Page 18 - Cricket News

Ranji Trophy 2026: Shami bags three wickets as J&K trail by 131 runs

Mohammed Shami on Monday bowled a couple of incisive spells to get three wickets but Jammu and Kashmir did well enough to reach 198 for 5 against Bengal on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final, which remains evenly poised going into the third day here. Bengal's first innings ended at 328 after starting the day at 249 for 5 with Auqib Nabi (5/87 in 26 overs) completing another five-wicket haul and a milestone of 50 wickets in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. Bengal's in-form batter Sudip Kumar Gharami (146, 246 balls) could only add 10 more runs to his overnight unbeaten score of 136 as Nabi got one to tail in slightly and found his pads. Veteran Sumanta Gupta (39 off 36 balls) did give the charge but the hosts couldn't press home the advantage with both Nabi and left-arm seamer Sunil Kumar (3/41in 20 overs) used the second new ball to good effect. When Jammu and Kashmir batted, Shami, the hero of India's many overseas wins, bowled a probing first spell in which both opener

Smriti Mandhana honoured as BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025

Star batter Smriti Mandhana, who played a pivotal role in India's historic 2025 Women's World Cup triumph, was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 at a glittering function here on Monday. Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh won the Emerging Player of the Year award, for her historic FIDE Women's World Cup triumph at just 20. Preethi Pal was named the Para-Sportswoman of the Year, for winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in track and field, while Anjali Bhagwat was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her pioneering career as India's first woman shooter to reach an Olympic final and her trailblazing success on the world stage. Mandhana, who is currently touring Australia with the Indian team for multi-format bilateral assignments, said in a video message: "Thank you BBC for giving me the awardfor Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women's cricket, especiallytowards the end we had a World Cup and I'm happy I cou

T20 WC 2026 Group B updated points table: SL, ZIM, AUS rankings

Zimbabwe, with their win over Australia on Friday, have jumped to the number two spot in the Group B points table

Australia vs Sri Lanka HIGHLIGHTS T20 World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka down Aussies to qualify for Super 8

ICC T20 World Cup HIGHLIGHTS: Sri Lanka are first team from Group B and fifth team overall to book their place in the next round

AUS vs SL Live Streaming: Where to watch today's T20 World Cup 2026 match?

Sri Lanka will book their place in the Super 8s if they manage to get a win over the Australian side today

T20 WC 2026: Australia vs Sri Lanka preview, toss time, live streaming

Sri Lanka began their campaign with a 29-run victory over Ireland and followed it up with a commanding 105-run thrashing of Oman.

England vs Italy HIGHLIGHTS T20 World Cup 2026: England down Italy to qualify for Super 8

ICC T20 World Cup HIGHLIGHTS: England is now the second team from Group C and fourth team overall to qualify for Super 8s

Rashid vows team will make nation proud despite Super 8s uncertainty

Afghanistan's fate in qualifying for T20 World Cup Super Eights stage is not in their hands even after beating UAE here on Monday, but captain Rashid Khan said his team wants to make the country proud with its brand of cricket even if it makes an early exit from the tournament. After Afghanistan's five-wicket win over UAE, South Africa made it to the Super Eights from Group D with six points from three matches. New Zealand, currently with four points from three matches, can seal the second spot from the group if they beat Canada on Tuesday in Chennai. In that scenario, Afghanistan -- currently on two points from three matches -- will exit from the tournament even if they defeat Canada in their last group match on February 19 in Chennai. "Hoping for the best. Yes, (we) still have a little bit of hope, we can make it to the next stage and we just need to come up with a positive mindset (against Canada)," Rashid said at the post-match presentation. "Next game, you never know, it's a

Pakistan likely to ring changes as Babar, Shaheen battle lean patch: Report

Pakistan is set to drop senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi from their next T20 World Cup match against Namibia after the duo's failure to come good in the high-stakes game against India in Colombo, a reliable source in the team management told PTI on Monday. The source said that Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi conveyed his displeasure over the team's performance in the 61-run loss to India to team manager Naved Akram Cheema. "The Chairman left the match early at the Premadasa stadium as it became obvious Pakistan were going to face another defeat to India," the source said. He said Naqvi, through a senior PCB official, also conveyed to the manager that such performances in matches that matter were not understandable or acceptable. The source said head coach Mike Hesson also spoke to the players in the dressing room and told them that they had not played to their full potential. "Late night the management think tank decided enough was enough and it was t

Azmatullah's all-round show helps Afghanistan keep Super 8 hopes alive

Azmatullah Omarzai claimed four wickets to restrict UAE to 160 for 9 and later scored the winning run with a boundary to complete the chase.

T20 World Cup 2026: England vs Italy preview, toss time, live streaming

Two-time champions England will hope to secure a win over Italy and book their place in the Super 8s

T20 World Cup 2026: England vs Italy pitch report and Eden Gardens stats

Two-time champions England will aim to join West Indies in the Super 8s with a win over Italy in Kolkata

T20 World Cup 2026: Smith replaces Hazlewood in Australia's 15-member squad

Australia's Super 8 qualification scenario: With two games left, winning both will keep Aussies' Super 8 hopes alive and give them the best chance of progressing to the next stage

Namibia name Volschenk as Shikongo replacement ahead of key Pakistan clash

Though Namibia are out of Super 8 contention, their final Group A match against Pakistan on February 18 could decide the second team from the group to reach the next stage.

Axar Patel reveals key reasons behind India's 61-run win vs Pakistan

India hammered Pakistan by 61 runs to enter the Super 8 of ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Axar Patel said the win came from clear roles, calm minds and smart spin plans.

Fearless Kishan took the game away from us: Pakistan coach Hesson

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said "fearless" Ishan Kishan's marauding fifty was the difference between his side and India, and urged his players to rally after the heavy defeat in the marquee clash of the T20 World Cup here. Led by Kishan's aggressive 77 off 40 balls, India trumped Pakistan by 61 runs in a Group A match here Sunday night to seal a Super Eight berth. "I think he's fearless. He's able to score on both sides of the ground. So, he's not just committed to the leg side. We know he's incredibly strong there, but he can reverse. So, if you've got spin, especially in the power play, it can be a challenge," Hesson said in the post-match press conference. True to Hesson's words, Kishan scored 66 runs off 37 balls against Pakistan slow bowlers, spoiling their spin-heavy strategy on a slow Premadasa pitch. Hesson admitted that Kishan's approach unsettled his spinners. "I think the fact that he's in a rare vein of form, applied a lot of pressure to our spinners and probably

Afghanistan vs UAE live streaming: Where to watch T20 WC match online?

Afghan fans can watch live on Lemar TV with Pashto and Dari commentary. In UAE, tune into CricLife Max on TV or stream the match live on StarzPlay across the MENA region.

T20 WC 2026: Afghanistan vs UAE preview, toss time, live streaming

Both Afghanistan and UAE will be eager to keep their Super 8 hopes alive with a win in Delhi today

Sanjay's 68, bowlers seal 31-run win as USA stay alive for Super 8 round

Sanjay Krishnamurthi's explosive unbeaten half-century followed by a disciplined bowling show powered USA to a crucial 31-run win over Namibia, in a must-win Group C clash here on Sunday, keeping their slim Super Eights hopes alive. With back-to-back victories, USA finished the group stage on four points and are on third place behind India and Pakistan as they remain in contention for a place in the next round from Group A, though they will depend on other results. Opting to bat, skipper Monank Patel set the tone with a fluent 30-ball 52 before Krishnamurthi hammered an unbeaten 68 off 33 balls to lift USA to their highest-ever T20 World Cup total of 199/4, also the second-highest total by an Associate team at the men's T20 World Cup. In reply, Namibia were restricted to 168/6 despite a strong start given by Louren Steenkamp (58 off 39 balls; 5x4, 3x6). The Namibian opener Steenkamp provided early fireworks, especially in a 20-run fifth over when he smashed Ali Khan for two fours a

T20 WC: It''s about adapting, says England's Tom Banton on new No 4 role

England batter Tom Banton says he is relishing his new role at No.4, adding that he is now "older" and "more mature" with a better understanding of his game after guiding the team to a crucial win over Scotland in the T20 World Cup. Banton produced a composed unbeaten 63 to anchor a tricky chase and seal a nervy five-wicket victory, keeping England's Super Eights hopes alive. "I think just a bit, obviously older, more mature, got a better understanding of my game," he said on what he did differently against Scotland on Saturday. "When I came onto the scene, I remember at the start of that summer I was just about scraping into Somerset's second team. "Then six months later, I was playing for England and traveling all over the world, which was great, but I've got more of an understanding. "I have kind of, I don't know, just grown. I've learned a lot about myself. Not even anything to do with cricket," he said. Primarily an opener, Banton first came back into the England side as a .