Alastair Cook

A heated debate over the IPL versus county cricket has erupted, with Jason Gillespie launching a scathing attack on Kevin Pietersen. Pietersen criticised Alastair Cook's suggestion that young talent Jacob Bethell should leave the IPL 2026 for county cricket, but Gillespie defended Cook's point about the importance of game time.

Yash Raj Punja has emerged as a surprise star for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, taking six wickets in five matches. The Abu Dhabi-born leg-spinner overcame a difficult start in cricket before switching from pace bowling to spin. Guided by coaches and inspired by legends like Anil Kumble and Yuzvendra Chahal, Punja’s discipline, accuracy and work ethic have now sparked calls for a fast-track India debut.

Alastair Cook reignited his debate with Kevin Pietersen over Jacob Bethell's IPL stint. Cook believes the young batter needs game time in county cricket over sitting on the bench in India. Pietersen countered, asserting Cook lacks understanding of the IPL's developmental benefits. Cook reiterated his stance, emphasizing playing matches over observation, despite the IPL's financial allure.

Former England captain Alastair Cook defended his advice to Jacob Bethell regarding IPL opportunities, emphasizing the need for game time over just learning from top players. Cook acknowledged Bethell has since played more, but reiterated that public criticism of the IPL is unlikely due to financial incentives and career implications, suggesting both viewpoints can be valid.

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is electrifying the IPL 2026 with his explosive batting, amassing 404 runs and a remarkable 37 sixes. Experts like Michael Vaughan are hailing him as potentially the world's best six-hitter, drawing comparisons to Chris Gayle. His rapid ascent has sparked discussions about his value and future international prospects, with Vaughan predicting an imminent India call-up.

Aakash Chopra expresses concern over Jacob Bethell's quiet start for RCB, noting his inability to convert starts despite opportunities. He also questions Romario Shepherd's unclear role and effectiveness. For Gujarat Titans, Chopra highlights their top-order dependency and struggles to score in the death overs, posing significant challenges for the upcoming match.

Kevin Pietersen has hit back at Alastair Cook's suggestion that Jacob Bethell should leave the IPL for county cricket. Cook argued Bethell is losing development time on the bench, but Pietersen countered that the IPL environment offers invaluable learning from top players, even without playing.

Former England captain Alastair Cook urges young batter Jacob Bethell to leave the IPL and return to Warwickshire. Cook believes Bethell, despite his T20 World Cup heroics, is wasting crucial development time on the bench with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Consistent game time is vital for his progression, Cook argued, suggesting he could open for his county and aid England's future.

Apart from his batting, Alastair Cook is also known for his slip catching. And he gave a brilliant example of his reflexes in a video posted by his county Essex on Facebook where he can be coolly seen taking a no-look catch.

Former England stars are split on IPL 2026 predictions. Michael Vaughan backs Mumbai Indians, calling them the clear winners. Alastair Cook supports defending champions RCB, while Phil Tufnell also considers CSK a strong contender. Led by Hardik Pandya, MI look strong, but RCB face early setbacks. Historically, only MI and CSK have successfully defended IPL titles.

Alastair Cook is a nice bloke. The England captain admitted on Sunday that he would have quit had it not been for the encouragement from his wife Alice.

Alastair Cook said the backing of his colleagues and team management had persuaded him to continue as England captain after he questioned his own position following a wretched Ashes series.

England captain Alastair Cook is under pressure to either perform or leave the scene for someone else to do the job, after losing the Lord's Test against India.

The burden on England captain Alastair Cook and his mates is nowhere as heavy. They have only to carry the cross of the Lord's loss even as they look to get back on even terms in the series that is still wide open.

England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bowl against India under overcast conditions in the fifth and final cricket Test at the Oval on Friday.

The England great has announced that he will retire from Test cricket after fifth and last match of the series against India at the Oval.

England captain Alastair Cook was left wide-eyed and stunned after a girl fainted in the room where he was addressing a press conference, prompting him to quip about the "impact" he would make in the ongoing Ashes series.

New England vice-captain Alastair Cook believes the challenge of retaining the Ashes is the perfect stage for Kevin Pietersen to bounce back to his best form.

On Thursday, Alastair Cook will become England’s most-capped Test player when his team plays Bangladesh in the first match in Chittagong. It is an achievement that adds to Cook’s glowing record for England, which includes the most runs (10,599), most hundreds (29) and most fifties (80) in Tests, apart froam becoming the youngest and fastest batsman to 10,000 runs. From any country.