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AMSTELVEEN: The Netherlands have announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to commence on 7 February across Sri Lanka and India.

The Dutch overall squad includes experienced campaigners who have been part of the team in the last couple of years.

The squad will be led by Scott Edwars, who also captained the side in the 2024 edition of the tournament.

The batting unit will be led by Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, and all-rounder Bas de Leede.

While the spin department will be spearheaded by veteran Roelof van der Merwe, who will be appearing in his sixth T20 World Cup since his maiden appearance for South Africa in 2009.

Following the squad announcement, the Netherlands head coach Ryan Cook expressed confidence in their chances in the World Cup.

“With experience in the past few World Cups, having played against all of the teams in our group recently and having exposure to the conditions in Sri Lanka and India, we are confident in our preparations over the past few months,” he said.

“Players and staff have been working hard and making many sacrifices to put the team in a great position to succeed in the tournament.”

He also mentioned the squad and emphasized conditions in a bid to advance through to the next round.

“Our squad has depth and variety in options which we feel will be effective against the opposition and in these conditions as well experience which will be important as we look to advance through the group stages,” he explained.

The Netherlands will kickstart their campaign against Pakistan at Colombo in the T20 World Cup opener.

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For the unversed, the marquee event will be played from 7 February to 8 March across Sri Lanka and India.

The event will feature 20 teams, divided into four groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage. A total of 41 matches will be played in the tournament, including the semi-final and final.

Netherlands squad

Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar

READ: WATCH: Rizwan becomes first Pakistan player to be retired out in T20s

SYDNEY: Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan became Pakistan’s first player to be retired out in T20 cricket during the 33rd fixture of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder.

Rizwan scored a sluggish 26 from 23 balls with the help of two fours and a six before Renegades skipper Will Sutherland called the batter back to the pavilion.

At this stage, Renegades were 154-5 at the end of the 18th over.

The video set social media abuzz with fans questioning the decision to retire Rizwan.

Notably, Rizwan also became the first overseas batter in the ongoing tournament to be retired out.

Overall, Mohammad Rizwan is going through a horror run in the BBL 15, scoring 167 runs in eight matches at a modest average of 20.87, with a strike rate of 101.82.

 

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Nonetheless, Melbourne Renegades eventually managed to put on a show with the bat as they racked up 170/8 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

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Hassan Khan remained the star batter as he hit four sixes and a boundary on his way to 46 from 31 balls.

For Sydney Thunder, Wes Agar, Ryan Hadley, and David Willey picked up two wickets each.

In reply, Sydney Thunder scored 140-5 in 15.2 overs before rain arrived, which handed them a four-wicket victory as per the DLS method.

Nic Maddinson and Chris Green starred with the bat, particularly the latter, scoring an unbeaten 34 from 13 balls with the aid of three sixes and three fours.

For Melbourne Renegades, it was Gurinder Sandhu again with the ball as he picked up his third fourth-wicket haul of the tournament.

READ: Parvez Hossain Emon guides Sylhet Titans to victory over Rangpur Riders

SYLHET: Parvez Hossain Emon’s unbeaten 52 powered Sylhet Titans to a six-wicket win over Rangpur Riders in a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 clash here on Monday.

Titans captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s decision to field first paid immediate dividends as Rangpur Riders stumbled to 27-3 inside the first five overs.

Litton Das fought briefly with 22 off 12 balls, while Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed struggled for 17 off 20 deliveries.

Khushdil Shah top-scored for the Riders with 30 off 24, and Mahmudullah contributed 29 off 23, but the visitors were eventually bowled out for 114 in 19.1 overs.

Nasum Ahmed and Shohidul Islam led the Titans’ bowling attack with three wickets apiece, while Moeen Ali chipped in with two.

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In reply, Sylhet Titans got off to a solid start with an opening partnership of 54 between Tawfique Khan and Parvez Hossain Emon.

Sufiyan Muqeem broke the stand by removing Tawfique for 33 off 22, but Emon anchored the innings alongside contributions from Ariful Islam (21 off 26) and Afif Hossain (12).

Emon’s composed 52 off 41 balls, which included three sixes and three fours, guided Sylhet to a six-wicket victory with 15 balls to spare.

The win propelled Sylhet Titans to second place in the BPL points table, while Rangpur Riders remained fourth with four wins from eight games.

READ: Rashid Latif backs Khawaja Nafay as wicket-keeper in World Cup 2026

Former captain Rashid Latif has thrown his support behind young wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay, backing him for selection in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 following his promising international debut against Sri Lanka.

Nafay made his first appearance for Pakistan in the rain-affected third and final T20I at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday.

The right-hander impressed in a high-pressure chase, scoring a brisk 26 off 15 balls as Pakistan pursued a revised target of 161 in a shortened 12-over contest.

Although Pakistan eventually fell 14 runs short, Nafay’s composure and clean striking drew praise from several quarters, including Latif.

Taking to social media platform X after the match, the former wicketkeeper-captain lauded Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha’s late onslaught and strongly endorsed Nafay as a World Cup option behind the stumps.

“Captain played well tonight. Khawaja Nafey Wicket Keeper for WC 26,” Latif wrote.

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The match saw Sri Lanka level the three-match series 1-1 after the second T20I was washed out due to rain.

Batting first, the hosts piled up 160-6 in 12 overs, powered by a sensational cameo from captain Dasun Shanaka, who smashed 34 off just nine deliveries, including five sixes.

Kusal Mendis chipped in with 30 off 16 balls, while Janith Liyanage (22 off 8), Dhananjaya de Silva (22), and Charith Asalanka (21) added valuable runs in a frenetic innings.

In reply, Pakistan showed intent but fell short despite a stunning effort from Salman Ali Agha, who top-scored with 45 off just 12 balls, striking five fours and three sixes.

Mohammad Nawaz contributed 28 off 15, while Nafay’s knock stood out on debut in a demanding situation.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers held their nerve in the closing stages, with Wanindu Hasaranga leading the attack with figures of 4-35 in three overs.

READ: ICC considers alternate venues for Bangladesh’s World Cup games: reports

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly exploring alternate venues within India to host Bangladesh’s matches during the T20 World Cup 2026, amid an ongoing standoff with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over security concerns.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the ICC is unlikely to approve BCB’s request to shift Bangladesh’s fixtures entirely out of India to Sri Lanka, despite repeated representations from the board.

With less than four weeks remaining before the tournament begins on February 7, logistical challenges are understood to be a major factor behind the ICC’s reluctance.

The dispute escalated following recent geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh, after which BCB formally requested a venue change, citing concerns over player safety.

The issue gained further traction after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders on the recommendation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

While the ICC has assured full security arrangements, BCB officials have maintained their stance, stating that playing on Indian soil could compromise the safety of their players.

The ICC is yet to officially respond to BCB’s second formal letter on the matter, but reports suggest the request for relocation to Sri Lanka is expected to be rejected again.

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Instead, the ICC, in consultation with the BCCI, is considering shifting Bangladesh’s matches to alternative venues within India. Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram have emerged as potential options.

Bangladesh were originally scheduled to play three group-stage matches in Kolkata, against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14, before travelling to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17.

However, Cricbuzz reported that both the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) have been approached regarding the possibility of hosting the matches.

The TNCA has indicated its readiness to accommodate additional fixtures at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, citing the availability of eight prepared pitches.

The KCA has also expressed a strong interest in hosting matches in Thiruvananthapuram.

Chennai is already a confirmed venue for the tournament and is set to host several matches, including a potential Super 8 fixture involving India. Thiruvananthapuram, meanwhile, is not part of the original venue list.

READ: Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s record during New Zealand ODI

Aston Villa pushed Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank closer to the sack with a 2-1 win over the troubled side in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Frank is on the brink after Tottenham paid the price for conceding twice in a woeful first-half display in north London.

Emiliano Buendia put Villa ahead, and Morgan Rogers increased the visitors’ lead.

Tottenham improved after the break, but although Wilson Odobert reduced the deficit, they were unable to avoid a second successive defeat.

The loss ended in suitably ugly fashion for Tottenham as their frustrated players became embroiled in a clash with Villa after the final whistle, as boos cascaded from the stands.

Tottenham have won just three of their past 14 games and sit 14th in the Premier League, only three places above where they ended last season under Ange Postecoglou.

If Frank can survive until next weekend, another loss at home to lowly West Ham would surely bring an end to his disastrous reign.

Frank added to his problems when he drank from a cup emblazoned with the branding of Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal before Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday.

That embarrassing gaffe drew the ire of Tottenham supporters, who once again booed Frank and his players at the final whistle.

Now Frank is out of the Cup following the latest damp squib in the former Brentford manager’s wretched first season in charge.

Hired to replace the sacked Postecoglou, who ended the north Londoners’ 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League last season, Frank increasingly looks out of his depth at a club with Tottenham’s expectations.

Aston Villa, who haven’t won the FA Cup since 1957, have now won twice at Tottenham Hotspur this season after a 2-1 victory in the Premier League in October.

Unai Emery’s team also beat Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round last season.

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Desperate to buy himself some breathing space, Thomas Frank ignored the trend of Premier League managers resting their key players in the FA Cup by naming a strong line-up.

To mark the 125th anniversary of becoming the first non-league side to lift the FA Cup, Tottenham wore a special commemorative kit with no player surnames on the back and the sponsors and club badge less visible than usual on the front.

Unfortunately for Frank, Tottenham’s first-half display was closer to a non-league effort than the standards expected of his expensively assembled team.

Aston Villa took the lead from their first serious attack in the 22nd minute.

John McGinn and Donyell Malen carved through the creaky Tottenham defence with a rapid exchange of passes before Buendia lashed high into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Villa fans taunted the Tottenham boss with chants of “Thomas Frank is an Arsenal fan”.

And Frank’s problems mounted when Brazil striker Richarlison limped off with an apparent hamstring injury.

Tottenham were rudderless and it was no surprise when Rogers bagged Villa’s second goal on the stroke of half-time.

It was the kind of flowing move that Frank has so rarely been able to inspire from his players as Buendia’s deft back-heel teed up Rogers for a clinical close-range finish.

Tottenham were improved in the second half and Odobert reduced the deficit in the 54th minute.

Randal Kolo Muani won possession in midfield and slipped a pass to Odobert, whose low drive arrowed into the far corner from 12 yards.

In a brief burst of pressure, Xavi Simons hit the post before Kolo Muani’s strike forced a save from Marco Bizot.

But their momentum fizzled out in the closing stages to leave Frank with nowhere to hide.

READ: Barcelona edge Real Madrid in thrilling Spanish Super Cup final

JEDDAH: Barcelona retained the Spanish Super Cup with an entertaining 3-2 Clasico win over Real Madrid in the final here on Sunday.

Raphinha struck twice for the Catalans with Robert Lewandowski also on target as they beat Xabi Alonso’s team for a record-extending 16th triumph, despite Frenkie de Jong’s late red card for a foul on Kylian Mbappe.

The French forward could only feature in the final stages as a substitute after a knee sprain, with the defeat likely to bring back recent doubts around Madrid coach Xabi Alonso’s future.

After Raphinha sent Barcelona ahead, Vinicius Junior pulled Madrid level with a fine individual goal to kick-start a frenetic end to the first half in Jeddah.

Lewandowski chipped Barca back in front, but Gonzalo Garcia struck deep in stoppage time to send the teams in level at the break.

The battle was decided by a deflected Raphinha effort after 73 minutes, as Barca claimed the fourth trophy of coach Hansi Flick’s reign.

Alonso is still looking for his first after arriving in June, and Madrid’s run of five consecutive wins across all competitions was brought to an end by their arch-rivals.

“Whatever way you lose it hurts, but it’s clear that this was a very even game, hotly competed, with a bit of everything,” Alonso told Movistar.

“We were very close to equalising, we fought it out until the end, and I have to congratulate Barca.”

Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 in last season’s final, also at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium, but this was a far closer affair.

Flick, who led Barca to four Clasico wins over Madrid last season in four clashes, opted for Lewandowski up front over Ferran Torres and brought teenage star Lamine Yamal back in on the right wing.

It was a scrappy start in the Saudi evening heat, with Barcelona keeping the ball and Madrid sitting deep to resist them, while looking to find Vinicius Junior on the counter.

The Brazilian had not scored in his previous 16 matches but offered a potent threat, flying down the left and forcing Joan Garcia into the first save.

Barcelona began to turn up the heat, and Raphinha found a breakthrough after 36 minutes.

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Moments after the winger fired a fine chance badly wide, he made up for it with a low, early strike from just inside the area, across Thibaut Courtois and into the bottom corner.

Real Madrid pulled level with a superb Vinicius strike, floating in from the left, nutmegging Jules Kounde and slotting home.

Barcelona went back ahead four minutes into first-half stoppage time, with Lewandowski dinking past Courtois after being played in by Pedri.

However, Madrid rapidly hit back just before the interval through Gonzalo Garcia, who finished well while falling after Dean Huijsen’s header bounced back to him off the crossbar.

The second half was a calmer affair, with fewer chances as the teams slowed down.

Mbappe was warming up on the sideline when Barcelona nosed ahead, with Raphinha’s shot from outside the box deflecting in off Raul Asencio to leave Courtois with no chance.

The Brazilian is in superb form and it was his seventh goal in his last five matches across all competitions.

Alonso sent on Mbappe for the last 15 minutes, trying to find a third goal and force a penalty shoot-out.

The French forward could not get a sight of goal but Barca midfielder De Jong was sent off for a high lunge on him.

Despite Madrid’s numerical advantage Barca had the best chance in stoppage time with Marcus Rashford firing wide when through on goal.

Asencio might have grabbed an equaliser at the death but headed straight at Garcia.

The last four winners of the Spanish Super Cup have gone on to claim La Liga and Barcelona will be hoping it proves a platform for success once again.

They have won 10 straight games across all competitions and lead La Liga, despite an inconsistent start to the season.

READ: Agha wants better death-overs execution after Sri Lanka defeat

DAMBULLA: Pakistan T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha urged the need for a better performance with the ball during the final overs after a series-levelling defeat against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I.

Sri Lanka levelled the three-match series 1-1 after defeating Pakistan by 14 runs in the rain-hit game, which was reduced to 12 overs per side.

Set 161, here at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan fell short of the target despite Agha’s brisk 45 off just 12 balls.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Salman Ali Agha highlighted the shortcomings of the match, stating that they need to improve in some departments.

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“It was a great game. We gave away too many with the ball, but the batting was great,” he said.

“Fielding needs to be great. The way the batting unit went to it, the game could have gone either way,” he continued.

The skipper also talked about death bowling, where Pakistan leaked 51 runs in the last three overs, which shifted the momentum in Sri Lanka’s favor.

Dasun Shanaka played a blind cameo of 34 from nine, which included five sixes.

“With the ball, we need to be better in the death overs,” Salman Ali Agha concluded.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga delivered a match winnig spell of four overs, scalping four wickets in his three overs.

READ: Kamran Akmal slams ‘unfair’ treatment of Mustafizur Rahman

Virat Kohli hit 93 to help India chase down 301 in a tense four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international on Sunday.

The in-form Kohli struck his 77th ODI half-century but missed out on a ton as India slipped from 234-2 to 242-5 before they reached their target with six balls to spare in Vadodara.

Skipper Shubman Gill made 56 in a 118-run second-wicket stand with Kohli, who shared another strong partnership with Shreyas Iyer, who made 49.

Late cameos by Harshit Rana (29) and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who made an unbeaten 29 including the winning six, secured an Indian lead in the three-match series 1-0.

New Zealand pace spearhead Kyle Jamieson stood out with figures of 4-41.

Kohli led the chase as he went past Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs) to become the second leading run-scorer in international cricket, behind fellow Indian Sachin Tendulkar (34,357).

The 37-year-old Kohli only plays the ODI format after he and fellow stalwart Rohit Sharma, 38, retired from T20 and Test cricket.

Rohit started strongly in his brisk 26 before he fell to New Zealand Jamieson.

The packed crowd welcomed Kohli with a huge roar as the star batter joined Gill at the crease to take the attack to the opposition.

He was ably supported by Gill, who has returned from an injury and a snub by the selectors from the T20 World Cup squad.

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Gill started slowly before he gained pace to raise his 16th ODI fift,y but soon fell to rookie leg-spinner Adithya Ashok.

Kohli was denied a ton by Jamieson, who got the batter caught out at extra cover. The former captain walked back to a standing ovation.

Jamieson dismissed Ravindra Jadeja, for four, in the same over and in the next bowled Iyer to raise New Zealand’s hopes of a turnaround.

India’s troubles increased with injury to Washington Sundar, who suffered a reported side strain while bowling his off-spin and came out to bat at number eight.

Earlier, New Zealand posted 300-8 after Daryl Mitchell hit 84 to defy the Indian bowlers after the hosts elected to field first.

Openers Devon Conway, who made 56, and Henry Nicholls (62) put on 117 but New Zealand suffered from a lack of major partnerships after their big opening stand.

Pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Rana and Praisdh Krishna took two wickets each.

The second match is on Wednesday in Rajkot.

The series will be followed by five T20s ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and March 8.

READ: Eisakhil, Ihsanullah shine as Noakhali Express beat Dhaka Capitals

SYLHET: Hassan Eisakhil’s sublime knock and an all-round bowling performance led by pacer Ihsanullah led Noakhali Express to an easy win over Dhaka Capitals here in the 22nd fixture of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 on Sunday.

Set a challenging 185-run target, Capitals’ innings folded on 143 in 18.2 overs.

Ihsanullah and Hasan Mahmud inflicted a poor start on Capitals, reducing them to 19-4 in 4.2 overs.

Following the early hiccup, Mohammad Mithun and Shamim Hossain arrested the slide with a half-century stand.

Hossain departed after scoring 29 from 16 with the aid of four boundaries and a six.

Meanwhile, Mithun (33 from 31) was also sent back at the end of the 13th over, which sparked a collapse that Capitals could not recover from.

Eventually, the whole team was bundled out, which handed Noahkhali Express their second win of the season.

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For Noakhali Express, it was an all-round bowling performance with Mohammad Nabi and Ihsanullah picking up two wickets each.

Earlier, opting to bat first, Noakhali Express piled up 184/7 in their 20 overs.

Hassan Eisakhil starred with the bat, top-scoring with 92 from 60 balls with the help of five sixes and seven fours.

The highlight of the innings was the opening partnership, with Eisakhil and Soumya Sarkar adding 101 in 9.2 overs.

Shahadat Hossain also contributed with the bat, hitting seven fours and a six before getting caught behind for 48 from 25 balls.

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For Dhaka Capitals, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taijul Islam, and Abdullah Al Mamun scalped two wickets apiece.

Earlier in the day, Rajshahi Warriors eased past Rangpur Riders by seven wickets.

The Warriors chased down the 179-run target, losing four wickets in the process with five balls remaining.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Muhammad Waseem  starred with the bat, both scoring 76 and 87, respectively.

READ: Kohli breaks Tendulkar’s record to reach 28,000 runs