Gujarat Titans' newly appointed skipper, Shubman Gill, is rejuvenating in London, seizing moments with friends captured on Instagram by companion Raghav Sharma. The strategic downtime comes after Gill's absence in the thrilling T20I series against Australia, offering a vital recharge before the all-format tour in South Africa. The cricket sensation's winter sojourn echoes the trend, with Virat Kohli relishing family time in London, and Rohit Sharma concluding his city holiday. Gill's astute off-field approach mirrors his cricket strategy, building anticipation for his dynamic return to the cricketing arena. [Photo courtesy: Raghav Sharma/instagram]

Former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has reaffirmed his stance on Virat Kohli's exit as T20I captain, stating, "I didn't remove Virat from captaincy." Ganguly explained on Dadagiri Unlimited Season 10, "He wasn't interested in leading T20Is. After his decision, I told him, if not interested in T20Is, it's better to step down from entire white-ball cricket." Highlighting the importance of separate captains, Ganguly pushed Rohit Sharma to assume the role across formats. He acknowledged, "I have a bit of contribution, but it's the players who perform well on the field." Ganguly reiterated his commitment to enhancing Indian cricket during his tenure as BCCI President.

In a historic feat, Indian chess prodigies Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and his sister, Vaishali, have etched their names in chess history as the first-ever Grandmaster brother-sister duo. While Praggnanandhaa achieved remarkable milestones, including defeating Magnus Carlsen thrice, Vaishali broke barriers by becoming the third female Grandmaster in India. The siblings' journey, marked by rivalry, resilience, and mutual support, culminated in Vaishali's recent victory at the Women's Grand Swiss tournament. Amidst contrasting playing styles, the Chennai siblings are redefining chess excellence, leaving fans and the global chess community in awe of their unprecedented achievements.

After an eventful India tour featuring World Cup glory and blistering T20I displays, Glenn Maxwell has returned home to Australia. Maxwell played a starring role in Australia's recent ODI World Cup triumph and followed it up with impactful performances in the T20I leg versus India. His wife Vini Raman hilariously reminded Maxwell of fatherly duties awaiting him back home with their newborn son. Maxwell smashed a match-winning double century against Afghanistan at the World Cup and a magnificent T20I ton while chasing 223 in the 3rd T20I. Despite being in his late 30s, he proved he's still a game-changer. While the multi-format campaign has concluded, Maxwell will now embark on daddy duty after signing off the memorable Indian tour.

In a thrilling encounter, Rinku Singh's aggressive 46 off 29 balls powered India to 174/9 in the 4th T20I against Australia. Axar Patel's stellar performance, claiming three wickets, and Deepak Chahar's two crucial dismissals restricted Australia to 154/7. Despite Travis Head's brisk 31 off 16 balls, India secured a 20-run win. With this triumph, India clinched the five-match series with a commanding 3-1 lead. Matthew Wade's unbeaten 36 runs couldn't rescue Australia. Axar Patel's crucial wickets and Rinku Singh's impactful innings stood out in India's series-sealing victory. The final T20I is set for Bengaluru on December 3.    

The BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, initially leaned towards appointing Rohit Sharma as India's T20 captain for the South Africa tour. However, Rohit, via video call from London, requested a break from the white-ball leg, leading to a change in plans. Despite the committee's preference, they respected Rohit's decision. With Hardik Pandya sidelined due to injury, Rohit is likely to resume T20I captaincy, possibly leading India in the upcoming World Cup. Virat Kohli's break from limited-overs games grants captaincy roles to Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul. Jasprit Bumrah focuses on the Test series. The T20I series begins on December 10.

The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh stadium in Raipur faces a blackout ahead of the India vs. Australia T20 match as an unpaid electricity bill of ₹3.16 crore looms large. The bill, pending since 2009, led to the disconnection of the stadium's power 5 years ago. While a temporary connection covers the gallery, floodlights will rely on generators. Attempts to upgrade the connection's capacity to 1 thousand KV are underway. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association and Public Works Department deflect blame for the unpaid bill, leaving the stadium in a precarious situation ahead of the crucial encounter.

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has finally broken his silence over the controversy sparked by a photo of him resting his feet on the World Cup trophy after Australia's finals victory over India. Facing intense criticism from Indian fans, Marsh stated that he meant "no disrespect at all" in the photo and hasn't given the angry social media responses much thought or attention. However, an activist in India still filed a police complaint against him last week over the perceived insolent gesture. Marsh claims he was unaware of the furor and stands by not having any "disrespect meant" when the photo was taken during the team's celebrations, though the image clearly upset many Indian supporters regardless of intent.

The BCCI has revealed India's squads for the South Africa tour, featuring notable exclusions of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the white-ball segment. Suryakumar Yadav leads the T20Is, while KL Rahul captains the ODIs. The Test squad sees Rohit as captain and Kohli's return after the World Cup. Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj return for T20Is. Sanju Samson is back in the ODI squad, along with Rajat Patidar. KL Rahul listed as a wicketkeeper in Tests marks his return to red-ball cricket. The tour begins with T20Is on December 10, followed by ODIs and Tests.

The BCCI has the tricky task of convincing skipper Rohit Sharma to lead India in the T20I series in South Africa after he has not played since the T20 World Cup exit. With Hardik Pandya injured, Suryakumar Yadav might captain if Rohit refuses. BCCI secretary Jay Shah will meet selection panel chief Ajit Agarkar to pick squads and plan for 2024 T20 World Cup. Rohit was earlier unwilling to play T20Is but his ODI World Cup leadership has convinced BCCI he should continue. Virat Kohli has opted out of SA T20Is and will be considered based on IPL performance, similar to KL Rahul's case with his LSG role vital. Squads will be announced on Thursday.