December 31157 vs Goa off 75 balls Vijay Hazare Trophy Sarfaraz, who had already accumulated 220 runs in three VHT innings at a strike rate of 170.54, smashed 157 in just 75 balls as Mumbai posted a mammoth 444-8 to beat Goa by 87 runs on New Year’s eve in Jaipur. His innings at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground was laced with nine fours and 14 huge sixes. Mumbai lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (46) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (11) by the 21st over, before No. 4 Sarfaraz, along with his younger brother, No. 3 Musheer (60) stitched a 93-run stand off just 60 balls to set the platform for a big total. December 2655 vs Uttarakhand off 49 balls Vijay Hazare Trophy Sarfaraz notched up an important half-century, 55 off 49 balls, with the help of five fours and one six as Mumbai posted 331-7 against Uttarakhand at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Mumbai emerged victorious by 51 runs. In the next match against Chhattisgarh (Dec 29), Sarfaraz did not get an opportunity to bat as Mumbai emerged triumphant by nine wickets, comfortably chasing 142 in Jaipur. December 1673 vs RajasthanOFF 22 balls Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Just before the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Sarfaraz declared his intent, accumulating an impressive 329 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy at an amazing strike rate of 203.08. Again Rajasthan, he hammered six fours and seven sixes during a 22-ball 73 in a Super League Group ‘A’ encounter at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. He reached his half-century in a mere 15 balls as Mumbai went on to beat Rajasthan by three wickets after comfortably chasing 216-4 11 balls to spare. December 1464 vs HaryanaOFF 25 ballSSyed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Sarfaraz took just 25 balls to score 64 runs with the help of nine fours and three sixes as Mumbai chased down Haryana’s 234-4 in the 17.3 overs to emerge victorious by four wickets in this Super League Group ‘A’ game at Ambi near Pune. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal gave Mumbai a fine start with a 50-ball 101 (16x4 and 1x6). December 452 vs KeralaOFF 40 ballSSyed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Sarfaraz contributed a vital 52 off 40 balls with the help of eight fours and a six, but it wasn’t enough as Mumbai lost their Elite Group ‘A’ to Kerala by 15 runs in Lucknow. Chasing 178 for victory, besides Sarfaraz, opener Ajinkya Rahane (18-ball 32) and No.4 Suryakumar Yadav (25-ball 32), no other Mumbai batsman performed as they were bowled out for 163 in 19.4 overs. December 2100 not out vs AssamOFF 47 ballsSyed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy When Mumbai began proceedings in the Elite Group ‘A’ league stage in November, Sarfaraz was not part of the playing XI against Railways, Vidarbha, and Andhra. However, when he got picked against Assam, he made the most of the opportunity, hammering a 47-ball 100 not out to help Mumbai win by 98 runs. Sarfaraz hit eight fours and seven sixes en route his quickfire century.
02 January,2026 04:06 PM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAhead of the fifth and final Test match of the Ashes series against Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a 12-member squad. The "Three Lions" have made two changes from their previous squad for the fourth Test match in Melbourne. Spinner Shoaib Bashir and pacer Matthew Potts have been picked in the team for the fifth clash. The fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series is scheduled to be played from Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. So far, Bashir, who made his Test debut against Team India in 2024, has featured in 19 matches of the format. He has picked up 68 wickets with an average of 39.00. The 22-year-old cricketer also has two four-wicket and four five-wicket hauls in the longest format of the game. This is the first time that England has gone with a specialist spinner in the ongoing series. Earlier, the side had only a spin bowling option, which was all-rounder Will Jacks. Potts made his Test debut against New Zealand at iconic Lord's in June 2022. Since then, the right-arm pacer has played 10 matches, picking 36 wickets at an average of 29.44, including two four-wicket hauls. England's right-arm pacer Gus Atkinson is the only player missing from the side that defeated Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne by four wickets. Atkinson has been ruled out of the fifth Test due to a hamstring injury. Ahead of the fifth Test, veteran Australian opener Usman Khawaja confirmed that he will retire from international cricket after the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, beginning later this month, as confirmed by ESPNcricinfo. He represented Australia in 87 Test matches, scoring 6,206 runs at an average of 43.39. The left-handed batsman's longest format career also includes 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries across 157 innings. The Aussies have already clinched the series as they taken a lead by 3-1. England squad for the fifth Ashes Test Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue. (With ANI Inputs)
02 January,2026 03:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia's Test captain Pat Cummins congratulated traditional opening batsman Usman Khawaja on his incredible career after the left-handed batsman confirmed stepping away from international cricket after the conclusion of the fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series. During a press conference that lasted for 50 minutes on Friday, Khawaja said that the Test match in Sydney would be his last appearance in international cricket, according to ESPNcricinfo. So far, he has represented Australia in 87 Test matches and has scored 6206 runs with an average of 43.39. He also has 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries in the format. Cummins shared a story on his official social media handle, in which he urged Usman Khawaja to smash a century at home before retiring. "Congratulations on an incredible career mate. One more century to go," read the story's caption. The fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series is scheduled to be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Former Team India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan also wished Khawaja on his stunning career for Australia. "What a journey, @Uz_Khawaja. Good luck for the last Test in Sydney and everything that comes next," Dhawan wrote on X. What a journey, @Uz_Khawaja. Good luck for the last Test in Sydney and everything that comes next 🙌 — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) January 2, 2026 Speaking to the media at the SCG, Khawaja said the decision had been on his mind for some time and that discussions with his wife, Rachel, played a significant role in finalising it. "I've been thinking about it, not wholly, but for a while," Khawaja said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling in my head that this would be the last series. Khawaja revealed that Australian head coach Andrew McDonald had, until recently, still been considering ways to extend his Test career, including plans for future tours. "I talked to Rachel [Khawaja's wife] about it a fair bit, and I knew this was a big chance. I didn't leave the door fully shut, because I knew there was a chance I could play on. I know [coach] Andrew McDonald even right till the very end, when I told him a few days ago, he was still thinking about how I could get to India [in 2027]," said the 39-year-old cricketer. (With ANI Inputs)
02 January,2026 02:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Pakistan coach and Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie said that the sacking of Tim Nielsen as the high-performance red-ball coach was one of the issues with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which left him humiliated In April 2024, the PCB appointed Gillespie as the head coach for the team in Test cricket and former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten was also named as the head coach in white-ball formats. Former Australian head coach Tim Nielsen was also roped in as a high-performance coach in August 2024. Later, he was informed by the PCB that his services were no longer needed before the South Africa tour 2024-25. When a user on a social media platform asked Gillespie about why he left his role with the PCB, he wrote, "I was coaching the Pakistan Test side. The PCB sacked our senior assistant coach with ZERO communication with me about it- as Head Coach I found this situation completely unacceptable. There were a number of other issues which left me completely humiliated". In between his resignation and the exit of Kirsten, Gillespie had also served as the interim white-ball coach. Gillespie was succeeded by former Pakistan cricketer Aaqib Javed across formats, who was also serving on the selection panel. The former cricketer then explained how zero communication from the PCB, of not having a high-performance coach, led him to part ways with the board. "The straw that broke the camel's back, I suppose, was, as a head coach, you like to have clear communication with your employer. I was completely and utterly blindsided by a decision to not have a high-performance coach. Tim Nielsen was told that his services were no longer required and I had absolutely zero communication from anyone about that. And I just thought after a number of other things that had gone on in the previous few months, that was probably the moment where I thought, 'Well, I'm not really sure if they actually want me to do this job or not'," said Gillespie. Financial disputes between PCB and Gillespie According to ESPNCricinfo, the former Australia cricketer and PCB are now engaged in a financial dispute with the former coach, claiming he was not paid his dues, while the board claims he did not provide them with a four-month notice period as per their contract. (With PTI Inputs)
02 January,2026 01:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India's Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill, shared a post on his official social media handle in which he expressed gratitude for all the lessons and experiences he had in 2025. "2025, you were truly special to me. So many lessons, experiences, and memories to be grateful for. Carrying it all forward into 2026," read his post's caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ꮪhubman Gill (@shubmangill) The 26-year-old cricketer amassed a staggering 754 runs in five Tests at an average of 75.40, scoring four centuries and registering a career-best 269. His run spree saw him shatter multiple records, achievements that could fill an entire chapter in a traditional 'history of cricket' book within a single series. In Tests, he scored 983 runs in nine matches at an average of 70.21, with five centuries and a fifty. In 11 ODIs, he made 490 runs at an average of 49.00, with two centuries and fifties each. T20Is were his sole format of struggle, scoring just 291 runs in 15 innings with no fifty at an average of just over 24. Ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026, Gill has been dropped from the Indian squad. Although he is going through a lean patch in the shortest format of the game, the right-hander will be aiming to make a strong comeback to the side. Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma have received call-ups in the Indian side for the marquee tournament. The "Men in Blue" will engage in the white-ball series against the "Black Caps" from January 11. The series will see both teams clash against each other in three ODIs and five T20I matches. After concluding the series, Team India will head into the T20 World Cup 2026. They will begin their campaign by playing a clash against the United States on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The high-octane clash of the tournament between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. (With ANI Inputs)
02 January,2026 11:41 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia's veteran opening batsman, Usman Khawaja, announced that the fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series will be his last international appearance for the side. Over the years, Usman, along with David Warner, had provided stability, but after the latter's retirement, Australia have tried several options at the top but has tasted limited success. Khawaja has almost opened the innings with five different batsmen after Warner's retirement. The constant attempts by the Australian management to fill in Warner's shoes have now put themselves under pressure to find another player to match Khawaja's ability. Currently, players such as Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, and Sam Konstas can emerge as better options to replace Khawaja and Warner at the top. However, the question arises whether these players can sustain their consistency for a long period. Despite rough patches in his career, Khawaja's presence has always provided stability in Australia's batting lineup, but with him stepping away from international cricket, it will be interesting to see which players form Australia's new opening pair. Khawaja made the announcement of him drawing curtains on his career at the media conference. Speaking at the conference, he said, "I guess moving into this series, I had an inkling this would be the last series. I'm glad I can go out on my own terms". Usman Khawaja's statistics The left-hander has made 87 Test appearances for Australia and has smashed 6206 runs, with a top score of 232 runs. He also has 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries to his name in the format. The 39-year-old cricketer also featured in 40 ODI matches and garnered 1554 runs. With a career best score of 104 runs, he also has two tons and 12 half-centuries. Khawaja also represented Australia in nine T20I matches and has accumulated 241 runs, including a top score of 58 runs. He has just one half-century to his name in the shortest format of the game. The fifth and final Test match of the Ashes series is scheduled to be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia has already retained the title by taking a lead of 3-1 against the England.
02 January,2026 11:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Sujay ShivalkarAustralia's traditional opening batsman, Usman Khawaja, has announced his retirement from international cricket after the fifth Test match of the ongoing Ashes series. While announcing his retirement, the left-hander, who was the first Muslim to play for the Aussies, criticised the racial stereotyping that he experienced in his career. Speaking at the media conference, the cricketer said that after sustaining back spasms, he dealt with the former players' comments for about five days. "Different in the way I've been treated, different in how things have happened. I had back spasms, it was something I couldn't control. The way the media and the past players came out and attacked me . . . I copped it for about five days straight," he said. "Once the racial stereotypes came in, of me being lazy, it was things I've dealt with my whole life. Pakistani, West Indian, colored players...we're selfish, we only care about ourselves, we don't care about the team, we don't train hard enough," added Khawaja. He then explained how no media criticised the Australian players, who injured themselves after having schooners, but raised questions on Usman Khawaja's credibility when he sustained any injury. "I can give you countless number of guys who have played golf the day before a match and have been injured, but you guys haven't said a thing. I can give you even more examples of guys who have had 15 schooners (large glasses of beer) the night before a game and have then been injured, but no one said a word because they were just being Aussie larrikins,' they were just being lads. But when I get injured, everyone went at my credibility and who I am as a person," he expressed. The left-handed opening batsman then said that he is glad that he can draw curtains on his career on his own terms. "I guess moving into this series, I had an inkling this would be the last series. I'm glad I can go out on my own terms," said the 39-year-old cricketer. The fifth and final Test match of the Ashes series is scheduled to be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. (With AP Inputs)
02 January,2026 10:44 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentRishabh Pant’s form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy with just one half-century in four matches, but if he is dropped for the upcoming New Zealand series without being given even one ODI game in the last 18 months, it could be deemed as slightly harsh from the Ajit Agarkar-led committee. The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara, and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad. It is an open secret that at least one member in the Indian team management doesn’t exactly like Pant’s high-risk high-reward batting template and would like him to employ a more traditional way of batting. But dropping a second-choice glovesman without giving him a fair go could obviously lead to more questions being asked without tangible answers being provided. In 2025, Pant didn’t play a single ODI, although he was part of the Champions Trophy squad as well as in the series against South Africa last month. While Ruturaj Gaikwad, a specialist opener, was tried at No. 4, Pant was left cooling his heels during all the three games. Pant has played only 31 ODIs since his debut in 2018. Since his return in 2024, post-accident. Pant has only one significant score — 70 — in four Vijay Hazare Trophy games, while the flavour of the season, Ishan Kishan hit 14 sixes in Jharkhand’s opening game against Karnataka, batting in the middle-order. OneNo of ODIs played by Rishabh Pant in the last 18 months, post his return from a life-threatening accident. He scored six in the lone ODI against SL in August 2024
02 January,2026 10:11 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIUnseasonal rainfall forced the abandonment of all Round-Two matches of the Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Giles Shield tournament on Thursday. The waterlogged Karnataka Sporting Association ground and Azad Maidan were deemed unsafe for play by the umpires. MSSA secretary Nadeem Memon announced that every team will be awarded a point each. “Due to the continuous rain, we were not able to continue as per the umpires. We will eventually award each team one point,” Memon 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
02 January,2026 09:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus Vedanayagam4-10 vs West Indies, Gros Islet, 2019 After winning the first T20I of the five-match series, India romped to a 10-wicket victory in the second game, thanks to a Player-of-the-Match performance by Deepti. Her off-spin cleaned up the middle and lower order, including top-scorer Chedean Nation (32), and helped India restrict West Indies to 103-7. Openers Shafali Verma (69 not out) and Smriti Mandhana (30 not out) made light work of the 104-run target, reaching it in just 10.3 overs. 3-7 vs Thailand, Sylhet, 2022 Riding on Shafali Verma’s 42 and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 36, India posted 148-6 in the Women’s Asia Cup tie. Deepti then bamboozled Thailand’s top order, dismissing openers Nannapat Koncharoenkai (5) and Natthakan Chantham (4), as well as No. 4 batter Sornnarin Tippoch (5). The all-rounder also effected the run out of Onnicha Kamchomphu (2). Thailand were ultimately restricted to 74-9. 3-8 vs South Africa, Surat, 2019 In the first game of the six-match series, India posted a middling 130-8, helped by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 43. In the second innings, Deepti bagged her maiden three-wicket haul in T20Is, dismissing Tazmin Brits (3), Nadine de Clerk (0), and Shabnim Ismail (6) to help India bowl SA out for 119 (19.5 overs). Shikha Pandey (2-18), Poonam Yadav (2-25), and Radha Yadav (2-29) claimed two wickets apiece. Deepti’s wickets by country >> 29 vs Australia>> 25 vs England>> 21 vs Sri Lanka>> 20 vs West Indies>> 16 vs South Africa>> 11 vs Bangladesh>> 9 vs Pakistan>> 7 vs Thailand>> 6 vs New Zealand>> 3 vs Nepal>> 2 vs UAE>> 2 vs Ireland>> 1 vs Malaysia
02 January,2026 09:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan ShankarIndia’s power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma entered the New Year in style, sporting chic formal outfits in their latest Instagram post on Thursday. Ace batter Kohli, 37, opted for a white tee within a matching navy blue jacket and trouser while his better half, Bollywood star Anushka, 37, shimmered in a little black dress and frilly skirt, with a jet black handbag complimenting her attire. Virat and Anushka first met while filming a shampoo commercial in 2013 and continued to keep in touch thereafter, with their rapidly evolving bond finally culminating in marriage in 2017. They have two children, Vamika, four, and Akaay, 11 months. Kohli will next be seen in action while playing for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11. Meanwhile, Anushka is expected to be seen in the movie ‘Chakda ’Xpress’ — a biopic on the former Indian Women’s team pacer Jhulan Goswami. However, there’s no clarity over its release date with some reports claiming it will be an OTT release rather than a theatrical one. 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
02 January,2026 09:48 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
