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The pitch for the ICC Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan has reportedly been selected. With the title-decider in Dubai just two days away, the authorities have finalised the strip, of many, which will be put into use on Sunday. The ground staff reportedly watered the entire square ahead of the final, and have decided to mark the center-wicket for the final between India and New Zealand. Notably, it's the same wicket that was used for the high-profile India vs Pakistan clash in the group stage of the tournament. According to a report in the Times of India , the Champions Trophy final will use a 'used surface' being deployed. The Emirates Cricket Board has reportedly maintained its 'two week rest' policy for the pitches in Dubai, which hosted the ILT20 before India's matches in the Champions Trophy. But, had no other option than using a 'tired surface' for the final between India and New Zealand. The pitch was last used on February 23 dur...

Skipper Meg Lanning's impactful 92 went in vain as Gujarat Giants defeated table-toppers Delhi Capitals by five wickets to register a hat-trick of wins and book their place in the Eliminator of the Women's Premier League in Lucknow on Friday. Already through to the playoffs, Delhi Capitals rode on Lanning's 57-ball 92 laced with 15 boundaries and a six to pile up a competitive 177 for five. But the total was not enough as Gujarat rode on Harleen Deol's unbeaten 70 off 49 balls and Beth Mooney's 35-ball 44 to be in contention. Towards the end, skipper Ashleigh Gardner (22 off 13) and Deandra Dottin (24 off 10) helped Gujarat Giants past the target in the 20th over. The Gujarat franchise lost opener Dayalan Hemalatha in the second over, caught by Lanning at extra cover off the bowling of Shikha Pandey before wicket-keeper Mooney (44) and Deol joined hands to stitch 84 runs for the second wicket. Mooney and Deol went about their business in calm fashion and picked u...

England's white-ball cricket is at a crossroads following Jos Buttler's resignation as captain after a dismal Champions Trophy campaign. With managing director Rob Key determined to find the "best person" to take over, discussions have sparked over whether Test captain Ben Stokes could also assume leadership in ODIs. Stokes, who played his last 50-over match in England's disappointing 2023 World Cup defense, remains an option. Key acknowledged Stokes' exceptional leadership qualities, saying, "Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I've ever seen, so it'd be stupid not to look at him," Key told Sky Sports. However, he also admitted the need to consider the impact of such a dual role. England is also open to the idea of separate ODI and T20 captains, as Key believes the formats now require a different approach. Several names have emerged in the discussions, including Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Harry Brook. Key emphasized that the decis...

Australia's Paul Reiffel and England's Richard Illingworth will be the on-field umpires, while Sri Lanka's Ranjan Madugalle will be the match referee for the Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand here on Sunday. Reiffel, 58, a former Australian fast bowler with more than 200 Test and ODI wickets, was one of the on-field umpires during South Africa's semifinal against New Zealand in Lahore. Illingworth, 61, a former England left-arm spinner, was part of the action in India's last-four clash against Australia in Dubai. Illingworth, the four-time ICC Umpire of the Year, also stood in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Americas. He was also the umpire in the group match between India and New Zealand, which the former won by 44 runs. India defeated Australia by four wickets in Dubai to secure a place in the final, while New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs in the other last-four clash. List of officials: ...

A jam-packed crowd was treated to a vintage Sachin Tendulkar masterclass for the India Masters after the Australia Masters duo of Shane Watson and Ben Dunk unleashed carnage to eventually help their side notch up its first win of the International Masters League 2025 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Wednesday. Shane Watson scored 110 not out and Ben Dunk 132 not out as Australia scored 291/1. Xavier Doherty claimed 5-25 as India Masters were bowled out for 174, losing by 95 runs. It's a battle etched in cricketing folklore — one that has thrilled generations of fans, and on Wednesday, it unfolded once again in Vadodara. Tendulkar brought back memories of the epic Desert Storm in Sharjah with an electrifying 33-ball 64, setting the perfect tone for India Masters' run chase. The delicate late cuts and booming straight drives were on full display as Tendulkar took on the Australian attack with fearless intent, to raise his fifty off a mere 27 deliveries, reminding fans why he re...

Not the one to be easily pleased, India head coach Gautam Gambhir said his team is still searching for that "perfect game" despite entering the Champions Trophy final with an all-win record and he is hopeful that it would come in the summit clash on Sunday. India trounced Australia by four wickets in the first semifinal here on Tuesday, with senior batter Virat Kohli making a well-paced 84. "See, in international sport, you want to keep improving. You don't say that you've ticked all the boxes. We still haven't played a perfect game. I will never be satisfied with the performances," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference. Gambhir hoped that India can produce that "perfect game" in the Champions Trophy title clash on March 9. "We still have one more game to go. Hopefully, we can play a perfect game. We want to keep improving, we want to be ruthless on the cricket field but absolutely humble off the field as well," he added. ...

Bangladesh's seasoned wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim announced his retirement from ODIs after their Champions Trophy campaign concluded on a bitter note. Mushfiqur took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce his retirement from the format. The 37-year-old revealed that he made his decision after going through a couple of "challenging weeks." "I am announcing my retirement from the ODI format as of today. Alhamdulillah for everything. While our achivements may have been limited on a global level, one thing is certain: whenever I stepped onto the field for my country, I gave more than 100% with dedication and honesty," Mushfiqur posted on his Instagram. "The last few weeks have been very challenging for me, and I have come to realize that this is my destiny. Allah says in the Quran: "Wa tu'izzu man tasha' wa tu'zhilu man tasha'" [And He honours whom He wills, and He disgraces whom He wills](3:26). May Almighty Allah forgive us and gran...

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday slammed critics for claiming that India have an ‘undue advantage' due to them playing all Champions Trophy 2025 games at the same venue and told the ‘perpetual cribbers' to ‘grow up.' India advanced to the final of the tournament with a four-wicket victory over Australia at the Dubai International Stadium. The Rohit Sharma-led side has played all four games at the same venue, whereas other teams have had to travel from Pakistan to the Middle East to face India due to the Indian government's refusal to allow the team to travel to Pakistan for their matches, causing uproar among fans of the other competing nations. “Kaunsi undue advantage? (What undue advantage?) We practice at ICC Academy, where conditions are different from what we get here at the stadium. Some people are perpetual cribbers; they need to grow up,” said Gambhir at the post-game conference. Riding on Virat Kohli's 84, Shreyas Iyer (45), K.L. Rahul (42 not o...

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Monday slammed Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed for questioning India captain Rohit Sharma 's captaincy credentials and fitness levels, saying it was very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment in the middle of the national team's Champions Trophy campaign. India have reached the semifinals of the ICC event and play Australia in the semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday. They beat New Zealand on Sunday to top their group. "Very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment when the team is in the midst of such a marquee ICC tournament. It may have demoralising effect on an individual or the team," Saikia told PTI. "All the players are performing to their highest potential and results are visible. I hope individuals shall desist from making such derogatory statements for personal publicity sake at the cost of National Interest," he added. Shama caused a stir on social media with ...

Beth Mooney smashed an unbeaten 96 as an all-round Gujarat Giants thrashed UP Warriorz by 81 runs in a one-sided Women's Premier League match in Lucknow on Monday. Mooney missed out what could have been the first century for any player this WPL season but her 59-ball unbeaten knock with 17 fours powered Gujarat Giants to a formidable 186/5, against which the hosts crumbled without any resistance. Chasing a target of 187, UPW could only make 105 from 17.1 overs as the Giants climbed up from the fifth spot to the second in the points table. UPW, who were placed third before the game, are now fifth. UP Warriorz slipped to 36/5 in the eighth over following a disastrous start and none of their batters could put up any resistance against the Giants' bowlers, who wrecked havoc on an under-pressure batting line-up. Deandra Dottin (2/14) began with two wickets in the opening over, dismissing Kiran Navgire (0) and Georgia Voll (0), while Kashvee Gautam (3/11), Meghna Singh (1/21),...

A funny video involving Virat Kohli and Axar Patel from India's Champions Trophy match vs New Zealand is going viral on social media. During the Group A game between the sides in Dubai on Sunday, the Blackcaps were chasing a target of 250. Kane Williamson held one end tight and kept New Zealand going in the chase despite India making comebacks with wickets at regular intervals. The batter was threatening to take the game away from India but Axar sent him packing on his individual score of 81, leaving New Zealand in deep trouble. As the players reached to congratulate Axar for the wicket, Kohli went up to him and touched his feet before the spinner stopped him from doing so and it all ended with a laugh. Watch it here: Kohli touching Axar Patel's feet after he got Williamson out #Kohli #AxarPatel #INDvNZ #ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/mJmgQ95Y15 — voodoo mama juju (@ayotarun) March 2, 2025 Varun Chakravarthy registered a five-wicket haul (5 for 42) as India beat...

The X-factor around mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy's bowling influenced his selection for India's last Champions Trophy group game in Dubai against New Zealand, skipper Rohit Sharma said on Sunday after the move proved to be a masterstroke. Chakravarthy justified his selection in the XI with excellent figures of 5/42 in 10 overs, as India registered a convincing 44-run victory to top Group A on way to the semifinals alongside the Kiwis in second place. "He has got something different about him, so wanted to try and see what he had to offer. We got to think a little about what to do for the next game, it's a good headache. If he gets it right, it's very difficult to read him," Rohit said of Chakravarthy at the presentation ceremony. India will play Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday with New Zealand taking on South Africa the following day in Lahore. "It will be a good game, Australia has a rich history of playing well in ICC tournaments, b...

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has explained why India would prefer facing Australia, rather than South Africa, in the semi-final of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy. South Africa on Saturday became the final team to book their place in the semi-finals, joining India, New Zealand and Australia. The Proteas topped Group B ahead of the reigning 50-over world champions Australia. India will find out their Champions Trophy semi-final opponents after their final group match against New Zealand on Sunday in Dubai. If India beat the Kiwis, they will take on Australia in the first semi-final on Tuesday at the Dubai International Stadium. Otherwise, they will face the Proteas, what would be a repeat of last year's T20 World Cup final, which Rohit Sharma and his men won in Barbados. Regardless of who they end up playing against, India will play their semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday. Gavaskar, while speaking to India Today, said that if given a choice, India would prefer to face Australia...

Shafali Verma smacked 80 not out as Delhi Capitals handed a fourth consecutive defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru with a commanding nine-wicket win in their Women's Premier League contest here on Saturday. After Ellyse Perry's fourth fifty (60 not out) of the season took the defending champions to a competitive 147/5, DC batters Shafali (80 not out) and Jess Jonassen (61 not out) brushed aside the challenge without much ado. Chasing 148 to win, DC prevailed with nine wickets in hand and 4.5 overs to spare, consolidating their position at the top of the WPL points table with 10 points from seven games, including five wins and two losses. Delhi Capitals had, in fact, handed a similar thrashing to Mumbai Indians here on Friday. RCB, on the other hand, slipped to fourth position with only two wins so far in six matches. The defeat for the Smriti Mandhana-led side was also third in a row for RCB on their home ground here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Shafali continued to daz...

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has taken a dig at England after the side's exit from the Champions Trophy, following their disappointing loss to Afghanistan on Wednesday. Chasing a massive target of 326 runs, England were bowled out for 317 with one ball to spare in Lahore. Ibrahim Zadran , who scored 177, lifted Afghanistan from a precarious 37-3 to a winning total as he put on key stands including 103 runs with Shahidi, who made 40. Zadran's knock was the highest-ever individual score registered by a batter in the history of Champions Trophy. After England's elimination, Gavaskar took a brutal jibe at England, saying that the Jos Buttler -led side has the tendency to play the blame game, instead of focusing on how to improve their performances. England were whitewashed by India in a three-match ODI series. Gavaskar even suggested that England might also put the blame of their exit of India playing their matches in Dubai. "They will still come and start moani...

Australia's stand-in skipper Steve Smith lavished praise on his disciplined bowlers after the team secured a semi-final spot in the ongoing Champions Trophy following a rain-abandoned match against Afghanistan on Friday. Australia was in control at 109/1 in 12.5 overs, chasing 274, when a downpour left the field waterlogged. Following a two-hour delay, the match was called off, ensuring Australia's qualification with four points. "That's what we were after in the start, to finish in the top two and qualify for the semis. I thought the guys did a good job, made good changes and took wickets in the middle. Did well to restrict them to 270 and we were in a good position," said Smith in the post-match interaction with the broadcaster. Australia leaked 37 runs in extras including 17 in wides but Smith backed the bowling unit. "There were a few (extras) today, and Spencer (Johnson) was getting it to swing too much. Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper) was happy when that s...

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has shared his views on the resumption of cricket bilateral ties between India and Pakistan. The two teams last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 when Pakistan had visited India for a white-ball series. Due to politicial differences between the two nation, India vs Pakistan encounters are restricted to global and continental events. Last week, India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets to enter the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. During a recent interaction, Gavaskar suggested that the cricket bilaterals between India and Pakistan can only resume if the governments of both countries ensure that there is peace at the borders. "By frankly having peace at the borders... (How can India and Pakistan play a bilateral series?) It's very simple. If there's peace at the borders, then I think both governments will certainly say, 'Look, okay, we've had no incidents, nothing at all. So let's at least start talking'," Gavaskar said on ...

Afghanistan continued their meteoric rise in the world of cricket as they beat 2019 World Cup winners England in their second Group B game of Champions Trophy 2025. With the match being a virtual knockout game, Afghanistan defeated England by eight runs in a thriller. This was Afghanistan's second successive win over England in a 50-over ICC tournament, having beaten them in the 2023 World Cup as well. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan then won hearts by doing his signature dance steps to celebrate Afghanistan's win. Taking to social media, Irfan Pathan posted a video of him dancing to the tunes of Bollywood song 'Afghan Jalebi'. "Another ICC win against England from Afghanistan. Well done!" is how Pathan captioned his Instagram post. The dance has become somewhat of a custom in recent years, with Pathan having done the same in 2023 when Afghanistan beat England in the World Cup. View this post on Instagram A ...

Ibrahim Zadran's majestic 177 and pacer Azmatullah Omarzai's fifer trumped Joe Root's masterful hundred, as the brave Afghanistan registered a thrilling 8-run win to knock a largely-insipid England out of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday. England are winless after two matches and in their last league match in Group B they will face South Africa, who already have three points along with Australia. Afghanistan now have two points and will have to beat the Aussies in their final group match to entertain the hopes of reaching the last eight. For a long time, England's chase merely rattled along as the dismissal of Phil Salt and Jamie Smith jolted them early. They were 30 for two then, and eventually ended up at 317 all out with a ball to spare as pacer Omarzai (5/58) struck at crucial junctures. But Root (120, 111b, 11x4, 1x6) brought stability to England's innings through two alliances, adding 68 runs with Ben Duckett (38), who was dropped on 29, for the third wicket...

Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is upset with the performance of his country's cricket team in the ongoing Champions Trophy, according to his sister Aleema Khan. Hosts Pakistan became the first team to exit the eight-team Champions Trophy after big losses to New Zealand in Karachi and India in Dubai. "The PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) founder expressed great sadness over losing the match against India," Aleema told the media outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi after meeting Imran. Aleema said that the charismatic former cricketer, who led Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup title, also questioned the cricketing credentials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi. "Imran said cricket will be eventually destroyed when favourites are put in decision-making positions," said Aleema, adding that the cricketer-turned-politician watched the match between the arch-foes.  Ex-PCB chairman Najam Sethi has indirectly blamed former Prime Ministe...

England captain Jos Buttler says he and his teammates are saddened by the plight of women in Afghanistan but have decided to play the side from the Taliban-ruled country as sport offers hope in tough times. The Taliban took over the reins of Afghanistan in 2021 and banned women's sports besides restricting their access to education and work. Last month, a group of British lawmakers had urged the England cricket team to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan as a sign of protest against the treatment meted out to women in the country. On the eve of the game, Buttler was asked what made him and his team comfortable to go ahead with the game. "I'm taking a lot of advice from lots of experts. I think credit must go to Rob Key and the ECB – they've been very, very good at supporting me and all the players and giving us information and education around this and making it an ECB decision," said Buttler. "We're very saddened by the plight of ...

It was a stunning show from India as the Rohit Sharma -led side completely outplayed Pakistan in their Champions Trophy 2025 encounter in Dubai on Sunday. Pakistan batters struggled massively against a disciplined bowling attack and Virat Kohli scored a stunning century to all out guarantee a semi-final spot for India. On the other hand, it was the second defeat in two games for Pakistan and they faced a lot of criticism from both fans as well as experts. Former India star Ajay Jadeja gave a brutal verdict on Pakistan's loss and said that they did not win a single thing in the game except for the toss. "Of course, I'm very proud of my team but I'm not a happy man today. You want to see a good game, a competitive game. Yes, we want our own countries to win, our own teams to win. But I'm probably disappointed with the game as a whole. There was no match if I am to be honest. Except toss, what did you win? You didn't even win hearts. Yes, you can win and lose ga...

India's place in the Champions Trophy semi-final is all but confirmed. Rohit Sharma and his men have been inevitable so far, registering crushing wins over neighbours Bangladesh and arch-rivals Pakistan last week in Dubai. If results go their way, India's final group game against New Zealand on Sunday might only be a warm-up for both teams ahead of the knockout stage. After refusing to play in Pakistan, citing security concerns, India are playing their matches at the Dubai International Stadium under a hybrid model. However, Australia captain Pat Cummins feels playing all of their games in Dubai gives India an advantage. Cummins decided to skip the Champions Trophy to be at home for the birth of his second child - daughter Edi - and rest a niggling ankle injury. "I think it's good that the tournament can go on, but obviously it does give them (India) a huge advantage playing on the same ground. They already look very strong and they've got that obvious benefit ...

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke expressed his surprise over Pakistan's playing XI in their Champions Trophy match against India on Sunday. Pakistan made just one change to their side as injured batter Fakhar Zaman , who was ruled out of the tournament after the loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener, was replaced by fellow opener Imam-ul-Haq , who was not part of the initial squad. After India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets, Clarke suggested that he couldn't comprehend the fact that the Mohammed Rizwan-led side made just one change to their XI despite playing under different conditions. "Pakistan have struggled to deal with the expectation and pressure of playing a major tournament in their backyard. So before a ball was delivered, I could not comprehend how they could. Apart from one change due to injury, Fakhar Zaman was out with that injury sustained in the first game, they made no other changes. They're playing in entirely different conditions. The cond...

Captain Mohammad Rizwan conceded that Pakistan made many mistakes in a six-wicket defeat against their arch-rival India in the high-stakes Champions Trophy clash on Sunday in Dubai. Pakistan needed a win against a formidable India side to keep their fate in the Champions Trophy in their hands. However, things fell apart for Pakistan even though the toss went their way. A sluggish display with the bat and an uninspired bowling display jeopardised their title defence. On the other hand, India's spinners kept Pakistan's top stars confined while Virat Kohli dictated the terms of the chase with his unbeaten 51st ODI century. After falling short against their bitter rival, Rizwan didn't mince his words while summing up Pakistan's performance against India. "We won the toss, but we didn't get the benefit of the toss. Their (India) bowlers bowled very well. And Saud Shakeel, I wanted to take it deep. Poor shot selection. They put us under pressure. Whenever you lose, ...

Left red-faced after India's national anthem played for a fraction of a second at the start of the Australia-England Champions Trophy match on Saturday, the Pakistan Cricket Board has blamed the ICC for the fiasco and demanded an explanation from the world body. At the start of the game when the two teams lined up for their national anthems, the spectators were left surprised as the Indian national anthem played for a second before being stopped. A source close to the ICC confirmed that the PCB had sent a letter to the governing body outlining the incident and demanding an explanation. "The PCB has made it clear that the ICC needs to offer some explanation as their people are responsible for the (national anthem) playlist of teams in the Champions Trophy. "Since India is not playing in Pakistan, it is hard to understand how their anthem was played by mistake from the playlist," the source said. In the match between England and Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Laho...

Josh Inglis played the innings of his life, smashing his maiden ODI century (120 not out) to overshadow Ben Duckett's masterclass 165, as world champions Australia pulled off a record chase to beat England by five wickets in their Champions Trophy Group B opener in Lahore on Saturday. The five-wicket win marked the highest-ever chase by any team at an ICC white-ball tournament, the previous best being Pakistan's 345 against Sri Lanka at the 2023 men's World Cup. Duckett's career-best knock from 143 balls that had 17 boundaries and three sixes had propelled England to 351/8 -- the highest total of the Champions Trophy, surpassing New Zealand's 347/4 against USA way back in 2004. But on a flat Gaddafi Stadium pitch with a lightning-quick outfield, no target was safe as two-time champions Australia cruised home in 47.3 overs. Inglis tore into England's attack, hammering six sixes and eight fours in an 86-ball 120 not out. His match-winning 146-run fifth-wicket st...

A funny interaction between cricket presenter Sanjana Ganesan and Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz is going viral on social media. During the chat, the duo talked about India's right-arm pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is also the husband of Sanjana.  "He is very different bowler and very dangerous," said Mehidy in the video. To this, the presenter replied, "He is not coming here." Then Mehidy said, "Yeah, I know. We are very happy." The Bangladesh star then asked about how Bumrah was doing. "He is okay. He is training at the NCA," said Sanjana. Notably, Bumrah is not a part of India's squad for the ongoing Champions Trophy due to a back injury he suffered during the fifth and final Test in Australia in January this year. That OOF for bumrah . pic.twitter.com/CLg7jlTyQD — onlyy rndom thngss (@sahilmemon23) February 19, 2025 India talisman pacer Bumrah had recently shared a picture of him hitting the gym after being ruled out of the ICC...