In the third ODI match against Sri Lanka, England emerged victorious by 53 runs at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. During the match, skipper Harry Brook and stalwart Joe Root registered centuries each to their names. Jacob Bethell also played a knock of 65 runs. Reflecting on the victory, skipper Brook said that having Root in his team helps on a daily basis. "Working on a few things in the nets, and it paid off. Glad me, Rooty and Beth could get us to that total. Awesome effort from everyone. Root is exceptional; to have him in the side helps every day," he said. He also said that the pitch in Colombo turned out to be better than they expected. "Not that important, a lot better pitch than we were expecting. Got a good score and managed to defend it. Very happy with how the spinners bowled, they were working in tandem. The batters tried to put the pressure back on in tough conditions. It was a decent wicket! Ended up being better than we thought," added Brook. With the help of their knocks, the "Three Lions" posted 357 runs on board by losing just three wickets in 50 overs. In reply, Pavan Rathnayake scored 121 runs off 115 balls, including 12 boundaries and a maximum. Pathum Nissanka also garnered 50 runs in 25 balls, with the help of five boundaries and three maximums. But their knocks were not enough to help Sri Lanka guide to victory. The hosts were bowled out for 304 runs in 46.4 overs. With this, the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series by 2-1 against Sri Lanka. T20 World Cup 2026: Group B and C teams Both teams will soon engage in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. England is placed in Group C of the tournament along with teams such as Italy, Nepal, Scotland, and the West Indies. On the other hand, Group B consists of teams such as Australia, Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. England will begin its campaign against Nepal on February 8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, whereas Sri Lanka is set to lock horns against Ireland on the same day at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. (With ANI Inputs)
28 January,2026 04:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer India captain and coach Rahul Dravid believes India are favourites for the upcoming T20 World Cup. “India are playing T20 cricket at a different level. They have had an 80 per cent success rate in the last few years, which is amazing in a format that has so many ups and downs. They clearly start as favourites and will make it to the semi-finals,” Dravid said at a function to release author R Kaushik’s book on Rohit Sharma titled, The Rise of the Hitman, at the Karnataka State Cricket Association, on Tuesday. Dravid credited Rohit for leading India’s white-ball evolution. “In white-ball cricket, there was a stage when run rates were going up and risk-taking was increasing. We needed to adapt and Rohit took responsibility for setting the tempo himself, rather than asking others to do it. When your leader stands up and says, ‘I will do this, even if it comes at the cost of my average,’ it becomes easier to pass that message through the team,” added Dravid. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 08:06 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesPakistan should refrain from spoiling its relation with ICC and support to Bangladesh must not come at the cost of national cricket, former players and Board officials said as PCB deferred its decision on participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has set Friday or Monday as the deadline for confirming Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup, a situation which emerged after Bangladesh’s ouster from the tournament. Former Pakistan Test captain Mohammad Hafeez felt. “PCB must send Pakistan team for the World Cup” while former PCB Chairman Khalid Mahmood and secretary Arif Ali Abbasi said “there is see no logic in not sending the team to the World Cup.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 08:06 AM IST | Karachi | PTIYoung middle-order batter Vihaan Malhotra showed admirable composure to rediscover his touch and compile a fine century, while Abhigyan Kundu extended his sublime run of form as India stormed to a commanding 204-run victory over Zimbabwe in their opening Super Six match of the U-19 World Cup here on Tuesday.India, after an all-win group-stage campaign in which they emphatically defeated the USA, Bangladesh, and New Zealand, continued their aggressive brand of cricket to pile up a mammoth 352 for 8. The innings was anchored by Malhotra’s cautious yet confident unbeaten 109 (107 balls, 7x4) while Kundu chipped in with a fluent 61 (62 balls, 5x4, 1x6), as the hapless Zimbabwe bowlers were taken apart with alarming ease. India’s pace-bowling duo didn’t let up, as RS Ambrish (2-19) and Henil Patel (1-25) bowled the first nine overs in tandem to completely overwhelm the Zimbabwean batters, reducing them to 24 for 3 by the ninth over. Zimbabwe were eventually bundled out for 148 in 37.4 overs, giving India a superb start to their Super Six campaign. India carried four points into the Super Six, having beaten New Zealand and Bangladesh, the other teams to have qualified. Since USA didn’t qualify, India’s points weren’t carried over. Skipper Ayush Mhatre (3-14) bowled his part-time off-breaks to run through the late-order, completing the annihilation, while left-arm seamer Udhav Mohan also chipped in with three wickets. Brief scoresIndia U-19 352-8 (V Malhotra 109*, A Kundu 61, V Sooryavanshi 52; T Chimugoro 3-49) beat Zimbabwe U-19 148 all out in 37.4 overs (L Chiwaula 62; A Mhatre 3-14, U Mohan 3-20) by 204 runs This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 08:06 AM IST | Bulawayo | PTIMumbai Indians all-rounder Hayley Matthews commended her teammate Nat Sciver-Brunt after the England captain became the first-ever cricketer to score a century in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), achieving the feat on Monday against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The 131-run stand between Matthews and Sciver-Brunt laid the platform for MI to finish with a strong total of 199. The Caribbean all-rounder arrived at this year’s WPL with the business end of the tournament approaching and is peaking at the right time. Hayley Matthews MI delivered a commanding performance. In a crucial match, their senior players stepped up and performed when it mattered most. Sciver-Brunt set a new record with the first WPL century, while Matthews and Shabnim Ismail tore through the RCB top order, taking the first five wickets and securing a 15-run win. RCB’s struggle RCB struggled early after an aggressive bowling spell, and the chase quickly fell apart in the Powerplay as they lost half their team. Richa Ghosh, Nadine de Klerk, and Arundhati Reddy fought back, with the wicketkeeper-batter scoring 35 runs in the last two overs, but the target was too high to reach. “It was definitely nice to watch from the other end when she [Sciver-Brunt] was going four after four after four. I do love batting with her. We flow off each other really well. For her to get the hundred today was quite deserving. With all the innings she has played, not only this year but over the last four years. She has probably been the best batter in this tournament. Quite fitting that she was able to get the first one,” Matthews said at the post-match press conference. Matthews is returning from injury and a period away from the game, and the Caribbean all-rounder admitted the early part of the season tested her patience. “Coming back from injury, being away from the game for a while, I had to get back into things. In the first three games with the bat, I felt I was in a good place but wasn’t getting the results. So it was just about keeping the confidence high,” Matthews said. ‘Good understanding’ The understanding between Matthews and Sciver-Brunt was evident, with both players complementing each other’s strengths and matchups against the RCB bowling attack. She said: “I think we have a really good relationship at the crease. We are two really experienced players and I feel we certainly compliment each other at the crease really well.” 57Number of balls needed for MI’s Nat Sciver-Brunt to score maiden WPL century 319Runs scored by Nat Sciver-Brunt in WPL-4 with a strike rate of 154.85 10No. of 90-plus scores registered in the WPL before Nat Sciver-Brunt’s century 1No. of centuries scored by Nat Sciver-Brunt in T20s 8883No. of T20 runs scored by Nat Sciver-Brunt before scoring a century — the most by a woman This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 08:05 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSBowling coach Jacob Oram on Tuesday hoped that New Zealand will be able to put aside the drubbing by India in the ongoing T20I series and peak during next month’s T20 World Cup. When asked how the New Zealanders stay calm under presure, Oram said: “We have an ability to stay calm amidst the storm that is currently happening and that is part and parcel of who we are as a team and probably as New Zealanders as well. We don’t get too high or low and we know we’re not playing as well as we can.” “At the same time we know that this Indian team is so good. So, we’ve got to make sure that we keep our eye on the longer term. I think that’s part of the reason why we are able to peak for ICC events. And if that happens in February, March, then that’s great,” he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 08:05 AM IST | Visakhapatnam | AgenciesIndia bowling coach Morne Morkel said rotation of bowlers in the ongoing T20I series vs New Zealand was not just about workload management, but also to prevent opposition teams from strategising against them in the upcoming T20 World Cup. India have fielded different bowling combinations in the three T20Is against the Kiwis so far with pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and lead spinner Varun Chakravarthy being rested at various stages. “We’ve got a handful of bowlers that can bowl in every situation. Part of the thinking for us, leading into the World Cup, was to look at different combinations. We don’t want teams to have set plans against us,” Morkel said on the eve of the fourth T20I against New Zealand here. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 08:04 AM IST | Visakhapatnam | PTI3-0 against Afghanistan (Jan 2024) Playing at home, Rohit Sharma & Co registered six-wicket victories in Mohali and Indore in the first two games. In the third at Bengaluru, the scores were tied and India won via a second Super Over. T20WC World Cup (June 2024) India played nine matches during the tournament, winning eight — Ireland, Pakistan, USA, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia, England and South Africa — while one game (vs Canada) was abandoned due to rain, en route their second ICC trophy in this format. 4-1 against Zimbabwe (July 2024) After the retirements Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, a Shubman Gill-led Indian team embarrassingly lost the first match at Harare (by 13 runs) before bouncing back strongly to win all remaining matches. 3-0 against Sri Lanka (July 2024) India dominated in Suryakumar Yadav’s first series as captain, winning the first game by 43 runs, the second by seven wickets and third via Super Over. All matches were played at Pallekele. 3-0 against Bangladesh (Oct 2024) India chased 128 in just 11.5 overs to claim the opener at Gwalior before blasting 221-9 in the second at Delhi to win by 86 runs. The third in Hyderabad, saw India post a mind-boggling 297-6 and win by 133 runs. 3-1 against South Africa (Nov 2024) Sanju Samson’s 50-ball 107 saw India post 202-8 to win Game 1 by 61 runs. SA won Game 2 at Gqeberha by three wickets after which Tilak Verma’s 56-ball 107 not out helped India post 219-6 to win the third by 11 runs. Finally, at Johannesburg, Samson (109 not out) and Tilak (120 not out) helped India amass 283-1 to win by 135 runs. 4-1 against England (Jan-Feb 2025) India chased 133 in 12.5 overs in Kolkata before chasing 166 with two wickets in hand at Chennai. England hit back with a 26-run win in Rajkot before the hosts India claimed the series winning Game 4 at Pune by 16 runs. In Game 5 at Mumbai, Abhishek Sharma’s (135 off 54) saw India post 247-9 before bundling out England for just 97. Asic Cup (September 2025) India remained unbeaten in all seven matches, beating Pakistan thrice, including the final, besides Oman, UAE, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 2-1 against Australia (Oct-Nov 2025) The five-match series Down Under saw just three results as the first and fifth game were washed out. Australia won Game 2 at Melbourne with four wickets to spare before India beat them by five wickets at Hobart. India then defended 167-8 at Carrara, bundling out Australia for just 119. 3-1 against South Africa (Dec 2025) After posting 175-6 in the opener at Cuttack, India bundled out SA for just 74. In Game 2 at New Chandigarh, SA bounced back, beating India by 51 runs. The hosts then chased downs SA’s 117 at Dharamsala in 15.5 overs before Game 4 at Lucknow was abandoned due to fog. In the final game, India posted 231-5 before restricting South Africa to 201-8. India, Pak tied! India are now tied with Pakistan for the longest series-winning streak in T20Is (11). Pakistan achieved the feat between 2016 and 2018. They defeated WI (thrice), NZ (twice), England, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Australia besides winning the Independence Cup (vs World XI) and a tri-series involving Australia and Zimbabwe.
28 January,2026 08:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan ShankarRight-arm medium pacer Sophie Devine and spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad stole the spotlight as Gujarat Giants survived anxious moments to edge past Delhi Capitals by three runs in a pulsating Women's Premier League match here on Tuesday. Devine's (4/37) four-wicket haul and Rajeshwari Gayakwad's (3/20) three scalps derailed Delhi Capitals' chase, as Jemimah Rodrigues' side faltered while pursuing 175, finishing at 171 for 8 in 20 overs. With nine runs needed off six balls, Devine struck twice, dismissing Sneh Rana and Niki Prasad, as Delhi Capitals' chase came to a halt. Sent in to bat, veteran Australian wicketkeeper-batter Mooney scored a measured 58 off 46 balls, while Anushka Sharma contributed 39 off 25 deliveries as Gujarat Giants posted a competitive 174 for 9. Chasing, Delhi Capitals got off to a strong start, reaching 16 in the first two overs, with Shafali Verma contributing 14 off 10 balls. Shafali's innings was cut short by left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, caught at long-on by skipper Ashleigh Gardner after attempting an ill-timed hoick. Delhi Capitals suffered a second blow soon after, as Lizelle Lee struggled for 11 off 20 balls before offering a simple catch to Ashleigh Gardner at mid-on off Sophie Devine's bowling. The going was tough for Delhi Capitals' batters as Tanuja Kanwar and Sophie Devine bowled incisively to keep them under control. Even skipper Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt struggled to find their range, allowing the required run rate to climb. Attempting to break the shackles, Jemimah miscued a scoop off Devine's slower delivery and was bowled. In the very next over, Ashleigh Gardner dismantled Kapp's defence. To make matters worse, Laura Wolvaardt was bowled by Rajeshwari as DC slumped to 84 for 5 in the 13th over. Delhi Capitals kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with Chinelle Henry falling next to Rajeshwari. However, Niki Prasad came in and made an impact immediately, scoring 47 off 24 balls and hitting boundaries to keep DC in the hunt. Prasad began her assault with a four and followed it up with four consecutive boundaries off Devine. Sneh Rana (29 off 15) then lofted Devine for a six, helping DC score 23 runs in the 17th over. Prasad continued her onslaught, smashing Kanwar for a four through the covers to bring the equation within reach. Needing 29 off 12 balls, Sneh Rana launched a six over Gardner, followed by two consecutive fours in the 19th over. Niki Prasad added another boundary off Gardner in the same over, reducing the equation to nine runs off six balls. The late onslaught by Prasad and Rana threatened to snatch the game from Gujarat Giants, but Devine struck in the final over, dismissing Rana, caught by Wareham, to leave DC needing five runs off the last two balls. The duo added 60 runs off just 31 balls to keep DC in the hunt but ultimately fell short. Needing four off the final ball, Niki Prasad, after a brilliant innings, was caught at long-on by Gardner off Devine while attempting the winning shot. Earlier, DC left-arm spinner Shree Charani picked up 4 for 31 but Beth Mooney's half-century lifted GG to a competitive score. GG lost Devine (13) early before skipper Mooney and Sharma (39 off 25) stitched 54 runs for the second wicket to give some momentum to the innings. GG skipper Ashleigh Gardner (2) disappointed once again, while Georgia Wareham (11) tried to force her way but failed. Brief scores: Gujarat Giants 174/9 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 58, Anushka Sharma 39; Sree Charani 4-31, Chinelle Henry 2-38) beat Delhi Capitals 171/8 in 20 overs (Niki Prasad 47, Sneh Rana 29; Sophie Devine 4-37, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 3-20) by three runs This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 January,2026 03:04 AM IST | Vadodara | PTITeam India is all set to lock horns with New Zealand for the fourth T20I match on January 28 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Ahead of the match, Team India's Sanju Samson, who has been struggling to find himself among the runs, will be expected to deliver a big knock. Despite poor performances, Team India's bowling coach Morne Morkel feels that the right-handed batsman is just one knock away from regaining his form. "Sanju is one knock away from getting that confidence, getting that form back. For us, building up to the World Cup it's important for the guys to find that peak performance at the right time. He's training well, he's hitting the ball very well," he said. IND vs NZ T20Is: Sanju Samson's outings In the first T20I match against the "Black Caps", Samson departed after scoring 10 runs in seven balls, including two boundaries. In the second match, he returned to the pavilion after registering six runs off five deliveries, which was laced with a maximum. In the third clash, he was dismissed on a duck on the very first ball of his innings. Despite it being an optional nets session, Samson spent more than 30 minutes at nets facing various bowlers such as Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek and side-armer Raghu. The bowling coach also said that the focus is on the success that the team has tasted in the series. The "Men in Blue" have already sealed the series 3-0 against the "Black Caps". "So, I think it's just a matter of time for him to get his foot on the board. But the main focus is that the team is winning, and I think that's important. We're 3-0 up in this series at the moment, the boys are playing some very good cricket," said Morkel. He is also optimistic about Samson getting his form back before the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. "We've got a couple of games now before the start of the World Cup, and I have no doubt that Sanju will find his form," concluded the 41-year-old former cricketer. Team India will soon engage in the global showpiece, which is scheduled to kick off from February 7. (With PTI Inputs)
27 January,2026 08:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the WPL 2026 match against the Gujarat Giants (GG), Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Jemimah Rodrigues won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. After winning the toss, Delhi Capitals' captain Rodrigues said that, considering that the dew has not come in, the batting will be easier in the second innings at the venue. She also feels that the pitch is suitable for batswomen. Speaking about her captaincy, the 25-year-old cricketer said that she is learning a lot in the role. On the other hand, the toss didn't make much difference for Gujarat Giants' skipper Ashleigh Gardner, as she wanted to bat first in the clash. On the learnings from the different batting composition in their last match, she said that having Sophie Devine in the middle order gives a lot of firepower towards the end. Danni Wyatt-Hodge will miss out on the clash due to sickness, and Georgia Wareham will come back into the team. Devine will open the innings, and the skipper wants her team to fight hard, irrespective of what the match's result turns out to be. Currently, the Delhi Capitals are in third position on the WPL 2026 points table. Having played six matches, the side has emerged victorious on three occasions and has suffered defeats in three matches. They have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.169 and six points. The fourth place is in the name of the Giants. With a similar scenario of three wins and three losses in six games, they have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.341 and six points. It will be interesting to see which team emerge victorious tonight, in order to take an edge in the WPL 2026. WPL 2026, GG vs DC: Confirmed Playing XI Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (WK), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwer, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur. Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (WK), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (C), Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma.
27 January,2026 07:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
