Table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to make amends with the bat after two consecutive defeats and lock their berth in the final when they take on a depleted UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League, here on Thursday. RCB (10 points) are the only team confirmed for the WPL playoffs so far and a victory over UPW will seal a top-two finish in the points table along with a berth in the final. On their part, facing an uphill task to remain in playoffs contention, UPW have been rocked by an injury to their leading run-getter Phoebe Litchfield (243 runs). Amy Jones has been named the replacement. There’s still work to be done for the Smriti Mandhana-led side who notched up five wins on the trot to emerge head and shoulders above the rest, but two defeats since have indeed jolted their campaign. 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
29 January,2026 08:24 AM IST | Vadodara | PTIGujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner described the dramatic final over as an emotional roller-coaster, admitting the tension ran sky-high as the contest went down to the wire in a three-run victory over Delhi Capitals at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. Bowling the penultimate over, Gardner went for 19 runs, leaving only nine for Sophie Devine to defend. Devine held her nerve in a dramatic final over, sealing a thrilling three-run win for the Gujarat Giants, completing a season double. “It has been a roller coaster. We have obviously entertained the fans at the venue and on TV,” said Gardner after the match. Gujarat Giants reached 174-9 with an excellent effort from Beth Mooney in what was overall a really composed innings of 58 from 46 balls. Anushka Sharma contributed 39 off 25 balls, while Tanuja Kanwar chipped in late with an unbeaten 21 off just 11 balls. Gardner felt the pitch continued to favour batters. “The wickets have got progressively better. Yesterday, 200 were almost chased down, and tonight it was almost chased down as well. Between 170 and 180 was par as well. We bowled well until the 17th over, then let them back in the game,” she said. 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
29 January,2026 08:24 AM IST | Vadodara | IANSExactly a week ago, a Riya Thakur-led Mumbai side beat Maharashtra by three wickets in the Women’s U-15 One Day Trophy final in Puducherry on January 21. And on Wednesday, Mumbai’s U-16 boys replicated the same performance, beating arch-rivals Maharashtra by virtue of a first innings lead in the decider to clinch the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy in Rajkot. Opting to bat first, the Maharashtra boys scored 381 all out in the first innings with Kshitij Yede and Neel Chandratre scoring 117 and 85 respectively. For Mumbai, pacer Karthik Kumar claimed 4-106. In reply, Mumbai posted 494 all out, thanks to Arjun Gadoya (105), skipper Aayush Shete (95) and wicketkeeper-batter Aakash Mangde (76). In the second essay, Maharashtra opener Eknath Devade and one-drop Prajwal More fought well scoring 101 and 90 respectively. However, the match ended in a draw with Maharashtra 203-5 at stumps on the fourth and final day and Mumbai emerged winners on the basis of their first-innings lead. “It’s a complete team effort as everyone contributed throughout the tournament,” Mumbai U-16 coach Nilesh Masurkar told mid-day from Rajkot on Wednesday. “The bowlers brilliantly shouldered their responsibilities across different games. In the batting department too, we scored heavily. Our batters scored 600 and 500-plus scores against Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively. Overall, we showcased total dominance and confidence and that helped us win this trophy,” added Masurkar.
29 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureTest batsman Sarfaraz Khan has revealed that his next goal is to play for India in white-ball cricket. And for that, he is keen to train harder and keep improving his game. As table-toppers Mumbai’s host Delhi at the MCA-BKC ground in their last Elite Group ‘D’ Ranji Trophy match beginning on Thursday, all eyes will be on Sarfaraz, 28, who scored his first century — 227 versus Hyderabad — of the ongoing Ranji season last week. Sarfaraz did a batting session earlier in the day at Azad Maidan and followed it up with another session with the Mumbai team at the MCA-BKC ground on Wednesday and was aiming to bat again at his home too later. “I try to stay in the present. I can’t do anything about the past and don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Today [Wednesday] I know I’ll go home and bat. I’ll spend time with my dad [Naushad] and then go to the [Mumbai team] hotel and sleep. I want to keep practising and improving. I’m working hard in white-ball [cricket]. I want to play for India in white-ball and I’m focusing on that,” Sarfaraz, who has played six Tests, scoring 371 runs with the help of one century, told reporters on Wednesday. Last month Sarfaraz, was not part of the first three games of Mumbai’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy [SMAT] campaign, but finished the tournament with 329 runs (including one century and three half-tons). He then scored 303 runs during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “I don’t know why I didn’t get a chance [in the first three games of the SMAT]. Then [Shivam] Dube took rest for one match and I scored a hundred [100 off 47 balls vs Assam]. Whether it’s red-ball or white-ball [format], you have to put your heart into both and work hard,” added Sarfaraz. Meanwhile, Delhi, who are yet to register their first win in six games this season and are struggling at sixth position with nine points, will be without regular skipper Ayush Badoni and batter Priyansh Arya, who have been picked for India ‘A’ and will play in the T20 World Cup warm-up game against USA at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 2. In Badoni’s absence, Delhi’s top run-getter this season Ayush Doseja (790 runs) will lead the team. 329 No. of runs scored by Sarfaraz in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 303No. of runs scored by Sarfaraz in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
29 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureIndia captain Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday climbed five places to seventh in the ICC men’s T20I rankings following a prolific run in the ongoing five-match home series against New Zealand, which India currently lead 3-0. The former No. 1 batter struck scores of 32, 82 not out and 57 not out to climb the table, as India dominate the upper reaches of the rankings with Abhishek Sharma at the summit and Tilak Varma in third position, just 10 days out from the T20 World Cup. Ishan Kishan, who hit 76 off 32 balls in the second match in Raipur has re-entered the rankings in the 64th position while Shivam Dube (up nine places to 58th) and Rinku Singh (up 13 places to 68th) are among other batters to gain from the top-ranked T20I side. 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
29 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Dubai | PTIT20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma reckons all-rounder Hardik Pandya and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh will hold the key to India’s prospects in the upcoming edition of the tournament. Defending champions India will enter the T20 showpiece as one of the overwhelming favourites due to their massive depth and quality. Rohit highlighted Arshdeep’s effectiveness with the new ball and at the death. “It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets. Arshdeep’s biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets. He mainly bowls with the new ball and at the death. Starting and finishing are the most important phases, and he is strong in both,” Rohit told JioHotstar. “With the new ball, he swings it to get left-handers caught in the slips and targets the pads of right-handers. He has also started taking the ball away from right-handers. These skills are key for a new-ball bowler. He always tries to take wickets, which is why he bowls the first over.” Rohit added, “In the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, he did a great job. I still remember he dismissed Quinton de Kock when he was set and batting well. In the 19th over, he gave away just two or three runs, which built pressure on the South Africans. That is his game, bowling with the new ball and at the death, and he will play a key role for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup.” Rohit also spoke about how Hardik’s dual role as a finisher and multi-phase bowler provides crucial balance to the Indian team. “Whenever Hardik Pandya is in the team, his role is huge. He bats and bowls very consistently. His batting is crucial when the team is stuck. If we have a score of 160 on the board in 15-16 overs and Hardik is batting, then he’s the one who can help the team reach 210-220 from there or if we are 50 for 4, he has to build the innings. “Batting in the middle order at 5, 6, or 7 is very tough. That is why Hardik’s role is critical in any format. He bowls in key phases, with the new ball, in the middle and in the death as well. His gives the team balance, letting us play six bowlers and keep our batting deep.” 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
29 January,2026 08:22 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIRiding on a blistering 100-run opening stand between Tim Seifert (62) and Devon Conway (44), New Zealand registered their first win of the five-match series against India, beating the hosts by 50 runs in the fourth T20I here on Wednesday. Seifert (62 off 36 balls, 7x4, 3x6) was the standout Kiwi batter but he did not have enough followers to fully drive home the advantage after India opted to field first. India’s Shivam Dube celebrates his half-century against NZ at Vizag on Wednesday Seifert, who joined the team after appearing in the recent Big Bash League, did not hide his intention, smoking Arshdeep Singh for three fours in a row, although two of them were off edges. But in the next over, the right-hander smashed Harshit Rana for a six over long-on, showcasing his muscle and timing. In the pacer’s next over, Seifert eked out a six and four in successive balls before sending a Jasprit Bumrah delivery to the sight-screen for another maximum. New Zealand reached fifty in the fourth over and ended the Powerplay at 71 for no loss. Seifert’s frenetic innings also helped Devon Conway (44) to settle down and then have a go at the Indian bowlers. After meandering to 9 off 9 balls, he found his range, plundering two fours and a six off Ravi Bishnoi. Conway made 35 runs off the next 13 balls but soon holed out to Rinku Singh at deep cover off Kuldeep Yadav, as the home side snapped a 100-run opening wicket alliance. In reply, India got off to a poor start, losing Abhishek Sharma for zero on the very first ball of the innings. Shivam Dube (23-ball 65, 3x4, 7x6) was the top-scorer for the hosts and brought India back into the game briefly. However, with no other significant contribution besides Sanju Samson’s 24 and Rinku Singh’s 39, it was only a matter of time before the hosts were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs. With a 3-1 lead, India have already won the series. The fifth match will be played on Saturday (January 31) at Thiruvananthapuram. 215-7 NZ’s second-highest T20I total against India, behind only 219-6 in Wellington in 2019 8.1 No. of overs taken by NZ to put up 100 runs — their fastest against India in T20Is and joint second-fastest by any team against India 25No. of balls taken by Tim Seifert to reach his half-century — the joint-fastest for NZ against India in T20Is 71-0NZ’s score at the end of the first Powerplay — their highest ever against India in T20Is 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
29 January,2026 08:22 AM IST | Visakhapatnam | AgenciesIn the fourth T20I match against Team India, New Zealand emerged victorious by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Having put to chase a target of 216 runs, Team India was bowled out for 165 runs in 18.4 overs. Burly all-rounder Shivam Dube emerged highest run-scorer for the hosts. Facing just 23 balls, he smashed 65 runs, with the help of three boundaries and seven maximums. Rinku Singh also scored 39 runs in 30 balls, including three boundaries and two maximums. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson accumulated 24 runs after facing 15 balls, and also smashed three boundaries and a maximum. New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner claimed three wickets by conceding 26 runs in four overs. Ish Sodhi also chipped in with two wickets and gave away 46 runs in four overs. Along with Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, in his spell of 3.4 overs, bagged two wickets for 33 runs. Matt Henry and Zakary Foulkes registered one wicket each to their names. Earlier, having put to bat first, New Zealand's opening batsman Devon Conway scored 44 runs in 23 balls, with the help of four boundaries and three maximums. Fellow opening batsman Tim Seifert accumulated 62 runs off 36 deliveries, including seven boundaries and three maximums. Rachin Ravindra managed to score just two runs in four balls. Glenn Phillips played a knock of 24 runs in 16 balls, which was laced with three boundaries and a maximum. Daryl Mitchell stayed unbeaten on 39 runs. His knock of 18 deliveries was laced with two boundaries and three maximums. Skipper Mitchell Santner departed after scoring 11 runs in six balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Zakary Foulkes also registered 13 runs off six balls, with the help of a boundary and a maximum. With this, New Zealand posted a total of 215 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Team India's Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav returned with two wickets each. Completing his quota of four overs, Arshdeep was smashed for 33 runs, whereas Kuldeep conceded 39 runs in four overs. Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi bagged one wicket each.
28 January,2026 11:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn 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 stated that 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 garnered 50 runs in 25 balls, with the help of five boundaries and three maximums. However, their knocks were not enough to help Sri Lanka cruise to victory. The hosts were bowled out for 304 runs in 46.4 overs. With this, the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 against Sri Lanka. T20 World Cup 2026: Group B and C teams Both the teams will soon engage in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. England is placed in Group C of the tournament along with Italy, Nepal, Scotland, and the West Indies. On the other hand, Group B consists of Australia, Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. England will begin their 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 08:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the T20 World Cup 2026, stalwart Rohit Sharma feels that having the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh is a big positive for Team India. He said that Arshdeep's biggest strength is swinging the ball and taking early wickets. "It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets. Arshdeep's biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets. He mainly bowls with the new ball and at the death. Starting and finishing are the most important phases, and he is strong in both," he told JioHotstar. "With the new ball, he swings it to get left-handers caught in the slips and targets the pads of right-handers. He has also started taking the ball away from right-handers. These skills are key for a new-ball bowler. He always tries to take wickets, which is why he bowls the first over," he added. The veteran then recollected how Arshdeep played a key role in the finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa. "In the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, he did a great job. I still remember he dismissed Quinton de Kock when he was set and batting well. In the 19th over, he gave away just two or three runs, which built pressure on the South Africans. That is his game, bowling with the new ball and at the death, and he will play a key role for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup," said the 38-year-old cricketer. T20 World Cup 2026: Group A teams Team India is placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2026 along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America (USA). The "Men in Blue" under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav will begin their campaign by playing a clash against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The high-voltage clash between Team India and Pakistan is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. It will be interesting to see if Team India manage to defend their T20 World Cup title. (With PTI Inputs)
28 January,2026 07:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the fourth T20I match against New Zealand, Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The "Men in Blue" will enter the clash with an aim of securing another win, whereas the "Black Caps" will play for pride. The hosts have made one change where Ishan Kishan will miss out on the clash due to niggle, and Arshdeep Singh is set to feature in the clash. After winning the toss, skipper Suryakumar said, "We’re choosing to bowl first because the wicket looks good and there was plenty of dew last night, with humidity still high. The ball should come on nicely, so chasing feels like the better option for us this evening. Our aim is to continue the positive habits we built last year and improve on what we did well in the last game. This is a beautiful venue with a fantastic crowd, and the boys are energised to put on a strong performance. We’ve made just one change—Arshdeep Singh returns as Ishan Kishan picked up a small niggle in the previous match. Axar still needs time, but with five solid bowling options, the batters know they must shoulder responsibility". On the other hand, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, "The pitch looks excellent again, and with the dew already settling, it may get tougher for bowlers later on. It’s special to be playing my 250th T20I, and this series has shown how quickly the scoring rates are climbing. India’s quality has been evident across the first three matches, so we know we must be sharper with the ball. We’ve seen how quickly they punish any mistakes, and on a wicket like this, discipline becomes even more important. Given the surface, we’ll need to put up a strong total to stay in the contest. The focus is on adapting quickly and setting the game up with a competitive score". IND vs NZ 4th T20I: Confirmed Playing XI India: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh. New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
28 January,2026 06:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
