Cricket

BCB to investigate corruption allegations against board director Mokhlesur Rahman

The allegations centre around this season's Bangladesh Premier League

2nd T20I: 'Surya's Innings Showed Maturity And Awareness,' Says Gavaskar After India Take 2-0 Lead

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International: Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar hailed captain Suryakumar Yadav's mature knock, which helped India secure a hefty victory against New Zealand in the second T20I that was played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Friday. The Former India captain also believes that Suryakumar's return to form has given the Men in Blue a big boost ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which commences on February 7. India comfortably chased down the 209-run target, securing a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, thanks to a crucial 122-run partnership between the skipper and keeper-batter Ishan Kishan. Gavaskar highlighted Suryakumars awareness and maturity in managing his innings, reflecting on his pacing. Suryas innings showed that he was aware of the situation. At one stage, he was 11 off 11 balls while Ishan was scoring freely. That shows the skippers maturity; he allowed the in-form batter to take charge while he got his eyes in and rotated the strike, he told JioStar. After Ishan got out, Surya took the initiative and started hitting. Driving through the offside was a big plus because it showed he was looking to play straight. Eighty-plus not out was a fabulous innings and a big, big boost for India before the T20 World Cup, he added. Gavaskar highlighted Suryakumars awareness and maturity in managing his innings, reflecting on his pacing. Suryas innings showed that he was aware of the situation. At one stage, he was 11 off 11 balls while Ishan was scoring freely. That shows the skippers maturity; he allowed the in-form batter to take charge while he got his eyes in and rotated the strike, he told JioStar. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Ishan and Surya have played for the Mumbai Indians together, so they know each others game. When you travel and play together for more than two months, you develop a kinship. Ishan is a fun-loving guy and extremely popular in the dressing room. Its great to see the team spirit because thats what you want in tough situations, Gavaskar noted. Article Source: IANS

Australian Open 2026: Jannik Sinner battles cramp, heat to reach fourth round

The Italian limped over to his players' box in desperation midway through the match and was told by coach Darren Cahill to walk through the rest of the third set if necessary to get to a break

Pratika Rawal and Vaishnavi Sharma get India Test call-ups for Australia tour

Fifteen-member squad led by Harmanpreet has five players in line to make their debuts

Amanjot, Pratika Earn Maiden Test Call For Aus Tour, Radha Yadav To Lead India A In Rising Stars Asia Cup

ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the womens squad for the one-off Test against Australia, with several new faces joining the Indian red-ball setup, as well as the India A squad for the upcoming ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup. There are plenty of new inclusions in the Test squad as compared to the side that last faced Australia almost two years ago in Mumbai, in December 2023. All-rounder Amanjot Kaur and ODI opener Pratika Rawal have earned a maiden call-up among the batters, while Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Sayali Satghare are the latest entrants among bowlers in the Test setup. The Women's Selection Committee has picked India's squad for the Perth Test against Australia Women to be played after the white-ball series. The Test will take place at the WACA from 6th to 9th March, 2026, the BCCI said in a statement. The board also announced that wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini will be unavailable for India's white-ball squads during the Australia tour owing to an injury concern. Uma Chetry has been named as her replacement for the T20Is and ODIs. Notably, Kamalini was recently ruled out of the Mumbai Indians Womens Premier League (WPL) campaign, with Vaishnavi replacing her and also making her debut thereon. The selection committee has also chosen a strong India 'A' squad for the Rising Star Women's Asia Cup, to be played in Thailand in a T20 format. While Radha Yadav will lead the side in the tournament, Deeya Yadav and wicketkeeper Mamta Ms participation will be subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE). Notably, Kamalini was recently ruled out of the Mumbai Indians Womens Premier League (WPL) campaign, with Vaishnavi replacing her and also making her debut thereon. Also Read: Live Cricket Score India A squad for ACC Rising Star Asia Cup Team: Humairaa Kaazi, Vrinda Dinesh, Anushka Sharma, Deeya Yadav*, Tejal Hasabnis, Nandani Kashyap (wk), Mamta M (wk)*, Radha Yadav (c), Sonia Mendhiya, Minnu Mani, Tanuja Kanwer, Prema Rawat, Saima Thakor, Jintamani Kalita, Nandani Sharma. Article Source: IANS

U19 World Cup: Match Officials For Super Six Stage In Namibia Announced

U19 World Cup: The ICC has announced the list of umpires and referees for the Super Six stage of the U19 Mens Cricket World Cup 2026, set to take place in Namibia. Faisal Afridi and Nitin Bathi will serve as on-field umpires for the highly anticipated match between Australia and South Africa at Namibia Cricket Ground. Cory Black will be the TV Umpire, while Forster Mutizwa will act as the Fourth Umpire. Afridi has previously umpired South Africas loss to Afghanistan in the group stage, and Bathi was the umpire for their win over Tanzania. On January 25, the West Indies will face Ireland, with Shaun Haig and Iknow Chabi as the on-field umpires. Graham Lloyd will take on the role of TV Umpire, while Virender Sharma will serve as the Fourth Umpire. This will be Haig's third match involving the West Indies, having already officiated their group-stage games against Afghanistan and South Africa. On the following day, Afghanistan will meet Sri Lanka, with Cory Black and Forster Mutizwa once again on the field. Haig will be the TV Umpire, and Chabi will act as Fourth Umpire. Additionally, Black and Mutizwa will also officiate the 13th-16th place play-off between Japan and Tanzania at the High Performance Oval. The match officials for the Super Six fixtures in Zimbabwe will be announced once the matchups are finalised. Japan v Tanzania on January 24 at High Performance Oval, Windhoek On-field: Cory Black and Forster Mutizwa TV: Graham Lloyd Fourth: Deighton Butler Referee: Prakash Bhatt Australia v South Africa on January 25 at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek On-field: Faisal Afridi and Nitin Bathi TV: Cory Black Fourth: Forster Mutizwa Referee: Prakash Bhatt West Indies v Ireland on January 25 at High Performance Oval, Windhoek On-field: Shaun Haig and Iknow Chabi TV: Graham Lloyd Fourth: Virender Sharma Referee: Neeyamur Rahul Afghanistan v Sri Lanka on January 26 at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek On-field: Cory Black and Forster Mutizwa TV: Shaun Haig On-field: Cory Black and Forster Mutizwa Also Read: Live Cricket Score Referee: Neeyamur Rahul Article Source: IANS

Australian Open 2026: Players, fans brace for extreme heat

Play started an hour earlier to take advantage of the relative cool of the morning but conditions were already stifling

Australian Open 2026: Madison Keys revels in Melbourne heat as Novak Djokovic steps up history bid

Players, fans and tournament organisers are braced for highs of 40C in the late afternoon, which could see play suspended

Nepal Skipper Rohit Paudel Eyes New Summit With 'Nothing To Lose' At T20 World Cup

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel says his side have nothing to lose in next month's T20 World Cup as they target more famous upsets and a place in the tournament's Super Eight second phase. The Himalayan nation stunned the two-time T20 World Cup winners West Indies last year for their first series win over a Test-playing side in the shortest format. It gave them huge belief ahead of the 20-team event starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka that they can repeat the feat and take down one of the cricketing powers. Nepal will face the West Indies again in Group C alongside another two-time champion, England, and debutants Italy. Bangladesh, who are refusing to play in India, were also drawn in the group, but look likely to be kicked out and replaced by Scotland. Paudel and his team are currently in Colombo, practising ahead of their opener against England on February 8 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. As a team, we have everything to gain from here, Paudel, who at 23 is the youngest captain at the event, told AFP. Nothing to lose, and we can play freely. We will try to showcase our skills in front of the world. The 17th-ranked Nepal will not have any group matches in Sri Lanka. But it is a sign of their confidence that they opted to train in Colombo as preparations for the subsequent Super Eight round, where they would play in Sri Lanka if they qualify as one of the top two in the group. Realistically, I think beating a Test-playing country would be a great opportunity for all of us, Paudel said Reaching the Super Eight would be another one, so we are eyeing that spot. But the first aim is to play the best brand of cricket we know. And we will try to do that. - Small nation, big dream - Cricket does not enjoy the same adulation in Nepal as it does in neighbouring South Asian nations where the game dominates popular culture. But interest has surged over the past decade. Nepal made their T20 World Cup debut in 2014 and returned in 2024, pushing South Africa and Bangladesh close in narrow defeats. The International Cricket Council granted Nepal one-day international status in 2018, a milestone that helped accelerate investment and fan interest. Domestic competitions such as the Nepal Premier League have drawn growing crowds and commercial backing, further widening the talent pipeline. Team manager Prabal Gautam said training in the Sri Lankan capital was to help players adapt from the cool Himalayan climate to the heat and humidity further south. Players initially struggled with temperatures above 30C in Colombo, he said, but were gradually acclimatising. This is the first step of practice matches before the World Cup, just to cope with the weather and to play quality cricket, Gautam told AFP. The squad plan further sessions in Mumbai before their group matches tournament and fancy their chances of going further. Being a small nation, being a small cricketing team, we also have a dream of winning the World Cup, Gautam said, adding dreams can come true. First we had a dream of playing in a World Cup. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Now this is our third time at a World Cup.

Hurricanes left to ponder what could have been

The defeat to Brisbane Heat knocked the stuffing out of the defending champion's title defence

All-round Coles, Muthusamy put Sunrisers Eastern Cape in fourth SA20 final

SEC's spinners took combined figures of 10-1-47-4 to set up win against Paarl Royals in Qualifier 2

Suryakumar on Kishan's counterattack: 'This is what we want from batters'

India's captain was full of praise for Kishan, who led India's revival from 6 for 2 with an audacious 32-ball 76

2nd T20I: Runs In Domestic Circuit Helped Me Score Here As Well, Says Ishan Kishan After Helping India Win

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: After playing a match-winning knock of 76 in 32 deliveries, Player of the Match Ishan Kishan underlined how scoring runs in domestic cricket helped answer his own doubts, rebuild confidence, and carry momentum into the international arena in the second T20I against New Zealand in Raipur on Friday. India successfully chased down the target of 209 with seven wickets and with 28 balls remaining to record the second-highest successful chase in the hosts' T20I history. The emphatic finish was also the biggest win by balls remaining for a full member nation while chasing a target of over 200. It surpassed Pakistans 24-ball victory against New Zealand in Auckland in 2025 and Australias 23-ball win over West Indies in Basseterre that same year. He explained that chasing a big total required calm decision-making, stressing the importance of watching the ball closely, avoiding unnecessary risks, and making the most of the powerplay. I was focusing more on what I need to do and be in a good headspace for this game. Sometimes, you are batting well, and you just have to be in a good headspace. You just try to look at the ball and play good shots. We were looking to not take any risks, not go cross-batted. When you are chasing 200-plus, you need runs in the powerplay as well, Kishan said after the match. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav put up 122 runs in a mere 48 balls for the third wicket, suddenly turning what had looked like a tough chase into an easy stroll. Kishan inflicted the majority of the damage with his aggression early on and had 76 from 32 balls - including a 21-ball fifty - when he got out mis-hitting Ish Sodhi for a catch off his own bowling. By that time, damage had already been done. Depends on how you are batting. I felt good in the middle. I backed myself and had a feeling that if I connected with good shots, I would make it happen for the team. The blistering knock of 76 comes on the heels of a good domestic season in 2025. During the SMAT campaign, Kishan topped the charts with 517 runs and played a decisive role in the final against Haryana, where he struck a blistering century. His hundred came off just 45 balls, making him only the second player to score a ton in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final and registering as the third-fastest century in a mens T20 final. With five centuries in the tournament, he now shares the record for most hundreds in SMAT history with Abhishek Sharma. He also scored the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in List A cricket, falling just one ball short of the national record set earlier the same day by Bihar skipper Sakibul Gani, who reached the milestone in 32 deliveries against Arunachal Pradesh. I don't know about that. Yeah, I was just looking to score runs. Sometimes, it is important to do it for yourself. So you can answer your questions about how you are batting. If you are capable of playing for India, that's why it was very important for me to score runs in domestic cricket. Good part is we won the trophy as well. Batting here, taking the same confidence. So it was a pretty good day for me as well. He also scored the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in List A cricket, falling just one ball short of the national record set earlier the same day by Bihar skipper Sakibul Gani, who reached the milestone in 32 deliveries against Arunachal Pradesh. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Nothing, I just asked myself one question. Can I do it again or not? I had a clear answer in my head. I feel I can bat throughout the innings and play good shots. I just needed to run somewhere to answer my questions. I was just looking to get runs, and even if I get out, I was looking to play well. Article Source: IANS

2nd T20I: 'Never Saw Anyone Hit The Ball Like He Did,' Says Suryakumar Yadav On Ishan Kishan's Fiery 76

T20 World Cup: Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said the hosts want their batters to play with freedom and express themselves, hailing Ishan Kishans fearless strokeplay as a reflection of the teams mindset after India beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the second T20I in Raipur on Friday. Despite having a little help from the dew, India's chase of 209 started out shakily. Sanju Samson went out for 6, Abhishek Sharma made a golden duck, and all of a sudden, the hosts were down to 6 for 2. However, what followed was a mind-blowing counterattack. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav put up 122 runs in a mere 48 balls for the third wicket, suddenly turning what had looked like a tough chase into an easy stroll. Kishan inflicted the majority of the damage with his aggression early on and had 76 from 32 balls - including a 21-ball fifty - when he got out mis-hitting Ish Sodhi for a catch off his own bowling. By that time, damage had already been done. Suryakumar finished with an impressive 82 from only 37 balls, reemphasising his class and importance to the team, only weeks leading into a home T20 World Cup. I didn't know what Ishan had for lunch. Never saw anyone hit the ball like he did. This is what we want from the batters to go out there and express themselves, be happy. I was angry he didn't give me a strike in the Power-play. But I knew that we had time and could cover up. I was batting really well in the nets, I got some good time with family and friends, and I am enjoying what's happening right now, Suryakumar Yadav said after the match. The emphatic finish was also the biggest win by balls remaining for a full member nation while chasing a target of over 200. It surpassed Pakistans 24-ball victory against New Zealand in Auckland in 2025 and Australias 23-ball win over West Indies in Basseterre that same year. Indias bowling struggled during this match. Arshdeep Singh had a particularly tough evening, giving away 53 runs without taking a wicket. Hardik Pandya was more economical, finishing with 1 for 25 from three overs. Harshit Rana, despite having a wicket maiden, ended with 1 for 35 from three overs. The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy bowled a combined eight overs, taking three wickets while conceding 70 runs. Shivam Dube also contributed with one wicket. The emphatic finish was also the biggest win by balls remaining for a full member nation while chasing a target of over 200. It surpassed Pakistans 24-ball victory against New Zealand in Auckland in 2025 and Australias 23-ball win over West Indies in Basseterre that same year. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Suryakumar also highlighted the positive, relaxed atmosphere in the camp, stressing that India is committed to playing their brand of cricket while giving 100 per cent in every aspect. I am really enjoying. The mood in the camp is happy. We want to play the same brand of cricket and leave no stone unturned. Article Source: IANS

Teen skaters Aarush Tiwari from Delhi, Hiya Adlakha from Haryana shine at Khelo India Winter Games in Leh

Fourteen-year-old figure skaters Aarush Tiwari of Delhi and Hiya Adlakha of Haryana have emerged as promising talents at the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 in Leh, winning medals in the novice categories.

Kishan and Suryakumar lay down marker in astonishing chase

From 6 for 2 in a chase of 209, India romped home with 28 balls to spare

Ownership Of Pakistan Super Leagues Lahore Franchise Changes Due To Alleged Corruption

Pakistan Super League: In a dramatic turn of events, the ownership of the most popular and successful franchise of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been restored to its original founder-owner after his two brothers were found to have illegally taken shares from the elder brother, a news report said on Friday. Lahore Qalandars have won the title thrice in the PSL that started in 2016 and finished runner-up once. They were embroiled in controversy because of a dispute between the brothers over the ownership of the popular and successful franchise. The original owner, Fawad Rana, was the one who bought the franchise and made it popular through his endearing demeanours highlighted by his dance in jubilation and show of remorse in defeats. But Fawad was usurped by his two younger brothers Sameen and Atif through illegal transfer of shares, sources told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net). According to the report, an arbitration tribunal headed by retired Justice Maqbool Baqer ruled against the current management of Kausar Rana Resources (Pvt) Limited (KRR), the parent company of the Lahore Qalandars. The tribunal found that the transfer of majority shares from Qatar Lubricants Company (Qalco) to brothers Atif and Sameen was legally void and lacked valid authorisation, the report said. The tribunal ordered the respondents to either pay Qalco Rs 2.96 billion plus markup or immediately restore Qalcos 51 per cent majority shareholding in the company. The report said that the tribunal ordered that within 45 days, the younger Rana brothers must pay Qalco Rs2.296bn with markup dating back to June 2020, or return the 51pc shareholding. The tribunal found that the transfer of majority shares from Qatar Lubricants Company (Qalco) to brothers Atif and Sameen was legally void and lacked valid authorisation, the report said. The tribunal ordered the respondents to either pay Qalco Rs 2.96 billion plus markup or immediately restore Qalcos 51 per cent majority shareholding in the company. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The decision is seen as a major setback to the Lahore franchise, which finished last in the first three editions. They then won three titles in four years, the last two back-to-back events in 2022 and 2023, and then regained the title last season. Article Source: IANS

Tanzid ton, Fernando four-for power Rajshahi Warriors to BPL title

Chattogram's chase never really took off, as they crumbled to 111 in the 175 chase

Capitals' Deeya Yadav and Mamatha Madiwala ruled out of WPL 2026

Allrounder Pragati Singh and seamer E Srujana were signed up as replacements

2nd T20I: Santners Unbeaten 47 Powers New Zealand To Record 208/6 Against India

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International: Skipper Mitchell Santner's late burst of unbeaten (47) and Rachin Ravindra's (44) helped New Zealand post 208/6 in 20 overs--registering their third-highest T20I total against India and the highest-ever T20 score at the venue in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, on Friday. The total also marked New Zealands third 200-plus score against India, placing it alongside 219/6 (Wellington, 2019) and 212/4 (Hamilton, 2019), and ahead of 203/5 (Auckland, 2020) and 196/2 (Rajkot, 2017). New Zealand's new opening pair of Devon Conway and Tim Seifert started scoring quickly, with their 43-run opening partnership coming off just three overs before losing the toss. Harshit Rana gave India their first breakthrough by taking the wicket of Conway (19 off 9) with a wicket-maiden over. In the next over, Varun Chakaravarthy also added his name to the list of India's first-change bowlers as he took the wicket of Seifert (24 off 13); however, this gave India a temporary reprieve in what was a high-scoring match. Rachin Ravindra led the way for New Zealand as he added 55 runs for the third wicket with Glenn Phillips (19 off 13), helping New Zealand recover after losing their first two wickets early in the match. Ravindra remained the anchor of New Zealand's innings as further wickets fell at the other end with Daryl Mitchell (18 off 11) and Mark Chapman (10 off 13) both being dismissed soon after. Ravindra's innings ended in the 13th over when he fell for 44 (off 26 balls) after a fine display, hitting two fours and four sixes. From there, Santner took charge. He timed his acceleration perfectly and dominated the final overs. He scored 47 runs off 27 balls and remained unbeaten, pushing the total well past 200. His calm yet strong finish helped New Zealand make the most of the favourable batting conditions. Indias bowling struggled during this match. Arshdeep Singh had a particularly tough evening, giving away 53 runs without taking a wicket. Hardik Pandya was more economical, finishing with 1 for 25 from three overs. Harshit Rana, despite having a wicket maiden, ended with 1 for 35 from three overs. The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy bowled a combined eight overs, taking three wickets while conceding 70 runs. Shivam Dube also contributed with one wicket. From there, Santner took charge. He timed his acceleration perfectly and dominated the final overs. He scored 47 runs off 27 balls and remained unbeaten, pushing the total well past 200. His calm yet strong finish helped New Zealand make the most of the favourable batting conditions. Also Read: Live Cricket Score New Zealand 208/6 in 20 overs (Mitchell Santner 47, Rachin Ravindra 44; Kuldeep Yadav 2-35, Hardik Pandya 1-25) against India Article Source: IANS

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals Match 15, WPL 2026, Who will win today RCB-W vs DC-W match?

RCB-W vs DC-W, Match 15, Cricket Tips :It has been a dream run for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL 2026, as they have kept their top position intact and also become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. But their next target will be to make it to the final by finishing the league stage at the top of the table. They are scheduled to take on the three-time finalist, Delhi Capitals, in the next game of the season. This contest has a scheduled start of 7:30 PM IST on Saturday at BCA Stadium. DC-W will not be an easy opponent. The way they outplayed Mumbai Indians in the previous game, Jemimah Rodrigues and her team will be high on confidence. RCB-W vs DC-W: Match Details Date : January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Time : 7:30 PM IST Venue : BCA Stadium, Vadodara RCB-W vs DC-W Live Streaming Details The WPL 2026 will be televised live on the Star Sports Networks in India. Fans can also watch the game on live stream on the Jio Hotstar app or website. RCB-W vs DC-W: Head-to-Head in WPL Total Matches : 8 Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women : 3 Delhi Capitals Women : 5 No-Result : 0 RCB-W vs DC-W: Ground Pitch Report The wicket is pretty flat, and bowlers have very little help from the wicket. The fast bowlers can get some swing when the ball is new, and spinners can grip the ball when they ball slow. For bowlers, the use of slower ones and cutters will be more useful. The chasing team will benefit from this wicket. RCB-W vs DC-W: Possible XIs Royal Challengers Bengaluru : Smriti Mandhana (c), Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Richa Ghosh (wk), Gautami Naik, Prema Rawat, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell Delhi Capitals : Laura Wolvaardt, Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Niki Prasad, Lucy Hamilton, Deeya Yadav, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma RCB-W vs DC-W: Player to Watch Out For Probable Best Batter Smriti Mandhana scored 96 off 61 last time when these two teams met. She will be looking for something similar here. For DC-W, the form of Lizelle Lee will be key. She scores quickly. Probable Best Bowler Lauren Bell has become the go-to bowler for RCB-W, and she has taken the challenge and performed well. For DC-W, Nadani Sharma has been pretty good and has taken most wickets for her team. Today Match Prediction : Both teams have a good combination but RCB-W are in good form and their bowling unit is the reason, we predict them to beat DC-W on Saturday. RCB-W vs DC-W Match 15, WPL 2026, Today Match RCB-W vs DC-W, RCB-W vs DC-W Prediction, RCB-W vs DC-W Predicted XIs, Injury Update for RCB-W vs DC-W Match Also Read: Live Cricket Score Disclaimer : The prediction or cricket tips are purely based on the understanding and research of the writer. So kindly make sure to consider the points above while making your predictions.

WPL 2026: Delhi Capitals Announce Replacements For Deeya Yadav, Mamatha Madiwala

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Delhi Capitals on Friday announced Pragati Singh and E Srujana as replacements for injured players Deeya Yadav and Mamatha Madiwala for the remainder of the Womens Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. Pragati Singh and E. Srujana have been signed as their respective replacements for a base price of Rs 10 lakh. Delhi Capitals (DC) picked Pragati Singh and Eddla Srujana as replacements for Deeya Yadav and Mamatha Madiwala for the remainder of the TATA Womens Premier League (WPL) 2026, WPL announced on Friday. Pragati Singh is an all-rounder who has represented Punjab Women, India 'B' Women Under-19, and India 'E' Women teams so far in her career. Srujana has been part of the Delhi Capitals setup as a net bowler and has now been signed as a replacement player for the remainder of WPL 2026. The 16-year-old Deeya Yadav made her Women's Premier League (WPL) debut against the Mumbai Indians in Vadodara, becoming the youngest player to feature in WPL 2026. Delhi Capitals have a crucial match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL on Saturday in Vadodara. Delhi, currently in fourth place with two wins out of five matches, need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. RCB, in contrast, enter the match in strong form. They have won all five of their matches and comfortably sit at the top of the standings, already securing a playoff spot. The 16-year-old Deeya Yadav made her Women's Premier League (WPL) debut against the Mumbai Indians in Vadodara, becoming the youngest player to feature in WPL 2026. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Delhi Capitals squad: Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Shafali Verma, Marzianne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Chinelle Henry, Shree Charani, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Pragati Singh, E. Srujana, Taniyaa Bhatia, Nandni Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani, Alana King. Article Source: IANS

Luke Mudgway Romps To Glory As Pune Grand Tour 2026 Ends With Spectacular City Finale

Li Ning Star: Luke Mudgway romped home to the title in a start-to-finish cruise to help his team top the general classificationas the Pune Grand Tour 2026 concluded on Sunday with a fitting finale, as the Pune Pride Loop delivered colour, crowds, and closure to a week that has reshaped Indias place on the global cycling map. Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team finished the week as Indias Leading Performer, earning the Blue Jersey. Stage Four traced a 95-kilometre circuit through the heart of the city, rising 578 metres and weaving past Punes modern arteries and historic icons, including Shaniwar Wada, before this race reached its conclusion. When the dust settled after 437 gruelling kilometres, Li Ning Star, China, stood atop the team General Classification with a combined time of 28:41:19. Anchored by the imperious form of Luke Mudgway, the Chinese outfit delivered a masterclass in consistency and control across all four stages. Spanish powerhouse Burgos Burpellet BH, the only Pro-team in the inaugural Pune Grand Tour, claimed second place at 28:42:09, while Terengganu Cycling Team, Thailand, rounded out the podium with 28:48:19, underlining the truly international depth of the field. At the centre of it all was 29-year-old Mudgway from New Zealand, who emerged as the undisputed champion of the inaugural edition. Competing against 164 elite riders from 28 teams representing 35 countries across five continents, he finished with an overall time of 09:33:04 for the Stage 4 race today. His closest challenger, Alan Carter Bettles of Roojai Insurance Winspeed, Thailand, trailed by just 14 seconds, while Yorben Lauryssen of TartelettoIsorex, Belgium, finished third at 33 seconds behind. Mudgways victories on Stage 1 and Stage 2 proved decisive. By establishing a buffer early, he forced rivals into a chasing role that became increasingly difficult to sustain as the race unfolded. Mudgway retained the Yellow Jersey from the moment he claimed it on the opening day at the MulshiMaval Miles and never relinquished it. His consistency in the sprints also earned him the Green Jersey as the races most prolific points scorer, capping a week in which he combined resilience and tactical awareness. However, reflecting on his triumph, Mudgway credited collective effort over individual brilliance, I have a really good team. They looked after me from start to finish. As you saw over the last two days, we had two other riders win. So, we've won with three different riders and, yeah, a lot of hard work, a lot of teamwork, a lot of training, a lot of hours, everything to get the win today. So, yeah, this one's for my team, Mudgway said. Mudgway was particularly impressed with the Pune crowd and added, Today was amazing, actually. I've never seen crowds like this before. There were so many people the whole way around the course. It was amazing, and it was fantastic to race in front of everybody. I hope everyone enjoyed the racing and, yeah, I'd love to come back next year. On the road, honours on Stage 4 went to Aliaksei Shnyrko of Li Ning Star, who powered to victory on the city circuit. His teammate Cameron Nicholas Scott followed closely in second, while Dylan Hopkins of Roojai Insurance Winspeed claimed third. With the General Classification effectively settled after Stage Three, the result had little impact on the final standings, but it underlined Li Ning Stars dominance and provided a celebratory end to the week. Elsewhere, the remaining jerseys found their owners. Clement Alleno of Burgos Burpellet BH secured the Polka Dot jersey as King of the Mountains after amassing 15 points, ahead of Stefan Benetton of EuroCyclingTrips CCN, Guam, and Cristian Railaenu of Li Ning Star. The Orange Jersey for Best Asian Rider remained with Jambaljamts Sainbayar, of Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain, one of the standout performers of the tour, while Dutch talent Tijssen Viego of Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam, Netherlands, again claimed the White Jersey as the Best Young Rider U23. Indias Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team finished the week as Indias Leading Performer, earning the Blue Jersey. Amina Lanaya, Director General of the Union Cycliste Internationale, said: I have goosebumps at this level and trust me, wow, such emotions and India can be proud, really. I think, you know, the bar has been raised very high, and India, you know, just after the first edition, has proven that it can deliver the best-class event. So, Im really, really looking forward to working together with the local authorities, the National Federation, to make cycling grow even higher. Everybody was happy, you know, only smiling faces along the roads. And I think that cycling is a new sport in the minds of Indian people. I would like cycling to go big like cricket, for example, take in the hearts of the Indians. And that's our goal, that's what we want to achieve because we have the right fans at the right place. She adds Amina Lanaya, Director General of the Union Cycliste Internationale, said: I have goosebumps at this level and trust me, wow, such emotions and India can be proud, really. I think, you know, the bar has been raised very high, and India, you know, just after the first edition, has proven that it can deliver the best-class event. So, Im really, really looking forward to working together with the local authorities, the National Federation, to make cycling grow even higher. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Over five demanding days, India showcased its ability to host elite, multi-stage racing at the highest level. And as Mudgway rolled into history wearing Yellow, the message from Pune was unmistakable: this was not just the end of a race, but the beginning of a new era. Article Source: IANS

Sri Lanka vs England, 2nd ODI- Who will win today SL vs ENG match?

SL vs ENG, 2nd ODI , Cricket Tips :Sri Lanka proved to be too good for England in the first ODI and outpowered them by 18 runs in the first ODI in Colombo. Kusal Mendis had a great knock of an unbeaten 93 runs, but he would be disappointed not to get a century. Dunith Wellalage (25* off 12 and 2/41) also played a great role to help his team win the match. For England, there were plenty of positives, but they failed with the bat in the middle. It was yet another defeat for England in an away ODI. The second ODI is slated to be played on Saturday at 2:30 PM IST at R. Premadasa Stadium. SL vs ENG: Match Details Date : January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Time : 2:30 PM IST Venue : R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo SL vs ENG: Live Streaming Details To watch the second ODI in India, fans can tune into the Sony Sports Network on cable TVs. Fans can also watch the action on the Sony LIV streaming platform. SL vs ENG: Head-to-Head in ODI Total Matches : 80 Sri Lanka : 38 England : 38 No-result/Tied : 4 SL vs ENG: Ground Pitch Report The wicket in Colombo gets slow with time, and it can be tough to adjust here as a batter. The rain is predicted for the second ODI, and it will add more for the bowling side. Hence, both teams might look to bowl first at this wicket. SL vs ENG: Possible XIs Sri Lanka : Charith Asalanka (c), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando England : Zak Crawley, Harry Brook (c), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid SL vs ENG: Player to Watch Out For Probable Best Batter Kusal Mendis showed his form in the first game and will be looking to carry it on. For England, Joe Root will be key because of his experience and form. Probable Best Bowler It is an excellent deck for the spinners. That is why Dunith Wellalage and Adil Rashid will be key for their respective teams. Today Match Prediction : Sri Lanka know these conditions, and they will look to put England under pressure. We predict Sri Lanka to win the second game. SL vs ENG Match 2nd ODI, Today Match SL vs ENG, SL vs ENG Prediction, SL vs ENG Predicted XIs, Injury Update for Sri Lanka vs England Match Also Read: Live Cricket Score Disclaimer : The prediction or cricket tips are purely based on the understanding and research of the writer. So kindly make sure to consider the points above while making your predictions.

Rejuvenated Capitals aim to dent RCB's perfect record

RCB have five wins in five games so far and are one more victory away from sealing their spot in the final

2nd T20I: Harshit, Kuldeep Come In As India Elect To Bowl; NZ Bring In Henry, Foulkes And Siefert

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International: India won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in the second T20I, here at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur. India lead the series 1-0 after winning the first match of the series in Nagpur. India have made two changes to their XI, with Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav coming in for Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel. New Zealand have rung in three alterations of their own: Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry and Tim Seifert are included, while Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke and Tim Robinson make way. India captain Suryakumar Yadav said, We will look to bowl first. Already there is a bit of dew out there; we haven't chased in a while, so I want to chase tonight. I think it looks good. The same wicket was used for the ODIs. Hopefully, lots of runs. We play every game, and we try to get better. We are not perfect. We would look to try to do the same things again; we will try to do the same in bowling, fielding, and batting. We have 2 changes. Axar is missing out because he got hit in the last game. Bumrah is resting. Harshit and Kuldeep come in. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, Would have bowled as well. The ground's already wet, and there is some dew already. Every time you play against a quality side, there is always something to learn, which we did. The way they came out with the bat, throughout the whole innings, they came out pretty hard. We know that now on the bowling side, so we gotta be a bit clearer with our plans and try and squeeze them a little bit more. We have got 3 changes. Seifert's in for Robinson. Kristian Clarke is out, Zak Foulkes is in, and Matt Henry is in for Kyle Jamieson. Playing XIs: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, Would have bowled as well. The ground's already wet, and there is some dew already. Every time you play against a quality side, there is always something to learn, which we did. The way they came out with the bat, throughout the whole innings, they came out pretty hard. We know that now on the bowling side, so we gotta be a bit clearer with our plans and try and squeeze them a little bit more. We have got 3 changes. Seifert's in for Robinson. Kristian Clarke is out, Zak Foulkes is in, and Matt Henry is in for Kyle Jamieson. Also Read: Live Cricket Score India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav Article Source: IANS

India bowl and rest Bumrah, Axar out injured

Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav came into their side

Ranji Trophy: Saurashtra Thrash Punjab Inside Two Days To Stay Alive In Knockouts Race

Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground: Saurashtra needed less than two days to secure six crucial points and stay in contention for the Ranji Trophy knockouts after thrashing Punjab by 194 runs in their Elite Group B match at the Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground C in Rajkot on Friday. On a turning pitch, Punjab lasted just 79 overs across both innings. Chasing 321 for victory, they were bundled out for 125 in 39 overs, with left-arm spinners Parth Bhut and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja taking five wickets apiece to seal the win. Earlier, resuming their second innings at 24/3, Saurashtra posted 286 all out in 58.5 overs. Prerak Mankad top-scored with a brisk 56 off 41 balls, while veteran left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja contributed 46 off 44 deliveries. Hetvik Kotak made 39 while Bhut remained unbeaten on 37. Punjabs left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar returned with figures of 5-104, completing a match haul of 11 wickets, while Jass Inder picked up three scalps. Punjabs batting faltered again in their second innings. Uday Saharan made 31, while skipper Shubman Gill managed only 14. Bhut was the wrecker-in-chief with 5-8 in 10 overs, and finished with a match haul of 10 wickets. Jadeja also bagged 5-55 to complete the rout. Bhuts all-round effort led to him being named Player of the Match. Meanwhile, at Alur Cricket Stadium, Elite Group B toppers Karnataka were left reeling at 168/8 in response to Madhya Pradeshs 323. Captain Mayank Agarwal and in-form Devdutt Padikkal were dismissed for ducks, while Karun Nair managed only 12. For MP, spinner Saransh Jain was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets. Punjabs batting faltered again in their second innings. Uday Saharan made 31, while skipper Shubman Gill managed only 14. Bhut was the wrecker-in-chief with 5-8 in 10 overs, and finished with a match haul of 10 wickets. Jadeja also bagged 5-55 to complete the rout. Bhuts all-round effort led to him being named Player of the Match. Also Read: Live Cricket Score At KCA Cricket Ground, Mangalapuram, Chandigarh tightened their grip against last years runners-up Kerala after centuries from Manan Vohra and Arjun Azad took them to 416 in 115.4 overs. Kerala, trailing by 257 runs, were 21-2 at stumps and are staring at an innings defeat. Article Source: IANS

Not A Discussion, Only A Message: Bangladesh Cricketers Left In The Dark Over World Cup Call

T20 World Cup: The claims of consultation with players over their decision not to play the T20 World Cup matches in India have fallen flat after the cricketers claimed they only got a message from government sports advisor Asif Nazrul, but there was no discussion about what to do. Asif Nazrul had claimed that he had discussed the matter with the members of the national cricket team when he met the players at a hotel in Dhaka on Thursday. The players, a news report claimed, were only told that the national team would not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and it was never meant to be a consultation, Telocom Asia Sport told in a report on Friday. It was never meant to be a consultation. That was the feeling among the players. Even the possibility of exclusion from the tournament did not alter the governments stance. Several players, speaking to Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net) on condition of anonymity, said their consent was never sought and that the decision had already been finalised before they entered the room. They made the plan directly and said its not happening. Earlier, they would sit with us and hear us out. But now, theyve already said were not going, a top cricketer said. Another player was even more blunt. It was a direct order from the government that its not happening, the player told www.telecomasia.net. According to the players, the meeting felt more like a formality than a discussion. They made up their mind and had taken the decision earlier, and later came into the meeting, one said. It is not like any decision was taken, taking our views into consideration. The report said that while the players offered their opinion, they sensed from the outset that the outcome was non-negotiable. We did give our opinion, but we understood from the beginning that they had already decided that were not going to play the World Cup in India, another added. 'Huge blow to Bangladesh cricket The report said the fallout has unsettled not just the current squad but also former players and coaches. A former national cricketer-turned-coach expressed deep concern at the direction Bangladesh cricket now finds itself heading. Look, it is a huge blow for Bangladesh cricket because cricketers are disappointed to miss the chance of playing the showpiece event, he said. He warned that the consequences could extend far beyond a single tournament. If we take the ICC vote into consideration, it suggests we dont have many friends in the ICC boardroom. After all that has happened, it will surely impact our relationships with other ICC members, and that could make things very difficult in the coming days. From the boards perspective, the situation is being framed as a matter of long-term survival rather than short-term sporting ambition. One senior board official stressed that Bangladesh cannot afford to ignore the financial realities tied to ICC participation. Our revenue is generated through ICC funding, and if the ongoing crisis has an impact on it, we will certainly face hard times, the official told Telecom Asia Sport. From the boards perspective, the situation is being framed as a matter of long-term survival rather than short-term sporting ambition. One senior board official stressed that Bangladesh cannot afford to ignore the financial realities tied to ICC participation. Also Read: Live Cricket Score With players feeling sidelined, former figures warning of isolation, and officials bracing for financial strain, Bangladesh cricket stands at a crossroads. What was labelled a meeting may ultimately be remembered as a moment when a decision was delivered, not debated. Article Source: IANS

U19 WC: Japans Kato-Stafford Reflects On unbelievable Experience Of Being In Competition

Cricket World Cup: Japan may have finished their second ICC Under-19 Mens Cricket World Cup group stage campaign without a win, but skipper Kazuma Kato-Stafford chose to reflect on an unbelievable experience of featuring in the competition, saying that its not everyday one gets to face higher-ranked nations. Though Japan lost to Ireland, Australia and Sri Lanka, they had some standout performances to take positives from. Hugo Tani-Kelly became the first Japan player to score a century at this level by making 101 not out against Sri Lanka, while Timothy Moore claimed three wickets in the same match. Against defending champions Australia, Tani-Kelly made 79 not out, while Kato-Stafford returned with figures of 2-42 from nine overs. It's not every day an Associate nation gets to come up against three full Test level nations and three of the best in the world. (It was) absolutely huge. An unbelievable experience. We've got a number of guys, I think more than half the squad, available for the next World Cup, so it's a really good experience for them, especially playing under pressure, playing against some world class players, who I have no doubt will go onto big things, Kato-Stafford was quoted as saying by ICC on Friday. He further expressed pride on how his side had handled pressure of being in a mega event. Just being able to put Japan Cricket on the world stage is just a really good honour and hopefully it's onto bigger and better things from here. We've learned how to (handle) a lot of pressure against us. A few teams got off to really good starts against us, so being able to bounce back from that, being able to use our different options. Normally we've been reliant on a few bowlers through the middle (but) this time around we've been able to rely on a few other guys. He further expressed pride on how his side had handled pressure of being in a mega event. Just being able to put Japan Cricket on the world stage is just a really good honour and hopefully it's onto bigger and better things from here. We've learned how to (handle) a lot of pressure against us. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Japan will next face U19 Mens Cricket World Cup debutants Tanzania on Saturday in a grading fixture, with both teams seeking their first win of the tournament and sign off on a high. Article Source: IANS

Australia top Group A after bowling out Sri Lanka for 58

Fast bowler Will Byrom picked up 5 for 14 and was the wrecker-in-chief

Smith and Davies star to take Sydney Sixers into BBL final

Defending the title proved out of reach for Hobart Hurricanes, who went down by 57 runs in the penultimate step of the competition

Shivam replaces injured Veer mid-match for UP

This is the second instance of a Serious Injury Replacement being used in Ranji Trophy

Afridi, Babar named in Pakistan's T20I squad for Australia series

Khawaja Nafay, who impressed on debut in Sri Lanka earlier this month, keeps his place as the designated wicketkeeper in the squad of 16

Wiaan Mulder joins Essex for Championship and T20 Blast

Derbyshire sign Sufiyan Muqeem for Blast; Logan van Beek to play first half of season for Yorkshire

Shivam Replaces Injured Veer In Uttar Pradeshs Ranji Trophy Game Against Jharkhand

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari: Uttar Pradesh's left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma on Friday was drafted into the sides playing eleven as a Serious Injury Replacement for all-rounder Prashant Veer, who sustained a shoulder injury while fielding just before lunch on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match. Veer, who recently fetched the highest bid for an uncapped player at last years IPL auction (Rs 14.2 crore by Chennai Super Kings), is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks. This is only the second instance of the Serious Injury Replacement rule being invoked in the Ranji Trophy since its introduction ahead of the ongoing domestic season. Shivam has bowled 18 overs so far in the match, conceding 66 runs and claiming the prized wicket of centurion, wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra. The timeline of Veers recovery will keep five-time champions CSK anxious, considering IPL 2026 is expected to begin from March 26. Earlier, in October 2025, Bengal batter Kazi Junaid Saifi had come in as a serious injury replacement for injured opener Sudip Chatterjee during the Bengal-Gujarat Ranji Trophy fixture at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, thus becoming the first player to feature in a playing eleven of a Ranji Trophy game under the new rule. Shivam has bowled 18 overs so far in the match, conceding 66 runs and claiming the prized wicket of centurion, wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra. The timeline of Veers recovery will keep five-time champions CSK anxious, considering IPL 2026 is expected to begin from March 26. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The ongoing game is important for both teams to maintain their place in the race to Ranji Trophy knockouts. After opener Sharandeep Singhs century on the first day, Kushagra added 102 runs to take Jharkhand close to the 500-run mark. Article Source: IANS

Australian Open 2026: A meeting of experience and youth Sabalenka set to play Mboko

When the top-ranked player in women's tennis meets one of the sport's rising teenage stars, though, it'll be all about the business of tennis

'Journey Of Going Against Assumptions, Opinions And Perceptions Continues': Bumrah On Completing 10 Years In Int'l Cricket

ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy: Indias fast bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah marked a decade in international cricket on Friday and reflected by saying its a continuation of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions. Bumrah made his debut in international cricket in the ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2016 and returned with figures of 2-40. He was the highest wicket-taker in the T20I leg of the tour, where India won the series 3-0. Since then, Bumrah has become one of the worlds greatest fast bowlers across formats. 10 years of living the dream of the child who fell in love with the sport that made him feel alive like nothing in this world ever could. The journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions and keeping the belief alive continues, with the love and support of family and God. Waheguruji da shukr eda he baba ji mehraan bhariyaan hath rakheen. Satnam Waheguru, Bumrah posted on his Instagram on Friday. So far, Bumrah has picked 234 Test wickets in 52 matches at an average of 19.79. In 89 ODIs, he has claimed 149 wickets at an average of 23.55, while in 83 T20I, he has taken 103 wickets at an average of 18.17. Since then, Bumrah has become one of the worlds greatest fast bowlers across formats. 10 years of living the dream of the child who fell in love with the sport that made him feel alive like nothing in this world ever could. The journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions and keeping the belief alive continues, with the love and support of family and God. Waheguruji da shukr eda he baba ji mehraan bhariyaan hath rakheen. Satnam Waheguru, Bumrah posted on his Instagram on Friday. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Bumrah is also the recipient of the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded to the Men's Cricketer of the Year, for his exceptional performances in 2024. He also won the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024 for picking 71 wickets in 13 matches. Bumrah also won the Player of the Tournament award in India for winning the 2024 Mens T20 World Cup for picking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26. Article Source: IANS

Australian Open to start earlier on Jan. 24 over forecast 40C heat

Play will start in Melbourne at 10:30 a.m. on the main arenas, compared to the normal 11:00 or 11:30 a.m.

Have Been Following Rohit Bhai's Footsteps, Happy To Play Aggressively For India: Abhishek

T20 World Cup: Indias lfet-handed opener Abhishek Sharma said he has modelled his attacking approach on Rohit Sharmas powerplay exploits, adding that hes happy to play aggressively for the side in the run-up to the Mens T20 World Cup, starting on February 7. Rohit bhai has done a lot for the country. There is always pressure because of the starts he used to give in the powerplay. When I came into the team, the coach and captain wanted the same from me. I felt it suited my style too because I love to attack from the first few balls. So, I think I have been following in Rohit bhai's footsteps, and I am really happy to play in this manner and do well for India, Abhishek told JioStar. Abhishek had hit a match-winning 84 in the T20I series opener against New Zealand in Nagpur and said his role was clear at the top of the order. I wouldn't say I am fully matured yet, because there is always room to improve. But I feel my job is to play aggressive cricket in the first six overs. I have been practising a lot for that. I know if I give a good start or show good intent early, the team can follow that momentum. That is what I always think about. Abhishek explained how he tailors his training to excel against specific opponents. If I want to play aggressive cricket and show intent, I have to practise a certain way. That is what I always do before matches. When I get a week or ten days, I keep in mind the bowlers I will face in the next series or matches. It all comes down to how I execute those plans. For the upcoming T20 World Cup, I have been practising for that too. I know we will play all over India in different conditions against different teams, so preparation is key. I feel I have to play this way because in most teams, the main bowlers bowl the first few overs. If I score runs in those overs, it helps the team follow that momentum. It also puts the bowlers under pressure. Once that happens, I feel they are playing into my plan and I can execute it, he elaborated. He also spoke about a technical tweak to his batting. I have always had a high grip holding position on the bat. The only thing I worked on was my back lift. I used to keep it a bit low, but now I keep it above my waist so I can get a smooth flow. When it was low, I was getting late on some balls. So I practised that. But the back lift and the grip are both natural for me. I feel I have to play this way because in most teams, the main bowlers bowl the first few overs. If I score runs in those overs, it helps the team follow that momentum. It also puts the bowlers under pressure. Once that happens, I feel they are playing into my plan and I can execute it, he elaborated. Also Read: Live Cricket Score I ask them to bowl out-swingers, in-swingers, and use the new ball. I also ask them to take certain fielders out for me. I know, especially going into the World Cup and any match, they won't give me a lot of pace. I realised that in the last few matches, so I have been working on it. If you want to play aggressive cricket, you have to be prepared for different situations all the time. Article Source: IANS

Bangladesh, Pakistan Playing Or Opting Out Wont Matter To ICC Or BCCI: Danish Kaneria

T20 World Cup: Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria strongly supports the ICCs stance of not changing the schedule, amid the BCB decision to not travel to India for the 2026 ICC Mens T20 World Cup, stating if Bangladesh are opting out of the tournament, it won't make much difference, adding that its not like they were going to finish in the top four. Bangladesh earlier informed the ICC that they would not travel to India due to security concerns amid deteriorating relations between the two nations and requested that their matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC reiterated on Wednesday that the T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, with Bangladeshs matches to be played in India. This follows the BCCI's direction for Kolkata Knight Riders to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2026 amid prevailing political tensions between the two countries. Speaking to IANS, Kaneria said, There was the issue of Mustafizur, who was with KKR, and the team was forced to sideline him because of the kind of unrest and the public reaction. Shah Rukh Khan, who is the owner of KKR, released him. There was no pressure from the BCCI, nor from the ICC. But for humanity, he did what he thought was right. The BCCI or ICC never asked Bangladesh not to come to India. They welcomed them. All the teams in the ICC umbrella get foolproof security. Referring to the ICC meeting that followed, he pointed out, You saw that a meeting took place where all the boards were presentfrom England to Australia, West Indiesevery board that is part of the ICC was there. When voting took place, everyone supported what the ICC proposed. Only the Pakistan Cricket Board voted along with Bangladesh. Just two votes went against it. Kaneria said the developments in Bangladesh that preceded the standoff were deeply disturbing and wrong at a human level. When I look at this entire scenario, what was going on in Bangladesh, the kind of situation that developed there, the way our Hindu brothers and sisters and others were treated, the way incidents happened, it was wrong, first of all, Kaneria said. Our religion doesnt teach violence; it is a religion of love. People were just earning their livelihood, doing their jobs, and they were attacked without any reason. The strange and disturbing acts that took place were very sad. It really makes your heart sinkwhat is going on? The former spinner also warned that Bangladeshs firm stance could prove damaging in the long term, and its cricketing future would suffer. In my view, this is not going to be good for Bangladesh in the long run. If they think that whatever they say should be accepted by the ICC as a decision, that wont work. Going forward, India will not play with Bangladesh anyway, and that will be a big loss for them. Backing the ICCs decision-making process, Kaneria stressed that mega tournaments cannot be altered at the last moment. I believe the ICCs decision is absolutely correct, because things cannot be changed at the last minute. You have to prepare the entire tournament structure, schedules, and team travel. You have to change the whole scenario. If Bangladesh feels they dont want to play, then dont play. It wont make much difference anyway; its not like they were going to finish in the top four, he added. On reports that Pakistan might follow Bangladeshs path, Kaneria dismissed the speculation and asserted that the ICC has alternatives ready. I dont think that will happen. Because who suffers the loss? The country that backs out suffers the loss. There are penalties, rules and regulations. If Bangladesh doesnt go, Scotland can come in. If Pakistan refuses, some other team will come. Namibia is playing very good cricket. The ICC and BCCI wont be affected. Kaneria feels that if Bangladesh had come to the World Cup, then its players could also get entry in the IPL in future. If Bangladesh had come to play the T20 World Cup in India, then the barrier that has been created in the IPL with Mustafizur Rahman would have broken, and more Bangladeshi players would have taken part in the league. Kaneria also talked about how cricket discourse has shifted away from the game itself, and now politics are more discussed than techniques. Now cricket is no longer being discussed, and only politics is being talked about. Earlier, people talked about wickets, bowling, and techniques. Now everything has become political. Technical cricket doesnt sell. What sells? Kohli vs Babar comparisons. Shaheen Afridi vs Bumrah comparisons, he noted. Calling for restraint, Kaneria urged stakeholders to protect the sport and not involve politics in cricket. Technical cricket doesnt sell. What sells? Kohli vs Babar comparisons. Shaheen Afridi vs Bumrah comparisons, he noted. Also Read: Live Cricket Score He concluded by stressing that decisions must be driven by long-term vision rather than short-term reactions. You have to look at the long picture, not the short. Now lets see what the final decision is, though in my opinion it must already have been taken, as nearly 24 hours have passed. What is good for cricket must be done, and as I said earlier, Scotland would already be preparing to face spin. Article Source: IANS

Ranji Trophy: Sarfaraz Khan Smashes Double Ton For Mumbai Against Hyderabad

Ranji Trophy Elite Group: India batter Sarfaraz Khan struck a fluent double century off 206 balls for Mumbai against Hyderabad in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday. Sarfaraz registered the fifth first-class double hundred of his career, as he was eventually dismissed for 227 off 219 deliveries. His knock featured 19 fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 103.65, including 45 runs taken off India pacer and Hyderabad skipper Mohammed Siraj in just 39 balls. He also shared a 249-run stand with stand-in skipper Siddhesh Lad (104) for the fourth wicket, steering Mumbai past 500 after the side had slipped to 82-3. His innings has helped turn the match firmly in Mumbais favour, as Sarfaraz also went past 5,000 first-class runs tally. The right-hander has been in prolific form of late. He recently lit up the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a record 15-ball half-century against Punjab the fastest by an Indian male batter in List A cricket breaking the record of reaching the mark in 16 deliveries previously held by Abhijit Kale and Atit Sheth. He also shared a 249-run stand with stand-in skipper Siddhesh Lad (104) for the fourth wicket, steering Mumbai past 500 after the side had slipped to 82-3. His innings has helped turn the match firmly in Mumbais favour, as Sarfaraz also went past 5,000 first-class runs tally. Also Read: Live Cricket Score He was Mumbais second-highest run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season with 329 runs in seven matches at an average of 65.80 and a strike rate of 203.80. Sarfaraz also earned an IPL 2026 contract with five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at his base price of Rs. 75 lakh. Article Source: IANS

T20 Cricket World Cup Row Overshadows India's Olympic Ambitions

India hopes next month's T20 World Cup will bolster its credentials as a global sports host -- and the country's Olympic ambitions -- but preparations have been rocked by a diplomatic row with Bangladesh and accusations of political interference. With barely two weeks until the tournament, Bangladesh have effectively been forced out after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected a request to move their matches from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. Our only demand is to play the World Cup -- but not in India, Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters on Thursday, adding that without a change of venue, the team would not participate. India is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, seen as a stepping stone to the 2036 Olympics. But the chaotic build-up to the T20 World Cup has cast a shadow over those ambitions, especially with cricket returning to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028. The T20 World Cup schedule was delayed and not released until December and now it appears Scotland could have to be drafted to replace Bangladesh just days before the opening match on February 7. - 'No one to challenge' - Bangladesh is a cricket-loving nation. If a country of nearly 200 million people misses the World Cup, the ICC will lose a huge audience, Bulbul added. Cricket is entering the Olympics in 2028, Brisbane in 2032, India is bidding for 2036. Excluding a major cricket-loving country like Bangladesh would be a failure. The ICC said it had found no credible or verifiable threat to move Bangladesh's games, and was committed to safeguarding the collective interests of the global game. But that global game is dominated by India, where cricket is woven deep into culture, the economy and politics. South Asia accounts for about 90 percent of cricket's billion-plus fans, with India generating roughly three-quarters of the sport's global income. India's supremacy stems from the outsized revenues of its BCCI cricket board, flush with cash from its role as custodian of the most popular sport in the world's most populous country. Sports journalist Pradeep Magazine wrote in the Tribune, an Indian daily, that the BCCI's staggering revenues... gives it unimaginable control over decision-making in cricketing affairs of the world. There is no one to challenge India's hegemony. ICC chairman Jay Shah is the son of Amit Shah, India's powerful interior minister, and right-hand man of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. - 'A political issue' - Cricket has been captured completely by politics in a way that it never has been before, Indian sports journalist Sharda Ugra told AFP. The Bangladesh issue has reached where it has because it's a political issue. Political relations between India and Bangladesh have soured since a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled Sheikh Hasina, now a convicted fugitive hosted by old ally New Delhi. But matters escalated after the India Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders were ordered by India's BCCI board to drop Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, triggering fury in Dhaka. Mustafizur's removal followed online outrage by right-wing Indian Hindus who invoked alleged attacks on a fellow community in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Dhaka maintains that Indian media had exaggerated the scale of the violence. Bangladesh's interim government sports adviser Asif Nazrul said that no one should have a monopoly over cricket. If the ICC truly wants to be a global organisation, and if the ICC does not rise and sit at India's command, then we must be given the opportunity to play in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, Nazrul said. Bangladesh wanted to follow the example of Pakistan, who will play all their matches in Sri Lanka under a deal hatched after India refused to travel to Islamabad for the 2025 Champions Trophy and all their games were moved in Dubai. Nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan have fought multiple conflicts since they were divided at the end of British rule in 1947 and are bitter rivals on the pitch, refusing to shake hands in their recent matches. There is no one in the ICC who can stand up to anything that the BCCI says or does, said Ugra. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The BCCI and the ICC are the same thing at the moment.

WPL 2026: 'Asked Girls To Go Out And Fight Hard,' Says GG Coach Klinger

Gujarat Giants: Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger said his message for the team during the drinks break in their WPL 2026 clash against UP Warriorz was to really go out and fight hard, something which spurred them to secure a 45-run win at the BCA Stadium and move to second place in the points table. The black soil doesn't bounce as much, but it came onto the bat quite nicely. So if I'm being honest, I thought we were probably 20 short with a bat, even just a couple of sort of mistakes through the innings that we made that could have helped us get there. But one thing we spoke about in the break was just asking the girls to really go out and fight hard. We know they've got two or three really key batters who have made the majority of their runs. I think they've made something around 75 to 80% of their runs for the tournament. So we knew that if we get those key wickets, we will be massively in the game. Then some of the batters who hadn't batted as long throughout the tournament, the pressure would have been on them, and I'm extremely proud of the group. Our fielding has been a bit of a rollercoaster throughout the tournament, but they were fantastic, said Klinger in the post-game press conference. The move to bring in left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad in place of Tanuja Kanwer paid off when she picked 3-16 to run through UPW's middle overs. It was a really tough call. TK has been a big part of our team for a few years now. We felt like we definitely wanted to go in with an extra quick as an option. In the end, we didn't use it because our spinners bowled really well. So we went in with Happy (Kumari), but she'll get an opportunity down the track in the next game to get some overs in. But I think Raj probably gave us an option in the power play. We felt maybe slightly more than TK, not that TK isn't good at that in the power plays, more so just Raj has bowled a few good overs for us already this season. In the end, we didn't use her in the power play, but she did fantastically well through the middle to bowl four over straight from one end, 3-16, that unbelievable effort and match winning spell that was. So, I'm really happy for her. I thought she filled it well too. She's been working really hard at training and she's done fantastically well, added Klinger. Reflecting on conditions and the slowness of the pitch, where GG made 153/8, Klinger said, I think it was under par. The wicket was good, felt it was probably a 170 to 180 par wicket. We just probably didn't bat as well as we could have and then we obviously put a lot of pressure on the opposition with our bowling and fielding. So I thought the groundsmen got the wicket quite nice. Asked if this will be the pattern seen in rest of the games at the venue, Klinger said he hoped there were enough fresh wickets prepared for the business end of the competition. Tough one. I think it's going to depend a little bit whether you play on the wicket the first time or the second time. Like I felt two nights ago, the match, the second time it was played on, was a bit lower. So it'd be interesting to see tomorrow (Saturday) night how this one plays, whether it plays as well as it was here or whether it's a bit lower than this game. So that's going to be interesting. I'm not sure if they've got three or four wickets prepared, but I think the more wickets they have here prepared, the better for the rest of the competition because I'm not sure you want to be playing third time on these wickets. So maybe they can prepare four or five for the tournament to make sure we have good wickets right through. Like I felt two nights ago, the match, the second time it was played on, was a bit lower. So it'd be interesting to see tomorrow (Saturday) night how this one plays, whether it plays as well as it was here or whether it's a bit lower than this game. So that's going to be interesting. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The bowlers seemed to struggle to hold it and it was a little bit slippery, whereas I think this year, maybe it's the spray they're using. I'm not sure, but it seems to be wet definitely when fielding, but the bowlers seem to be able to get a good grip on it. So maybe it's not as bad as it was here last year. Article Source: IANS

WPL 2026: 'Batters Showed Little Intent To Stay At Crease,' Mithali Slams Warriorz Batting After Loss Against GG

Former India: Former India captain Mithali Raj has criticised UP Warriorzs batting performance after they suffered a 45-run defeat against the Gujarat Giants in the WPL match here at BCA stadium. Analysing the match, Raj described Warriorzs run chase as a complete breakdown in approach and temperament, saying, It was an absolute batting meltdown by UP Warriorz. Panic set in early and continued through the batting lineup. Once the openers were dismissed, there were no partnerships at all. The batters showed little intent to stay at the crease, rotate the strike, or build an innings, instead opting for poor shot selection and unnecessary big hits, Mithali told Jiostar. She expressed disappointment with the experienced middle order, noting that players such as Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, and Shweta Sehrawat failed to apply themselves despite possessing the ability to anchor an innings. This is a middle order that has shown the capability to score 20s, 30s, and even a 50, but the shot selection in this game was very disappointing, she added. Raj also highlighted Sophie Devines all-around impact as a decisive factor in Gujarat Giants comprehensive win. While Devine is more comfortable to opening the batting, Raj praised her adaptability and composure under pressure. She began steadily and usually thrives as an opener, but in this match, she adjusted to a middle-order role with wickets falling around her. She anchored one end patiently, and after her catch was dropped in the final over, she made the most of the opportunity by scoring 16 crucial runs to shift momentum. Devine was decisive both with the bat and in the overall flow of the game, Mithali said. Turning attention to the bowling performance, Raj singled out left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who claimed three key wickets and played a central role in dismantling the Warriorz batting order. The standout dismissal was Shweta Sehrawat, who was beaten completely in the air with a turn. Deepti Sharma misjudged the line and went for her usual sweep, but the ball stayed low. Rajeshwari Gayakwad truly shone, Raj remarked. She also acknowledged Gayakwads perseverance, noting her return after injury and limited opportunities earlier in the season. She has been in and out of the side and often didnt get full spells. Coming back after injury and missing international matches, she seized this opportunity perfectly. She herself said she was thrilled to contribute, and performances like this in crucial games justify that feeling, she added. Former India batter Veda Krishnamurthy also praised the Giants collective bowling and fielding effort, which helped the team register a big win. She has been in and out of the side and often didnt get full spells. Coming back after injury and missing international matches, she seized this opportunity perfectly. She herself said she was thrilled to contribute, and performances like this in crucial games justify that feeling, she added. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Gujarat Giants have moved up to second position in the points table with this win, and they have increased their chances of the playoffs. While the Warriors have moved to the last spot. Article Source: IANS

Australia Open 2026: Carlos Alcaraz celebrates 100th Slam match with easy win

The 22-year-old six-time major winner was at a different level on Rod Laver Arena to book his passage 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 in 2hrs 5mins

Lhuan-dre Pretorius Stars as Paarl Royals Crush Joburg Super Kings by 36 Runs in SA20 Eliminator

Youth and experience combined in perfect harmony for Paarl Royals to send Joburg Super Kings crashing out in the Betway SA20 Eliminator at rousing Centurion on Thursday evening. Teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius starred with the bat with last seasons leading run-scorer coming to the fore when it mattered most as the Royals defeated JSK by 36 runs. The powerful left-hander put a disappointing second season behind him with 34-ball 51 that formed the bedrock of Royals imposing 210/5. The rest of the Royals batters all chipped in from opener Kyle Verreynne (30 off 15 balls) through to Dan Lawrence (36 off 23 balls), Sikandar Raza (35 off 19 balls) and Asa Tribe (30 not out off 16 balls). Joburg Super Kings run-chase never left the starting blocks with 36-year-old fast bowler Hardus Viljoen turning back the clock to send down a rasping opening spell. Viljoen (3/24) hurried up all the JSK batters with his pace to send Neil Timmers and Matthew de Villiers back to the pavilion within the Powerplay. JSK certainly missed the experience of their injured captain Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw during this period as left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and the competitions leading wicket-taker Ottneil Baartman also chipped in with a wicket apiece to reduce Super Kings to 40/4. Stand-in captain James Vince and Wiaan Mulder attempted to rebuild JSKs innings with a 58-run partnership for the fifth wicket. It was brought to a close by another impressive Royals teenager Nqobani Mokoena, who outsmarted Vince with an excellent slower ball to clean bowl the Englishman. The four Player of the Match candidates were Bjorn Fortuin, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Asa Tribe and Hardus Viljoen with the left-handed opener winning 53% of the fan vote. Mulder (41 off 27 balls) attempted to keep the dwindling JSK flame flickering, but he too was outdone by the brilliance of Baartman than ended all hopes. The Royals now travel down the NI1 South to the Wanderers to face Sunrisers Eastern Cape on Friday evening in Qualifier 2. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The winner will have the prized opportunity to head down to Cape Town to face Pretoria Capitals in Sundays grand Final at Newlands.

Ellis ruled out of remainder of BBL finals due to hamstring injury

Hobart Hurricanes' captain hasn't recovered from hamstring tightness as the team aim to defend their title

Injuries Force Two Changes to South Africas T20 World Cup Squad

Injuries have forced two changes inSouth Africas squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month. Batsman Tony de Zorzi and all-rounder Donovan Ferreira were both ruled out. They have been replaced by batsmen Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs who were both surprise omissions from the original squad. Veteran batsman David Miller will miss a three-match series against the West Indies next week because of a groin injury and will need to pass a fitness test before joining the flight to India. The left-handed De Zorzi, who has played in two T20 internationals, was a surprise choice when the original squad was announced three weeks ago. De Zorzi suffered a hamstring injury in a one-day international in India last month. He missed the SA20 and according to a statement by Cricket South Africa has not progressed as expected in his rehabilitation. The hard-hitting Ferreira broke his collarbone in an SA20 match last week. Rickelton was the leading run-scorer in the league phase of the SA20, which finishes on Saturday, while Stubbs was regarded as one of South Africas leading T20 players before suffering a dip in form last year. Coach Shukri Conrad said he was optimistic that Miller would be able to recover in time. He had a follow-up scan today and the results were positive, he said. Left-handed batsman Rubin Hermann will replace Miller for the West Indies series, which starts in Paarl on Tuesday. Also Read: Live Cricket Score RevisedSouth African squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada,Ryan Rickelton,Jason Smith,Tristan Stubbs

Bangladesh Pull Out of T20 World Cup After Refusing to Travel to India

Bangladesh will not travel to India to play in next month's T20 World Cup, its cricket board said on Thursday, effectively ruling the country out of the tournament. Our only demand is to play the World Cup -- but not in India, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters. The refusal came a day after cricket's governing body rejected Bangladesh's plea to play its games in Sri Lanka instead. There is no scope for changing our decision, said Asif Nazrul, an adviser for youth and sports issues in Bangladesh's interim government. The T20 World Cup begins on February 7, with Bangladesh scheduled to play their four group matches in the Indian cities of Kolkata and Mumbai. The row between the neighbouring nations erupted on January 3 when the Indian cricket board ordered the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. Mustafizur's removal from the IPL followed online outrage by right-wing Indian Hindus who invoked alleged attacks on a fellow community in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Dhaka maintains that Indian media had exaggerated the scale of the violence. The sport's global governing body said on Wednesday it had engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue to ensure Bangladesh could participate in the tournament, but added that those efforts had been rebuffed. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from the host authorities found there was no credible or verifiable threat to the safety of the Bangladesh team. - 'Lose a huge audience' - However, Nazrul said Bangladesh's security concerns did not arise from speculation or theoretical analysis. They arose from a real incident -- where one of our country's top players was forced to bow to extremists, and the Indian cricket board asked him to leave India, he said. Bangladesh will hold elections during the World Cup, its first since a mass uprising in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. Political relations have since soured between Bangladesh and India, where Hasina fled after she was ousted. There are wider issues for India, which is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games that areseen as a stepping stone for its ambitions to host the 2036 Olympics. Bangladesh is a cricket-loving nation. If a country of nearly 200 million people misses the World Cup, the ICC will lose a huge audience, the BCB's Bulbul said. Cricket is entering the Olympics in 2028, Brisbane in 2032, India is bidding for 2036. Excluding a major cricket-loving country like Bangladesh would be a failure. Bangladesh's appeal to the ICC was not without precedent,with India's arch-enemy Pakistan to play all its games in Sri Lanka. That deal was struck after India, a financial and administrative powerhouse within cricket, refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy and played its matches in Dubai instead. However, the ICC said a year later a similar shift was impossible for Bangladesh. There are many precedents worldwide where matches have been moved to other venues due to security risks, Bangladesh's Nazrul said. Also Read: Live Cricket Score ICC sources told AFP this week that Bangladesh could be replaced by Scotland, the highest-ranked team that did not qualify outright for the World Cup.

Injured NZ Quick Adam Milne Ruled Out Of T20 WC; Jamieson Named Replacement

ICC T20 World Cup: Right-arm fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup with a torn left hamstring and will be replaced in the squad by Kyle Jamieson, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Friday. Milne suffered the injury while bowling in the SA20 on Sunday, with subsequent scans revealing the extent of the injury. Were all gutted for Adam. Hed worked so hard to get himself ready for the tournament and was looking back to his best in his eight games for the Eastern Cape Sunrisers. It's unfortunate timing for Adam and we wish him a speedy recovery, said head coach Rob Walter. Jamieson, who is currently part of the white-ball tour of India, has been added to the T20 World Cup squad after originally being named as the travelling reserve for the mega event in India and Sri Lanka. Walter said Jamieson was a worthy replacement. Its great that Kyle is already with us here in India. Hes an integral member of our pace-bowling group and has hit the ground running on this tour. Hes a hard worker with a good set of skills and experiences that will hold him good stead for the tournament, he said. Milne has been a part of New Zealands squad at multiple T20 World Cups, including the 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2022 editions of the tournament. He has played 11 matches at T20 World Cups and has taken six wickets for New Zealand. The 33-year-old pacer has 65 wickets in 56 matches ever since his T20I debut for the Kiwis in 2010. Overall, Milne has 258 scalps from 226 T20 matches at an average of 23.23 and an economy of 7.89 in T20 cricket. He has played 11 matches at T20 World Cups and has taken six wickets for New Zealand. Also Read: Live Cricket Score New Zealand will begin their campaign on February 8 with a clash against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Article Source: IANS

Milne ruled out of T20 World Cup, Jamieson called up

Adam Milne picked up the injury during the SA20 where he had shown promising form

Australian Open 2026: Sabalenka passes Potapova test to reach fourth round; Alcaraz sets sights on last 16

Seemingly down and out at 4-0 in the second set, the world number 55 broke Sabalenka three times and nudged ahead to 6-5, forcing the Belarusian into a surprising scrap to the finish

Warner signs new one-year deal with Sydney Thunder

He struck two centuries this season and will now play in the competition beyond the age of 40

Road turns minefield as England fail familiar trial by mid-innings spin

England were well set in their 272-run chase before Khettarama surface did as it tends to do

Pretorius, Viljoen lead the way as Royals knock out JSK

Royals will now take on SEC in Qualifier 2 on Friday

Springer bags hat-trick as West Indies deny Afghanistan 3-0 sweep

He became the third West Indian bowler to take a T20I hat-trick, taking out half-centurion Gurbaz, Rashid and Shahidullah in the 19th over to kill the chase

WPL 2026: Had Been Waiting For This Spell For A Long Time, So It Feels Great, Says Gayakwad After GG Win

Veteran New Zealand: Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad said she was delighted to make an impact on her return to the Gujarat Giants side after being named Player of the Match in their 45-run win over UP Warriorz in the 2026 Womens Premier League (WPL) at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi in Vadodara on Thursday. The win also meant that GG jumped from bottom to second place in the points table. It feels really good. I got a chance to play after a long time, and today I did well too, so Im very happy. I had been waiting for this spell for a long time, so it feels great. Nothing was different. I just bowled to my strengths today. When your support staff backs you, it gives you a lot of confidence - thats exactly what I did today. They showed a lot of support for me, and that became my biggest strength today. It was much better, and the wicket was also helping, so I bowled accordingly today and was successful, said Rajeshwari at the conclusion of the game. The left-arm spinner, who finished with three wickets, said she particularly enjoyed dismissing Deepti Sharma. For me, whenever I plan, I always think about taking the wicket of a key batter, because getting good players out gives a different kind of joy. I wanted that wicket but didnt get it - Renuka got it. Sorry, not Renuka, Kashvee got it. I also got Deeptis wicket. Usually, when a left-hander comes in, maybe they hesitate to give me the ball, but I actually like bowling to left-handers. And I got Deeptis wicket, so Im very happy. In terms of skill, Ive focused more on myself and worked more on my strengths. Thats all. Ive backed myself, and Im getting success from that, added Rajeshwari. Veteran New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine, who contributed with both bat and ball, said Gujarat had always targeted a score above 150. Look, it was an interesting game of cricket. I thought if we could get above that 150 mark, we were always going to be competitive. I guess turning the screws, we know the danger that the UP side has in their batting line-up. So, I guess once we got through a couple of their big key wickets, it was just a case of holding our nerve and finishing the game off. Asked about her batting down the order, Sophie said, Oh, I can't remember, a couple of days ago. But I think that's the great thing about this team and the way that Maxi and Marshy are sort of leading it, that we've got flexibility to be able to bring in Danni, who I thought was great up top with Moons and showed real intent. I guess I've batted a lot and all sorts of different positions, so it's no biggie for me. So being able to just go down and slot down at number 5, I guess that's probably one of the bonuses of having played for so long, is that you can just adjust, and I guess adapt to the role that the team needs from you. She also praised Rajeshwaris bowling performance. Look, I think it's above my pay grade. I'm not involved in those conversations, but the way that Gayakwad came in and performed today was outstanding. I thought the way that she varied her flight and pace, I guess, deceived the batters on a wicket that I think is pretty tough. So she was fantastic, and I guess it just shows the confidence we've got in the full squad that someone can come in and perform like that. GG put out a much-improved fielding performance, and Sophie attributed it to the team meeting held in the run-up to Thursdays clash. I think the first couple of games of this competition we were outstanding in the field, and we're probably really disappointed with our efforts. She also praised Rajeshwaris bowling performance. Look, I think it's above my pay grade. I'm not involved in those conversations, but the way that Gayakwad came in and performed today was outstanding. I thought the way that she varied her flight and pace, I guess, deceived the batters on a wicket that I think is pretty tough. So she was fantastic, and I guess it just shows the confidence we've got in the full squad that someone can come in and perform like that. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Asked about Beth Mooney's keeping, Sophie said, I was going to say, it's overrated using your hands. That's how good she is now; she just kicks it. But look, to have someone of her calibre behind the stumps, I thought she was outstanding today. She tidied up a fair bit of my mess, but just what she can do and tidy up dodgy throws and whatnot, it makes a huge difference. Article Source: IANS

Sri Lanka Seal 19-Run Win Over England In Opening ODI

Sri Lanka's spinners turned the screws to script a hard-fought 19-run victory over England in the opening one-day international at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday. Set 272 for victory, England appeared to be cruising at 129-1 with Ben Duckett and Joe Root stroking the ball sweetly and the asking rate firmly under control. But once the 117-run stand was broken, Sri Lanka dried up the runs and England faltered with the bat, being bowled out for 252 in the final over. It was a good game of cricket, but we need to keep improving. Our spinners did a terrific job. We knew it would start turning after the 30th over and batting would become a challenge, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said. Duckett's attempted reverse sweep brought Sri Lanka back into the game as he was ruled leg before to Jeffrey Vandersay. However, it was Root's dismissal that truly changed the complexion of the contest. The former England Test captain, a perennial thorn in Sri Lanka's side with imposing averages of 61 in ODIs and 62 in Tests against them, misjudged a sweep off part-time spinner Dhananjaya de Silva. Sri Lanka reviewed instantly, the on-field decision was overturned and the roar from the Premadasa stands said it all. With the required rate climbing north of eight an over, England were forced into risk mode. Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell both paid the price, brilliantly stumped by Kusal Mendis, with Brook undone off a wide by his opposite number Asalanka. Jamie Overton injected late drama with a muscular 34 off 17 balls, adding 39 for the last wicket with Adil Rashid, but it proved too steep a hill to climb and he was the final wicket to fall. Sri Lanka's fielders matched their bowlers stride for stride, with De Silva and Dunith Wellalage pulling off stunning catches to keep the pressure relentless. - Mendis holds Sri Lanka together - Earlier, Mendis had been the glue that held Sri Lanka's innings together after England's leg-spin pair of Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed reduced the hosts to 124 for four. Battling cramps but showing sharp game awareness, Mendis rotated the strike cleverly and punished anything loose. He added 88 runs for the fifth wicket with Janith Liyanage, who made 46. Mendis was on 92 at the start of the final over and watched from the non-striker's end as Wellalage stole the limelight, launching three fours and a six in a blistering 25 not out from 12 balls as the last over bowled by Overton yielded 23. That proved crucial as it dragged the hosts to 271-6 from their 50 overs. Sri Lanka outplayed us, England captain Harry Brook said. We thought we could chase it and we were in a good position, but with the asking rate climbing it became difficult. It's hard to start and someone needed to go on and finish the job. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The teams meet again at the same stadium on Saturday for the second game of the three-match series.

Uttar Pradesh's Prashant Veer suffers shoulder injury

Veer is understood to have suffered a grade-2 tear that could keep him out of action for at least three weeks

Devine, Gayakwad star as Giants seal comfortable win

Giants went to second on the points table after consigning UP Warriorz to their third loss in a row

WPL 2026: Devine, Gayakwad Set Up GGs 45-run Win Over UPW, Move To Second Place (ld)

Renuka Singh Thakur: Gujarat Giants (GG) climbed from the bottom of the points table to second place in the 2026 Womens Premier League (WPL) after securing a comfortable 45-run victory over UP Warriorz (UPW) at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Thursday. New Zealands veteran all-rounder Sophie Devine starred with an unbeaten 42-ball fifty to take GG to 153/8 on a slow pitch. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad marked her return to the playing eleven with a spell of 3-16 while Sophie took two wickets as UPW lost wickets in a heap to be bowled out for 108 in 17.3 overs, as GG ended their three-match losing streak at their home ground. UPW innings began on a false note as Kiran Navgire was stumped for a duck off a wide ball she missed a flick off Renuka Singh Thakur and ricocheted off keeper Beth Mooneys pads to hit the stumps. Phoebe Litchfield pulled Renuka for four, before Meg Lanning unfurled a late cut for four and drives off Kashvee Gautam for boundaries. With some extras coming in, Phoebe continued to pick boundaries with some effortless lofting. But Kashvee struck a big blow by castling Meg for 14 - the ball deflected off her thigh pad to hit the stumps, as UPW reached 46/2 at the end of power-play. But shortly after, UPW suffered twin setbacks in quick succession as Phoebe fell for 32 off 27 balls attempting a reverse sweep, she picked out short third off Ashleigh Gardner. Soon after, Renuka struck as Harleen Deol, who was nearly trapped lbw by the pacer, tried to loft over long-on but mistimed her stroke, allowing Ashleigh to run in and complete a straightforward catch. Rajeshwari, coming in place of Tanuja Kanwer, struck a decisive blow in her first over by trapping a sweeping Deepti Sharma lbw for just four. UPWs slide continued as Rajeshwari fired one flat and wide outside off to have Shweta Sehrawat stumped for just three, while having Asha Sobhana Joy holing out in the deep. From there, it was all GGs way - Sophie Ecclestones stay ended tamely as she chipped a low full-toss straight back to Sophie Devine, while Shikha Pandey was run out in the pursuit of a second run. GG capped off a dominant performance when Sophie rattled Kranti Gauds stumps and wrapped up the contest in emphatic fashion. Previously, coming out to bat at number four in a slight detour from her usual opening slot, Sophie hit two fours and three sixes to take GG past the 150-run mark after a disciplined bowling performance from UPW had threatened to restrict the home side to a below-par total. For UPW, Sophie Ecclestone and Kranti Gaud picked two wickets each. GGs innings began with Beth Mooney and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, coming in for leg-spinner Georgia Wareham, hitting four boundaries between themselves before Kranti struck in her second over by castling the latter with a delivery that nipped away to hit the top of off-stump. Anushka Sharma immediately found boundaries via a loft down the ground, a straight drive, and an edge past third man. However, Kranti removed Anushka by having her edge behind for 14. Ashleigh walked in but struggled against Kranti and Sophie. Beth, meanwhile, cut and lofted for boundaries to move towards her first fifty of the season. But Deepti struck when Ashleigh looked to pull, but missed the ball and was castled for just five. Sophie struck a key blow by removing Beth for 38 by having her caught at midoff. Bharti Fulmalis stay was short as confusion with Sophie led her to a runout, while Kanika Ahuja was caught at midoff against Chloe Tryon, and Kashvee was castled by Sophie. After Renuka was run out while attempting a second run, Sophie Devine struck consecutive sixes off Shikha Pandey to reach her fifty off 42 balls on the last ball. That effort ensured Gujarat crossed the 150-run mark, as 16 runs came off the final over, which was enough to pip UPW and break away from the four points traffic jam in the points table. Bharti Fulmalis stay was short as confusion with Sophie led her to a runout, while Kanika Ahuja was caught at midoff against Chloe Tryon, and Kashvee was castled by Sophie. After Renuka was run out while attempting a second run, Sophie Devine struck consecutive sixes off Shikha Pandey to reach her fifty off 42 balls on the last ball. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Gujarat Giants 153/8 in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 50 not out, Beth Mooney 38; Kranti Gaud 2-18, Sophie Ecclestone 2-22) beat UP Warriorz 108 all out in 17.3 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 32, Chloe Tryon 30 not out; Rajeshwari Gayakwad 3-16, Sophie Devine 2-16) by 45 runs Article Source: IANS

2nd T20I: India Looks To Extend Lead In Raipur As New Zealand Eyes Comeback (Preview)

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International: After starting the five-match T20I series with an emphatic win, the Indian cricket team will look to maintain its momentum when it takes on New Zealand in the second match of the five-match series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Friday. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India began their build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup in impressive fashion, registering a dominant 48-run victory over the Black Caps in the series opener in Nagpur on Wednesday. The hosts commanding performance has given them a 10 lead and an opportunity to tighten their grip on the series. Indias batting unit delivered a powerful display in the first T20I, led by opener Abhishek Sharma, who produced a blistering innings at the top of the order. The left-hander struck 84 off just 35 deliveries. The 25-year-old hammered five boundaries and eight sixes, setting the tone for a massive total. Strong support came from the middle-order, with Rinku Singh remaining unbeaten on 44, while captain Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya chipped in with valuable contributions to propel India to 238 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. The bowlers then ensured there were no late scares. Spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and all-rounder Shivam Dube claimed two wickets apiece as India managed to keep New Zealand in check, restricting them to 190 for seven despite a strong fightback. For New Zealand, Glenn Phillips stood tall with the bat, producing a fighting knock of 78 from 40 balls. However, the lack of substantial support at the other end ultimately proved costly. New Zealand's top-ranked bowler, Jacob Duffy, continued his good form from last year as he picked two crucial wickets and gave away just 27 runs in his four overs. Duffy's performance will be crucial for New Zealand as they eye a strong comeback in the 2nd T20I. India have played only one T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, when they beat Australia by 20 runs in 2023. The pitch favoured the spinners, who found greater success in the only match played at the venue. They claimed wickets at an average of 18.16 and operated with far better control than the seamers. While the spinners conceded just 6.41 runs per over, the fast bowlers were taken for 9.17 runs per over. New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips is closing in on a landmark, needing just three more sixes to reach 100 maximums in T20I, while he is also four catches short of completing 150 catches in T20 cricket. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is on the brink of another achievement and requires five more sixes to bring up 200 maximums across international formats. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Rinku Singh is approaching a significant batting mark and is just 59 runs away from completing 3,500 runs in T20 cricket. With the series still in their early stages, India will be keen to carry forward the confidence gained from the opening encounter. The team management is unlikely to make any changes in the playing XI as they aim for a 2-0 lead. New Zealand, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back and level the series. The visitors will be looking for a stronger bowling effort and greater consistency from their batting lineup as they seek to counter Indias aggressive style. When: Friday, Jan 24, 7:00 PM IST Where: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur Where to Watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming. Squads: Where to Watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming. Also Read: Live Cricket Score New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi. Article Source: IANS

Adar Poonawala states intent to bid for RCB ownership

Serum Institute of India CEO says he will make a 'strong and competitive' bid

Poonawalla Announces Plans For Making strong And Competitive Bid For RCBs Ownership

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International: Pharma tycoon Adar Poonawalla said he will make a strong and competitive bid for securing the ownership of the reigning champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Over the next few months, we will be putting in a STRONG and COMPETITIVE bid for RCB, one of the best teams in the IPL, Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of Pune-based vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India (SII) and Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp, wrote in a post on his official X handle on Thursday. London-based Diageo, the parent company of United Spirits Ltd, began efforts in November last year to sell the team, valued at around 105 million USD. The move was accelerated after a stampede during RCBs IPL victory celebrations outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in June 2025 killed 11 fans. Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director & CEO of United Spirits Ltd, had said: RCSPL has been a valuable and strategic asset for USL, however its non-core to our alcohol business. This step reinforces USLs and Diageos commitment to continue reviewing its India enterprise portfolio to enable sustained delivery of long-term value to all its stakeholders, while keeping RCSPLs best interest in mind. RCB, who won their maiden IPL title last season, are also weighing options to shift home matches away from Bengaluru for the 2026 campaign, with the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur in discussions to host their home fixtures. Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director & CEO of United Spirits Ltd, had said: RCSPL has been a valuable and strategic asset for USL, however its non-core to our alcohol business. This step reinforces USLs and Diageos commitment to continue reviewing its India enterprise portfolio to enable sustained delivery of long-term value to all its stakeholders, while keeping RCSPLs best interest in mind. Also Read: Live Cricket Score RCB is one of the original franchises of the Indian Premier League, having been part of the league since 2008, with legendary players Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble, and AB de Villiers associated with it over the years. Article Source: IANS

WPL 2026: Devines Unbeaten Fifty Takes Gujarat Giants To 153/8 Against UP Warriorz

After Renuka Singh Thakur: Sophie Devine's unbeaten 42-ball half-century guided Gujarat Giants to 153/8 against UP Warriorz in Match 14 of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 clash at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Thursday. Coming out to bat at number four, Devine hit two fours and three sixes to take Gujarat Giants past the 150-mark after a disciplined bowling performance from UP Warriorz had threatened to restrict the home side to a below-par total. For UPW, Sophie Ecclestone and Kranti Gaud picked two wickets each. GGs innings began with Beth Mooney and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, coming in for leg-spinner Georgia Wareham, hitting four boundaries between themselves before Kranti struck in her second over by castling the latter with a delivery that nipped away to hit the top of off-stump. Anushka Sharma immediately found boundaries via a loft down the ground, a straight drive, and an edge past third man. However, Kranti removed Anushka by having her edge behind for 14. Ashleigh Gardner walked in but struggled against Kranti and Sophie. Mooney, meanwhile, cut and lofted for boundaries to move towards her first fifty of the season. But Deepti Sharma struck when Ashleigh looked to pull, but missed the ball and was castled for just five. Sophie struck a key blow by removing Mooney for 38 by having her caught at midoff. Bharti Fulmalis stay was short as confusion with Sophie led her to a runout, while Kanika Ahuja was caught at midoff off Chloe Tryon, and Kashvee Gautam was castled by Ecclestone. After Renuka Singh Thakur was run out attempting a second run, Sophie Devine struck consecutive sixes off Shikha Pandey to reach her fifty off 42 balls on the last ball and ensured Gujarat crossed the 150-mark, as 16 runs came off the final over. Mooney, meanwhile, cut and lofted for boundaries to move towards her first fifty of the season. But Deepti Sharma struck when Ashleigh looked to pull, but missed the ball and was castled for just five. Sophie struck a key blow by removing Mooney for 38 by having her caught at midoff. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Gujarat Giants 153/8 in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 50 not out, Beth Mooney 38; Kranti Gaud 2-18, Sophie Ecclestone 2-22) against UP Warriorz Article Source: IANS

Why a slow chase was better than a fast one for Pakistan against Zimbabwe

By slowing down and eliminating Scotland, Pakistan ensured they took the advantage of beating Zimbabwe into the Super Six stage

Pressure on NZ as they look to stop India's T20 juggernaut

India will not want to let up any of the intensity as they stay in central India and move from Nagpur to Raipur

Ranji Trophy: Sudip Chatterjees Unbeaten 140 Powers Bengal To 340/4 Against Services

Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium: Bengal enjoyed a strong outing on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash against Services at the Bengal Cricket Academy in Kalyani by finishing at 340/4 in 86 overs on Thursday. Veteran batter Sudip Chatterjee, returning from an injury, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 140 off 226 balls his 14th first-class century laced with 12 fours and a six. Chatterjee shared a 151-run opening stand with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who made 81 off 152 balls before being run out. He later found support from Shahbaz Ahmed (38) and Sumanta Gupta (31 not out) to consolidate Bengals position and lead a brilliant batting day for the hosts. The match also marks veteran batter Anustup Majumdars 100th first-class appearance. Majumdar, whos shy of turning 42, had gone past 100 List A appearances in the ongoing domestic season and made 27 off 33 balls. At the Gokulbhai Somabhai Patel Stadium in Nadiad, Railways seized the advantage against Gujarat by bowling them out for 175 before reaching 77/2 at stumps. Former Gujarat all-rounder Bhargav Merai starred with the ball for Railways by returning with figures of 3-25. Meanwhile, at the ACA Cricket Academy Ground in Fulung, North Guwahati, Assam endured a curtailed days play and closed on 187/6 in 86 overs against Haryana. Sibsankar Roy made 38 for Assam, while the likes of Aman Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, and Tanmay Baloda picked two wickets each. At the Gokulbhai Somabhai Patel Stadium in Nadiad, Railways seized the advantage against Gujarat by bowling them out for 175 before reaching 77/2 at stumps. Former Gujarat all-rounder Bhargav Merai starred with the ball for Railways by returning with figures of 3-25. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Uttarakhand ended the day at 7/0 in three overs and trail by 259 runs, after left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra and youngster Janmejay Joshi picked seven wickets collectively. Article Source: IANS

Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Sarfaraz, Siddhesh Centuries Put Mumbai On Top Against Hyderabad

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium: Centuries from Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad helped Mumbai seize control against Hyderabad by reaching 332/4 in 87 overs on the opening day of their Elite Group D match in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday. On a green-tinged pitch, Hyderabad captain Mohammed Siraj chose to bowl first and struck early by removing Akash Anand after Rohit Rayudu had dismissed Akhil Herwadkar for 27. Debutant N. Nitin Sai Yadav trapped Musheer Khan lbw after lunch to leave Mumbai in trouble at 50/3. Sarfaraz (142 not out) countered with fluent strokeplay, reaching his 17th first-class hundred off 129 balls and his first of this season, while Lad (104 not out) capitalised on a dropped chance to compile his fourth century of the ongoing competition. The pairs stand transformed Mumbais innings, with Sarfaraz striking boundaries at will and Lad rotating the strike to keep Hyderabads bowlers at bay. By stumps, Mumbai had wrested the initiative, leaving Hyderabad needing to give a strong response when play resumes on Friday. Sarfaraz (142 not out) countered with fluent strokeplay, reaching his 17th first-class hundred off 129 balls and his first of this season, while Lad (104 not out) capitalised on a dropped chance to compile his fourth century of the ongoing competition. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Chhattisgarh replied strongly by reaching 52 without loss at stumps to leave the contest finely poised heading into the second day. At Siechem Stadium, Jammu & Kashmir dismissed Pondicherry for 233 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy clash, with pacer Yudhvir Singh claiming three wickets. At Anantam Ground in Jaipur, Pukhraj Mann struck an unbeaten 118 to steer Himachal Pradesh to 314/4 against Rajasthan. Article Source: IANS

Injured De Zorzi, Ferreira Out Of T20 World Cup And West Indies Series; Rickelton, Stubbs Drafted In

Injured De Zorzi: South Africa batter Tony de Zorzi and all-rounder Donovan Ferreira have been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against West Indies and the Mens T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka due to injuries, said Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday. De Zorzi has not recovered from a right hamstring tear sustained during the ODI against India last month, while Ferreira fractured his left clavicle in an SA20 match between Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals on January 17. Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton and batting all-rounder Tristan Stubbs have been named as their replacements in the 15-man squad. CSA added that veteran left-handed batter David Miller will also miss the T20Is against the West Indies after suffering an adductor injury while playing for Paarl Royals, with his T20 World Cup participation subject to a fitness test. In place of him, Rubin Hermann has been added to the squad for the series against the West Indies. Pacer Lungi Ngidi, who bowled only two overs for Pretoria Capitals in their game against Sunrisers Eastern Cape, is expected to recover from a leg issue in time to travel to India and Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup. Dewald Brevis, who struck a match-winning 75 despite injuring his finger, will undergo a scan on Thursday. Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton and batting all-rounder Tristan Stubbs have been named as their replacements in the 15-man squad. CSA added that veteran left-handed batter David Miller will also miss the T20Is against the West Indies after suffering an adductor injury while playing for Paarl Royals, with his T20 World Cup participation subject to a fitness test. Also Read: Live Cricket Score South Africa's T20 World Cup contingent will depart for India on February 1. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be held fromFebruary 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. South Africa are drawn in Group D of the 2026 Mens T20 World Cup alongside Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. They will begin their campaign on February 9 against Canada at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Article Source: IANS

Lalit Modi Asks Bangladesh To Travel To India For T20 World Cup, Says Country Is Very Safe

Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi: Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has asked Bangladesh to travel to India to play their matches in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, telling them that India is a very safe country and not to politicise the issue. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sought relocation of their matches from India, claiming security concerns after the BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rehman from its squad for the upcoming IPL. The ICC Board has rejected their demand but the BCB on Thursday insisted that there was no change in their stand on the matter of travelling to India for T20 World Cup and accused the ICC of double standard as the sport's governing body had accepted a similar request from BCCI after its refused to send the men's team to Pakistan for the 2025 Champion Trophy there. But Lalit Modi said if Bangladesh wants to participate in the T20 World Cup, they should stick to the schedule as the country is very safe. Bangladesh should visit India, as the country is very safe. No visiting team has ever faced any such issue here, and there has never been an incident involving any sporting event. The government has always ensured security at all sporting events. There is no need to politicise the matter. If Bangladesh want to participate, they should stick to the schedule. I am confident the Indian government will provide adequate security to all teams, as it always has, Lalit Modi told IANS on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul stated that they did not get justice from the ICC and there is no scope to change their decision of not playing their matches in India. There is no scope to change our decision. We will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka. They did give us a 24-hour ultimatum, but a global body can't really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup. It will be their loss ... ICC is calling Sri Lanka co-hosts. They are not co-hosts. It is a hybrid model. Some of the things I heard in the ICC meeting were shocking, Nazrul said after a meeting with Bangladesh team cricketers and BCB officials in Dhaka. Bangladesh earlier informed the ICC that they would not travel to India due to security concerns amid deteriorating relations between the two nations and requested that their matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC reiterated on Wednesday that the T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, with Bangladeshs matches to be played in India. There is no scope to change our decision. We will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka. They did give us a 24-hour ultimatum, but a global body can't really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup. It will be their loss ... ICC is calling Sri Lanka co-hosts. They are not co-hosts. It is a hybrid model. Some of the things I heard in the ICC meeting were shocking, Nazrul said after a meeting with Bangladesh team cricketers and BCB officials in Dhaka. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The security situation in India remains unchanged. Our security concerns did not materialise out of thin air. It stemmed from a real incident, Nazrul added. Article Source: IANS

Afghanistan opt to bowl in quest for 3-0 sweep of West Indies

WI hand opportunities to Carty and Greaves in place of Athanaze and Lewis

Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Gill Out For A Duck As Punjab, Saurashtra Batters Struggle On A Turning Pitch

Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground: India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gills return to the Ranji Trophy ended in a two-ball duck as Saurashtra and Punjab batters struggled on a turning pitch on day one of their Elite Group B match at the Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground C on Thursday. On a day when 23 wickets fell, Gill was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Parth Bhut, who went on to claim 5-33. Punjabs batting line-up faltered against spin, with veteran India spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (2-48) and left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (2-36) joining forces to dismiss them for 139. Earlier, Saurashtra won the toss and elected to bat, but could make only 172 in 47.1 overs. Jay Gohil top-scored with 82 off 117 balls, while Prerak Mankad added 32. Punjab left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar returned with figures of 6-38, while Jass Inder took two wickets. Prabhsimran Singh (44), Anmolpreet Singh (35), and Uday Saharan (23) were other run-scorers for Punjab. But Bhuts spell and the Jadejas support dismissed them for a paltry total. Saurashtra closed the day at 24/3 in their second innings, with Gohil and Dharmendrasinh unbeaten on eight and five respectively, as the hosts lead stands at 57 runs. The day also saw the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) felicitate Arpit Vasavada on his 100th first-class appearance. A memento was presented by former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah and association President Jaydev Shah, in the presence of Unadkat, Jadeja, and both teams. Arpit Vasavada is an exceptional cricketer who has consistently proven to be a dependable batter in all situations. Arpits commitment, discipline, and passion for the game set him apart, serving as a source of inspiration for teammates and aspiring cricketers alike, said Shah, a BCCI Apex Council Member. Madhya Pradesh closed the opening day against Karnataka by reaching 244/5. Left-handed batting all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer top-scored with 87. Karnataka struck back late in the session by claiming three wickets to keep Madhya Pradesh in check. Arpit Vasavada is an exceptional cricketer who has consistently proven to be a dependable batter in all situations. Arpits commitment, discipline, and passion for the game set him apart, serving as a source of inspiration for teammates and aspiring cricketers alike, said Shah, a BCCI Apex Council Member. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Keralas struggles continued as last years finalists were dismissed for 139, with Chandigarh taking a two-run lead at stumps. Chandigarh have nine wickets in hand heading into the second day. Article Source: IANS

Unchanged UP Warriorz bowl; Gujarat Giants bring Wyatt-Hodge in for Wareham

Rajeshwari Gayakwad replaced fellow left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar for GG

South Africa add Rickelton and Stubbs to T20 World Cup squad

De Zorzi has not recovered from the hamstring tear he sustained in December in India while Ferreira fractured his shoulder while fielding in an SA20 match

WPL 2026: Unchanged UP Warriorz Elect To Bowl First Against Gujarat Giants

Unchanged UP Warriorz: An unchanged UP Warriorz have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Gujarat Giants in the 2026 Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 clash at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, in Vadodara on Thursday. Whoever wins Thursdays clash will go to second place in the points table. Third-placed UP Warriorz have emerged from a three-match losing streak to register consecutive victories. Fifth-ranked Gujarat Giants are looking to break their three-game losing streak after starting with two successive victories. If we can put Gujarat under some pressure early, it will be nice. It's a bit dewy already. We had a couple of days off, you know, straight after our last game, which was nice because it was a pretty hectic period. So, back into training the last couple of days, the group's really focused. We've got tonight's game, they're pretty high stakes. So we need to play well and put out our best performance. Assessing the conditions is really important anywhere you go. Perhaps not as much bounce here as there was in Navi Mumbai, but we're on a new wicket today. So we need to, as I said, assess what the best way to go about it is, firstly with the ball and then chase it down later on, said UPW captain Meg Lanning. GG skipper Ashleigh Gardner said top-order batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge comes in for leg-spinner Georgia Wareham, while left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad is also included in place of Tanuja Kanwer. We were going to bowl as well, but I think if we look at the three games at the start of our tournament, when we almost scored 200 in every game batting first, we obviously have to take a lot of confidence out of that. Obviously, a different venue, so that poses a different challenge, but hopefully we can set the tone really early here. You probably have to play a lot straighter for longer. That seems really simple, but I think also being able to invest a couple of balls at the start of your innings is super important, knowing that at these grounds, obviously, the outfields are so fast and quick that you can always catch up. So, even if you feel like you're behind the eight ball, it certainly doesn't take too many shots to kind of get back in front. So, I guess for us, it's trying to be really clinical in our decision-making, which over the last couple of games, maybe we haven't been. But I think it's a real positive tonight that we can try and go out there and set the tone early. Obviously, we know that we've got three games left. We obviously want to win three as well. So, I think, if we can just focus on the positives for us, there's obviously been a lot of chat around that, and it's almost like restarting our tournament now with the teams that we play at the back end here are all on the same points. So, it's almost like forgetting, I guess, the top of the ladder and just focusing on what I guess we can control, and that's playing really good cricket and then hopefully putting some wins on the board, she said. Playing XIs: So, I think, if we can just focus on the positives for us, there's obviously been a lot of chat around that, and it's almost like restarting our tournament now with the teams that we play at the back end here are all on the same points. So, it's almost like forgetting, I guess, the top of the ladder and just focusing on what I guess we can control, and that's playing really good cricket and then hopefully putting some wins on the board, she said. Also Read: Live Cricket Score UP Warriorz: Meg Lanning (c), Kiran Navgire, Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Asha Sobhana Joy, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud Article Source: IANS

England Selector Luke Wright To Step Down After 2026 Mens T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup: Luke Wright will step down from his role as England mens selector after the upcoming T20 World Cup, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday. Wright, who has served in the position for three years after assuming charge in November 2022, informed the board of his decision made with an eye to having less travel and spending more time with his young family. His departure comes in the wake of Englands 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia. It has been a true honour and privilege to serve as an England Mens Selector over the past three years. I have fully immersed myself in the role and am incredibly proud of the players we have brought through. The role demands significant travel and time away from home, and with a young family, the time feels right to pass the baton on to the next person. I now look forward with real interest and enthusiasm to whatever cricketing roles the future may hold. I would like to say a big thank you to my colleagues at the ECB, the players and coaches Ive worked alongside and especially Rob Key, who trusted me with such a responsibility, said Wright in the ECB statement. Wright, 40, retired from a two-decade professional career for England and Sussex when he was appointed as the national mens team selector. He was part of Englands T20 World Cup-winning side in 2010. During his tenure as the selector, England handed debuts across formats to Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, and Shoaib Bashir. Fast bowlers Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse earned their first Test caps, with the latter also making his T20I debut. Wright, 40, retired from a two-decade professional career for England and Sussex when he was appointed as the national mens team selector. He was part of Englands T20 World Cup-winning side in 2010. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Im very sad to see him go, and I wish him and his family all the best for the future. I have no doubt that at some stage down the road, he will enhance English cricket once again, said Rob Key, ECB Mens Managing Director. Article Source: IANS

Luke Wright steps down as England Men's selector

Wright leaves post after more than three years at the end of upcoming T20 World Cup

Bangladesh firm on not playing T20 World Cup in India despite risk of exclusion

Decision announced after meeting between BCB, national players and the government's sports adviser

WPL 2026: Clarity Around Roles Has Made A Difference For Us, Says Mandhana On RCB's Dream Start

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana on Thursday said that clear role definition within the squad has been a key factor behind the teams strong start to the Womens Premier League (WPL) 2026, with RCB becoming the first side to qualify for the playoffs after winning all five of their matches so far. Speaking about the good start in the tournament, Mandhana said, It has been a great start to our campaign, and we are very pleased with our performances so far. We have tried to stay true to our processes and continue to take it one game at a time, but the morale in the group is high, and the environment has been excellent. Smriti also explained how contributions from the whole squad have helped the team remain on top. It has been massively important that everyone has contributed. Beyond the Player of the Match performances, we have seen players step up whenever the situation has demanded it, the captain said. In every game, we have found a way to win, even in moments when we have been on the back foot, and that ability to close out results, even when it has not always been smooth sailing, is always a great sign for any team, she added. The 29-year-old also reflected on the culture within the group and its impact on performances. There is a strong belief within the group, and the whole squad is gelling well. A lot of credit has to go to the coaching staff and management for creating an environment where everyone brings the same intensity, she said Even in training sessions, players are willing to go that extra mile, and that is reflected in the range of performances we have seen, whether it is from someone experienced like Nadine or a youngster like Gautami, she added. Smriti hailed the team management for picking a strong squad at the auction. She said, When we came out of the auction, it was clear that we had given ourselves a lot of options. That was the first step, and the way the players have come in and executed their roles has helped us achieve results. There is clarity around roles, and that has made a big difference. Even in training sessions, players are willing to go that extra mile, and that is reflected in the range of performances we have seen, whether it is from someone experienced like Nadine or a youngster like Gautami, she added. Also Read: Live Cricket Score RCB will play their next match on Saturday, when they will be against the Delhi Capitals at BCA Stadium. Article Source: IANS

Beyond The Medals Lies Your Greatest Achievement: Sachin Lauds Saina For 'carrying Indian Badminton To World Stage'

BWF Singapore Open: Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar paid a glowing tribute to Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal for carrying Indian badminton to the world stage during her nearly two-decade-long career. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, who last played at the BWF Singapore Open in 2023, had not officially announced her retirement until Monday, when, during a podcast, the former World No. 1 said she had left the court on her own terms and there was no need to announce it. Highlighting Saina's contribution to the sport, Tendulkar shared on X, Dear Saina, your career is proof that greatness is built one day at a time, with patience, courage, and consistency. You carried Indian badminton to the world stage and showed that belief, when matched with preparation, can change the course of a sport. Beyond the medals lies your greatest achievement. Inspiring young athletes across the country to believe that global success is possible. Every sporting journey evolves, and while one phase ends, another begins. One where your experience, perspective, and love for the game will continue to guide many. Thank you for everything youve given to Indian sport. Your influence will be felt for generations, he added. Saina rose to international prominence in 2008 after becoming the junior world champion and became the first Indian woman to reach the quarter-finals in singles badminton at the Olympics (Beijing 2008). In 2009, she became the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title by clinching the Indonesia Open, and a year later she became a Commonwealth Games champion. At London 2012, Saina became Indias first Olympic medallist in badminton. In 2015, she made more history by becoming the world No. 1 in the singles badminton rankings, establishing herself as the first Indian woman to achieve the feat and the only second shuttler from the country, after Prakash Padukone, to reach the peak. She also became the first shuttler from the country to reach the final of the BWF World Championships that year but settled for silver after losing to Carolina Marin. Her career, however, was repeatedly disrupted by knee injuries, most notably following the Rio 2016 Olympics. Despite the setbacks, Saina returned to win a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She also became the first shuttler from the country to reach the final of the BWF World Championships that year but settled for silver after losing to Carolina Marin. Also Read: Live Cricket Score In 2024, she revealed that she had arthritis and complete cartilage wear in her knees, which forced her to make the difficult decision to bid farewell to the sport she loved. Article Source: IANS

IGPL Legend And Leander Paes Launch Grassroots Mentorship Programme To Train India's Next-gen Golfers

The Indian Golf Premier League: The Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), together with the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the Professional Golfers' Association of India (PGAI), and The Golf Foundation (TGF), announced the Golf Growth Initiative on Thursday, a groundbreaking programme that aims to develop the next generation of Indian golfers. Launched at Delhi Golf Club (DGC) with tennis legend Leander Paes in attendance, it represents a significant shift in golfs development by bringing the sport directly into schools and playgrounds, ensuring talent from all parts of India is nurtured and prepared to compete at the highest levels. This ambitious programme unites the entire golfing community, including mentorship from renowned golf legends like Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia, and Gaurav Ghei, to expand and improve the sport. The IGPL announced a strategic partnership with The Golf Foundation (TGF) to enhance grassroots scouting. Additionally, IGPL revealed plans to immediately establish state-of-the-art training centres in Orissa, Gurgaon, and Andhra Pradesh this year. These centres will act as regional hubs for spotting emerging talent and offering professional-level infrastructure. Moving beyond traditional academies, the initiative will host interactive golf sessions in schools, introducing the sport to thousands of students for the first time. This partnership includes the IGU, PGAI, schools, and corporate partners, forming a coordinated framework to spot talent early. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of IGPL, said, Indian golf is getting bigger and better, and the time has come to build a generation that can dominate the world stage. To do this, we are taking the game directly to schools and playgrounds, ensuring that no talent is left behind. This requires a huge collective effort, which is why we are joining hands with Amit Luthras foundation and the IGU. We are creating avenues where youngsters dont just train, they learn and play alongside experienced legends to become winners. A core element of the initiative is a comprehensive mentorship approach, where young players will train and compete alongside Indian golf stars. Legends like Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar will actively guide new talents, helping them become competition-ready on the international stage. Indian golf legend and IGPL Icon Player Jeev Milkha Singh said, I have always believed that for Indian golf to grow, we need to give back to the next generation. This initiative is close to my heart because it provides young players with the kind of structured guidance and mentorship that can shave years off their learning curve. By bringing experienced pros and raw talent together on the same platform, we are instilling the belief that they can beat the best in the world. Tennis icon Leander Paes, partnering with IGPL to bring an Olympic-level vision to the training infrastructure, said, I have always believed that Indian athletes have the potential to rule the world stage. Partnering with IGPL is about bringing that Olympic mindset to golf. We are building a system where talent is identified early and nurtured with the best infrastructure. This initiative is about giving our youth the belief and the tools to win at the highest level. Expressing the federations strong support, Major Bibhuti Bhushan, Director General of the Indian Golf Union, said, This is a significant moment where the entire fraternity is joining hands for a common goal called Golf on Wheels. Unless golf is introduced to schools, government schools, or tier 2, tier 3 cities, or villages, we will not find big talent, as has happened in cricket and elsewhere. The IGU is proud to back IGPL on this initiative because it fills a critical gap, connecting grassroots passion with professional guidance. Seeing icons mentor young talent is exactly the kind of structured support Indian golf needs to grow. Tennis icon Leander Paes, partnering with IGPL to bring an Olympic-level vision to the training infrastructure, said, I have always believed that Indian athletes have the potential to rule the world stage. Partnering with IGPL is about bringing that Olympic mindset to golf. We are building a system where talent is identified early and nurtured with the best infrastructure. This initiative is about giving our youth the belief and the tools to win at the highest level. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The IGPL Golf Development Programme will be rolled out in phases, starting this year with new centres in Orissa, Gurgaon, and Andhra Pradesh. These centres of excellence aim to promote the long-term growth of golf across India. Article Source: IANS

No Scope To Change Our Decision: Bangladesh Firm On Not Playing T20 WC In India

Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul: After the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that the Men's T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul stated that they did not get justice from the ICC and there is no scope to change their decision of not playing their matches in India. There is no scope to change our decision. We will go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka. They did give us a 24-hour ultimatum, but a global body can't really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup. It will be their loss ... ICC is calling Sri Lanka co-hosts. They are not co-hosts. It is a hybrid model. Some of the things I heard in the ICC meeting was shocking, Nazrul said after a meeting with Bangladesh team cricketers and BCB officials in Dhaka. Bangladesh earlier informed the ICC that they would not travel to India due to security concerns amid deteriorating relations between the two nations and requested that their matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC reiterated on Wednesday that the T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, with Bangladeshs matches to be played in India. The ICC Board noted that it was not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament and that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events and undermine its neutrality as a global governing body. Bangladesh earlier informed the ICC that they would not travel to India due to security concerns amid deteriorating relations between the two nations and requested that their matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC reiterated on Wednesday that the T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, with Bangladeshs matches to be played in India. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Following a meeting on Wednesday, the ICC Board noted that it was not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament and that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events and undermine its neutrality as a global governing body. Article Source: IANS

Irfan Pathan Advocates Abhishek's ODI World Cup Selection After T20 Heroics

ODI World Cup: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has urged the national selectors to consider T20I star Abhishek Sharma for the ODI World Cup, stating that the left-handers explosive T20 performances could translate effectively into the ODI format if used smartly. Reacting to Abhisheks recent heroics in T20 cricket, Pathan acknowledged that the batter currently sits behind names like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the list of players waiting for permanent entry into the ODI setup. However, he emphasised that Abhisheks power-hitting ability makes him a compelling option worthy of serious consideration. Pathan feels that with Abhishek's entry, the Indian team can make the most of their Power-play in ODIs, just like they do in T20Is. Abhishek Sharma should be in the considerations for the 50-over World Cup. Guys like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are ahead of him at the moment. But imagine him maximising the Power play in a similar fashion to T20S. Pathan wrote in a post on X. Abhishek has emerged as one of Indias most destructive top-order batters in the shortest format, impressing with his fearless stroke play, ability to clear the infield with ease, and growing maturity in shot selection. He played an amazing innings of 84 runs on just 35 balls on Wednesday against New Zealand in the first T20I match at Nagpur. Abhishek's knock helped the Indian cricket team to register an emphatic win of 48 runs against the visitors. Abhishek Sharma should be in the considerations for the 50-over World Cup. Guys like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are ahead of him at the moment. But imagine him maximising the Power play in a similar fashion to T20S. Pathan wrote in a post on X. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The 25-year-old is yet to debut for India in ODI, but the left-hander has a good record in List A cricket. He has played 69 matches and has scored 2196 runs at a strike rate of over 100. Abhishek has struck four hundreds and 8 fifties in the format. He has also hammered 69 sixes and 266 boundaries. Article Source: IANS

WPL 2026: Gujarat Giants Pick Jintimani Kalita As Titas Sadhus Injury Replacement

U19 World Cup: Gujarat Giants have signed Jintimani Kalita as an injury replacement for Titas Sadhu for the remainder of the Womens Premier League (WPL) 2026. Kalita, a left-handed batter and right-arm medium pacer who previously played for the Mumbai Indians in the WPL, has played in 13 matches across the previous three editions of the tournament. Kalita signed with the Giants for Rs 10 Lakhs and will aim to strengthen the team as they look to secure a playoff spot. Sadhu joined the Giants from Delhi Capitals ahead of this WPL season, but the 21-year-old did not play a single game before being ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. Gujarat Giants (GG) picked Jintimani Kalita as an injury replacement for Titas Sadhu for the remainder of the Womens Premier League (WPL) 2026. Jintimani Kalita, who had previously played for Mumbai Indians (MI) in WPL, has 13 WPL games to her name. A left-handed batter and a right-arm medium fast bowler Jintimani Kalita will join GG for Rs 10 Lakh, the WPL said in a statement. Sadhu, the young pacer, has had a lot of injuries over the last 2 years and was the only Indian member of the squad who hadn't featured for Gujarat this year. Gujarat Giants (GG) picked Jintimani Kalita as an injury replacement for Titas Sadhu for the remainder of the Womens Premier League (WPL) 2026. Jintimani Kalita, who had previously played for Mumbai Indians (MI) in WPL, has 13 WPL games to her name. A left-handed batter and a right-arm medium fast bowler Jintimani Kalita will join GG for Rs 10 Lakh, the WPL said in a statement. Also Read: Live Cricket Score However, Sadhus last international appearance came a year ago, in January 2025, against Ireland, when the Women in Blue faced the Irish team at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, and she has been out of the setup since then. Article Source: IANS

Injured Sadhu out of WPL 2026, Giants pick Kalita as replacement

Sadhu did not feature in any matches this season for Gujarat Giants

WPL 2026: Lack Of Stability At The Top Leading To MIs Batting Power-play Struggles, Says Karim

With Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Defending champions Mumbai Indians' struggles in the batting power-play of the 2026 Women's Premier League (WPL) stem from a critical lack of stability at the top of the batting order, said former India mens wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim. The two-time champions have suffered four defeats in six matches something which is a first for the franchise. Their batting powerplay run rate of 6.05 is the weakest for a team in the competition, with none of their five openers Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur and Sajeevan Sajana managing to cross 40 in any innings of this season. What has also not helped MI is their regular opener Hayley not having any game time behind her after undergoing shoulder surgery and a quad niggle, as well as Kamalini being ruled out of the competition due to a shoulder strain. That's the biggest reason why MI are struggling at this stage, there is a lack of stability right at the top. If you go through Mumbai Indians' performances in the last two-three seasons, the reason why they have done well is that they have had a lot of stability right at the top, especially with Hayley Matthews coming in good as an opener. But this season, one, because of her injury, she was introduced quite late in the season and they missed out with her experience. Even when she has come in, I think she's still struggling with form due to lack of match practice and one can see it on that front. So then all the heavy lifting has to be done by Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur, Karim told IANS in the WPL 2026 media may organised by JioStar. The openers not giving desired results has meant that a lot of heavy lifting with the bat has been done by Nat (136 runs) and Harmanpreet (166 runs), who have so far managed to keep MIs campaign alive. Somehow, although they have tried their best, I think both these batters have produced some decent performances. But then even after that, you have after Harmanpreet, Amanjot Kaur, who has done well at the top of the order, but hasn't contributed so much lower down the order. So I think the batting has really curtailed MI's performance this season. If you look at the number of runs that they have scored so far, they've hardly surpassed 160-170 or 175. I think the kind of wicket, especially that we have seen this time around at the DY Patil Stadium, you need to get to at least 190-200 on a regular basis. I think their inability to do so has hurt them quite a lot, added Karim, a former India selector. Meanwhile, UP Warriorz have emerged from a three-match losing streak to register consecutive victories, though they are yet to nail a settled batting order. Karim expressed confidence in skipper Meg Lannings to settle on the right combination in time for them to make a serious push towards entering the playoffs. Well, I do trust Meg Lanning to find the right kind of solution. She has taken some time to understand her players. But now I think she's in a very strong position to figure out who comes when. In any case, in the T20 format, the batting order remains very fluid, except your top three. I want to believe that if you have a very stable top three, then there are more chances of that team succeeding. More so because the top three generally gets to bat in the power play. Yes, you're right that Meg Lanning and UP Warriorz have taken some time. But the reason why they picked Meg Lanning as a captain is because UP Warriorz, as a management side, felt that she can really lead them quite well, not only with her batting skills, but also with her captaincy skills. Now I think slowly one can see that transpiring for UP Warriorz. So I'm quite confident that now they're left with, what, three or four games and they'll be able to perform much better. I feel that they do have a strong chance of qualifying (for the playoffs), he explained. With Royal Challengers Bengaluru already qualifying for the playoffs, the likes of MI, UPW, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants are tied on four points each, making this potentially the most competitive race to the playoffs in WPL history. I can see that and I think that's been the best part about WPL. I think the kind of maturity that we have seen in WPL, we see all the sides more and more fighting for a place in the top three. So I think now we are in the business end of the tournament and yet only one team has qualified. So there are chances open for the other teams to still make a race for the qualification spots. With Royal Challengers Bengaluru already qualifying for the playoffs, the likes of MI, UPW, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants are tied on four points each, making this potentially the most competitive race to the playoffs in WPL history. Also Read: Live Cricket Score I think all that has happened because after three years, we had this kind of a (mega) auction. I think we have seen some fresh faces - teams have rebuilt their 11 or 15. So that is why we have seen so much happening this time around in WPL. It has turned out to be arguably one of the most competitive seasons so far, concluded Karim. Article Source: IANS

Troy Cooley returns as England pace-bowling lead coach

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EMotorad partners with India Khelo Football Season 5

EMotorad will recognise individual excellence by awarding an electric cycle to the Best Performer at every IKF match