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DUBAI: Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed and opener Sahibzada Farhan have made notable strides in the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings after their standout performances in the Asia Cup 2025.

Farhan, currently the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 156 runs at an average of 31.20, jumped 31 spots to claim the 24th position with 589 rating points.

Fellow batters Fakhar Zaman and skipper Salman Ali Agha also moved up three places each, to 66th and 64th, respectively.

However, Pakistan’s seasoned duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who are no longer part of the T20I setup, slipped further down the charts. Babar dropped to 35th and Rizwan to 38th.

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Meanwhile, out of form Saim Ayub fell eight places to 55th, Hasan Nawaz dropped to 58th, and wicket-keeper Mohammad Haris inched down to 90th.

At the top, India’s Abhishek Sharma retained his No.1 spot, with England’s Phil Salt second and Tilak Varma overtaking Jos Buttler to move into third.

In the ICC T20I bowling rankings, Abrar Ahmed made the most significant impact, having taken five wickets in the Asia Cup 2025.

He surged 12 places to break into the top five for the first time. He now sits fourth with 703 points, closing in on a potential top-three finish.

Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf also gained ground, climbing to 25th and 28th, respectively. In contrast, Sufiyan Muqeem slipped to 14th, Abbas Afridi dropped to 44th, while Mohammad Nawaz fell to 46th.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

India’s Varun Chakaravarthy continues to lead the T20I bowling charts, followed by New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and West Indies’ Akeal Hosein.

In the all-rounders’ list, Saim Ayub maintained fifth place with 201 points. Mohammad Nawaz rose to 17th, while Faheem Ashraf jumped 12 places to 39th.

Shaheen Afridi and Salman Ali Agha also made double-digit gains, both tying for 71st. Shadab Khan, however, slipped five places to 35th.

India’s Hardik Pandya remains the top-ranked T20I all-rounder, with Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi second and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza third.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan joins Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan in elite list

ABU DHABI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has joined star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in an elite list during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Farhan struck 24 off 15 deliveries, laced with two sixes and a four, entering the record books as he became only the fourth batter from the country to score 1,500 T20 runs in a calendar year.

He reached the landmark in his 35th innings of the year.

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Prior to Farhan, only Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shan Masood had crossed the 1,500-run barrier in a calendar year.

Babar has done it thrice (2019, 2021, 2024), Rizwan achieved it in back-to-back years (2021 and 2022), while Shan managed the feat in 2022.

Farhan’s tally in 2025 has been accumulated through his performances for Pakistan, Peshawar Region, and Islamabad United, underlining his consistency across formats and tournaments.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

The 29-year-old also made headlines earlier on Sunday with a striking celebration after notching up a half-century against India.

He reached the landmark by launching Axar Patel for a six and marked the moment by mimicking his bat “firing runs like bullets,” a gesture that quickly went viral among fans.

READ: Fans in awe of Hasaranga, Abrar after ‘spirit of cricket’ moment

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga have won hearts worldwide after sharing a heartwarming display of mutual respect following the Men in Green’s Super Four victory over the Islanders in the Asia Cup 2025.

Pakistan achieved a five-wicket victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday, moving up to second place on the points table.

However, both Hasaranga and Ahmed had some tense moments on the field when the duo mimicked each other’s celebrations after taking wickets.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Abrar Ahmed did the celebration first when he bowled Wanindu Hasaranga, while the Sri Lankan spinner returned the favor twice.

He imitated Abrar’s celebration after taking a stunning catch to dismiss Fakhar Zaman off Maheesh Theekshana’s bowling.

In the subsequent over, he clean-bowled Saim Ayub and celebrated like Abrar once again while looking towards Pakistan’s dugout.

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The Green Shirts managed to overcome an early collapse, thanks to the efforts of Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz, who led the team to victory.

After the match, Hasaranga and Abrar did not let their previous tensions affect them; instead, they demonstrated sportsmanship.

A video that surfaced on social media shows the two exchanging handshakes after the game. They hugged each other and shared a laugh about the events on the field, ultimately deciding to bury the hatchet.

Just loved this.. friendly banter during the game, at the end of the game, they are brothers. incredible Sportsmanship.. lot to learn from this for all cricketers. #PAKVSL #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/iOCiTToXm5

— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) September 23, 2025

Lovely moment between Hasaranga and Abrar.

This is what you call banter and sportsmanship. All fun on the field and friends off it. pic.twitter.com/30cTNYxeBx

— yang goi (@GongR1ght) September 23, 2025

See that moment between Abrar and Hasaranga? Copying each other’s celebrations as playful on-field banter, then laughing and hugging it out in the end. That’s the beauty of this sport. That’s true sportsmanship. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nWVzaUidAu

— Brashna Kasi (@Brashnaa) September 23, 2025

READ: Barcelona’s Gavi to miss up to five months after knee surgery

Barcelona midfielder Gavi is set to miss up to five months after undergoing surgery on a knee injury, the club said Tuesday.

“Gavi has had an arthroscopy to resolve a medial meniscus injury, which was sutured to preserve the meniscus. Recovery time is estimated at around 4-5 months,” said Barcelona in a statement.

The 21-year-old Spain international suffered a torn cruciate ligament in 2023 in the same knee.

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Gavi has not played since August, with Barcelona initially hoping conservative treatment would resolve the problem, without needing to resort to surgery.

Barca travel to face Real Oviedo on Thursday in La Liga before welcoming Real Sociedad on Sunday, and then hosting Paris Saint-Germain next week in the Champions League.

Gavi is not set to return until early 2026, a year in which Spain are likely to be among the favourites to win the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

READ: Mbappe hits brace as Real Madrid thrash Levante in La Liga

French striker Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Real Madrid extended their winning start to La Liga with a comfortable 4-1 triumph at Levante on Tuesday.

With these two goals, Mbappe has reached seven league goals in six matches as Xabi Alonso’s side maintained their 100 percent record.

Vinicius Junior opened the scoring with a superb finish, and Franco Mastantuono was also on target for the league leaders.

Second-placed Barcelona visit Real Oviedo on Thursday, with the Spanish champions trailing Madrid by five points.

“It was a very good game, from the start, we were really committed in defence and the first goal was fundamental, to go ahead and give us confidence,” said Alonso.

Vinicius was unhappy to be taken off by Alonso during the win over Espanyol on Saturday, but the Brazilian winger started on the left flank and delivered.

Since coming second to Manchester City’s Rodri in last year’s Ballon d’Or rankings, Vinicius has struggled for consistency.

However, he found his rhythm at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium and opened the scoring after 28 minutes, following a bright start to the game.

“Vini had a very complete, very good game, and I am very happy for him,” said Alonso.

Valencia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made a good save to deny Vinicius, and Mastantuono hit the bar from the rebound as Los Blancos threatened in the opening stages.

Then fed by Fede Valverde on the right of the box, Vinicius used the outside of his right boot to bend a sumptuous effort in at the far post.

Ivan Romero and Adrian de la Fuente came close early for Levante, but they were forced back, and Madrid found their second when Vinicius set up Mastantuono, who rifled into the top corner.

It was the promising 18-year-old attacker’s first goal for the club since his summer switch from River Plate.

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Ryan denied Vinicius with a good stop from close range before half-time.

Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong, in fine form himself at the start of the season, nodded home his fourth goal from close range after Romero’s cross was deflected and looped into the air.

It offered Levante a brief glimmer of hope, but that was quickly quashed by Mbappe.

Unai Elgezabal clumsily brought down the French superstar in the box, and Mbappe cheekily dinked the resulting penalty down the middle for the third.

Then, two minutes later, the forward, released by Arda Guler, rounded Ryan and tapped home his second of the night.

Mbappe struggled in his first few months at Madrid after joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, but hit top form in the second half of the season.

The striker has carried that into the new campaign and has nine goals in seven games across all competitions, helping Madrid start the campaign in ideal fashion.

“There are still things we can do better, but we’re on a good path and we have to continue along it,” said Alonso, with Los Blancos facing city rivals Atletico on Saturday.

“We’re in a construction phase… there’s still a lot we have to do.

“We’re building a solid base, and on the team, many players feel connected and important.”

Villarreal earned a late 2-1 win at Sevilla to rise to third in the table, above fourth-placed Espanyol, who drew 2-2 with Valencia.

Bottom side Girona earned a creditable 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao, fifth.

READ: Skipper Agha chasing ‘perfect game’ despite win over Sri Lanka

ABU DHABI: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted concern over losing wickets in the middle overs after his side’s win over Sri Lanka.

Pakistan edged Sri Lanka by five wickets to bag a crucial win in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

During the post-match presentation, Salman Ali Agha rued the collapse in the middle overs and highlighted their performance in previous matches of the Asia Cup 2025.

“Cannot say it was a perfect game. We lost four wickets in three overs, but apart from that, it could be a perfect game, but we need to stop doing that. We have been doing that since Sharjah, and we need to stop that,” he said.

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The skipper praised fielding coach Shane McDermott for his hard work with the players.

“He (Shane McDermott) has been working with players really hard. We have named him a rockstar, and are working hard with him,” Salman remarked.

The 31-year-old heaped praise on Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shaheen Afridi, calling them vital in the team’s win.

“He (Shaheen) has been outstanding since he came back. He has been bowling well for last so many years. He is an asset and a match-winner, and he is showing that every now and then.

That is why we play so many all-rounders because nowadays, the game demands so many options in batting and bowling. I am very happy for him. Knowing him for several years, he has been working hard on his game and really happy for him,” he concluded while praising Hussain Talat.

READ: Hussain Talat reflects on match-winning performance against Sri Lanka

ABU DHABI: All-rounder Hussain Talat shared his thoughts after playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s crucial win over Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours.

On a day when Pakistan needed a vital all-round contribution, Talat delivered with bat and ball to put his team back on course in the race for the continental tournament final.

The 29-year-old first chipped with the ball, picking up two crucial wickets in a single over. He removed Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanka on consecutive deliveries, which put the Green Shirts in the driving seat.

He backed his bowling with a composed and measured knock under pressure. Pakistan were 80-5 in 11.1 overs when Mohammad Nawaz joined Talat for a decisive 58-run partnership.

Hussain Talat made 32 from 30 balls with the aid of four boundaries.

Speaking after the match, Talat reflected on his knock and how he paced his innings in testing conditions.

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“It is difficult, it is hot, we all know. But we all prepared for this time. Conditions were not easy, so I took my time. We want to play attacking cricket, but in the UAE, we cannot go full-fledged,” he said.

“But they (captain and coach) talked about playing with the field and going with our best shots. The plan was to go straightaway and attack. But I just backed my gut feeling. We lost two wickets when I went in to bat. My gut feeling was to take some time and that the boundaries would come,” he continued.

He also praised Mohammad Nawaz, who made 38 from 24 balls, striking three sixes and three fours, and talked about his bowling.

“There was a lot of humidity and I told Nawaz that he will go (after the bowling) and that I will go after the bowling (if I get an opportunity). Hats off to him for the way he finished it,” Talat explained.

“I was working on my bowling with the bowling coach. We all know that teams will go after me, so I have to back my plans. If I can bowl two good overs for the team, that will help. And then I knew I needed to do something with the bat as well, and got this (award), he concluded.

READ: All-round Talat stars as Pakistan down Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2025

The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended USA Cricket (USAC) on Tuesday in a bid to overhaul its leadership and governance structures, aiming to protect players and keep cricket’s Olympic plan on track

The decision was made by the ICC Board following a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

“The suspension is an unfortunate but necessary step to protect the long-term interests of the game,” the ICC said following the suspension.

Despite the suspension, USA will participate in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, which is set to begin in February next year.

The exact reason for the suspension has not yet been confirmed, but it follows a decision made by the ICC at its annual general meeting in July. At that meeting, the ICC granted USAC three months to conduct “free and fair elections” and implement “comprehensive” governance reforms.

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Moreover, the suspension does not have an immediate impact on cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

To maintain continuity, the ICC and its representatives will take temporary control of the management of the USA’s national teams, concentrating on high-performance initiatives and player development.

A Normalization Committee, with the support of ICC management, will outline the reforms required for the restoration of USA Cricket’s membership.

This will include changes to governance, operations, and structure, and the committee will also oversee and support the transition process.

READ: Shaheen becomes Pakistan’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is

ABU DHABI: Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi on Tuesday went past Shadab Khan to become the second-highest wicket taker for Pakistan in the T20Is.

Shaheen reached the feat during Pakistan’s clash against Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours played here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

The 25-year-old surpassed Shadab after removing Sri Lanka’s openers– Patthum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis.

Before heading into the match, Shaheen Afridi had scalped 111 wickets in 89 games.

Most wickets for Pakistan in Men’s T20Is

Haris Rauf – 128 wickets in 89 innings
Shaheen Shah Afridi – 113 wickets in 90 innings*
Shadab Khan – 112 wickets in 104 innings
Shahid Afridi – 97 wickets in 96 innings
Saeed Ajmal – 85 wickets in 60 innings

Overall, Shaheen Afridi took three wickets in his four overs and gave away 28 runs. Courtesy of his bowling effort, Sri Lanka were restricted to a modest 133-run total in their 20 overs.

It is pertinent to mention that Shaheen Afridi picked only three wickets in five games before playing the match against Sri Lanka.

However, he played crucial cameos with the bat to lift Pakistan out of trouble in the group stage fixtures of the Asia Cup 2025 against India and UAE.

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt.), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

READ: England name pace-heavy squad for Ashes 2025

ABU DHABI: Hussain Talat stood tall with bat and ball to script a crucial win for Pakistan over Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Green Shirts chased down the target in 18 overs, losing five wickets in the process.

The openers were off to a flyer, piling up 45 runs in 5.3 overs. However, Sri Lanka made a strong comeback in the fifth over, removing both openers to dent Pakistan’s progress.

Maheesh Theekshan struck twice, first removing dangerous Sahibzada Farhan and then Fakhar Zaman, to put Sri Lanka back into the game.

Sahibzada departed after scoring 24 from 15 balls, striking two sixes and a boundary, while Fakhar made 17 from 19 with the aid of two fours.

The wickets gave the Islanders an opening, and they further jolted Pakistan with quick wickets. Saim Ayub’s poor form continued as he was castled for two while Salman Ali Agha perished soon after, adding only five to the total.

Mohammad Haris was also cleaned up by Dushmanta Chameera for 13 after a brief partnership of 23 runs with Hussain Talat. As a result, Pakistan were reduced to 80-5 in 11.1 overs.

Yet, Pakistan emerged victorious, and it was all due to Hussain Talat’s calm and composed innings. The left-hander forged a decisive 58-run stand with Mohammad Nawaz, who also chipped in at the end to take Pakistan home.

Hussain made 32* from 30 balls, striking four boundaries, whereas Nawaz struck back-to-back sixes to take his runs tally to 38*. He hit three fours and three sixes in his impressive knock.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets each.

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Earlier, Shaheen Afridi’s impressive three-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka to 133-8 in their 20 overs.

The Islanders were jolted early, with Shaheen Afridi removing both openers. Kusal Mendis fell for nought on the second ball of the first over, whereas in-form Pathum Nissanka was caught behind in the third over.

As a result, Sri Lanka slipped to 18-2 in 2.2 overs. However, the batters tried to counterattack, accumulating some vital runs.

Kusal Perera and skipper Charith Asalanka added 25 from 19 on the third wicket before the former was caught off Haris Rauf’s bowling in the fifth over. The left-hander managed to score 15 from 12 balls.

Despite scoring quickly, the eight over from medium pacer Hussain Talat was the cherry on top for Pakistan. Talat, bowling his first over of the tournament, removed Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka on back-to-back deliveries, which slumped them to 58-5.

The wickets sparked a mini collapse and dragged the run-rate down, though Kamindu Mendis fought back with anchoring a half-century to lift his team out of trouble.

The left-hander made 50 from 44 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.

For Pakistan, it was an all-round performance with Shaheen Afridi leading the attack and picking up three wickets in his quota of four overs. Hussain Talat and Haris Rauf were equally good, scalping two apiece.

READ: England name pace-heavy squad for Ashes 2025