Khel Updates 24

  “Go out there, enjoy yourselves, back your skills.” Meg Lanning kept her message simple after UP Warriorz slipped to three consecutive defeats. The Australian legend, who has guided teams to three runners-up finishes in previous WPL seasons, joined a new franchise in 2026 — but the campaign started with familiar frustration. That changed two nights ago when UP Warriorz stunned Mumbai Indians and finally put points on the board, breaking their run of losses. With the league’s tight schedule and just five teams competing, they now have a quick opportunity to build on that win and aim for a double over Harmanpreet Kaur’s side in the first match of Saturday’s double-header. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, are unlikely to overreact despite their latest setback. They sit second on the table with two wins and two losses, and will hope that an afternoon start helps their strong batting unit find rhythm again. Given their pedigree — winners of two of the three WPL titles so far — MI know ho...

James Coles produced a brilliant all-round performance on debut to help Sunrisers Eastern Cape secure a dominant bonus-point win over Joburg Super Kings, becoming the first team to reach the SA20 2026 playoffs. After being sent in to bat, SEC posted a solid 178/5 on a surface that offered grip and slow turn. Quinton de Kock and Jonny Bairstow gave the innings an early push, and de Kock continued the charge with a fluent 54 off 37 balls — his third fifty of the season. With SEC cruising at 88/1 after 10 overs, Donovan Ferreira dragged JSK back into the contest by striking twice in the same over, removing Jordan Hermann and de Kock. That brought debutant Coles to the crease. He was initially watchful alongside Tristan Stubbs, as SEC crawled to 129/4 at the end of 16 overs. But after the strategic timeout, Coles shifted momentum dramatically, attacking Richard Gleeson and Nandre Burger with crisp boundaries. His 29-ball half-century powered SEC to a competitive finish on a tricky surfac...

Daryl Mitchell produced a commanding unbeaten 131 to guide New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over India, setting up a series decider in Indore. His match-winning effort overshadowed KL Rahul’s fighting 112*, which had lifted India to a competitive 284 after a major mid-innings slump. New Zealand, chasing 285 to end an eight-match losing streak against India in ODIs, suffered early setbacks. Devon Conway was bowled by Harshit Rana for 16, and Henry Nicholls inside-edged Prasidh Krishna onto his stumps for 10, leaving the visitors at 46/2 in the 13th over. Mitchell then joined Will Young, and the pair completely changed the game with a superb 162-run third-wicket partnership. Young played the stabilising role with a composed 87 off 98 deliveries, while Mitchell took charge, regularly finding boundaries to keep the chase under control. Dew on the outfield made life harder for India’s bowlers as the ball skidded on, offering little grip or movement. Mitchell broke a prolonged boundary dr...

Virat Kohli has overtaken Rohit Sharma to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the ICC men’s ODI batting rankings after scoring a decisive 93 off 91 balls in India’s successful chase of New Zealand’s 300 in the first ODI in Vadodara. This latest update marks the 11th time Kohli has reached the top of the ODI rankings. He first achieved the No. 1 position back in October 2013 and has now accumulated 825 days at the summit — the longest for any Indian batter. Overall, he ranks tenth in the all-time list, which is led by Vivian Richards, who spent an incredible 2306 days as the top-ranked ODI batter. Kohli’s form has been exceptional recently. Leading into the Vadodara match, he posted scores of 74 , 135, 102, and 65 ** in his last four ODIs — the only international format he continues to play. Rohit slips to No. 3; Mitchell moves up Rohit Sharma has not only surrendered the No. 1 ranking but has dropped two spots to No. 3 after scoring just 26 in the series opener. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell,...

  Rubin Hermann and Dan Lawrence powered Paarl Royals to a dramatic last-ball, six-wicket victory over Durban’s Super Giants, moving the Royals up to second place in the standings and putting DSG’s playoff hopes under heavy pressure. Chasing 187 on a pitch that has challenged batters all season, Hermann and Lawrence turned the game with a dominant 106-run partnership off just 61 balls for the third wicket. Their stand shifted momentum sharply and helped the Royals record the highest successful chase at the venue . Earlier, after David Miller chose to bowl, DSG gained a rapid start through Sunil Narine, who smashed 22 off 11 before Mujeeb Ur Rahman removed him. Captain Aiden Markram stabilized the innings with a composed 66 off 46, adding 76 for the third wicket with David Bedingham. Markram’s dismissal late in the innings did little to slow DSG’s progress, as Heinrich Klaasen (29 off 18) and Liam Livingstone (32 off 10) delivered a powerful finish, carrying the total to 186/5 — ...

  Harmanpreet Kaur took full advantage of Gujarat Giants’ sloppy fielding display as Mumbai Indians maintained their flawless record against the franchise, making it 8 wins from 8 encounters. Despite Gujarat posting an impressive 192/5 and controlling phases of the second innings, their repeated errors allowed the MI captain to take charge and steer her side to their highest-ever successful chase in WPL history. Gujarat, batting first, delivered another strong performance — this time as a collective effort rather than relying on Sophie Devine or any single standout contribution. MI suffered an early setback when wicketkeeper G Kamalini dropped a straightforward chance, giving Beth Mooney an early life. Mooney capitalised with early boundaries, and Devine added to the momentum with two fours of her own. However, Shabnim Ismail, frustrated after the earlier drop, came back strongly to dismiss Devine with help from a sharp catch by Kamalini, who redeemed herself. Kanika Ahuja came out...

  The much-talked-about “Ro-Ko” phenomenon—fuelled by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s continued dominance—has now arrived in Rajkot, where anticipation is at its peak. A packed Niranjan Shah Stadium is expected on Tuesday, continuing the nationwide excitement seen since the promotional campaign began last October. Interestingly, the surge of interest in this ODI series has sparked renewed enthusiasm for the 50-over format, previously considered to be losing its charm. Full stadiums, strong viewership, and rising commercial momentum all suggest that the combined star power of Rohit and Kohli has played a major role in reviving the format. Both senior players show no signs of slowing down despite being well into their 30s. Kohli has been in sublime form—his innings in Baroda highlighted yet another record-chasing performance, though he narrowly missed a century. Rohit, too, has remained aggressive at the top, quickly dismissing suggestions that he had altered his high-intent approach ...

  Four USA cricketers of Pakistani origin—Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin, and Ehsan Adil—are still waiting for visa clearance to travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The group recently completed their scheduled visa appointments at the Indian High Commission in Colombo. The four players are currently in Sri Lanka with the USA national squad as part of their final preparation phase for the February tournament. They attended their appointments on Tuesday (January 13), but visas were not issued immediately. However, officials clarified that this does not indicate a rejection. Instead, their applications remain under assessment according to standard procedures. ICC sources confirmed that all necessary documents were submitted correctly ahead of the scheduled interviews. An official explained: “The players completed their appointments this morning at the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka and submitted all required paperwork. During the appointment, they were informed t...

  The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Tuesday (January 13) that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked them to reconsider their decision regarding participation in the T20 World Cup 2026. The request came during a virtual meeting between senior BCB officials and ICC representatives earlier in the day. Bangladesh’s involvement in the tournament has become uncertain after the BCB formally asked the ICC to shift their matches from India to co-host Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. Their request followed the BCCI’s directive to IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman due to escalating political tensions between India and Bangladesh. Representing BCB in the meeting were President Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, Director and Chairman of Cricket Operations Nazmul Abedin, and CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury. In an official statement, the BCB said, “During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its decision not to ...