Sports

ICC CT Final: Mitchell and Bracewell’s Half-Centuries Lift New Zealand to 251/7

Published

11 months ago

March 10, 2025

In the ICC Champions Trophy final held in Dubai on Sunday, New Zealand set a challenging target of 251/7, bolstered by notable contributions from Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53 not out). India’s spin attack, featuring Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, capitalized on the slow pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, effectively stalling the Kiwi innings after a promising start.

New Zealand began strongly, with a rapid 57-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Will Young within the first eight overs. However, the Indian spin bowlers quickly took control, dismantling the top order systematically.

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Kuldeep, Varun, Jadeja, and Axar combined to take out the top five New Zealand batters, including pivotal players such as Ravindra, Young, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, and Glenn Phillips. New Zealand struggled to accelerate after being 200/5 in 44 overs.

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During this critical period, Daryl Mitchell took it upon himself to stabilize the innings. However, increasing the scoring proved difficult; he scored a painstaking 63 runs off 101 balls, reaching his half-century off 91 deliveries. Despite showing aggressive intent during Mohammed Shami’s final over—scoring 10 off the first three deliveries—Mitchell was ultimately dismissed, caught sharply by Rohit Sharma at cover.

Michael Bracewell, who partnered with Mitchell for a solid 46-run stand, was left to carry on the chase. Even after Mitchell’s wicket, Bracewell kept the runs flowing as contributions from the lower order began to rally the score.

In a bid to score quickly, Bracewell showcased his power hitting, launching a six off Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over. Just when the Kiwis seemed poised for a strong finish, Mitchell Santner was run out thanks to a brilliant throw from Virat Kohli, leaving New Zealand at 239/7.

However, Bracewell pressed on, bringing up his fifty off just 39 balls in the final over, helping New Zealand inch over the 250-run mark.

Spinners Dismantle New Zealand’s Momentum

Earlier in the match, New Zealand opted to bat after winning the toss, aiming to take advantage of the favorable batting conditions. The openers, Ravindra and Young, provided a dynamic start, but the Indian spinners quickly interrupted their rhythm.

Ravindra, who survived two close calls on scores of 28 and 29—first being dropped by Shami and then again by Shreyas Iyer—was eventually out for 37, falling victim to Kuldeep Yadav’s first delivery. Varun earlier struck for India, trapping Will Young (15) lbw.

The Indian spinners continued to maintain control over the match. Kuldeep took another wicket, dismissing Kane Williamson (11) with a straightforward return catch. Jadeja joined in by removing Tom Latham (14), and Varun returned to take care of the dangerous Glenn Phillips (34), who had built a 57-run partnership with Mitchell.

With 251 runs on the board, New Zealand will rely on their bowlers to defend this total against a strong Indian batting lineup in this crucial final.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 251/7 (Daryl Mitchell 63, Michael Bracewell 53 not out, Rachin Ravindra 37, Glenn Phillips 34; Kuldeep Yadav 2/40, Varun Chakravarthy 2/45, Ravindra Jadeja 1/30) vs India.

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Sports

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

Published

9 hours 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

13 hours 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.

Sports

Storm in the First Over: RCB Create New WPL Record

Published

3 weeks ago

January 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.

This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.

Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.

During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.

With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.

In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.

Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.

This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.