Jemimah Rodrigues eyes 2027 Champions Trophy success following India'…

Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues stated that the team's victory in the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup has fuelled their ambition as they look forward to the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy in 2027. She described the upcoming event as a major milestone for the women's team as they look to add more international success.

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Follow the Blues', Rodrigues explained how lifting the 2025 World Cup trophy sharpened India's commitment to maintaining their status at the top of international cricket ahead of the February 2027 tournament.

"We've tasted success once, and we know what it feels like to be at the top. The more you taste it, the more you want to be there. So, I think our team is working towards that, and yes, the Champions Trophy is going to be very special. It's happening for the first time ever in women's cricket, and I'll be a part of it for the first time as well, so it'll be pretty special, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think mindset-wise, nothing changes. At the end of the day, it's about the team and how to make the team win, and that always stays," she said. newsbetting.bond

Jemimah previews the South Africa tour

Before turning their attention to the Champions Trophy, India will embark on a seven-match multi-format tour of South Africa in December. The schedule features a single Test in Gqeberha starting December 9, followed by a three-match ODI series from December 16, and three T20Is beginning December 26.

Rodrigues believes the upcoming series will be a test for the team, highlighting the competitive history between the two sides.

"It's going to be a really exciting series for sure. Both teams have been doing really well. We've had a lot of rivalry lately and played a lot of matches against South Africa. I think it's going to be great, with two of the top teams in the world facing each other in South Africa. It's going to be a great challenge, and we're really looking forward to it," she concluded.

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Rodrigues recently returned from the UK, where a hamstring injury ended her run with the Southern Brave in The Hundred 2026.

Afghanistan gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against Ireland after producing a strong bowling effort and pulling off a thrilling chase in the third one-day against Ireland at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.

Chasing 207, Afghanistan reached 194 for 7 after 43 overs and needed only 13 more runs from 42 balls at the time of writing. Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the chase with a fine 71 off 77 balls, while Rashid Khan kept Afghanistan in control with an unbeaten 37.

Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bowl first, and their decision paid off as Ireland struggled to build partnerships. The hosts were bowled out for 206 in 46.3 overs.

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Ireland’s top order failed to make a big contribution. Andrew Balbirnie fell for 7 before Paul Stirling made 23. Cade Carmichael provided some resistance with 32 off 52 balls, while Harry Tector was dismissed for 14.

Gavin Hoey then played an important innings of 36 off 67 balls but Ireland continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Jai Moondra added 31 off 33 balls while Benjamin Calitz made 20. Ireland’s lower order could not provide enough runs as they were bowled out with 21 balls still remaining.

Afghanistan’s bowlers shared the workload well. Rashid Khan was the pick of the attack with 3 for 44 from his 10 overs. Young spinner AM Ghazanfar also impressed, taking 3 for 29 in his nine overs. Yamin Ahmadzai picked up two wickets, while Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai took one each.

Afghanistan started their chase positively, with Gurbaz taking the attack to the Irish bowlers. He scored five sixes and two fours during his 71-run knock and gave his side a strong start.

Ibrahim Zadran, however, could manage only 12 before falling to Byron McDonough. Sediqullah Atal then scored 27 from 25 balls, but his dismissal was followed by the wickets of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi.

Gurbaz’s dismissal for 71 briefly gave Ireland hope, but Afghanistan remained ahead. Darwish Rasooli made 13, while Azmatullah Omarzai scored 13 before both departed.

Rashid then took responsibility with the bat. His unbeaten 37 off 43 balls helped Afghanistan move closer to the target alongside Yamin Ahmadzai.

Gavin Hoey was Ireland’s standout bowler, finishing with four wickets for 34 runs from his 10 overs. Mark Adair also claimed two wickets.

A new chapter for girls’ football in India began today as Capri Sports officially launched Nova Sports, its girls-only football development initiative, designed to create a structured pathway from grassroots participation to elite football. The initiative aims to provide girls aged 8–18 with a structured pathway that combines quality coaching, meaningful competition and long-term player development through an integrated football ecosystem.

The initiative will begin with the SuperNova Football Championship, a 7-a-side schools tournament across the U13, U15 and U17 age groups, to be held on September 5 and 6 at Depot18, Bengaluru. Bringing together almost 50 teams from across the city, the Championship has been designed as more than just a football tournament – it is a celebration of the sport, offering a professional matchday experience for players, schools, families and coaches. From competitive football and engagement zones to recognition awards, interactive brand experiences and shareable content moments, the Championship aims to create a memorable platform that inspires greater participation in girls’ football. Students will also have the opportunity to register for the Nova Football Academy, a grassroots football programme, creating a structured system to identify, nurture and develop young footballers through consistent coaching and competitive opportunities.

Built around the philosophy of “Girls first. Always.”, Nova Sports has been designed exclusively for girls and not adapted from an existing boys’ programme. Every aspect of the initiative, from its internationally benchmarked coaching methodologies and girl-centred curriculum to its safeguarding standards, technology platform and competitive structure, has been intentionally created around the needs and aspirations of Indian girls. By bringing together school football, academy training and structured competition, Nova Sports seeks to bridge the gap between grassroots participation and elite performance, creating a clear pathway for girls from their first experience of the game to the highest levels of the sport.

To deliver and scale the initiative, Capri Sports has partnered with India On Track (IOT) as the execution partner for Nova Sports. One of India’s leading grassroots sports development organisations, IOT has extensive experience in designing and delivering grassroots initiatives, having worked with prominent Global & Indian rights holders & Brands like the NBA, Premier League, LaLiga, MLB, Gujarat Titans, Apollo Tyres, Coke & Heineken to name a few.

Over the next decade, Capri Sports envisions scaling the initiative from a single city to a national footprint, with the goal of reaching more than 1.5 million girls through this initiative. This vision will be driven by two interconnected pathways – a full development pipeline and a structured competitive pathway. While the development pipeline will focus on grassroots academies, coach education and internationally benchmarked training standards, the competitive pathway will provide regular match exposure ensuring every girl has a clear pathway to progress in the sport.

Speaking on the launch, Jinisha Sharma, Director & Promoter, Capri Sports, said, “Building the future of Indian sport starts with investing in strong grassroots ecosystems and creating opportunities early. At Capri Sports, we’ve chosen to focus much of that investment on women’s sport because we believe it represents one of India’s greatest opportunities for growth. Nova Sports is another step in that journey, helping more girls access the coaching, competition and support they need to fulfil their potential.”

Apurv Gupta, Director, Contact Sports, Capri Sports, added, “Our vision is to build a cohesive and interconnected football pathway for girls at every stage of their journey. Guided by our principle, ‘Girls First. Always.’, every decision we make is viewed through the lens of what will best support their development, ambitions and wellbeing. By creating a system that combines structured development, sustained support and a high-performance environment, we want every girl – regardless of her previous experience – to have the opportunity to play, progress and realise her potential. Ultimately, we hope the impact of Nova Sports extends far beyond the football field, shaping confidence, resilience and opportunity for every athlete who joins us.”

The post Capri Sports launches Nova Sports, a girls-only football pathway to redefine the future of women’s football in India appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has said that he is still the national team’s ODI captain amid reports suggesting that Babar Azam could soon take charge across all three formats.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly considering handing Babar the ODI captaincy after appointing him as the Test skipper. Amid growing speculation, Shaheen addressed the situation.

When Shaheen was asked whether white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and selector Aaqib Javed backed him as ODI captain, Shaheen said, “Till now, I am the captain,” as quoted by NDTV.

According to Telecom Asia Sport, the PCB has promised Babar the captaincy in all formats. The report also claimed that Babar accepted the Test captaincy on the condition that he would eventually be appointed all-format skipper. Two selectors have reportedly assured him that good results in the two Tests against the West Indies and three in England will help him take over.

Shaheen replaced Mohammad Rizwan as Pakistan’s ODI captain in October last year. He has also guided Lahore Qalandars to three PSL titles in the last five years.

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has also predicted that Babar will lead Pakistan at the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa.

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The post ‘Till Now, I Am the Captain’: Shaheen Afridi Addresses Babar Azam ODI Captaincy Reports appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are hunting for a new head coach with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming ending his association with the team after 17 years in charge. Fleming has been appointed new head coach of England cricket team and will be taking charge of the team later in the year.

MS Dhoni’s CSK have failed to win the IPL title since their record-equalling triumph in 2023 season. The Chennai franchise are now looking to finalise on a new head coach ahead IPL 2027 season before they consider another major move – trading Hardik Pandya from Mumbai Indians.

According to a report in Cricbuzz website, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan and whole-time director Rupa Gurunath will take a decision on the new head coach in discussion with former captain MS Dhoni and current skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. “We have not started applying our minds on this. First, we will have a coach. We have got calls from many interested candidates. We will sit and finalise,” Viswanathan said about Hardik Pandya trade to Cricbuzz website.

Leo is just bored!
Remember, not everything needs decoding#WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/3MYcuOVeLF

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 11, 2026

One name who could come into consideration is former England head coach Brendon McCullum, who was part of the CSK franchise in IPL 2014 and 2015 season. Former New Zealand captain had scored 405 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2014 with 3 fifties and then 436 runs in 14 matches with 1 century and 2 fifties.

McCullum had to join Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017 as CSK were banned for a couple of years due to spot fixing allegations. He ended his career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2018 edition.

The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had replace Jacques Kallis as Kolkata Knight Riders head coach in August 2019 and was part of the franchise for a couple of seasons – leading them to the IPL 2021 final, where they lost to Dhoni’s CSK.

McCullum became England head coach in 2022 before being removed as England Test coach last month. He is still the head coach of England’s white-ball teams but with England and Wales Cricket Board allowing coaches to take up IPL stints during off-season, McCullum is in contention to replace Fleming at CSK.

Another name in race of become CSK head coach could be former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel, who had taken charge of Texas Super Kings and Joburg Super Kings sides in MLC and SA20 leagues. CSK are believed to be considering only ‘overseas experts’ as their new head coach.