The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad as a replacement for veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in the first Test squad against South Africa, to be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from October 21.

The 23-year-old Murad has taken 136 wickets in 30 first class matches since his debut in 2021.

Chairman BCB National Selection Panel Gazi Ashraf Hossain said: “We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test. He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that calibre with both bat and the ball to replace him.

"However, Hasan Murad has performed consistently in first class cricket and has been in our system. He will lend balance to our bowling, especially in home conditions. We believe he has the potential to deliver at this level.”

Tennis maestro Rafael Nadal said he is "emotionally" ready to play next month's Davis Cup Finals which will be his farewell tournament after announcing his retirement from tennis last week.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is currently playing in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia and will take on long-time rival Novak Djokovic for the final time on Saturday.

Nadal lost to compatriot Carlos Alcaraz 6-3 6-3 in the semifinal and will lock horns with Serbian in the third-place match. Djokovic lost to World No. 1 Janik Sinner 6-2 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 as the Italian will take on Alcaraz in the final.

World no. 1 tennis player Danielle Collins postponed her retirement plans as the American announced that she will be back on tour next year.

At the start of this year, Collins had said 2024 would be her final season on tour but has now decided to return to tour in 2025.

"So, the DANIMAL story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025," Collins posted on Instagram.

"While there are no guarantees in life, I hope to build on my 2024 momentum and keep playing until there is more certainty around my personal fertility journey. The only guarantee for now will be some more epic matches," the post read.

Rachin Ravindra became the first New Zealand batter since 2012 to score a Test century on Indian soil during the first Test against India at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.

Though New Zealand lost four wickets in the morning session, Ravindra, whose family hails from Bengaluru, got up the tempo through a breezy century filled with eye-catchy 11 fours and two sixes. The 21-year-old's century was his second in Test cricket, having scored his maiden hundred against South Africa earlier this year.

His hundred was the first by a Kiwi batter in India since Ross Taylor’s Test hundred at the same venue in 2012. With this innings, Ravindra became the 21st New Zealand player to notch up a Test century in India.

Australia’s Travis Head, the top-ranked men's T20I batter, has signed a new one-year deal with Adelaide Strikers ahead of the upcoming 14th season of the Big Bash League (BBL).

But Head, the left-handed batter, might be unavailable until the closing stages of the regular BBL season due to Australia playing all-important five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India from November 22 to January 7, 2025, followed by a tour of Sri Lanka and 50-over Champions Trophy.

Head captained Strikers to the BBL title in 2017/18 but has not played for since the 2022/23 season, as he became a regular fixture in all three formats for Australia, especially after being Player of the Match in Australia's World Test Championship and ODI World Cup final triumphs in 2023.

San Lorenzo completed the signing of Miguel Russo as manager, agreeing to a deal that runs until December 2025.

Russo replaces Leandro Romagnoli, who stepped down last Sunday after a bad run of results.

"The Russo era has begun," the Buenos Aires club said in a social media post that included video footage of the 68-year-old's first training session in charge.

Russo, who was also San Lorenzo's manager in 2008 and 2009, had been out of work since parting ways with Rosario Central in August.

“I am coming to a big team and I am going to work hard. I'm very happy to be here. I came to work hard... San Lorenzo is a big club... "I live football with great intensity. I analyzed the proposal and did not hesitate to move forward with it," Rudso said.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will not be taking up wicketkeeping duties on day three of the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

In the last session of day two’s play, a grimacing Pant hobbled off the field after being hit on his right knee by Ravindra Jadeja's sharp turning in delivery while trying to effect a stumping of Devon Conway in the 37th over of New Zealand’s first innings. In his absence, substitute keeper Dhruv Jurel has been taking up keeping duties for India.

Pant was operated on the right knee after suffering a life-threatening car crash in December 2022, before making a comeback to competitive cricket in IPL 2024. “Rishabh Pant will not keep wickets on Day 3 of first Test between India and New Zealand. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress,” said an update from the BCCI on Friday.

After the setback in the Women's T20 World Cup, India have handed maiden ODI call-ups to seam-bowling allrounders Sayali Satghare and Saima Thakor, legspinner Priya Mishra and middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting on October 24.

Harmanpreet Kaur-led India failed to get a spot in the semifinal of the T20 pinnacle after losing to defending champions Australia by nine runs. After the debacle in the UAE, the Women’s Selection Committee has roped in new faces to the national setup with four players, who were part of India A's multi-format tour of Australia in August, receiving the maiden call-up.

Saima was a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup while Priya was named as a non-traveling reserve for the tournament.

Harmanpreet will continue to lead the side with Smriti Mandhana also continuing as her deputy while Richa Ghosh was unavailable for selection due to her 12th standard board exams.

India captain Rohit Sharma admitted to a costly misjudgment of the pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after India suffered a batting collapse, being bowled out for just 46 runs in the first Test against New Zealand. This marked India's lowest-ever Test score at home and their third-lowest in history.

Speaking after the second day’s play, Rohit reflected on the decision to bat first under overcast conditions, a call that backfired disastrously for the hosts. "We thought it wouldn’t help the seamers much after the first session or so. There wasn’t much grass either. We expected it to be much flatter than it turned out to be. It was a misjudgment on my part, and I couldn’t read the pitch well. I am hurting to see this score of 46 as a captain as it was my call to bat first. But one or two bad calls in a year is quite alright," Rohit admitted.

India’s collapse came just days after their triumphant Test series win in Kanpur against Bangladesh, making the rapid downfall even more shocking. Choosing to bat on a pitch that had been covered due to recent rains, India faced a devastating assault from New Zealand’s pacers, led by William O’Rourke and Matt Henry. Tim Southee initiated the collapse by removing Rohit Sharma early in the innings, and from there on, India never recovered. Five Indian batters, including Kohli, registered ducks, further highlighting the magnitude of the meltdown.

ndia captain Rohit Sharma said wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant developed a swelling on his right knee after being hit by the ball on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru which forced him off the field on Thursday.

Pant, who made a comeback earlier this year after undergoing surgery on his right knee following a car accident in December 2022, was struck on the same knee while attempting to collect a ball in the 37th over of New Zealand's innings.

The injury occurred when Pant missed a stumping chance against Devon Conway off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling. As he failed to collect the ball, it struck him directly on the knee cap — the same knee where he had surgery following the crash. Pant immediately left the field and was replaced by Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps.