Gardner Shines Again As GG Register Six-Wicket Win Over UPW In WPL 2025

Skipper Ashleigh Gardner starred with both bat and ball, leading Gujarat Giants to a comprehensive six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in their Women's Premier League match in Vadodara on Sunday. Gardner (2/39) claimed two wickets and then scored a stylish 32-ball 52, her second consecutive fifty, as Gujarat registered their first win of the third edition of the tournament, following a loss in the opening game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Opting to bowl, Gujarat produced a clinical effort with young spinner Priya Mishra returning impressive figures of 4-0-25-3. Skipper Gardner, Deandra Dottin (2/34), and Kashvee Gautam (1/15) also played key roles in restricting UPW to 143 for nine.

Chasing 144 to win, the Giants were reduced to 22 for 2 with opener Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalata back in the pavilion after UPW introduced spin at both ends. However, Gardner produced an inspired knock, adding 55 runs off 42 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (22) to resurrect the innings.

Gardner struck two fours off Kranti Goud to ease the pressure before depositing Saima Thakor twice into the stands in the fifth over. Wolvaardt also hit a six, as 20 runs came off the over, taking GG to 41 for 2 in six overs.

The GG skipper blasted five fours and three sixes before being dismissed by Tahila McGrath in the 12th over.

However, it had little effect as Harleen Deol (34) and Dottin (33) added 58 runs off 37 balls to take Gujarat home with two overs to spare.

Earlier, UPW skipper Deepti Sharma top-scored with a 27-ball 39, while Uma Chetry (24) and Shweta Sehrawat (16) made useful contributions in the middle-order. Alana King (19) and Saima Thakor (15) combined for a late surge, adding 26 runs off 13 balls to take UPW past 140.

Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh were dismissed cheaply by Dottin and Gardner as the Warriorz struggled early on. UPW were reduced to 22 for 2 by the third over, with Navgire trapped in front by Dottin and Dinesh was cleaned up by Gardner.

Chetry and Deepti tried to rebuild but were limited by tight bowling from the Gujarat team, with UPW managing just 41 for 2 in the powerplay. Their partnership of 50 runs off 43 balls was broken by Dottin, who removed Chetry.

Mishra then struck twice in three balls, removing Australians Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris to break UPW's back, leaving them at 78 for 5 in the 11th over.

Sehrawat and Deepti attempted a recovery, but Gardner's sensational catch accounted for Deepti as UPW slumped to 117 for 8 by the 18th over.

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Rizwan Bashed For Huge Blunder In Tri-Series Final: "Mind-Boggling To..."

Veteran batter Ahmed Shahzad has lashed out at Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan for his "mind-boggling" blunder to bat first in the tri-nation series final against New Zealand. On Friday, New Zealand beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to win the tri-nation series final at the National Stadium in Karachi. After opting to bat first, Pakistan were bowled out for 242 on a two-paced track, and New Zealand achieved the target in just 45.2 overs. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shahzad questioned Rizwan's decision to bat, especially after Pakistan chased down 353 a couple of days prior against South Africa at the very same ground.

"It was a mind-boggling decision (to bat first) because we had seen in the previous match that the pitch becomes better to bat on in the night, the ball doesn't grip on the surface for the spinners. Still, the Pakistan team decided to bat first," Shahzad said on his YouTube channel.

Shahzad feels Pakistan are only capable of beating second or third-string oppositions, adding that the Rizwan-led side has been brutally exposed by New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy.

"Pakistan's bubble has burst ahead of the Champions Trophy. You get a chance to win only when the opposition performs below par or doesn't have their main players playing," he added.

Shahzad also questioned the logic behind the decision to drop pacer Mohammad Hasnain at the expense of all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, especially considering that the latter only bowled two overs in the match.

"In his every decision, the Pakistan captain wants to play safe with batting, be it by being a spinner short in the Champions Trophy squad or this match, where they played (bowling all-rounder) Faheem Ashraf to have a longer batting line-up at the expense of (fast bowler) Mohammad Hasnain and still used him (Ashraf) for just two overs," Shahzad pointed out.

After the match, Rizwan had explained the logic behind his decision to bat first.

"We wanted to bat first because we thought in the second half, the pitch would be tough. But their bowlers put a squeeze on us. We were looking to target 280 but they got it back. We were 15 runs short. They were bowling very well. Me and Agha were trying to build the stand. We tried doing that, but they were not giving us the balls. We kept the target to 280, not 300. My wicket was crucial. [Fielding] We have to bring the improvement. This is one department we are lacking. [Abrar] He has really improved. The others have to improve as well. [CT'25] We wanted to prepare for the 19th as well. So that is why we wanted to bat first as well," Rizwan said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

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R Ashwin Slams "Superstar" Culture In Indian Team: 'Rohit Or Kohli...'

Ever since announcing his international retirement, veteran cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has become more active on social media, especially YouTube. Ashwin called time on his illustrious international career during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December last year. Recently, Ashwin spoke strongly against the "celebrity culture" in the Indian team, insisting that cricketers are not actors or superstars but simply athletes. The veteran all-rounder also urged players to stay grounded in order to be more relatable to the common people.

"It is important to normalise things in Indian cricket. We must not encourage this superstardom and super celebrities within the Indian cricket team. We must normalise all these things going forward. We are cricketers. We are not actors or superstars. We are sportspersons, and we must be someone that the common people should resonate with, and can compare themselves with," Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat'.

Citing the examples of star batter Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Ashwin urged players to focus on team goals rather than personal accolades.

"For example, if you are a Rohit Sharma or a Virat Kohli, who have achieved so much. When you hit one more century, it is not just about your achievement anymore. It should be business as usual, and our goals should be bigger than these achievements," the former India cricketer added.

With the Indian team set to take part in the Champions Trophy, Ashwin raised concerns over the management's decision to include five spinners -- Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy -- in the 15-man squad. He also shared his views on India's likely team composition during the tournament.

"Five spinners in Dubai? I don't know. I think we are one spinner too many, if not two. The two left-arm spinners are your best all-rounders alongside Hardik Pandya. So both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are going to play. Hardik will also play and Kuldeep will play. If you want Varun Chakravarthy in the team, then you will have to make a pacer sit out and use Hardik as your second pacer. Else you will have to drop a spinner to bring in a third seamer," Ashwin explained.

The Indian team and support staff members left for Dubai on Saturday, just five days ahead of their opening match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India will play of their matches in Dubai after refusing to travel to Pakistan.

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WPL 2025: DC Register 2-Wicket Win Over MI In Last-Ball Thriller

Delhi Capitals produced a splendid bowling effort before their batters, led by Niki Prasad, survived some anxious moments to register a narrow two-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in a last-ball thriller in the Women's Premier League in Vadodara on Saturday. Opting to bowl, DC bundled out MI for 164 in 19.1 overs, with Nat Sciver-Brunt's commanding unbeaten 80 and Harmanpreet Kaur's quickfire 42 off 22 balls anchoring the innings. Chasing the target, Shafali Verma's blistering 43 off 18 balls gave DC a flying start, as they reached 60 for no loss. However, MI staged a sensational comeback, almost derailing the chase.

Alice Capsey (16), Annabel Sutherland (13), and Sarah Bryce (21) kept DC in the hunt before Niki Prasad (35) showed great temperament under pressure to steer them closer to the target.

Needing 21 off the last 12 balls with four wickets in hand, No. 9 Radha Yadav (9 not out) smashed a six to reduce the equation. Niki then hit a four but holed out on the fifth ball.

Arundhati Reddy (2 not out) took the two required runs off the final ball to seal the win.

Earlier, Shafali had accumulated 22 runs in the second over off Saika Ishaque, including four fours and a six, before taking Hayley Matthews to the cleaners with two fours and a six. However, she holed out in the fifth ball.

Given a fourth over, Shabnim Ismail cleaned up Meg Lanning, as DC suddenly slipped to 60 for 2. Jemimah Rodrigues (2) and Annabel Sutherland (13) soon followed back to the pavilion, as DC slumped to 76/4 in the ninth over.

For MI, Amelia Kerr (2/21), Hayley Matthews (2/32), Sciver-Brunt (1/38), and Shabnim Ismail (1/18) were the wicket-takers.

Earlier, Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet shared a crucial 73-run partnership off 40 balls for the third wicket, laying a solid foundation. However, DC's bowlers struck back, taking the final six wickets for 35 runs to dismiss MI in 19.1 overs.

Pacer Shikha Pandey (2/14) was the most successful bowler for DC, while Minnu Mani (1/23) was economical. The rest of the bowlers were expensive, but they chipped in with key wickets.

Pandey gave DC an early breakthrough, dismissing both openers - Hayley Matthews (0) and Yastika Bhatia (11) as Mumbai reached 42/2 at the end of the powerplay, thanks to a 19-run over from Alice Capsey (1/25).

Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet took charge, striking 18 runs off Radha Yadav's eighth over, which included three fours and a six. MI were 87/2 at the halfway mark.

Harmanpreet continued to attack, taking Annabel Sutherland (2/34) for three fours and a six before falling to her in the 14th over.

Sciver-Brunt was left to carry the innings but ran out of partners as MI crumbled.

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On Bumrah Missing CT 2025, BCCI Secretary's Sharp Answer: "Combination..."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia has backed the Indian team to be a strong contender to lift the ICC Champions Trophy despite the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Saikia credited the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for picking the best combination for the eight-team marquee competition. Young pacer Harshit Rana has been named Bumrah's replacement in the squad while senior speedster Mohammad Shami will lead the pace attack along with Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya.

"We have picked the best team for the Champions Trophy. And I believe we will win the trophy. India have such a big bench strength, and I don't think it (Jasprit Bumrah's absence) will have any major issue with the team combination," Saikia told IANS on Friday.

Talking about the form of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the BCCI secretary expressed confidence in the duo's ability to shine in the tournament. India captain Rohit slammed a century in the second ODI against England while Kohli ended his dry run with a half-century in the final ODI as the host whitewashed the series 3-0. Earlier, Suryakumar-led India sealed the five-match T20I series 4-1.

"Everything is very positive in the team (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in form); see the England series; the results are in front of you. The conditions will be more or less the same in Dubai, like the Indian conditions. India came out in such a good manner (against England) with a series whitewash in ODIs and a 4-1 win in T20Is. The morale and spirit of the team is at the highest level," Saikia added.

India will start their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20, before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2.

India's squad for ICC Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Non Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.

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Clinical New Zealand Thump Pakistan To Win Tri-Nations Final

Pace bowler Will O'Rourke claimed four wickets while Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham hit half centuries as New Zealand defeated Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the tri-nations series final on Friday. O'Rourke's 4-43 helped the tourists dismiss Pakistan for 242 in 49.3 overs before Mitchell's 58-ball 57 anchored the chase as the Black Caps finished on 243-5 in 45.2 overs at Karachi's National stadium. The victory gives the New Zealanders a timely boost ahead of the Champions Trophy opener against the same opponents at this venue on Wednesday.

New Zealand lost opener Will Young in pacer Naseem Shah's first over for five before Devon Conway (48) and Kane Williamson (34) steadied the chase with a second wicket stand of 71.

Williamson lost his wicket while charging down the wicket against spinner Salman Agha while Naseem returned for his second spell to dismiss Conway.

At 108-3 the tourists' chase wobbled but Mitchell found an able ally in Latham (56) as the two added 87 for the fourth wicket.

When Mitchell fell caught and bowled off spinner Abrar Ahmed the tourists needed just 48 runs which Latham and Glenn Phillips (20 not out) reduced to ten.

Mitchell hit six boundaries in his knock while Latham's 64-ball innings featured five fours.

Naseem was the pick of an otherwise ineffective Pakistan bowling attack with 2-43 off eight overs. 

"It is nice to win tonight," said New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner. 

"Different guys stepping up at different times is good but it means nothing till we play that first game at the Champions Trophy."

Losing captain Mohammad Rizwan gave credit to New Zealand's bowlers.

'Lost our way'

"We were looking at a target of 280 plus but their bowlers put a squeeze on us," said Rizwan. 

"We ended up 15 runs short as my wicket was crucial and we lost our way."

Earlier, spinners Santner (2-20) and Michael Bracewell (2-38) backed up O'Rourke to ensure Pakistan did not post a big total.

Rizwan top-scored with a 76-ball 46, while Salman Agha hit 45 off 65 balls as slow and variable bounce on the National stadium pitch proved tough for batting.

Pakistan lost opener Fakhar Zaman to O'Rourke in the fourth over for 10 and then Saud Shakeel for eight.

Babar Azam looked good for his 29 runs, hitting four boundaries and a six, and reached 6,000 runs scored in one-day internationals when he was on 10.

He was playing his 123rd innings, the joint fastest to reach the 6,000-run milestone with South African Hashim Amla.

Azam fell to a miscued shot off Nathan Smith, leaving Pakistan struggling at 54-3.

Rizwan and Agha, who shared a match-winning 260-run partnership against South Africa on Wednesday, then revived the innings with an 88-run stand.

Rizwan hit four boundaries and a six but he and Agha fell within 19 runs of each other to end any hope of a challenging total.

Tayyab Tahir hit a 33-ball 38, also with four boundaries and a six, while Faheem Ashraf (22) and Naseem (19) added 39 invaluable runs to get Pakistan past 240.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 242 all out in 49.3 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 46, Salman Agha 45; W. O'Rourke 4-43) v New Zealand 243-5 in 45.2 overs (D. Mitchell 57, T. Latham 56; Naseem Shah 2-43)

Result: New Zealand won by five wickets

Toss: Pakistan

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Watch: Unhappy Babar Azam Asks Reporters To Stop Calling Him 'King'

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be the biggest ODI event for men's cricket this year. India finished runners-up in the previous edition in 2017 after losing the final to Pakistan. The Champions Trophy 2025 also presents a chance to the Indian cricket team for redeeming themselves after a 3-1 loss to Australia, which drew much criticism. The build-up to the Champions Trophy 2025 has been good for Indian cricket team after a clean sweep against England in an ODI series at home. The Champions Trophy will also be the first mega event where BCCI's new guidelines regarding travelling family members, personal staff will come into effect in a stringent way. 

According to a report in Cricbuzz, the BCCI is absolutely strict about implementing the guidelines. A formal SOP has been shared formally with all the players on travel, nets, luggage allowances, and accompanying family members. The report added players were told during the recent third ODI in Ahmedabad that the disciplinary guidelines were non-negotiable.

"There is no going back on this and the players have made aware that the BCCI is very serious about the SOPs," the report quoted a source as saying. 

One clause of the guidelines say: "All players are required to stay for the entire duration of scheduled practice sessions and travel together to and from the venue. This rule ensures commitment and fosters a strong work ethic within the team." According to the above-mentioned report, "violation of this rule could be seriously viewed by the BCCI."

A report in news agency PTI said if there is any exception, the players will have to bear the expenses.  

"If anything changes then it is different but as of now, the players are unlikely to be accompanied by their wives or partners for this tour. One of the senior players had enquired about it and he was told that the policy decision will be followed," a senior BCCI source said.

"Since the tour is of less than one month, families won't be accompanying the players. But if exceptions are made, I think that individual will have to bear the full expenses as BCCI won't be covering any cost."

The senior official said that most of the rules have already been enforced by the BCCI.

"If you look at it, already no player can ask for a private vehicle to come for practice. All state units have been notified. Similarly once the players assembled in Kolkata (for the T20I series against England) and Nagpur (for the ODI series against the same side), the team has travelled together," he confirmed.

The stars have also adhered to the new regulations of playing domestic cricket when they get time off from their international assignments. Accordingly, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shivam Dube turned up for Mumbai.

Virat Kohli played his first game for Delhi in more than 12 years amid a lot of fanfare. So did Rishabh Pant while KL Rahul represented Karnataka. Ravindra Jadeja played for Saurashtra.

Restrictions have also been imposed on personal staff (managers, agents, chefs), who were accompanying the team and the coaching group earlier.

Accordingly, the personal secretary of a member of the coaching staff, who was regularly seen staying at the team hotel, now stays at a different facility even though he has been seen at every venue during the England home series.

It is understood that the BCCI is trying to get a few chefs on board to meet the special dietary requirements of certain players.

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