Category: Top News

MIRPUR: Mirza Baig and Aamer Jamal starred as Chattogram Royals sealed a place in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 final with a six-wicket victory over Rajshahi Warriors here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, on Tuesday.

Set mere 134 to chase in Qualifier 1, Royals hit the winning runs on the third ball of the final over.

Mirza Baig and Mohammad Naim laid a strong foundation with a 64-run stand in 11.3 overs.

Naim 30 from 38 included three fours.

Despite the wicket, Chattogram Royal kept cruising as the Pakistani duo of Hasan Nawaz and Mirza Baig stitched a 34-run partnership, which brought the total to 98 in 15.3 overs.

Despite the wickets, Baig held the innings together and brought his side near the finishing line.

He eventually departed after scoring 45 from 47 balls with the help of four boundaries.

With nine required of the final over, Royals skipper Mahedi Hasan smashed a six and took a double run to take his side into the final. He remained unbeaten on 19 from nine balls.

For Rajshahi Warriors,  Abdul Gaffar Saqlain scalped two wickets.

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Earlier, put into bat first, Rajshahi Warriors batting lineup faltered under pressure and were skittled for 133 at the end of their 20 overs.

Sahibzada Farhan and Tanzid Hasan put on a 30-run partnership for the opening wicket in 5.3 overs.

Farhan was caught after scoring 21 off 19, which included a six and two fours.

However, it was Mahedi Hasan’s back-to-back strikes on successive deliveries that turned the game on its head. The spinner first snared Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck and followed up the wicket with the captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made eight.

As a result, Warriors were reduced to 49-3 in 8.4 overs.

Despite wickets tumbling around him, Tanzid kept his head cool, but Hasan Nawaz ended his resistance in the 14th over.

He departed after top-scoring for his side with 41 off 37, striking three fours and a six.

Aamer Jamal, meanwhile, cut through the lower order with two wickets as Abdul Gaffar Saqlain hit a quick-fire 32 from 15 to take his side to a competitive total.

The right-hander’s innings included three sixes and two fours.

For Chattogram Royal, Aamer Jamal bowled three overs and picked up two wickets while giving away 27. Mahedi Hasan also managed to pick two, while the rest of the five bowlers also picked one apiece.

READ: U19 World Cup: Australia crush Japan to seal Super Six berth

WINDHOEK: Will Malajczuk’s sublime ton guided Australia to an easy win over Japan, while the Bangladesh vs New Zealand fixture was washed out in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026.

Set 202, Australia romped to an eight-wicket victory in 29.1 overs, becoming the first team to qualify for the Super Six stage of the tournament.

Will Malajczuk and Nitesh Samuel started briskly in the chase as the pair added 135 in 15.3 overs.

Malajczuk remained the core aggressor, first racing to a 21-ball half-century and then completing his ton on 51 balls.

He eventually departed after scoring 102 off 55 balls, laced with five sixes and 12 fours. Steven Hogan was the second wicket to fall in the 20th over. He made 15 from 20 balls.

Eventually, Australia reached the target with Samuel’s remaining unbeaten on 60 off 73 deliveries, hitting four boundaries. Tom Hogan made 19* from 27 balls.

For Japan, Charlie Hara-Hinze and Nihar Parmar picked up one wicket each.

Earlier, Japan decided to bat first and managed 201-8 at the end of their 50 overs.

After losing Nikhil Pol for a duck in the opening over, Nihar Parmar and Hugo Tani-Kelly stabilized the innings with a 58-run partnership.

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Parmar made 33 from 67 balls with the help of a six and two boundaries.

Japan were kept afloat by Hugo Tani-Kelly, who held the innings together with a string of parnterships until the middle order collapse.

He forged another partnership of 46 runs with Charlie Hara-Hinze (24), bringing the total over 100 run mark.

However, Hinze’s dismissal sparked a mini collapse, slumping Japan from 103-5 to 118-6 in 30.3 overs.

Despite the wickets, Tani-Kelly resisted and remained unbeaten on 79 from 135 deliveries, which included six fours.

For Australia, Naden Cooray remained the pick of the bowlers with three scalps to his name.

Meanwhile, the Group B fixture between New Zealand and Bangladesh got washed out due to rain.

The fixture commenced after an hour delay and was reduced to a 47-over match per side.

However, due to rain, only 10 overs of play were possible with New Zealand scoring 51-1.

The second rain-abandoned clash left New Zealand in a precarious position, as they will have to defeat India in their final group stage fixture to avoid depending on other results — Bangladesh-USA to advance to the Super Sixers.

READ: Sixers’ captain admits Babar needed ‘days’ to get over Smith saga

PERTH: Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has revealed that Babar Azam was upset and needed several days to move on after Steve Smith denied him a single during his side’s must-win Big Bash League (BBL) 15 fixture.

During the Sydney Sixers’ clash against Brisbane Heat on Sunday, 18 January, Smith was keen to capitalize on the Power Surge over. Babar nudged the last ball of the 11th over to long on, but Smith opted not to run.

In the next over, Smith accumulated a record 32 runs from the over, including four sixes in a row.

Babar was dismissed in the next over and appeared visibly frustrated, striking the boundary cushion with his bat as he made his way back to the pavilion.

The ace batter remained in the dressing room for the remainder of the game and did not rejoin his teammates when players mingled on the outfield after the game.

Speaking ahead of the Sixers’ qualifier against Perth Scorchers, Henriques admitted that the incident took time to settle.

“It took a couple of days for that to settle down,” Henriques told Fox Cricket. “To be honest, think it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding of the culture of each other, ” he added.

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The skipper explained that such on-field decisions are common in Australian cricket culture and that Babar initially struggled to relate to it.

“It’s a pretty common thing in our culture, and maybe for him (Babar), he wasn’t used to it and didn’t quite understand.

Once it was explained to him, he was absolutely fine. They’ve kissed and made up, and it’s two of the greats back friendly again,” Henriques revealed.

He also confirmed that he, along with Sixers coach Greg Shipperd, spoke to Babar to help him move on from the incident.

“[We are] always trying to understand…we could visibly see he was quite upset with what happened on the field, so we needed to try and understand why he felt that way. Once we got to the bottom of it, it was okay,” he explained.

For the unversed, Babar Azam has endured a lean run in the tournament, managing just 202 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 103.06.

His poor run continued in the qualifier, where he was dismissed for a two-ball duck during the Sixers’ chase of 148 against the Scorchers in the BBL Qualifier.

READ: Chris Woakes’ last-ball six sends Sylhet Titans into BPL Qualifier 2

PERTH: Perth Scorchers delivered a clinical all-round performance to outclass Sydney Sixers by 48 runs and book their place in the final of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.

Asked to bat first, the Scorchers recovered from an early setback to post a competitive 147 for nine in their allotted 20 overs, with Finn Allen once again playing a pivotal role.

The hosts were rocked in the opening over when Mitchell Starc removed Mitchell Marsh for five, giving the Sixers a dream start.

Allen, however, counter-attacked alongside Aaron Hardie, and the pair added a vital 58 runs for the second wicket to stabilise the innings.

Starc returned to break the stand, dismissing Allen for a fluent 49 off 30 deliveries, an innings laced with two fours and four sixes.

The Scorchers then slipped into trouble, losing four wickets for just 20 runs and sliding to 87 for five.

Skipper Ashton Turner anchored the innings with a measured 29 off 21 balls, while Jhye Richardson chipped in with a valuable 20 off 18 down the order, ensuring Perth crossed the 140-run mark.

For the Sixers, Starc led the attack with two wickets, while Jack Edwards and Ben Dwarshuis also claimed two apiece.

Joel Davies and Ben Manenti picked up one wicket each as Sydney kept the Scorchers in check during the latter stages.

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In response, the Sixers’ chase never gathered momentum as they were bowled out for just 99 in 15 overs.

The visitors’ troubles began immediately when opener Babar Azam was dismissed for a second-ball duck, stumped by Josh Inglis off Cooper Connolly in the very first over.

The collapse continued in the fourth over when Mahli Beardman struck twice, removing Josh Philippe for 13 and captain Moises Henriques for two, leaving the Sixers struggling at 23 for three.

A brief resistance came through a 40-run partnership between Steve Smith and Lachlan Shaw, but David Payne ended that stand by dismissing Shaw for 15.

Smith, who top-scored with 37 off 24 balls, soon followed, becoming Beardman’s third victim as the Sixers lost their last hopes.

With Smith gone, the batting folded rapidly, as Sydney lost their remaining four wickets for just 25 runs to be bundled out well short of the target.

Beardman was the standout performer with the ball for the Scorchers, finishing with impressive figures of three for 20. Connolly and Payne picked up two wickets each, while Hardie and Richardson contributed with one apiece.

Despite the heavy defeat, the Sixers remain in contention for the title. They will get another opportunity to reach the final when they face the winners of the Knockout clash between Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars, scheduled for Wednesday, in the Challenger on Friday.

READ: Shoaib Malik announces retirement ahead of PSL 11

MIRPUR: Chris Woakes held his nerve under pressure, smashing a six off the final delivery to guide Sylhet Titans to a dramatic victory over Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 Eliminator at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a modest target of 112, the Titans sealed the contest on the final ball, with Woakes clearing the ropes off Faheem Ashraf to complete a tense run chase and book a place in Qualifier 2.

Sylhet will now face the losing side of Qualifier 1 between Rajshahi Warriors and Chattogram Royals.

The chase began shakily for the Titans as they lost an early wicket, but Parvez Hossain Emon (18) and Ariful Islam (17) steadied the innings with a 36-run partnership for the second wicket.

Later, Sam Billings and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz adopted a cautious approach, adding 50 runs for the middle order.

Billings top-scored with 29, while Miraz chipped in with a valuable 18 as Sylhet inched closer to the target.

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The match came down to a tense final over, with nine runs needed and Faheem Ashraf entrusted with the ball.

Faheem conceded two runs off the first delivery before bowling two dot balls to swing the momentum back in Rangpur’s favour. Moeen Ali was dismissed on the fourth ball, leaving Sylhet needing seven runs from the final two deliveries.

Woakes, however, rose to the occasion and launched the final delivery for a six, sparking celebrations in the Sylhet camp and ending Rangpur’s campaign.

Earlier, Rangpur Riders struggled with the bat and were restricted to 111-9 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a disciplined bowling display by the Titans.

Mahmudullah was the top scorer with a composed 33 off 26 balls, hitting two boundaries and two sixes. Khushdil Shah provided late impetus with a brisk 30 off 19 deliveries, including three sixes, while Nurul Hasan added 18.

Khaled Ahmed led the attack with impressive figures of 4 for 14, while Woakes and Nasum Ahmed picked up two wickets apiece.

READ: New Zealand suffer injury setbacks ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

New Zealand’s preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been disrupted by fresh injury concerns, with fast bowler Adam Milne and all-rounder Michael Bracewell both picking up knocks just weeks before the global tournament.

Milne sustained a left hamstring injury while bowling for Sunrisers Eastern Cape during an SA20 fixture on Sunday.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Tuesday that the pacer is undergoing assessment to determine the severity of the injury, casting uncertainty over his availability for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Bracewell, meanwhile, suffered a left calf strain while fielding in the third and final ODI against India in Indore on Sunday.

The all-rounder had just captained New Zealand to a historic 2–1 ODI series win over India, making the setback particularly untimely.

Despite the injury, Bracewell has travelled with the T20I squad to Nagpur, where New Zealand are set to begin a five-match T20I series against India.

Head coach Rob Walter confirmed that the team management will monitor Bracewell closely over the coming days before taking a call on his continued involvement in the tour.

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“Bracewell will be treated and monitored over the coming days before a decision on his further involvement in the tour is confirmed,” NZC said in a statement.

With player availability becoming a growing concern, all-rounder Kristian Clarke has been added to the squad as cover for the first three T20Is against India, starting on Wednesday.

Walter acknowledged the challenges posed by injuries and player movement but said the inclusion of Clarke would help balance the squad.

“We’ve got a fair bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket, and the rest coming off the India ODI series,” Walter said.

“We want to ensure we’ve got enough pace-bowling options for the first three games of this series, and it’s a great opportunity for Kristian to stay on with the group a little longer on his first tour of India.”

New Zealand will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in Group D against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8.

New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi.

READ: Star fast bowler unlikely to make Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad

Janice Tjen called it “special” after she pulled off an upset to become the first Indonesian to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years on Tuesday.

Unseeded Tjen stunned Canadian 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) to surge into the second round in Melbourne and add to her growing list of milestones.

Tjen, who this time last year was ranked 413 but is now the world number 59, is the first Indonesian to win a match at a major since Yayuk Basuki in 1998.

“I’m very happy to be a part of history and be able to get a win here for Indonesia,” said the 23-year-old.

“It was special, especially being able to do it in front of my family here and there were a lot of Indonesians, and my close friends are also here.”

Asked by AFP how her life had changed off court since a breakthrough in 2025, she said: “I get recognised a little bit here and there, and I think it’s nice, it’s a nice feeling to be recognised.”

In front of the vocal Indonesian fans, Tjen made a lightning start, sealing the first set in 36 minutes to leave her higher-ranked opponent from Canada reeling.

Tjen seized an early break in the second set to put 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez immediately on the back foot.

The fourth game of the second set threatened to be pivotal, Tjen digging herself out of a hole on her own serve to hold and go 3-1 up.

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The 23-year-old Fernandez fought back, reeling off three games in a row to turn the tide.

The battling duo headed into a tiebreak, where Tjen powered into a 3-0 lead and never looked back, letting out a mighty roar when victory was confirmed.

Tjen’s career took off in 2025.

She pulled off another surprise in upsetting Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova as a qualifier at the US Open.

In New York, she was the first Indonesian to play in the main singles draw of a Grand Slam since 2004.

The Jakarta native lifted the title in Chennai last year — the first Indonesian to win a WTA Tour singles crown since 2002.

Reflecting on the support in Melbourne of Indonesian fans waving their red and white flag and chanting, Tjen said: “It’s something special and feels a little bit like home.

“Knowing that a lot of Indonesians came out to support me today means a lot.”

READ: Man City sign Palace’s Marc Guehi on five-year deal

Manchester City signed Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a reported fee of £20 million ($27 million) on Monday.

City stepped up their pursuit of the England international after suffering an injury crisis at centre-half.

Guehi, who came close to joining Liverpool on transfer deadline day in September, is City’s second signing of the January transfer window after their capture of Ghana winger Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth for about £65 million.

“I am really happy and incredibly proud to be a Manchester City player,” Guehi said.

“This move feels like the culmination of all the hard work I have put into my career. I am now at the best club in England and part of an unbelievable squad of players.

“It feels good to be able to say that. I want to grow as a player and a person, and I know at this club that’s going to happen.”

City boss Pep Guardiola praised his club for sealing the deal for the highly sought after defender.

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“A top central defender, playing for the national team. Personally, thanks to the club to bring him here because he’s come at the perfect age, he can play right and left,” he said.

“I know how much he wanted to choose us. With the problems that we have in the back in the next few months it’s really, really important he’s here.

“I’m pretty sure if he had a long contract at Crystal Palace it would have been impossible, but the fact that it’s six months (left), end of contract, the situation was easier in those terms.”

The Chelsea academy graduate played 188 times for Palace after moving to Selhurst Park from the Blues in 2021.

He captained Palace to FA Cup glory against City in May — the first major trophy in the south London club’s history — and has won 26 England caps.

Other teams reportedly interested in the defender, including Liverpool once again and Bayern Munich, were understood to be targeting a move at the end of the season, when Guehi would have been a free agent.

Guardiola’s men, dethroned as Premier League champions by Liverpool last year, are second in the table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

Central defenders John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol all missed from Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The club are also still challenging for silverware in the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

Guardiola has overseen an expensive rebuild of his squad over the past year, with a clutch of long-serving players exiting the club, including Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Ederson.

READ: Pakistan women’s football team group for FIFA Series unveiled

LAHORE: Pakistan women’s football team have been drawn into the Ivory Coast group for the highly anticipated FIFA Series 2026.

Pakistan women’s football team group for FIFA Series unveiled

The FIFA Women’s Series will be held in March and April 2026, with the opening events scheduled in Brazil, Ivory Coast and Thailand.

According to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), the national team will compete alongside Mauritania from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Turks and Caicos Islands from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

The global football governing body is expected to announce the match schedules in due course, with fixtures likely to take place during the first two weeks of April 2026.

For the unversed, the FIFA Series 2026 brings together national teams with a wide range of competitive profiles, reinforcing its development-driven design.

The event will mark a historic moment in Pakistan’s football landscape.

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The participation came on the backdrop of PFF president Mohsin Gillani meeting with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino on the sidelines of the FIFA Executive Football Summit in 2025.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the development of women’s football in the country, while the men’s team’s potential participation in the future editions of the FIFA series also came under consideration.

“We touched upon key topics such as the development of the women’s football team and the men’s team potentially participating in next year’s FIFA Series,” Infantino was quoted as saying.

“President Gilani brings significant experience and football management know-how to the role, and I look forward to seeing our game take positive strides under his leadership,” Infantino said.

READ: South Africa, Sri Lanka seal commanding victories in U19 World Cup

WINDHOEK: South Africa and Sri Lanka delivered dominant performances to seal victories over Tanzania and Ireland respectively in their group stage fixtures here at the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026 on Monday.

Put into bat first, South Africa racked up a massive 397-5 at the end of their 50 overs.

Skipper Muhammed Bulbulia and Jason Rowles scored commanding centuries, with both batters forging a monumental 201-run stand for the third wicket partnership.

The pair took the score from 93 to 294 in 42.5 overs.

Bulbulia’s innings of 108 from 108 balls was laced with 10 fours and six while Rowles remained unbeaten on 125* from 101 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and five sixes.

For Tanzania, Simba Mbaki picked up two wickets.

In reply, Tanzania could not get going, with the whole team bundled out for only 68 in 32.2 overs. The innings involved two run-outs with one batter absent due to injury.

For South Africa, it was Jason Rowles again with the ball, scalping two wickets. Bayanda Majola also took wickets.

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In the Group A fixture played here at the Namibia Cricket Ground, Sri Lanka crushed Ireland by 106 runs as skipper Vimath Dinsara led from the front with an all-round performance.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka managed to put 267-5 on the board in their 50 overs.

Despite losing three wickets for 59 in 14.2 overs, it was Vimath Dinsara who held the innings together. He strung a couple of partnerships that kept Sri Lanka afloat.

The highlight of Sri Lankan batting was a century stand between Dinsara and Kavija Gamage, which brought the total from 139-4 to 239 in 46 overs.

Dinsara top-scored with 95 from 102 balls, striking half a dozen boundaries and a six.

Gamage fell one short of a half-century, a knock that included six boundaries. Meanwhile, Chamika Heenatigala also chipped in with 51 off 53 balls.

For Ireland, Oliver Riley took two wickets.

In reply, Ireland were bowled out for 161 in 40.1 overs, thanks to Dulnith Sigera’s four-wicket haul.

The Irish batters were in trouble fromthe start, with none of their batters getting going except opener Callum Armstrong, who made 39.

With this win, Sri Lanka registered their second consecutive win of the tournament, having previously defeated Japan in their opening encounter.

READ: WATCH: Ahmed Hussain’s stunning catch against Scotland