Category: Cricket

On Saturday, the Mumbai Indians (MI) celebrated winning their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title by beating the Delhi Capitals (DC) by just eight runs. This match was held at the Brabourne Stadium and was a repeat of last year’s final.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the MI captain, played an amazing game, scoring 66 runs off 44 balls, which was the best score in MI’s total of 149 runs for 7 wickets. Over the season, she scored 302 runs, the highest among the top five players, and her performances helped MI shine with great all-round players. One of them, Nat Sciver-Brunt, was the tournament’s top scorer and also took three wickets in the final.

As Sciver-Brunt defended a tricky 14 runs in the last over, MI players cheered and huddled together. Sadly for DC, this was their third final loss, all against MI. Even though the total runs seemed a bit low, MI had a strong chance to defend their score, and they needed to get DC’s strong opening batsmen out early.

Nat Sciver-Brunt took the first breakthrough by bowling out Meg Lanning with a clever delivery. In the next over, Shafali Verma was out LBW thanks to a perfect delivery from Shabnim Ismail. With both openers dismissed early, DC was in a tough spot. They needed a good partnership to recover, but Amelia Kerr struck again, getting Jess Jonassen to edge a catch.

After Jess, Annabel Sutherland was run out, and the pressure was on Jemimah Rodrigues. She tried to fight back with a couple of good shots but was out when aiming to push a simple delivery from Kerr. Soon, Sarah Bryce was also out due to a run-out, and it was left to Marizanne Kapp and Niki Prasad to get DC back in the game. Kapp played well, hitting 17 runs in one over, but after she got out, the chances for DC faded quickly.

Earlier, Kapp chose to bowl first, which paid off as she and Shikha Pandey bowled tightly, troubling MI’s openers. Kapp got Hayley Matthews out, and the MI batters struggled, crawling to just 20 runs after the first six overs.

Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt worked together to recover for MI, scoring run after run. Sciver-Brunt became the first player to score over 500 runs in a single WPL season. Harmanpreet’s shots were impressive, and she completed her half-century in just 33 balls.

Though MI lost a few wickets towards the end, Harmanpreet had already done enough to secure the win. It was a great night for Mumbai Indians as they took home the trophy again!

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) just got a big boost ahead of the IPL 2025 season. All-rounder Nitish Reddy has passed his fitness test after healing from a side strain injury.

He couldn’t play for India in the Champions Trophy because of this injury, but now he is back in shape and scored 18 on the Yo-Yo test, which measures fitness levels. His return is exciting for SRH, especially since they lost in the finals against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year.

With Reddy back, SRH improves its batting and bowling strength, making them a stronger candidate to win the IPL 2025 title. The IPL will start on March 22, and SRH aims to set things right after last year’s defeat.

Nitish, who was kept by SRH in the mega-auction, will join the team’s practice camp starting Sunday. He had a solid performance in the 2024 IPL season, scoring 303 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 142.2 and taking three wickets.

Recently, Reddy played a practice match and bowled without any pain. The BCCI medical team looked after him, but his recovery took longer than expected.

At just 25 years old, Reddy has already made a mark, debuting in a T20I against Bangladesh and impressing the selectors. He even became the first Indian to score a century in Australia while batting at No. 8 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024.

Reddy started his IPL journey in 2023 but had a quiet season. However, last season he was crucial for SRH reaching the finals. With Reddy’s return, SRH is eager to kick off the IPL 2025 season strong.

Once, Pakistan was a mighty force in cricket, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Legendary players like Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, and Javed Miandad frightened teams all around the world, particularly their biggest rival, India. But today, that glory seems like a long time ago.

Recent performances of the national team have been disappointing. They had early exits from the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy. Even losing a home Test series to Bangladesh showed how far they had fallen. While a win against England brought a little joy, it was clouded by a last-minute decision to change the pitch, raising many questions.

The poor showing of the Pakistan cricket team has put heavy pressure on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials. In the last few years, the PCB has seen many leaders come and go—big names like Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi have all been in charge, but the team still struggles.

Ehsan Mani, who led the PCB from 2018 to 2021, shared his thoughts, saying there’s no lack of talent in Pakistan cricket. He believes the problem lies in how the cricket system is organized. “We have lots of cricket but not enough good cricket. We need to improve how cricket is played in Pakistan,” he said.

Lately, the captaincy of the team has been unstable, jumping from Babar Azam to Shaheen Afridi and back again. Coaches are also stepping down, leaving behind questions about leadership and direction.

Mani believes a strong leader at the top is crucial. “Leadership must come from the chairman and the board, and there should be a clear plan for the team,” he said.

Recently, Shahid Afridi, a former captain, made a bold claim, saying the current PCB chairman admitted he doesn’t know much about cricket. Afridi warned that Pakistan cricket is in a very bad position and needs accountability. However, Mani disagrees with this criticism, stressing the importance of strong leadership instead.

Concerns about Champions Trophy Hosting

Pakistan hosted the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in 2025 but under unusual conditions, with some matches moved to Dubai. The schedule was announced only two months before the event, which Mani criticized. He felt the ICC should have planned better considering the current relationship between India and Pakistan.

Even after the tournament, there were discussions about whether India had unfair advantages from playing in familiar surroundings. Mani disagreed, saying the pitch was the same for everyone and the decision was made by the ICC.

Looking forward, matches between India and Pakistan during ICC events are now set to happen at neutral venues, with Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 games in Sri Lanka instead of India. Mani points out that this is a decision made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

In conclusion, there is still hope for Pakistan cricket if the PCB focuses on strong leadership and a clear vision for the future.

India’s cricket star, Varun Chakaravarthy, has come back strong after facing tough times. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, he didn’t perform well and didn’t take any wickets, which made him feel very low. After the tournament, he received threatening messages from fans saying he shouldn’t come back to India. He even had people following him home on bikes, which was scary for him.

Varun shared how he struggled with depression after the World Cup because he felt he let everyone down. It took him three years to get picked again for the team, and he worked hard during that time to improve his skills. Recently, he showed everyone how much he has grown by taking nine wickets in the Champions Trophy. In this important tournament, he helped the team win the title by playing really well, including getting five wickets against New Zealand.

Varun said he changed his daily routine and practiced a lot more after the World Cup. He used to practice hitting 50 balls during each session but began practicing double that amount. He felt happy when he finally got the call to join the team again. Varun wants to keep growing and improving, and he feels thankful for the positive attention he is now receiving compared to the past. Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes Varun was the best player in the tournament and deserved a special award.

Yuzvendra Chahal, the talented leg-spinner from India, is coming back to play for Northamptonshire in 2025. After playing with the Punjab Kings in the IPL, Chahal will join the English county team once again. Northamptonshire announced this exciting news on Thursday.

Chahal will start playing for Northamptonshire on June 22, with a home game against Middlesex. However, he will miss the first seven matches of the season, which begins on April 4. Before heading to England, he will lead the Punjab Kings’ bowling team in the IPL from March 22 to May 25.

His return comes just as India is gearing up for an important five-Test series in England that starts on June 20, but Chahal is not currently part of India’s Test plans. He had a great time with Northamptonshire in 2024, taking 19 wickets in just four County Championship matches. He also made a mark in the One-Day Cup with a memorable five-wicket haul against Kent and a career-best performance of 9 for 99 against Derbyshire.

“I’m very happy to be coming back because I loved my time here last season,” Chahal said. “There are amazing people in the team, and I can’t wait to play with them again. We played very well towards the end of the last season, and I hope we can win some matches this time.”

Darren Lehmann, the head coach of Northamptonshire, welcomed Chahal back, saying, “I am really excited that one of the best leg-spinners in the world is returning. He brings a lot of experience and is a great person who loves the game. Having him with us from mid-June onwards will be fantastic.”

Chahal will return to play on March 25 for the Punjab Kings, after making history by becoming the most expensive spinner ever in the IPL with a bid of ₹18 crore.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC). This happened after there was a problem during the final of the Champions Trophy, where their COO, Sumair Ahmed, was not invited to the trophy presentation ceremony.

In the final match held in Dubai, India beat New Zealand to win the Champions Trophy for the third time. Since PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was not at the match, Sumair went instead as their representative. However, the ICC did not call him to the stage, ignoring his presence completely.

During the ceremony, BCCI president Roger Binny gave white jackets to the Indian players and handed out medals. Meanwhile, ICC chairman Jay Shah presented the trophy to Indian captain Rohit Sharma and awarded the winning team.

A PCB official said, “We’ve filed a complaint because what happened is unacceptable.” However, the ICC is unlikely to give a formal response to the PCB. According to ICC sources, protocols led to Sumair being left out. They explained that only certain high-ranking officials are usually invited on stage, and since Sumair is not a top office-holder, he was not included.

The PCB finds this explanation unreasonable and has called for an official public clarification. They believe that being ignored was disrespectful to Pakistan, the host nation.

They are waiting for an apology and assurance that such treatment won’t occur again, warning that they may take the matter to the Board of Governors if necessary.

Rishabh Pant, the famous Indian wicket-keeper, believes that while the Indian Premier League (IPL) is exciting, young cricketers should always aim to play for their country first. Pant, who was part of India’s Champions Trophy winning team but didn’t get to play, made his international debut in 2017.

“When I was a kid, my only dream was to play for India. I never thought about the IPL. Now, everyone is focusing more on it. The IPL is great, but if you want to play for your country, everything else, including the IPL, will come later,” Pant shared in an interview with JioHotstar.

He is grateful for his chance to play for India at just 18 years old. Pant is known for his exciting style of play, even hitting a one-handed six at times. He explained why his bat sometimes slips from his hands. “I hold my bottom hand lightly to keep it from taking control. I grip my top hand tightly. But when I might reach too far—like if the ball is too wide—I’m willing to take risks, even if it’s a 30-40% chance to succeed. In that moment, my goal is just to hit the ball as far as I can,” he explained.

Pant also mentioned that doing gymnastics as a kid helped him in cricket. “My gymnastics coach always said it would be useful. Our fitness trainer once thanked him, saying what I learned still helps me today,” Pant said. He continues to practice and believes it has greatly improved his fitness for cricket.

Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has raised important concerns about cricket in Pakistan. He claims that the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, admitted he doesn’t know much about cricket. This revelation comes after the Pakistani cricket team had a disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, where they lost to New Zealand and India. Their last game against Bangladesh was canceled due to rain, leaving Pakistan at the bottom of their group.

People are criticizing everything about the team’s performance, including the coach Aaqib Javed and his choices for players. Notably, Pakistan only took one main spin bowler, Abrar Ahmed, to the tournament, which was hosted by Pakistan.

Afridi urged Naqvi to work with experts in cricket instead of bureaucrats who don’t understand the game. He mentioned that he met Naqvi and appreciated the improvements made at the Gaddafi Stadium but emphasized that a lack of cricket knowledge among PCB officials could hurt the team.

Afridi pointed out that many current members of the PCB’s selection committee have no real experience in cricket. He believes they should strengthen the domestic cricket system in Pakistan because a better foundation will lead to a stronger national team. Afridi stated, “If the guardian is good, the child will automatically be good,” suggesting that good leadership leads to better players.

Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the caretaker minister of the Pakistan government, took over as PCB chairman last year. Under his leadership, Pakistan’s cricket team also failed to advance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.