Sports

In a thrilling encounter at Newlands, MI Cape Town, the franchise owned by Mumbai Indians, secured their first victory in the ongoing SA20 league by defeating the Joburg Super Kings. Despite the win, MI Cape Town remains at the bottom of the points table with only 6 points from 6 matches, while Joburg Super Kings are in second place with 15 points. Rain-Interrupted Match Ends in MI Cape Town's Favor The match was affected by rain, and under the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method, MI Cape Town chased down Joburg Super Kings' total of 123/7, winning by 4 wickets. Joburg's innings saw explosive starts from Faf du Plessis and James Vince, who managed to put together a quick 32-run partnership in just 16 balls. Vince was dismissed for 15, while du Plessis continued his aggressive innings,...

New Zealand has unveiled its squad for the much-anticipated T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka starting from February 7. Despite making it to the final in 2021, New Zealand has yet to win the prestigious tournament. Spin-Bowling Dominance for New Zealand With an eye on the challenging conditions in India and Sri Lanka, the Black Caps have named a squad that features a formidable lineup of spin-bowling all-rounders. The squad will be led by Mitchell Santner, who brings his leadership experience to the forefront. Alongside him, four spin-bowling all-rounders make up the core of the squad: Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Santner himself. Experienced spinner Ish Sodhi, who boasts over 150 wickets in T20 International cricket, a...

In an unexpected turn of events, Bangladesh's fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman will not receive any payment from either Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following a decision to exclude him from IPL 2026. The decision comes after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) withdrew its No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Mustafizur's participation in the tournament. Rahman was bought by KKR for a whopping ₹9.2 crore during the IPL 2026 auction after a fierce bidding war with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, due to the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, the BCCI directed KKR to drop Rahman from their roster, and as a result, the fast bowler will no longer participate in this year’s IPL. No Compensation for Rahman According to sources,...

New Delhi: January 7, 2019, marked a momentous day in Indian cricket history when Team India conquered Australia in their own backyard, winning their first-ever Test series in Australia. This victory ended a long 70-year wait, with the first-ever tour of Australia by an Indian team dating back to 1947-48. The day India made history, Australia, known for its formidable cricket team both at home and abroad, was finally overcome in a Test series. India Clinches Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 The 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy reached its thrilling conclusion on January 7, with the Sydney Test being drawn. India won the four-match series 2-1, securing a historic series victory on Australian soil. The final match took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India made a remarkable start by...

On January 7, 1956, Indian cricket witnessed a golden moment that will forever be etched in the annals of the sport’s history. On this day, Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy set a record that would remain unbroken for 52 years, achieving the highest first-wicket partnership in Test cricket at that time. Their historic partnership of 413 runs still holds the distinction of being India's highest first-wicket partnership and remains the second-largest opening partnership in Test cricket history. The Historic Match: India vs New Zealand The fifth and final Test of the 1956 India-New Zealand series was played at the Corporation Stadium (later renamed Nehru Stadium) in Madras. India led the series 1-0, but the opening pair was still a headache for the team. Over the first four Tests, India had t...

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is set to begin on 9 January, with the opening match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The matches this season will be played in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. However, a significant record has yet to be achieved in the league’s history: no player has managed to score a century in the WPL so far. In this article, we take a look at five players who could potentially break this century drought in the upcoming season. Smriti MandhanaIndia's star opener, Smriti Mandhana, is a strong contender to score the first century in WPL 2026. Mandhana has the ability to make a big score, having already achieved 17 international centuries in her career. Beth MooneyAustralia's Beth Mooney is another top batter who could mark her presence in WPL 2...

New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has once again taken a jibe at Virat Kohli, this time criticizing his decision to retire from Test cricket. Manjrekar’s comments come after Joe Root reached his milestone of 41 Test centuries, sparking a comparison among the modern-day greats, including Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli—all part of the renowned "Fab 4" of modern cricket. Interestingly, Kohli is the only one among them to have retired from Test cricket. In a video shared on his Instagram handle, Manjrekar expressed his disappointment with Kohli’s decision. He pointed out that despite Kohli's long-standing struggles in Test cricket over the last five years, he did not seem to have fully explored the reasons behind his slump, with his Test average remaining at...

The popular tennis tournament, the Australian Open, is set to begin on 18 January 2026. Ahead of the tournament, the organizers have announced a record increase in prize money. The total prize pool for this year’s Australian Open has been raised by 16%, reaching AUD 111.5 million (USD 75 million)—equivalent to at least ₹6.75 billion in Indian currency. Last year, the prize money stood at AUD 96.5 million. Winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles will receive AUD 4.15 million (USD 2.8 million) each, marking a 19% increase compared to 2025. Australian Open Prize Money vs T20 World Cup For comparison, the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 had a total prize pool of approximately ₹94 crore. India, which won the tournament by defeating South Africa in the final, received ₹20.37 crore. In...

The latest ICC Women’s T20 rankings have brought a significant shake-up, with India’s Deepti Sharma losing her No. 1 spot. This reshuffling has opened the door for Harmanpreet Kaur, who has benefited from the updated rankings. The changes in the rankings reflect the dynamic performances of players in recent matches, highlighting Kaur’s consistent form and impact with the bat. Deepti Sharma, previously holding the top position, now faces stiff competition in the T20 landscape. This update adds fresh excitement for Indian women’s cricket fans as Harmanpreet Kaur rises in the charts, reaffirming her status as one of the leading performers in the format. The ICC will continue monitoring performances ahead of upcoming fixtures, and the rankings are expected to shift further as players ...

Ahmedabad: Karnataka’s star batter Devdutt Padikkal continued his red-hot form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, smashing 91 runs against Rajasthan and etching his name in cricketing history. Despite falling short of a century, Padikkal’s remarkable consistency has made him the first player ever to score 600 or more runs in three different Vijay Hazare Trophy seasons. Historic PerformanceAt just 26, Padikkal has amassed 605 runs in 6 matches this season alone. In previous seasons, he scored 609 runs in 11 matches (2019-20) and 737 runs in 7 matches (2020-21), setting a record no other batter has achieved in the tournament’s history. Season HighlightsPadikkal’s dominating run-scoring spree in the current Vijay Hazare Trophy includes: Jharkhand: 147 runs Kerala: 124 runs Pu...