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ABU DHABI: Ajman Titans left-arm pacer Akif Javed delivered an outstanding spell to power his side to a 21-run victory over Deccan Gladiators in the 21st fixture of the Abu Dhabi T10 here on Wednesday.

Akif took three for five in his two overs, which restricted Gladiators to 88-7 in pursuit of a 110-run target.

Andre Russell (13) departed in the second over, caught by Alex Hales off Akif’s bowling. The towering pacer then castled Marcus Stoinis on the very next ball for a duck to put his side in a position of strength.

However, skipper Nicholas Pooran and Tom Kohler Cadmore stitched a 41-run stand, bringing the scorecard to 61 in 5.2 overs.

But it was Akif again, who removed dangerous Pooran, putting the Titans firmly on course for the victory.

Pooran hit two sixes and two fours in his 24 from 15, while Cadmore 32 from 23 deliveries was laced with three fours and a six.

After the solid stand, Gladiators lost wickets in quick succession, eventually resulting in a loss that puts them in second spot on the points table.

Akif Javed was named the player of the match for his outstanding performance.

Earlier, after being put into bat first, Ajman Titans racked up 109-6 at the end of their 10 overs.

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Skipper Moeen Ali led the charge with a brisk 31 off just 12, studded with three sixes and two fours. Alex Hales and Aneurin Donald also contributed with the bat, scoring 24 and 25 runs respectively.

In the 22nd fixture of the tournament, Aspin Stallions defeated Royal Champs by a narrow seven-run margin.

Chasing 135, Champs managed to score 127-2 in their allotted 10 overs, courtesy of Brandon McMullen’s quick-fire 59* off 28 balls, laced with four sixes and an equal number of boundaries.

For Stallions, Binura Fernando and Karim Janat picked up one wicket each.

Aspin Stallions capitalized on the decision to bat first and amassed 134-5 in their allotted overs.

It was an all-round effort from Aspin Stallions, with each batter chipping in with vital contributions. Captain Rahmanullah Gurbaz remained the top scorer, hitting 30 off 12 with the aid of three sixes and a four.

For Royal Champs, Haider Razzaq managed to scalp two wickets.

Meanwhile, Northern Warriors also cruised to a 35-run victory over UAE Bulls in the opening fixture of the day.

Warriors set a massive total of 140 in their 10 overs, courtesy of Colin Munro’s whirlwind 77* from 35 deliveries. The soutpaw hit seven fours and half a dozen maximums in his knock.

In reply, the Bulls fell way short and were only able to muster 103-7 at the end of their innings.

Tim David remained the silver lining in the batting lineup, making 30 from 13 with the help of three fours and two sixes.

Shahnawaz Dahani, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Shahid Bhutta starred with the ball, with each taking two wickets in their two overs.

READ: Maaz Sadaqat signs with Janakpur Bolts for Nepal Premier League

Pakistan’s emerging batter Maaz Sadaqat has been roped in by Janakpur Bolts for the remainder of the Nepal Premier League (NPL).

The ongoing NPL is set to run until December 13, with defending champions Janakpur Bolts acquiring the services of the promising left-handed batter.

The announcement came via the team’s social media handle, with a video of Maaz, showing his commendable batting display.

 

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A post shared by Janakpur Bolts (@boltsjanakpurnpl)

“The Emerging champion meets the Bolts storm. From the northern frontier where fire is forged and hunger never fades. Maaz Sadaqat steps in with energy, intent, and the spark to make his moment count,” the caption of the post read.

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It is pertinent to note that Maaz Sadaqat’s name rose to the headlines following his impressive all-round performance in the recently concluded ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament.

The 20-year-old remained the cornerstone of Pakistan Shaheen’s triumph and was also named the player of the tournament.

Maaz topped the runs chart with 258 runs to his name in the eight-team tournament. The top-order batter demonstrated his batting prowess at an excellent average of 129 in five innings, with two fifties to his name.

Besides batting, he also showcased his brilliance with the ball, taking 7 wickets at an average of 7.42.

The batter, originally from Peshawar, delivered a commanding performance against arch-rivals India A, scalping two wickets, backed by a brilliant 79 off only 47 balls.

For the unversed, the second edition of the NPL is currently underway from November 17 to December 13, 2025, with all the fixtures taking place at the Tribhuvan University International Ground in Kirtipur.

The eight teams featuring in the tournament are Biratnagar Kings, Chitwan Rhinos, Janakpur Bolts, Karnali Yaks, Kathmandu Gorkhas, Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers, and Sudurpaschim Royals.

Janakpur Bolts Squad

Anil Sah (c & wk), Lahiru Milantha (wk), Aasif Sheikh (wk), Bikash Aagri, Sachin Bhatta, Sangeeth Cooray, Shubh Kansakar, Jan-Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Aaditya Mahata, Kishore Mahato, Wayne Parnell, Lalit Rajbanshi, Lahiru Samarakoon, Rupesh Singh, Imran Tahir, Tul Bahadur Thapa, Mayan Yadav, Pappu Yadav, Maaz Sadaqat

READ: Shubman Gill posts cryptic message following South Africa whitewash

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca tried to keep his youthful side’s stunning 3-0 win at home to 10-man Barcelona in perspective by insisting “nothing has changed” for the Blues.

Tuesday’s Champions League triumph at Stamford Bridge kept the London club on course to reach the last 16 of the competition following a superb display of attacking football featuring a brilliant goal from teenage winger Estevao.

The 18-year-old Brazilian slipped inside defender Pau Cubarsi, then glided across Alejandro Balde before letting fly with an unstoppable shot.

Estevao’s strike came after Jules Kounde’s own-goal had put Chelsea ahead, with Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo sent off in the first half for a second bookable offence.

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Liam Delap scored Chelsea’s third goal, his first goal since their pre-season Club World Cup triumph, to send the Blues into Sunday’s clash with Premier League leaders and London rivals Arsenal in a confident mood.

“It’s a big win, especially because it was Barcelona, but nothing’s changed in terms of what team we are and what we can achieve,” said Maresca, whose side will cut Arsenal’s lead at the summit to three points with another victory at Stamford Bridge.

He added: “Now we focus on the next one. The feeling was very good. At home with our fans, it’s way nice to share this kind of moment. Now, next 48 hours completely switch off, have a rest, recover energy.

“We need to keep the momentum. It’s much easier to recover energy when you win games.”

READ: Shubman Gill posts cryptic message following South Africa whitewash

India Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill shared a cryptic post after his side’s 2-0 whitewash in the Test series against South Africa.

Shubman was not part of the second Test against the Proteas after being ruled out of the series in the opening match at Kolkata.

The right-hander had sustained a neck injury and was under observation in the hospital, later being ruled out of both the Test and ODI series against South Africa.

In his absence, Risabh Pant was named stand-in captain and led the side in the second Test.

Shubman took to his social media account and wrote a meaningful post, mentioning the defeat, noting that challenges forge resilience, and reaffirming his commitment to the team’s unity and progress.

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“Calm seas don’t teach you how to steer, it’s the storm that forges steady hands. We’ll continue to believe in each other, fight for each other, and move forward – rising stronger,” he wrote.

 

 

For the unversed, India were completely outfoxed by the visitors, who handed them their biggest Test defeat by a hefty margin of 408 runs. Notably, this was also India’s first home series loss to South Africa since 2000.

The architects of the mastery were South Africa’s Marcon Jansen, who displayed all-round performance, and Simon Harmer, who spun a web around Indian batters, hence bundling them out for 140 runs in their second innings.

Jansen bagged the player of the match award for his 93 in the first innings and seven wickets in the match, while Harmer, who took nine wickets in the match, was deemed the Player of the series.

Overall, Harmer took 17 wickets in the two-match series at an astonishing average of eight.

South Africa and India will now meet in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, starting on Sunday, 30 November in Ranchi.

READ: PCB reveals venue, dates for Quaid Trophy final

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced Gaddafi Stadium as the venue for the final of the 22nd edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT).

PCB announced the venue and the dates for the final in a press release on its website. Earlier, the cricket board had said that the venue for the pinnacle clash would be announced later.

The summit clash will be played between Karachi Blues and the reigning champions Sialkot from 1 to 5 December.

“The final of the tournament – to be played between Karachi Blues and Sialkot – will return to Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, and is slated to take place from 1-5 December after the venue played host to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 finals earlier,” the board said in a statement.

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Meanwhile, Karachi Blues secured the final berth by defeating Sialkot in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last round fixture.

A day earlier, Shan Masood and Saad Baig starred with the bat in Karachi Blues’ three-wicket victory over Sialkot to seal the final berth.

In the bowling department, spinner Kashif Bhatti played a crucial role, claiming a five-wicket haul, followed by Mohammad Asghar, who also chipped in with three wickets.

For his outstanding performance, Kashif was named as the the player of the match.

After Karachi qualified for the final, Faisalabad and Sialkot were the remaining teams to book a berth in the final.

On the contrary, Sialkot reached the summit clash after Bahalwalpur defeated Faisalabad, dashing their hopes of reaching the final.

Bahawalpur outplayed Faisalabad by four wickets and chased the 310-run target in 85.1 overs at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad.

Despite the victory, Bahalwalpur finished ninth in a 10-team tournament and were relegated to the Hanif Mohammad Trophy alongside Abbottabad, which won only one game.

READ: Tijjani Reijnders opens up after Man City’s loss to Leverkusen

Tijjani Reijnders has insisted there will be no loss of nerve at Manchester City following their surprise defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Tijjani Reijnders opens up after Man City’s loss to Leverkusen

City manager Pep Guardiola felt confident enough to make 10 changes to his team, only for the side to lose 2-0 at home to Bundesliga outfit Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Defeat ended City’s unbeaten start to the league phase of European club football’s elite competition ahead of a tie with Spanish giants Real Madrid, and came just days after their loss to Newcastle in the Premier League last weekend.

“Of course it’s a bummer (but) we should not lose our confidence because we did great before and we have to get back on that winning streak, and that’s by being ready for the next game on Saturday (at home to Leeds),” said Dutch midfielder Reijnders.

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“Mentally we have to be ready. We know what we can do and what we showed before. It’s on us to do that again — don’t lose the confidence because we have a lot of quality in the team.

“We should not panic now. Of course, losing two times in a row is not a good thing, but we know there are still plenty of chances this season, and we have to go game to game.”

Reijnders’s fellow midfielder Nico Gonzalez was the only player to retain his starting spot from the defeat at St James’ Park, with Guardiola opting to rest several star names, including Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

But goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick put Leverkusen on top, and not even the introduction of Norway striker Haaland, who has scored 32 goals for club and country this season, with 25 minutes remaining, could turn the tide for City.

Reijnders, however, was adamant this defeat would have no bearing on City’s match against record 15-time European champions Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on December 10.

“I don’t think it will put extra pressure,” he said. “We know what we can expect there from Madrid, but it’s in a couple of weeks, so first let’s be ready for Saturday.”

READ: WATCH: Musa Khan’s QEAT double hat-trick scripts history

BRISBANE: Australian spearhead Mitchell Starc is on the verge of breaking the record of Pakistan’s iconic pacer Wasim Akram during the upcoming Ashes Test against England.

Since making his Test debut in 2011, Starc has claimed 412 wickets in 101 matches over a remarkable 14-year career.

He now needs just two more wickets to equal Akram’s tally of 414, the benchmark for left-arm fast bowlers in Test cricket.

Most Wickets in Test cricket by Left-Arm Pacers:

Player	Team	Matches	Wickets
Wasim Akram	Pakistan	104	414
Mitchell Starc	Australia	101	412*
Chaminda Vaas	Sri Lanka	111	355
Trent Boult	New Zealand	78	317
Mitchell Johnson	Australia	73	313

The 35-year-old’s pursuit of this milestone comes as he continues to solidify his place among the all-time greats of the game.

During the opening Ashes Test at Perth, he almost single-handedly spearheaded Australia’s depleted pace attack, taking 7 for 58 in the first innings and finishing with ten wickets in the match to dismantle England.

Overall, 2025 has been a phenomenal year for the left-armer, who has picked up 39 wickets at an average of just 15.71.

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If he maintains this form in the upcoming second Ashes Test starting on December 4, Starc has a perfect opportunity to surpass Akram.

Achieving six wickets in the match could see him climb from 17th to 15th on the list of all-time Test wicket-takers, overtaking Akram (414) and India’s Harbhajan Singh (417).

READ: WTC points table after South Africa’s series win over India

DUBAI: Pakistan opening batter Saim Ayub has slipped from the top spot in the latest ICC T20I all-rounder rankings on Wednesday, following a string of underwhelming performances in the ongoing tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Ayub, whose primary role is with the bat, managed just 55 runs in three innings at an average of 18.33 and a strike rate of 105.76.

His contributions with the ball were equally limited, picking up only a single wicket from six overs. As a result, he has fallen to second place in the T20I all-rounder standings with 269 rating points.

The top spot is now held by Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, who has impressed across both disciplines in the tri-series.

Raza has scored 141 runs in four innings at an average of 47.00 and a strike rate of 136.89, while also picking up three wickets at an average of 36.00.

Catch Pakistan Tri-Series news updates here!

His consistent performances have propelled him to 289 rating points, with West Indies’ Roston Chase occupying third place.

Notably, Raza is the second-highest run-scorer in the tri-series behind Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan.

Farhan has also made headlines in the latest ICC T20I rankings, climbing into the top five of the batting chart thanks to his stellar form.

The Pakistan opener has amassed 159 runs in three innings at an average of 79.50 and a strike rate of 157.42, including two half-centuries.

His performances have earned him 776 points, an eight-place jump to fourth in the global batting rankings.

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Babar Azam has also gained ground, moving five spots up to 29th with 572 points after scoring 90 runs at a strike rate of 116.88 in the tri-series.

Meanwhile, Saim Ayub managed to retain his 37th position with 538 points, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, absent from the series, dropped five places to 46th with 514 points.

Among the bowlers, spinner Abrar Ahmed remains eighth with 659 points, while fellow spinner Mohammad Nawaz, the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tri-series with seven scalps, climbed 14 spots to 13th with 638 points.

Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi slipped four places to 18th, Sufiyan Muqeem fell four spots to 27th, and Salman Mirza climbed five positions to 38th with 532 points.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan storms into top five of ICC T20I batting rankings

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has made a massive leap in the latest ICC T20I rankings on Wednesday, surging into the top five following his outstanding performances in the ongoing tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

Farhan, the highest run-scorer in the series, has accumulated 159 runs in three innings at an impressive average of 79.50 and a strike rate of 157.42, including two half-centuries.

His consistent run-making has earned him 776 points, propelling him eight spots up to fourth in the global T20I batting standings.

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam also advanced in the rankings after scoring 90 runs in the tri-series at a strike rate of 116.88, moving five places up to 29th with 572 points.

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Opening batter Saim Ayub retained his 37th position with 538 points, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, absent from the tri-series, slipped five spots to 46th with 514 points.

Left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman climbed three places to 57th, while T20I captain Salman Ali Agha dropped seven spots to 63rd.

At the top of the batting rankings, India’s Abhishek Sharma continues to lead, followed by England’s Phil Salt and India’s Tilak Varma.

On the bowling front, spinner Abrar Ahmed holds eighth place with 659 points, while fellow spinner Mohammad Nawaz, joint-highest wicket-taker in the tri-series with seven scalps, made a significant leap of 14 places to 13th with 638 points.

Catch Pakistan Tri-Series news updates here!

Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi dropped four spots to 18th, Sufiyan Muqeem fell four places to 27th, and Salman Mirza climbed five positions to 38th with 532 points.

Right-arm pacer Haris Rauf slipped seven spots to 46th, while Saim Ayub, who contributes as a part-time bowler, now ranks 51st. Faheem Ashraf jumped nine spots to 53rd, whereas Abbas Afridi dropped 11 places to 66th.

Varun Chakravarthy of India remains the number one T20I bowler, followed by New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.

In the all-rounder rankings, Mohammad Nawaz climbed one place to seventh, while Faheem Ashraf slipped to 35th and Shaheen Afridi to 59th. Salman Ali Agha dropped three places to 69th, and Abbas Afridi fell six spots to 81st.

Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza claimed the top spot among T20I all-rounders, surpassing Pakistan’s Saim Ayub, with West Indies’ Roston Chase in third place.

READ: WTC points table after South Africa’s series win over India

GUWAHATI: Defending world champions South Africa delivered a commanding statement in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 by crushing India in the second Test on Wednesday to seal a historic 2-0 series victory.

The result not only reshaped the WTC points table but also marked South Africa’s first Test series triumph on Indian soil since the year 2000 and only their second overall in the country’s history.

Led by Temba Bavuma, the Proteas rewrote history with a dominant performance across the series.

With this win, South Africa surged to second place in the WTC standings with three wins and one defeat, collecting 36 points at an impressive win percentage of 75.

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Australia continue to lead the WTC points table after winning all four of their matches, sitting comfortably on 48 points with a perfect 100 percent record.

India, meanwhile, slipped to fifth place following back-to-back defeats in the series. The Men in Blue now have four wins, four losses and one draw from nine matches, accumulating 52 points with a win percentage of 48.15.

Pakistan currently occupy fourth position with one win and one defeat from two Tests, holding 12 points at a 50 percent win rate, while Sri Lanka sit third with one win and one draw from two games, earning 16 points with a win percentage of 66.67.

ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table:

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Draw	Points	Win%
Australia	4	4	0	0	48	100
South Africa	4	3	1	0	36	75
Sri Lanka	2	1	0	1	16	66.67
Pakistan	2	1	1	0	12	50
India	9	4	4	1	52	48.15

The second Test ended in emphatic fashion as South Africa bowled out India for just 140 while defending a massive target of 549 on the final day.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer starred with remarkable figures of 6 for 37, dismantling India’s batting lineup.

Ravindra Jadeja offered brief resistance with a fighting 54 before being stumped off Keshav Maharaj, who also took the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj.

READ: ICC unveils schedule for men’s T20 World Cup 2026