Author: Raghav Singh

The Bangladesh government has ordered the suspension of the broadcast of all matches for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season amid the controversy surrounding Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman.

This decision follows Rahman’s release from the IPL based on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), sparking widespread debate and criticism in Bangladesh.

Reacting to this development, a former BCCI official stated that the move by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was a natural response. “For every action, there is a reaction. The Bangladesh Cricket Board is merely doing what it believes is within its authority. Takleef hui hai, so obviously there will be a reaction,” the official remarked. However, he noted that India or the IPL is unlikely to be impacted by this decision.

“Under a directive issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Bangladesh’s star cricketer Mr. Mustafizur Rahman has been excluded from the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament scheduled to commence on March 26, 2026. No reasonable justification for such a decision by the BCCI is known, and this decision has caused pain, distress, and anger among the people of Bangladesh,” stated the Bangladesh Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

“Under these circumstances, until further instructions are issued, it is hereby ordered that the broadcast/telecast of all Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and related programmes be suspended,” the statement added.

Following Rahman’s release, the BCB convened an emergency board meeting and has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC), seeking the relocation of Bangladesh’s matches in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from India, citing safety and security concerns.

India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with matches slated across multiple venues in both countries.

Travis Head’s unbeaten 91 and Marnus Labuschagne’s 48 propelled Australia forward as the hosts reached 166/2 at stumps on Day 2, responding to England’s 384 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Head, who is close to achieving his 12th Test hundred and the third ton of this series, combined with Labuschagne for a rapid 105-run partnership in the evening session. Australia still trails England by 218 runs, with Head and nightwatcher Michael Neser (1*) unbeaten in the middle.

England were bowled out for 384 off 97.3 overs. Joe Root scored his 41st Test century, matching Australian great Ricky Ponting. He was 72 not out overnight and went on to make a splendid 160, helping England post their highest total of the series.

England resumed on 211/3 on Monday after play ended early on day one. In the third over of the morning, Harry Brook was out for 84, ending his 169-run partnership with Root. Brook fell 16 runs short of his first Ashes hundred.

Soon after, England captain Ben Stokes was dismissed for a duck, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off a sharp, rising ball from Mitchell Starc. Although the on-field umpire ruled not out, Australia reviewed the decision, and Snicko showed a faint edge, leading to Stokes being given out.

However, Root held his nerve and reached triple figures off 146 deliveries with a firm punch down the ground. Jamie Smith had a reprieve after drinks when Cameron Green overstepped after the batter hit one straight to the cover fielder.

Steve Smith then turned to Labuschagne with a short-ball ploy, which paid dividends immediately as Jamie made room but played his hop shot straight to Scott Boland in the deep, breaking the 94-run stand as the visitors reached 336/6 at lunch.

After lunch, England continued to score freely as Will Jacks and Joe Root added quick runs, with Root reaching the landmark 150. However, Australia struck back after drinks, with Michael Neser and Cameron Green.

Neser dismissed Jacks, and Brydon Carse edged Green to keeper Alex Carey. Neser then took a brilliant caught-and-bowled to remove Root, following it up by dismissing Josh Tongue two balls later. England lost their last four wickets for just nine runs and were bowled out for 384.

Brief Scores:

• England 384 (Joe Root 160, Harry Brook 84; Michael Neser 4-60, Scott Boland 2-85)
• Australia 166/2 (Travis Head 91*, Marnus Labuschagne 48; Ben Stokes 2-30) lead by 218 runs.

England captain Ben Stokes and Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne were involved in a heated exchange during the third session on Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test, creating a fiery moment in the middle of the crease. Stokes let loose with some explosive words aimed at Labuschagne.

Travis Head struck successive boundaries off Stokes to conclude the 29th over, which escalated tensions on the field. It appeared Labuschagne had provoked Stokes by backing away from his crease during the England skipper’s run-up. As Stokes walked past the Australian players, he exchanged words with Labuschagne and gestured at him, intensifying the confrontation. Stokes then turned to approach Labuschagne, placing his arm around his shoulders in what seemed a harsh manner. They continued to exchange words until the umpire intervened, after which both players parted ways.

While the exact conversation remains unclear, former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting, commenting on Channel 7, suggested that Stokes told Labuschagne, “Three times, three times you’ve done it to me.” Stokes also seemed to instruct Labuschagne to “shut the f*** up” when the Aussie batter began to respond. Meanwhile, Mark Waugh, providing commentary for Fox Cricket, noted, “Marnus Labuschagne is hanging around like, ‘I shouldn’t be out here’, but you can’t play the game that way. You’re out there. You’re playing. You’ve got to get on with it.”

On the first ball following the altercation, Labuschagne, who had been decisive up to that point, played a careless shot that resulted in a simple catch for Jacob Bethell at gully.

“Has Stokes got inside his mind? Did the mind games Labuschagne tried to play with Stokes backfire? It’s happened before. We’ve seen it before. When he’s out of his bubble, funny things can happen,” reflected Ponting.

Reacting to the situation, former England pacer Stuart Broad commented on 7 Cricket, “This is all going at Marnus Labuschagne. Something Marnus is doing is annoying Ben Stokes, whether it’s keeping him waiting at the top of his mark, just reminding him to speed up at times at non-striker’s end.”

After stepping away from international cricket duties for South Africa in 2022, Lizelle Lee has spent the last few years playing in Australia’s domestic circuit, while being based in Hobart with her wife Tanja and their two kids.

Now, as she prepares for her maiden tryst with the Women’s Premier League (WPL) through Delhi Capitals (DC), there’s palpable excitement in Lizelle, the opener-cum-keeper, about being part of a franchise hungry for clinching their first title.

Lizelle’s Anticipation

“It’s been pretty good over here. Yes, been to the beach once, beautiful place, it’s really busy. I think it’s just the whole WPL (experience) in all (to soak in). I mean, I haven’t played here before. So, it’s just the experience and an awesome opportunity to be with the Delhi Capitals. They’ve been such a good franchise. Also I just want to learn and hopefully at the end of this tournament, we can lift the trophy,” Lizelle said in an exclusive conversation from DC’s pre-season camp in Goa.

Reuniting with Teammates

One of the most appealing aspects of Lizelle being acquired by DC in last year’s mega auction has been the prospect of her reuniting with former South Africa teammates Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt. The thought of being spared Marizanne’s fierce bowling drew a playful sigh of relief from Lizelle, even as the prospect of batting alongside Laura brought a gentle warmth in her voice.

“It’s amazing. Look, I didn’t think I’ll play with them again in the same team. So, it’s pretty cool to have them in the same team again and it’s going to be great not to bat against Kapp for a change and that’s going to be awesome.

“I’ve had a few net sessions with Laura Wolvaardt now and it’s been good that we’ve reunited because we haven’t batted again with each other in about four years. It’s pretty cool to have them here. It’s been a very long time since we (Laura and me) have played together. So, I’m just looking forward to it,” she said.

Power-Hitting and Evolution

Lizelle’s batting has long been synonymous with power-hitting, and the ability to hit boundaries effortlessly making her a force to reckon with. “It’s just something that happened naturally. But over the years, it’s maybe evolved a little bit, and changed with the game.

“Sometimes it’s not just all about the power, but it’s like how you can manipulate the game, field and those sort of things. So, I’m just trying to evolve with the game, and hopefully I can continue that for a few more years,” she said.

Behind the Scenes Work

It has also been backed by work away from the spotlight. “I’ve been working really hard behind the scenes with fitness and being in the gym and those sort of things, which I think led to having a really good preseason.

“In the WNCL in Australia, I scored a few runs there, so that sort of helped me to give me a little bit of momentum going into the Big Bash. I didn’t have the best scores in the Big Bash, but I feel like playing a bit aggressive and playing very positively really helped me to set me up,” she added.

Authentic Batting Approach

One of the important lessons Lizelle has carried is the importance of authenticity in her batting approach, regardless of which team she represents. “It’s a team sport for a reason, and that’s to play the way you play. When it doesn’t matter which team you go to, you still have to play the way that you play, because that’s the reason you’re in that team. If it’s being aggressive or whatever it is, you just have to keep doing that. That’s something that I’ve learnt, and I just need to continue doing that.”

It’s a mindset that has served her well across playing WBBL, WNCL, and occasionally The Hundred. “Good question. I don’t know, but look, I’ve only played in the Big Bash for the past few years and haven’t played in a WPL or The Hundred for a while. So it’s good to be back in these tournaments, and hopefully I can get big up in The Hundred as well. But look, these are great tournaments to be a part of, and it’s also tournaments where you have to score runs to make sure you go there again, and hopefully we can do that this season.”

Managing Commitments

Based in Australia, she’s been able to manage her commitments more carefully, thus saving herself from burnout. “Luckily, I don’t have that problem as much anymore. I feel like your international players who play for the countries have a lot of that. I mean, they have all these tours in between, and then they have the T20 leagues, so they’re on the road a lot of times.

“I’m living in Australia, I played in the Big Bash, and this is my first away trip for a very long time. So I feel like it’s something that I need to get used to again, especially if I want to continue doing this for the next few years. But look, you just have to find ways to manage your needs, and at the end of the day, you have to put yourself first as a person, and then as a player.”

Future in Umpiring

Looking beyond her playing days, Lizelle has already identified what she’d like to pursue — umpiring. “It’s funny how most of the players that finish, they either go out of cricket or they go into coaching, and I sort of want to find a way to stay in cricket, and I don’t want to do coaching. I actually do love umpiring because I’ve done a few games, and that’s something that I want to do after playing cricket.”

Last month, Lizelle was part of the first female umpires to officiate in a men’s third-grade game in Tasmanian Premier cricket and also served as an on-field umpire in the Female U19 National Championships.

“Australia’s given me a few opportunities to umpire in some championships, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I feel like as my schedule allows it, I’ll do that as much as possible, and then hopefully when I’m done with cricket, which is a couple of years away, that’s something I can just continue doing.”

DC’s Perspective

From DC’s perspective, Lizelle’s recruitment addresses multiple needs. “Lizelle Lee’s signing was about addressing two long-standing needs — top-order firepower and an overseas wicketkeeper. Historically, Delhi Capitals have alternated between using an overseas batter and an Indian wicketkeeper, but with Lizelle, we get both in one player.

“She gives us explosive starts alongside Shafali, and her ability to play both pace and spin with equal ease adds great value. Lizelle’s match-ups are very strong, especially her sweep options against spin. Ideally, if things go right, you would expect her and Shafali to put up 60-65 runs in the Powerplay without taking high risks.

“Her presence not only gives us power at the top but also solves the wicketkeeping balance issue, letting us play an extra Indian cricketer elsewhere in the XI,” said CricViz analysts, who are part of the Delhi Capitals scouting team.

Team Dynamics

Lee is impressed with the squad DC have assembled, though they had to get in leg-spinner Alana King to replace seam-bowling all-rounder Annabel Sutherland. “It’s a pretty balanced team and they recruited pretty well. It’s sad that we lost Belsy just before the tournament.

“But look, we got Kingi and she’s a really good replacement. So, it’s going to be a good tournament for us. It’s funny how T20 actually works, but if we can all just stick to what we know and what we can do best, hopefully that will go our way.”

Adapting to Conditions

Having been in India before for a few bilateral series with South Africa and the 2016 T20 World Cup, Lizelle’s focus in Goa has been to adapt her game to conditions which Navi Mumbai and Vadodara will present. “I’ve been in India a few times, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in Mumbai and all those places. So I’m looking forward to playing on those venues again.

“But I feel like the wicket we have here is maybe a bit different. We’re at a new stadium. So look, at the end of the day, you just have to adapt to the conditions as quick as possible. But I am just trying to stick to what I do best and stick to the basics and make sure I get that right.”

Growth of Domestic Players

The growth of domestic Indian players has particularly caught her eye. “It’s been really good. I feel like there are a lot of youngsters that have been going through the ranks and performing really well. So, it’s just good to see what the WPL has done to the domestic players. That’s probably one of the standouts — to see the domestic players play with some of the international stars and just be doing really well.”

From a recent warm-up game, that impression has only strengthened. “It’s been amazing and actually quite incredible to see how they improve. I always like watching players one season and look at them again in the next season and see the improvement they have. I feel like that’s what the domestic players in India have been doing. So I’m also excited to see how, in the next month, these players improve.”

Chasing the Title

DC have been the bridesmaid three times in the WPL’s short history. But Lizelle doesn’t believe there’s any curse attached to it. “I definitely don’t think that DC has a jinx on that. I just think they’ve been doing extremely well to get in the final. It’s just a little hurdle that we need to step over and hopefully I can contribute to that. Hopefully at the end of the season, we can lift the trophy as a team.”

The signs are there of Lizelle being a leading hand to break that jinx – her unbeaten 77 off 44 was the highest ever individual score in a WBBL final, as the Hobart Hurricanes sealed an eight-wicket win over Perth Scorchers to lift the title for the first time.

“Look, we’ve played at Ninja Stadium a few times now. It’s one of those grounds where you don’t really know what’s enough, but it has to be a high total. Restricting them to the total we did, we felt like we had a good chance, and then we started batting really well.

“It was probably at the start, which was around the 10th and 11th over, where I thought it’s going to be our game. So, look, it’s probably one of those games that in the field, it didn’t go our way. We dropped a lot of catches, but the bowlers did extremely well to restrict them to a defendable total. The batters just did well to get that.”

As DC prepare to take the field for another WPL season, they’ll be hoping Lizelle’s experience and firepower at the top of the order provide the spark they’ve been searching for to win the title.

Jakub Mensik clinched Czechia’s victory over Norway at the United Cup on Monday, defeating Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-6(6).

### Dominant Debut

Making his United Cup debut and playing his first match of the season, Mensik’s win followed Barbora Krejcikova’s victory over Malene Helgo, giving Czechia a 2-0 win in the Group D tie and eliminating Norway, which fell to 0-2 this week.

### Historic Achievement

At just 20 years old, Mensik becomes the second-youngest man to record a singles win in United Cup history, following 18-year-old Stefanos Sakellaridis in 2023.

### Key Moments

Mensik held his nerve late in both sets, earning a crucial break at 5-5 in the opener before serving for a one-set advantage. He later rebounded after failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set. Trailing 3/5 in the second-set tie-break, he won five of the following six points to clinch the set. According to ATP, Mensik executed a stunning forehand pass cross-court when facing a set point at 5/6 in the second-set tie-break.

### Krejcikova’s Return

Earlier, two-time major singles champion Krejcikova made a strong United Cup debut, defeating Norway’s Helgo 6-4, 6-3. The former World No. 2 enters the 2026 WTA season ranked No. 65 in the WTA Rankings after another injury setback at the end of 2025. She reached the quarter-finals of the US Open in September, a pivotal moment in her season, which only began in May due to a recurring back injury.

“I didn’t play for a long period, and the injury that I had was really tough and very unfortunate,” Krejcikova said. “I’m really happy that I’m here, that I can play, that I can enjoy it, that I can compete, and I’m really happy that I can finally finish a match.”

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg acknowledged the disappointment of fans after play on Day 1 of the fifth and final Ashes Test was curtailed due to poor light and adverse weather conditions. He expressed understanding of their frustration and emphasized the need for a global resolution.

Play was halted at 2:55 pm (local time) and was eventually abandoned around 5 pm due to rain and lightning. Ahead of Day 2, Greenberg conveyed the disheartening nature of the situation.

“I share your frustration. There’s a lot of things that I get frustrated with in cricket, but bad light’s one of them. Yesterday, maybe more so than ever with a full house and millions watching on TV,” Greenberg told SEN Cricket.

While he acknowledged players’ concerns regarding visibility, Greenberg asserted that the sport must work towards better solutions to minimize lost playing time.

“I sort of caution against the remarks of players who said they couldn’t pick the ball up and it was really dark and those sorts of things, but I get frustrated that we don’t have a solution to this problem. I’m always mindful of being critical on issues where I don’t have the solution either, but we’ve got to find a better way in cricket… where we try not to come off the field when it’s bad light and show a greater willingness and intent to get back on,” he added.

Greenberg admitted that he does not have a straightforward solution but emphasized his commitment to advocate for progress within the sport’s governing structures.

“I don’t have the answer for you this morning, but what you can take from my comments is a desire to push at the global level on how we can improve these matters, because it felt like it wasn’t good enough. I have talked about this a bit over the years, the nuances of cricket and some of the strange and archaic rules that exist within the sport, and I’m sure there’s room for discussions on how we can be slightly more progressive.”

Highlighting cricket’s responsibility to its audience, Greenberg pointed out the need to balance entertainment with player safety.

“I sound like a broken record, but we’re in the entertainment business, and so I can’t think of another business that continues to walk off in front of its fans. I preface that by saying that it has to be safe for the players, clearly, but we’ve got big light towers here and we’ve got technology; I’m sure there’s a way we can navigate this. I felt like there was more cricket to be played yesterday.”

While the interruption disappointed fans, it seemed to benefit Australia, with Joe Root and Harry Brook finishing the day unbeaten in the 70s. To recover lost time, play for the remainder of the Test will commence 30 minutes earlier each day.

England’s batting mainstay Joe Root once again showcased his mastery of the Ashes, leveling with Ricky Ponting for third place on the all-time men’s Test century list by scoring his 41st hundred on day two of the Sydney Test.

Root matched Ponting’s total of 41 Test centuries in fewer matches, achieving this milestone in his 163rd appearance since his debut against India in Nagpur in December 2012. Ponting, on the other hand, reached his mark over 168 Tests from 1995 to 2012. This century also marks the first international hundred of the 2026 calendar year.

This is Root’s second century on the tour, notably coming after he had not scored a hundred in 14 Test matches played in Australia before this series.

Starting Day 2 on 72, the 35-year-old dominated the morning session, helping England reach 272 for 5. He hit 11 boundaries while confidently tackling an Australian bowling attack that included Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Cameron Green, and Neser.

Prior to this tour, Root had never recorded an international hundred on Australian soil. However, he broke that trend earlier in the series with an unbeaten 138 in the Brisbane day-night Test. His performance in Sydney marked his first red-ball century at the SCG, underscoring his increasing impact as the series unfolded.

Root’s significant innings was supported by substantial partnerships that gradually wore down Australia’s bowlers. He shared a 169-run stand with Harry Brook, which extended from late on Day 1 into the early phase of Day 2. This was followed by a 94-run partnership with Jamie Smith, further applying pressure to the hosts before Smith fell just before lunch.

A seventh-wicket stand of 52 with Will Jacks kept England in pursuit of a commanding total, but Jacks’ dismissal triggered a late collapse, leaving the visitors all out at 384.

While Root was at the crease, England appeared poised to surpass the 400-run mark. However, Australia finally found relief through a moment of brilliance from Neser. In the 98th over, he bowled a delivery that extracted extra bounce, surprising Root and leading to a catch high on the bat as Root attempted a flick.

Neser reacted swiftly, diving to his right to complete a stunning one-handed catch, ending Root’s resistance. On the third delivery of the over, Neser dismissed Josh Tongue as England concluded their first innings at 384 runs.

Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic has announced that he has “stepped away completely from the Professional Tennis Players Association” (PTPA), which he co-founded, due to concerns regarding “ongoing transparency and governance.”

Djokovic, along with Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil, established the PTPA as a not-for-profit entity to ensure that players have a unified and independent voice in shaping the future of professional tennis.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to step away completely from the Professional Tennis Players Association. This decision comes after ongoing concerns regarding transparency, governance, and the way my voice and image have been represented,” Djokovic shared on X.

“I am proud of the vision that Vasek and I shared when founding the PTPA, giving players a stronger, independent voice – but it has become clear that my values and approach are no longer aligned with the current direction of the organisation,” his post continued.

“I will continue to focus on my tennis, my family, and contributing to the sport in ways that reflect my principles and integrity. I wish the players and those involved the best as they move forward, but for me, this chapter is now closed,” he added.

In March 2025, the PTPA, along with over a dozen players, initiated a series of legal actions against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA, aiming to reform professional tennis and alleging multiple antitrust violations.

The lawsuit contends that players should gain access to greater earnings, arguing that the governing bodies of the four Grand Slam tournaments—Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open—along with other professional events, restrict prize money and limit players’ opportunities to earn off the court.

Both the ATP and WTA have strongly rejected the accusations, stating that they will defend their position.

Young striker Gonzalo Garcia scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid maintained their pursuit of FC Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a commanding 5-1 home victory over Real Betis.

Garcia, who was in the starting lineup due to Kylian Mbappe’s knee injury, opened the scoring with a far-post header in the 20th minute. He doubled the lead with a volley early in the second half. Raul Asencio added a third goal with a header, leaving him unmarked in the box. Cucho Hernandez pulled a goal back for Betis, but Garcia completed his hat-trick with a delightful back-flick, before Fran Garcia sealed the win with the fifth goal in injury time.

In another match, Atletico Madrid dropped two crucial points in the title race after a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad, who were under the guidance of new coach Pellegrino Matarazzo for his debut. Alexander Sorloth put Atletico ahead after 50 minutes, but Takefusa Kubo quickly equalized by setting up Goncalo Guedes just five minutes later. Atletico currently sits fourth in the standings, seven points behind Real Madrid and 11 behind Barcelona.

Luis Castro’s tenure as the new Levante coach began positively, with his team securing a 3-0 away win against Sevilla. Iker Losada put Levante ahead right before halftime following a sharp exchange of passes. Carlos Espi scored his first-ever league goal, doubling the lead with just 13 minutes remaining, and Carlos Alvarez capped off the victory in stoppage time.

Real Oviedo, showing signs of improvement under Guillermo Almada, played to a 1-1 draw away against Alaves. Federico Vinas put Oviedo in front during the second half and narrowly missed an opportunity to double the lead, while Lucas Boye equalized for Alaves with a stunning free kick in the 69th minute.

Girona moved out of the bottom three after securing a 2-1 win in Mallorca. Viktor Tsygankov and Vladyslav Vanat put Girona 2-0 ahead before Vedat Muriqi scored a late penalty for Mallorca.