In the WPL 2026 match against UP Warriorz, Royal Challengers Bengaluru emerged victorious by eight wickets at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. In an attempt to chase a target of 144 runs, RCB scored 147 runs for the loss of two wickets in 13.1 overs. The win also helped the Bengaluru-based franchise seal its berth in the title clash of the marquee tournament. Opening the innings, Grace Harris scored 75 runs in just 37 balls, including 13 boundaries and two maximums. Skipper Smriti Mandhana smashed an unbeaten 54 runs off just 27 deliveries. Her knock was also laced with eight boundaries and two maximums. Georgia Voll departed after scoring 16 runs in 15 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Along with Mandhana, wicketkeeper-batswoman Richa Ghosh stayed unbeaten without facing any ball. Warriorz's Shikha Pandey and Ash Sobhana managed to pick up one wicket each. Bowling four overs, Pandey conceded 36 runs, whereas Sobhana was smashed for 24 runs in two overs. Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, and Chloe Tryon went wicketless in the WPL 2026 match against UPW. Earlier, having put to bat first, skipper Meg Lanning played a brilliant knock of 41 runs in 30 balls, including six boundaries and a maximum. Wicketkeeper-batswoman Amy Jones scored one run in two balls. Harleen Deol departed after scoring 14 runs in 14 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Opening batswoman Deepti Sharma accumulated 55 runs off 43 deliveries, and also smashed six boundaries and a maximum. Chloe Tryon managed to score just six runs in seven balls, including a boundary. Shweta Sehrawat scored seven runs in 10 balls. With this, the Warriorz posted a total of 143 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. RCB's Nadine de Klerk returned with the figures of four wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Grace Harris registered two wickets for 22 runs in three overs. Lauren Bell also chipped in with one wicket and gave away 21 runs in her spell of four overs. On the other hand, Shreyanka Patil also claimed one wicket by conceding 27 runs.
29 January,2026 11:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the fourth T20I match against New Zealand, Team India suffered a defeat by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. During the match, Team India's Sanju Samson scored 24 runs in 15 balls, with the help of three boundaries and a maximum. In his last five T20I innings, Samson's highest score is 37, which came against South Africa in December last year. Speaking about him on JioStar, veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal feels that pressure should not be an excuse for Samson's failure. He also said that a player's failure can be acceptable in one or two matches, but not in four games. "Sanju Samson has played for many years. He started in the IPL middle-order, then became an opener. After playing international cricket for 10-12 years, pressure shouldn't be an excuse. He has had four chances in this series. I can accept failure in one or two matches, but not in three or four. He knows someone like Ishan Kishan, who is the backup and is batting well at number three, is waiting. Sanju will blame himself. He had four opportunities but could not make them count," he said. Considering that the T20 World Cup 2026 is just around the corner, the spinner feels that management should consider in-form Ishan Kishan for the opener's role if Samson is struggling to deliver performances. "However, there's no need to feel too bad because the T20 World Cup is still far. There's one more match against New Zealand. It now depends on the team management's thinking. If they feel Sanju is struggling as an opener and Ishan is doing well at number three, then the right call would be to make Sanju sit out and let Ishan Kishan take his spot as the opener and wicketkeeper in the final T20I," said the 35-year-old cricketer. The "Men in Blue" under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav have already sealed the series. They have a lead of 3-1 against the "Black Caps". IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Date and venue The fifth and final T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 31 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. (With ANI Inputs)
29 January,2026 08:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the WPL 2026 match against UP Warriorz, Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. After winning the toss, RCB skipper Mandhana said that the pitch seems to be suited for batting, considering their previous match against the Mumbai Indians. She also added that the players need to approach the game practically rather than emotionally. The skipper also said that a few defeats in such tournaments should not lead to overthinking and feels that her players should focus on rectifying the mistakes and avoiding unnecessary pressure. RCB has entered the clash with one change, where Pooja Vastrakar will come in place of Gautami Naik. Speaking about Vastrakar, Mandhana said that the 26-year-old cricketer is looking to make a comeback and is ready to bat. On the other hand, UPW captain Meg Lanning said that for her team, the ongoing clash will be treated as a final. She also added that the side needs to win every single match from here on to stay alive in the competition. The captain then said that they utilised the break, focusing on things they want to do better and getting time to practice. She is also hopeful that her team brings out its best form tonight. The Warriorz have entered the clash with two major changes. Phoebe Litchfield will miss out on the clash, and Amy Jones will come in her place, whereas Simran Shaikh will replace Kiran Navgire in the playing XI against RCB. Currently, the Bengaluru-based franchise is enjoying the top spot on the points table with 10 points and a net run rate (NRR) of +.947. RCB has played seven matches and has registered five wins and two losses. UP Warriorz have four points in six games. The side has suffered four losses and has emerged victorious on two occasions. The Lanning-led side has a net run rate (NRR) of -0.769. WPL 2026, RCB vs UPW: Confirmed Playing XI Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Nadine De Klerk, Arundhati Redy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell. UP Warriorz: Meg Lanning (C), Amy Jones, Simran Shaikh, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat (WK), Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud, Asha Sobhana.
29 January,2026 08:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the fourth T20I match against New Zealand, Team India suffered a defeat by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. After the match, the hosts' skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, said that the management purposely played with six batsmen, as they wanted to see how things would go if India lost early wickets while chasing a target of 180 or 200 runs. "I feel we purposely played six batters today. We wanted to have five perfect bowlers and wanted to challenge ourselves. Like for example, if we are chasing 200 or 180, and we wanted to see if we were two down or three down, how does it look? But then it is fine at the end of the day. And we wanted to play all the players who are part of the World Cup squad. Otherwise, we would have played other ones," said the skipper. Yadav also stated that he wanted the players to take responsibility while chasing. He is also hopeful of getting an opportunity to chase again. "We have been batting really well when we have batted first. So I wanted the guys to take that responsibility if we are chasing 180 or 200, and two wickets or three wickets are down and see how we bat. So it's a good challenge. Hopefully, if we get an opportunity again, we might chase again," added Suryakumar. Despite the loss in Visakhapatnam, the "Men in Blue" have sealed the series as they have a lead of 3-1. The fifth and final T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on Saturday at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. After the conclusion of the five-match T20I series, both the teams will engage in T20 World Cup 2026. The marquee event is scheduled to begin from February 7, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India's squad for the T20I series against New Zealand Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh. (With ANI Inputs)
29 January,2026 08:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the fourth T20I match against Team India, New Zealand emerged victorious by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The "Black Caps" had posted a total of 215 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. In an attempt to chase a target of 216 runs, the "Men in Blue" were bowled out for 165 runs in 18.4 overs. During the run chase, Team India's burly all-rounder Shivam Dube played a fiery knock of 65 runs off just 23 deliveries. His knock was laced with three boundaries and seven maximums. Speaking about his knock, Dube said that he has been practising to bat in similar situations, and he is also working on his mindset. "It is just the hard work which I am doing. I am getting better with my mindset because I am playing all those matches now and batting in situations like these. So all these things, that what is going to happen and what bowlers are going to come up against me, I know them really well," he said. Dube then credited Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Suryakumar Yadav for allowing him to sharpen his bowling skills. "I am bowling thanks to Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and Surya (captain Suryakumar Yadav). They have given me the bowling opportunity. So when you bowl, you become a little smart. So I am working on that as well. I am trying to develop some more skills," he added. Reflecting on his takedown of spinner Ish Sodhi in the 12th over — when he hammered three sixes and two fours to plunder 29 runs — Dube said there was no specific game plan, adding that he simply trusted his instincts. "I thought yes, it is difficult to hit spinners and he was bowling well. But I knew even he was a little scared and could bowl a few bad ones. So I was ready for that. I wanted to dominate at that point and I could," concluded the 32-year-old cricketer. The win also helped New Zealand register their first victory of the series, though the hosts have already sealed it with a 3–1 lead. IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Date and venue The fifth and final T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on Saturday at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. (With ANI Inputs)
29 January,2026 08:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTable-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 | PTIADVERTISEMENT
