Steve Smith stars, Babar Azam returns and Kohli report– January 23 Cricket highlights

Steve Smith and Babar Azam [Source: @SixersBBL, @cricketroom_/x]

Steve Smith starred for the Sydney Sixers in the Challenger match of the BBL 2025-26 season against Hobart Hurricanes at the SCG. Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have been included in Pakistan squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia. In other news, a sensational report claims that Virat Kohli might reverse his Test retirement for the Indian team.

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 23.

Virat Kohli return on the cards for India in Tests

Virat Kohli is likely to reverse his retirement from Test cricket for the Indian team. As per an explosive report from prominent YouTuber Rohit Juglan, there have been discussions regarding his return to the format. Another report stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will likely be making a request to the former Indian captain.

However, a final call will likely be made only after the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. It is worth noting that Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket last year, thus concluding his 123-match journey.

Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc bolt Sydney Sixers in BBL 2025-26 final

Sydney Sixers crushed Hobart Hurricanes in the Challenger match at the SCG to qualify for the final of the BBL 2025-26 season. Batting first, the Sixers mounted 198-8 in 20 overs, with charismatic opener Steve Smith compiling 65 runs from just 43 balls. Joel Davies and Lachlan Shaw also unleashed cracking cameos at the death.

Later in the game, Mitchell Starc (2-29) and Sean Abbott (2-18) picked up two wickets apiece, while Ben Dwarshuis claimed figures of 3-26 to restrict the Hurricanes to just 141 all out. The Sixers will now face Perth Scorchers in the BBL 2025-26 final.

Babar returns, Haris Rauf out as Pakistan name squad for Australia T20Is

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named a 16-player Pakistan squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia at home. Senior men Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi both made their returns to the national squad after representing their respective teams at the BBL 2025-26 season earlier this month.

Fellow senior paceman Haris Rauf, however, was surprisingly excluded from the 16-player group. All-rounder Salman Agha will continue to lead Pakistan in the series as a lead-up to the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.

Kyle Jamieson replaces Adam Milne in NZ squad for T20 World Cup 2026

New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the national squad for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next month. The cricketer recently sustained a hamstring injury in South Africa during the SA20 2025-26 season.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has now named lanky paceman Kyle Jamieson as a replacement for injured Milne for the showpiece event. It is worth noting that Adam Milne was in exceptional form for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20, picking up 11 wickets in just eight innings at an average of 16.27.

Babar Azam to lead Kingsmen Hyderabad in PSL 2026

Senior Pakistan batter Babar Azam has been appointed as the captain of Kingsmen Hyderabad franchise for the upcoming PSL 2026 season. The Kingsmen Hyderabad is one of the two new franchises added to the league’s roaster. Babar Azam previously represented the Peshawar Zalmi in PSL in the past three editions of the tournament.