Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma’s injuries have become a blessing in disguise for two other players. ICC will try to persuade BCB. RCB has turned to artificial intelligence for assistance. Ashes are over, but Steve Smith is still scoring runs. Who’ll Vidarbha face in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final?
Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback
BCCI has named Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi as replacements for Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar for the India vs New Zealand T20I series. Washington has checked into the Centre of Excellence (CoE) with a side strain injury. Tilak won’t play the first three matches, as Shreyas gets his first T20I call-up in over 2 years.
ICC to travel to Dhaka
An ICC delegation will travel to Dhaka to hold discussions with BCB regarding their participation in the T20 World Cup 2026. The BCB aren’t willing to change their stance on relocation and have even threatened to withdraw from the tournament if their matches aren’t moved out of India.
AI cameras to help RCB
RCB has written to KSCA in an attempt to speed up the process of making M Chinnaswamy Stadium ‘fit for mass gatherings’. The IPL 2025 champions have suggested to the KSCA to install AI-enabled surveillance cameras for crowd control and safety. RCB will cover the expense, worth INR 4.50 crore.
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Washington Sundar injury update
Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the India vs New Zealand T20I series and is at risk of missing the T20 World Cup 2026 as well. The medical staff at the CoE has suggested that the selectors and Indian management prepare a backup plan in case Washington isn’t available. The severity of his injury hasn’t been ascertained yet.
VHT 2025-26 final set
Saurashtra claimed a dominant 9-wicket victory over Punjab in the second VHT semifinal and will face Vidarbha in the final on January 18. Despite Anmolpreet Singh’s hundred, Punjab managed to score just 291. The target was chased down in just 39.3 overs, with Vishvaraj Jadeja remaining unbeaten on 165.
Steve Smith’s record-breaking BBL hundred
Steve Smith has smashed the joint-second-fastest hundred in the BBL. Smith’s brilliant display of hitting also involved some controversy. The Sydney Sixers batter denied giving the strike to Pakistan’s Babar Azam, which led to him getting bowled the next ball and being visibly upset afterwards.
