India clinch Zimbabwe T20I series as Kishan stars; Bangladesh hit by injuries — cricket digest 26 Jul 2026
Kishan leads India to series-clinching win over Zimbabwe as Harare chase falls away
Ishan Kishan’s 81 off 44 anchored India’s recovery from 29 for 2 and set up a commanding 90-run win over Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Harare, sealing the three-match series 2-0 with a game to spare. Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer added 66, before Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 60 off 29 lifted India to 219 for 5; Zimbabwe were then bowled out for 129 in 17.5 overs.
Kishan said India resisted chasing a 250-plus total after the early wickets, instead focusing on reading the pitch and building a partnership to take the innings deep. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, meanwhile, admitted he has to contribute more with the bat after scores of 4 and 0 in the series.
Bangladesh lose Nahid Rana for Australia Tests; Shoriful and Litton set to miss Darwin opener
Bangladesh seamer Nahid Rana has been ruled out of next month’s two-Test series in Australia with a left-side strain sustained during the second T20I against Zimbabwe, and is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks. The 23-year-old has taken 44 international wickets this year at 18.31, the most by any bowler in 2026 so far.
Shoriful Islam (hamstring) and Litton Das (left-calf muscle) will also miss the first Test in Darwin but could return for the second in Mackay from August 13, subject to fitness assessments. Bangladesh are due to leave for Darwin on August 1.
West Indies bat first against Pakistan as Ali Usman debuts and Chanderpaul returns to open
West Indies chose to bat after winning the toss against Pakistan in the first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad. Roston Chase said the hosts wanted a performance to honour Sir Garfield Sobers, who died last week, while Pakistan captain Babar Azam said he would also have batted first.
Pakistan handed a Test debut to left-arm orthodox spinner Ali Usman and went with four seamers alongside him, leaving Sajid Khan out. For West Indies, Tagenarine Chanderpaul returned as opener after John Campbell was ruled out with a hamstring injury, and Kemar Roach played his 90th Test.
Walter backs Nicholls to keep New Zealand’s No. 3 spot after stepping in post-Williamson
New Zealand coach Rob Walter said Henry Nicholls has earned the right to continue at No. 3 in Tests after returning to the XI following Kane Williamson’s mid-series retirement during the tour of England. Nicholls marked his comeback with 121 at The Oval in June, helping New Zealand level the series after losing the first Test at Lord’s.
Walter pointed to Nicholls’ domestic form as the basis for his recall, including 870 runs at 96.66 for Canterbury in the 2025-26 Plunket Shield title run. Nicholls said his focus after being dropped was to keep enjoying his cricket, with an eye on taking any chance that came.
In brief
- Rachin Ravindra’s 98 and Lockie Ferguson’s 4 for 25 drove Welsh Fire to a 15-run win over MI London in The Hundred men’s competition in Cardiff.
- Welsh Fire’s women thrashed MI London by 60 runs at Sophia Gardens after Sophie Devine’s 52 and Georgia Wareham’s 43* set up 177 for 4.
- Sunrisers Leeds edged Southern Brave by five runs at Headingley in The Hundred men’s competition, with Mitchell Marsh’s 69 and Dan Lawrence’s 51* proving decisive.
- Issy Wong took three wickets and Jemimah Rodrigues made 42* as Southern Brave beat Sunrisers Leeds by five wickets with four balls to spare in The Hundred women’s competition.
- Vishmi Gunaratne’s 123 and Harshitha Samarawickrama’s 100* powered Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan in a 274 chase, levelling the women’s ODI series 1-1 despite Sidra Amin’s unbeaten century.
- CPL moves: Usman Tariq has re-signed with Trinbago Knight Riders, while Guyana Amazon Warriors have retained Imran Tahir and added Glenn Phillips, who is on track to return from a side injury.
- The World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle continued to take shape with updated series details.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo