Sri Lanka must improve their batting against slower bowlers when they face New Zealand in a crucial T20 World Cup Super Eight clash in Colombo, with both teams chasing their first win.
New Zealand want to leave nothing to chance in battle to reach T20 World Cup semis
England claimed a 1-0 victory in their three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand after rain curtailed Thursday's final match in Auckland.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Tim David lightened the mood - and stole the spotlight - with a hilarious rain-soaked performance of his own.
The famed Darjeeling tea may have slip to a new production low in 2025, as changing weather patterns, a shortage of pluckers and mounting economic stress weigh on the region's gardens.
Punjab Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by five wickets in a rain-affected IPL match reduced to 14 overs per side at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, Bengaluru, on Friday, April 18, 2025.
In a rain-marred contest at Canberra, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav lit up the night with a couple of towering sixes - enough to take him into an elite club of T20I power-hitters, becoming only the second Indian after Rohit Sharma to reach 150 sixes in the format.
Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at the Chinnaswamy stadium, in Bengaluru on Friday
Trent Boult's critical cameo with the bat at Grand Prairie Stadium that ultimately got MI New York over the line
Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay his hands on an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings.
Tim Seifert top-scored with a quickfire 45 from 22 balls and Finn Allen slammed 38 from 16 to guide New Zealand to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the rain-hit second T20I.
RCB were in red-hot form before the league's 10-day pause due to the India-Pakistan military conflict, winning four matches on the trot. But the break appears to have disrupted their momentum.
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar praised Nehal Wadhera for his tremendous batting performance and explained how the 24-year-old, who scored an unbeaten 33 off 19 ball, including three fours and as many sixes, has grown over the years.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have very little time to pick up the pieces after a debilitating loss as they eye a much-improved display from their batting unit in a return Indian Premier League match against in-form Punjab Kings in Mullanpur, Punjab, on Sunday.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer called Yuzvendra Chahal "one of the best bowlers" in the Indian Premier League and revealed that he told the seasoned leg-spinner to always look for wickets instead of worrying over leaking runs during a "personal chat".
NZ face WI in virtual knockout, rain threatens to derail England again
Australia completed a clean sweep of their three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand on Sunday as Matthew Wade's side won a rain-affected clash by 27 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method at Eden Park.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Mullanpur on Sunday
India were in danger of suffering their first home test loss to New Zealand since 1988, despite Sarfaraz Khan's 150 and Rishabh Pant's 99, when the tourists bowled them out for 462 on the fourth day of their rain-interrupted series opener on Saturday.
India were still staring at a daunting challenge despite a much more assured performance in their second innings, trailing by 125 runs at the close with Sarfaraz Khan on 70 not out after Virat Kohli fell for the same score on the day's final ball.
Australia's second-string pace attack produced a first-rate display to sink Pakistan with a comprehensive 29-run win in the weather-truncated first T20 International on Thursday.
The presence of a host of experienced batters and bowlers, Latham said, makes India a formidable opponent.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test played between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru, on Thursday.
Australia speedster Spencer Johnson claimed a maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket as the hosts edged out Pakistan by 13 runs in the second Twenty20 International on Saturday
Woeful India dismissed for 46 as New Zealand pacers run riot
IMAGES from Day 4 of the first Test played between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru, on Saturday.
The tourists will be without batsman Kane Williamson in Bengaluru after the former skipper opted out of the opener due to a groin injury, while paceman Ben Sears was ruled out of the series with a knee injury and replaced by Jacob Duffy.
Nepal's hopes were briefly raised when Netherlands were reduced to 80-4 in the 16th over but O'Dowd and Bas de Leede (11 not out) shared an undefeated 29-run partnership to take the team home.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand?
There was poor communication and complete mismanagement between the stadium authority and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Rain had affected the buildup to the Test, the first between the two nations, with New Zealand not being able to complete a single practice session properly.
New Zealand's campaign has hit a disheartening flatline after their early domination and the Kiwis will have to rediscover their bowling mojo for a World Cup reboot when they face knocked-out Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on Thursday.
This crushing defeat is a major wake-up call for Team India. They now face the real possibility of losing a home series for the first time in over a decade, warns Harish Kotian.
England's hopes of reaching the semi-finals would suffer a heavy blow if the Brisbane weather refuses to play ball.
A desperate Indian team will pray for a rain-free third and final ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday in its bid to finish on an even keel in a series that neither had context nor any major takeaways.
England will be looking to bounce back from a rain-affected opening match and solidify their T20 World Cup campaign
India lose three-match ODI series against New Zealand 0-1 after rain washes out the third match.
A washout in England-Namibia game in the same group will see Scotland go through.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances