![Akash Deep and Team India [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x, AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1774107395683_AkashDeepandTeamIndia.jpg?type=hq)
Akash Deep and Team India [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x, AFP]
The KKR franchise has suffered yet another injury blow ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Team India will be touring Ireland in June this year for a two-match T20I series. In other news, Abhishek Sharma’s T20 World Cup 2026 chat with Shubman Gill has surfaced online.
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 Saturday, March 21.
Marais Erasmus quits cricket after 26 years
South Africa umpire Marais Erasmus has decided to end his umpiring career. The former cricketer will be making his final appearance as an umpire in Paarl during an upcoming List A match between Boland and Lions.
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Erasmus, a veteran of 82 Tests as an umpire and another 45 as a television umpire, was a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires. The 62-year-old has already stepped down as a match official from international cricket, doing so back in March 2024 after a match between New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch.
BCCI unveils schedule of India’s tour of Ireland 2026
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled the entire schedule of Team India’s upcoming short white-ball tour of Ireland. As per the official announcement made by the Indian board on March 21, the Indian cricket team will be travelling to Ireland in June this year to play a series of two T20I matches.
Both T20Is will be hosted by Belfast, marking the Indian team’s return to the venue for the first time since touring there in 2007. The ‘Men in Blue’ last toured Ireland back in 2023.
Abhishek Sharma’s T20 World Cup chat with Shubman Gill surfaces
Team India opener Abhishek Sharma started off the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on a shoddy note, registering three successive ducks in a row in the Group stage. During the recent Naman Awards, Abhishek revealed that he even sought advice from teammate and longtime friend Shubman Gill in a bid to retain his usual run-scoring ways.
As it turned out, the blistering Indian opener soared back into form on the day of the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, smearing 52 runs from just 21 balls and slapping an 18-ball half-century in the process.
Akash Deep ruled out of IPL 2026 for KKR
Indian fast bowler Akash Deep has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 season. The speedster was ruled out owing to his failure in recovering from the lower-back stress injury, and he will now be requiring at least three months for full recovery.
Deep’s exclusion mounts additional pressure on the KKR franchise, especially with the uncertainty around Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana and the late barring of Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur Rahman. Moreover, Harshit Rana has also been ruled out of the tournament owing to his injury.
Pakistan to host Ireland in early 2027
The Pakistan cricket team will be hosting Ireland in early 2027 next year, as per recent reports. The two teams will be facing each other in a series of three ODIs and three T20Is. As reported by Sohail Imran, there is a possibility of a third team being added to the schedule.
The series will serve as Pakistan’s preparation in white-ball cricket in their road towards the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa in late 2027.
