Sports

ISL 2024-25: Punjab FC and Mohammedan SC Seek Solid Conclusion to Difficult Season

Published

11 months ago

March 11, 2025

This Monday, Punjab FC will visit Mohammedan SC for their final matches of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at Kishore Bharati Krirangan.

Both Punjab FC and Mohammedan SC are the newly promoted teams in the ISL since the 2023-24 season, currently boasting 27 and 12 points respectively from 23 matches.

—

Under the guidance of coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, Punjab FC started the season strong but later faced challenges, while their Kolkata rivals have taken away valuable experiences from their inaugural campaign in the top tier.

—

In their previous encounter, Punjab FC triumphed over Mohammedan SC with a score of 2-0 and will strive to become only the second team, after Hyderabad FC, to secure consecutive clean sheets against them in this competition.

Punjab FC recently achieved a 3-1 win in their away match against Hyderabad FC, marking a remarkable streak of three consecutive away victories in the ISL between February and March 2024.

With 500 duels won, Punjab FC is one of only two teams to reach this milestone since the beginning of 2025, alongside Jamshedpur FC, which has achieved 551. Despite this, their dueling success rate stands at 45%—the lowest in the league—indicating a need for improved focus in their challenges.

On the other hand, Mohammedan SC has struggled in front of goal, failing to score in six out of their 11 home games this season and has conceded multiple goals in their last four matches, yet is still seeking its first ISL win at home.

Mohammedan SC has conceded 10 headed goals in ISL 2024-25, the highest in the league this season and the third-highest in ISL history (preceded by Odisha FC with 13 in 2021-22 and 12 in 2020-21). Punjab FC will likely exploit this defensive vulnerability by sending lateral balls into the box.

Mehrajuddin Wadoo, the interim head coach of Mohammedan SC, emphasized the importance of a strong finish to the season. “This is our last game, and we want to push for a win. We’ve had a tough season, but we want to give our fans something to cheer about,” he stated.

Panjnotis Dilmperis, head coach of Punjab FC, praised his players for adhering to their playing strategies in the recent match. “The players ensured that Hyderabad FC couldn’t approach our goal due to solid ball possession, effective patterns we implemented, and timely high pressing when necessary,” he remarked.

—

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

5 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.