Cricket

Showing that they are also in great form in the Pakistan Super League, Peshawar Zalmi turned in another all-action performance on Monday (March 4), beating Multan Sultans by 24 runs at Karachi's National Stadium. The league leaders restricted Multan to 172-8 in reply to their own 196-6 from 20 overs. Peshawar Zalmi, with 11 points from 6 games, now head the table in the PSL, a lead of 3 over Multan. With 7 points from 6 matches, Three-time champions Islamabad United continue to

Opener Phil Salt and the ever-reliable Virat Kohli slammed half-centuries to set up Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 18-run win over Mumbai Indians in a marquee IPL fixture on Sunday. Salt smashed 78 from 36 deliveries, with Kohli anchoring his way to 50 as defending champions Bengaluru added 120 runs for the opening partnership and posted a total of 240-4 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. A brisk 53 off 20 balls by captain Rajat Patidar and a late onslaught by Tim David, who scored an unbeaten

For someone who made three match-winning knocks on the trot at the business end of the T20 World Cup last month, Sanju Samson struggled to score runs in his first three IPL matches for his new team, Chennai Super Kings, this season. Rajasthan Royals’ primary resident for such a long time, the wicketkeeper-batter’s announcement to move to Chennai made it to the headlines during pre-season. Between all the KB10 ronnies about his switch to the five-time IPL champions, there was also the not-so-small

Youngster Mukul Choudhary played the innings of his career, hammering seven sixes on his way to an unblemished 54 as Lucknow Super Kings pulled off a dramatic, last-ball, three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL here on Thursday. Chasing Kolkata's challenging 181-4 at Eden Gardens, Lucknow found themselves in a pickle at 128-7 after their 16 overs despite two fifties from Ayush Badoni when Choudhary, who was playing just his third IPL game, changed the script with an exhibition of brute

Gujarat Titans held on for a gut-wrenching one-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday despite a savage late assault from David Miller. Having been asked to bat, Gujarat piled up a total of 210-4 and had the game virtually in the bag after Delhi's chase faltered as KL Rahul (92 off 52) exited at one end. Miller, who had previously retired hurt with a hand injury, came back to turn a canter into a cliff-hanger before Delhi

Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored blistering knocks each, leading Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable 27-run win over Mumbai Indians in an IPL match here on Tuesday that was interrupted by rain. Jaiswal, who finished on 77 not out, and fellow left-hander Sooryavanshi hit a quick-fire 39 off just 14 balls to propel Rajasthan to 150-3 in the match shortened to 11 overs per side in Guwahati. Rajasthan then restricted five-time champions Mumbai to 123-9 in their 10-team pool, securing their

It was only to be expected that Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s landmark Indian Premier League title victory last year would be a roller-coaster of emotions followed by an utterly tragic stampede. A passionate team finally ended the titleless run, with Virat Kohli in a sense of fulfilment — as the master batsman was able to lay his hands on the only trophy not in his cabinet. Last season, the RCB held firm until the end, finishing second in the league stage then winning both

By now, a timid man would have quit. But there is no surrender in the vocabulary of Mohammed Shami, a veteran fast bowler who still roars like a lion. Cruelly ignored by the selectors despite his consistent habit of taking wickets in domestic cricket, Shami tore up the field on Sunday with a blistering spell of fast bowling. With unrelenting accuracy, he sent two players back to the pavilion as the right-armer laid down the foundation for Lucknow Super Giants’ first victory of

Explosive knocks by openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first victory of the IPL season with a commanding 65-run thrashing of Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday. Australia's Head made 46 off 21 balls and together with Abhishek, who smashed a 48 off just 21 balls, set the platform for Hyderabad's total of 226-8 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Hyderabad then dismissed the three-time winners Kolkata for 161 in 16 overs to earn their first points after losing their opener

The Pakistan Super League technical committee on Thursday rejected an appeal by batter Fakhar Zaman and upheld a two-match ban imposed on him for ball tampering, the country’s cricket board (PCB) said. Earlier in the week, the PCB had suspended the 35-year-old for two PSL matches after Beirut was proven guilty of the offence during Lahore Qalandars’ four-wicket loss to Karachi Kings on Sunday — a decision that Fakhar later challenged. Any decision by the PSL technical committee, according to the Code of

Pakistan international Fakhar Zaman was banned for two matches on Tuesday after being found guilty of ball tampering in the country’s showpiece T20 league, cricket bosses said. Video footage showed the 35-year-old opener changing the condition of the ball during his team Lahore Qalandars’ game against Karachi Kings in Lahore late Sunday. “Zaman has been banned from playing in two Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches after being found guilty of a Level 3 offence due to ball tampering,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)

Cooper Connolly had an Indian Premier League debut to remember as he withstood a torrent of wickets falling around him and helped steer Punjab Kings to a nail-biting three-wicket win over the Gujarat Titans on Tuesday. A tidy bowling effort, led by Vijaykumar Vyshak, had seen Punjab limit Gujarat to 162-6 at the New Chandigarh Stadium after Shreyas Iyer chose to chase. Last year’s finalists Punjab seemed on course for a routine win as opener Prabhsimran Singh and Connolly went after the bowling,

When England’s national football team announced their squad, much debate was sparked again over the inclusion of a man who nearly always raises more questions than answers — Trent Alexander-Arnold. Thomas Tuchel's decision to drop the right-back was unexpected, especially given that he had overcome recent fitness concerns and hit form at Real Madrid. “It’s a sporting decision,” Tuchel said, making it clear that despite his quality other players are ahead of him at the moment. Yet the absence has resurrected divided views

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane fired a shot at Cricket Australia after its $2.7 million all-rounder Cameron Green was unable to bowl as they kicked off their IPL season with defeat. Green was snapped up by three-time champions Kolkata in December's auction for 252 million rupees to become the most expensive overseas buy in Indian Premier League history. Mumbai Indians chased down the 220 that Kolkata scored at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday but Green hit a four and a six while batting

Lahore Qalandars batsman ‌Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball-tampering in ⁠Sunday’s Pakistan Super ⁠League (PSL) fixture against Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. The incident happened in the ⁠final over, when Karachi required 14 runs to win. Fakhar was engaged in a short conversation with Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf where he and Rauf threw the ball between them. The umpire then came to Rauf and requested the ball. After consultations with the

And the shorter wait is the one that deserves much more scrutiny. It was the second in successive World Cups for Northern Ireland, who last appeared on the biggest stage four decades ago. Any regret about finishing third in a group with Brazil and Spain was tempered by the expectation of an imminent return. There has been no additional seat at the international football dining table. That World Cup hiatus under Italy’s belt includes failure to qualify in 2018 and 2022 (those two

A consortium of Aditya Birla Group, Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone has bought Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for $1.78 billion, the consortium said on Tuesday. Seller United Spirits, the India unit of UK-based drinks giant Diageo, kicked off a strategic review of its 100 per cent stake in the Bengaluru franchise in November, describing it as "non-core" to its main liquor business. That interest is fueled by rising team revenues and the record valuation of the

England coach Brendon McCullum will keep his job after the Ashes debacle, with cricket chief Richard Gould saying he has the capacity to "adapt and evolve". Ben Stokes’s men were beaten 4-1 on their five-Test tour of Australia that began in November and ended in January. And their terrible performances were accompanied by reports of excessive drinking among players during a break, sparking concerns over the dressing-room culture. Subsequent revelations that vice-captain Harry Brook had been embroiled in a tussle with a nightclub

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for IPL Fan Parks for the first three weekends with the opening phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 set to take off across India. Apart from the stadiums, the Fan Parks will be available in 15 cities across 11 states for at least three weeks of IPL action, giving fans a chance to enjoy live IPL game frenzy in an atmosphere full of festivity with a large audience. The

The Indian Twenty20 World Cup hero Shivam Dube was so confident a train ride in disguise would keep him incognito that he waited until after his fellow passengers fell asleep to break out the snacks — not needing them while they were awake, he thought. But just as Dube thought his ruse would come crashing down, it was his quick-witted wife who saved the day for the 32-year-old. He planned to go home soon after India won the World Cup — defeating New