Sports

Brisbane: Australia’s left-arm pace spearhead Mitchell Starc continues his sensational form in the Ashes. After dismissing Zak Crawley in the first over of both innings in the opening Test at Perth, Starc has once again struck in the very first over of the second Test at the Gabba—this time removing England opener Ben Duckett for a golden duck.First-ball dismissal for DuckettEngland captain Ben Stokes opted to bat first after winning the toss, but Starc immediately put Australia on top. Delivering a full, away-swinging ball, the left-armer forced Duckett into a tentative defensive push. The ball caught the outside edge and flew straight to Marnus Labuschagne at first slip. Duckett walked back without scoring, falling on the very first ball he faced.Starc’s unmatched first-over ...

New Delhi: Ahead of the second ODI between India and South Africa in Raipur, Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has been penalised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Code of Conduct during the first ODI in Ranchi. The Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees found Rana guilty of a Level-1 offence, adding one demerit point to his record and imposing a fine of up to 50% of his match fee.The incident occurred in the 22nd over of South Africa’s innings when Rana dismissed young batter Dewald Brevis. Immediately after the dismissal, the Indian pacer made a gesture directing Brevis towards the dressing room — an act deemed as an attempt to provoke or incite the dismissed batter.On-field umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Sam Nogajski, along with third umpire Rod T...

Lucknow | December 3, 2025: Mumbai registered a commanding 98-run victory over Assam in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 group-stage encounter, courtesy of a blistering century from Sarfaraz Khan and a sensational five-wicket haul by skipper Shardul Thakur.Sarfaraz Khan Smashes 47-Ball CenturyAssam captain Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that backfired spectacularly. Mumbai posted a massive 220/4 in 20 overs, powered by an explosive knock from Sarfaraz Khan.Sarfaraz hammered an unbeaten 100 off just 47 balls, striking 8 fours and 7 sixes at a remarkable strike rate of 212.77. His aggressive strokeplay dismantled Assam’s bowling attack and set up a daunting target.Shardul Thakur’s Fiery Spell Destroys AssamChasing 221, Assam crumbled under pressure and were ...

Cricket matches between India and Pakistan are always high-voltage affairs, capturing the imagination of fans across the subcontinent. While India has dominated in recent years, there was a moment when Pakistan gained the upper hand—most memorably during the 2021 T20 World Cup.In that tournament, Pakistan achieved their first-ever World Cup win against India, defeating them by 10 wickets in Dubai. Pakistan chased down India’s target of 152 runs without losing a wicket, finishing the match with 13 balls to spare. Captain Babar Azam scored an unbeaten 68 runs, while Mohammad Rizwan contributed a brilliant 79-run innings. India, meanwhile, was eliminated in the group stage, whereas Pakistan advanced to the semifinals.A Victory to RememberBabar Azam recently made his return to the T20 ...

In cricket, many players who dominate in Test matches struggle to replicate their success in One Day Internationals (ODIs). While the skill sets often overlap, some cricketers, despite brilliant Test careers, could not make a significant impact in the shorter format. Here are five such stars:1. Azhar Ali – PakistanAzhar Ali has been a stalwart for Pakistan in Test cricket, scoring 7,142 runs in 97 matches with 19 centuries, including a triple century. However, in ODIs, he played 53 matches, scoring only 1,845 runs, with a highest score of 102.2. Justin Langer – AustraliaJustin Langer enjoyed a prolific Test career, playing 105 matches and amassing 7,696 runs at an average above 45, with 23 centuries. In contrast, his ODI career was limited to just 8 matches, scoring 160 runs at an ...

New Delhi: The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction concluded with 67 players being bought by five franchises, including 23 international stars. A total of 277 players—194 Indians and 83 foreigners—were part of the bidding. While many top players secured contracts, several international stars surprisingly went unsold. Here’s a look at five such players whose performances speak volumes in international cricket:1. Tazmin Brits (South Africa)Opening batter for South Africa, Tazmin Brits has scored 1,719 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals at an average above 32, including 14 fifties in 65 innings. Despite her impressive record, no franchise picked her in the WPL 2026 auction.2. Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)Sri Lanka’s captain and one of the finest all-rounders in women’s...

New Delhi: The wedding of Indian women’s cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and singer-director Palaash Muchhal, originally scheduled for Sunday in Sangli, Maharashtra, was postponed after a sudden health scare involving Smriti’s father, Srinivas Mandhana.Father Now Out of DangerSrinivas Mandhana was admitted to a hospital in Sangli after his health deteriorated unexpectedly during breakfast on Sunday. Doctors performed an angiography, which confirmed there were no blockages, and his condition is now stable and out of danger. He was discharged on Tuesday.Wedding Postponed at Smriti’s RequestAccording to Smriti’s manager, Tuhin Mishra, the decision to postpone the wedding was made by Smriti herself. She prioritized her father’s recovery over the celebrations, stating that she want...

Guwahati: India is once again on the brink of defeat in the second Test against South Africa, and controversy has erupted following comments made by South Africa’s head coach Shukri Conrad after the fourth day of play.South Africa is on the verge of winning the match and completing a series clean sweep. In the post-day press conference, Conrad made remarks that have sparked debate across the cricketing world. He referenced a famous quote by the late England captain Tony Greig from 1976, before England’s series against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies, which had infamously motivated the West Indies to crush England 3-0.Conrad said, “We wanted the Indian team to spend as much time on the field as possible. We wanted them to come down to their knees (I am borrowing this line), and we wanted to t...

As excitement builds ahead of the IPL 2026 season, all ten franchises have finalized their retentions before the upcoming mini-auction. The spotlight remains firmly on Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant, who continues to hold the title of the most expensive player in IPL history with a staggering ₹27 crore price tag.Reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who lifted their maiden trophy in IPL 2025, have also retained their core group, while other teams have made strategic decisions to strengthen their squads ahead of the auction.Below is the complete list of the most expensive retained players of IPL 2026:Most Expensive Players Retained for IPL 2026TeamPlayerSalaryLucknow Super Giants (LSG)Rishabh Pant₹27 crorePunjab Kings (PBKS)Shreyas Iyer₹26.75 cror...

As India struggles in the ongoing Test series against South Africa, former cricketer Shreevats Goswami, who played alongside Virat Kohli in the U-19 World Cup and later at RCB, has said that Kohli made a mistake by retiring from Test cricket. His post on X has gone viral, triggering a fresh debate among fans and experts.India’s batting has collapsed repeatedly in the series. Across three innings, the team has managed just one half-century, reflecting deep issues in the batting lineup. After a heavy defeat in the first Test and another poor start in the second, India is now in danger of facing a second clean sweep within a year. In such a crisis, fans strongly feel the absence of Virat Kohli — one of India’s most successful and passionate Test players.“Kohli Should Have Retired from...