Category: Top News

DELHI: The Netherlands registered their first victory of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to an outstanding all-round display from Bas de Leede.

Chasing Namibia’s 157, the Dutch side reached 159-3 in 18 overs, with de Leede leading the charge.

The 26-year-old top-scored with a fluent 72 off 48 balls, striking five boundaries and four sixes, while Michael Levitt provided brisk support with 28 off 15 deliveries, including three sixes.

Colin Ackermann added 32 off 28 balls, and skipper Scott Edwards remained unbeaten on 18, finishing the chase with a boundary and a six.

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Earlier, Bas de Leede had made an impact with the ball, claiming two key wickets as the Netherlands restricted Namibia to 156-8.

Logan van Beek also picked up two scalps, while Aryan Dutt and Fred Klaassen chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Namibia’s innings was anchored by Jan Loftie-Eaton, who scored 42 off 38 balls with two sixes, and Jan Frylinck, who contributed a vital 30 from 26 deliveries.

This win came after the Netherlands had suffered a defeat against Pakistan in their opening T20 World Cup 2026 fixture.

READ: Pakistan-India T20 World Cup match saves ICC from heavy losses

Villarreal beat Espanyol 4-1 in La Liga on Monday at Estadio de la Cerámica, drawing them level on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Goals by Georges Mikautadze, Nicolas Pepe and Alberto Moleiro, bolstered by an own goal by Jose Salinas, brought the Yellow Submarine to 45 points.

But Leandro Cabrera’s late consolation goal for the visitors stopped Villarreal from leapfrogging Atletico into third place.

Atletico lost to Real Betis on Sunday, offering Villarreal the chance to close the gap.

The Rojiblancos remain third with a superior goal difference of just one over Villarreal’s; however, the chasers boast a game in hand on Diego Simeone’s side.

A fourth consecutive defeat for Espanyol meant the Catalans trail fifth-placed Betis by four points but are still in position to qualify for the UEFA Conference League, albeit with just a one-point lead on chasing Celta Vigo.

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Georgian forward Mikautadze opened the scoring on 35 minutes with an acrobatic swivelling volley from close range after Tajon Buchanan’s knock-down.

Villarreal doubled their lead three minutes before the break as Salinas turned Moleiro’s square ball into his own net.

Pepe made it three less than five minutes into the second half when he danced past a challenge on the edge of the box and rifled low across the goalkeeper with his left foot.

Moleiro then got in on the act in the 55th minute with a fine curling finish after he found himself in acres of space in the Espanyol box at the end of a swift break forward.

Cabrera pulled one back for Espanyol in the 88th minute with a glancing header from a corner, but it was too little, too late as Manolo Gonzalez’s side continued to flounder.

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo set for Al Nassr return after resolving dispute: sources

Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to return to action for Al Nassr after bringing an end to his recent dispute with the Saudi Pro League club, sources told ESPN Brasil.

The Portugal captain had missed two matches, Al Nassr’s 2-0 victory over Al Ittihad on Friday and last week’s win against Al Riyadh, amid reported frustration over issues involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its role in the club’s affairs.

Sources indicated that Ronaldo has now decided to rejoin the squad and is set to feature in Al Nassr’s league clash against Al Fateh on February 14.

The Riyadh-based side are also scheduled to play Arkadag in the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday.

Reports suggested Ronaldo’s absence stemmed from dissatisfaction with the PIF’s involvement in transfer dealings and broader club management.

The situation intensified after Al Nassr’s rivals, Al Hilal, also majority-owned by the PIF, secured the signing of Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate, Karim Benzema, from Al Ittihad during the January transfer window.

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However, the matter appears to have been resolved after Ronaldo’s key concerns were addressed.

According to sources, overdue salaries at Al Nassr were cleared, and authority was restored to the club’s senior management.

Sporting director Simão Coutinho and CEO José Semedo, who had previously been suspended, have reportedly resumed their duties.

Ronaldo has been in impressive form this season, scoring 18 goals and providing three assists in 22 appearances across competitions.

Al Nassr currently sit second in the Saudi Pro League standings, just one point behind leaders Al Hilal, keeping the title race finely poised.

Last week, the Saudi Pro League issued a statement stressing that no individual player could influence decisions beyond their club, reiterating that all teams operate independently under the same regulatory and financial framework.

READ: Free entry announced for Pakistan vs USA clash in Colombo

COLOMBO: Cricket fans will be treated to free entry when Pakistan take on the United States of America (USA) in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground on Tuesday.

The match, scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST), will mark the first-ever international floodlit game hosted at the iconic SSC Ground, offering spectators a rare opportunity to witness a milestone moment in Sri Lanka’s cricketing history.

The venue has already staged two matches in the ongoing tournament, including Pakistan’s campaign opener against the Netherlands on February 7, where the Green Shirts secured a comfortable victory.

Pakistan will head into the contest mindful of their previous meeting with the USA, which came during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dallas.

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In that dramatic encounter, Pakistan posted 159 for 7, courtesy of contributions from Babar Azam (44) and Shadab Khan (40), only for the USA to level the scores at 159 for 3, powered by a half-century from captain Monank Patel.

The match went into a Super Over, where the USA stunned Pakistan, registering one of the biggest upsets in T20 World Cup history.

Meanwhile, the USA have strengthened their squad by drafting in former Pakistan pacer Ehsan Adil as a replacement for injured Jasdeep Singh.

Adil, who has represented the Green Shirts in three Tests and six ODIs, is yet to make his international debut for the USA and was approved as a replacement by the tournament’s Event Technical Committee.

READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan-born pacer Ehsan Adil included in USA squad

COLOMBO: The United States of America (USA) have drafted Pakistan-born fast bowler Ehsan Adil into their squad ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 encounter against the Green Shirts, following an injury setback in the camp.

Adil replaces right-arm pacer Jasdeep Singh, who was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a right shoulder injury during a warm-up fixture against New Zealand on February 5.

The Event Technical Committee (ETC) of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approved Adil’s inclusion, a mandatory requirement for any mid-tournament replacement.

The 32-year-old seamer previously represented Pakistan in three Tests and six One Day Internationals but is yet to make his international debut for the USA.

His addition is expected to bolster the American pace attack ahead of a crucial phase of the tournament.

The ETC overseeing the approval process comprises ICC General Manager – Cricket Wasim Khan, IBC representative Gaurav Saxena, host representative Hemang Amin and independent member Shaun Pollock.

Meanwhile, the USA are coming off a 29-run defeat against India in their opening match at the Wankhede Stadium.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s fighting half-century, combined with a disciplined bowling display, proved decisive as the Americans fell short in their chase.

Pursuing a target of 162, the USA managed 132 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs despite showing glimpses of resistance.

USA squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Monank Patel (c), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane and Ehsan Adil

READ: Dominant South Africa crush Canada in T20 World Cup clash

South Africa inflicted a 57-run thrashing on Canada in Ahmedabad on Monday, as the 2024 runners-up opened their latest T20 World Cup campaign with a dominant performance with bat and ball.

After Canada won the toss and elected to field, South Africa smashed 47 off the last three overs to pile up 213-4, the highest total so far in this year’s T20 World Cup.

David Miller hit an unbeaten 39 off 23 balls and Tristan Stubbs was not out 34 off 19 as they put on an unbroken stand of 75 in 6.1 overs at the end.

Canada’s Navneet Dhaliwal was the only top- order batter to offer any resistance, falling for 64 in the final over as Canada were restricted to 156-8 in reply.

Lungi Ngidi did the bulk of the damage for South Africa, taking 4-31 from his four overs as their pace attack had Canada reeling at 45-4 during the powerplay.

Ngidi was named player of the match and said the evening dew had helped his variation.

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“It did have a bit of an impact. You could see once you bowled a touch fuller, it would sort of just slide on. The slow balls were still holding up a little bit,” he said.

“We knew that obviously our attack brings pace, but for me, I feel like the variations are always the ones that catch people out.”

Quinton de Kock and captain Aiden Markram got South Africa off to a flying start, putting on an opening stand of 70 in 6.5 overs.

De Kock was first to fall, for 25, bowled by a dipping off-spinner from Dilpreet Bajwa.

Markram sailed on and reached his fifty off 28 balls before falling for 59, caught in the deep after hitting 10 fours and a six.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Ansh Patel was the successful bowler and he enjoyed a fine spell, also removing Ryan Rickelton for a brisk 33 off 21 balls and Dewald Brevis for six.

Patel finished with 3-31 off his four overs after reducing South Africa from 125-1 to 138-4 before Miller and Stubbs took over.

READ: ICC reveals outcome of talks with PCB over T20 World Cup row

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday disclosed the details about discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regarding the T20 World Cup 2026 standoff, currently underway in India.

According to the press release statement, Bangladesh will not be fined for missing the T20 World Cup 2026. Additionally, Bangladesh will be awarded hosting rights for an ICC event between 2028 and 2031.

“It is agreed that no financial, sporting or administrative penalty will be imposed on Bangladesh Cricket Board in relation to the current matter,” the press release said.

“As part of this understanding, an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements,” it added.

Earlier sources said that the clash between Pakistan and India at the T20 World Cup is set to proceed as scheduled following a successful dialogue with the International Cricket Council delegation.

A formal request in this regard has been made to the Government of Pakistan, confirmed PCB’s spokesman Amir Mir.

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The decision was made following a successful meeting in Lahore with the ICC delegation led by Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja on Sunday.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Aminul Islam Bulbul was also present during the high-profile meeting.

For those unaware, the development comes on the back of the much-anticipated fixture between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, widely regarded as one of cricket’s most commercially significant contests, which remains uncertain after the Government of Pakistan directed its national team not to take the field against India in Colombo.

The match is scheduled for February 15 and carries massive implications both financially and competitively.

The 20-team tournament has already been clouded by political tensions after Bangladesh refused to play matches in India due to security concerns, leading to their replacement by Scotland.

In response, the Pakistan government barred the national side from participating in the high-profile Group A encounter against co-hosts India.

Pakistan, which opened their campaign with a victory over the Netherlands on February 7, stands to lose two vital points and suffer a significant blow to its net run rate if it forfeits the contest.

READ: Pakistan, India World Cup clash to go ahead as per schedule: sources

Australia-based Alpha Sports Group on Monday decided to partner with OZ Group, which bought the newly inducted Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Sialkot Stallions at the league’s team auction held on January 8.

Alpha Sports Group is Australia’s largest wholesale distributor of sports medicine, physiotherapy, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and first aid products.

The Group has acquired a 75 per cent stake in Sialkot Stallions.

Following the partnership, Alpha Sports and OZ Group will work together on the franchise’s overall growth, team formation, and performance improvement.

Following the announcement, Alpha Sports Group expressed excitement about the partnership, noting that both partners will aim to build Stallionz into a strong, competitive team.

It is worth noting that both Alpha Sports Group and OZ Group are based in Australia and hold prominent positions in the sports management and investment sectors.

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The new partnership is being termed a positive and welcome development for the PSL’s upcoming seasons, with the move generating fresh excitement among Sialkot Stallions fans.

For those unware, the development came just weeks after Sialkot Stallionz were officially introduced as one of the two new franchises ahead of the PSL 11.

The team’s ownership rights were acquired by OZ Developers, owned by Hamza Majeed and Kamil Khan, during the historic PSL 2026 auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre on January 8.

OZ Developers sealed the deal with a record bid of Rs 1.85 billion, making it the most expensive franchise purchase in PSL history.

The eighth team, PSL 11, is set to start on March 26 across five venues in the country.

READ: Ali Tareen reacts after Multan renamed Rawalpindi

Ali Tareen, former franchise owner of the Multan Sultans — now renamed to Rawalpindi — has shared a meaningful message following the outfit auction held earlier today.

Tareen, who was part of the bidding process but did not submit a single bid for the team, took to the X platform.

“Janoob Ki Pehchan,” he wrote in his post.

Earlier, PSL outfit Multan Sultans was sold to Walee Technologies for a record Rs2.45 billion in a heated bidding war.

The Bidding process commenced at a base price of PKR 1,820,000,000, with CD Ventures, Particle Igniter, and Walee Technologies competing for the franchise.

After an intense bidding war, Walee Technologies bought the franchise for a record price of Rs 2.45 billion.

Later on, the owners changed the name from Multan Sultans to Rawalpindi, citing their childhood association with the city.

During the auction ceremony, PCB chairman Najam Sethi, legendary former Pakistan batter Zaheer Abbas, and other prominent figures from the cricketing fraternity were also present.

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Multan Sultans were added to PSL in 2017, and were initially owned by Schon Group. After one year, PCB terminated the contract, and Ali Tareen formally took over the franchise, which he owned for seven years.

However, his strained relations with PCB led him not to renew the 10-year ownership agreement, resulting in a fresh auction for the team.

The board had accused Tareen of breaching several clauses of the 10-year contract and demanded a public apology and retraction of his statements.

READ: PSL 11: Walee Technologies renames Multan franchise to Rawalpindi

Islamabad: Pakistan’s rising squash star Mehwish Ali has successfully participated in the trials for the 35th Asian Squash Championship at the Pakistan Squash Federation, Islamabad, marking an inspiring comeback after a serious health setback earlier this year.

Last month, Mehwish suffered a severe medical emergency during the semi-final of the WSF Czech Junior Open 2026, where she collapsed mid-match while in a dominant position.

She was immediately shifted to the ICU, having remained unconscious for nearly seven hours due to cardiac stress caused by a lack of oxygen.

Her full recovery has brought immense relief to the Pakistani squash community.

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Mehwish is now back in training alongside her sisters and has completed the Asian Championship trials.

Expressing her gratitude, Mehwish said the trials were not only a competition but an opportunity to grow as a player and proudly represent Pakistan at the continental level.

For those unaware, the Ali sisters—Mehwish, Sehrish, and Mahnoor Ali—are rising squash stars from Peshawar, Pakistan, who have recently achieved significant success on the international junior circuit.

READ: Ponting wants Babar at his best to take Pakistan deep in T20 World Cup