![Usman Khawaja and South Africa [Source: @TUnlimitedd/x, AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1767369751854_usman_khawaja.jpg?type=hq)
Usman Khawaja and South Africa [Source: @TUnlimitedd/x, AFP]
Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement from international cricket. Senior Indian batter Shreyas Iyer will reportedly be required to undergo a ‘two-match simulation’ before getting clearance to play again. In other news, CSA has unveiled South Africa’s entire 15-player squad for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.
Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Friday, January 2.
Usman Khawaja announces international retirement after Ashes
Ageing Australian opener Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 39-year-old picked Australia’s upcoming fifth Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series against England as his swansong match. Khawaja, a veteran of 87 Tests for Australia, has already minted 153 runs from five innings this series, which included a match-winning 82 at the Adelaide Oval last month.
The fifth Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series between England and hosts Australia will be played between January 4 and January 8 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Shreyas Iyer to undergo simulation before selection clearance: Report
Senior Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has reportedly shown an improvement during his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE). It is worth noting that the cricketer has been out of action from competitive cricket ever since he sustained a nasty injury in the third ODI of the three-match series in Australia a couple of months ago.
As reported by SportsTak, Shreyas Iyer will now have to undergo a ‘two-match simulation’ between Friday, January 2 and Monday, January 5 before getting clearance for national white-ball selection.
Titans sweat as Sai Sudharsan’s injury rules him out of Vijay Hazare before IPL 2026
Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan sustained a rib fracture while diving for a run against Madhya Pradesh in Tamil Nadu’s Elite Group A match of the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy in Ahmedabad last week. A week after the incident, it has been confirmed that Sudharsan has now been ruled out of the rest of the Vijay Hazare season.
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Sai Sudharsan now finds himself in a race against time as he bids to attain full recovery before the upcoming IPL 2026 season for the Gujarat Titans franchise.
Shoaib Bashir returns in England’s fifth Test squad
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named England’s 12-player squad for the upcoming fifth Test of the five-match Ashes 2025-26 series against Australia. Set to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) between January 4 and January 8, the England team management has recalled spinner Shoaib Bashir back into the group. Paceman Matthew Potts will also be making his return to the team, joining fellow bowlers Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse.
Ben Stokes will continue to lead the English team and he will be accompanied by fellow senior pros like Joe Root, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook.
Markram to lead, Stubbs dropped from SA’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has unveiled South Africa’s entire 15-player squad for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month. Aiden Markram will continue to lead the South Africa national team after guiding them into the final of the previous edition in 2024. David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada among others will inject seniority into the side for the skipper.
In a major development, Tristan Stubbs was dropped from the squad following his lean patch with the bat.
