Picture Credit: X

Picture Credit: X

The Men in Blue will kickstart their red-ball tour, starting December 26 in Centurion and ahead of the first Test, the Rohit Sharma-led side were handed a major blow. Indian opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad was the latest to be ruled out of the Test side due to a finger injury he sustained in the ODI series. On the other hand, the India Women are hosting Australia Women in one-off Test match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The visitors currently lead by 46 runs at the end of Day 3. 

Here in this article, we’ll look at all the big news that took place on Saturday, December 23.


Major cricket events that happened on December 23

BBL 2023-24: 

  • Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder :  The bottom-placed, Melbourne Stars registered their third consecutive loss of the Big Bash League 2023-24 on Saturday. The match which took place at the Lavington Sports Oval in Albury, saw the Chris Green-led side outplay the Stars as the latter failed to defend the total of 172 runs. After Sydney Thunder's five-wicket win, they currently sit at the fifth place in the points table, while the Stars continue to reel at the bottom of the table. 
  • Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades: Nathan Ellis-led Hobart Hurricanes registered their maiden win of the season, beating the Melbourne Renegades by six wickets at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart in the second match of Saturday's double-header. After the win, the Hurricanes are sixth in the table while the Renegades slipped to seventh place.

Also WATCH: Quinton de Kock smashes massive six out of stadium in BBL 2023-24

Suryakumar Yadav to miss Afghanistan series with injury: Reports

Team India’s T20I skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who led the side in 4-1 series win against Australia at home and a series draw against South Africa, is likely to miss the upcoming Afghanistan series. The 33-year-old twisted his ankle while fielding against South Africa in Johannesburg and it is being reported that he could have suffered a Grade 2 tear, as informed by a BCCI source.

MS Dhoni will answer you directly: CSK CEO speaks about their captain’s future in IPL

When Chennai Super Kings retained their captain MS Dhoni for IPL 2024 last month, the fans once again began speculating about whether it would be his last season for the franchise. It led to the CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan stating that only MS Dhoni will be answerable to everyone about his plans in cricket following the conclusion of the IPL next year.

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Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of Test series against South Africa; replacement announced

Ruturaj Gaikwad suffered an injury to his right ring finger while fielding in the second ODI against South Africa in Gqeberha. He underwent scans, and following an expert consultation, the BCCI Medical Team has ruled him out of the remainder of the tour. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Abhimanyu Easwaran as his replacement.

Hardik Pandya doubtful for IPL 2024: Reports

Hardik Pandya is reportedly set to miss the IPL 2024. Hardik, who sustained an ankle injury during the ODI WC has been out of action since then. Although, there is no clarity, a BCCI source was quoted as saying, “There is no update on Hardik’s fitness status as of now and one can say there remains a big question mark of him being available before the end of IPL.”

Noman Ali ruled out of Test series against Australia

The Shan Masood-led Pakistan side have been handed another blow as Noman Ali became the latest player to be ruled out of the ongoing Test series against Australia. “Noman Ali complained of sudden and severe abdominal pain yesterday, leading to examinations and scans in emergency that confirmed a diagnosis of acute appendicitis,” PCB wrote in its release. Notably, the PCB has named Mohammad Nawaz as Noman Ali's replacement.

Kieron Pollard to join England as consultant for T20 WC: Reports

In a big update doing rounds on social media, West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard is likely to join the former world champions for the T20 World Cup 2024. Pollard, who dons the role of batting coach for the Mumbai Indians in Indian Premier League (IPL), will take charge of the Three Lions as consultant for the marquee event, set to be held in June 2024.  

Ladai meri sirf on the field hai: Gautam Gambhir on fight with Virat Kohli

Former India opener and mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants, Gautam Gambhir made a heartwarming comment on his fight with Kohli. Gambhir replied to a query related to Kohli and the video has gone viral all over social media within no time. Gambhir responded to a question on Kohli and said, “Ye aap baar baar dikhana, mujhe sab kuch yaad rehta hai. Ladai meri sirf on the field hai."

Jamaica Tallawahs to not participate in CPL 2024: Reports

The 2022 Carribean Premier League Champions Jamaica Tallawahs will reportedly not feature in the 2024 season of the league. As per ESPNCricinfo, they will be replaced by an Antigua and Barbuda-based franchise in the forthcoming season. Tallawahs was owned by a Florida-based Guyanese businessman, Kris Persaud, but has sold it back to CPL. The team replacing Tallawahs is based in Antigua and Barbuda but hasn’t got name yet.