Sports Bulletin September 4: Mandhana Breaks Mithali’s Record; Agarkar Absent From Key BCCI Review Meeting

New Delhi, Sep 4: Indian women's cricket star Smriti Mandhana headlined a busy day in Indian sports after producing a record-breaking century at the Women's Asia Cup. Her 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong, China, not only powered India to victory but also saw her overtake Mithali Raj as the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket. The day also saw the BCCI come under the spotlight over selection matters, player workload and preparations for the upcoming Asian Games.

With the Asian Games fast approaching, India's cricket and athletics contingents also saw important developments. The BCCI is planning additional bowling support for the men's team in Japan, while the Athletics Federation of India finalised a 77-member squad after making changes to its original list. Meanwhile, questions around player selections, Rohit Sharma's future and the return of Soumyadeep Roy to the national table tennis setup added to the day's talking points.

1. Smriti Mandhana breaks Mithali Raj's record, creates history

Smriti Mandhana produced one of the most significant individual performances of the Women's Asia Cup 2026 so far, smashing 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong, China on Thursday (September 3). The left-hander struck 14 fours and seven sixes as India registered a comprehensive 137-run victory. The innings was also her second T20I century and the highest score of her T20I career.

More importantly, the knock took Mandhana's aggregate to 10,880 runs in women's international cricket, allowing her to surpass former India captain Mithali Raj's tally of 10,868 runs and become the leading run-scorer in the history of women's international cricket. Mandhana also moved ahead of former Australia captain Meg Lanning for the most international centuries in women's cricket, taking her tally to 18.

The achievement further underlines Mandhana's longevity at the highest level. Having made her India debut in 2013, she has now established herself as one of the most prolific batters in the women's game and continues to add to a record book that was once dominated by Mithali.

2. Ajit Agarkar misses BCCI review meeting; contract extension not discussed

The absence of chief selector Ajit Agarkar from the BCCI's review meeting on India's recent limited-overs campaigns became one of the biggest talking points of the day. The meeting was held to assess India's disappointing results on their tours of Ireland and England, but Agarkar, chairman of the senior men's selection committee, was not present either physically or virtually.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, later on Thursday, explained that Agarkar was out of station and could not join the meeting online because of connectivity-related difficulties. The meeting was attended by Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Centre of Excellence director VVS Laxman and BCCI officials.

The meeting came after India endured a difficult limited-overs run, losing the two-match T20I series against Ireland 0-2, the England T20I series 1-4 and the ODI series 1-2. Saikia, however, clarified that Agarkar's contract extension was not discussed at the meeting, despite his current contract running until the end of September. The discussions instead focused on performances, player fitness and the recurring injury concerns within the team.

3. BCCI wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to build a career like Sachin Tendulkar

The BCCI is taking a long-term approach to the development of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, with secretary Devajit Saikia saying the board wants the youngster to build a career capable of matching the longevity associated with legends such as Sachin Tendulkar.

Sooryavanshi's future was discussed during the BCCI's high-level review meeting, with Saikia making it clear that the board is monitoring the 15-year-old closely. The emphasis, he said, is on ensuring that the youngster does not become a short-term sensation but develops into a player capable of serving Indian cricket for many years.

The teenager has already experienced an extraordinary rise. After his breakthrough IPL 2026 campaign, he became India's youngest men's international debutant. His first T20I series against England was not particularly productive, but he responded strongly with 151 runs in three matches against Zimbabwe. The BCCI is also tracking 10-15 emerging players through the Centre of Excellence, with VVS Laxman involved in their training and skill development.

4. Badrinath questions Sundar, Nitish Reddy selections for Afghanistan series

Former India batter S Badrinath has questioned the selection of Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy in India's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The series begins on September 13 in Delhi and comes at an important time with India also preparing for the Asian Games later this month.

Badrinath questioned the continued backing for Sundar and Reddy, particularly given that both players are still establishing themselves in the T20I setup. He suggested that Sundar has received considerable support within Indian cricket, while expressing doubts about Reddy's effectiveness as a bowler.

The Afghanistan squad also includes several players returning from injury, including Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all subject to fitness clearance. Badrinath nevertheless viewed Bumrah's possible return as a major positive, particularly with India set to defend their Asian Games gold medal in Japan.

5. VVS Laxman seeks three net bowlers for India's Asian Games campaign

India are looking to strengthen their preparation for the Asian Games with head coach VVS Laxman seeking three additional fast bowlers to travel to Japan as net bowlers. The move is aimed at giving the main squad quality pace-bowling practice during training ahead of the tournament.

Mayank Yadav, Kartik Tyagi and Mohsin Khan are expected to travel in this specialist support role. They are not part of India's official 15-member playing squad, but their presence would give the team additional options during practice sessions, particularly for batters preparing against high-quality pace.

The BCCI has reportedly already begun the process of securing Japanese visas for the three bowlers. The request comes from Laxman, who will oversee India's men's cricket team during the Asian Games, as the board seeks to ensure that the squad has adequate training resources during its campaign.

6. KL Rahul, Padikkal and Siraj asked to play Duleep Trophy final

The BCCI wants India players who currently have no immediate competitive cricket to use the Duleep Trophy final as an opportunity to maintain match fitness. Veteran opener KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have therefore been asked to turn out for South Zone against East Zone in the final, beginning September 6 in Chennai.

The logic is particularly relevant for the three players because their next scheduled international assignment is not until later in the month. According to the report, Rahul, Padikkal and Siraj last played on August 27, while India's next ODI assignment is against the West Indies from September 27. Padikkal could also have India A commitments ahead of that series.

The situation is less straightforward for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan, all of whom are part of India's T20I setup. Their participation in the Duleep Trophy final will ultimately depend on Gautam Gambhir. If the coach wants them to report for the Afghanistan series as scheduled, they could miss the final; alternatively, they could play in Chennai before joining the India camp in Delhi around September 10.

7. 'Rohit Sharma is playing superbly': BCCI secretary Saikia

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia dismissed speculation surrounding Rohit Sharma's future in international cricket, pointing to the former India captain's continued performances in the ODI format.

The former India captain remains available only in ODIs, and Saikia highlighted his recent form, including his 138-run innings against England. With speculation continuing over the veteran batter's future, Saikia said he did not want to provide further fuel to those discussions while stressing that Rohit continues to perform at a high level.

8. Yashvir replaces injured Neeraj Chopra in Asian Games athletics squad

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist javelin thrower Yashvir Singh has replaced Neeraj Chopra in India's athletics squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after Chopra's withdrawal through injury.

The Athletics Federation of India has finalised a 77-member track and field team, comprising 34 men and 43 women. Long-distance runner Abhishek Pal was also removed from the squad after receiving a notice from NADA over an alleged doping violation, while hurdler Tejas Shirse was ruled out after injury. Six athletes were added to the original list, taking the final contingent to 77.

9. Soumyadeep Roy returns to Indian TT contingent

Former India international and coach Soumyadeep Roy is set to return to the national table tennis setup for a multi-sport event, five years after his involvement in the controversy surrounding the Tokyo Olympics.

Roy will travel to the Asian Games as a personal coach for Payas Jain, Suthirtha Mukherjee and Syndrela Das. His name has been approved by the Sports Ministry, although he is unlikely to receive field-of-play access because he is not part of the dedicated support staff led by Italian coach Massimo Costantini.

10. Rashid Khan takes sarcastic swipe at Aqib Javed

Former Pakistan all-rounder Rashid Khan has taken a sarcastic dig at senior selector Aqib Javed amid criticism surrounding Pakistan's team selections and management.

Responding to Aqib's public comments on the team's recent changes and the performances of the players and coaching staff, Rashid suggested that the selector could be made Pakistan's "non-playing captain". Aqib had defended the decision to make sweeping changes to Pakistan's touring squad, while PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi attributed the changes to poor performances and other issues within the group.