Author: Staff Reporter

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, hosted the ICC Women’s World Cup-winning team at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg on Wednesday, November 5. He congratulated the Indian team on their historic victory and praised them for their brilliant comeback in the tournament after a series of defeats in the group stages. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had been part of the losing team in 2017, recalled their meeting with the Prime Minister at that time, when they did not have the trophy. She was delighted to meet him with the trophy this time. India’s vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, who…

In a thrilling encounter, the West Indies claimed a seven-run win over New Zealand to go 1–0 up in the five-match series at Eden Park in Auckland. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner’s blistering innings of 55 went in vain as Romario Shepherd defended 19 runs in the final over. New Zealand won the toss and opted to field first. The West Indies had a poor start, as their run rate in the initial overs was slow, and when they lost their third wicket – Ackeem Auguste – at the end of the seventh over, their score was 43. After that,…

Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie has called young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma an “excitement machine,” praising him for his fearless approach. Speaking on the Fast Bowling Cartel YouTube channel, Gillespie lauded Abhishek’s attacking mindset from the very first ball, which puts the opposition under pressure. “He (Abhishek Sharma) just goes out there and is aggressive. He runs at the first ball and just looks to put pressure on the opposition. He’s an excitement machine and the anticipation of him walking out can be seen in the last couple of games.” Abhishek is one of the most talked-about cricketers in recent…

India legend Sunil Gavaskar believes that India’s victory in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 should not be compared to the Indian men’s first World Cup win in 1983. Gavaskar pointed out that the players of 1983 did not have the experience of playing in the knockout stages, whereas the women’s team had already featured in two finals. “There were some who tried to compare this win with the men’s team winning the World Cup in 1983,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar. “The men had never progressed beyond the group stage in earlier editions, and so everything…

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) have disclosed that Sean Williams will not be available for selection in the future after the veteran cricketer decided not to play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers held this year. Williams took the decision to enter rehabilitation. In an internal investigation, he confessed about his struggles with drug addiction. The board said in a media release: “ZC expects all contracted players to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and compliance with team protocols and anti-doping regulations.” The statement also added that Willams’ past revealed “a history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability,…

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has leapfrogged Smriti Mandhana to become the new No. 1 in the ICC ODI batting rankings. Wolvaardt has 814 rating points while Mandhana has three points less than her. Wolvaardt’s ascent to the top is based on her remarkable performance in the just concluded Women’s ODI World Cup, where she compiled 571 runs at an average of 71.37 and topped the batting charts. Wolvaardt hit a fabulous 169 off 143 balls against England in the semi-final to lead her team to victory, and in the final versus India she was the lone warrior for her…

The Northern Superchargers will now be known as Sunrisers Leeds. This change will mark a new chapter for the Leeds-based franchise ahead of the 2026 Hundred season. The Indian media – Sun Group – acquired the franchise via a £100 million deal. The Sun Group is also the owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20. The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has sold its 51% share in the team, with the England and Wales Cricket Board selling 49% of its share, which provides the Sun Group full ownership. Yorkshire’s chief executive Sanjay Patel…

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed its Team of the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Champions India and runners-up South Africa have the most players in the Team of the Tournament, with three players from each side. Three Australians and one player each from England and Pakistan also made the cut in the playing XI. From India, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma have been included in the team. Mandhana’s consistent scoring made her the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament, with 434 runs at an average of 54.25. Rodrigues impressed everyone with her match-winning century in the semi-final,…

Sydney Thunder’s star signing Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season due to a knee injury which he sustained during a training session. The Indian veteran spinner shared the aforesaid news on Instagram, confirming that he will not be a part of BBL 2025. Ashwin wrote, “Dear Thunder Nation, I wanted to write this myself. While training in Chennai to prepare for the upcoming season, I hurt my knee. I’ve had a procedure, and the outcome means I will miss BBL|15. That is tough to say. I was genuinely excited to be part…

Pratika Rawal was one of the architects of India’s successful campaign in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Opening the innings in the group-stage matches, Pratika finished the tournament as the fourth-highest run-scorer. The 25-year-old was also India’s second-highest run-getter, behind Smriti Mandhana, scoring 308 runs from seven matches at an average of 51.33. After the match, Rawal could not hold back her emotions and said, while sitting in a wheelchair: “I can’t express enough. There are no words. It’s not going to come out of my mouth. This flag on my shoulder means a lot to me. And, you…