New Zealand set 252 target for India in Champions Trophy final
Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first
India's captain Rohit Sharma (L) fist-bumps with teammate Shubman Gill after taking a run during the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) final cricket match against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on March 9, 2025. (Photo by RYAN LIM/AFP via Getty Images)
Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
HALF-CENTURIES from Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell steered New Zealand to 251-7 after India's spinners called the shots in the final of the Champions Trophy on Sunday (9).
The Black Caps won the toss and elected to bat first in Dubai after they suffered an early blow when fast bowler Matt Henry missed out due to a shoulder injury.
India came in unchanged from their win over Australia in the semi-final and their four spinners kept the opposition on the backfoot for a large part of the 50 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each on a sluggish pitch that has aided the slow bowlers in the 50-over tournament played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
India have played all their matches in Dubai after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan due to political tensions and have been unbeaten at the venue in four matches.
Mitchell made 63 and put on key stands, before the left-handed Bracewell smashed an unbeaten 53 off 40 balls to boost the total.
New Zealand openers started cautiously before previous-match hero Rachin Ravindra took on the bowling attack.
The left-handed Ravindra, fresh from a century in the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore, smashed pace bowler Mohammed Shami for a six and two fours.
Wrist spinner Chakravarthy struck first to send back Will Young, out lbw for 15, but the runs came quickly, albeit with some help from sloppy fielding.
Ravindra survived two reprieves when Shami failed to take a return catch and Shreyas Iyer dropped a tough chance in the deep.
But Kuldeep bowled Ravindra, for 37, on his first ball of the match with a googly from the left-arm wrist spinner.
Kuldeep then got a largely Indian crowd -- a sea of blue -- on their feet when he had senior batsman Kane Williamson caught and bowled for 11.
India fans cheer during the ICC Champions Trophy final. (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Williamson, also fresh from a ton in the previous win, had looked good in his brief stay of 14 balls.
Mitchell and wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham attempted to rebuild as the pair took the team past 100, but soon Ravindra Jadeja struck with his left-arm spin.
Jadeja trapped the left-handed Latham lbw for 14 as New Zealand slipped to 108-4.
Mitchell, who survived a dropped catch by skipper Rohit Sharma on 38, stood firm and with Glenn Phillips, who made 34, put on 57 runs.
Phillips was bowled by Chakravarthy off a fast googly. Mitchell put on another stand with Bracewell before he fell to Shami caught out at extra cover.
Bracewell finished with a flourish with three fours and two sixes.
India need 252 to win a record third Champions Trophy after winning the 2002 and 2013 editions. Australia also have also won two Champions Trophies, in 2006 and 2009.
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.
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INDIA and England have named their squads for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, with several surprise selections and omissions, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament.
India’s squad announcement brought disappointment for explosive opener Shafali Verma, who was left out after a poor run of form. The 21-year-old, who last played a oneday international in October 2024, has managed just one half-century in six innings for India A.
Women’s team chief selector Neetu David insisted the door remained open for Verma, saying: “She’s in the system, not like she’s not. We’ve got our eyes on her. Hope she plays a lot more and garners experience, it’ll help serve India in the 50-overs format.”
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 15-member Indian squad as they seek their first World Cup title after reaching two previous finals. “We didn’t want to make a lot of changes, we wanted continuity,” said Kaur, who will be leading India in the World Cup for the first time.
Nat Sciver-Brunt
The selectors welcomed back medium-pace bowler Renuka Thakur after a lengthy injury lay-off, adding experience to an attack that will be crucial on home pitches. India’s campaign begins on September 30, and they will warm up with three ODI matches against Australia.
England’s squad features the return of former captain Heather Knight despite her not playing since damaging her hamstring in May. Current coach Charlotte Edwards expressed her delight at Knight’s inclusion, saying: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to select her. She’ll be a huge asset for us.”
However, experienced seamer Kate Cross has been left out as England adapt their strategy for subcontinental conditions. Edwards has included four specialist spinners – Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean, and the returning Sarah Glenn – expecting plenty of turn on Indian and Sri Lankan pitches.
England enter the tournament seeking to end an eightyear drought since their last ODI World Cup triumph on home soil in 2017. They underperformed badly at last year’s T20 World Cup and will be eager to make amends. The announcements come as organisers scramble to relocate matches originally scheduled for Bengaluru in India following safety concerns at the city’s stadium.
The opening match between cohosts India and Sri Lanka will now take place in Guwahati instead of Bengaluru, after the International Cricket Council cited “unforeseen circumstances” for moving games away from Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue change follows a tragic incident in June when 11 cricket fans died during celebrations for IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with supporters as young as 14 crushed to death outside the stadium gates. A judicial commission subsequently deemed the ground “unsafe” to host large crowds.
The tournament faces logistical challenges beyond the Bengaluru venue change. Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise arrangement, while the final will now be held in either Mumbai or Colombo rather than the originally planned Bengaluru.
England squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (CK), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
The 13th edition of the Women’s World Cup runs till November 2, with Mumbai now joining the list of Indian venues alongside Guwahati and other cities, plus Colombo in Sri Lanka.
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Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.
GOA will host the Chess World Cup from October 30 to November 27. The FIDE World Cup 2025 carries a prize fund of USD 2 million and offers three qualifying spots for next year’s Candidates tournament.
The 206-player field includes world champion D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and R Praggnanandhaa. However, Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.
India has 21 players in the list, among them five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who qualified through the June 2025 FIDE rating list. Anand has not played classical chess for some time, leaving uncertainty over his participation.
The event returns to India after 23 years. It was last held in Hyderabad in 2002, when Anand won the title. Indian chess has since expanded, with players like Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin among the qualified entries.
The World Cup will follow a two-game knockout format over eight rounds. Each round consists of two classical games, with rapid and blitz tie-breaks if required. The top 50 seeds will start from the second round with byes, while players ranked 51 to 206 will face off in the first round on top-half vs bottom-half pairings.
“Every round is win-or-go-home, making the World Cup one of the most dramatic tournaments on the calendar,” FIDE said on its website on Tuesday.
FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said, “India has become one of the strongest chess nations, with outstanding players and passionate fans. After the success of the FIDE Women's World Cup held in Georgia earlier this year, we are proud to bring the FIDE World Cup to Goa.”
“It will be a celebration of chess, and a unique experience for players and spectators from around the world. The representatives of 90+ countries are expected to take part, and it will be one of the most followed events in chess history,” he added.
AICF president Nitin Narang said, “The World Cup will not only inspire millions across the country but also showcase India's growing stature as a global hub for chess.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
INDIA on Wednesday said Ahmedabad would be an "ideal" venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, as the country seeks to strengthen its case to host the 2036 Olympics.
Ahmedabad, the main city in prime minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, has a 130,000-capacity stadium, the largest cricket arena in the world, named after him.
The cabinet approved India's bid for the 2030 Games on Wednesday. India had already submitted a letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee last year for the 2036 Olympics.
India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, its capital.
"Ahmedabad is an ideal host city offering world-class stadiums, cutting-edge training facilities, and a passionate sporting culture," a cabinet statement said.
"Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest stadium in the world, has already demonstrated its capability by successfully hosting the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Final," it added.
Nigeria and at least two other nations are reported to be interested in hosting the Games. The event faced challenges after Victoria, Australia, withdrew from hosting the 2026 edition citing costs. Glasgow has since agreed to stage a smaller version.
The host city for 2030 will be decided in November.
India has said that if it secures the bid, the Games will be held as a "full-fledged" event. This would also feature sports like kabaddi and kho kho, which India has been advocating to include in the Olympics.
India, with a population of 1.4 billion, has won only 10 Olympic gold medals in its history.
(With inputs from agencies)
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If suspended, India’s national teams and clubs would not be allowed to compete in international competitions. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA could face a ban from world football for the second time in three years after FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) warned the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to adopt a new constitution by October 30.
FIFA and the AFC sent a joint letter to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, expressing concern over the delay in finalising and adopting the constitution.
"Failure to meet this schedule will leave us with no alternative but to refer the matter to the relevant FIFA decision-making body for consideration and decision," the letter said.
"AIFF must regard this communication as binding and requiring immediate compliance in order to safeguard its rights as a member of FIFA and the AFC," it added.
The AIFF constitution has been pending in the Supreme Court since 2017.
If suspended, India’s national teams and clubs would not be allowed to compete in international competitions.
In August 2022, FIFA suspended India citing third-party interference after the Supreme Court appointed a committee of administrators to oversee the AIFF. The ban was lifted a few days later, allowing Chaubey’s election to go ahead.
Meanwhile, Indian club football is facing uncertainty. The Indian Super League (ISL) has been delayed this season due to a dispute between the AIFF and its commercial partner.
The rights agreement between AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited, which runs the ISL, ends on December 8 and has not been renewed. Without a resolution, the ISL, usually held between September and April, risks cancellation, putting thousands of players and staff at risk of losing their jobs.
Last week, players’ union FIFPRO Asia/Oceania raised the issue with FIFA.