Category: Sports

Pakistan spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has alleviated concerns about his participation in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, stating that his rehabilitation is progressing well and will be completed by next week, as per reports.

The 25-year-old fast bowler sustained a left knee injury during his debut for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in Australia. Despite taking just two wickets in four matches at a costly average of 76.5 per wicket, his performance was further marred by a suspension from bowling after delivering two beamers in the opening match against the Perth Scorchers.

Media reports suggested that Shaheen’s rehabilitation might take up to six weeks, potentially sidelining him from the Twenty20 World Cup, which kicks off in India and Sri Lanka on February 7. However, sources close to the player have expressed confidence that he will be fit in time for the tournament.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board medical panel is supervising his rehab under Dr. Javed Mughal, and they are confident that the injury is not serious. Shaheen will be up and kicking well before the World Cup,” sources told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net).

According to insiders, the initial phase of Shaheen’s recovery aims to heal the injury, which should be completed by Wednesday. He is expected to gradually start running for two to three days before resuming bowling by January 15.

The report noted that this is the same left knee that kept Shaheen out of action in 2022 and flared up during the final of the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup against England, limiting his overs bowled. An MRI conducted in Brisbane indicated no serious injury; however, the Pakistan Cricket Board decided it was prudent to withdraw him from the Big Bash League and have him return to Lahore.

Shaheen has been included in the preliminary 20-man squad for the World Cup, contingent upon his fitness. The final 15-member squad will be finalized by head coach Mike Hesson.

Pakistan will begin a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka on January 11, during which Shaheen, Babar Azam, and Haris Rauf will be absent, as they participated in the Big Bash League.

Pakistan’s opening match in the Twenty20 World Cup will be against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7, followed by a clash against the USA three days later. Their highly anticipated match against India is scheduled for February 15, and they will conclude their Group A stage against Namibia on February 18.

If results favour Pakistan, they will advance to Group 2 of the Super Sixes alongside England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

Shrachi Bengal Tigers clinched a thrilling victory over SG Pipers, winning 0-0 (7-6 SO) in a gripping encounter during the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2025-26. The match ended in a goalless draw in regulation time, leading to a sudden-death shootout that saw the Tigers emerge victorious, securing their place in the league final.

In a repeat of their previous meeting, the match unfolded similarly, ultimately going down to sudden death. This victory was crucial for the Tigers, as it not only earned them a bonus point but also confirmed their spot in the summit clash.

For SG Pipers, the match was a dead rubber, having qualified for the Women’s HIL 2025-26 final ahead of this game due to their commanding lead at the top of the points table.

Match Highlights

• The opening quarter showcased an end-to-end contest, with both teams exchanging early attacks.

• The Tigers were awarded a penalty corner within the first three minutes but failed to capitalize. SG Pipers quickly took control, creating several circle entries that tested the Tigers’ defence. Despite the chances, the first quarter ended goalless at 0-0.

• In the second quarter, the Shrachi Bengal Tigers applied pressure on the Pipers’ defence, earning another penalty corner. However, goalkeeper Bansari Solanki was in excellent form, making several key saves to keep the scoreline intact. The half-time break saw no goals, with the score remaining 0-0.

• The Tigers’ relentless pressing continued into the third quarter, leading to a golden opportunity for Vandana Katariya. Her close-range shot was thwarted by another fantastic save from Solanki. SG Pipers also attempted some attacks, but the third quarter concluded still tied at 0-0.

• Early in the fourth quarter, Tigers’ captain Lalremsiami had a one-on-one chance but was denied by Solanki once again. The Tigers maintained their attacking intensity with repeated forays into the circle but found it challenging to break through. In the final minutes, the Pipers increased their attacking efforts but could not generate a clear chance. With just eight seconds remaining, the Tigers earned a late penalty corner but failed to convert, sending the match into a shootout.

Shootout Drama

During the shootout, Shrachi Bengal Tigers saw goals from Purnima Yadav and Noor de Baat, while SG Pipers successfully converted attempts from Juana Castellaro and Kaitlin Nobbs, leading to a 2-2 tie.

In sudden death, the Tigers converted all five of their attempts while the Pipers managed four from five. This shootout win secured a vital bonus point for the Shrachi Bengal Tigers and ensured that they would meet SG Pipers again in the title match on January 10.

The much-awaited new season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is set to commence on February 14, Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya announced to reporters.

The league had been in limbo after talks between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) broke down. The two parties could not agree on the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) necessary for the operation of the Indian Super League. FSDL had delayed the start of the 2025-26 edition because the MRA was set to expire on December 8, 2025, which would be midway through the league, creating uncertainty around its renewal.

“Due to a court dispute, there was a lot of uncertainty about the Indian Super League, but today the government and AIFF, along with club representatives of all 14 clubs, have decided to start the league again. The national football league will kick off from February 14,” Minister Mandaviya stated.

He emphasized that all 14 clubs have agreed to participate in the ISL this year. More details will be provided later, including information on how the tournament will be played, the platforms it will be on, and the venues for the matches. After these details are confirmed, teams will begin to assemble their rosters and prepare for the upcoming season.

Previously, Indian footballers and international stars had urged FIFA, the global governing body of the sport, to intervene and resolve the ongoing issues surrounding the franchise-based tournament. Prominent figures in Indian football, such as Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, and Sunil Chhetri, publicly appealed to FIFA for assistance during the crisis.

“It’s January, and we should be on your screens as a part of a competitive football game in the Indian Super League,” Gurpreet remarked in a video featuring other players. “Instead, here we are driven by fear and desperation to say aloud something which we all know,” added Jhingan. “Players, staff, owners, and the fans deserve clarity, protection, and more importantly, a future,” Chhetri expressed.

East Bengal FC continued their impressive form by securing their fifth consecutive win, decisively defeating Kickstart FC 5-0 at the Kalyani Stadium on Tuesday.

Match Highlights

• Fazila Ikwaput was the star of the match, scoring two goals in the 15th and 73rd minutes.
• Resty Nanziri (45+2’), Sulanjana Raul (60’), and Astam Oraon (62’) contributed one goal each.
• With this victory, East Bengal sits atop the table with 15 points from five matches, two points ahead of their nearest rivals, who still have a game in hand. Kickstart remains in the drop zone at seventh place, accumulating just three points from six matches.

From the very beginning, East Bengal dominated the game, seeking an early breakthrough. They achieved this in the 15th minute when Fazila was skillfully played through the Kickstart lines by Sulanjana. She deftly poked the ball past the goalkeeper, with it glancing off the upright before finding the back of the net.

The Moshal Girls doubled their lead just before half-time. Shilky Devi Hemam set up Fazila on the right, who then squared it for Resty. Resty faked out her marker, sending the ball into the net.

The second half continued in the same vein, with East Bengal exhibiting greater hunger and a sharper edge. Fazila, eager to add to her tally, took a powerful shot from outside the box that hit the crossbar and fell perfectly for Sulanjana to head in at the hour mark.

Just a couple of minutes later, Astam made it three, nodding in a precise cross from Shilky. Fazila capped off the scoring in the 73rd minute, receiving a through ball from Resty and finishing crisply at the near post.

East Bengal secured their maiden IWL title in the 2024-25 season by defeating Gokulam Kerala in the final. Gokulam Kerala remains the most successful club in the league, which began in the 2016-17 season, with Eastern Sporting Union being the inaugural champions. Gokulam clinched their first title in 2019-20, followed by victories in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer smashed 82 off just 53 balls as Shivam Dubey claimed three wickets to help Mumbai beat Himachal Pradesh by seven runs in a shortened 33-over match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur.

Tasked to defend 10 runs in the last over, all-rounder Shivam Dubey clinched the last two wickets as Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 292 with just two balls to spare. Mumbai secured the victory by seven runs.

Iyer captained the side in this critical match after Shardul Thakur was ruled out of the remainder of the competition due to injury. He came to the crease at a challenging moment, with Mumbai reduced to 55 for 2 following the dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan. Shreyas and Musheer Khan then added 82 runs off 54 balls to keep the scoreboard moving. After Musheer fell for a brisk 73 off 51 balls, Shreyas formed a 65-run partnership off 39 balls with Suryakumar Yadav, enabling Mumbai to cross the 200-run mark in the 33-over match, which was shortened due to a delayed start caused by dense fog.

Iyer fell in the 26th over, missing a well-deserved hundred by just 18 runs. He struck 10 fours and three sixes against Himachal Pradesh’s bowling attack. With Iyer’s fighting knock, Mumbai finished at 299/9 in 33 overs.

Chasing a target of 300 runs, Himachal Pradesh began aggressively but ended up getting bowled out for 292 after 32.4 overs. Both openers were dismissed without scoring. Pukhraj Mann emerged as a strong stabilizing factor, scoring 64 off 41 balls, supported by season wicket-keeper Ankush Bains with 53 off 39 balls.

The middle order provided crucial contributions, with Mayank Dagar scoring 64, including 11 boundaries, while Amanpreet Singh made a quick 42 off 21 balls at a strike rate of 200.

Amit Kumar’s 28 and contributions from lower-order batters kept Himachal Pradesh in the game. For Mumbai, Shivam Dubey was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 68 runs. Sairaj Patil took 2 wickets, while Tushar Deshpande, Musheer Khan, and Shams Mulani each captured 1 wicket.

Hyderabad achieved their first victory of the season with a comprehensive 107-run win over Bengal, powered by Aman Rao’s double century and Mohammed Siraj’s four wickets, despite a brave century from Shahbaz Ahmed.

Meanwhile, Punjab successfully chased down 212 runs against Goa, highlighted by Harnoor Singh’s impressive 94 not out and Naman Dhir’s 68, who came together for a brilliant 131-run partnership after arriving at No. 5.

Karnataka followed suit, dominating Rajasthan by scoring 324 runs for 7 wickets, with Mayank Agarwal’s century (100) and Devdutt Padikkal’s 91 leading the charge. Prasidh Krishna took five wickets, dismantling the opposition.

Gujarat put in the best performance of the day, overpowering Odisha by 233 runs after posting 333 runs for six wickets. Axar Patel contributed 73, with half-centuries from Urvil Patel and Ahaan Poddar, while C.T. Gaja shone with a six-wicket haul.

Kerala showcased their capacity for big scores by successfully chasing Pondicherry’s target of 248 runs, led by Vishnu Vinod’s incredible 162 runs. Baba Aparajith supported with an unbeaten 63, despite Sanju Samson’s early exit.

In Bengaluru, Delhi secured a six-wicket victory over Railways, thanks to Priyansh Arya’s explosive 80 off 41 balls, complemented by quick cameos from Rishabh Pant and Nitish Rana, rounding off a high-scoring and action-packed day in the tournament.

Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful has shared that pacer Mustafizur Rahman remains unfazed by the recent developments regarding his release from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The fast bowler was released from KKR’s squad following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due to the tense situation between the two nations.

As the assistant coach of Rangpur Riders in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Ashraful mentioned that Mustafizur isn’t bothered by the IPL’s decision and is currently focused on his BPL duties with the Riders.

“He (Mustafizur) is completely chill. He is not worried at all about all the off-field talk – whether it’s BCB, India, BPL or ICC,” Ashraful told reporters following the Riders’ match against Chattogram Royals. He also added, “Right now he is focused on playing for Rangpur Riders, and after this, whatever assignment comes next, he will focus on that. He is a person of a different level. If you talk about Mustafizur in the first two matches, his performances were a bit below par, but especially the way we won the last match against Dhaka was an outstanding victory. And the way Mustafizur bowled those last two overs – I think he is a world champion for this format, that’s how important he is.”

In response to BCCI’s decision, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) convened an emergency board meeting and formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate all their matches in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup to venues outside India, citing safety and security concerns.

India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8, with matches taking place at multiple venues in both countries.

Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India poses a risk to the tournament schedule, as their itinerary includes matches against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, along with a match against Nepal on February 17 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The Netherlands Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier, set to take place in Nepal from January 18 to February 1.

Team Leadership and Preparation
Babette de Leede will captain the team as the Netherlands gears up for an important Women’s T20 World Cup qualification campaign. Head coach Neil MacRae expressed confidence in the squad’s composition, highlighting a mix of experience and recent strong performances that he believes will aid their qualification efforts.

“We have selected an experienced squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in Nepal,” MacRae stated on the Netherlands cricket website. He also noted the Dutch squad’s commendable performance at the recent ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2025 in Thailand, where they finished third.

“Having produced some strong performances in the recent ICC Emerging Nations Tournament in Thailand, the squad is excited about the opportunity to qualify for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” MacRae added.

Recent Achievements and Confidence
The team’s recent accomplishments have bolstered their reputation. The Dutch women secured several impressive results late in 2025, culminating in a third-place finish in the competitive tournament in Thailand. They enter the qualifier in Nepal with confidence, aiming for a top-four finish that would earn them a spot in the World Cup in England.

Global Qualifier Structure
The Global Qualifier will include teams from Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands, Namibia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand, the USA, and Zimbabwe. These teams are divided into two groups of five, with Ireland placed in Group A. After the group stage, the top three teams from each group will move on to the Super Six round, from which the top four teams will qualify for the Women’s T20 World Cup.

Upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup is set to take place in England and Wales in June and will feature 12 teams competing in 33 matches. This edition marks an expansion from the previous 10-team tournaments held in Bangladesh in 2024 and South Africa in February 2023.

Eight teams have already secured their place in the 2026 tournament, including hosts England, along with Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The remaining four spots will be contested through the global qualifying tournament.

Legendary former track and field athlete P.T. Usha and members of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) are mourning the death of Suresh Kalmadi, a seasoned sports administrator and former president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), who passed away in Pune. Kalmadi, aged 81, is survived by his wife, Meera Kalmadi, as well as his daughters and son.

Kalmadi was a prominent leader in Indian sports administration, serving as president of both the AFI and the Asian Athletics Association. He held the position of IOA president for more than a decade.

Current IOA chair, P.T. Usha, expressed her condolences on X, stating, “As IOA President, I am saddened by the demise of former IOA President Shri. Suresh Kalmadi ji. He was also President of AFI for nearly two decades, where he introduced numerous developmental programs for the growth of Athletics in India. My condolences to his family! Om Shanti!”

Bahadur Singh Sagoo, president of AFI, remarked, “He will always be remembered as a dedicated and inspirational sports administrator whose unwavering commitment to the cause of Indian athletics has left an indelible mark. He also made efforts to initiate Railway travel concessions for sportspersons.”

Lalit Bhanot, former secretary of AFI, added, “His (Kalmadi’s) contribution to Indian sports will be remembered for a long time. He revived the National Games, which helped build modern infrastructure across the country. He introduced prize money track-and-field permit meets in the early 1990s and invited elite foreign athletes, including Olympic champions like Carl Lewis and Mike Powell, which changed the concept of sports in the country.”

Kalmadi served as president of the Indian athletics federation from 1987 to 2006 and was a member of the World Athletics Council. He also led the Asian athletics organization for nearly ten years, beginning in 2000.

During his presidency at the IOA from 1996 to 2012, Kalmadi played a crucial role in organizing the Afro-Asian Games in Andhra Pradesh. He was instrumental in transforming Indian sports broadly and athletics specifically during his long tenure. Additionally, he served as the chairman of the organizing committee for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Bihar capped a dominant campaign in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 by defeating Manipur by six wickets in the Plate Group final, securing promotion to the Elite League for next season in a landmark moment for the state’s cricket.

Manipur’s Struggles with the Bat

Put in to bat, Manipur was bundled out for 169 in 47.5 overs, undone by a superb spell from right-arm medium pacer Shabbir Khan, who achieved a match-winning seven-wicket haul. Shabbir consistently hit the right areas, exploiting movement and pressure to dismantle Manipur’s batting lineup.

Opener Ulenyai Khwairakpam (61) and Pheiroijam Jotin (51) were the only two batters who managed to put up a fight against the Bihar bowlers, as seven of the batters fell for single-digit scores. Besides Shabbir, Himanshu Tiwary took the remaining three wickets.

Bihar’s Clinical Chase

In reply, Bihar chased down the modest target with authority, reaching the total in just 31.2 overs. Openers Mangal Mahrour (32) and Piyush Singh (21) provided a solid start for Bihar. No. 3 batter Ayush Loharuka anchored the innings with a composed 75 off 72 balls, striking the right balance between caution and aggression to ensure there were no late hiccups.

After losing the top four batters, middle-order batters Akash Raj and Bipin Saurabh ensured that Bihar reached the target safely and lifted the Plate trophy.

An Unbeaten Run

The victory highlighted Bihar’s complete dominance in the Plate Group, finishing the season with an all-win record, triumphing in all five league-stage matches before clinching the final. The campaign also showcased promising signs for the future, with teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi featuring in two matches and amassing 221 runs, including a stunning 190 against Arunachal Pradesh.

By lifting the Plate Group title and earning promotion, Bihar will compete in the Elite Group of the Vijay Hazare Trophy from next season, marking a significant step forward for the team and a proud milestone for Bihar cricket.

Brief scores:

Manipur 169 all out in 47.5 overs (Ulenyai Khwairakpam 61, Pheiroijam Jotin 51; Shabbir Khan 7/30, Himanshu Tiwari 3/23) lost to Bihar 170/4 in 31.2 overs (Ayush Loharuka 75, Mangal Mahrour 32; Bishworjit Konthoujam 1/33) by six wickets.