Author: Raghav Singh

Hyderabad’s Aman Rao Perala smashed a double century against Bengal in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy during his third List A appearance at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

Aman began cautiously, managing only three runs off his first 10 deliveries, content to play second fiddle as opening partner Gahlaut Rahul Singh took the early initiative during their century stand. He reached his half-century in 65 balls before gradually shifting gears as the innings unfolded.

Aman brought up his maiden List A hundred in 107 balls in the 38th over. From there, he moved seamlessly through the gears, reaching the 150-mark in 134 balls with consecutive sixes in the 46th over before unleashing a stunning late assault.

The 21-year-old batter needed just 20 balls to surge from 150 to 200, completing his double century in a dramatic final over to steer Hyderabad to a strong first innings total of 352/5. His innings was studded with 12 fours and 13 sixes.

Aman made his List A debut only last week, while in T20 cricket, he has already featured in 11 matches, scoring 301 runs at an average of 33.44 and an impressive strike rate of 162.70.

Tuesday’s knock was only the ninth double century ever recorded in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The record for the highest score in the tournament is 277, scored by Narayan Jagadeesan.

Aman is only the 15th Indian man to record a double century in the List A format. It is also the second-highest score of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy edition, following Odisha opener Swastik Samal’s 212, another batter who converted his maiden fifty-plus score in the format into a double century.

Aman was acquired by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2026 auction held last December.

Travis Head and Steven Smith steered Australia into a commanding position in the fifth Ashes Test, reaching 518/7 at stumps on Day 3, establishing a 134-run lead over England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In response to England’s first-innings score of 384, Head once again showcased his batting prowess, scoring 163 runs and marking his 12th Test century at an impressive rate of almost a run a ball. Resuming on 91, he partnered with Michael Neser, who had survived the closing session of Day 2 in support of Smith.

Neser faced a reviewed appeal for caught behind before Head brought up his hundred shortly after, pushing to the off-side for four. England’s breakthrough came 90 minutes into play when Brydon Carse had Neser caught out for 24.

Smith joined Head, who reached 162 when lunch was called. England had two chances in the final two overs of the session, but both difficult opportunities went begging, allowing Australia to add 115 runs while losing just one wicket in the session.

Post-lunch, Head added just one run before being dismissed by England’s spin-bowling all-rounder Jacob Bethell in the third over after the break. The opener departed to a standing ovation, having scored 600 runs in the series, as Australia continued to build their lead.

Usman Khawaja then joined Smith, making 17 runs in his final Test match and stitching a 51-run partnership with the stand-in captain before falling to Brydon Carse. Alex Carey came in aggressively but fell for the third time in this series to a leg-stump trap.

Cameron Green started well and looked solid but lost his wicket at 37 while attempting an aerial pull shot. Beau Webster played confidently, forming an 81-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Smith, who scored his 37th Test century and his first of this series. By stumps, Smith remained unbeaten on 129, while Webster was batting at 48, solidifying Australia’s 134-run lead.

Brief Scores:
England 384 (Joe Root 160, Harry Brook 84; Michael Neser 4-60, Scott Boland 2-85) trail Australia 518/7 (Travis Head 163, Steven Smith 129*; Brydon Carse 3-108, Ben Stokes 2-87) by 134 runs.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the upcoming season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will play a crucial role in India’s quest for a maiden T20 World Cup title, as the women’s team heads into 2026 after ending their long wait for an ODI World Cup crown.

Playing in the WPL will provide Indian players with the game time and confidence they need ahead of the ICC tournament. “Girls now play a lot more cricket, and that depth gives the team plenty of options, especially if injuries crop up, because you have ready-made backups. This current pool of players is something you simply didn’t see ten years ago,” Pathan said on JioStar.

He added, “The biggest advantage is that the WPL comes right before the World Cup, so they go in with both game time and confidence. Winning a World Cup in one format and then shifting to another is not a big hurdle anymore, particularly with how much their power game has improved. If they adapt quickly to conditions in England, it really should not be very difficult for them.”

Former India pacer Varun Aaron emphasized that India’s breakthrough ODI World Cup win had removed a long-standing psychological barrier and instilled belief within the squad. “Australia used to be India’s bogey team, but once the women got past them in that final and went on to win the title, it felt like a barrier had truly been broken. With that hurdle crossed, this group will feel they can achieve anything,” Aaron said.

He further remarked, “There is a lot of momentum around the team right now. The support from fans and the BCCI gives them a great chance to finally win a T20 World Cup, although Australia will definitely be hungry for revenge.”

Australian Open tournament organisers have announced a record AUD 111.5 million prize money pool, the largest in the tournament’s history. This represents a 16 per cent increase from last year’s prize money of AUD 96.5 million.

The winners of the men’s and women’s singles at the season-opening Grand Slam will each receive AUD 2.79 million, marking a 19 per cent rise from last year’s AUD 2.35 million. The runner-up will earn AUD 2.15 million, while the semi-finalists will each take home AUD 1.25 million.

Qualifying rounds have also increased by 16 per cent, and all singles and doubles players will receive a minimum increase of 10 per cent. Players exiting in the first round of the main draw will earn AUD 150,000.

“This 16 per cent increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at every level. From boosting qualifying prize money by 55 per cent since 2023 to enhancing player benefits, we’re ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors,” said Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.

This prize money uplift is part of Tennis Australia’s AUD 135 million investment across the Summer of Tennis, reinforcing their commitment to support hundreds of professional athletes’ careers.

“This investment strengthens tennis’s foundation, ensuring the sport’s long-term health and commercial growth. By supporting players at all levels, we’re building deeper talent pools and more compelling storylines for fans,” Tiley added.

Three weeks of Grand Slam action begins at Melbourne Park on January 12, with the official Draw scheduled for January 15 at the Grand Slam Oval fan stage, where defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys are expected to join to see the singles draws unveiled.

Prize Money Breakdown: Men’s and Women’s Singles

• Winner: AUD 4.15M (+19%)
• Runner-up: AUD 2.15M (+13%)
• Semifinalists: AUD 1.25M (+14%)
• Quarterfinalists: AUD 750K (+13%)
• Fourth round: AUD 480K (+14%)
• Third round: AUD 327.75K (+13%)
• Second round: AUD 225K (+13%)
• First Round: AUD 150K (+14%)

Qualifying per round:

• Q3: AUD 83.5K (+16%)
• Q2: AUD 57K (+16%)
• Q1: AUD 40.5K (+16%)

New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips has revealed that his occasional switch to left-handed batting is a long-term strategy, rather than a temporary experiment. He enjoys batting left-handed during training sessions.

During the Super Smash T20 match between Vols and Stags last month, the right-handed batter surprised fans by unexpectedly switching his stance. Phillips elaborated that he has been training as a left-hander regularly and has been preparing for this change over a significant time.

“I’ve always been able to bat left-handed. It’s something I’ve done since I was young. I was actually considering switching to bat left-handed when I was about 10 years old, but decided to stick with the right hand. These days, I train batting left-handed for two reasons: one to keep both hands and both sides of the brain working, but also to be able to counteract left-arm spin,” Phillips told New Zealand Cricket.

“I started working on it a bit more recently, facing pace-bowlers left-handed in the nets as well as spinners. I was more thinking it was something for the future, but the fact that the opportunity came during the game to use it and I was able to pull it off was pretty cool,” he added.

He emphasized that this approach is part of his long-term strategy and might be used in specific match scenarios. “It’s about trusting the training and understanding that I’ve done the preparation leading into it, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t work. I’ve then just got to watch the ball as much as possible,” he noted.

Phillips is included in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of India, which features three ODIs followed by five T20Is. The latter matches will be crucial for both teams’ preparations for the T20 World Cup in February.

The all-rounder expressed excitement for the upcoming tour and anticipates a warm welcome from Indian fans, although he remains uncertain about the nature of the pitches.

“The preparation is going to be perfect,” Phillips said. “The conditions might be a bit different from what we’ll get in the World Cup. You never quite know what kind of pitches teams will produce, especially in the subcontinent, where they sometimes favour spin-friendly surfaces. But on T20 and ODI tours, the pitches are usually very good.”

Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith raised his 37th Test hundred on Day 3 of the fifth and final Ashes match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Smith brought up his century after running three off a shot to fine leg bowled by Jacob Bethell. The atmosphere at the SCG was electric as he removed his helmet, raised his bat, and soaked up the applause, with his wife among those cheering him on. He was batting on 110 off 178 balls.

This marked Smith’s 13th Ashes ton, with only Don Bradman (19) producing more. It was also Smith’s first hundred of this series. With this, the veteran batter became the second-highest run-scorer at the SCG with 1206 runs, trailing former skipper Ricky Ponting, who tops the chart with 1480 runs. Smith is also second in the list of all-time Test centuries at the SCG.

Additionally, the 36-year-old Aussie ranks second on the all-time list of Ashes Test runs with 3663, only behind the legendary Don Bradman (5028). Smith made his Ashes debut in 2010 at Perth and it took him 15 innings to record his first hundred, achieved in 2013 at The Oval. His best performance in an Ashes series came in 2019 when he amassed 774 runs at an average of 110.57 during Australia’s tour of England.

In the overall Test centuries list, Smith has now surpassed former India batter Rahul Dravid (36 centuries) and is one short of equalling Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara. The record for the most Test centuries remains with India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has 51.

Smith’s century was pivotal, taking Australia’s lead past the 100-run mark on Day 3 after Travis Head had provided a solid foundation. Head brought up his 12th Test century at nearly a run a ball, finishing with 163 runs before being trapped lbw by Jacob Bethell. Usman Khawaja, playing his final Test match, contributed 17 runs before falling to Brydon Carse.

Smith, well supported by Cameron Green, helped Australia establish a position of strength while achieving his own milestones.

In Indian sports, franchise ownership typically stays within boardrooms. However, Mumbai X Calibers, set to join the upcoming Shooting League of India (SLI), stands out. Notably, all three owners of the Mumbai franchise are active shooters.

Active Competitors
Ronak Pandit, who won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the men’s 25m standard pistol (pairs), is presently competing at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) in Delhi with his co-owner Zahir Hawa. Alongside fellow Indian shooter Faiyaz Virani, their combined roles as active athletes and franchise owners represent an extraordinary development in Indian professional sports. They believe this dual identity could be Mumbai X Calibers’ greatest strength.

Passion for the Sport
Zahir Hawa, with over 25 years of experience in shooting, found investing in the league to be an almost instinctive decision. “The moment I heard about the league, I wanted to be a part of it. I love shooting and had to be involved with it,” he said. “This is the best way to give back and stay connected with the sport, even at this stage of my life.”

Long-term Vision
Pandit sees ownership from a similar perspective, but with a clear long-term plan in place. “The league is not just about those two weeks of competition,” he explained. “It is about making the sport more accessible and widening the talent pool so that it is the shooters who benefit in the long run.”

Mirroring Mumbai’s Spirit
Mumbai X Calibers’ vision extends beyond just building a competitive team. The owners want the franchise to embody the spirit of the city it stands for. “A team has to mirror its city’s personality,” Zahir Hawa said. “That is how people relate to it. Mumbai has a certain spirit and ambition, and we want that to come through in how this franchise is built.”

Pandit reinforced that idea, noting that regional identity and connection matter as much as results. “Fans follow teams because they resonate with the city, the language, the colours and the values. We have kept Mumbai’s culture and vibe at the centre of our identity.”

Inspiration Behind the Name
Revealing the thought behind the name, he added, “X Calibers was suggested by Zahir Hawa’s daughter. Excalibur is the legendary sword, and calibers is a shooting term, referring to the calibre of ammunition. We liked how the two ideas came together, and that is how the name Mumbai X Calibers was born.”

Insider Perspective
Being active competitors provides the Mumbai co-owners with an insider’s perspective on the sport that few other franchises can rival. They experience pressure and the realities of top-level competition firsthand—not just as spectators, but as active participants, giving them a competitive edge.

“Because we are still playing, we know the sport, how formats work and how athletes respond in different situations,” Zahir Hawa noted, while also acknowledging that experience can sometimes offer an added advantage. “There are pros and cons, but yes, it gives us a bit of an edge.”

Focus on Development
Ultimately, Mumbai X Calibers’ main goal is development. Both owners emphasised that the league should broaden opportunities in a sport where traditional pathways have been limited. “This team is not just about winning matches or entertainment. It is about uplifting the sport, supporting athletes beyond the league, and helping create shooters who can realistically dream of representing India at major events in the future.”

Last year’s Australian Open finalists Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka have made strong opening statements in 2026, each beginning their new campaigns with convincing wins at the Brisbane International.

Sabalenka’s Dominant Display

World No.1 Sabalenka opened her campaign in emphatic fashion, dismantling Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in just 47 minutes on Tuesday. The defending Australian Open champion secured a 6-4, 6-3 victory against McCarthy Kessler in the second round at Pat Rafter Arena.

Sabalenka delivered a near-flawless performance at the Queensland Tennis Centre, hitting 23 winners while committing only seven unforced errors in a dominant opening-round display. Her power and precision proved far too much for Bucsa, who struggled from the very first point.

It was a familiar matchup for Sabalenka, who had previously defeated Bucsa in the fourth round of last year’s US Open on her way to claiming the title. That pattern quickly re-emerged in Brisbane, with Sabalenka racing through the first set and maintaining control throughout the second.

Bucsa, ranked 50th in the world, briefly lifted the crowd by avoiding a double bagel, earning a warm ovation. However, Sabalenka closed the match a game later, sealing the victory with her fourth ace and a final score of 6-0, 6-1.

“Wasn’t focusing on warning anyone for the season; I was just too focused on things that I have been working on during the preseason. I was just trying to show my level. I did it well, and if someone got scared because of that, I’ll be happy to see players giving up, but that’s not going to happen, unfortunately,” Sabalenka said.

“I was surprised with my serve-and-volley points. I was practising a lot, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to go my way in the match, but I’m happy I was able to do that. I mean, I worked really hard, so I wasn’t really surprised with the level,” she added.

Keys Finds Her Rhythm

On the other hand, fifth seed Keys recorded her first win on Australian soil since capturing her maiden major title at Melbourne Park last January, defeating fellow American McCarthy Kessler 6-4, 6-3.

Keys admitted she needed some time to settle, acknowledging early nerves and the need to “knock off a bit of the rust” before finding her rhythm. Once she did, her shot-making began to click.

Now a Grand Slam champion, Keys is eager to challenge herself further in 2026, aiming to push beyond her comfort zone as the season unfolds.

“I have really been trying to focus on trying to get to the net a little bit more. My biggest goal, not only for here but really just for the entire year, is to do the things that kind of make me uncomfortable on the court. Sometimes, especially if I get nervous or it’s tight moments, I kind of fall back on being more comfortable, which sometimes actually gets me in trouble. So continuing to do the things I have been working on in practice, in matches, in the big moments, is probably my biggest goal of the year,” Keys said after her win.

Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad provided insight into the intense exchange between English captain Ben Stokes and Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne. He suggested that it was not an accident but a tactic employed by the visitors to disrupt Labuschagne’s focus.

The incident occurred on Monday after an earlier confrontation between Jofra Archer and Steve Smith. Stokes confronted Labuschagne between overs, visibly frustrated shortly after Travis Head had hit consecutive boundaries against him, escalating the tension.

It appeared that Labuschagne had angered Stokes when he backed away from his crease during Stokes’ run-up. As Stokes passed Labuschagne, they exchanged words, with Stokes gesturing towards him, intensifying the confrontation. Stokes then turned and approached Labuschagne, putting his arm around his shoulders in an assertive manner. They exchanged more words until the umpire intervened, leading them to part ways.

“This (gesture) of ‘three’. I chatted to Stokesy this morning, I’m not breaking any trust by saying this. Marnus was saying ‘oh that’s going down leg’, or ‘that’s four runs.’ He (Stokes) was saying, ‘we’ve got two umpires out here, we don’t need three’,” Broad explained on Channel 7.

“It was all quite polite, but what happens is it got Marnus Labuschagne out of his bubble and that’s a plan of England’s,” Broad added.

Commentating on Fox Cricket, Mark Waugh remarked, “I thought he was going to get him in a headlock there,” while Brett Lee described the moment as “a little bit of a neck squeezer.”

The incident quickly became a focal point among broadcasters. Joe Root, speaking on Fox Cricket, quipped, “I want the goss as well,” while Australian all-rounder Michael Neser noted that Labuschagne’s competitive nature often provokes such reactions: “He’s such a strong competitor and can get under your skin. It’s just Marnus for you,” the seamer stated.

This exchange may draw official scrutiny, with Stokes potentially facing attention under Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which addresses “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match).”