In 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 correspondentIn the first ODI match against New Zealand, Team India skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. Team India's second-choice wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the entire three-match ODI series, as he has sustained a side strain (oblique muscle tear). Dhruv Jurel has been named as his replacement for the series. The fans will be excited to witness the elegant strokes from the bigwigs of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, Kristian Clarke is all set to make his ODI debut for the "Black Caps". After winning the toss, the hosts' skipper Gill said that participation in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy has helped several players to stay match-ready. "Our focus is on experimenting with combinations to understand what works best. The wicket looks promising, and batting could become more comfortable later with moisture settling in. Participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has helped players stay match-ready. We are going in with a deeper bowling unit, including three spin options with Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja," he said. New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell said that his team has spent enough time at the venue to adapt to the conditions. "Choosing to field initially would have been our preference. The squad has spent sufficient time at this venue, allowing us to adapt well to the surroundings. The infrastructure here is excellent and this tour carries significant importance for us. Representing New Zealand is always a matter of pride. Competing in similar subcontinental environments ahead of the World Cup offers invaluable preparation. Performing before passionate spectators adds to the excitement. The pitch appears balanced, though slightly slower compared to surfaces back home. Kristian Clarke and Adithya Ashok come into the lineup," said Bracewell. IND vs NZ 1st ODI: Confirmed Playing XI India: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna. New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (WK), Michael Bracewell (C), Zakary Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, and Adithya Ashok.
11 January,2026 01:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentVirat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s prime form is expected to drive India’s progress in ODIs as the full-strength hosts take on a new-look New Zealand in the first match of the three-match series here on Sunday. Even as focus remains on the T20 World Cup, which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days. There has been no dearth of game-time for the two superstars who played a couple of matches each in the Vijay Hazare Trophy’s league round, piling up big runs to underline that they are not going away anytime soon. Focus on Gill But it remains to be seen how India captain Shubman Gill responds after being axed from the T20 World Cup side, with his form being a concern apart from the injuries that kept him out of the majority of the series against South Africa late last year. Gill’s return, however, is likely to take Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the top order where he scored his maiden ODI ton in the last match vs South Africa. The return of Shreyas Iyer should end a largely unsuccessful run of experiments in the batting order, with the 31-year-old set to claim his No. 4 spot back. KL Rahul’s continued role as a lower-order batter and wicketkeeper is set to keep Rishabh Pant out of the XI, with the latter remaining second choice in the 50-overs format. While Iyer, Pant and Mohammed Siraj were not part of the preparations for the ODI series here in Kotambi until Saturday, Ravindra Jadeja trained at full tilt on Friday, signalling his availability. NZ seek experiments For New Zealand, their loss to India in last year’s Champions Trophy final carries little significance, as this series presents an ideal opportunity to test new and second-line players. Whether they have their preferred players available or not, the Black Caps will stick to the team mantra, which worked wonders in their last visit to India in 2024-25 when they hammered India 3-0 in the Test series. SixConsecutive 50-plus scores for Virat Kohli in List A matches. He has scored 584 runs in his last six innings, including three centuries and three half-centuries @ 146.00 2022The year New Zealand last won an ODI against India. Since then India have emerged victorious in seven consecutive matches while two games were washed out 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
11 January,2026 09:21 AM IST | Vadodara | PTIIndia batter and Delhi Capitals’s new skipper Jemimah Rodrigues is well known for making bowlers dance to her tunes with the bat on the field, but recently, thanks to a special gift from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, she can do the same off the field too. In a video Instagrammed by Rodrigues on Saturday, Gavaskar is seen gifting her a unique bat-shaped guitar, much to the delight of the 25-year-old, who could not hide her excitement as she unboxed the specially-crafted instrument. Rodrigues’s love for music is well documented as she often posts videos on social media playing the guitar and singing by herself or with teammates. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jemimah Jessica Rodrigues (@jemimahrodrigues) Rodrigues and Gavaskar then jammed together, a nod to the promise Gavaskar had made after India beat Australia in the semi-final of the Women’s ODI World Cup last year. The former opening batter had said that if India went on to win the tournament, he would have a jam session with Rodrigues, who had won the Player of the Match for her 127 against the mighty Aussies in the semis. India then beat South Africa in the final. “Sunil sir kept his promise and we ended up jamming with the coolest Bat-ar ever,” Rodrigues captioned her post.
11 January,2026 09:18 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru pace-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out for at least two weeks of the ongoing Women’s Premier League due to a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old, who last played a competitive game in the T20 World Cup in October 2024, was bough for Rs 85 lakh at the auction. 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
11 January,2026 09:06 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | PTIRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Smriti Mandhana passed on all the credit for their thrilling three-wicket win to all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, who starred with bat and ball against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening encounter of the Women’s Premier League 2026 on Friday. De Klerk hit a sublime 63 off 44 balls to clinch victory off the last ball of the match. Earlier, she also picked up 4-26 to restrict MI to a moderate total of 154-6. “It was a thriller. RCB are known for thrillers, and brilliant from Nadine [to win us this game]. Everyone was very positive, even when things were not going well. Nadine did all the work for us in the batting and bowling department,” said Mandhana. Nadine de Klerk. Pic/Atul Kamble Nadine, on her part, said it was all about making the most of the conditions and ‘cashing in.’ “If it is your day, you have to ensure you cash in. Glad to get the win,” said de Klerk, when asked if the feeling had sunk in.Just about coming in and backing your skills, and executing. Just sticking to my strengths... sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it does not. On these grounds, on these batting wickets, you just need to cash in,” said the South African. 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
11 January,2026 09:04 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | PTIMumbai Indians' Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur smashed unbeaten half-centuries, while pacer Nicola Carey ran through the middle order as the defending champions returned to winning ways, defeating Delhi Capitals by 50 runs in their Women's Premier League match here on Saturday. Sciver-Brunt hammered a 46-ball 70, while Harmanpreet -- smarting from a last-ball defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday -- slammed an unbeaten 74 off 42 balls as Mumbai Indians posted a fighting 195 for 4 on the back of fine form from the two stalwarts. Carey's (3/37) three-wicket haul in the middle overs, including the key dismissals of hard-hitter Shafali Verma (8) and Laura Wolvaardt (9) in the fifth over, reduced Delhi Capitals to 33 for 3, a collapse that soon worsened to 46 for 5 in the seventh over. DC finally folded up for 145 in 19 overs despite Chinelle Henry's rearguard 56 off 33 balls. England stalwart Sciver-Brunt, following her superb effort with the bat, also chipped in with two vital wickets giving away 29 runs, while Amelia Kerr, after disappointing with the bat, returned figures of 3/24 with the ball. Sciver-Brunt excels with bat A day after a below-par outing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 33-year-old all-rounder Sciver-Brunt roared back to form, smashing 13 boundaries in a fluent 46-ball 70. Sciver-Brunt, who scored four runs against RCB on Friday, anchored the defending champions' innings alongside skipper Harmanpreet, who was equally belligerent, striking eight boundaries and three sixes. The pair's 66-run partnership for the third wicket became the cornerstone of MI's competitive total, steadying the innings after opener Amelia Kerr's first-ball duck. Kerr's woes continued as she was trapped off an unnecessary expansive shot, edging a ball moving away from her behind to Lizelle Lee. However, Sciver-Brunt quickly turned the tide. She took aim at West Indian pacer Chinelle Henry, scoring 10 runs in the second over and adding two more boundaries in the fourth. Sciver-Brunt's 49-run partnership with opener Gunalan Kamalini helped steady the Mumbai innings. Kamalini looked to capitalise on the momentum, hitting two boundaries in the seventh over, before young Delhi Capitals right-arm pacer Nandani Sharma came around the wicket and tempted her with an almost wide yorker, resulting in Kamalini being caught behind. Despite Kamalini's dismissal, Sciver-Brunt continued to dominate, reaching her half-century off just 32 balls, with Harmanpreet ensuring she held the strike. The England stalwart punished anything short of a length and DC off-spinner Sneh Rana found this out the hard way in the 10th over, conceding two boundaries. The onslaught continued till Sciver-Brunt was dismissed, caught by DC skipper Jemimah Rodrigues off the bowling of Shree Charani. Harmanpreet then took charge. Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 195/4 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 74 not out, Nat Sciver-Brunt 70; Nandani Sharma 2-26, Chinelle Henry 1-32) beat Delhi Capitals 145 all out in 19 overs (Chinelle Henry 56; Amelia Kerr 3-24, Nicola Carey 3-37) by 50 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
11 January,2026 08:47 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | PTIThough UP Warriorz (UPW) hold the record for the highest Women’s Premier League total — 225-5 (vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru) — they failed to chase Gujarat Giants’s 207-4 at the DY Patil Stadium in their WPL-4 opening game on Saturday. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner (41-ball 65, 6x4, 3x6) and debutant Anushka Sharma (44 off 30 balls, 7x4), backed by a combined bowling effort, helped GG seal a close 10-run win. Litchfield smashes 78 UPW’s one-drop batter Phoebe Litchfield (40-ball 78, 8x4, 5x6) tried her best, but couldn’t take her team home. GG leg-spinner Georgia Wareham (2-30), who also scored an unbeaten 27 off 10 balls, dismissed skipper Meg Lanning (26) and Harleen Deol (0) in her second over. After the first Powerplay, UPW were 46-1. They needed 76 from the last six overs, but could only manage 197-8 eventually. GG’s Georgia Wareham during her 2-30 on Saturday Earlier, after being put into bat, Australia’s experienced campaigner Gardner and debutant Anushka made life difficult for the UPW bowlers. Batting at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, Anushka and Gardner shared 103 runs off just 63 balls. Though Madhya Pradesh batter Anushka, 22, missed out on a maiden half-century, she impressed everyone with her footwork, which helped her play cover drives, pulls and sweep shots with perfect timing. Even Gujarat coach Michael Klinger lavished praise on Anushka’s temperament. Michael Klinger “She’s still very young in her career. She’s had a good domestic season. This was her first WPL game and she played really well,” Klinger said at the post-match press conference. “From a batting coach’s lens, she’s got the game, temperament, attitude, characteristics and intent at the crease. If she keeps performing like this, playing for India, hopefully won’t be too far away, but she needs to keep putting in performances. She’s doing everything right at the moment. ‘Beautiful timing’ “I don’t want to make a big statement, but she’s going to be playing for India. She’s a fantastic cricketer, has time at the crease. She’s timing the ball beautifully and can hit both through and over the field,” he added. Meanwhile, UPW’s Litchfield felt the 208-run target was within reach. “It was definitely chaseable. There were a couple of moments where they [GG] strung a couple of dot balls together. When you have to go from Ball One at 10 [run per over], it went pretty quickly to 12 with our slow start. So I think potentially had we got off to a flyer in the Powerplay, it would have made it easier,” she said. 404Total number of runs scored in the match — the second-highest aggregate in WPL history OneThis is Gujarat Giants’s maiden win in an opening encounter, they lost their first match in last three editions Brief scoresGG 207-4 in 20 overs (A Gardner 65, A Sharma 44, S Devine 38; S Ecclestone 2-32) beat UPW 197-8 in 20 overs (P Litchfield 78, M Lanning 30; R Singh 2-25, G Wareham 2-30, Devine 2-55) by 10 runs
11 January,2026 08:43 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | Subodh MayureADVERTISEMENT
