India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed Hardik Pandya to return to the national white-ball squads but stressed that the all-rounder needs competitive match practice before being pushed back into international cricket. Gambhir said Hardik has not played enough cricket since the Indian Premier League and is not yet ready to bowl his full quota of 10 overs in a one-day match. The team management wants him to rebuild his w

Fresh from winning the Women’s Asia Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will begin their Asian Games cricket title defence against hosts Japan in Friday’s quarterfinal at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. India enter the knockout contest after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Asia Cup final to secure a record-extending eighth continental crown. The defending Asian Games champions will now aim to carry that momentum into their first match of the tournament and