Smriti Mandhana of India (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

India Women beat Australia Women by 17 runs on Saturday in the third T20I match in Adelaide to win the series 2-1. Smriti Mandhana was the star with the bat, while Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil impressed with the ball for India.India won the toss and chose to bat first. Mandhana and Shafali Verma opened the innings. India had a steady start, but Shafali got out early.

Mandhana then built a strong partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues and helped India take control of the match. She played a brilliant innings and scored 82 runs off 55 balls, hitting several boundaries and sixes. Mandhana reached her fifty in just 38 balls and kept the scoreboard ticking with confident strokes.Jemimah Rodrigues also played well and scored 59 runs, while Richa Ghosh added quick runs at the end with 18 off 7 balls. India lost a few wickets in the final over but still finished with a strong total of 176 for 6.In response, Australia started aggressively. Openers Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney scored quickly in the first over, but India struck back fast. Shreyanka Patil dismissed Voll, and Shree Charani got Mooney out soon after. Ellyse Perry was also dismissed early, leaving Australia in trouble at 32 for 3.Ashleigh Gardner fought hard for Australia and scored 57 runs, but she did not get much support from the rest of the batters. India’s bowlers kept taking wickets regularly, and Australia finished on 159 for 9, falling short by 17 runs.Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil took three wickets each and played a big role in restricting Australia. Mandhana was named Player of the Match for her match-winning innings.With this win, India sealed the T20I series 2-1 in Australia.

Mohammed Shami and Ishan Kishan (X-Cricbuzz)

Several familiar names have been left out as the BCCI announced its central contracts for the 2025–26 season on Monday, with Mohammed Shami, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Mukesh Kumar and Ishan Kishan missing out despite being part of the previous cycle. The Board awarded annual retainers to 30 men and 21 women cricketers, categorising them into Groups A, B and C. Notably, the A+ category has been scrapped, a move that has reshaped the contract hierarchy.

Senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been placed in Group B, a downgrade that was largely expected following their retirement from Tests and T20Is respectively, effectively making them one-format players. Under the current criteria, which factors in performances and the number of matches played in the preceding season, they were no longer eligible for the top bracket. For the first time in his career, Shubman Gill finds himself in the highest pay grade, as the two-format captain was retained in Group A alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. While the BCCI has not officially disclosed the retainership amounts, Group A was previously valued at Rs 5 crore annually, with Group B and C fetching Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively before the A+ category was abolished. The decision to do away with A+ stems from the fact that Bumrah is now the only player who remains an automatic selection across all formats. The category, introduced during the COA era for all-format excellence, previously featured only Kohli, Rohit, Jadeja and Bumrah. The men’s list has been trimmed from 34 to 30 players, with Shami’s exclusion seen as a strong signal that he may be out of the selectors’ immediate plans. Kishan, Mukesh and Sarfaraz were also dropped after failing to play a single international match during the evaluation period. While Kishan has returned to the T20I setup, that comeback falls in the new cycle. One notable inclusion is Sai Sudharsan, the only new entrant in the senior men’s contract list. On the women’s side, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma retained their Group A status, while Jemimah Rodrigues earned a promotion following her standout World Cup performances.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s captain Smriti Mandhana and teammate Georgia Voll (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)

The Women’s Premier League has quickly established itself as a landmark tournament in women’s cricket, delivering high-quality competition, packed stadiums and memorable finals since its inception in 2023. In just four editions, the league has already produced a clear pattern of dominance, heartbreak and recurring rivalries.Mumbai Indians were the inaugural champions in 2023, setting the benchmark in the league’s first season. Led by a balanced squad and strong leadership, MI defeated Delhi Capitals in the final, beginning a trend that would see DC repeatedly fall short on the biggest stage.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru broke through in 2024, claiming their maiden WPL title by once again denying Delhi Capitals in the final. That defeat marked DC’s second straight runner-up finish, reinforcing their reputation as one of the most consistent teams without silverware.WPL winners list2023 – Mumbai Indians (Runner-up: Delhi Capitals)2024 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Runner-up: Delhi Capitals)2025 – Mumbai Indians (Runner-up: Delhi Capitals)2026 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Runner-up: Delhi Capitals)Mumbai Indians returned to the summit in 2025, lifting their second trophy and reaffirming their status as a powerhouse in the competition. For Delhi Capitals, the disappointment deepened as they finished runners-up for the third time in as many finals.The 2026 season followed a familiar script. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, inspired by captain Smriti Mandhana, lifted their second WPL title with a commanding six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the final. Mandhana’s magnificent 87 off 41 balls, combined with Georgia Voll’s fluent 79 in a record 165-run stand, powered RCB to a memorable chase of 203. The victory also saw RCB draw level with Mumbai Indians as the most successful teams in WPL history.Despite valiant efforts from Jemimah Rodrigues, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee, Delhi Capitals once again stumbled at the final hurdle, finishing runners-up for the fourth time in four finals.