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Digital Desk | Kataka, Sep 21 (IANS) Bhubaneswar Tigers registered a seven-run win over Keonjhar Miners via the DLS method in a rain-curtailed match of the Odisha T20 League CM Trophy at the iconic Barabati Stadium in Kataka on Monday. The match was initially reduced to 15 overs per side due to a wet outfield. Bhubaneswar Tigers then posted 64/3 in seven overs before rain once again interrupted play and forced another reduction in the target. Captain and opener Swastik Samal led the Tigers char

Digital Desk | Durban, Sep 21 (IANS) Expressing high optimism over ace fast bowler Kagiso Rabadas recovery, South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad on Monday said he would be very surprised if the star fast bowler misses the upcoming crucial three-match ICC World Test Championship series against Australia, starting October 9. Rabada, the lynchpin of the South African pace attack, is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a right hamstring injury sustained during a training session in mid-August.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Set to spearhead South Africas fast-bowling unit in the upcoming ODI series against Australia, lanky left-arm fast bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen said he is eager to take on the added responsibility in the absence of injured stalwarts Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Obviously those two (Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada) not being a part of the squad is a bit of a loss, I'd say. They are two obviously world-class bowlers and they know how to bowl especially i

Digital Desk | Nisshin, Sep 21 (IANS) Defending champions India will face Sri Lanka in the womens cricket final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday, setting up a repeat of the gold-medal clash from Hangzhou 2023. The final will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, with the match scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM IST. India will look to retain the title after a dominant run through the knockout stages, while Sri Lanka will attempt to avenge their defeat in the previous Asian Games fina

Digital Desk | Mohali, Sep 20 (IANS) Tejal Hasabnis and Anushka Sharma stitched a crucial 126-run partnership as India Women A chase down 236 to beat Australia Women A by four wickets in the first unofficial ODI of the three-match series at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here on Sunday. The victory gave India a 1-0 lead in the series, with the remaining two matches scheduled to be played on September 23 and 25. The teams will then face each other in a one-off Test from September 29. Indi

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Ravi Kant Chauhan, member of the BCCI Differently Abled Cricket Committee, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to ICC Chairman Jay Shah and the Indian cricket board for their unwavering backing in promoting cricket for physically challenged athletes across the country. Recent discussions at the 95th BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the boards headquarters in Mumbai on Friday highlighted general body encouraging the participating state associatio

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Incoming England Test coach Stephen Fleming has kept his focus on making England the No. 1 side again and has put the World Test Championship on the agenda. Fleming addressed the media at his first press conference as England's Test coach, highlighting that the job is prestigious. It's one of the most prestigious jobs in cricket, Fleming said. I was very honoured to be asked. He has signed a contract with the ECB through September 2030 following a two-week

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel was named the 'Impact Player of the Series' following India's recent 3-0 T20I series triumph over Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with head physio Kamlesh Jain handing over the medal in the dressing room. Axar played a crucial role throughout the series by delivering tight spells and maintaining pressure while picking four wickets in three games, including a spell of 2-9 in three overs in the final game

Digital Desk | Puducherry, Sep 19 (IANS) The coastal city of Puducherry is gearing up for a star-studded series when India A take on Australia A in two unofficial four-day red-ball matches, followed by three one-dayers to be played at the picturesque CAP-Siechem Stadium. Since becoming a full member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2019, the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) has hosted under-19 international matches. But this will be its first time staging an entire

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha attended the official welcome reception for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she met Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and other members of the Asian sporting fraternity. Sharing pictures from the gathering on X, Usha described the evening as an opportunity to connect with the OCA leadership and members of the wider sporting community. A wonderful evening connect

Digital Desk | Cuttack, Sep 19 (IANS) The Odisha T20 League CM Trophy is all set to kick off on Sunday at the iconic Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Six teams, Keonjhar Miners, Bhubaneswar Tigers, Kataka Panthers, Puri Titans, Rourkela Superstars and Sambalpur Warriors will battle it out for the ultimate glory. The Keonjhar Miners franchise sees its entry into the Odisha T20 League as an opportunity to build more than just a cricket team, with a focus on creating a strong regional identity and pro

Digital Desk | Dehradun, Sep 18 (IANS) The third edition of the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) 2026 is set to get underway with an exciting mens opening clash, as Haridwar Elmas lock horns with Nainital Tigers on September 22 at 7:30 PM at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Raipur, Dehradun. The League will bring together the leading mens and womens teams from across Uttarakhand, with the tournament scheduled to run until October 1. The womens competition will get the UPL 2026 act

Digital Desk | Harare, Sep 18 (IANS) Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) have announced that it will host West Indies for a six-match womens white-ball series starting in Harare later this month. The series will feature three ODIs and is followed by as many T20I games. The three-match ODI series is a part of the ICC Womens Championship pathway, and will be played at the Harare Sports Club on September 24, 27, and 30 respectively. Both teams will then move to the Takashinga Cricket Club for the T20I fixtures s

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Saptak Talwar, Indias current No. 1 on the DP World PGTI Tour, knows the next few weeks could be life-changing for him and take the 27-year-old to the next level in the sport. The tournament not only boasts of a massive $4 million prize, the highest in India for the second year running, but could also decide the topper of the DP World PGTI Order of Merit, newly named as the Race to DP World India Championship. Following a landmark arrangement between the D

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Bolstered by the experience of competing in international events in the last five-six months, Indias soft tennis stars Jay Meena and Aadhya Tiwari are aiming to clinch an elusive medal at the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya. The dynamic duo, who have a world championship medal and multiple Asian championship medals in mixed doubles, are leading a six-member soft tennis squad in Japan. Jay is competing in mens singles, mens team and mixed doubles

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office bearers have been authorised to take a call on all things related to the mens selection committees and offered no clarity on the future of chief selector Ajit Agarkar during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Friday. The development comes amid rising uncertainty over Agarkars position as the chairman of the senior mens selection committee. Agarkars contract runs till October 2026 and its yet to be

Digital Desk | Nisshin, Sep 18 (IANS) Asia Cup 2026 runners-up Sri Lanka made light work of minnows Malaysia in the third quarterfinal of the Women's Asian Games 2026 cricket competition to march into the semifinals of the event on Friday. The Sri Lankan side put up a strong 160/4 batting first before restricting the Malaysian side to a labouring 74/7 in 20 overs to register an impressive 86-run win at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Captain Chamari Athapaththu starred with both bat and ball.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley hailed the successful conduct of 'The Friendship Cup' between India and Afghanistan in the national capital by lauding the massive turnout of fans and describing the series as a testament to cricket's role in strengthening ties between the two nations. India clinched a 3-0 series win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, which was Afghanistan's home venue for a week. India got twin seven-wicket v

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) India head coach Gautam Gambhir called the decision to leave Sanju Samson out of the England series probably the toughest of his coaching tenure while making it absolutely clear that teenaged batting star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would have to wait his turn to play. Over the last one week, fans thronging the Arun Jaitley Stadium strongly hoped to see Sooryavanshi play and bring out his fireworks in India colours on Indian soil for the first time. But his arden

Digital Desk | Tokyo, Sep 17 (IANS) With cricket set for a return to the Asian Games and the sport preparing for its Olympic comeback at Los Angeles 2028, Delhi Capitals have taken their grassroots outreach to Japan by partnering with The British School in Tokyo (BST). The IPL franchise has partnered with the school to introduce more young students in Japan to cricket, with support from the Japan Cricket Association (JCA). The partnership comes just days before a historic week for India-Japan cr

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Former India captain and batting stalwart Virat Kohli joined several prominent personalities in extending birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, as the iconic leader turned 76. Kohli took to social media to convey his wishes, keeping his message short while wishing PM Modi good health, happiness and a fulfilling life. Warm birthday wishes to Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. Wishing you good health, happiness, and a

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Australia's senior batter Marnus Labuschagne has been named captain of the Queensland side in the One-Day Cup following his removal from the ODI squad for the African tour. Labuschagne was dropped from the ODI squad for the Zimbabwe and South Africa ODI series but kept his place for the Test series against the Proteas later, despite the slump in his form. He will be leading the team for their clash against Victoria on Saturday and for the New South Wales g

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf is looking to make his Test cricket return as he wants to put his name forward for the red-ball series against Sri Lanka, which will take place in November this year. Rauf reinstated his interest in Test cricket following his five-wicket haul for Pakistan Television (PTV) against Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the President's Trophy as his 5-34 forced the opposition to follow-on. There's always a purpose th

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Gujarat Titans on Thursday marked Prime Minister Narendra Modis 76th birthday by sharing a video from the IPL franchises visit to Vadnagar last year, taking a look back at a trip that connected the team with the town where the Prime Minister was born. The Titans shared glimpses of their visit to Vadnagar on social media, highlighting the towns history and its connection with PM Modi.In the video, the IPL franchise looked back at its 2025 visit to the Gujar

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Nitish Kumar Reddys return from injury received a timely boost in Indias second T20I against Afghanistan, with the all-rounder producing a match-winning bowling performance with a three-wicket haul. After an underwhelming outing in the series opener, Nitish said the confidence gained from his second-game performance was exactly what he needed as he continues his comeback. Feels great, you know, every player needs the confidence when theyre coming from inju

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt has put herself alongside Smriti Mandhana at the summit of the century chart of womens international cricket, producing a record-breaking 126 not out to power the Proteas women to an unassailable 3-0 series lead over Zimbabwe. The Proteas skippers extraordinary innings in the third T20I was her fourth hundred in the format and the 18th century of her international career, taking her level with Indias Mandhana for the m

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Sree Charani has accomplished a significant achievement as she became the first Indian bowler to cross the 800-rating mark in the ICC T20I rankings following the latest update on Tuesday. This follows a stellar performance for the left-arm spinner in the Asia Cup 2026 final, where she scalped 4-20 in the title decider against Sri Lanka to cap off a strong tournament, as she ended with 12 wickets. Charani's performances have made her breach the 800-mark rat

Digital Desk | Cuttack, Sep 15 (IANS) With less than a week to go for the start of the Odisha T20 League CM Trophy, excitement is building across the state as teams prepare for the new edition of the tournament. Six franchises, Bhubaneswar Tigers, Puri Titans, Keonjhar Miners, Rourkela Superstars, Sambalpur Warriors and Kataka Panthers, will compete for the title in the tournament scheduled to begin on September 20 and run until September 29 at the iconic Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Speaking a

Digital Desk | Melbourne, Sep 15 (IANS) South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has withdrawn from the upcoming Womens Big Bash League (WBBL) season to focus on international duties, leaving Melbourne Stars without one of their key overseas players for WBBL 12. Kapp, who joined the Stars on a three-year contract ahead of WBBL 10, has decided against playing the final year of her deal as she shofted her focus on the South African schedule, which begins with a Test match against India on December

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins feels that Australia might have to face a little bit of hostility when the Aussies head to South Africa for their first Test tour since the infamous Sandpaper gate incident in 2018. The Aussies will now be touring South Africa for three ODIs and as many Tests. While they have previously played white-ball cricket in South Africa, this is their first red-ball series since that 2018 incident. While Australia are curr

Digital Desk | Amaravati, Sep 14 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu congratulated Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara on his historic gold medal victory at the Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico. Dhiraj scripted history by becoming the first Indian male recurve archer to win gold at the prestigious World Cup Final, defeating Japans Nakanishi Junya in a thrilling shoot-off. The Governor said Dhiraj's remarkable achievement is a proud momen

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) India wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is against Afghanistan, to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, after suffering a fresh injury. The recent setback also leaves in doubt Chakaravarthys availability for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan. Chakaravarthy, 35, picked up the latest injury during Indias seven-wicket victory in the series opener on Sunday, where he picked up 1-16 in his four overs. Yes, Varun is r

Digital Desk | Southampton, Sep 14 (IANS) Englands white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum welcomed Kevin Pietersens arrival as a mentor in the setup, adding that the former captains past criticisms of the team would bring valuable perspective to a side enforcing stricter off-field standards. Pietersen has joined the limited-overs coaching setup ahead of England's series against Sri Lanka and brings high-profile international experience to a team recalibrating its disciplinary expectations follow

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan said that calmness and some amount of teamwork are the key to adapting to switching formats in international cricket. In Indias seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the T20I series opener at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kishan hit 42 while sharing a 121-run stand with Abhishek Sharma, who hit a sensational 82, to chase down 157. As a professional, I think when it changes, we just have to adapt as soon as possible. We nee

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) India's star opener Shafali Verma spoke on her change in approach for big games after having recently powered India to an eighth title in the Women's Asia Cup with a win over Sri Lanka in the final. Shafali made 68 from 39 balls to set things with the bat, along with Smriti Mandhana as the two put up 129 runs for the opening wicket as India won by 72 runs later while defending 183. Shafali and Mandhana sat down with each other to reflect on their performan

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) England have named their Playing XI for the first of the three T20Is against Sri Lanka at home, as Aneurin Donald is all set to make his debut. Donald, the 29-year-old Derbyshire wicketkeeper-batter, will be opening the innings along with Jos Buttler as Phil Salt is out due to a quadriceps injury. Donald is an aggressive player who tied Ravi Shastri's record for the fastest double century in first-class cricket in July 2017 for Glamorgan when he was 19 yea

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Delhi Capitals have stepped up their preparations for the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL) season through a short camp and trials in the national capital. Sources have told IANS that the camps proceedings were taken care of by ex-India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra. Sri Lankas former pacer Chaminda Vaas, who played for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2008 to 2010, also joined and m

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Australia pacer Nathan Ellis sees the six ODIs against Zimbabwe and South Africa this month as a crucial opportunity to stake his claim for the 2027 ICC Mens Cricket World Cup squad, with the 31-year-old using the upcoming assignments in southern Africa to sharpen his game and help Australia understand conditions they could encounter during next years title defence. Australia begin their three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in Harare on Tuesday before t

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) An age-old adage in cricket says that a successful and fearsome outfit features good bowlers who hunt in pairs. On Sunday, as India kicked off their T20I series in front of a buzzing Arun Jaitley Stadium as the visitors, that line played out to perfection. In what was also Indias first T20I game in India since the T20 World Cup win in March, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy made successful returns from injury-enforced layoffs, and were well-supported

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Designated as 'hosts' for the three-game T20I series, Afghanistan still found themselves firmly in foreign territory when they crumbled against the might of a near full-strength India. Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus admitted that his side erred in execution and committed fundamental errors too. The Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday swerved almost entirely to Indias beats as the Shreyas Iyer-led side sauntered to a clinical seven-wicket win. Barring a mo

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Monday lauded the Indian women's cricket team for their Asia Cup win, stating that the players are a source of great inspiration for India's youth, while adding that they have made the country proud. India won the Women's Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the 2026 Asia Cup final on Sunday. In a post on X, President Murmu said, My heartiest congratulations to all the members of Team In

Digital Desk | Dubai, Sep 14 (IANS) The Indian women's team opted not to take the Asia Cup 2026 trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi after winning the continental showpiece for the record-extending eighth time, following their 72-run win against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, the Indian women's team did not turn up to receive their trophy from Naqvi, who is also the Federal Minister for Interior in Pakistan. On the sidelines, BCCI secretary Dev

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Indias record-extending eighth Womens Asia Cup title drew a celebratory response from former Union Minister Smriti Irani, who hailed the Indian womens cricket team after its emphatic 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. India delivered a commanding all-round performance to reclaim the continental crown, overcoming Sri Lanka in the summit clash after losing to the same opposition in the 2024 final.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley on Sunday lauded the passionate local crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, stating that a 28,000-plus turnout created a fantastic atmosphere for the first T20I between India and Afghanistan. Shreyas Iyer-led India registered a dominant seven-wicket victory in the series in front of a packed stadium, with Afghanistan playing as the designated hosts on neutral ground in the national capital. I

Digital Desk | Dubai, Sep 13 (IANS) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur heaped praise on her team after winning the eighth Women's Asia Cup title by beating Sri Lanka in the 2026 final by 72 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Kaur called her team a great one and emphasised that they played to their standards to lift the continental showpiece yet again. We feel this way because we know how much potential we have, and we have a great team. I think we played to our standards beca

Digital Desk | Dubai, Sep 13 (IANS) India all-rounder Deepti Sharma heaped praise on the record 129-run stand between openers Shafali Verma and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana for providing the platform for the Women in Blue to post a strong total of 183/5 in the Asia Cup 2026 final against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Deepti highlighted that the Indian team had hoped to get to 180-190, as the pitch in Dubai was better to bat on in the final. We were looking for 1

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) Seam-bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai mounted a sensational late counter-attack by hitting 64 not out to propel Afghanistan to a respectable 156/8 after the hosts suffered an early batting collapse against India in the first T20I here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate impact on his return to international action after India elected to bowl by removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the opening over. Ibrahim Zad

Digital Desk | Dubai, Sep 13 (IANS) India star batter Shafali Verma on Sunday smashed the fastest half-century in the history of the Women's Asia Cup as she completed her fifty off just 24 balls in the 2026 final against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Shafali turned on her beast mode after India opted to bat first in the title clash. The young opening batter, along with Smriti Mandhana, provided another strong start to the Women in Blue in the final. While Shafali took fou

Digital Desk | Japan, Sep 13 (IANS) Sukant Kadam reached the milestone he once turned into a personal promise at the Japan Para Badminton International on Sunday, winning two silver medals to complete a career tally of 100, but the World No. 2 SL4 player was already looking beyond the landmark towards the Asian Games. The 31-year-old Indian added the milestone medals in Japan in contrasting fashion. He finished runner-up in the mens singles SL4 after losing 21-8, 21-16 to Frances Lucas Mazur, be

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) Indias seam-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube said Afghanistan, their opponents in the three-game T20I series getting underway at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, are a very good side who are capable of pushing the hosts hard. Its the first time Afghanistan are hosting India in a T20I series, though it's happening in Indias national capital. They are a very good side. Its going to be a very good three-match series. Every match would be a challenge for us, I think,