The stage is set for the biggest inter-school cricket clash of the season at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, as defending champions Anjuman-I-Islam Allana English School (Fort) take on a determined Al-Barkaat Malik Muhammad English School (Kurla) in the 129th Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Harris Shield final on Tuesday. With history, pride and a coveted title at stake, the three-day encounter promises to be a fitting culmination to Mumbai school cricket’s most prestigious tournament. Al-Barkaat coach Nafees Khan (right) with the players during a training session at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday Anjuman-I-Islam have been one of the most consistent teams this season, showing resilience with both bat and ball across conditions. Their journey to the final has been marked by disciplined performances, strong partnerships and the ability to seize crucial moments. Interestingly, these two sides have already crossed paths during the league stage. That contest ended in a draw, but Anjuman-I-Islam emerged with the advantage on first-innings lead, earning three crucial points. While there wasn’t an outright winner, the result underlined Anjuman-I-Islam’s ability to marginally outplay their opponents over sustained periods. However, Al-Barkaat enter the final with renewed belief and a strong sense of purpose. Their campaign has been built on grit, teamwork and the hunger to reclaim past glory. Al-Barkaat coach Nafees Khan said: “We played well to reach so far and we are going to give our best to lift the cup. We are well prepared. Whatever the situations are, we have planned to overcome them. The last time we played in the final was in 2022, and it’s been a long period since we won the Harris Shield.” Anjuman-I-Islam skipper Yuvaan Sharma acknowledged the pressure but stressed on his team’s calm approach heading into the final. “There is lots of pressure on us to retain the title, but we have kept our plans simple. It’s a three-day game and everything depends on the toss. We will grab every opportunity and fight till the end,” he said.
23 December,2025 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamFormer England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has married for the second time, nearly seven years after the passing of his first wife Ruth in a battle with lung cancer. Strauss, 48, tied the knot with Antonia Linnaeus-Peat, 30, in Franschhoek, South Africa, the country of his birth. The couple first met around two years ago. The wedding ceremony took place at a vineyard 50 miles east of Cape Town, as reported by The Daily Mail. Strauss shared photos of the wedding ceremony, showing close family and friends on social media. “Celebrating the most special day in our favourite part of the world… Thank you for loving me and the boys the way you do and for showing us true happiness — I am so lucky to have found you. Here’s to a lifetime of beautiful memories, my girl,” he wrote in a post on Instagram. Strauss had two sons — Luca and Samuel — with Ruth, who died at the age of 46 in 2018.
23 December,2025 08:19 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentOn Tuesday, there was possibly as much elation among JSW’s hierarchy as there was in Kartik Sharma’s household after the Rajasthan wicket-keeper made headlines by becoming the joint-most expensive uncapped Indian player — along with all-rounder Prashant Veer — to be bought at the IPL auction for Rs 14.2 crore. The joy was not because the JSW-owned DC Capitals had purchased him — he was instead sold to Chennai Super Kings — it was because it reinforced JSW’s belief that they had made the right decision signing the 19-year-old to their sports program less than a month ago. “It’s incredibly gratifying [to see Sharma get picked at the auction]. For Kartik, it’s a huge moment and a validation of the work he’s put in over the years. It reinforces our belief in spotting promise early and giving it the time, structure, and trust he needs to grow,” JSW Sports’s Chief Commercial officer Karan Yadav told mid-day. JSW’s list of contracted athletes includes the likes of superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, ace wrestler Sakshi Malik, and talented cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, among others. Needless to say, Sharma’s progress is in good hands, with Yadav explaining how they’ll help him with his development both on and off the field. “Our role is to create an ecosystem around him; whether that’s physical conditioning, injury prevention, mental conditioning, or off-field support, such as focusing on gradually building his brand and long-term commercial wealth creation. The idea is to remove distractions so he can focus purely on his cricket,” explained Yadav. Sharma, who has played 29 matches for Rajasthan across all formats, will train at JSW Sports’s state-of-the-art Inspire Institute for Sports (IIS) facility in Vijayanagar, Karnataka during the off-season.
23 December,2025 08:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoThe BCCI has more than doubled the match fees of women cricketers and officials in domestic cricket, a move triggered by India’s maiden ODI World Cup triumph and aimed at creating a more equitable pay structure across the circuit. The hike was approved by the Board’s Apex Council. As per the revised structure, senior women cricketers in domestic tournaments will now earn between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 per day, a significant jump from the existing Rs 20,000 (Rs 10,000 for reserves) per match day. For senior women’s domestic one-day tournaments and multi-day competitions, players in the first XI will receive Rs 50,000 per day, while those in reserves will be paid Rs 25,000 per day. In national T20 tournaments, first XI players will earn Rs 25,000 per match day, with reserves receiving Rs 12,500. For league matches in domestic tournaments, the proposed earnings for umpires and match referees will be Rs 40,000 per day. 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
23 December,2025 08:01 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIFormer England pacer Stuart Broad has doubled down on his assertion that the current Australian side is the worst Ashes team England have faced in 15 years, despite the hosts referencing his comments during their celebrations in Adelaide. Ahead of the series, Broad had claimed Australia were at their lowest ebb since England last won the Ashes in Australia in 2010–11, describing his assessment as “not an opinion” but “a fact”. He cited Australia’s transition and uncertainty around selection as the basis for his view. Broad maintained that his original comments still stood, arguing that England had failed to perform anywhere near their potential. “Do I regret saying that? No. I did say Australia would have to play very badly and England would have to play very well. Australia haven’t played very badly, and England haven’t played very well,” Broad said on his For The Love of Cricket podcast. Broad also highlighted several factors he believed left Australia exposed coming into the series, including Cummins missing the opening two Tests, Josh Hazlewood being unavailable for the entire campaign, and Usman Khawaja managing back spasms. 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
23 December,2025 07:57 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSEngland coach Brendon McCullum wants to stay in his job despite a chastening Ashes series defeat but admits his future is out of his hands. England are 0-3 down in the five-match series after just 11 days of cricket, outplayed by a hungry Australian team. McCullum had branded the tour as “the biggest series of all our lives” but defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide have ended the tourists’ hopes of wresting back the Ashes from their fierce rivals. Now he and managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key are facing tough questions over their positions. McCullum’s predecessor, Chris Silverwood, did not survive a 0-4 defeat four years ago. The New Zealander has a contract with England until the end of 2027 — a period that includes the next home Ashes, earlier in the same year. But the 44-year-old said, in comments carried by British media, that his fate would be decided by others. “I’ll just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that we haven’t quite got right here and try to make some adjustments,” said McCullum. “Those questions are for someone else, not for me. Sometimes you don’t win, and then those decisions are up to other people. It’s a pretty good gig, it’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads and try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things.” 1141Total number of balls played by England in Adelaide — the most by them in a Test since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach 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
23 December,2025 07:54 AM IST | London | AFPIn the third Test match against the West Indies, New Zealand's pacer Jacob Duffy bagged a total of nine wickets at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. With this, he scripted history by breaking the record of the former cricketer Richard Hadlee for the most wickets (79) in a calendar year. Duffy broke the record by claiming his 81st wicket of the year. In 36 matches, he registered 81 wickets with an average of 17.11 this year. Earlier, Hadlee held the record with 80 wickets in just 23 matches. During the first innings of the West Indies, Duffy returned with the figures of four wickets for 86 runs in 35 overs. In the second essay, he registered a five-wicket haul by conceding 42 runs in 22.3 overs. Reflecting on his performance, he said that it is "special" for him to be on the list, having the likes of star players. "I saw that list (most wickets in a calendar year) at lunch time, and there were some cool names on there, so to be up there on any sort of list with those sort of names was special," said the 31-year-old cricketer. received vital support from the batters during the third Test, in particular openers Devon Conway and skipper Tom Latham, who became the first opening pair in the history of Test cricket to each score two centuries across the same match. Conway also became the first New Zealander and just the 10th player ever to score a double-century and a century in the same Test, following his efforts of 227 and 100 over the two innings. With this win, New Zealand have moved to second place on the ICC World Test Championship standings. Jacob Duffy's inclusion in Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Additionally, Duffy has been signed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction for Rs 2 crore. The upcoming edition will also mark his debut in the cash-rich league's history. Brief scores: New Zealand 578/8 and 306/2 (Devon Conway 227, Tom Latham 137; Kavem Hodge 2-80). Vs West Indies 420 and 138 (Kavem Hodge 123*, Brandon King 67; Jacob Duffy 5-42). (With ANI Inputs)
22 December,2025 04:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India's star spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, recently shared images of his newly purchased BMW Z4 on his official social media handle. The car's price in India starts at Rs 87.90 lakh and goes upto Rs 92.61 lakh. Brought my new car home with the two people who made every dream possible. Watching my parents witness and relish this milestone is the real luxury. ❤️🫂🧿 pic.twitter.com/UL1ZOvmH97 — Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) December 22, 2025 Chahal also parted ways with his wife, Dhanashree Verma. The cricketer seems to be out of favour with the Indian selectors, as he made his last international appearance on August 13, 2023, in a T20I match. So far, the 35-year-old cricketer has made 72 ODI and 80 T20I appearances for Team India. In 72 ODI matches, he has registered 121 wickets, whereas he also has 96 T20I scalps. T20 World Cup 2026: Team India's schedule for marquee event Recently, Team India managed to clinch the T20I series by 2-1 against South Africa. The side will now lock horns against New Zealand for the five-match T20I series. The contest will also serve as a preparatory series for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. The marquee tournament is all set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka. The marquee event is scheduled to kick start from February 7. The defending champions, Team India, will open their global showpiece campaign by playing a match against the United States of America (USA) on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The "Men in Blue" will lock horns against Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The high-octane match between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. India will conclude their group stage matches by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The marquee tournament will conclude on March 8, with the top two teams clashing against each other for the elusive title. The venue of the final match is yet to be confirmed. It will be interesting to see if the "Men in Blue" manage to defend their T20 World Cup title. India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK).
22 December,2025 04:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMohammad Izhar had little time to savour the feeling of his IPL dream coming true. As his name was called out at the IPL 2026 auction, the left-arm pacer from Birpur in Bihar’s Supaul district was already racing against the clock - within 15-20 minutes, he needed to board a bus for a six-hour ride to Patna, where the Vijay Hazare Trophy camp awaited him. "When the auction was on, I was at home with my brothers in law. While from the outside I was very excited and nervous, I was very anxious about whether my name will come in the auction or not. Finally, the Mumbai Indians picked me and it brought in a different level of happiness. “While I was feeling very good and excited about getting a chance to be in IPL, I became very emotional. Though everyone began celebrating at home, I had to leave to catch the bus for Patna, so I didn't celebrate it much," Izhar recalled in an exclusive conversation with IANS. The five-time champions have been renowned for unearthing uncapped gems through a robust scouting system. Though they had a small purse in IPL 2026 auction, picking Izhar for his base price of Rs 30 lakh is very much a signal that they may have unearthed another gem in the making. Even as he remained engaged with the trials of Kolkata Knight Riders, Izhar recalled how the five-time champions chose patience in having a look at him. "Though Mumbai Indians is a big franchise, they are so humble, which even words cannot explain. When they called me for a trial, I was at KKR's trial. “But despite being such a big team, they waited for me to come for the trials. When I reached, I was very tired, but I saw they waited for me and told me to rest for a while, so that I could bowl comfortably after recovering. I rested well and then went through the trials very well. It's a very good franchise and the coaches there were very humble." Izhar's cricketing journey began in Birpur, a town in Supaul district, where tennis ball cricket was the gateway to bigger dreams. His transition to leather ball cricket came through a chance observation by his local mentor Jaichand, who spotted raw talent that others missed. "Jaichand bhaiya and Birbal bhaiya got me into leather ball cricket and taught me a lot for the last 2-3 years. Previously, I played tennis ball cricket and in one of the games, Jaichand bhaiya saw me bowling and then he told me to start playing with a leather ball. “I then went on to play for the district and initially it felt a little tough as I was straightaway playing these games without having played leather ball cricket before. But it began so well that I haven’t looked back after that. Birbal bhaiya is a star bowler himself. I learnt a lot from him and Jaichand, who himself was a cricketer," he added. Watching legendary fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee also transformed Izhar’s casual interest into a Junoon (passion) to play cricket. "Starc has always been my idol from the start. Then seeing Akhtar and Lee take wickets brought in a junoon in me about playing cricket. From the start, it was not like I will play for India or be in IPL. Gradually, I started playing and those thing started to come in my mind. “You do get a good understanding of these things once you start to put yourself through the grind. I started setting aims that I want to play for the state and do well there. It was in my mind that I wanted to play in the IPL, though the goal of playing for India is still at the top. But I didn't anticipate that I will get picked this year. So, I am very thankful to God that I got picked for IPL this year." Like many young cricketers from smaller towns, Izhar's early journey wasn't paved with automatic support. Bihar's limited cricketing infrastructure meant initial struggles were there, but his father's growing belief in him transformed everything. "When I started playing, my father started giving me a lot of support. He began to understand that I have games to play and do well in them. The support from him grew so much that he started taking care of everything around me by himself. Whenever I got small bruises, he would put a bandage quickly at home." The Bihar Cricket Association's faith proved equally crucial, especially after Izhar had a disappointing previous season. The backing from BCA officials, including previous President Rakesh Tiwari, allowed Izhar to rebuild confidence and rediscover form when it mattered most. "Last year, I did not get anything great in terms of performances. I started preparing for this season early and the association trusted me to come good. So I am very thankful for that to all of them in BCA. I am very thankful for the chances because of which I got selected for the IPL. “I had a good performance this time in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (taking nine wickets in five games in Kolkata), where the IPL scouts saw me, called me for trials, got into the auction and now I will be in IPL." Izhar’s bowling arsenal centers on both inswing and outswing, complemented by variations of slower ball essential for success in T20s. Operating around 135 kmph, Izhar acknowledges his game remains a work in progress, particularly his execution of yorker and consistency with swing deliveries. "I also have the yorker in my repertoire, but I need to groom and polish it more. In all, I need to do everything better because I am not always perfect. Like my in swing and out swing is not perfect yet, and I need to work on it more. I always try to work on the small things and make my bowling better. Plus, there are some variations of slower ball that I need to polish and groom more." With an IPL deal in hand, Izhar will have access to two masters of the craft - Trent Boult, whose left-arm swing bowling mirrors Izhar's own style, and Jasprit Bumrah, whose yorkers and control have redefined modern-day fast bowling. "Boult bowls with the left arm like me and Bumrah swings the ball well. His yorkers are deadly. I am going to learn a lot from them." For youngsters from modest cricketing outposts, Izhar’s rise carries a clear message: patience and persistence outweigh the lure of instant success. His journey from tennis-ball matches in Birpur to an IPL contract with MI stands as validation of that belief. "I would say just focus on the process, keep going by working hard and wait for the right time. You do not get success in a very short span, as it demands a lot of time. You have to be consistent and believe in God. Plus, you have to believe in yourself that you can do it. When the time comes, you will get the reward. If you work hard, you will get success." Now on the cusp of wearing MI’s iconic blue and gold in IPL 2026, Izhar’s emergence adds fresh momentum to his promising cricketing story. It underlines once more that, with the right backing, cricketing talent can emerge from the game’s most unheralded corners. 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.
22 December,2025 04:25 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSAhead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Punjab announced its 18-member squad for the tournament. Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh are set to feature in their season-opening match against Maharashtra on Wednesday, according to ESPNcricinfo. Considering his recent poor form and fitness, Gill was dropped from India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and the New Zealand series. Punjab's squad also consists of the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Sangha, and Harpreet Brar. Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat will lead the pace attack. Punjab, the losing quarter-finalists last season, are set to play all the seven league matches in Jaipur. Arshdeep was their leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 edition, and he will be a key player to watch. Punjab's group includes Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, and Mumbai, with league-stage fixtures wrapping up on January 8, just before India's first ODI on January 11. The availability of Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep for the further tournament is unclear as Team India will also play three ODI matches against New Zealand. The three-match series against the "Black Caps" will kick start from January 11. Both teams will then clash against each other for the five T20I matches, beginning from January 21. The series will also serve as the preparatory contest for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The marquee event is scheduled to kick start from February 7. Team India, who are the defending champions, will open their global showpiece campaign by playing a match against the United States of America (USA) on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The event will conclude on March 8, with the top two teams clashing against each other for the elusive title. It will be interesting to see if the "Men in Blue" manage to defend their T20 World Cup title. Punjab's squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa. (With ANI Inputs)
22 December,2025 04:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia's star pacer Mitchell Starc backed veteran spinner Nathan Lyon to go through another rehab and make himself fit to resume his Test career. During the third Test match of the Ashes series against England, the spinner sustained a hamstring injury at the Adelaide Oval. He dived to field a ball at the long leg. Later, he went for scans and returned to the ground on crutches, according to ESPNcricinfo. Speaking about Lyon, Starc said he feels that the spinner still has the hunger to contribute to Australia and is also hopeful of him making a comeback in the game. "Really unfortunate for him. I'm sure it's a tough one to take. He contributed a lot in this Test match. So he should first and foremost enjoy the moment. He's helped us get to this victory," said the 35-year-old pacer. "He's obviously had a layoff with his calf through England, so he's sort of more on board with the fast bowlers in terms of what rehab takes. I think he's still got that hunger to give more to Australia. So that's all for him to think through. Hopefully, it's not a huge layoff. But, yeah, obviously disappointed for him. Hopefully, he's back sooner than later," he added. Nathan Lyon had earlier made a comeback to the team by claiming five wickets in the match after being sidelined for the Brisbane Test match. He also surpassed legendary Glenn McGrath to become Australia's second-highest wicket-taker in the format's history. The Aussies managed to secure a win by 82 runs against the "Three Lions" in the third Test match. The side is now leading the five-match Ashes Test series 3-0. The triumph sees Australia maintain their place at the top of the World Test Championship standings with a perfect record through six Tests of their 22 Tests this cycle and has them well placed to reach a third straight decider at Lord's in 2027. With the series already in the bag, the Pat Cummins-led side will lock horns with England from December 26 for the fourth Test match. The clash is scheduled to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Victoria. (With ANI Inputs)
22 December,2025 04:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
