The margin of defeat in the first game of the Champions Trophy - 37 runs - as Bangladesh succumbed to Sri Lanka was not an accurate reflection of the match as a competition

Inzamam-ul-Haq cannot take any part in the Champions Trophy 2006, even if Pakistan reached the final

"We came here to win this game emphatically, and we did that," Brian Lara said in the post-match press conference

If the early part of the Champions Trophy needed something less than torrential rain, it was a one-sided game played out in front of yawningly empty stands

Indian fans have seen plenty of Sachin Tendulkar's hundreds, long Rahul Dravid innings, more of Ricky Ponting than they would have liked, but so little of Brian Lara, that it's a crying shame

For Zimbabwe this Champions Trophy is a big event. For a team whose average age is 20, who don't play Test cricket, who play as many matches with Associate Nations as full-Test-playing nations, this tournament is a great opportunity.

Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the Indian cricket board and the man heading its commercial wing, reacted with indignation to suggestions that the board was "taking the players for granted"

Indian players are getting increasing agitated about being 'taken for granted' by the Board of Control for Cricket in India

A heavy downpour put paid to any chance of the Challenger Series being resolved in a fruitful manner, even as India Blue were well set, on 210 for 4 from just over 30 overs

Wasim Jaffer will lead the Rest of India team in the Zal Irani Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, who won the Ranji Trophy last year, from October 9-13.

If this Challenger Series held the public's imagination at any stage, it certainly didn't beyond 7pm on Tuesday, when the tournament ended for Sourav Ganguly.

Anand Vasu watches Sourav Ganguly's latest scrap for a recall

Anand Vasu tells the story of 16-year-old Dharamvir, who has literally crawled his way almost 2000 kilometres, over 36 hours, just to be at the Challenger Series

India Blue suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of India Red, failing by 21 runs to chase down the target of 281 in the opening match of the Challenger Series for the NKP Salve Trophy

Murali Kartik, the Indian left-arm spinner, is all set for his first full season of county cricket, and it will be with Middlesex

It's often been said that Zaheer Khan psyches himself up too much, especially in big games, but Cricinfo finds a picture of relaxation

Like for Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan, the Challenger trophy in Chennai is also significant for Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Hemang Badani to attempt a comeback to the big league

The message, for those who still had not got it, has come through loud and clear at the 77th AGM of the Board of Control for Cricket in India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council could be headed for another stand-off as the Indian board announced that it could not sign the Members' Participation Agreement that the ICC has framed, in its existing form.

As was widely predicted, Dilip Vengsarkar, the former Test cricketer, was appointed chairman of the national selection committee.