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ICC WOMENS WORLD CUP 2025 Gardner took just 83 balls for her 115. © Getty Sophie Devine’s ninth ODI century went in vain as Australia cruised to a comfortable 89-run win in Indore, on Thursday, to kickstart their World Cup campaign. The platform of the victory was laid by Ash Gardner’s second ODI century, a blazing 83-ball 115. Electing to bat, Australia were on the aggressive right from the start. Even though there was some swing on offer for New Zealand’s new-ball pair, Phoebe Litchfield was comfortable to take them on. She cracked a couple of boundaries off Jess Kerr…

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL A splendid all-round display saw India launch their ICC Women’s World Cup campaign on the front foot, brushing aside Sri Lanka by 59 runs in the curtain-raiser in Guwahati on Tuesday. Half-centuries from Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur steadied the ship as India posted a competitive 269 for eight in a contest reduced by rain to 47 overs a side. Sri Lanka, chasing under lights, had a flying start at 82 for one in 15 overs, with skipper Chamari Athapaththu cutting and pulling anything loose in a rollicking 43 off 47 balls. But once the spinners…

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL Questions are being raised over the sudden inclusion of Asif Afridi, convicted in a corruption case, into the national team at the age of 38. The PCB had imposed a two-year ban on the spinner in February 2023, but it was surprisingly lifted within just one year. According to details, in 2022, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s left-arm spinner Asif Afridi was suspended by the PCB for violating the Anti-Corruption Code during the National T20 Cup. In February 2023, he was formally banned for two years, effective from September 12, 2022, the date of his initial suspension. But, in…

WEST INDIES TOUR OF INDIA, 2025 Jadeja has been named vice-captain for the series. © BCCI If the India-West Indies series, starting tomorrow (October 2) in Ahmedabad, were to be played in a game of chess, it would be a contest with more to lose than to gain for the home side. For a higher-rated Elo player, victory over a lower-rated opponent normally brings little reward – and the returns are even more negligible when the gulf between them is huge in chess. The situation is not much different in the current scenario with India standing to lose more than…

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL India’s Abhishek Sharma has increased his T20I batting rankings lead, while Pakistan’s Saim Ayub has ended Hardik Pandya T20I all-rounder reign. The accolades continue to flow for Abhishek Sharma as the India opener broke a record that has lasted for almost five years by reaching the highest-ever rating on the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings. Abhishek reached a rating of 931 points following a stylish half-century during India’s successful semi-final victory over Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup and in the process overtook the previous best rating of 919 points, which was achieved by England right-hander…

Pakistan will play all their games in Colombo ©Getty Not for the first time, Pakistan’s women’s team will find themselves isolated from other competitors at an India-hosted World Cup. The seclusion at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, though, may not necessarily be the worst thing to happen. Playing all seven group matches at the same venue should provide a crucial edge through accumulated familiarity, particularly handy when they face New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the tournament’s second half, where potential victories could fuel an ambitious push toward the semifinals. World Cups have rarely showcased Pakistan at their best.…

IRANI CUP 2025 Vidarbha are facing ROI at Nagpur © Sportzpics Atharva Taide carried his bat throughout the day to score an unbeaten century and Yash Rathod made 91 as Vidarbha finished at 280/5 by stumps on an eventful opening day against Rest of India in the Irani Cup. Akash Deep and Manav Suthar shared five wickets between them on either side of the massive 184-run stand between Taide and Rathod. Winning the toss, Vidarbha opted to bat first. Aman Mokhade got off to a positive start with a flurry of boundaries against Anshul Kamboj in particular before Deep got…

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt hopes her team of “outsiders” can thrive at the Women’s Cricket World Cup as they seek to end a painful eight-year trophy drought. The team are one of the best-funded in the women’s game but have been overshadowed in recent years by Australia and India. Since winning the 50-over World Cup at Lord’s in 2017, England have fallen short on the global stage, raising questions about their ability to cope under intense pressure. They were beaten finalists in 2022, losing by 71 runs to Australia despite an impressive 148 not out from…

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL Nathan Lyon warned England on Wednesday that they would be making a mistake if they do not play a spinner during the Ashes, with the veteran Australian sure the wickets will offer variation. England last week unveiled a pace-heavy attack for the five-Test series that gets under way in Perth on November 21, spearheaded by five quicks. They include Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood, with captain Ben Stokes and seamer Matthew Potts offering support Only one specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, was named in the 16-man squad, with allrounder Will Jacks…

England are on the “right track” for the “pinnacle of the women’s game” ahead of their World Cup opener against South Africa, insists head coach Charlotte Edwards.England recorded encouraging warm-up victories over reigning champions Australia and home nation India with Edwards saying that has given the side confidence before they get their campaign proper under way in Guwahati on Friday, live on Sky Sports. The team, then under the stewardship of Jon Lewis, reached the previous 50-over World Cup final in New Zealand in 2022 but they were then knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2023 T20 World Cup…