Nandini Sharma's maiden hat-trick went in vain as Sophie Devine starred with a breathtaking 95 and a superb final over under pressure to steer Gujarat Giants to a thrilling four-run win off the last ball over Delhi Capitals in a Women's Premier League match here on Sunday. This was Gujarat Giants' second win on the trot, while DC slipped to their second loss. Sent in to bat, Giants opener Devine smashed seven fours and eight sixes in her 42-ball knock, adding 94 runs for the opening wicket with Beth Mooney (19) to set the platform. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, but Nandini turned the tide with remarkable figures of 5 for 33, including a hat-trick, as Gujarat were bowled out for 209. Chasing a stiff target, opener Lizelle Lee struck a scintillating 86 off 54 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. She put on 41 runs with Shafali Verma (14) before adding 90 off 55 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 38) to keep Delhi firmly in the hunt. Once Lee was dismissed by Kashvee Gautam (1/48) in the 15th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad removed Chinelle Henry (7) to leave Delhi at 146 for three. Needing 64 off the last 25 balls, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (15) joined Wolvaardt as the pair plundered 58 runs in 23 balls to bring the equation down to seven off the final five deliveries. Devine then returned to the spotlight, dismissing both batters and conceding just two runs in the final over to seal a dramatic win. Earlier, Devine set the tone early, striking three fours off Chinelle Henry before taking Nandini apart with two fours and a six in the fourth over. She was particularly severe on Sneh Rana, hammering two fours and four successive sixes in an over that yielded 32 runs and powered Gujarat Giants to 80 without loss in the powerplay. The New Zealander brought up her half-century in just 25 balls before Shree Charani broke the opening stand with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the ninth over to remove Mooney. Devine briefly regained control, hitting Charani for three sixes, but fell in the 11th over bowled by Nandini Sharma. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept Gujarat Giants on course with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to take the side past the 200-mark. Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a fine catch to dismiss Georgia Wareham (3), while Henry removed Gardner and Bharti Fulmali (3). Nandini then capped a memorable outing by picking up four wickets in the final over, including three off the last three balls, to complete her maiden hat-trick. Brief scores:Gujarat Giants 209 all out in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 95, Ashleigh Gardner 49; Nandani Sharma 5-33, Shree Charani 2-42, Chinelle Henry 2-43) beat Delhi Capitals 205/5 in 20 overs (Lizelle Lee 85, Laura Wolvaardt 77; Sophie Devine 2-21, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-34) by 4 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
12 January,2026 09:04 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | PTISarfaraz Khan and Devdutt Padikkal would be expected to extend their breathtaking form when domestic heavyweights Mumbai and Karnataka meet in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals here on Monday. The second quarter-final between Uttar Pradesh and Saurashtra will also be held at the Centre of Excellence on Monday. With 640 runs in seven innings, including four hundreds and a half century, Padikkal is the tournament’s leading run-getter. Sarfaraz too is knocking on the doors by extending his sensational T20 form to one-day cricket. In the unexpected loss to Punjab, Sarfaraz smashed the fastest fifty by an Indian in men’s List A cricket. 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
12 January,2026 08:38 AM IST | Bengaluru | PTIFormer India wicketkeeper-batsman and renowned coach Chandrakant Pandit has been conferred with a doctorate degree by IES University, Bhopal, on Saturday. Pandit, 64, a former Kolkata Knight Riders head coach, helped Mumbai, Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh win Ranji Trophy titles. “Obviously, to get a doctorate [Doctor of Philosophy] for your work is always an honour. And it gives me motivation that yes, I can do more. When someone gives recognition for your work, it’s a great feeling,” Pandit told mid-day over the phone from Bengaluru on Sunday. Currently, Pandit is guiding the MP team as a head coach as they prepare for the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final against Punjab to be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru on Tuesday. When asked how he feels when people say Dr Chandrakant Pandit now, Pandit, who represented the country in five Tests and 36 ODIs, said: “I’m yet to decide whether to put it [Dr] before my name [laughs].” Former Olympic sprinter and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia also received similar degrees from chief guest Madhya Pradesh governor Mangubhai Patel.
12 January,2026 08:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureMumbai Indians all-rounder Nicola Carey has quickly made a strong impression in her maiden Women’s Premier League season, stepping into the playing XI following Hayley Matthews’s injury and delivering composed, match-winning performances with both bat and ball. Carey impressed in her first two outings for the franchise, contributing at No. 5 with the bat and bowling effectively in the Powerplay. The all-rounder has taken five wickets and scored 61 runs in two matches. She reflected on her unexpected opportunity and the learning curve in the WPL after her match-winning performance (12-ball 21 and 3-37) against the Delhi Capitals. ‘Hayley’s not too far off’ “That would be very fair to say that I wouldn’t be starting had Hayley been there. I’ve been lucky enough to find my way into the team, sadly, because Hayley has a niggle. She’s not too far off, and it would be nice to get her back,” Carey said at the post-match press conference, adding that Amelia Kerr had to adjust her role at the top of the order in Matthews’s absence. Speaking about her mindset as a backup player, Carey said preparation remained unchanged despite the uncertainty. “If you look at the other overseas players in this line-up, they are world-class. I was under no illusions about where I sat. I just prepared how I would go into a game. Sometimes you have last-minute changes, and that’s just the nature of these competitions,” she said. Carey also shared her excitement about experiencing the WPL environment. “The crowd has been amazing. It’s been wild. Playing alongside players like Harmanpreet Kaur and watching how they go about things has been really cool. You’re always learning in different conditions with different players and coaches,” she noted. Reflecting on her improvement from the previous game, she said: “I had to bowl it into the wicket a little more. You learn from games, and I was lucky I could take something away from the last one.” Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals head coach Jonathan Batty reflected on their defeat, saying the 190 is a chaseable score but the team “did not quite click with the bat.” ‘190 is chaseable’ Assessing the bowling effort overall, he added, “Our plans were very good and about 75 per cent of what we did with the ball was really good. When we missed, we missed quite significantly, which allowed them to get away a little. With a quick outfield and short boundaries, 190 is a chaseable score with our batting line-up.” 5No. of wickets taken by Nicola Carey in two WPL games 61No. of runs scored by Nicola Carey in two WPL games 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
12 January,2026 08:31 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | IANSDhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India’s ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand. Jurel, who has been in stellar form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, has joined the squad for the series that began on Sunday. Pant suffered a side strain while batting in the nets on Saturday. “Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant felt a sudden onset discomfort in his right lateral abdominal area while batting in the nets during India’s practice session on Saturday afternoon,” said the BCCI. 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
12 January,2026 08:26 AM IST | Vadodara | PTISouth African pace legend Allan Donald perceived that Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket a touch sooner, but said the star Indian batter has the hunger to keep himself going till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Donald, who had developed a cordial relationship with Kohli while working as the bowling coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2014-15, cited the batter’s excellent work ethics to back his thought. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen hunger in a player other than Virat. I’ve got massive respect for him. I often talk about it in the dressing rooms and chats about being a champion trainer. There’s no one who trains as hard as he does. He is just a machine,” Donald told a select media gathering during SA20. “I actually miss him in the Test match arena. I think he’s retired too early, but yeah, I look with no doubt we will see him in the white-ball arena in the World Cup very, very soon,” 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
12 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Cape Town | PTIVirat Kohli reigned supreme once again with a 91-ball 93 and skipper Shubman Gill hit 56, but India huffed and puffed before completing a nervy four-wicket win against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the three-match series here on Sunday. In pursuit of 301, India were in complete control when Kohli departed in the 40th over, but a flurry of wickets saw the home side go over the line with 306-6 in 49 overs. Kohli fell a few runs short of what could have been his 54th ODI century when India needed 67 from 66 balls with seven wickets in hand. Ravindra Jadeja (4) and Shreyas Iyer (49) followed him soon in the dressing room, giving New Zealand a real chance to clinch the game. KL Rahul during his unbeaten 29 However, KL Rahul (29 not out) put on 37 runs with Harshit Rana (29), and the remaining runs came in the company of an injury-hit Washington Sundar (7 not out), aided by a few uncharacteristic dropped catches by the Kiwis towards the end. It was Kyle Jamieson (4-41) who dragged New Zealand back in the game when all seemed lost. Earlier, Daryl Mitchell stood tall with a stroke-filled half-century to help New Zealand post 300 for eight. Mitchell clobbered five fours and three sixes to make 84 off 71 balls after New Zealand’s middle-order failed to build on an ideal start given by Devon Conway (56 off 67 balls; 6 fours, 1 six) and Henry Nicholls (62 off 69 balls; 8 fours). Openers Conway and Nicholls had put on 117 runs to defy India for the first 21 overs, but Rana’s (2-65) second spell of 2-0-13-2 turned the tables and the home side chipped away with regular strikes. Kyle Jamieson celebrates an Indian wicket on Sunday 4-41NZ pacer Kyle Jamieson’s figures on Sunday — his best in ODIs 28,068No. of international runs for Virat Kohli. He surpassed Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) to become the second-highest, now trailing only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357). He is also the fastest to score 28,000 runs (624 innings) 117No. of runs put on by Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls for the opening wicket — NZ’s first 100-plus opening stand in ODIs away from home since the unbeaten 137-run partnership by Martin Guptill and Colin Munro against Sri Lanka in the 2019 World Cup FourNo. of 60-plus scores by Daryl Mitchell in his last five ODIs vs India. Overall, he averages 52.55 in 11 one-dayers against India 650 No. of sixes hit by Rohit Sharma in international cricket — the only player to reach this feat 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
12 January,2026 08:20 AM IST | Vadodara | AgenciesIn the first ODI match against New Zealand, Team India emerged victorious by four wickets at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. Having needed to chase a target of 301 runs, Team India scored 306 runs for the loss of six wickets in 49 overs. Opening batsman Rohit Sharma scored 26 runs in 29 balls, with the help of three boundaries and two maximums. Skipper Shubman Gill registered 56 runs after facing 71 balls. His knock also included three boundaries and two maximums. Team India stalwart Virat Kohli missed his well-deserved century by just seven runs. Facing 91 deliveries, the right-handed batsman garnered 93 runs, which was laced with eight boundaries and a maximum. Shreyas Iyer accumulated 49 runs off 47 balls, including four boundaries and a maximum. Ravindra Jadeja managed to score just four runs in five balls. Harshit Rana smashed 29 runs in 23 balls, with the help of two boundaries and a maximum. KL Rahul played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 29 runs in 21 balls. He also smashed two boundaries and a maximum during his knock. Along with him, Washington Sundar stayed unbeaten at the crease on seven runs in seven balls. Pacer Kyle Jamieson was the most successful bowler for New Zealand. Having bowled 10 overs, he claimed four wickets by conceding 41 runs. Adithya Ashok and Kris Clarke also picked up one wicket each. In six overs, Ashok gave away 55 runs, whereas Clarke was smashed for 73 runs in 10 overs. Zakary Foulkes, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, and skipper Michael Bracewell went wicketless in the first ODI match against the "Men in Blue". Foulkes leaked 49 runs in his spell of 10 overs, and Bracewell was smashed for 56 runs in eight overs. In his spell of four overs, Phillips gave away 21 runs, and Mitchell conceded seven runs in one over. Earlier, having put to bat first, New Zealand's opening batsman Devon Conway smashed 56 runs after facing 67 balls. During his knock, he registered six boundaries and a maximum. Fellow opening batsman Henry Nicholls garnered 62 runs off 69 deliveries, which was laced with eight boundaries. Later, Will Young departed on 12 runs, followed by Glenn Phillips (12) and Mitchell Hay (18). Skipper Michael Bracewell, in his knock of 18 balls, scored 16 runs, including a boundary. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Daryl Mitchell showcased his exceptional skills with the willow. Facing 71 deliveries, he played a blistering knock of 84 runs, which was laced with five boundaries and three maximums. Kris Clarke stayed unbeaten on 24 runs off 17 balls. His knock also included three boundaries. The "Black Caps" managed to post a total of 300 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs. Having bowled 10 overs, Team India's pacer Harshit Rana returned with the figures of two wickets for 65 runs against the "Black Caps". Star pacer Mohammed Siraj claimed two wickets by conceding 40 runs in his spell of eight overs. Prasidh Krishna also bagged two wickets, whereas Kuldeep Yadav registered one wicket to his name.
11 January,2026 09:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentLegendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis has expressed his opinions on the participation of Team India stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ODI World Cup 2027. Currently, Virat and Rohit are active in just one format as they have already announced their retirement from Test cricket and T20 Internationals. The ODI World Cup 2027 is all set to be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Till the time the tournament arrives, Rohit will already be in his 40s, whereas Virat will be in his late 30s. Speaking on the duo, Kallis said, "He (Virat Kohli) obviously knows his body when you want to call it quits. Hopefully, he goes out to the bank. He certainly deserves it. Fantastic player (Rohit Sharma) and hopefully he also deserves to go out to the bank". The former cricketer also spoke about South Africa's chances in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. He said that the Proteas need a bit of luck on their side in the global showpiece. "Well, hopefully this tournament now will give the guys a head start on that tournament. And they need a little bit of luck to win it. Hopefully, things fall in place for us," he said. He also said that the SA20 has been helping young players to play along with older players and work with the international coaches as well. "I think it's (SA20) been good for South African cricket, younger guys are getting to play with older players. They're working as some international coaches and playing in front of big crowds. So hopefully it will carry on growing up to it," concluded the 50-year-old former cricketer. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa has been placed in Group D along with the teams such as Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They will open their campaign against Canada on February 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Smith. (With ANI Inputs)
11 January,2026 07:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the ODI World Cup 2027, former South African cricketer Mark Boucher said that he has no doubt in his mind that Team India's stalwart Virat Kohli will participate in the marquee tournament. He also said that there is nothing wrong with Kohli's fitness and the Indian team will need his services for the global tournament. The ODI World Cup 2027 will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. "Virat is going to be there. There's no doubt in my mind. I mean, he's given up a couple of the formats at the moment. There's nothing about his fitness at all. It's just about whether he actually wants to play. And I think for me, I'm sure that his mind is set on coming here and playing in another World Cup. And India needs him as well," he said. The former cricketer also pointed out that the absence of Virat and Rohit Sharma does leave a hole in Test cricket in India. Boucher feels that it would be fantastic for the "Men in Blue" if they get the services of Kohli in the global showpiece. "I mean, we've seen in India that Test cricket, where Rohit and Virat are not there, it does leave a hole. And so I think the World Cup in South Africa would be a better tournament if Virat Kohli is involved. And obviously, for India, it would be fantastic if he stands there as well," said the 49-year-old cricketer. Currently, Virat and Rohit are both busy featuring in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Earlier, during the ODI series against South Africa, Kohli registered the scores of 135, 102 and an unbeaten 65 runs. After the conclusion of the ongoing three-match ODI series against the "Black Caps", both teams will lock horns against each other for five T20I matches. The five-match T20I series will also serve as a preparatory contest for both teams for the T20 World Cup 2026. T20 World Cup 2026: Group A and Group D teams Team India is placed in Group A along with the teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America (USA). On the other hand, New Zealand's Group D consists of the likes of Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
11 January,2026 06:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSouth Africa's young batsman Dewald Brevis said that there is always outside noise, whether you play SA20 or the World Cup, and it doesn't affect him. Currently, he is representing Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 and said that he will look to enjoy the game at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. "It's always outside noise, whether you play SA20, whatever you play. Whether it's the World Cup or whatever, it stays a cricket game, it stays a ball, a white ball, and whatever it is, I'm just going to enjoy it and just play how I always play. There's always outside noise. It doesn't affect me," he said. The right-handed batsman also said that the form of all South Africa's players is just building up and expressed excitement for the global showpiece. "I think it's great. It's exciting. If I look at everyone, there's form, and everyone's form is just building. But we focus on the now, and that's the S20, and we're having fun here. It's super exciting for the World Cup that's around the corner," said the 22-year-old cricketer. He made his T20I debut against Australia at Durban in August 2023. Since then, the 22-year-old has played 19 matches, scoring 469 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 173.70. He has one century and as many half-centuries in T20Is. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa is placed in Group D of the tournament along with teams such as Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. The Proteas will open their World Cup campaign by playing a clash against Canada on February 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The semi-finals 1 and 2 of the tournament have been scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively. The fans will witness the title clash of the global showpiece on March 8. South Africa's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 Aiden Markram (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, and Jason Smith. (With ANI Inputs)
11 January,2026 04:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
