YUZVENDRA CHAHAL took 4-28 as Punjab Kings defended a total of 111 to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in an IPL match on Tuesday.
Kolkata were 62-2 in the chase before Chahal’s spell turned the game. They were bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs in Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.
Punjab had earlier been dismissed for 111 in 15.3 overs. The win set a new record for the lowest total defended in IPL history, surpassing Chennai Super Kings’ defence of 116 against Punjab (then Kings XI Punjab) in 2009.
Andre Russell tried to take Kolkata close with two sixes and a four off Chahal, but Punjab held on.
Arshdeep Singh dismissed Vaibhav Arora, and Marco Jansen bowled Russell to end Kolkata’s innings and spark celebrations in the Punjab camp.
"I have coached a lot of games in the IPL and that might just be about the best win I ever had," said Punjab head coach Ricky Ponting.
Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi had added 55 runs for the third wicket before Chahal trapped Rahane lbw.
Ball tracking showed the delivery pitched outside off, but Rahane did not review the decision.
"Pretty disappointed with the effort," Rahane said. "I'll take the blame, played the wrong shot, although it was missing."
Chahal then got Raghuvanshi caught for 37 in his next over. Glenn Maxwell followed up with the wicket of Venkatesh Iyer, who was lbw for seven.
Chahal took two more wickets in one over, removing Rinku Singh (stumped) and Ramandeep Singh (golden duck). Harshit Rana played out the hat-trick ball.
The result moved Punjab into the top four with their fourth win in six games. Chahal was named Player of the Match.
Ponting said Chahal underwent a fitness test before the match after picking up a shoulder injury in his previous game.
Earlier, Harshit Rana led Kolkata’s bowling attack with 3-25 from three overs after a quick start by Punjab’s openers.
Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh added 39 in 3.1 overs before Rana had Arya caught at fine leg for 22. He dismissed Shreyas Iyer for a duck two balls later with Ramandeep Singh taking a catch in the deep.
Varun Chakravarthy then bowled Josh Inglis for two in the next over. Prabhsimran, who made 30, hit two sixes off Rana but was caught again by Ramandeep.
Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine kept picking wickets as Punjab collapsed, but the bowlers turned the game around in the second innings.
Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase, but Litton built a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35, to take the team to 144-3 in 17.4 overs. (Photo: c
CAPTAIN Litton Das scored 59 to guide Bangladesh to a seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in their opening Asia Cup match on Thursday.
Invited to bat first in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong made 143-7 with Nizakat Khan top-scoring on 42.
Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase, but Litton built a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35, to take the team to 144-3 in 17.4 overs. Litton reached his half-century in 33 balls before being dismissed by medium-pacer Ateeq Iqbal. Towhid then hit the winning run.
"Very important to win the first game," said Litton, who was named player of the match. "Last couple of series, we have played good cricket. But in Asia Cup, little bit of pressure comes automatically."
This was Bangladesh’s first T20 win over Hong Kong, who had beaten them in their only previous meeting in 2014.
Hong Kong suffered their second loss in Group B, which also features Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in the tournament opener.
In their innings, Hong Kong lost two quick wickets before Nizakat added 41 with Zeeshan Ali, who made 30. He then put on 46 with captain Yasim Murtaza, who scored 28 off 19 balls. Murtaza was run out and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck twice in the next over, including Nizakat’s wicket.
"I am happy with the way our batters scored," said Murtaza. "But I will be happier if we got 160-170 plus -- that would be a different total."
Tanzim Hasan Sakib impressed with 2-21 in four overs, while Taskin Ahmed and Rishad also claimed two wickets each.
Bangladesh slipped to 47-2 in reply but Litton and Towhid steadied the chase.
Pakistan face Oman on Friday in Dubai. The Asia Cup is also a build-up to the T20 World Cup scheduled in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.
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Kuldeep picked three wickets in one over with his left-arm wrist spin as India bowled out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs after choosing to field.
KULDEEP YADAV took 4-7 as India began their Asia Cup campaign with a nine-wicket win over hosts United Arab Emirates in Dubai on Wednesday.
Kuldeep picked three wickets in one over with his left-arm wrist spin as India bowled out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs after choosing to field.
India chased down the target in 4.3 overs. Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma hit 30 off 16 balls, while vice-captain Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 20.
The bowlers set up the win for India, with medium-pacer Shivam Dube taking three wickets before Kuldeep finished the innings.
"Clinical performance from the boys," captain Suryakumar Yadav said. "Wanted good energy and attitude in the field and that carried over into the batting."
UAE opener Alishan Sharafu scored 22 off 17 balls before falling to Jasprit Bumrah. Captain Muhammad Waseem made 19 and was the only other batter to reach double figures.
Kuldeep dismissed Waseem in his second over, claiming three wickets in total in that spell. He was named player of the match and said it was the "perfect" return in his first T20 outing for India since the World Cup win in Barbados last year.
Chasing 58, world number one T20 batter Sharma attacked spinner Haider Ali for a six and a four, hitting two more sixes before being dismissed by Junaid Siddique. Gill completed the win with a boundary, while Suryakumar remained unbeaten on seven.
"We can say that they (India) are a brilliant team and are bowling really well," Waseem said. "They executed their plan for every batter. That is why they are the number one team. As a team, we have to come back stronger and we have to learn from these mistakes."
India, who won the last Asia Cup in the 50-over format in 2023, will next play Pakistan on Sunday.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Indian team during a practice session at the International Cricket Council Academy (ICCA) in Dubai on September 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, enter as clear favourites with strong squad depth.
Pakistan drop Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, signalling a new phase.
Afghanistan’s spin trio seen as potential challengers to India’s dominance.
Associate nations like UAE, Oman and Hong Kong aim to showcase progress.
INDIA, led by Suryakumar Yadav, go into the Asia Cup T20 starting Tuesday as the clear favourites, with a significant gap in strength between them and the seven other teams, including Pakistan.
The tournament begins with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi, but attention will be on Dubai, where India open against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
The Asia Cup has often served as preparation for the T20 World Cup, but this edition comes with a sense of inevitability.
India carry the weight of expectations, not just for their past record, but also because the balance of power appears firmly in their favour. With strong leadership and squad depth, this is seen as India’s tournament to lose.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir showed confidence in their squad by naming 15 players, despite being allowed 17 by the Asian Cricket Council. This left out players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Winning the Asia Cup for the ninth time (seven in ODIs and once in T20 in 2016) would not add extra credit for Suryakumar or Gambhir, but falling short would bring criticism, especially with the T20 World Cup just over four months away.
India are expected to play around 20 games, including the Asia Cup, before the global event. Settling on the right core combination will be a key objective.
The BCCI has the resources to field multiple competitive T20 teams. Suryakumar has led with an 80% win record, while Shubman Gill, named vice-captain, is expected to take over in the future. The alignment between the T20 and Test captains will be watched closely.
India’s batting, shaped by IPL experience, has redefined T20 cricket. Pakistan and Sri Lanka, once level with India, have found it harder to keep pace.
Who can challenge India?
The main question around this Asia Cup is not who will win, but who can stop India.
Pakistan, under Salman Ali Agha, have dropped Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, signalling a shift. Their performance will depend on how Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali perform against India’s batting. Pakistan recently beat Afghanistan in a tri-series final, with their spinners dominating on a slow Sharjah pitch.
Sri Lanka, captained by Charith Asalanka, have potential but face questions about consistency across a full tournament. Bangladesh remain unpredictable and may lack the strength to sustain a long run. In Group B, they are seen as likely to join Hong Kong in early elimination.
Afghanistan stand out as the possible challengers, with Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed and A Ghazanfar leading a strong spin attack, and an improved batting line-up.
The associate teams
For teams like UAE, Oman and Hong Kong, this tournament is a chance to test themselves against top opposition and showcase their progress. Oman’s deputy head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni told PTI that while there will be nervousness, matches against India and Pakistan are an opportunity to perform in front of larger audiences.
India will face 12 NRIs in the group stage—six from UAE and six from Oman. These associate nations have improved their infrastructure and attracted better expat players from India and Pakistan in recent years.
Facing Suryakumar Yadav or Jasprit Bumrah will be a rare challenge for these sides.
For now, the Asia Cup carries one clear theme: it is India’s tournament to lose.
(With inputs from agencies)
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India's Hardik Pandya celebrates with teammates after he took a wicket during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 group match against Pakistan on June 9, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
India and Pakistan to meet for the first time since May’s conflict
Asia Cup begins Tuesday in the UAE as preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup
Harbhajan Singh opposes the fixture, citing tensions between the nations
India are defending champions and lead Pakistan 10-3 in T20 internationals
INDIA and Pakistan will meet for the first time in cricket since their military conflict in May when they face each other in the Asia Cup starting Tuesday.
The Twenty20 tournament, played in the United Arab Emirates, will also act as preparation for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka early next year. The competition opens in Abu Dhabi with Afghanistan against Hong Kong.
India and Pakistan are in the same group and will play in Dubai on September 14. They could meet as many as three times before the tournament ends on September 28.
Former Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram urged players and supporters to “remain disciplined and not cross the line” ahead of the contest.
The two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2012 and now meet only in tournaments at neutral venues.
Tensions remain high after the four-day conflict in May, the most intense since 1999, which left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire was declared.
Relations were also strained when India’s team of retired players, led by Yuvraj Singh, pulled out of matches against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends held in England earlier this year. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, part of that team, said he opposed the Asia Cup match.
“Blood and sweat cannot co-exist,” Harbhajan told The Times of India. “It cannot be the case that there’s fighting on the border, tensions between the two nations, and we go to play cricket. Until these big issues are resolved, cricket is a very small matter.”
India and Pakistan last played in Dubai in February during the 50-over Champions Trophy. India won by six wickets and went on to claim the title. India are also the defending Asia Cup champions.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have a 10-3 record against Pakistan in T20 internationals. Pakistan will be without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have been dropped from the format due to poor form.
India won the 2023 Asia Cup, played in the 50-over format, by beating Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The five full members of the Asian Cricket Council — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — qualified automatically for the tournament. They are joined by Hong Kong, Oman and the UAE, who progressed from the ACC Premier Cup.
Group A features India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman. Group B has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. The group stage will be followed by a Super Four round and the final in Dubai.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Agha scored 53 not out from 36 balls, hitting three sixes and three boundaries, as Pakistan posted 182-7 in their 20 overs. (Photo: Getty Images)
SALMAN AGHA’s unbeaten half century and Haris Rauf’s four wickets guided Pakistan to a 39-run win over Afghanistan in the opening T20 match of the tri-series in Sharjah on Friday.
Agha scored 53 not out from 36 balls, hitting three sixes and three boundaries, as Pakistan posted 182-7 in their 20 overs.
Rauf took 4-31 while Shaheen Afridi (2-21), Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) combined to dismiss Afghanistan for 143 in 19.5 overs in front of a 16,000-strong crowd.
Afghanistan’s chase was led by opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who made 38 off 27 balls with a six and three boundaries, adding 51 runs for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal (23).
Rauf shifted the momentum in the 12th over, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat without conceding a run.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan kept his side in the game with 39 off 16 balls, including five sixes and a four, but was eventually removed by Rauf to seal Pakistan’s win.
Earlier, Pakistan’s innings was steadied by Agha after Sahibzada Farhan struck 21 off 10 balls at the top of the order, with two sixes and a boundary.
Agha added 53 for the fifth wicket with Nawaz, who scored 21 off 11 balls with two sixes and a boundary, helping Pakistan collect 51 runs in the last five overs.
Pakistan face hosts United Arab Emirates on Saturday. Each team will play the others twice, with the top two qualifying for the final on September 7.