ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 hosts England defeated South Africa by 40 runs in semi-final 2 to book their berth in what promises to be an epic final. A grand closing ceremony has been planned at the Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 5, with fans set to witness some enthralling performances. In India, the focus shifts from the IPL to other T20 leagues, with the TNPL and KCL set to begin soon. Meanwhile, the dates for the IND vs SL Test series are out. On that note, take a look at the top headlines from Thursday.
IND vs SL series dates announced
The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the dates and venues for the upcoming 2-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka. The two Asian teams haven’t played red-ball cricket against each other since 2022, and India hasn’t toured Sri Lanka for a Test series since 2017. The two-match Test series will commence from August 15 onwards. Meanwhile, the BCCI has turned down SLC’s request to add 3 T20Is to the tour as a goodwill gesture. Read more here.
Sanju Samson released
The Kerala Cricket League franchises have officially released their retention list ahead of the third season of the exciting tournament. However, the biggest surprise of the retentions is the release of Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter, who represented Kochi Blue Tigers last season, has not been retained by any franchise ahead of the auction. While there could be uncertainty regarding his availability, his release is very fascinating as Samson remains the biggest cricketing name associated with the league. Read more here.
AUS vs ENG in T20 WC final
England women’s cricket team defeated South Africa Women by 40 runs in the semi-final 2 on Thursday to seal their berth in the final. Nat Sciver-Brunt and co. picked up a comfortable win against the Proteas, who failed to make it to their fourth consecutive final. A mouth-watering final contest is on the cards at the Lord’s on Sunday. Australia will be eyeing their seventh trophy whereas hosts England will be keen to lay their hands on the silverware for the only second time after winning the trophy in the inaugural edition.
Latest cricket news
- DRS July 3: Sanju Samson released, England vs Australia in Women’s T20 World Cup final, IND vs SL series dates out
![DRS March 27: Full IPL 2026 schedule, controversy at PSL 2026 and huge CSK's Sanju Samson update]()
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be unleashed: AB de Villiers disagrees with India’s selection process
![Vaibhav Sooryavanshi India]()
- IND vs ENG: India travel to Nottingham with Sanju Samson & Tilak Varma questions and untested bowling
![India vs Zimbabwe T20I series set for July as T20 World Cup champions set for extended schedule after white-ball tour of England.]()
TNPL 2026 dates and auction details
The upcoming edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL 2026) will be held in two phases between August 4-28, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has informed. The first phase will see games played at NPR College in Natham from August 4 to 15. The second phase of the tournament will be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from August 18 to August 28. The TNCA has also informed that the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL 2026) auction will take place on July 3 (Friday). Read more here.
WBBL 12 schedule out
The 12th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) is all set to commence from October 29 onwards and will go on till December 5. Cricket Australia, on Thursday, unveiled the full schedule of the tournament which will see 43 matches being played during the course of 38 days. WBBL 12 will witness three teams playing an extra game in front of their home fans while lesser games will be played at neutral venues. Check full schedule here.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup closing ceremony
UK’s own Rita Ora will take the stage before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final to enthrall the audience at Lord’s with her scintillating performance. Meanwhile, Clean Bandit will bring the curtains down on the marquee event as the band is set to perform after the champions are crowned. The gates at the Lord’s Cricket Ground will be open for fans at 1 PM local time while the spectators have been urged to be seated by 2 PM so that they can witness the performances without an hiccups. Read more here.
Cricket
IND vs ENG: India travel to Nottingham with Sanju Samson & Tilak Varma questions and untested bowling
