top Group A after bowling out Sri Lanka for 58
Australia 61 for 1 (Hogan 28*, Nimsara 1-20) beat Sri Lanka 58 (Byrom 5-14, Lachmund 2-19) by nine wickets A five-wicket haul from Will Byrom helped Australia top Group A of the Under-19 men's World Cup after they skittled Sri Lanka for 58. Bryom and Charles Lachmund ripped through Sri Lanka in the first powerplay, reducing them to 31 for 6 at the ten-over mark. In the third over, Lachmund had yorked out Viran Chamuditha right in front of the stumps, while Dimantha Mahavithana edged one to slip.
The subtle mastery of Rashid Khan
Abhijato Sensarma Rashid Khan has been there and done that. Again and again, for years now. On Monday, he was in Dubai , doing what he does. The pitch favoured turn, but how Rashid would use it was not immediately evident. Rashid, after all, is more like a human slingshot than a wristspinner: extravagant turn is not his thing. When Rashid was introduced, West Indies were behind the game: 45 for 3 at the end of the powerplay, chasing 182.
Zadran, Rasooli power Afghanistan to commanding win over West Indies
Abhijato Sensarma Afghanistan 181 for 3 (Zadran 87*, Rasooli 84, Seales 1-30) beat West Indies 143 for 9 (Sampson 30, Ziaur 3-36, Rashid 2-19) by 38 runs On Sunday, Afghanistan beat West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup in Windhoek. On Monday, the senior side followed suit, producing a similarly clinical performance against West Indies ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.
Shanaka and Agha: Commanding the chaos of T20
T20 cricket has always been a distillation of the sport's biggest virtues, and some of its biggest vices. On Sunday, as Sri Lanka and Pakistan took the field after a long rain delay, the game was reduced to just 12 overs a side, at risk of turning into a manic version of itself.The outfield was slippery, and the ball hard to grip. Big runs were expected, but the way they came was unpredictable. Most batters struggled on a slow, gripping pitch.
Under-19 World Cup 2026: Everything you wanted to know but didn't know whom to ask
Abhijato Sensarma The 16th edition of the men's Under-19 World Cup begins later this week. It will, as always, pit young cricketers from the top cricket nations alongside those from up-and-coming teams, against each other over three weeks. Here's all you need to know about the tournament. First, the basic details: when and where? Zimbabwe and Namibia are splitting hosting duties for this edition of the U-19 World Cup, which will be played in the 50-over format as usual.
Fourteen-year-old sensation Sooryavanshi among players to watch from Group B
Abhijato Sensarma The men's Under-19 World Cup begins on January 15, and Group B's four teams - India (five U-19 titles), Bangladesh (two titles), New Zealand, and the USA - have some exciting talents who will face each other. Here's a look at five of them. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (India) Only 14, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took the cricketing world by storm when he smashed a 38-ball 101 for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. Since then, he has broken plenty of records in both youth and domestic cricket.
Rossouw 42, Subrayen three-for guide Super Kings home in low-scoring encounter
Abhijato Sensarma Joburg Super Kings 88 for 4 (Rossouw 43, Harmer 1-14, Wiesse 1-11) beat Durban's Super Giants 86 (Markram 22, Subrayen 3-16, Gleeson 3-2) by six wickets For a while, the Durban pitch could have been in Delhi. On a slow surface, favouring spinners who held their pace and lengths back, Joburg Super Kings emerged victorious in a low-scoring encounter against Durban's Super Giants .
Pant stays grounded in attempt to relaunch white-ball career
An airport runway is visible on the horizon from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. The sounds of planes taking off do not reach the ground, but the sights do. For much of Delhi's innings - batting first after being put in by Gujarat - Rishabh Pant was ready to take off himself.
Pretorius on life as a freelancer: 'I don't think you can be the answer for everyone'
The world has never felt bigger to Dwaine Pretorius.Since retiring from international cricket in January 2023 after last playing for South Africa in October 2022, he has been a T20 freelancer, with appearances at every major league you can name. At the moment, he is donning the purple-and-mustard shirt of Sharjah Warriors at the ILT20 in the UAE, and the three-venue format comes with an unexpected advantage: "I actually enjoy the quick turnaround of this tournament.
From Starc to Morris, the most expensive buys at IPL mini-auctions
Abhijato Sensarma IPL mini-auctions bring with them a new set of dynamics every year: each team has different gaps to fill and varying purses with which to do so. When budgets match and interests clash, it can lead to bidding wars for certain players. With the IPL 2026 auction on December 16, here's a look at the six most expensive buys at previous mini-auctions.
West Indies showcase aesthetic of defence in a Bazball world
Strong winds make impressions on the sweaters worn by New Zealand's players. Creases on their foreheads make a bigger one. The sun is out, shadows lengthen, and they are being made to sweat.Cricket's most aesthetic miracles end in victory against the odds - Kolkata 2001, Edgbaston 2005, Gabba 2021 to pick three from this century. High drama and tense finishes. Christchurch 2025 is different.West Indies are 72 for 4, chasing 531, before tea on the fourth day. Defeat appears inevitable.
FAQ: ILT20 returns with new captains, India players, and an eye on developing Gulf cricket
The fourth edition of UAE's International League T20 (ILT20) begins this week. Here's all you need to know about the tournament. When does it start? The finalists from last season - Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers - meet in Dubai to kick off proceedings on December 2. Most of the fixtures begin at 6.30pm local time, with the afternoon fixtures - on double-header days - starting from 2pm.
Nepal send out shockwaves beating West Indies 2-0
By Abhijato Sensarma, ESPNCRICINFO, Sept 30: As fans clad in red and blue danced in the Sharjah aisles, the result was a foregone conclusion: Zishan Morata was the last man out, caught in the deep by Karan KC, and West Indies had been bundled out for 83. Three days ago, Nepal had never played a T20I series against a Full Member nation. Now, they had sealed it 2-0, with one match to spare.
FAQ: All you need to know about the India vs West Indies Test series
So West Indies are playing Test cricket in India? Yes, and the double-take is justified. Probably. It's been exactly seven years since West Indies last toured the country for a Test series, way back in October 2018. The first Test starts in Ahmedabad on October 2 and the second one is in Delhi on October 10. The matches start at 9.30 am local time. Should I bother tuning in? Yes! With World Test Championship points in play, every game matters.
Can first-timers Oman spring a surprise in Group A?
How did they make it? Oman's qualification pathway for the Asia Cup began at the ACC Men's Premier Cup, played in April last year. They topped their group table with four wins out of four, finishing ahead of UAE, before defeating Hong Kong by five wickets in the semi-finals. UAE got their revenge on Oman in the final, but both teams had by then secured their place at the Asia Cup along with Hong Kong, who won the third-place playoff. This will be Oman's first appearance at this tournament.
All you need to know about the men's T20 Asia Cup
Isn't the Asia Cup sometime soon? Indeed, and that's why we're here. The 17th edition of the Asia Cup starts on September 9 and ends on September 28. The tournament will be played in the UAE, with matches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. All games start at 6.30pm UAE time, with one double-header day when the two matches start at 4pm and 6.30pm UAE time. Why is the Asia Cup in the UAE this time?
Bangladesh, Netherlands look to iron out wrinkles in Sylhet
Bangladesh and Netherlands were not scheduled to add to their tally of five T20I face-offs, but after India's tour was postponed, Bangladesh were on the lookout to fill up the space on their home calendar. A tour was soon announced: Netherlands to play three T20Is in Sylhet starting August 30. Netherlands, however, will intend to show they are on this tour to more than just make up the numbers.
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