Sports

Gill Holds Top ODI Batting Position; Kohli, Axar, and Shami Make Gains

Published

11 months ago

March 6, 2025

Shubman Gill, the standout batter from India, has successfully retained his position as the number one player in the latest ICC rankings for men’s ODI batters. Furthermore, Afghanistan’s emerging all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has ascended to the top of the all-rounder rankings following his impressive performances at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Gill leads the rankings with 791 points, while fellow Indian icon Virat Kohli has climbed to fourth place with 747 points after delivering a match-winning innings of 84 runs off 98 balls against Australia in the semi-final, which propelled the Men in Blue into the final in Dubai. This leap allowed Kohli to surpass his teammate and captain, Rohit Sharma. Additionally, Shreyas Iyer has ascended to eighth place, edging past Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka with a total of 702 points.

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In another notable achievement, Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran surged 13 places to break into the top 10 batters, following his extraordinary 175-run performance against England during the group stages.

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In the ODI bowlers’ rankings, Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana sits at the top with 680 points, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj and New Zealand’s Matt Henry have risen to second and third positions, respectively. India’s Mohammed Shami has also gained ground, now in 11th place with 609 points.

Omarzai, now the number one ODI all-rounder, achieved a career-best rating of 296 following a remarkable performance for Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, where he scored 126 runs across three matches at an average of 43, while also claiming seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul against England in the group stage. He has overtaken teammate Mohammed Nabi to claim the top spot.

Among Indian all-rounders, Axar Patel has made a notable leap, rising 17 spots to reach 13th place with a career-best rating of 194 points. He has been in good form both with the bat and ball, accumulating 80 runs at an average of 26.66 and taking five wickets during the tournament.

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Sports

Pakistan Sets 3 Conditions to Play against India in T20 World Cup

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dubai: Pakistan has placed three conditions before the International Cricket Council (ICC) to agree to play against India in the T20 World Cup.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) planned to boycott the match scheduled on February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The ICC warned Pakistan about possible consequences after this decision.

Now, PCB is willing to consider playing the match but has made key demands. It has asked the ICC to increase compensation for Bangladesh, pay participation fees even if Bangladesh is left out of the tournament, and grant Bangladesh hosting rights for a future ICC event.

Some PCB officials support playing against India, but PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has not agreed yet. He is expected to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday before making a final decision.

So far, PCB has not officially confirmed whether Pakistan will play the match.

Sports

T20 World Cup | Pakistan Edge Past Netherlands in a Close Contest

Published

4 days ago

February 7, 2026

Namma Kudla

Colombo: The T20 World Cup began today with an exciting match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Pakistan secured a narrow three-wicket victory despite a strong bowling performance. However, the top-order batters failed to deliver. With this win, Pakistan made a positive start to the 10th edition of the tournament.

After losing the toss, the Netherlands batted first at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. The team was bowled out for 147 runs in 19.5 overs. Pakistan chased the modest target and scored 148 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 19.3 overs.

Pakistan started aggressively, but the Netherlands slowed their progress. Pakistan lost four wickets for 98 runs. Soon, they were in trouble at 114 for seven. Faheem Ashraf played a crucial role at the end and guided the team to victory.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan scored 47 runs, while Saim Ayub added 24 runs. Faheem Ashraf contributed an important 29 runs. The rest of the batters failed to score big. Star batter Babar Azam disappointed fans by scoring only 15 runs off 18 balls.

Earlier, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards scored 37 runs. Bas de Leede made 30 runs, Colin Ackermann added 20, and Michael Levitt scored 24 runs. The remaining batters were dismissed for low scores.

Sports

India Clinch Record Sixth Under-19 World Cup Title

Published

5 days ago

February 7, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports: India defeated England by 100 runs to win the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 final at the Harare Sports Club. The victory marked India’s sixth title, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history.

India batted first and posted a massive total of 411 for 9 in 50 overs. The innings was powered by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who smashed a record-breaking 175 runs off just 80 balls. His knock included 15 fours and 15 sixes and became the highest individual score ever in an Under-19 World Cup final.

Suryavanshi also shared a crucial 142-run partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre, who scored 53 runs. Their strong batting display helped India set a daunting target of 412 for England.

England tried to fight back in the chase, with Caleb Falconer scoring 115 and Ben Dawkins adding 66. However, the team was eventually bowled out for 311, handing India a comfortable victory.

Suryavanshi was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament for his historic performance. The triumph once again highlighted India’s dominance in youth cricket on the global stage.