Category: Top News

MACHESTER: South Africa sealed a last-over win to hand India their first defeat in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Old Trafford Stadium on Sunday.

The Proteas chased down a 159-run target in 19.1 overs, losing four wickets in the process. Marizanne Kapp starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 81 off 45 balls, striking four sixes and seven boundaries.

India rocked South Africa early in the chase, removing both Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen in the span of two balls in the penultimate over of the powerplay.

As a result, they were reduced to 25-2. Skipper Wolvaardt scored 20, whereas Dercksen could not open her account. Shree Charani accounted for both dismissals.

After the double blow, Marizanne Kapp and Tazmin Brits shared a 97-run stand for the third wicket that proved to be a match-winning one.

Shafali Verma provided India the much-needed breakthrough in the form of Brits’ wicket, who scored 40 off 36, including two fours and a six. At this stage, South Africa were 122-3 in 16.1 overs.

Soon after, Charani cleaned up Nadine de Klerk for five to put chase on a knife-edge. With 18 required of 12 balls, Kapp hit two sixes off Deepti Sharma’s over to make it a one-sided affair.

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For India, Shree Charani picked up three wickets.

Earlier, India decided to bat first and posted 158-7 in 20 overs.

Shafali Verma provided India a rapid start, adding 30 in the first three overs before South Africa removed Smriti Mandhana to halt proceedings. She made 17 off 12 with the aid of three boundaries.

Yastika Bhatia and Shafali Verma stitched a 24-run partnership for the second wicket, bringing the score over the 50-run mark.

The scorecard read 54 when Verma was caught after contributing 31 off 15, laced with four boundaries and a six.

After Verma’s wicket, South Africa continued to chip away with regular wickets and never allowed the opposition to lay a solid partnership.

Deepti Sharma made a useful contribution, scoring 29 from 21 balls with the help of three fours.

Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp accounted for two wickets each, with the rest of the four bowlers scalping one apiece.

In the 17th match, West Indies outplayed Sri Lanka by five wickets after a clinical bowling performance.

West Indies chased down a partly 99-run target in 16.1 overs. Hayley Matthews delivered an all-round performance. She first took a three-wicket haul and also made 17 with the bat while opening the batting.

For Sri Lanka, Kavisha Dilhari nearly turned the game on its head with a double-wicket 11th over. However, Jannillea Glasgow (10*) and Stafanie Taylor (27*) helped their team cross the finishing line.

West Indies bowled out Sri Lanka for 98 in 19.4 overs after opting to field first. Nilakshika Silva top-scored with 30 for the Islander in an otherwise shambolic batting display.

Besides Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack also chipped in with the ball, accounting for two wickets.

READ: Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson included in squad after ECB warning

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson in the squad for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, starting on Thursday.

The board confirmed their return in a press release, saying Stokes and Atkinson will join the squad for the series decider in Nottingham.

“Stokes and Atkinson to join England Men’s Test squad for Trent Bridge The pair will return to the squad ahead of our final Test match of the series in Nottingham,” the press release said.

“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been included in the England Men’s squad for the third Rothesay Test against New Zealand following the conclusion of an ECB disciplinary hearing in relation to their conduct in the early hours of Monday 8 June,” it added.

The statement also confirmed that Stokes and Atkinson have been found to breach the conduct and have been issued a written warning.

“Stokes and Atkinson were found to have breached specific contractual obligations that require England players to at all times maintain the highest standards of conduct and act in the best interests of England cricket.”

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“In addition to not being considered for selection for the second Rothesay Test, they have both been given a written warning as to their conduct,” it said

The ECB concluded that no blame could be attached to the players over the nightclub incident, noting that evidence showed Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion.

“It was also concluded that no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub.”

“Stokes was not involved in the altercation and did not witness either incident. The evidence the ECB has seen demonstrates that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion,” the statement concluded.

England Squad for Third Test

Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox
Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue

READ: Pakistan-England one-off Test in 2027 could see venue change: report

Shubman Gill will captain India for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, with veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma included.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Shreyas Iyer will serve as vice-captain for the series, which begins at Edgbaston on July 14, before matches at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on July 16 and Lord’s on July 19.

Wicketkeepers KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan were also selected in the 15-member squad, alongside all-rounders Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

The squad includes fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar.

The BCCI said Kohli’s inclusion is subject to fitness.

Kohli was ruled out of the ODI series this month against Afghanistan due to injury. India swept the series 3-0.

The board said spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of India’s T20 series against Ireland, as he continues rehabilitation for a left foot injury sustained during the Indian Premier League.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the updated squad for the Ireland series.

India ODI squad for England tour:

Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli*, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar.

*Subject to fitness clearance

Updated India T20I squad for Ireland series:

Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prasidh Krishna.

READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hits record-breaking fifty in tri-series final

DAMBULLA: India teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed the fastest half-century in List A cricket during the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Put into bat first, India A racked up 377-9 in 50 overs, largely due to Sooryvanshi’s whirlwind 94 from just 29 balls, including 10 fours and eight sixes.

During his knock, Sooryavanshi smashed a fifty off just 11 balls, shattering the previous record held by Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera. Perera had smashed a 13-ball fifty for the Sri Lanka Army in 2021.

Nonetheless, in pursuit of the target, Sri Lanka A were bowled out for 311 in 47.1 overs. Vaibhav Sooryvanshi was named the player of the match for his outstanding batting in the final.

It is worth mentioning that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also named in the India T20I squad for the tour of Ireland and England. He is set to become the youngest Indian cricketer, at the age of 15, to make his international debut.

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Currently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record, having made his debut at 16 years and 205 days against Pakistan in 1989.

For those unaware, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rose to prominence during IPL 2025, where he smashed the second-fastest IPL century. His high strike-rate batting earned praise from global cricketing icons.

Earlier this year, he also helped India lift the U19 World Cup, smashing his way to 175 off just 80 balls against England in the final.

He carried his batting brilliance in the IPL 2026, finishing the tournament with 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike-rate of 237.30 for the Rajasthan Royals.

Apart from securing the Orange Cap, he also collected the Best Emerging Player award, becoming the first cricketer in IPL history to win both the MVP and Emerging Player honors in the same season.

READ: Pakistan-England one-off Test in 2027 could see venue change: report

LONDON: The venue for a proposed one-off Test between Pakistan and England in 2027 could be moved from Old Trafford to Lord’s.

According to a report in The Telegraph, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering changes to the schedule of the 2027 home summer.

One major change is the possible loss of the Lord’s rights to host the WTC final, even though they are scheduled to do so until 2031.

The possibility has emerged after the venue’s pitch received an unsatisfactory rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the opening Test of England’s ongoing series against New Zealand.

The report suggests that The Oval has emerged as a potential venue to host the WTC final. If this happens, Lord’s could be compensated with an additional Test match in 2027 under its existing agreement with the ECB. The iconic venue is due to host an Ashes Test during England’s blockbuster 2027 home summer.

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If the WTC final is shifted, the Lords could also stage England’s proposed one-off Test against Pakistan, scheduled for Old Trafford in May 2027.

For those unaware, Pakistan are scheduled to play a one-off Test in May 2027 against England at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Pakistan are already scheduled to play a three-match Test series against England in August later this year, as per the Future Tour Program (FTP).

The series is set to begin on 19 August at Headingley, Leeds. The second Test will be played at Lord’s on 27 August, followed by the final match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on 9 September.

England Test Series vs Pakistan in 2026

• 19 August – 1st Test – Headingley, Leeds
• 27 August – 2nd Test – Lord’s, London
• 9 September – 3rd Test – Edgbaston, Birmingham

READ: Matt Henry powers New Zealand to big win over England

Mitchell Marsh smashed 60 off 28 balls as Australia completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Bangladesh on Sunday, to win by seven wickets in Chattogram on Sunday.

Australia had already wrapped up the series after winning the first two matches — and made light work of the hosts, chasing a modest target of 110 in just 11 overs.

Openers Josh Inglis and Marsh attacked from the outset, punishing the Bangladesh quicks and setting the tone for a rapid pursuit.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed made the first breakthrough, dismissing Inglis for 17 after the opener had shared a 54-run stand with Marsh.

Marsh, the captain, continued the assault, bringing up his 14th T20 half-century off just 23 balls, before Shoriful Islam removed him for 60.

Cooper Connolly then fell for 15 before Matt Renshaw and Tim David wrapped up the chase inside 11 overs.

Renshaw remained unbeaten on six, while David smashed 12 off three balls.

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Nasum, Shoriful and Rishad Hossain claimed one wicket each for Bangladesh.

Earlier, stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy struck an unbeaten 61 off 51 balls to rescue Bangladesh after the hosts, playing only for pride, slumped to an early collapse.

Only Hridoy and Hossain reached double figures.

Man-of-the-match Marsh said Australia’s bowlers had laid the platform for victory and suggested Spencer Johnson, who returned figures of 2-6 from four overs, was equally deserving of the award.

“I thought we were fantastic with the ball today,” Marsh said.

Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons admitted the series had exposed deep cracks in his side’s batting.

“I think in the last game, even though we lost, I was still happy with the attitude both on the field and when we chased,” he said.

“But… the first game and this game, the batting especially, we haven’t given anything to our bowlers to work with.”

READ: Matt Henry powers New Zealand to big win over England

Matt Henry did the damage as New Zealand thrashed England by 253 runs in the second Test at the Oval on Sunday for a series-levelling victory after the hosts opened up the possibility of Ben Stokes returning to international cricket.

Matt Henry stars as New Zealand beat England in emphatic victory

Fast-medium bowler Henry’s sensational spell of four wickets for no runs in 12 balls saw England, 182-5 overnight, collapse to 192-9.

Henry finished the match by bowling Jordan Cox as England, chasing a record-breaking 463 to win, were dismissed for 209.

New Zealand needed just 48 minutes play on Sunday’s fifth day at the Oval to square the three-match series at 1-1 ahead of next week’s decider in Nottingham.

Henry’s superb second-innings return of 6-29, allied to his five-wicket return in England’s first-innings 5-80, gave him an overall return of 11-109.

Henry’s maiden 10-wicket haul in a Test was also the best by any New Zealand bowler against England, surpassing Dion Nash’s 11-169 at Lord’s back in 1994.

Shortly before play started on Sunday’s, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced that both Stokes and Gus Atkinson had been withdrawn from county action with Durham and Surrey respectively.

It was the clearest hint the duo will be recalled to Test-match duty at Trent Bridge after being stood down this week for breaching a team curfew following England’s 115-run win in the first Test at Lord’s earlier this month.

England resumed all but beaten at 182-5, needing a further 281 runs to reach a record-breaking target of 463.

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The highest winning fourth-innings total in 149 years of Test cricket is West Indies’ 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.

England hopes of an improbable win rested with stand-in captain Joe Root, 75 not out overnight after joining India great Sachin Tendulkar as the only batter to have made 14,000 Test runs on Saturday.

But Root had added just two runs to his score when he was plumb lbw to Henry, with a rejigged England side showing five changes, including three debutants, from the one Stokes led at Lord’s seeing a lengthy tail exposed by the New Zealand spearhead.

Two balls after Root’s exit, the 34-year-old clean bowled Jofra Archer for a duck, the batter having no chance with a delivery that kept low before smashing into the stumps.

New batter Matthew Fisher had made a maiden Test fifty in the first innings of this match.

But on Sunday he was clean bowled for nought by Henry and next ball the 34-year-old paceman had new batter Josh Tongue edging to Daryl Mitchell in the slips for a golden duck, with England on the brink of defeat at 192-9.

A double-wicket maiden (a bowler removing two batsmen in the same over without conceding a run) is rare in Test cricket, but Henry, hampered by back spasms at Lord, now had two in a row.

The end was not long in coming, Henry bowling Cox to seal an emphatic victory that saw both New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips and Henry Nicholls, replacing retired great Kane Williamson, hit hundreds.

READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s century powers India to clean sweep over Afghanistan

Brazil forward Raphinha is likely to miss the FIFA World Cup game against Scotland as he will undergo “intensive treatment” after suffering a muscle injury to his right thigh during the match against Haiti, the Brazilian football confederation (CBF) said Saturday.

Barcelona winger Raphinha was substituted in the first half on Friday in Philadelphia.

The CBF did not say how long he would be sidelined for, but Brazilian website Globo Esporte reported he could be fit to return for a possible game in the last 16, which starts in two weeks’ time.

“The player will follow an intensive treatment protocol under the supervision of the Brazilian national team’s medical team, with the goal of recovering and returning to action as soon as possible,” the CBF said in a statement.

Raphinha struggled with various injuries to his right thigh last season.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti could turn to either of the 19-year-old duo of Endrick and Rayan, or Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, to replace Raphinha.

Five-time world champions Brazil, who have four points from two games, round off their Group C campaign against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami.

That game could provide Neymar, sidelined for a month with a calf injury, a first international appearance since October 2023.

READ: FIFA World Cup 2026: Iran travel restrictions to be eased, says coach

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Saturday he has been told US travel restrictions on his FIFA World Cup 2026 team will finally be eased for their third group game, but blasted the treatment they have received so far for damaging their on-field performance.

The Iranian squad arrived at the World Cup with their country still at war with co-hosts the United States, and have been based in Mexico while playing all their games in the US.

That has required frequent cross-border travel, and US authorities have only permitted the team to remain in the country for a few hours after each game, with restrictions frequently shifting at the last minute.

After playing Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Iran’s final group game will take place in Seattle next Friday against Egypt.

Ghalenoei on Saturday said he had been told his team would have more flexibility for their final match, before quickly adding that it would have been “justice” for his team to have the same treatment for its first two games.

“They said in Seattle, you can do what you want, you can act the way you want to, and you can come earlier,” he told a press conference, without specifying who exactly the information had come from.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

“But what I want, my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?

“I just know for the last game, yes, they’ve allowed us to decide, to make our own decisions with regard to planning the travel.

“But unfortunately, for the first two games, others made these travel arrangements for us, and the timing for us.”

Last week, Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand, the tournament’s lowest-ranked team, with sloppy defending twice allowing the All Whites to go ahead before Team Melli equalized.

“There were errors, individual ones, and also with regards to this defense we had, and I think we were playing… we were doing too many passes,” said Ghalenoei.

“And I think, because we have been flying too much, commuting, as a result of this long commute, we’ve been tired.”

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The manager said restrictions on his team had been even more onerous for Sunday’s upcoming game against Belgium, Group G’s highest-ranked team.

Ghalenoei said his team had arrived in the US on Saturday, less than 24 hours before kickoff, despite being briefly told by FIFA on Friday, early afternoon, that they may be able to travel that day.

“We waited till 7.00pm, nothing happened, and they said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t able to do that,” said the coach.

“That’s going to affect us mentally, especially me as a head coach, because I want to focus on technical stuff,” he said.

Iran had only been able to do half its usual pre-game training session, complained Ghalenoei.

All four teams in Group G currently have one point, with only the top two guaranteed to reach the knockout stages. A majority of third-placed teams across all groups will also progress, depending on their performance.

READ: Eloy Room heroics earn Curacao World Cup point against Ecuador

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room was the hero on Saturday as the tiny Caribbean island claimed its first-ever World Cup point in a goalless draw against toothless Ecuador.

Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, had 28 shots, including 15 on target, in Kansas City but Room stood firm in an astonishing display.

The 0-0 draw in Group E keeps alive Curacao’s hopes of reaching the knockout phase, extending their fairytale journey at their first World Cup.

The tiny country, the smallest by population ever to play on football’s biggest stage, have Miami FC goalkeeper Room to thank for their point against Ecuador.

Room’s 15 saves are the most on record, since 1966, by any goalkeeper at a World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.

The draw in the American Midwest restored pride after a 7-1 mauling by Germany in their opening match.

“History! Our first ever point at the @fifaworldcup,” Curacao posted on X.

History! Our first ever point at the @fifaworldcup#TheBlueWave #Curacao pic.twitter.com/gZztfjl1GP

— Curaçao National Football Team (@TheBlueWaveFFK) June 21, 2026

“I still have to process it myself,” said Room. “The match was full of emotions. I knew it was going to be a tough match.

“There were lots of saves, but I think after the first save, the tone was put in place, also for the team. It gave me confidence, and I grew. We all grew, and this was a team effort.

“We were fighting up to the last minute. Earning a point this way for Curacao is absolutely great.”

Ecuador fans turned Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL team Kansas City Chiefs, yellow, hugely outnumbering supporters of Curacao.

But Curacao had royalty on their side in the form of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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Out of their 26-strong squad, managed by vastly experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 25 were born in the Netherlands, and many play their football there.

The match started at a fizzing pace. Ecuador seemed certain to open the scoring in the third minute when former West Ham forward Enner Valencia burst through the middle, but Room tipped the ball around the post.

Sherel Floranus fired over at the other end as Curacao showed their pace on the break.

Ecuador captain Valencia failed to beat Room from close range before Jordy Alcivar had an effort as Ecuador continued to dominate.

The South American team ended the first half with 65 percent of possession but nothing to show for their dominance. They went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark, but Room kept out a Gonzalo Plata header, before a flurry of Curacao chances.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

Ecuador, more than 50 places higher than their opponents in the FIFA rankings, looked increasingly frazzled as they pressed for an opener. They continued to pour forward and rained shots on Room’s goal, but he stood firm.

Ecuador substitute Angelo Preciado mishit a cross that bounced off the top of the crossbar and went behind in the final minutes.

The Curacao players swarmed around goalkeeper Eloy Room at the end of the match, celebrating an extraordinary point.

Ecuador have yet to score in two games at the World Cup after netting just 14 goals in 18 qualifying matches.

Earlier, four-time champions Germany came from behind to beat the Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto, sealing their qualification for the round of 32. Curacao’s draw ensures Germany will top the group.

Ecuador will play Germany on Thursday, while Curacao take on the Ivory Coast, with all of the teams in Group E still alive in the competition.

READ: Japan crush Tunisia 4-0 in FIFA World Cup’s 1,000th game