Cricket news

Pratika Rawal smashes half-century in second women’s ODIs

Rawal, who had already scored a match-winning 89 in the first ODI, continued her excellent form in this match.

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2025

Young Indian women’s cricket team opener Pratika Rawal made an impressive contribution with a solid 67 runs off 61 balls during the second ODI against Ireland at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday. Rawal, who had already scored a match-winning 89 in the first ODI, continued her excellent form in this match.

Teaming up with Smriti Mandhana, who scored 73, Rawal established a strong 156-run opening partnership, laying a solid foundation for the innings. Throughout her innings, Rawal displayed remarkable maturity beyond her years. Tejal Hasabnis also made a notable return, scoring a fifty, as India comfortably defeated the inexperienced Ireland team by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women’s ODI series on Friday.

In the first ODI, Rawal was instrumental in anchoring the chase for 239 runs, following a brisk 41 from stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana, who made a career-best 89 off 96 balls, hitting 10 fours and one six. Hasabnis, who had not played ODI cricket since October 2024 against New Zealand, marked her comeback with an innings of 53 not out off 46 balls, striking nine boundaries.

Rawal and Hasabnis formed a match-winning partnership of 116 runs off 84 balls, leading India to victory with 93 balls remaining. Continuing her dominant form from the West Indies series, Mandhana scored a rapid 41 runs off just 29 balls, marked by six fours and a six, and, in doing so, became the second Indian and the 15th overall player to surpass 4,000 runs in ODIs.

Mandhana’s aggressive stroke play unsettled the Irish bowlers, especially in the eighth over against seamer Dempsey, where she struck a boundary, a six, and another four in quick succession. Rawal, who made her debut during the West Indies series, provided excellent support, and the pair successfully shared their third fifty-plus opening partnership in four matches.

Ireland managed to break through at the end of the powerplay when Mandhana mistimed a shot and was caught, falling just nine runs short of her half-century. Despite Harleen Deol (20) and Jemimah Rodrigues (9) looking promising early on, clever bowling by left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire (3/57 from 8 overs) temporarily halted India’s progress. Maguire successfully stumped Rodrigues, who was well out of her crease after stepping out excessively.

During this phase, India lost three wickets for just 46 runs. However, thanks to Mandhana’s explosive start, the team remained well on track. Ireland’s lack of experience was evident as they allowed 21 runs through extras, with Laura Delany particularly struggling in the bowling department, bowling two no-balls and delivering waist-high full tosses, which Hasabnis capitalized on with back-to-back boundaries.

Earlier, India’s fielding let Ireland off the hook as they dropped several catches, allowing visiting captain Gaby Lewis to score a classy 92 runs and lift her team to a competitive total of 238 for 7. Opting to bat first, Ireland faced early trouble at 56 for 4 by the 14th over. However, Lewis and Leah Paul (59 off 73 balls) mounted a recovery, adding 117 runs for the fifth wicket, marking the team’s first-ever century partnership against India.

Lewis’s innings came off 129 balls, featuring 15 boundaries, while the duo of Lewis and Paul navigated through the innings with calculated precision. India’s first breakthrough came from medium pacer Titas Sadhu, who took the wicket of Sarah Forbes (9) after a misplayed shot edged to slip where Deepti Sharma made the catch.

In their first trip to India, Ireland stumbled to 34 for 2 after a disastrous mix-up led to the run out of Una Raymond-Hoey (5), who attempted a single after hitting the ball directly to Jemimah Rodrigues in cover. Orla Prendergast (9) soon followed her back to the pavilion, stumped by Ghosh off the bowling of leg-spinner Priya Mishra (2/56), leaving Ireland in a precarious position at 56 for 3 by the 14th over.

Cricket news

Asian Games 2026: India win first gold as women’s cricket team beats Sri Lanka

India won its first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 after the women’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka in the T20I final, taking the country’s medal tally to seven.

Published

4 days ago

September 22, 2026

APNLive Desk

India opened its gold medal account at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya after the women’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka in the T20I final on Tuesday.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side produced a dominant performance to win the final and claim India’s first gold medal of the Games. India set Sri Lanka a target of 217 runs before bowling them out for 69.

The victory took India’s medal tally to seven, adding a gold to the six medals secured during the opening days of the competition.

India assure another medal in badminton

India also secured another medal opportunity in men’s team badminton after defeating hosts Japan 3-0 in the quarter-final.

Ayush Shetty completed the victory by beating Japan’s Koki Watanabe 21-10, 21-19, sending India into the semifinals and assuring the country of at least a medal in the event.

Earlier, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi to give India a 2-0 lead in the tie.

Roshibina Devi assures India another medal

India also secured a medal in wushu after Roshibina Devi reached the women’s 60kg semi-finals.

Roshibina defeated Macao’s Man Sin Chu by point difference to book her place in the last four.

However, India’s Aryan was knocked out in the men’s 56kg quarter-final after losing to Uzbekistan’s Saydullo Abdurashitov.

India miss shooting medal

India’s Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team final after earlier qualifying second for the gold medal match.

The pair therefore missed out on a podium finish in the event.

More results from Day 3

Indian boxer Jadumani Singh advanced to the men’s 55kg Round of 16 after defeating Nepal’s Chandra Bahadur Thapa 5-0.

In artistic gymnastics, Pranati Nayak qualified for the women’s vault final with a score of 12.916.

India’s women’s badminton team, meanwhile, exited the competition after losing 1-3 to hosts Japan in the quarter-finals.

Cricket news

Zaheer Khan named CSK head coach ahead of IPL 2027

Chennai Super Kings have appointed former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as their new head coach ahead of IPL 2027, replacing Stephen Fleming.

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

APNLive Desk

Chennai Super Kings have appointed former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as their new head coach ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League season. The five-time IPL champions announced the appointment on Monday, with Zaheer taking over from long-serving coach Stephen Fleming.

Fleming stepped down from his CSK role in July and subsequently took charge as head coach of the England men’s Test team. Zaheer’s appointment marks his first stint as a head coach at any level.

CSK announced the move on social media with the message welcoming Zaheer as the team’s new head coach.

Zaheer Khan’s coaching experience

Zaheer has previously held senior coaching and mentoring roles in the IPL. He served as Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket from 2018 to 2022 before taking up a mentoring role with Lucknow Super Giants from August 2024 to September 2025.

He was also initially named India’s bowling coach in 2017 after Anil Kumble became head coach. Following Ravi Shastri’s appointment later that year, Zaheer’s role was changed to bowling consultant.

As a player, Zaheer represented India in 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is. He was India’s leading wicket-taker in the 2011 ODI World Cup, taking 21 wickets during the tournament.

Stephen Fleming’s CSK exit

Fleming had two coaching stints with Chennai Super Kings, from 2009 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2026. He left the franchise in July this year to become England’s men’s Test coach, succeeding former New Zealand teammate Brendon McCullum.

Zaheer will now oversee CSK as the franchise prepares for IPL 2027. The appointment brings an Indian former international cricketer into the team’s head coaching role following Fleming’s departure.

Cricket news

Abhishek Sharma smashes fastest T20I century by Indian in India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I

Abhishek Sharma smashed a 30-ball century against Afghanistan in the third T20I, breaking Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter.

Published

1 week ago

September 17, 2026

APNLive Desk

Abhishek Sharma produced a record-breaking batting performance for India against Afghanistan in the third T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday. The left-handed opener smashed a century in just 30 balls, becoming the fastest Indian batter to score a hundred in men’s T20 Internationals.

Abhishek eventually made 108 off 34 balls, with nine fours and 11 sixes. His century came in the ninth over of India’s innings and surpassed the previous Indian record of 35 balls, held by Rohit Sharma.

Abhishek Sharma century breaks Rohit Sharma’s record

Abhishek brought up his hundred from 30 balls, breaking Rohit Sharma’s previous record of a 35-ball T20I century against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017.

The milestone also placed Abhishek third overall on the list of fastest T20I centuries. The two faster centuries in men’s T20I cricket belong to Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, who scored a 27-ball century, and Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad, who reached his hundred in 29 balls.

Among batters from Full Member nations, Abhishek’s 30-ball century moved him to the top of the list. The previous mark was 33 balls, achieved by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and New Zealand’s Finn Allen.

Abhishek Sharma dominates the powerplay

Abhishek’s attack began from the opening overs. He reached his half-century in only 16 balls before accelerating further.

During the first six overs, Abhishek scored 76 runs from 22 balls while remaining unbeaten at the end of the Powerplay. That became the highest individual score by a batter in the first six overs of a men’s T20I, according to NDTV and ICC.

India also reached 100 without losing a wicket during the Powerplay, with Abhishek and Sanju Samson combining to take India to 100 without loss at the end of the first six overs.

Abhishek dismissed for 108

Abhishek’s record-breaking innings ended at 108 when Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan dismissed him just before the halfway stage of India’s innings.

His final score came from 34 deliveries and included nine fours and 11 sixes, giving him a strike rate of more than 300.

Sanju Samson also contributed to India’s fast start before continuing his innings after Abhishek’s dismissal. The opening pair had put India in a strong position during the early overs.

India’s series position

India entered the third T20I with an unassailable 2-0 lead after winning both of the first two matches against Afghanistan by seven wickets.

Abhishek had already made 82 in the opening match and 39 in the second T20I before producing his record century in the final game.

The third match is being played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, with Afghanistan winning the toss and choosing to field.

What record did Abhishek Sharma break?

Abhishek Sharma broke Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter. Rohit had scored his century in 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017, while Abhishek reached the landmark in 30 deliveries against Afghanistan.