KULDEEP Yadav starred as India overcame a brilliant all-round effort from Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage to win a tense Asia Cup clash by 41 runs on Tuesday (12) and book a place in the final.
Kuldeep took four wickets including the final two as India defended 213, bowling out Sri Lanka for 172 to silence a large home crowd at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium.
India recorded their second straight Super Four win in the 50-over tournament, a prelude to the upcoming ODI World Cup, and ended Sri Lanka's 13-match winning streak in ODIs.
Wellalage, who claimed his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, remained unbeaten on 42 when he ran out of partners as left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep wrapped up the opposition tail in 41.3 overs.
"Kuldeep is a great bowler, I tried to play my normal game with a positive mindset," said Wellalage, who was named man of the match despite being on the losing team.
"I want to thank my team-mates and my coaching staff - they gave me great support."
India skipper Rohit Sharma praised Kuldeep, who also took five wickets in his team's previous win over Pakistan, for his rhythm and consistency.
"For the past year or so, bowling really, really well. He has done a lot of hard work on his rhythm," said Rohit.
"He went back to the drawing board and worked on it. The ball is coming out nicely and you can see the results in the last 10 ODIs."
It was India's third straight day on the field after they crushed Pakistan by 228 runs on Monday (11) in a match that was played across two days due to rain.
The next Super Four match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on Thursday (14) will decide the second finalists between the two teams.
Rohit to 10,000 runs
Rohit, who entered an elite list of players with over 10,000 ODI runs and hit his second successive fifty, scored 53 to hand his team a brisk start but Wellalage hit back.
The 20-year-old returned figures of 5-40 including the key wickets of Rohit and Virat Kohli with strong support from part-time spinner Charith Asalanka, who claimed four victims for 18 runs.
Wellalage struck with his first ball of the match when he bowled Shubman Gill for 19 and there was no looking back for the young spinner.
He made the home fans erupt with the wicket of Kohli who fell for three a day after an unbeaten 122 against Pakistan at the same venue.
Rohit was also bowled by Wellalage who snared his third scalp in three overs.
Ishan Kishan, who made 33, and previous-match centurion KL Rahul attempted to rebuild the innings with a stand of 63.
Wellalage ended that partnership when he got Rahul caught and bowled for 39 and then took his fifth.
Asalanka kept chipping away from the other end and was on a hat-trick with India on 186-9, but Axar Patel took the total past 200 after a nearly 45-minute rain break and hit 26.
India hit back with regular wickets and Jasprit Bumrah struck twice.
Asalanka attempted to increase the run-rate but became Kuldeep's second wicket.
Dhananjaya de Silva fought back along with Wellalage in a threatening seventh-wicket stand of 63 but Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership with the wicket of De Silva for 41.
Gupta previously served as CEO of JioStar Sports, a role he took up following the $8.5 billion merger between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney’s Indian media assets in November last year. (Photo: X/@HomeOfCricket)
THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Sanjog Gupta as its new chief executive officer, replacing Geoff Allardice. The announcement was made on Monday.
Gupta previously served as CEO of JioStar Sports, a role he took up following the $8.5 billion merger between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney’s Indian media assets in November last year. He becomes the ICC’s seventh CEO.
Allardice, who was appointed in November 2021 after serving in an interim capacity for eight months following the suspension of Manu Sawhney, stepped down from the position earlier this year.
Gupta took charge on Monday and said, “These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women's game scale in popularity. Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force-multipliers for the cricket movement around the world.”
ICC chair Jay Shah said Gupta’s experience would support the organisation’s plans. “His deep understanding of the global sports as well as M&E landscape combined with his continued curiosity about the cricket fan’s perspective and passion for technology will prove essential in our ambition to grow the game in the coming years.”
The ICC said over 2,500 applications were received from 25 countries.
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Lando Norris wins the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the first time
Celebrations briefly disrupted after he was hit in the nose by trophy
McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri penalised, costing him potential victory
Norris moves to four wins in 2025, just one behind Piastri
Drivers now head into a two-week summer break before Belgian GP
Lando Norris fulfils dream with British GP victory
Lando Norris described winning his home race at Silverstone as a “very, very special” moment, despite picking up a minor injury during the post-race celebrations. The McLaren driver delivered a brilliant performance in constantly changing weather conditions to secure his first British Grand Prix win and fourth of the season.
The race also highlighted the strength of the McLaren team, with both Norris and Oscar Piastri showing exceptional pace. However, a controversial penalty handed to Piastri during a safety car period ended hopes of a 1-2 finish for the team.
Trophy mishap after win
Norris’s joy was briefly interrupted when a photographer accidentally knocked the winner’s trophy into his face, cutting his nose. The 25-year-old has already sustained a similar scar in 2024 after a glass injury, and now has a second mark to show for his latest victory.
That didn’t stop him from joining fans on stage shortly afterwards, donning medical tape and celebrating with team-mate Piastri and McLaren CEO Zak Brown. The trio took part in multiple ‘shoeys’ – a tradition started by former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo – in front of an enthusiastic Silverstone crowd.
A childhood dream realised
Lando Norris spoke emotionally about achieving a childhood dream, recalling his early days as a Formula 1 fan when he watched Lewis Hamilton win at Silverstone in 2008.
“Being on top in your home race is very, very special,” he said. “I remember watching Lewis win in the wet, seeing the fans all stand, and I dreamt of that. Today, I got to live that feeling myself.”
Surrounded by family, including his parents and siblings, Norris described the experience as one of the most meaningful moments of his career so far.
McLaren domination, but penalty mars Piastri’s race
Both Norris and Piastri were in a league of their own throughout the race. Their McLaren cars looked strong in both wet and dry phases, but Piastri was hit with a 10-second penalty for braking hard ahead of a safety car restart. Stewards ruled that this forced Max Verstappen behind him to take evasive action.
Norris capitalised on the incident to take the lead and hold on for victory. But the team felt the penalty was undeserved, especially given similar situations in recent races that went unpunished.
Norris capitalised on the incident to take the lead and hold on for victory. Getty Images
Piastri frustrated but cautious in criticism
Oscar Piastri was clearly disappointed but careful with his words after the race, aware of the FIA’s current position on driver comments.
“Apparently you can’t brake behind the safety car any more,” he said. “I did it for five laps before that. I’m not going to say too much in case I get myself in trouble.”
Piastri argued that his actions were consistent throughout the race, and said the safety car’s lights went out unusually late just as he braked, which contributed to the confusion.
Confusion over penalty compared to Canada
Piastri pointed to an incident in Canada involving George Russell and Max Verstappen, where no penalty was issued and a Red Bull protest was dismissed. He said the move in Montreal was arguably more dangerous.
Team principal Andrea Stella echoed the criticism, describing the decision as “very harsh” and suggesting Verstappen might have exaggerated the situation to influence the outcome.
“We know some competitors have the ability to make others look like they are causing severe infringements when they are not,” Stella said.
Even Verstappen expressed surprise: “It’s happened a few times now, and suddenly Oscar is the first to get a 10-second penalty.”
Momentum for Norris, but focus remains on consistency
Lando Norris’s Silverstone win was his second in a row and narrows the gap to Piastri in the championship to just eight points. However, he was careful not to overstate the momentum.
“It’s two wins, but they’ve not come easy. You’re fighting for hundredths and thousandths of a second every session. These are exhausting weekends,” Norris said.
“I’d love to continue this form, but two weekends don’t mean anything unless I stay consistent. I need to keep it up and keep working hard.”
Summer break and a title fight brewing
With both McLaren drivers now firmly in the title mix, the Formula 1 season heads into a two-week summer break. The Belgian Grand Prix will mark the start of the second half of the season, with Norris just one victory behind Piastri.
“I felt like I drove a really strong race,” Piastri reflected. “When you don’t get the result you think you deserve, it hurts. I’ll use the frustration to make sure I win more races later.”
McLaren’s pace has now made them genuine contenders, and with Lando Norris riding high on confidence and form, the championship battle looks set to intensify in the weeks ahead.
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Gill's 430 runs in the match made him only the fifth batter to score over 400 in a single Test. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA captain Shubman Gill became the first batter in Test history to score 250 and 150 in the same match, before Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep struck early to put India in control of the second Test at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Gill followed his first-innings 267 with 161 off 162 balls in the second innings. India declared at 427-6 after tea on the fourth day, setting England a target of 608 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The highest fourth-innings chase in Test history remains West Indies’ 418 against Australia at St John's in 2003. England’s record is 378, achieved against India at the same venue three years ago.
At stumps on Saturday, England were 72-3, still needing 536 runs to win on the final day.
“Nothing is impossible,” England batting coach Marcus Trescothick told the BBC. “But 536 is a lot of runs... If we were to chase that down then it would be an epic day's play.”
Harry Brook, who made 158 in England’s first-innings total of 407, was unbeaten on 15.
Siraj and Deep strike early
Siraj, who took 6-70 in the first innings, dismissed Zak Crawley for a duck with a loose drive to backward point. Deep, playing in place of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, then bowled Ben Duckett for 25 and dismissed Joe Root for six with a full-length delivery that moved late.
"That's a pleasing sign from Akash, he is an attacking bowler that asks questions, bowling at the stumps a lot," said India bowling coach Morne Morkel.
The former South Africa pacer added: "Top-quality player, Joe Root, and to dismiss him in that fashion just shows the quality of Akash."
Gill crosses 400 in a match
Gill's 430 runs in the match made him only the fifth batter to score over 400 in a single Test. The 25-year-old has now scored three centuries in four innings since becoming captain, following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket in May.
He was supported on Saturday by Rishabh Pant, who scored 65 after being dropped twice. Crawley missed a chance at mid-off when Pant was on 10. The wicketkeeper-batter hit eight fours and three sixes during his 58-ball knock, adding 110 runs in just 103 balls with Gill for the fourth wicket.
Gill, batting at number four in place of the retired Virat Kohli, hit Josh Tongue for three consecutive boundaries – a hooked six, a lofted four over mid-on, and a pulled four past Ben Stokes.
He later struck another hooked six off Tongue. Pant’s innings ended when he tried to hit Shoaib Bashir and lost control of his bat, which flew towards midwicket while the ball was caught by Duckett at deep mid-off.
India pile on after tea
After tea, Gill hit a straight six and two fours off Chris Woakes, then slog-swept Joe Root for six to reach 150. He was eventually dismissed for 161, giving a return catch to Bashir after hitting 13 fours and eight sixes.
With crowd chants of "Boring, boring India" heard as the visitors continued to bat, Gill eventually declared with Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on 69.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Ferrari's chances at the 2025 British Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 and finished third in FP2 at Silverstone
Ferrari's pace encouraging despite rivals bringing major upgrades
Hamilton targeting strong weekend, focused on car improvements
Charles Leclerc also positive on Ferrari's race pace ahead of F1 qualifying time
Silverstone qualifying 2025 set to be highly competitive
Hamilton leads strong start for Ferrari at Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Ferrari's chances at the 2025 British Grand Prix following an encouraging performance during Friday practice at Silverstone. The seven-time World Champion topped the timesheets in Free Practice 1 and secured P3 in the afternoon session, marking one of his best Fridays since joining Ferrari earlier this year.
“It was a really good day,” said Hamilton. “Great to see the crowd. Amazing to be out on track in a Ferrari here at Silverstone.”
Competitive despite rivals’ upgrades
Hamilton noted that both McLaren and Red Bull introduced upgrades ahead of the Silverstone weekend, yet Ferrari remained competitive. “It’s pretty incredible and also with McLaren and Red Bull having upgrades, so for us to be in the mix still is really positive,” he said.
The British driver, who has nine career wins at Silverstone, believes that Ferrari’s pace offers promise ahead of Sunday’s race. “I definitely feel like we can dream of having a strong weekend,” he added. “Executing and putting it all together is another thing but I’ll prepare myself the best I can to make sure we get the best result.”
Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 and finished third in FP2Getty Images
Hamilton finished fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend, equalling his best result for Ferrari so far. He stated he is becoming more comfortable in the SF-25 and continues to improve.
“I’m progressing a lot now with the car and much more comfortable knowing where it needs to be,” he said. “We still weren’t quite where we needed to be in FP2, but we know the changes we need to make.”
Leclerc confident in race pace
Charles Leclerc also showed strong form on Friday, finishing fourth in FP1 and second in FP2. While he acknowledged McLaren’s Lando Norris holds the edge in one-lap pace, Leclerc was confident about Ferrari’s race performance.
“McLaren is probably the car to beat at the moment,” he said. “But in race pace I was happy. I think we are very strong for Sunday. We’ve just got to find more in Qualifying.”
The Silverstone qualifying 2025 session is expected to be closely contested as teams aim to convert their practice form into pole position.
MOHAMMED SIRAJ said he "loved the challenge" of leading India's attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah after taking a six-wicket haul in the second Test against England at Edgbaston on Friday (4).
There was widespread criticism when India, who lost last week's series opener at Headingley, omitted outstanding spearhead quick Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, from their team in Birmingham.
But they could yet draw level at 1-1 in a five-match campaign after fellow paceman Siraj took 6-70 on Friday, despite England's Harry Brook and Jamie Smith sharing a mammoth sixth-wicket partnership of 303.
The 31-year-old Siraj dismissed star batsman Joe Root and England captain Ben Stokes with successive balls early in the third day's play to reduce the hosts to 84-5.
And he returned to clean up the tail as England were dismissed for 407 in reply to India's first-innings 587 built upon skipper Shubman Gill's exceptional 269.
By stumps, India had extended their overall lead to 244 runs at 64-1 in their second innings.
"I have been bowling well but not getting wickets, so getting six here is very special," said Siraj after the close. "When you are asked to lead the attack I love responsibility, I love the challenge.
"My mindset was to keep it tight and not give away runs," added Siraj, well-supported by 4-88 from Akash Deep after the paceman was given the unenviable task of standing-in for Bumrah.
Brook and Smith staged a remarkable fightback after they joined forces with England more than 500 runs behind.
The 24-year-old Smith survived Siraj's hat-trick ball with a straight drive for four and went to make a breathtaking 184 not out, the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper, surpassing Surrey mentor Alec Stewart's 173 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1997.
Brook was alongside Smith for much of this innings as the Yorkshireman made 158 -- his ninth Test century and fifth in excess of 150.
"It was good fun being out there with 'Smudge' (Smith)," Brook told reporters. "He's a phenomenal player and it felt good to be out there, putting on 300 with him.
"The way that he came out of the blocks and put the pressure back on their bowlers was awesome. He tried to change the momentum back in our favour and it worked for a long period of time."
Brook added: "It was so good to watch from the other end, I felt like he could hit four or six every ball and I was just trying to get him on strike. He just leans on it and it goes to the boundary. He has a long England career ahead of him."
England may be behind in this game but having chased down 378 to beat India at Edgbaston three years ago and made light of a target of 371 in the first Test at Headingley, they haven't given up hope of leaving Birmingham with a 2-0 lead.
"I think everybody in the world knows that we're going to try and chase whatever they set us," said Brook.
"We've obviously got a big task at hand but we'll try and get a couple of wickets early on and try and put them under pressure. You never know how this game can go."