World champions India are placed at the top of the T20 International rankings, although their lead over the second-placed Australia has reduced from 10 to nine points.
England took charge of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday, riding Harry Brook's 171 to a first-innings lead of 151 before reducing the Black Caps to 155/6 on Day 3.
England skipper Jos Buttler expressed delight in Ben Duckett's record-breaking knock even as he hailed Australia for chasing down a massive total of 352 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match in Lahore on Saturday.
Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table in the Champions Trophy match in Lahore on Friday.
IMAGES from the Group B Champions Trophy match between Australia and England in Lahore on Saturday
Shelton first through to quarters as action heats up at U.S. Open
After England completed a disappointing World Cup campaign with a victory over Pakistan, all-rounder Ben Stokes confessed that he will have to think long and hard about continuing to play One-Day International cricket for England.
Australia's Luke Williams will take over as the head coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the second season of the Women's Premier League.
All eyes will be on Captain Shubman Gill and Coach Gautam Gambhir to lead the Indian Test team into a bold new era.
Ben Shelton said uncharacteristic errors at crucial moments had proved costly during his Australian Open semi-final loss against defending champion Jannik Sinner.
Harshit Rana returned to take 3 big wickets and become the first Indian bowler to take 3 wickets on debut across 3 formats.
'He has been one of the clearest thinkers in the history of business.'
Defending champion Jannik Sinner dismissed eighth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open semi-finals and extend the country's decades-long wait for another homegrown singles winner at the Grand Slam on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old McIlroy arrived at the year's first major, where in 2011 he blew a four-shot lead on the back nine, seeking his first major since August 2014 to end a barren run that came with its fair share of near misses.
Joe Root returned to England's one-day international squad for the first time since their ill-fated World Cup title defence in November
Virat Kohli's form in focus as India eye ODI clean-sweep over England
IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Liverpool resumed their march to a second Premier League title on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United.
Josh Inglis smashed a maiden ODI century (120 not out) to lead Australia to a thrilling five-wicket victory over England in a high-scoring Champions Trophy match.
Shane Watson's 48-ball century was overshadowed by an equally aggressive 44-ball undefeated 94 from Lendl Simmons that helped West Indies Masters outclass Australia Masters by seven wickets in the second match of the inaugural International Masters League (IML) in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes said he will leave the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League early.
Australia and South Africa, two teams renowned for their batting prowess, will go head-to-head in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
New Zealand on Monday named a strong squad, which includes five spin bowling options
The Proteas will now face the Group A runners-up in the semifinals, with India and New Zealand set to battle for Group A placings in Dubai on Sunday.
At 27, the second seed is still seeking his first Grand Slam title and hopes to become the first German man to win the Australian Open since Boris Becker in 1996.
Mitch Owen blasted the Big Bash League's equal-fastest hundred on Monday to deliver Hobart Hurricanes their first T20 title
England finally faced some resistance from New Zealand in the shape of Tom Blundell's defiant century but dismissed the Black Caps for 259 to wrap up a thumping 323-run victory on the third day of the second Test on Sunday.
Elina Svitolina said the supportive presence of husband Gael Monfils meant a lot after the tennis power couple made shockwaves in sync
'Whatever was thrown at us, we responded pretty well throughout the series.'
Big win against West Indies propel England past three teams in WTC table
As the battle for semi-final berths intensifies in Group B, top-ranked South Africa will aim to assert their dominance and secure a spot in the final four when they face a struggling England in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash in Karachi on Saturday.
Brydon Carse took six for 42 before England comfortably chased down their 104-run victory target in the first Test against New Zealand
England's Test captain Stokes last played a T20 international for England in the World Cup final in November 2022.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes experienced all-rounder Ben Stokes made the "right decision" to withdraw from the T20 World Cup.
Images from the ICC Champions League Group B match between Afghanistan and Australia in Lahore, on Friday.
'Especially in the middle overs. That's going to be a key challenge.'
India claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead over England after captain Rohit Sharma's rapid hundred secured a four-wicket win in the second one-day international on Sunday.
'I've been a firm believer in that if you want Test cricket to survive and be alive and thriving, I think that's the way to go.'
No team is assured of a semifinal berth and England will need to defeat USA by either 10 runs or at least an over to spare to stay in contention for the semifinals.
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