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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...

Skipper Rohit Sharma showered praise on his deputy Shubman Gill and veteran pacer Mohammed Shami for coming with game-changing performances against Bangladesh in India's Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday. Gill made an unbeaten hundred and Shami walked away with a five-wicket haul as India registered a six-wicket win over Bangladesh at the DICS. "We've been in that situation many times before and like I said many times (in the past), there's a lot of experience in that dressing room to handle that composure where it's needed and KL (Rahul) and (Shubman) Gill at the end were quite composed," Rohit said during the post-match presentation. Rohit heaped praise on player of the match Gill. "Gill, we know the class that he has, he's been batting brilliantly of late and today what he showed us with the bat shouldn't surprise anyone," he said. "What was good to see that he was there till the end to make sure that ...

Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his wife Dhanashree Verma are officially separated. The news of their divorce was doing rounds on social media for months. Both shared cryptic posts on the internet, hinting that they had gone their separate ways. But, none of them firmly spoke on the topic to highlight possible reasons behind the decision. However, it has now been reported that the couple's final hearing and all necessary formalities took place at the Bandra Family Court on Thursday, where both were physically present.  According to a report in ABP news , the judge advised the couple to seek counseling, which lasted for about 45 minutes. After the counselling session, the judge was informed that both wanted to part ways with mutual consent.  It was further revealed that Chahal and Dhanashree were living separately for the past 18 months. When asked about the possible reason behind seeking divorce, the couple said that had 'compatibility issues'. At around 4:30 PM o...

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar criticised star batter Babar Azam for his slow and conservative knock against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy opener, saying that the batter has "no intention to improve". Babar's sluggish approach in ODIs made headlines as he made a 90-ball 64 against NZ while chasing 321 in the Champions Trophy opener. His strike rate was extremely underwhelming at 71.11, leaving Pakistan 60 runs short of a win and their net run rate slipped to -1.20. Their next match against arch-rivals India on Sunday has become a virtual knockout. Speaking in the post-match analysis show 'Game On Hai' as quoted by Wisden, Shoaib said, "Babar Azam has become the product he had to become; it is visible; what can I debate about it?. You saw it (against New Zealand). There is no intention to improve." "You cannot run a team by acting like Maula Jatt (violent Pakistani fictional character) - 'Bring this, do this, do that' etc...

Virat Kohli will return to his run-scoring ways in the Champions Trophy and lead the team's batting this year along with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, reckons former India player Robin Uthappa. The 36-year-old Kohli's recent struggles in Test cricket have led to discussions about his career, but he has no plans to retire and aims to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. "Virat will score heavily this year and I think he's going to start doing that from here. I think Virat is there and thereabouts. He will be among runs very, very soon," Uthappa, who has played with Kohli for India and RCB, told PTI Videos in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. "I mean the standard of runs that we are used to seeing Virat score. So, I think it's just a matter of time." he observed. Kohli has been facing criticism for his form in Test cricket of late, and barring a hundred in the series opener in Perth, he has struggled to get going in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Austr...

Out-of-favour Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has accused his country's cricket board of favouritism. Speaking in a recent interaction, Hasan questioned the PCB for sending star batter Saim Ayub for treatment in London, while adding why other players don't get the same privilege. Hasan also recalled the time when he suffered multiple injuries and was out of cricket for lengthy period, revealing that the PCB did not come to his aide at that time. Saim has been out of action since the tour of South Africa last month, and will take no part in the upcoming Champions Trophy. He suffered a right ankle fracture and is currently in London for rehabiliation. "Saim Ayub is injured. He is the player of your team. Wasn't I a member of the team in 2020? If another player gets injured, won't he be a member of the team? Does he play for India?" Hasan said on ' Ultra Edge ' podcast. Hasan, however, hoped to see Saim back in action soon, but suggested that if he gets injur...

All-rounder Nat Sciver -Brunt starred in both departments as Mumbai Indians produced a clinical performance to return to winning ways with a five-wicket victory over a self-destructive Gujarat Giants in their Women's Premier League match on Tuesday. Sciver-Brunt smashed a 39-ball 57, her second consecutive half-century, after taking two wickets for 26, as MI first bowled out GG for a modest 120 and then chased down the target, scoring 122 for 5 with 3.5 overs to spare. Invited to bat, Gujarat paid the price for their over-aggression, with MI's bowlers, led by off-spinner Hayley Matthews, delivering a tight performance. Shabnim Ismail (1/17), Amelia Kerr (2/22), and Amanjot Kaur (1/17) also played key roles in restricting Gujarat's batting. In response, Sciver-Brunt dazzled with a flurry of boundaries, playing cut, pull, sweep, and scoop shots with ease. She hit 11 fours during her innings and was dismissed in the 16th over with just seven runs required to win. Chasing 12...

The Vicky Kaushal-starrer movie 'Chhaava', based on the life and times of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj - the second ruler of the Maratha Confederacy and son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has received positive response from audience across the country. Apart from Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Rashmika Mandanna (as Yesubai Bhonsale), Akshaye Khanna (as Aurangzeb), Ashutosh Rana (as Hambirrao Mohite), Diana Penty (as Zinat-un-Nissa Begum) and Divya Dutta (as Soyarabai) play prominent roles in the movie.   Former India cricket team star Aakash Chopra also liked the movie. He, however, raised some questions after watching the film.  "Watched Chhaava today. Incredible tale of bravery, selflessness and the sense of duty.  Genuine question—why were we not taught about Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at all in school? Not even a mention anywhere!!!  We did learn though how Akbar was a great and fair emperor, and even have a very prominent road called Auran...

Smriti Mandhana smashed a blistering 47-ball 81 to power reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a resounding eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in the Women's Premier League in Vadodara on Monday. RCB bowlers, led by Renuka Singh (3/23) and Georgia Wareham (3/25), produced a disciplined performance to bowl out Delhi for 141 in 19.3 overs. RCB's opening duo of Smriti and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (42 from 33 balls; 7x4) made the target look effortless, forging a commanding 107-run partnership in just 55 balls before Richa Ghosh (11 not out from 5 balls) sealed the chase with a six in 16.2 overs. The Indian vice-captain Smriti smashed 10 fours and three sixes, dominating the bowlers with her signature sweeps, inside-out drives, and a towering pull over deep mid-wicket off Marizanne Kapp . She reached her fastest fifty of the tournament in just 27 balls, setting the tone for RCB's clinical chase. Danni provided solid support, striking seven boundaries, keeping ...

One of the most promising young cricketers in the game, Yashasvi Jaiswal has rapidly grown into an all-format player for the Indian team. The left-handed opening batter made his ODI debut for India in the recently-concluded 3-match series against Englan. Though Jaiswal only played one game in the series, he is widely seen as one of the future cricketing superstars for the nation. Jaiswal was also selected for India's preliminary Champions Trophy squad but was later removed as the selectors wanted to make space for spinner Varun Chakravarthy's inclusion.  Despite the drama-filled recent weeks, Jaiswal's coach Jwala Singh has high hopes for the exciting batting talent that the southpaw is. In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Yashasvi's coach opened up on his ward's rapid rise on the international stage, his exclusion from the Champions Trophy and also his leadership skills, which have made him a leadership candidate for the future. It was only in 2023 that Yashasvi Jai...