Category: Sports

India’s young spinner Vaishnavi Sharma is keen to build on a promising start to her international career and establish herself as a regular in the team’s white-ball plans.

The 20-year-old made her senior India debut against Sri Lanka in Vizag on Sunday and delivered a tidy performance in the opening match of the series. Vaishnavi bowled an economical four-over spell, registering 0/16 at an economy of 4, in India’s dominant eight-wicket win, keeping the Sri Lankan batters in check throughout her spell.

Although she did not claim a wicket, the 20-year-old impressed with her control and discipline, conceding no boundaries against a strong Sri Lankan batting line-up. She looked composed on debut at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium and slotted seamlessly into the side.

Post-Match Reflections

Speaking to the media after the match, she acknowledged feeling nervous before the game but said those feelings faded once play began.

“I was nervous before the national anthem. After that, I calmed down. I am very happy that I was able to execute my plan. There are four more matches to go (in the series),” Vaishnavi said.

Emerging Talent

Vaishnavi earned her maiden international cap after a standout showing at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. She finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, claiming 17 wickets at a remarkable average of 4.35.

With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup less than six months away, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had indicated that the series would be used to give opportunities to emerging players. Vaishnavi is now hoping to make the most of her chance and turn her long-held ambition into a lasting reality.

“We have worked hard for this. Our dream is to represent India and contribute. I can’t say much about the future. Let’s leave it to God,” she said.

Jacob Duffy claimed a fifer in the second innings as New Zealand registered a massive 323-run victory in the final Test against the West Indies, sealing the three-match series 2-0.

The first Test at Hagley Oval was drawn, while New Zealand won the second by nine wickets.

Duffy’s five-wicket haul in the second innings gave him his career-best match figures of 9 for 128. Ajaz Patel recorded his best innings and match figures at home with 3-23 and 6-136, respectively, as the West Indies were dismissed for 138 in their chase of 462 runs.

Match Overview

The visitors began the final day on 43 without loss. Windies openers Brandon King and John Campbell got through the first hour intact, reaching 74 for no loss by the drinks break. Afterward, the West Indies lost five wickets for just 11 runs over 10 overs.

The breakthrough came shortly after drinks when Duffy got the better of King (67), who was undone by a short ball that climbed awkwardly and took the glove. Soon after, left-arm spinner Patel struck, ending Campbell’s 105-ball stay. This wicket triggered a rapid slide: Kavem Hodge prodded defensively and lobbed a chance off Ajaz to short leg, where Rachin Ravindra reacted sharply to complete a stunning catch on the rebound.

The collapse continued as Alick Athanaze threw his hands at a loose drive, edging the ball to the wicketkeeper. Justin Greaves followed soon after, surviving just 13 deliveries before a probing back-of-a-length ball seamed away, taking the outside edge and being safely pouched low at first slip by Daryl Mitchell.

From a solid 87 for no loss, the West Indies were quickly reduced to 99 for 5 at Lunch, with Shai Hope and Roston Chase working to steady the ship. The duo’s partnership, lasting 56 balls, yielded only 6 runs before Chase became Duffy’s fourth victim. Hope stone-walled the New Zealand attack during his 78-ball stay, scoring three runs before Ajaz trapped him in front.

Glenn Phillips struck next to dismiss Kemar Roach, while Tevin Imlach dug in to offer some resistance, with Anderson Phillip providing support as the West Indies reached 138/8 at Tea. After the break, Ravindra trapped Phillip lbw, and with the second new ball taken, Duffy removed Jayden Seales for a duck, allowing New Zealand to wrap up the match in the final session.

Brief Scores

New Zealand 578/8d (Devon Conway 227, Tom Latham 137; Justin Greaves 2-83) & 306/2d (Tom Latham 101, Devon Conway 100; Kavem Hodge 2-80) beat West Indies 420 (Kavem Hodge 123*; Jacob Duffy 4-86, Ajaz Patel 3-113) & 138 (Brandon King 67; Jacob Duffy 5-42, Ajaz Patel 3-23) by 323 runs.

Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich thrashed bottom side Heidenheim 4-0 away to finish 2025 nine points clear at the top heading into the winter break.

Despite arriving with several senior absentees, Vincent Kompany’s side dominated from the opening minutes, monopolising possession and pinning the hosts deep in their own half. Bayern’s reshuffled lineup showed little sign of disruption, circulating the ball with speed and precision as Heidenheim struggled to mount sustained resistance.

Early Breakthrough

The breakthrough came in the 15th minute. Michael Olise delivered a corner to the far post, Jonathan Tah headed the ball back across goal, and Josip Stanisic reacted quickest to nod in from close range.

Doubling the Lead

Bayern doubled its lead just after the half-hour mark when a long ball was poorly dealt with by goalkeeper Diant Ramaj, allowing Hiroki Ito to recycle possession and Olise to finish calmly from close range for 2-0 in the 32nd minute.

Heidenheim’s Response

Heidenheim showed more intent after the break following a double substitution and briefly threatened to reduce the deficit. Stefan Schimmer came closest when his header struck the crossbar in the 56th minute, while Bayern loanee Arijon Ibrahimovic later fired over from a promising position. At the other end, Harry Kane struck the post as Bayern continued to pose a threat without overcommitting.

Closing Stages

The visitors retained full control of the tempo and introduced two young players for their Bundesliga debuts as the game wore on. Bayern sealed the result late, with Luis Diaz heading in a cross from Stanisic in the 86th minute before Kane completed the scoring in stoppage time with a low finish for his 19th league goal of the season. The strike marked his 100th goal contribution in the Bundesliga.

The victory leaves Bayern top of the table on 41 points from 15 matches, nine points clear heading into the winter break. Heidenheim, beaten for the 10th time this season, remain second from bottom on 11 points, six adrift of safety.

Harry Kane’s Reflection

“The first half was really strong, and we controlled the game well,” said Kane. “After the break we were a bit sloppy and gave them some counters, but overall, it was a solid, clinical win.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that it will introduce an AFC League in the near future, aimed at enhancing international football competition for AFC member association teams across the continent.

In a statement, the AFC highlighted the growing challenges in fully utilizing FIFA international match windows. Factors such as limited opponent availability, rising costs, and logistical difficulties have reduced the sporting value of international fixtures.

“These challenges have highlighted the need for a more structured, predictable and sustainable competition framework for teams and, following a comprehensive internal review and consultation process, the Confederation has decided in principle to introduce an AFC League,” the statement read.

The AFC remains dedicated to delivering high-quality and consistent development pathways for its member associations, in alignment with its long-term vision to advance football across Asia. “However, the effective utilization of the FIFA International Match Windows has become increasingly challenging due to limited opponent availability, rising operational costs and logistical complexities, often diminishing the sporting value of international fixtures,” the statement further explained.

AFC General Secretary Windsor John commented on the initiative, stating: “The AFC League represents an important step forward in our ongoing commitment to support the development of our 47 member associations.”

“By introducing a structured competition platform during the FIFA international match windows, with greater calendar stability and clear sporting incentives, we aim to ensure consistent access to high-quality matches while addressing logistical and cost-related challenges faced by teams,” he added.

The AFC noted that further details regarding the competition format, timeline, and implementation will be announced in due course.

Currently, the AFC hosts the Asian Cup competition for its member associations, where top teams are selected from the qualifiers to compete in the finals. The winner is crowned as the Asian Champion.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations under FIFA. Formed in 1954 in Manila during the second Asian Games, the AFC was sanctioned by FIFA in Berne, Switzerland, on June 21 of that year. The AFC is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and consists of 47 Member Associations.

New Zealand women’s team batter Suzie Bates has sustained a quadricep tear, ruling her out of the home summer until March. Bates suffered the injury last month while fielding during a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match.

Subsequent scans revealed that due to the severity of the tear, she will require three months of rehabilitation, as informed by New Zealand Cricket in a release on Sunday night.

The recovery timeline means Bates will be unavailable for Otago for the remainder of the domestic home summer and for the White Ferns’ home series against Zimbabwe in February. Bates expressed her commitment to being available for the New Zealand T20I and ODI series against South Africa in March.

“I’m gutted to be missing out this summer, I was really looking forward to another season with the Sparks, especially the Super Smash,” said Bates. “I’m determined to get back on the field with the White Ferns in March, so that’ll be my focus for now.”

The Super Smash presented by KFC starts on December 26 at Seddon Park between hosts Northern Brave and Auckland Aces and Hearts.

The 38-year-old Bates is a former captain of the national women’s cricket team. She currently holds the highest score and highest batting average in the New Zealand Women’s Twenty20 cricket team. Bates won the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2013.

In addition to her cricket career, Bates represented New Zealand in women’s basketball during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She played professional basketball for teams in the National Basketball League (NBL) in her home country and the Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) before switching to cricket full-time after the 2008 Olympics.

In August 2018, she was awarded a central contract by New Zealand Cricket, following the tours of Ireland and England in the previous months. In September 2018, she stepped down as captain of New Zealand and was replaced by Amy Satterthwaite.

Pakistan’s Under-19 batter Sameer Minhas fulfilled a childhood dream with a remarkable 172 runs off 113 balls, leading his team to a commanding 191-run victory over archrivals India in the final of the Under-19s Asia Cup held in Dubai on Sunday.

Since picking up the bat at the age of nine, Minhas aspired to score big in a major final, and on Sunday, he brought that dream to life. His innings, featuring nine sixes and 17 boundaries, propelled Pakistan to a formidable total of 347/8. The fast bowling trio of Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan, and Mohammad Sayyam then dismantled the Indian batting lineup, skittling them for just 156 runs in 26.2 overs.

Hailing from a cricketing family, Minhas’s elder brother Arafat has played four T20Is for Pakistan, and his father, Kashif, enjoyed a solid club-level cricket career in Multan.

“It was my childhood dream to do something memorable in cricket, and I am happy that I have done the first memorable thing with this hundred, which will remain with me throughout my career, and the icing on the cake is that I did it against India,” Minhas remarked.

This victory marks Pakistan’s seventh win over India in 11 encounters at the junior level since 2019. It was reminiscent of the 2017 Champions Trophy, where Pakistan lost in the group stage but triumphed with an 180-run victory in the final.

Minhas was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament. He shared that the Asia Cup win was a topic of discussion before the final, stating, “Sarfaraz Sir mentioned this and made us believe in our ability that we can beat the Indian team.”

He also noted that he did not experience any additional pressure playing against India. “We played them before in the tournament, so there was no pressure, and when they put us in to bat, we were happy that if we managed to put a good total, they would be under pressure.”

On Sunday, Minhas’s home in Multan was alive with excitement as his family anticipated his performance. “Yes, we were expecting some fireworks from Minhas, and I am proud that my son has played a key role in the team’s win over India,” said Kashif Minhas. “You know a win against India gives us four hundred per cent delight.”

Kashif raised his sons with diligence and integrity, balancing work in selling mangoes and traditional Multan halwa (sweet).

South Korea’s An Se-young triumphed over defending champion Wang Zhiyi of China to clinch her 11th title of the season at the BWF World Tour Finals. The match concluded with scores of 21-13, 18-21, 21-10, equalling her with Japanese men’s singles legend Kento Momota for the most titles in a single season.

“I’m truly happy and proud of myself to have won these titles,” An remarked, despite suffering a leg injury near the match’s end in this 96-minute thriller. Wang admitted her energy waned in the final set, leading to mistakes. “But there are many positives to take from pushing An this hard,” she stated.

In a stunning upset during the men’s singles final, France’s Christo Popov, a surprising contender in the tournament, defeated newly crowned world champion Shi Yuqi of China with scores of 21-19, 21-9. The 23-year-old completed a flawless campaign at the season-ending tournament, having topped his group and then overcoming Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the semifinals. This victory makes him the first French player to win the title since the tournament began in 2018.

On the same day, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping secured the mixed doubles title by defeating Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin in an all-Chinese final. The experienced pair dominated, winning the first game 21-12 and sealing the match 21-17 in the second.

“During the match, we kept communicating. And once we had an idea, we were both fully committed to making it work,” Feng shared. This victory marks the fourth consecutive year that China has triumphed in the mixed doubles event at the season-ending tournament, following the impressive three-peat by Olympic champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong.

In the women’s doubles final, South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee emerged victorious against Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto with scores of 21-17, 21-11, securing the title for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, the men’s doubles saw South Korea’s defending champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae triumph over home favourites Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, winning 21-18, 21-14.

The season-ending tournament, hosted in Hangzhou since 2023, showcases the top eight players in the World Tour standings, with a maximum of two entries per member association. Reigning Olympic and world champions also earn automatic qualification.

Three-time women’s world champion Hou Yifan won both her games with black pieces, propelling Alpine SG Pipers to two victories on the penultimate day of the league stage and boosting them to second place in the Global Chess League (GCL) at the Royal Opera House.

Defending champions Triveni Continental Kings secured their spot in the finals for the third consecutive time, achieving a decisive 14-5 win over Ganges Grandmasters, reaching a total of 21 match points with seven wins out of nine matches. Meanwhile, Alpine SG Pipers triumphed over upGrad Mumba Masters and Fyers American Gambits with identical 8-7 scorelines, amassing 15 match points in the tournament, a joint initiative by Tech Mahindra and FIDE.

Unfortunately, Mumba Masters faced a significant blow to their final hopes by losing both matches on Sunday. The home favorites, who were outmaneuvered 16-1 by American Gambits on Saturday, needed to defeat PBG Alaskan Knights in their final match of the day to regain the second spot, having 12 points and two matches left. However, they fell short, losing 8-10 despite Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s victory over world champion D. Gukesh on the icon board.

Player of the Match Leinier Dominguez bested Shakhriyar Mamedyarov on the third board, while Sara Khadem managed to upset D. Harika, forcing her to resign after 65 moves.

With the second spot in the finals still open, Mumba Masters must secure a win against Continental Kings and rely on PBG Alaskan Knights to halt Alpine SG Pipers’ winning streak. Ganges Grandmasters also have an outside chance of qualifying, but they would need a substantial win against American Gambits and hope that other contenders falter.

As Sunday’s matches began, Pipers were in fifth position, needing both victories to stay in the finals race. Hou Yifan rose to the occasion, first defeating Mumba Masters’ Koneru Humpy, then handing the tournament’s first loss to Bibisara Assaubayeva of American Gambits, earning Players of the Match accolades in both contests.

In her match against Bibisara, the Chinese GM spent nearly six minutes before rapidly transitioning to a pawn-king endgame, which ultimately benefited her team. Reflecting on her strategic approach, Yifan stated, “I felt like it was a very critical moment when the game goes to a critical endgame. That’s why I thought I would take time and think it through. I had nine minutes, and that was enough to calculate.”

In both matches, while Alpine SG Pipers lost on the prodigy board, Yifan’s victories with the black pieces proved essential, as a win with black earns a team four game points compared to three for a win with white. All other boards in these matches ended in draws.

In a pivotal match between Alpine SG Pipers encounters, defending champions Triveni Continental Kings hindered Ganges Grandmasters’ chances of breaching the top two by overpowering them 14-5, thereby sealing their final spot.

On the icon board, Player of the Match Alireza Firouzja, after enduring two losses on Saturday, triumphed over Viswanathan Anand in just 48 moves, employing a brilliant queen sacrifice with black pieces. Continental Kings’ women’s stars, Zhu Jiner and Alexandra Kosteniuk, also scored wins with black pieces, solidifying the outcome. The sole victory for Ganges Grandmasters came from 2025 World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov, who defeated Vidit Gujarathi in 53 moves in a rook-knight ending.

Jemimah Rodrigues continued her superb form from the Women’s ODI World Cup, scoring an unbeaten half-century to help India secure an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first match of the five-match women’s T20I series in Visakhapatnam.

After the Indian bowlers delivered an impressive performance to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest 121/6 in 20 overs, Jemimah, who had scored a century to help India reach the World Cup final, notched up 69 not out off 44 balls on Sunday. This performance led India to chase down the target, finishing at 122/2 with 32 balls to spare at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

Jemimah reached her half-century off 34 balls, hitting 10 boundaries, and formed two key partnerships: 54 runs for the second wicket with Smriti Mandhana, who scored 25 off 25 balls after India lost Shafali Verma (9) early on, and an unbroken 55-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who contributed 15 not out.

Rodrigues built her innings with patience before unleashing some impressive shots, displaying quick footwork and effective late cuts. She encouraged both Mandhana and Harmanpreet to push a little harder. Mandhana and Rodrigues steadied the Indian innings after Verma was dismissed, caught smartly by Gimhani at square leg off Kawya Kavindi.

Smriti was her usual self, cautious and patient, accumulating 25 runs to become the first Indian batter to reach 4,000 runs in women’s T20I cricket. She made four boundaries before being caught by Nilakshika Silva at deep extra cover off Inoka Ranaweera.

Rodrigues had a reliable partner in skipper Harmanpreet Kaur as they steered India to an emphatic win, with the captain remaining unbeaten on 15, putting India 1-0 up in the five-match series.

Earlier, the bowlers made a comfortable win possible for India in a match affected by heavy dew. After winning the toss, captain Harmanpreet Kaur opted to field in their first outing since clinching the Women’s ODI World Cup in Navi Mumbai. Despite some poor fielding, including dropped catches and an easy six palmed over by Smriti Mandhana, the Indian bowlers managed to restrict the Sri Lankan batters.

The Sri Lankans struggled with the T20 format, losing their captain Chamari Athapaththu for 15 off 12 balls and scoring only 31/1 in the Power-play. Athapaththu hit three fours early on but was dismissed by Kranti Gaud, who took her first Women’s T20I wicket.

Though debutant spinner Vaishavi Sharma did not claim a wicket, she confined the Sri Lankans to just 16 runs in her four overs, showcasing the effectiveness of Indian bowling. Deepti Sharma conceded only 10 runs in three overs, with N Shree Charani more expensive at 1-30 in her four overs, also dropping two catchable chances.

For India, Kranti Gaud (1-23), Deepti Sharma (1-20), and N. Shree Charani (1-30) each claimed a wicket.

Vishmi Gunaratne was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, scoring a slow 39 off 43 balls with one four and one six before being run out through a sharp piece of fielding by Kranti Gaud. She formed a 38-run partnership with Harshitha Samarawickrama, but once the latter was out, Sri Lanka’s batting fell apart again.

Hasini Perera contributed 20 off 23 balls, while Harshitha Samarawickrama managed 21 off 23 balls. Though they helped the team cross three figures, they could not deliver any significant strikes.

Both India and Sri Lanka approached the match with different selection strategies. India maintained most of the players from their victorious 50-over World Cup squad, while Sri Lanka introduced several youngsters as both teams attempt to find their best line-ups ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for later in 2026.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women: 121/6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 39, Harshitha Samarawickrama 21; Kranti Gaud 1-23, Deepti Sharma 1-20, N. Shree Charani 1-30)
India Women: 122/2 in 14.4 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 69 not out, Smriti Mandhana 25; Inoka Ranaweera 1-17)
India won by eight wickets.

Indian bowlers delivered an impressive performance, limiting Sri Lanka to a modest 121/6 in 20 overs during the first match of the five-match women’s T20I bilateral series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

After winning the toss, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to field in what was their first match since clinching the Women’s ODI World Cup. The Indian bowlers effectively stifled Sri Lankan batters despite some poor fielding, which included dropped catches, misfields, and Smriti Mandhana’s mishap with a six. The 50-over World Champions seemed to struggle to adapt to the short format after a long hiatus.

The Sri Lankan side faced their own difficulties, losing skipper Chamari Athapaththu for 15 runs off 12 balls. They managed only 31/1 during the Power-play. Athapaththu hit three fours in the early overs before Kranti Gaud claimed her first Women’s T20I wicket, sneaking a delivery through the gap to rattle the stumps.

Debutant spinner Vaishavi Sharma didn’t take a wicket but bowled economically, conceding just 16 runs in four overs. Deepti Sharma was even more impressive, giving away only 10 runs in three overs. However, N. Shree Charani had a costlier outing, taking 1-30 in her four overs while also dropping two crucial catches.

The spinners excelled in the middle overs, using their experience to maintain pressure. For India, Kranti Gaud (1-23), Deepti Sharma (1-20), and N. Shree Charani (1-30) each took a wicket.

Vishmi Gunaratne fought valiantly for Sri Lanka, scoring a slow 39 runs off 43 balls, which included a four and a six before being run out due to good fielding from Gaud. Gunaratne partnered well with Harshitha Samarawickrama, putting together a 38-run partnership, but once Samarawickrama fell, Sri Lanka’s innings faltered.

Hasini Perera scored 20 runs off 23 balls, and Harshitha Samarawickrama contributed 21 off 23, but neither could convert their starts into bigger scores. Nonetheless, the pair helped the Islanders reach three figures, albeit without any substantial big hits.

Both teams approached the match with different strategies. India retained a majority of players from their victorious 50-over World Cup squad, while Sri Lanka introduced several young players in a bid to establish their best combinations ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for 2026.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women: 121/6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 39, Harshitha Samarawickrama 21; Kranti Gaud 1-23, Deepti Sharma 1-20, N. Shree Charani 1-30) against India Women.