Category: Top News

Vinicius Junior scored the winner on the night as Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, progressing 3-1 on aggregate to the last 16.

It was the Brazilian forward’s superb goal which separated the teams in a first leg marred by an incident of alleged racial abuse aimed at him by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who denies it.

Jose Mourinho’s side were still alive in the play-off round tie and took the lead early on at the Santiago Bernabeu through Rafa Silva, although Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni swiftly levelled.

Benfica gave the record 15-time champions a rough ride, but fittingly, Vinicius, who never hides from the spotlight, scored on 80 minutes to effectively end the contest.

“That is our Vinicius,” Tchouameni proudly told Movistar after the Brazilian’s winner. “To be honest, we didn’t start the game very well, but we kept our confidence.”

It was Portuguese coach Mourinho’s first time back at the Santiago Bernabeu since he coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, but he could not lead his team from the dugout because of a suspension.

After a week dominated by the fallout from the first leg, Vinicius lined up for Real Madrid alongside Gonzalo Garcia, who stepped in for the injured French superstar Kylian Mbappe.

“(Vini) had a great game,” Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar. “Unbalancing them, scoring, creating a lot of danger every time he took them on.”

Benfica were without banned midfielder Prestianni, after an appeal against his provisional one-game sanction was turned down earlier on Wednesday, with UEFA still investigating the incident.

Madrid hung a large banner reading “no to racism” at one end, with the game played under the shadow of what happened last week in Lisbon.

There were boos for Vinicius from the visiting Benfica fans, and he prodded wide in the early stages, appealing in vain for a penalty as Nicolas Otamendi collided with him after he got his shot away.

Benfica took a deserved lead in the 14th minute as Madrid defender Raul Asencio clumsily turned the ball towards his own goal.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept the ball out, but Silva was on hand to bundle home from close range.

Stung into action, Madrid pulled level two minutes later through Tchouameni. The French midfielder finished with aplomb from the edge of the box from rampaging team-mate Federico Valverde’s cross.

Madrid thought they had gone ahead on the night when Arda Guler stabbed home a loose ball after Garcia’s shot was blocked, but the Spanish striker had edged offside, and it was disallowed after a VAR review.

Courtois made a fine save from Richard Rios before the break, as Benfica turned up the pressure.

Silva hit the bar with a deflected effort before the hour mark as Mourinho’s side at times pinned back the hosts.

Madrid were dealt a setback as Asencio was forced off on a stretcher after colliding with Eduardo Camavinga.

“It’s his neck, but it doesn’t seem like it will be that bad,” said Arbeloa, who confirmed the defender was being taken to the hospital for tests.

It had to be Vinicius who settled the tie, though, and Valverde played him scuttling through on goal, with the Brazilian calmly rolling a low shot past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Vinicius produced another celebratory dance by the corner flag, as he had done in the first leg in the run-up to the flashpoint with Prestianni, and to the chagrin of Mourinho.

“I’m happy that Vini’s dancing, still dancing, because it means he’s scoring goals,” said Courtois.

This time, the 25-year-old just had thousands of jubilant fans jumping up and down before him, and his goal confirmed Madrid’s passage to the last 16.

READ: How Pakistan can still reach semi-finals after Sri Lanka elimination?

COLOMBO: New Zealand’s 61-run thrashing of Sri Lanka has left Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hanging by a thread.

The Black Caps completely outplayed hosts Sri Lanka, knocking them out of the tournament.

Put into bat first, New Zealand managed to score 168-7 in 20 overs, largely due to Mitchell Santner’s gutsy knock of 47 runs.

In reply, Sri Lanka could only manage 107-8 at the end of their innings.

Rachin Ravindra earned the player of the match award for his outstanding all-round performance. The southpaw scored a vital 32 runs from 22 balls with the aid of a six and three fours.

With a 61-run win, New Zealand received a significant Net Run Rate boost and now sit in second position with an NRR of 3.050.

What does Pakistan need to do?

For Pakistan, the equation is no longer as simple as it was before New Zealand and Sri Lanka clash.

Pakistan currently has an NRR of -0.464. The Green Shirts not only need to beat Sri Lanka by a hefty 70-run margin, but must also rely on the result of the England-New Zealand match.

According to statistician Mazher Arshad, if England beat New Zealand by 20 runs, Pakistan would need to defeat Sri Lanka by 50 runs to qualify for the semi-finals.

If the game between New Zealand and England is abandoned due to rain, the Black Caps will qualify.

READ: T20 World Cup: New Zealand knock Sri Lanka out with NRR boost

French superstar Kylian Mbappe may have to put his season on hold because of a knee problem, with his main goals fast coming into view — a first major trophy with Real Madrid, and a second World Cup triumph.

Little more than 100 days from the start of the 2026 World Cup, the France captain seems to be paying the price for efforts he has made to carry his team this season.

According to several sources contacted by AFP, Mbappe, hampered by damage to the outer ligament of his left knee since late 2025, had to withdraw from Madrid’s squad to face Benfica in the Champions League play-off round on Wednesday because he felt “pain that was too persistent” in training.

Mbappe is expected to rest for at least 10 days so he can recover from the issue which has troubled him over the past couple of months.

His absence for one of the most important matches of the season, confirmed by Madrid on Wednesday, is a concern for Los Blancos, who lost at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday to allow Barcelona back in front in the title race.

Beyond a personal quest for glory, having finished his first season at Madrid without a major trophy, the intense pressure and demand for results at the Santiago Bernabeu have contributed to Mbappe playing through the pain in recent weeks.

“It’s important to highlight the immense effort Kylian is making and the fact that he’s trying to help us out on the patch,” said Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa on Tuesday.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Mbappe flew to Saudi Arabia in January to appear in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona as a substitute, having missed the semi-final because of knee pain, but his team fell to defeat.

It is hard to imagine where the Spanish giants would be without their No 10’s supreme finishing ability, as Mbappe has netted 38 goals in 33 matches this season across all competitions.

At least winger Vinicius Junior has finally hit top form after a slow start to the season and could pick up some of the slack, along with promising young striker Gonzalo Garcia, who Madrid fans are keen to see more of.

Mbappe is the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, even in a dysfunctional Madrid side that sacked coach Xabi Alonso in January.

If they are knocked out by Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on Wednesday, a result that would trigger a fresh crisis, Madrid might be tempted to push their striker to play to salvage their season.

Should they progress, then Mbappe will be eyeing the round of 16 clash against Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon, with the first leg set for March 10 or 11.

The next international break (March 23-30), when France face Brazil and Colombia in the United States, would come at the perfect time to give him another breather — but could trigger a new club-versus-country conflict.

France are counting on their captain, a source close to the national team told AFP, adding that Mbappe is in “regular contact” with coach Didier Deschamps.

Deschamps is due to announce his squad list for the USA trip on March 19, with the tour including promotional events with American sportswear company Nike, who outfit both the French national team and Mbappe.

READ: Former captain questions Babar Azam’s place in T20I side

COLOMBO: Rachin Ravindra rose to the occasion for New Zealand when it mattered most, handing the Black Caps a massive win over hosts Sri Lanka in the Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Set a challenging 169, Sri Lanka could only muster 107-8 at the end of their 20 overs.

Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra combined to inflict a miserable start on Sri Lanka, leaving them two down in the first two overs.

The Islanders’ main batter, Pathum Nissanka, was castled on the very first delivery of the innings, which set the tone for what was to come.

The wicket was followed by another, this time Charith Asalanka, who was caught cheaply in a bid to slog sweep. The former captain could only manage five.

With the Islanders in trouble at 6-2 in 2.1 overs, Kusal Mendis (11) and Pavan Rathnayake (10) tried to put the chase back on track. The pair did manage to arrest the slide but chewed up several overs as New Zealand kept it tight.

The tight overs never allowed the pair to free their arms, and as a result, they were reeling at 28 in eight overs.

The clinical bowling display from New Zealand yielded high rewards for them as Ravindra snapped two wickets in an over to leave Sri Lanka in a big mess with 29-4.

The woes were further compounded when skipper Dasun Shanaka was caught for three, pushing the 2014 champions to the brink.

Sri Lanka were hoping for a miracle that never happened, and wickets continued to tumble at short intervals.

Kamindu Mendis remained the top scorer with 31 from 23 while Dunith Wellalage managed 29 off 23 balls with the aid of a six and three fours, which only reduced the margin of defeat for Sri Lanka.

For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra stood tall amongst the bowlers with four wickets in his quota, whereas Matt Henry took two wickets in a clinical bowling display.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The victory margin gives New Zealand a huge chance to qualify for the semi-final if they beat England, while Pakistan will be hoping for the result to go their way.

Earlier, Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana spun a web around the New Zealand batting lineup, but skipper Mitchell Santner’s gutsy knock lifted them to a strong total.

Asked to bat first here at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, New Zealand managed to post 168-7 in their 20 overs.

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were off the block quickly, racing to 30 runs in 3.3 overs before Dushmantha Chameera struck to break the opening stand.

Tim Seifert made eight from nine balls and was caught at deep square leg.

Following an early wicket, Maheesh Theekshana also came into action, picking up the prized wicket of Finn Allen to jolt the BlackCaps. Allen was caught and bowled after scoring 23 off 11 with the aid of a six and three fours.

As a result, New Zealand were reduced to 34-2 in 4.4 overs.

The wickets brought Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra to the crease. The pair stabilized the innings with a 41-run partnership. Both batters looked settled, with New Zealand eyeing a big total as the scorecard read 75 in 9.3 overs.

However, Maheen Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage bowled in tandem to spark a mini collapse, leaving New Zealand six down in the span of eight runs.

The collapse left New Zealand in dire straits, 84-6 in 12.1 overs.

But it was Captain’s knock from Mitchell Santner alongside Cole McConchie for the eighth wicket that not only lifted them out of trouble but also put them in a commanding position.

The pair took the score from 84 to 168 at the end of the 20 overs, with Santner caught brilliantly on the last ball of the innings.

Santner 47 from 26 included four sixes and two fours, while McConchie remained unbeaten on 31 from 23, striking two sixes and three fours.

For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera and Maheesh Theekshana shared six wickets between them.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has questioned Babar Azam’s place in the T20I side, saying the batter’s approach and strike rate raise concerns amid a slump in form.

Babar, 31, has failed to rise up to the occasion in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, managing 91 runs in four innings at an average of 22.75.

Speaking on a private channel, Latif questioned Babar Azam’s inclusion in the national side after his exclusion due to his approach in the shorter format.

“Babar is no longer a player of this format”.“Where did it improve? Why did you bring him back?” he questioned.

The wicket-keeper batter also scrutinized Pakistan’s approach with the bat, noting that modern-day batting demands batters play aggressively in response to changing situations.

He further remarked that a batter puts pressure on his fellow player after consuming 20 to 25 balls without playing aggressively.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He also emphasized that set batters must take responsibility and bat deep, especially when partners are struggling to score freely.

It is worth mentioning that Babar was recalled to the national side in the home series against South Africa.

Babar, also the leading run-scorer in T20Is, was dropped from the side in December 2024 due to concerns about his strike rate. He also missed several key assignments for the Pakistan team, including the Asia Cup 2025, in the meantime.

Since his return to the T20I side, Babar has only scored 373 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.87. He managed to cross the fifty-run mark on three occasions, with 74 his highest score.

Interestingly, his strike rate is also on the lower side, which is 82.08, as compared to his overall T20I career, which is 128.02.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan climbs to career-best third in ICC T20I rankings

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka have won the toss and opted to bowl first against New Zealand in the must-win ICC Men’s T20 World Cup encounter here at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Playing XIs

Defending champions India are looking to bolster their faltering opening combination ahead of a dare-not-lose T20 World Cup clash against Zimbabwe to keep hopes of making the semi-finals alive.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is an option at the top of the order, in India’s second Super Eights clash in Chennai on Thursday.

Opener Abhishek Sharma’s batting slump — including three consecutive ducks — has dented India’s campaign.

The team suffered a 76-run defeat to South Africa in their Super Eights opener.

India now face a straightforward equation — win their remaining two matches to keep qualification for the semi-finals largely in their own hands, or risk depending on other results.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak acknowledged that team combinations are under discussion for the high-stakes match.

“There can be changes, yes,” Kotak told reporters. “And obviously, it goes without saying that we discuss, because there are two leftie openers, number three is left-handed.”

While Kotak downplayed the imbalance, he admitted early setbacks had forced the team to reassess.

“I personally don’t think that there is any problem there but because we lost a wicket in the first over in three games, obviously, any team would think,” he said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

India’s top and middle order is dominated by left-handers, offering opponents a clear tactical approach.

Teams including Pakistan, the Netherlands, and South Africa have targeted the vulnerability by opening the bowling with off-spin, dismissing one of the two openers in the first over with an off-spinner.

In the loss to South Africa, Abhishek’s opening partner Ishan Kishan fell for a fourth-ball duck after skipper Aiden Markram opened the bowling with off-spin.

Sanju Samson, a right-hander who played in the tournament with Abhishek unwell, could break the left-handed grip on the top of the order.

“People ask about Sanju as right-hander up front,” said Kotak. “Or you think of playing three spinners,” he added.

Zimbabwe, led by Sikandar Raza, have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the tournament, having stunned Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka to reach the Super Eights.

The West Indies top the Super Eights Group 1 after defeating Zimbabwe, with South Africa second. Both India and Zimbabwe head into Thursday’s clash in urgent need of a victory.

“For us, every match is a must-win from here,” said Kotak.

“If you want to go and win the World Cup, you expect to beat all the sides you play.”

Indian middle-order batter Rinku Singh has left the team to attend to his ailing father and missed training ahead of the key match. But Kotak said Rinku will rejoin the team Wednesday evening.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan climbs to career-best third in ICC T20I rankings

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has surged to a career-best third position in the latest ICC T20I Batting Rankings following his prolific run in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Farhan, currently the leading run-scorer of the tournament, has amassed 283 runs in five innings at a staggering average of 70.75.

His consistent performances at the top of the order have earned him 810 rating points, moving him up two spots in the global standings.

The right-hander now sits just five points behind England’s Phil Salt, who occupies second place with 815 points.

India’s Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the rankings with 877 points despite a relatively modest campaign in the tournament so far.

While Farhan enjoyed a significant rise, several other Pakistani batters experienced a dip in their positions.

Opener Saim Ayub has slipped three places to 34th, while former captain Babar Azam dropped one spot to 36th. Captain Salman Ali Agha is now ranked 38th after a one-place fall, and Fakhar Zaman has slid to 88th.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In the bowlers’ list, spinner Abrar Ahmed dropped from third to fifth with 712 rating points, while Mohammad Nawaz fell three places to 12th.

Among the pacers, Mohammad Salman Mirza climbed one place to 18th, and Shaheen Shah Afridi rose four spots to 31st.

One of the biggest movers was Usman Tariq, who jumped 59 places to reach 55th.

Spinner Sufiyan Muqeem slipped 10 places to 60th, while all-rounder Shadab Khan gained 10 spots to move up to 65th.

Saim Ayub also dropped 11 places in the bowlers’ rankings to 66th, and pacer Haris Rauf fell five positions to 81st.

India’s Varun Chakaravarthy continues to lead the T20I bowlers’ rankings, followed by Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan in second. South Africa’s Corbin Bosch made a remarkable leap of 21 places to claim third spot.

In the ICC T20I all-rounders’ rankings, Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza has reclaimed the top position, pushing Saim Ayub down to second. India’s Hardik Pandya remains third.

READ: ECB insists Pakistan players will not be frozen out the Hundred

Pakistani players will not be discriminated against in selection for the Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday, despite reports they could be overlooked due to political tensions with India.

The BBC reported last week that the four Indian-owned franchises of the eight-team competition, Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds, were not considering Pakistani players for next month’s auction.

A total of 67 Pakistan players – 63 men and four women – have submitted themselves for selection.

“The England and Wales Cricket Board and all eight of The Hundred team franchises reaffirm their commitment to ensuring The Hundred continues to be a competition that is inclusive, welcoming and open to all,” the ECB said in a statement.

“All eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team.”

Players from Pakistan have not featured in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

With several IPL owners now owning teams in several different countries, opportunities for Pakistani cricketers to participate in various other leagues are in danger of being reduced further.

Players will go under the hammer in London on March 11 and 12.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan had been among those to call for action from the ECB over the rumours.

“They own the league, and this should not be allowed to happen,” said Vaughan, who referenced the ECB’s stated aim of cricket becoming the most inclusive sport in England.

“The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen.”

READ: Newcastle complete cruise into Champions League last 16

Newcastle United completed their stroll into the Champions League last 16 with a 3-2 win over Qarabag on Tuesday to progress 9-3 on aggregate over the Azeri champions.

The Magpies will make up a six-strong contingent of English sides in the last 16 alongside Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.

A tie that involved an over 5,000-mile (8,000-kilometre) round trip for both sides was killed off inside 45 minutes last week as Newcastle led 5-0 at half-time on their way to a 6-1 rout.

That allowed Eddie Howe to heavily rotate his side, with four-goal hero from the first leg, Anthony Gordon, among those left on the bench.

But he was still disappointed with how Newcastle handled the second half after another fast start as they added to their lead twice inside the opening six minutes of the match.

Sandro Tonali fired in the rebound after Dan Burn’s shot was saved, before Joelinton stroked in Harvey Barnes’ cross.

“I think if you look at the score over the two legs, it’s been fantastic from the players, even though today feels like a bit of a hollow win for us,” said Howe.

“I thought at 2-0 we probably came off the pedal. We didn’t intend to do that, but it was sort of the natural reaction.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“In the second half, the game became end-to-end, which, for us, was a real shame. For one, we expended too much energy, and it meant we didn’t put pressure on their goal.”

Qarabag had taken the scalps of Benfica and Eintracht Frankfurt in the league phase to make the play-off round, and at least salvaged some pride with two goals in the second period.

Camilo Duran outpaced Burn to pull a goal back before the Newcastle defender was penalised for handball inside the box.

Aaron Ramsdale saved Marko Jankovic’s penalty, but Elvin Jafarguliyev netted the rebound.

In between the visitors’ two goals, Sven Botman powered in a header from a corner.

That took the tally of goals conceded by Qarabag in the Champions League to 30 — a single-season record in the competition.

A much tougher test lies ahead of Newcastle next month when they will take on either Barcelona or Chelsea in the last 16.

READ: Bodo/Glimt sink Inter Milan to continue Champions League fairy tale