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Blistering knocks by skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan led India to a crushing seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Friday, giving them a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 series.

Chasing 209 for victory, India rode on a 122-run third-wicket stand between Kishan (76) and Suryakumar, who made an unbeaten 82, to achieve the target with 28 balls to spare in the second match in Raipur.

India head into the third match on Sunday in Guwahati with an eye on the series, which is a warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

The left-handed Kishan, who returned to the Indian team in the opener after two years, lifted the hosts from 6-2 with a string of boundaries.

He reached his fifty in 21 balls with a four and kept up the charge until his departure off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Kishan struck 11 fours and four sixes in his 32-ball knock.

Suryakumar reached his first fifty in the format for 468 days — and 23 innings — after which he raised his bat and looked up to the skies amid the applause.

His previous half-century was against Bangladesh on October 12, 2024.

Suryakumar, who hit nine fours and four sixes in his 37-ball blitz, and the left-handed Shivam Dube, who struck 36, put an unbeaten partnership of 81 to pulverise the opposition.

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Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy took a wicket each in the first two overs before Zak Foulkes conceded 24 runs off the third over, which started with a no ball for four and three wides.

Earlier, New Zealand posted 208-6 with skipper Mitchell Santner hitting an unbeaten 47 off 27 balls in a late blitz by the number seven batter.

New Zealand started strongly with opener Devon Conway and Tim Seifert taking on the opposition attack with a string of boundaries in a quickfire 43-run stand.

Medium-pace bowler Harshit Rana dismissed the left-handed Conway for the fourth time in successive white-ball matches to start with a maiden wicket. Conway made 19 off nine balls.

Wicketkeeper-batter Seifert, who made 24, followed his opening partner back to the pavilion without troubling the score as he fell to Varun Chakravarthy’s spin.

Glenn Phillips kept up the attack in his brief stay of 19 runs and, after his departure, the left-handed Rachin Ravindra took the lead in his 44 off 26 balls.

India struck regular blows including two to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav but New Zealand batters kept up the pace and Foulkes finished with a six and four, but the effort was not enough to challenge India.

READ: Rajshahi Warriors crush Chattogram Royals to lift BPL trophy

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said Cole Palmer remains “very happy” at the club despite reports the 23-year-old is homesick in London.

Manchester-born Palmer moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023 from Manchester City and quickly developed into the Blues’ star player during his first two seasons in London.

But Palmer has been beset by injury problems this season which have limited his impact.

“I’ve had numerous conversations with Cole and he seems very happy to be here,” said Rosenior on Friday.

“He’s a huge part of our plans in the long term. He’s an outstanding player. Every player goes through difficult moments in their career in terms of injury. It’s not any reflection of his quality.”

Palmer scored from the penalty spot and played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 win over Brentford last weekend.

But the England international was then left out of Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Pafos due to an ongoing groin injury.

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Palmer has returned to training and is in contention to feature in Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

But Rosenior suggested he will have to continue to restrict Palmer’s minutes until he is back to full fitness.

“My job, the club’s job, is to get him to a place where he can consistently perform at the level he wants to,” added Rosenior.

“There was frustration in the Brentford game, not because he wasn’t happy, but because he was in pain and couldn’t perform to the level he wanted to for the club.

“He’s a great kid but we have to make sure we look after him in the right way. That’s why I haven’t involved him in the last game.”

Chelsea sit sixth in the Premier League but just two points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool in the battle for a place in next season’s Champions League.

READ: Rajshahi Warriors crush Chattogram Royals to lift BPL trophy

MIRPUR: Tanzid Hasan’s sublime century backed by a dominant bowling performance helped Rajshahi Warriors crush Chattogram Royals here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday to claim their maiden BPL title.

Set stiff 175, Chattogram Royals were bowled out for 111 in 17.5 overs.

Binura Fernando who starred with the ball, provided Warriors their first breakthrough in the form of Mohammad Naim, who made nine.

Mahmudul Hasan Joy soon followed him after, gone without troubling the scorers to leave Royals in precarious position at 18-2 in 2.5 overs.

After early wickets Pakistani pair of Hasan Nawaz and Mirza Baig tried to stablize the innings with a brief 21-run partnership.

However, Hasan Murad picked up the crucial wicket of Nawaz to put his side on top in the BPL final. The right-hander made 11 from seven with the aid of six and a four.

As a result, Chattogram Royals were reduced to 39-3 in 5.4 overs.

Meanwhile, Mirza Baig held firm despite losing partners at the other end. Zahiduzzaman was the next batter to fall.

The wicket-keeper batter could not got going and was caught after sluggish 11 from 13 without hitting a single boundary.

Hasan Murad continued to turn on the screws as he snared skipper Mahedi Hasan for four to dent Royals further in the chase.

Consequently, Chattogram Royals were in dire straits 72-5 11.3 overs.

The arrival of Asif Ali provided his side a glimmer of hope as he tonked Tanzim Hasan Sakib for a huge maximum and four in the 12th over.

But the Royals slide continued as Baig resistance came to end in the 13th over. The right-hander made 39 from 36, striking two boundaries and a six.

After his dismissal, Royals innings quickly unraveled as Binura Fernando cut through the lower order.

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Eventually, the whole team was bunlded out, handing Rajshahi Warriors their maiden BPL trophy.

For Rajshahi Warriors, Binura Fernando was the pick of the bowler as he picked up four wickets for nine runs in three overs. Hasan Murad was the other bowler who scalped three to put his name on the honours board in big final.

Earlier, given the opportunity to bat first in final, Chattogram Royals put on a big total of 174-4 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to Tanzid Hasan’s century.

Sahibzada Farhan and Tanzid Hasan laid a solid foundation with an 83 run stand in 10.2 overs. Tanzid remained the core aggressor in the partnership while Farhan played the second fiddle.

Mukidul Islam provided Royals their first breakthrough in the shape of Farhan’s wicket who made 30 off 30 balls with the help of two fours and two sixes.

Despite the wicket, Chattogram Royals upped the anti as veteran batter Kane Williamson forged a 47-run partnership.

Williamson departed for well made 24 off 15 as hit two fours and a six.

Chattogram Royals did well at the back of the innings to slow down the scoring, yet Tanzid reached the triple figures in the 18th over.

The left-hander made 100 from 62 deliveries which included seven sixes and six fours.

For Chattogram Royals, Mukidul Islam and Shoriful Islam took two wicket each.

READ: U19 World Cup: Australia top Group C, Bangladesh advance to Super Six

WINDHOEK: Australia romped to a nine wicket win over Sri Lanka to top Group C, while Bangladesh secured a place in the Super Six stage of the ICC U19 World Cup with a seven-wicket win over USA on Friday.

In group A, Australia sealed a commanding win over Sri Lanka after bowling the Islanders for just 58.

The defending champions chased down the partly target in 12 overs, losing only wicket in the process.

Nitesh Samuel scored 19 from 40 and Steven Hogan hit three boundaries for his 28 from 27 deliveries.

For Sri Lanka, Rasith Nimsara was the solitary wicket taker.

With this victory, Australia topped the group with three wins out of three games.

Earlier, put into bat first, Will Byrom’s five wicket haul skittled Sri Lanka for 58 in 18.5 overs.

Australia pacer Charles Lachmund and Will Byrom inflicted a miserable start on Sri Lanka as they were reduced to 3-3 in 3.2 overs.

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The wickets continued to tumble for Sri Lanka as none of their batters could got going. Chamika Heenatigala top-scored for his side with 14 from 21` balls.

In Groub fixture, Bangladesh secured a comprehensive seven wicket win over USA to seal their Super Six spot.

Put into bat first, USA were bowled out for 199 in their 50 overs.

Adnit Jhamb remained the highest scorer for his side, managing 68 off 69 with the help of a six and three fours.

For Bangladesh, Iqbal Hossain Emon remained the standout bowler with three wickets. Al Fahad, Shahriar Ahmed and Rizan Hossan shared six wickets between them.

In reply, Bangladesh chased down the target in 41.3 overs, losing three wickets in the process.

Skipper Azizul Hakim top scored with 64 from 82, hittig two fours and same number of maximums. Zawad Abrar was the other notable contributor, striking three sixes and five fours in his knock of 47 from 42 balls.

For USA, Ritvik Appidi, Utkarsh Srivastava and Sahil Garg picked up one wicket each.

READ: Derbyshire rope in Sufiyan Muqeem for T20 Blast 2026

Derbyshire have roped in Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem for the 2026 T20 Blast campaign. 

The 26-year-old Muqeem will play the first half of the season — six matches before Afghanistan spin AM Ghazanfar replaces him.

Sufiyan has taken 27 wickets in T20Is and eight in ODIs across 23 international appearances for Pakistan.

Following the signing, Derbyshire head of cricket Mickey Arthur expressed his views and revealed the reason behind the signing of two spinners.

“Signing overseas players with so many tournaments overlapping can be difficult, so we’ve done well to sign two current international spinners to ensure we have balance in our squad through the whole campaign,” he said.

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Arthur called Muqeem a ‘gem’ and praise AM Ghazanfar exposure around the globe.

“Sufiyan is a rising star in T20 cricket, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him before. I’ve seen his skill and resilience under pressure firsthand,” Arthur added.

 

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Meanwhile, Sufiyan expressed his excited on joining Derbyshire and working with Mickey Arthur again.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Falcons and working with Mickey again. He’s a fantastic coach, and I can’t wait to experience playing cricket in England,” Muqeem said.

For those unaware, the 18 team tournament will be played from 22 May to 18 July.

The teams have been divided into three groups of six and each county will play 12 matches, six at home and six away.

Derbyshire will play their opening T20 Blast game at home to Durham on 22 May.

READ: Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc propel Sixers into BBL 15 final

SYDNEY: Steve Smith’s half-century and a combined bowling effort led by Mitchell Starc propelled the Sydney Sixers into the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 final with a 57-run victory over defending champions Hobart Hurricanes in the challenger here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday.

Chasing daunting 199, Hurricanes batting lineup crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 141 in 17.2 overs.

After a 21 run opening partnership, openers Mitchell Owen and Tim Ward fell in quick time as Hurricanes were reduced to 29-2 in three overs.

Following the early hiccups, Beau Webster and skipper Ben McDermott stabilized the chase with a 48 run partnership. The pair brought the total to 77 in 9.5 overs before three wickets in quick succession in span of one over jolted their chase.

First well set batter, Webster was caught after scoring 40 from 26, striking three boundaries and a six.

Joel Davies took two wickets on successive deliveries, first removing Nikhil Chaudhary, who only managed four and the second one of dangerous Matthew Wade who was caught and bowled for a golden duck.

As a result, Hurricanes slumped to 91-6 in 12.3 overs, with Chris Jordan the next batter to fall after scoring only one.

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Hobart Hurricanes batting quickly unraveled after slump and were eventually bowled out at the end of the 17th over.

For Sydney Sixers, Ben Dwarshuis topped the wickets chart with three scalps in all-round bowling effort. Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott and Joel Davies shared six wickets between them.

Earlier, put into bat first, Sydney Sixers put on a massive 198-8 at the end of their 20 overs.

After losing Daniel Hughes for 13, Steve Smith and Josh Philippe held the innings together with a 64 run stand.

Smith did the bulk of the scoring with Philippe adding 15 to the total with the aid of two fours.

There were some other brief contributions from the middle order with Joel Davies scoring 27 from 12, striking two fours and two sixes late down the order.

Lachlan Shaw also chipped in with the bat, hitting four boundaries on his way to 21 from 13 balls.

For Hobart Hurricanes, Riley Meredith scalped three wickets with Billy Stanlake and Rishad Hossain taking two wickets each.

The final of the tournament will be played on 25 January, Sunday between Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers at Perth Stadium.

Notably, this will be the sixth time that both teams will meet in BBL final.

READ: Haris Rauf breaks silence on his exclusion from Pakistan T20I squad

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has finally addressed the growing speculation surrounding his potential omission from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, insisting that missing out would be disappointing but not the end of his career.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to announce the final squad for the global event, but several reports have suggested that Rauf may be left out.

Rumours have also circulated that white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is not in favour of the pacer’s inclusion.

Rauf’s last appearance for Pakistan in T20I cricket came during the Asia Cup final against India on September 28, 2025, a match in which he struggled, conceding 50 runs in 3.4 overs while defending 146.

The performance raised questions about his ability to handle pressure in big moments, and he has not featured in the national T20I team since.

He was left out of the T20I squads for the away series against Sri Lanka and the upcoming home series against Australia.

Speaking in a recent interview, Haris Rauf acknowledged the possibility of being overlooked but made it clear that he will not allow the setback to define his future.

“If I am not included in the T20 World Cup, it would be disappointing, but it will not be the end of my career,” he said.

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Rauf also reiterated his commitment to improving his game, emphasising that he remains focused on refining his bowling and delivering his best whenever given the chance.

“I will give my best performance and continue to work on my bowling,” he added.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his World Cup prospects, Rauf extended his support to the national team ahead of the tournament, expressing his best wishes for Pakistan’s campaign.

“I have good wishes for the national team in the T20 World Cup,” he said.

Rauf also opened up about the challenges of maintaining consistency at the international level, especially when bowling in the death overs.

“Whenever I played for Pakistan, I always gave 100%. Bowling in the death overs is not easy,” he said.

It’s worth noting that despite his exclusion from the national side, his form in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 15 has been impressive.

He currently leads the tournament’s wicket charts with 20 wickets in 11 matches for the Melbourne Stars.

READ: Babar, Shaheen back as Pakistan unveil squad for Australia T20Is

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday named a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia, starting on 29 January.

The series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, from 29 January to 1 February. The games will start at 4pm PKT with the coin toss set to take place at 3.30pm PST.

Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to the T20I squad after missing the three-match away series against Sri Lanka in January.

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Shadab Khan will continue to build on his comeback in the previous T20I series and will form part of a strong spin-bowling contingent along with Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq.

Pakistan squad and player support personnel are expected to convene in Lahore on Saturday, 24 January and will begin their preparations for the series the following day.

Australia are set to arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday, 28 February and will play just their second series in the format on Pakistan soil after a solitary T20I in April 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan squad for Australia series

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq

Player support personnel: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Hanif Malik (batting coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (performance analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmed (media manager), Lt. Col. (r) Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Dr Raheel Karim (psychiatrist) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur)

READ: New Zealand fast bowler ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026

New Zealand have been dealt a significant blow ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with fast bowler Adam Milne ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a hamstring injury during the ongoing SA20 in South Africa.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Friday that Kyle Jamieson, who was initially named as a travelling reserve, has been added to the main squad as Milne’s replacement.

Milne suffered the injury while bowling his opening over for Sunrisers Eastern Cape against MI Cape Town last Sunday.

Subsequent scans revealed the extent of the hamstring tear, forcing the 32-year-old pacer to withdraw from the global event.

Prior to the setback, Milne had enjoyed a productive SA20 campaign, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 16.27 and an economy rate of 7.61.

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter expressed his disappointment at losing the experienced fast bowler at a crucial stage.

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“We’re all gutted for Adam,” Walter said. “He’d worked incredibly hard to get himself ready for the tournament and was looking back to his best in his eight games for the Eastern Cape Sunrisers.”

“It’s really unfortunate timing, and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

Jamieson, who is currently part of New Zealand’s squad touring India, has been elevated from reserve status.

Squad changes can be made freely until January 31, after which any replacements will require approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“It’s great that Kyle is already with us here in India,” Walter added.

“He’s an integral part of our pace-bowling group and has hit the ground running on this tour. He brings valuable experience and skill, which will serve us well at the World Cup.”

The tall right-armer made his return to international cricket late last year following a long layoff due to a back injury and recently impressed with a career-best 4 for 41 in the first ODI against India earlier this month.

New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi.

READ: FIFA president Gianni Infantino to visit Pakistan ‘soon’

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced plans to visit Pakistan in the near future, reaffirming the world governing body’s commitment to supporting the development of football in the country.

Speaking to ‘Pakistan TV Digital’ on the sidelines of the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Infantino said he had already conveyed his intention to travel to Pakistan to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Infantino expressed optimism over recent changes within the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), noting that a new leadership setup is in place and moving in the right direction.

“I will come to Pakistan very soon. I promised the prime minister,” Infantino said. “We now have a new president of the federation who is doing a fantastic job.”

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The FIFA president described Pakistan as a country with immense footballing potential and stressed his desire to see it rise among Asia’s leading teams.

“Pakistan is a great football country,” he said. “We need to bring Pakistan to the top of Asia for sure. We are working on that.”

Pakistan’s engagement with FIFA has seen noticeable progress in recent months. In December, FIFA appointed Pakistani lawmaker Syeda Amnah Batool to its Institutional Reforms Committee, a move seen as a step toward deeper institutional cooperation.

Earlier, in November 2025, FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa visited Pakistan, where he held meetings with football officials and government representatives to discuss the development of infrastructure and governance in the sport.

READ: Carlos Alcaraz celebrates 100th Slam match with Australian Open win