Author: Naman Suri

Another clinical performance with both bat and ball from Mumbai Indians ensured they secured a six-wicket victory over UP Warriorz with nine balls to spare. This defeat pushes UPW to the bottom of the table and, more likely than not, out of contention for a top-three finish. Mumbai Indians’ decision to opt for a new opening pair didn’t work out as they had hoped, as Amelia Kerr—who earlier in the first innings took a five-wicket haul—miscued a short-pitched ball from Chinelle Henry to midwicket, departing for 10 runs off 13 balls. Nevertheless, Hayley Matthews continued the onslaught alongside Natalie Sciver-Brunt.…

It was the white side of Madrid that emerged with a slender advantage heading into the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 Madrid derby. Real Madrid edged past Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg, and no one was more pleased with his team’s resilient performance on derby day than Carlo Ancelotti, Real’s coach. Real wasted no time making their mark, breaking through Atlético’s defense within the first four minutes. Federico Valverde—who had been an injury concern leading up to the game—delivered a sublime through ball to Rodrygo Goes. The Brazilian, showcasing individual brilliance…

The stakes will be high as two familiar foes meet for the third time this season, battling for a place in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 quarterfinals. The Madrid derby is back, with Real Madrid set to host Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash. History favours Real Madrid in this fixture, as they face their city rivals for the 10th time in UCL history, the most matches played between any city rivals in the competition. Los Blancos have won five of their previous nine encounters, including the 2014 and 2016 finals. Additionally,…

In a must-win game for both teams, Gujarat Giants rose to the occasion, thanks to a power-packed performance by Beth Mooney, helping them thrash UP Warriorz by 81 runs. Following this win, GG moved to second on the points table with six points, ahead of Mumbai Indians in third due to a better net run rate. This victory also marks GG’s third win in the Women’s Premier League — a first for them in three seasons. A mix of red and black soil with a slight covering of grass made up the relaid pitch for the first-ever WPL game at…

A supposed dead rubber with no impact on England’s future in the Champions Trophy, this match saw the English batters looking down and out from the start. South Africa, on the other hand, brought their A-game — not just with the ball but also with their phenomenal fielding, pulling off some stunning catches — helping them cruise to a comprehensive 7-wicket victory with more than 20 overs to spare. The result officially eliminates Afghanistan from the tournament; they needed England to beat South Africa by a margin of at least 207 runs to stay in contention. South Africa finished on…

In a match that was supposed to decide who would top the table at the end of the Bengaluru leg of the tournament, it was once again the chasing team that emerged victorious at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Delhi Capitals delivered an all-round performance, comprehensively defeating Mumbai Indians by nine wickets and 33 balls to spare. With the ball coming onto the bat a bit better in the second innings, DC openers took the game to MI bowlers, scoring 57 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. Despite not having the best Women’s Premier League season together, Shafali Verma…

It was set up as the battle of two captains, but only one showed up. Ashleigh Gardner ensured Gujarat Giants remained in the hunt for a play-off spot this season. Scoring at a strike rate of 187, the Australian helped her team chase down Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s modest target of 125 with 21 balls to spare. Even though this was the second-lowest total of the season, GG didn’t come out all guns blazing. Despite yet another shuffle in their batting order, their opening pair —Dayalan Hemalatha and Beth Mooney — continued to struggle. At the end of the powerplay, GG…

Another day and another Natalie Sciver-Brunt show! Mumbai Indians registered a comfortable win over UP Warriorz, elevating themselves to the top of the Women’s Premier League points table. It was an all-round brilliance from Sciver-Brunt — she took three crucial wickets and then smashed a 29-ball fifty, her sixth in the WPL, to help MI secure an eight-wicket win. She finished the game with an unbeaten 75 off 44 balls. Despite a slow start to their innings, MI redeemed themselves against a strong UPW spin attack, reaching the target with 18 balls to spare. A 133-run partnership between Sciver-Brunt and…

In a finish for the ages, Sophie Ecclestone’s all-round heroics outshone Ellyse Perry’s brilliance as UP Warriorz pulled off a stellar victory in the first-ever Super Over of the Women’s Premier League at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With 29 needed off the last two overs, Ecclestone turned the game on its head, taking Ekta Bisht and Renuka Singh Thakur to the cleaners with four sixes and a boundary. Just as victory seemed within reach, she was ran out in a desperate dash to seal the win. But fate had one final twist—handed the ball in the Super Over,…

The ICC Champions Trophy is underway in Pakistan, with India set to start their campaign in Dubai against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, after the home team’s third straight loss against the Black Caps within three weeks, former cricket legends Shane Watson and Eoin Morgan shared their predictions for the ‘mini World Cup’ happening across the Arabian Sea. Shane Watson, a two-time Champions Trophy winner (2006 and 2009), was quick to name India as one of the top contenders for the title in Dubai, given the depth of their squad. “When it comes to Champions Trophy favourites, it has to be India,” he…