Sports

The Women’s Cricket World Cup One-Day Tournament begins today (30).

This year’s tournament will be held in both Sri Lanka and India.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Guwahati Stadium in India, followed by the first match between the Sri Lanka Women’s team and the India Women’s team.

In the first round, Sri Lanka will play seven matches — two in India and five in Sri Lanka.

The final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup One-Day Tournament is set to be played on November 2.

Pakistan secured a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their Asia Cup T20 Super Four encounter held in Abu Dhabi, moving up to second place on the points table.

Chasing a target of 134, Pakistan reached 138 for 5 in 17.5 overs. Mohammad Nawaz anchored the chase with an unbeaten 38, while Hussain Talat contributed a steady 32 not out.

For Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga were the most effective bowlers, claiming two wickets apiece.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and opted to field first. Sri Lanka, making two changes to their lineup, brought in Chamika Karunaratne and Theekshana in place of Kamindu Mendis and Dunith Wellalage.

Sri Lanka’s innings struggled from the start. Kusal Mendis fell for a duck in the very first over to Afridi, who then dismissed Pathum Nissanka for 8. Kusal Perera managed 15 before being removed, while skipper Charith Asalanka made 20 but failed to capitalize. Dhananjaya de Silva, who had starred in the previous match against Bangladesh, was dismissed for a duck.

Kamindu Mendis stood firm with a fighting half-century (50), but received little support apart from Hasaranga’s 15. Sri Lanka eventually finished on 133 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan’s clinical chase ensured a comfortable win, keeping their hopes alive in the tournament.

Pakistan to donate Asia Cup match proceeds to families of May 7 attack victims

The Pakistan cricket team has decided to give the match proceeds earned for being runners-up in the Asia Cup cricket tournament to the families of the victims of the May 7 attack.

The funds will be presented to civil victims, including children, who lost their lives in the attack, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced.

The final of the Asia Cup was held yesterday, in which India defeated Pakistan to claim the tournament title.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Pakistan team captain Salman Aga stated that India’s conduct during the tournament was respectful of the spirit of cricket.

Bird officiated in 66 Test matches and six One-Day Internationals, including three World Cup finals, earning a reputation for fairness and charisma on the field.

Before embarking on his distinguished umpiring career, Bird began as a first-class batsman in England in 1956.

He also served as Chairman of Yorkshire in 2014, further contributing to the game beyond the pitch.

Bird’s first appearance as an umpire in an international fixture came in May 1970, marking the start of a remarkable journey that spanned decades.

India crowned Asia Cup champions for the 9th time after Tilak Varma’s match-winning knock

India defeated Pakistan by five wickets to claim their ninth Asia Cup title, thanks to a determined innings by Tilak Varma, whose fighting performance proved too much for Pakistan’s bowling attack.

The Asia Cup is contested in both ODI and T20 formats. This year’s edition was played in the T20 format as preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The T20 format was first introduced to the Asia Cup in 2016. India also won the previous tournament in 2023, which was played in the ODI format.

In the final held today (28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan set a target of 147 runs. In response, India reached 150 for 5 wickets in 19.4 overs to secure victory.

Tilak Varma was the architect of India’s win, scoring an unbeaten 69 runs off 53 deliveries, which included nine fours and four sixes. He held firm at the crease for over an hour and a half, guiding his team home.

Earlier, India’s opener Abhishek Sharma, who had provided quick starts throughout the tournament, was dismissed for just 5 runs. Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav also fell cheaply, scoring under 20.

However, strong partnerships built by Varma with Sanju Samson (57 runs off 50 balls for the fourth wicket) and Shivam Dube (60 runs off 40 balls for the fifth wicket) ensured India’s path to victory.

Among Pakistan’s bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi (1/20) and Faheem Ashraf (3/29) bowled effectively, but Haris Rauf’s expensive spell — conceding 50 runs in just 3.4 overs — proved costly.

Batting first after being invited by India, Pakistan were bowled out for 146 runs in 19.1 overs.

Ousmane Dembélé has clinched the Ballon d’Or, earning recognition for guiding Paris Saint-Germain to their maiden Champions League triumph, while Aitana Bonmatí secured the women’s award for the third consecutive year on Monday.

Dembélé, who follows Manchester City’s Rodri, became the sixth Frenchman to claim the honor, joining legends Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema.

Bonmatí once again stood out among the women, finishing ahead of her Spain teammate Mariona Caldentey. Her achievement puts her in elite company, as she is now only the third player ever to win the award three years running, alongside Platini (1983–85) and Lionel Messi (2009–12).

For Dembélé, the award marks a stunning turnaround. Dropped by PSG coach Luis Enrique last season over disciplinary issues, he flourished after being moved into a central striker role. From there, he became a prolific scorer and the driving force behind PSG’s historic Champions League run, during which the club also secured a quadruple.

His performance in the Champions League final was especially lauded, with praise for his pressing and defensive work in PSG’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan.

The French star edged out teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, who impressed with Barcelona’s La Liga and Copa del Rey victories and a Champions League semifinal appearance, while also playing a pivotal role in Spain’s 2024 European Championship win.

The Indian team, who won the final of the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament, refused to accept the championship trophy.

This was because the trophy was to be presented by Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President, Mohsin Naqvi, which the Indian team declined.

“We decided not to accept the Asia Cup trophy from the hands of the ACC President, who is also a Pakistani minister,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.

During the presentation, the announcer stated, “The ACC has informed me that the Indian team will not be collecting their awards tonight.”

At the press conference afterwards, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said he had never seen a winning team being denied a trophy since the day he started playing cricket.

Although they refused to accept the trophy, the Indian team celebrated their victory without it.

In the final match yesterday, Pakistan scored 147 runs. In reply, India reached 150 runs for the loss of five wickets, securing the win.

Sri Lanka will play their second Super Four match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament against Pakistan today (23).The match will take place in Dubai at 8.00 p.m. Sri Lanka time.Captain Charith Asalanka said that there will likely be changes in the team lineup for today’s game.

“We’re still discussing and haven’t finalized the playing XI yet. Since most teams have many left-handers, we might make a change with the bowlers. We’re also considering an extra bowling all-rounder. Sometimes when we play with only four bowlers, it becomes a little difficult when defending a target. If we include an extra bowling all-rounder, my batting position might move up. Otherwise, both Dasun and I will continue to play floating roles, depending on the situation. Since we already have four left-handers, it can give the opposition an advantage. That’s why Dasun was placed higher in the order. I think he did a great job with that role,” he explained.

The BCCI has filed an official complaint against Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan with the ICC for their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super Fours game in Dubai last Sunday. It is reliably learnt that the BCCI filed the complaint via an email on Wednesday, and the ICC is in receipt of it.

In case Farhan and Rauf deny the allegations in writing, an ICC hearing could take place to address the matter for the hearing. They might have to appear before match referee Richie Richardson - the second match referee at the tournament, Andy Pycroft being the other.

Farhan’s celebration after getting to his half-century and Rauf gesturing towards a section of fans while fielding at the boundary - likely to be the incidents the BCCI has complained about - have been all over social media since that day.

In what is an unconfirmed update, the PCB also appears to have lodged an official complaint with the ICC against Suryakumar Yadav for the India captain dedicating the win over Pakistan in the first round, on September 14, to “the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack” in April this year, which led to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.

“Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,” Suryakumar said in the presentation ceremony after that match, which made headlines for events before and after the match - the captains didn’t shake hands at the toss, the players didn’t greet each other after the match, and “handshakegate” has continued to be a subject of talk and debate at the Asia Cup ever since.

The PCB has alleged that Suryakumar’s comments were “political”.

Sunday’s Super Fours match, the second meeting between the two teams during the Asia Cup, witnessed several heated moments including exchanges between Pakistan quicks Shaheen Shah Afridi and Rauf and India openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.

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India defeated Pakistan by 6 wickets to start their Super 4 campaign in the Asia Cup T20 with a strong win.

The match was played at the Dubai International Stadium, and India successfully chased Pakistan’s target of 172 runs in the 19th over (18.5 overs).

Abhishek Sharma scored 74 runs off 39 balls, while Shubman Gill added 47 runs from 28 balls. Together, they built a 105-run partnership for the first wicket, facing just 59 balls.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf took 2 wickets for 26 runs, and Faheem Ashraf took 1 wicket for 31 runs.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to immediately suspend the membership of USA Cricket.

According to reports, this decision was taken due to repeated and continuous breaches of obligations by USA Cricket under the ICC constitution. The ruling was made following a meeting of the ICC yesterday (23).

However, the suspension will not affect the participation of the U.S. national team in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February, nor in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

At its Annual General Meeting in July, the ICC had given USA Cricket three months to conduct “free and fair elections” and implement “wide-ranging” governance reforms.

The suspension comes two months after that deadline.

The ICC also warned USA Cricket that it reserves the right to take any further action deemed appropriate, depending on the progress of the reforms.

Sri Lanka suffered a four-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in their first Super Four match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament held yesterday (20).

The match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where Bangladesh successfully chased Sri Lanka’s target of 169 with one ball to spare, finishing on 170 for 6.

Opener Saif Hassan led the way with 61 runs, while Towhid Hridoy added 58. Captain Liton Das also strengthened the innings with 23 runs.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka took two wickets each, giving a strong fight.

Batting first after losing the toss, Sri Lanka posted 168 for 7 in their 20 overs. Dasun Shanaka top-scored with an unbeaten 64 off 37 balls, including six sixes and three fours. Kusal Mendis scored 34, and Pathum Nissanka added 22 runs. During its stay in Sri Lanka, the ship’s crew is scheduled to visit several important places on the island.