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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

Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has voiced concerns over the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) treatment of Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman.

Mustafizur was released by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2026 season on the BCCI’s instructions.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) responded strongly to the development, with the country’s youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul stating that the board would seek an explanation over Mustafizur’s sudden exclusion from the IPL.

Speaking at the Pakistan Celebrity T10 League (PCCL) season 2 event, Akmal talked about Rahman, noting that it was unfair to the pacer.

“Until you maintain good relations with your neighbors, you cannot move forward,” Kamran Akmal said.

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“What happened with Mustafizur Rahman was completely wrong. If a single player could not be provided security, how could the entire team be guaranteed safety?” he questioned.

He urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take difficult decisions.

“Even Pakistani players in other countries face visa issues. The same thing happened during the 2023 World Cup. ICC needs to understand these matters now.”

Meanwhile, former spinner Saeed Ajmal talked about the Indian team not visiting Pakistan.

“The whole world comes to Pakistan to play. Why is India so reluctant to come here? Ajmal questioned.

Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq praised the inaugural PCCL event, calling the first edition a “great success.”

Razzaq highlighted that, for the first time in a long while, Pakistan’s Shaheens and Under-19 players have received so much cricket.

“The future of Pakistan cricket is bright. The performances of the Under-19s and Shaheens speak for themselves,” he said.

On the changing cricketing landscape, he observed that India’s actions are now visible to everyone, emphasizing that personal matters should not interfere with the game.

“We hope that these steps will contribute to the improvement of cricket. We have always seen that cricket sends a message of peace,” he added.

Responding to questions about players and interactions, Razzaq added that the decision not to shake hands was directed by the board.

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

DAMBULLA: Dasun Shanaka’s late blitz and Wanindu Hasaranga’s four-wicket haul helped Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in the rain-affected third T20I here at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Set a daunting 161, Pakistan ended up on 146/8 in a match reduced to 12 overs due to rain.

With this, the Islanders levelled the three-match T20I series 1-1, with one game washed out.

Pakistan were dealt with an early blow in the form of opener Sahibzada Farhan, who was cleaned up for nine in the second over.

With Green Shirts, 9-1, skipper Salman Ali Agha arrived and provided the innings the impetus with quick fire 45 from just 12 balls.

The right-hander hit three sixes and five fours in a partnership of 51 runs alongside Saim Ayub.

At this stage, Pakistan’s scorecard read 60 in 3.4 overs.

But things quickly turned in the home side’s favor after Salman’s dismissal, who was caught on fine leg.

Saim (6) and Usman Khan (1) followed him after leaving Pakistan 67-5 in 4.5 overs.

With the side in deep trouble, debutant Khawaja Nafay and Mohammad Nawaz provided hope with 49 run partnership.

The pair managed to control the required run rate, but Wanindu Hasaranga’s spin wizardry shut the door on Pakistan.

He removed Nafay and Shadab in quick time to turn the game on its head. The target proved too much with 20 required in the last over. Eshan Malinga bowled a tight over, giving only five and picking up one wicket to seal a much-needed win for Sri Lanka.

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

Earlier, Kusal Mendis’ 30 off 16 and Dasun Shanaka’s 34 from just nine balls took Sri Lanka to an imposing 160-6.

Pathum Nissanka was caught in the first over for a duck, whereas Kamil Mishara raced to 20 off just eight balls before getting caught behind.

As a result, Sri Lanka were reduced to 22-2 in 1.5 overs.

However, Kusal Mendis put together a couple of partnerships that steadied the home side’s innings.

The right-hander first stitched a 32-run stand with Dhananjaya de Silva (21) and with Charith Aslanka (21 from 13 balls) off 46 runs to take the score to the 100-run mark.

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With Sri Lanka 100-4 in 8.5 overs, Mendis’ knock ended, which included two sixes and two fours.

On the very next ball, Asalanka was also sent back to put Pakistan back in the game.

However, it was Shanaka’s partnership of 52 off just 15 with Janith Liyanage that lifted them towards a commanding total.

The Islanders capitalized in the last three overs, accumulating 51 runs as Shanaka tonked five sixes in his brisk knock. Liyanage, meanwhile, also smashed three fours and a maximum in his 22 from eight balls.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Wasim, although he picked up three wickets, but he remained on the expensive side, giving away 54 in three overs.

Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf, and Mohammad Nawaz managed to pick one wicket apiece.

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

VADODARA: India’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli on Sunday added another feather to his cap after shattering Sachin Tendulkar’s record to reach 28,000 runs in international cricket during the ODI series opener against New Zealand.

The right-hander recorded the feat in 624 innings, surpassing Tendulkar’s record of 644 innings and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakara’s (666) innings.

In doing so, he also overtook Sangakara’s tally of 28,016 runs in international cricket and now trails only Tendulkar’s 34,357 runs.

Before coming into the fixture, Kohli required 25 runs to reach the milestone, and he did it in style, hitting a four during the 12th over of the game.

Later on, he went past Sanagakara on the last ball of the 18th over with a single off Michael Bracewell’s bowling.

Fastest to 28,000 international runs

624 innings* = Virat Kohli*
644 innings – Sachin Tendulkar
666 innings – Kumar Sangakkara

Put into bat first, New Zealand piled up 300-8 at the end of their 50 overs with Daryll Mitchell top-scoring with 84.

In reply, India started strongly with Rohit Sharma and returning Shubman Gill stitching a 39-run partnership.

After Rohit’s dismissal for 26, Kohli came to the fore and steadied India’s ship with a monumental partnership of 118 with Gill.

Gill made 56 from 71 balls while Virat Kohli continued to dominate until the first ball of the 39th over.

The right-handed batter was caught after nearly missing his 54th ODI century. He hit eight fours and a six on his way to 93 from 91 deliveries.

Eventually, India cruised to a four-wicket win over the BlackCaps in the last over, with KL Rahul remaining unbeaten on 29.

READ: Nabi, Eisakhil make T20 history as father-son duo

SYLHET: Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and his son Hassan Eisakhil on Sunday became the first father-son duo to bat together in a T20 match.

The pair recorded the feat during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 fixture between Noakhali Express and Dhaka Capitals.

Eisakhil, 19, made his BPL debut, receiving the cap from his father, Nabi, ahead of the 22nd fixture of the tournament.

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Hassan Eisakhil opened the innings for Express and remained the top-scorer for his side with 92 from 60 balls, laced with five sixes and seven fours.

Due to Eisakhil’s knock, Noakhali Express racked up 184-7 at the end of their 20 overs.

The historic moment came when Habibur Rahman Sohan was dismissed in the 13th over, bringing Mohammad Nabi to the crease.

At this stage, Noakhali Express scorecard read 119-3.

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This marked the first occasion when a father-son duo batted together in a T20 match.

The pair stitched a 53-run partnership, bringing the score to 172 at the end of 18 overs. Eisakhil did the bulk of the scoring, whereas Nabi was dismissed for 17 from 13 with the help of two fours.

Earlier, the duo had squared off in a match during the Afghanistan Shpageeza Cricket League final, with Mohammad Nabi facing his son Hassan Eisakhil.

In November 2025, Timor-Leste’s Suhail Sattar and Yahya Suhail made history as the first father-and-son duo to play together in an international match.

The pair recorded the unique feat in Timor-Leste’s first international match against Indonesia in Bali on November 6, 2025.

Although parent-child duos featuring in a match together are rare, it has happened before.

Switzerland’s women’s team featured a mother-daughter duo — Metty Fernandes and Naina Metty Saju — who played six T20Is together in 2025.

Similarly, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine played 11 first-class matches for Guyana, with Shivnarine even captaining his son in a game against Windward Islands at Providence Stadium in March 2014.

READ: PCB plans to sell Multan Sultans ahead of PSL 11: report

DAMBULLA: Pakistan have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Sri Lanka in a match reduced to 12 overs per side due to rain here at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan have made two changes to their playing XI with wicket-keeper batter Khawaja Nafay making his debut, whereas pacer Naseem Shah is included in place of Salman Mirza.

The visitors are 1-0 up in the series, having secured the victory in the opening T20I with a dominant performance. While the second match was washed out due to rain.

The Green Shirts were clinical with the bat and ball as returning Shadab Khan delivered an all-round performance.

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The three-match T20I series serves as a preparatory platform for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup, which will begin on 7 February in Sri Lanka and India.

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasum Shanaka (capt) Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga, Maheesh Theekshana, Maheesh Pathirana

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

READ: PCB plans to sell Multan Sultans ahead of PSL 11: report

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) aims to sell Multan Sultans ahead of the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, Cricinfo reported on Sunday.

A month earlier, the PCB had said that it would take charge of the franchise for the upcoming season and auction it after the tournament.

“As soon as the PSL ends, we will auction the franchise off, and in the next eight to ten days, we will appoint an acting head to run the franchise,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated.

The decision was taken after the former owner of the Multan Sultans, Ali Tareen, decided not to renew the franchise agreement for the next decade.

However, according to the report, the board is considering selling the outfit as soon as possible.

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“The PCB is in active discussions to sell off the franchise as soon as legally possible. The proposal has the support of senior officials at the PCB and the PSL, with a final sign-off required by chairman Mohsin Naqvi,” the report quoted.

The decision is likely to be driven by record bids received during the historic auction for two new franchises — Hyderabad and Sialkot.

Following the conclusion of the auction, Naqvi vowed to run Sultans amid financial speculations.

“I took a challenge, and that is that there were a lot of claims on social media that the team was in losses. So I, and all of the team, decided that we will show you how much profit this business offers, publish the numbers before going for the auction,” Naqvi stated.

“The pressure has started to be built up on me to sell out the team,” he said in a light-hearted manner while referring to Naseer.

It is worth noting that Sultans were first acquired by the Dubai-based Schon Group in 2017 under an eight-year contract worth $5.2 million.

However, the deal was terminated after a year due to the franchisee’s inability to meet its financial obligations under the agreement.

READ: PSL 11 players draft: tentative date revealed