Cricket world

Deepti Sharma. Image : X By Trisha Ghosal in Guwahati The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 began with a familiar Indian script — Deepti Sharma holding the innings together and then dismantling the opposition with the ball. On a sluggish Guwahati surface that demanded application and awareness, Deepti once again showcased why she remains India’s most reliable all-rounder.  India’s batting had its moments of stutter. After Smriti Mandhana departed early and the middle order wobbled against disciplined Sri Lankan bowling, it was Deepti who walked in with intent but without panic. She first found an ally in Amanjot Kaur, who, returning from injury, played within herself while Deepti rotated strike and picked gaps with precision. Their stand repaired India’s innings, shifting the scoreboard from a precarious crawl to steady progress. When Amanjot fell, Deepti’s task only grew harder. Sneh Rana joined her in the middle and together the pair stitched a partnership that combined ...

India kickstart their campaign with a win over Sri Lanka. (PC: X/BCCI Women) Snehasis Mukherjee in Guwahati India began their home ODI World Cup journey with a convincing 59-run win over Sri Lanka at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. They posted 269/8 in 47 overs, but with rain interruptions and the DLS method, Sri Lanka were given a revised target of 271 in 47 overs. The bowlers knew an early wicket was key, and Kranti Gaud delivered. In the seventh over, she removed Hasini Perera for 14. After that, skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama built a steady 52-run stand for the second wicket. Athapaththu looked dangerous, especially against Deepti Sharma. She smashed the all-rounder for two sixes and two fours. But Deepti struck back, dismissing the Sri Lankan captain for 43 to turn the game. India tightened their grip with regular strikes. In back-to-back overs (23rd and 24th), Sri Lanka lost Samarawickrama (29 off 45) and Vishmi Gunaratne (11 off 28). Hopes then r...

Pandya (PC: X/ICC) India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has said he is very disappointed to have missed the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan. In a video posted by the BCCI, Pandya praised the Indian team for their outstanding performance, which secured them the title. “I was very gutted to miss the most important game, but the way the boys played was outstanding. They showed a lot of character,” said Pandya in the BCCI video. Although Pakistan set a modest target, the match still went down to the final over. Pandya added that such situations will help the team learn to handle pressure better in the future. “These games are going to help us in the long run, where we will be tested and put under pressure. The way we held our nerves was fantastic,” said Pandya. Abhishek Sharma was in destructive form throughout the tournament, amassing 314 runs at an average of 44.85. Pandya applauded his fearless approach. “Outstanding effort by Abhishek from the top – the way he played and the f...

Afghanistan’s_Exiled_Women_Cricketers (PC: X) Afghanistan’s exiled women cricketers will be among the spectators at the opening match of the Women’s World Cup 2025 between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday . These players are currently living in Australia , where they play in the local league s , because they are not officially recognised by Afghanistan’s cricket board. Their presence at the A ssam C ricket A ssociation (ACA) Stadium will be the first attempt to include them in the international cricket set – up . According to ACA President Taranga Gogoi, preparations are on to welcome the special visitors. “[BCCI secretary] Devajit Saikia knows the details ,” Gogoi told ESPNcricinfo. “He will guide us and we are awaiting more details. The Afghanistan players will be here tomorrow and we will make arrangements for that.” The International Cricket Council ( ICC ) has not made any kind of public announcement about th is. But earlier this...

Revsportz team with Suryakumar Yadav after the Ind vs Pak final. Image : Revsportz   Boria Majumdar in Dubai It was 3am Dubai time and Suryakumar Yadav had just finished eating some food when he walked into the room at the Taj where we had planned the interview. He had a chocolate cake in his hand and said to me, “ Dada, aap ke liye hai. Aaj to banta hai [This is for you. Today, it’s a must].” That was what started the conversation. And Surya did not hold back. “I will not lie to you,” he told me. “If you measured my heartbeat at that time, it would have been 150 plus [beats a minute]. At one point, from overs 11-12, I kept pacing up and down in the dressing room. I just couldn’t sit with all the tension. And I told the coaches: how can you deal with this? There was a lot of pressure.” That’s what India dealt with better. Even at 20-3, not once did the team lack belief. In fact, India were confident because they had the extra batter. “It was Gauti bhai ’s call,” said Sury...

Tilak and Dube forged a 60-run stand for the fifth wicket. (PC: X/BCCI) In sport, one mistake can change the script. And that is what exactly happened in the iconic India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. In the 14th over, Tilak Varma (69 not out) survived a run out chance.  Thereon, he never looked back as he steered India to a famous five-wicket win over their arch-rivals as they chased down the target of 148 in the final over. Shivam Dube gave Tilak the required support. In the 15th over, he tonked Haris Rauf for a four and a six. In the 18th over, while facing the same bowler, he smashed one over mid-wicket. Dube did lose his wicket to Faheem Ashraf but Tilak showed nerves of steel by tonking Haris for a six. Rinku Singh provided the finishing touches with a boundary. On expected lines, Rinku ran around the ground to celebrate the victory. The groundwork for India’s chase was laid by Tilak and Sanju Samson with a stand of 57. Tilak, who joined forces with Samson when India were in...

South Africa Women (PC: Proteas Women) Trisha Ghosal in Guwahati South Africa, under Laura Wolvaard, look like a solid side. They have consistently been there and thereabouts, reaching semi-finals and finals of ODI and T20I World Cups, but have not yet managed to win the trophy. The men’s team carried the same tag until the Temba Bavuma-led side lifted the World Test Championship in June this year. 2025 has been a year of breaking curses, and the Wolvaardt-led Proteas will hope to do the same. Here’s the SWOT analysis of the side: Strengths Opening pair Tazmin Brits and  Wolvaardt have both been in exceptional form. Brits, in fact, comes into the World Cup on the back of three consecutive centuries. Her partner and captain, Wolvaardt, has not been far behind either. The two complement each other. Brits takes the attack to the bowlers, while Wolvaardt takes her time and anchors for a longer innings. Since January 2024, they are the second-highest run-scoring opening pair in...

 Snehasis Mukherjee in Guwahati Bangladesh earned their place in the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup through the qualifiers, alongside Pakistan. This will be their second successive ODI World Cup appearance. Under Nigar Sultana Joty’s leadership, they will look to put up a fight. Here is the SWOT analysis of their squad: Strengths Captain Joty will be crucial with the bat. In 2025 so far, she has scored 334 runs in eight innings, averaging 47.71 with a strike rate of 80.28, including three fifties and one century. Sharmin Akhter has been even better, scoring 356 runs in eight innings at 50.85 with three fifties. In the World Cup qualifiers, Sharmin (266 runs in five innings, average 66.50) and Joty (241 runs in five innings, average 60.25) were the second and third-highest run-getters. Another name to watch is Ritu Moni, who has scored 142 runs this year in four innings, averaging 47.33 with a strike rate of 80.68, including a fifty. Spinners add to their strength. Three...

Bangladesh Cricket team at the Asia Cup decider against Pakistan. Image: Bangladesh Cricket, X Ashok Namboodiri For a team that has completed 25 years in Test cricket, Bangladesh’s latest collapse against Pakistan in the Asia Cup was nothing short of a betrayal to its own fans. This wasn’t just another defeat; it was a surrender, a squandered opportunity that could have rewritten their regional cricketing narrative. What unfolded was an abject display of panic, indecision, and lack of temperament from a side that should by now have learned the hard lessons of international cricket. The match was in Bangladesh’s grasp. The bowlers had done the hard work, pegging Pakistan back at crucial intervals, keeping the chase within reach. At the end of the 12th over, Pakistan was 55/5 and from there they managed to get to 135 in 20. Twenty runs too many, but the stage was perfectly set for the batters to show maturity, composure, and the resilience expected of a side with a quarter-century...

Mahedi_Hasan (PC: X) Bangladesh spinner Mahedi Hasan showcased brilliance in the final Super F our match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 202 5 by taking wickets at the right moments and stopping Pakistan’s momentum. He took two crucial wickets, which includes the important one of Mohammad Haris, which kept Pakistan under constant pressure. Pakistan struggled to recover and managed to score only 135/8 in their 20 overs. Pakistan’s batting was poor from the beginning. Saim Ayub got out for another duck, it was his fourth   duck in six Asia Cup 2025 matches. Openers Sahibzada Farhan (4) and Fakhar Zaman (13) also failed to give a good start , leaving Pakistan at 29/3. The middle – order was also struggling , and the team looked desperate for run s due to which they lost wickets at regular interval s and the team lacked momentum in such an important match. Some players fought back but couldn’t do much, Captain Salman Agha made 19, but...

Mohsin Naqvi’s tweet ft. Ronaldo. Images: X   Boria Majumdar in Dubai I was coming out for the post-match show when WhatsApp messages just started to go off on my phone. I did not take notice, for I was focussed on the show. But that was when two of our viewers pointed it out. One said: “Boria da, just check Mohsin Naqvi’s tweet. It is disgraceful.” I opened his official X (formerly Twitter) handle and, for a few seconds, was shocked. Was I seeing right? Was the account hacked, or was it an AI-generated image? I even asked Ashok and Gargi to check, for I honestly believed it couldn’t be true. But it was. Mohsin Naqvi it was, and the tweet was real. By the way, this man is the President of the Asian Cricket Council. The Asia Cup is being held under his stewardship. And he puts out a tweet with the airplane celebration. A normal fan or even a player doing this is disgusting enough. With Mr Naqvi, it is irresponsible. Incitement and provocation. It is sad that a man in author...