IND vs ENG: Abhishek Sharma blasted 79 runs, leading India to successfully chase down a 133-run target in just 12.5 overs.
Abhishek Sharma played a brilliant match-winning innings, scoring 79 off 34 balls. Image Source: X/@BCCI
Abhishek Sharma played a scorching innings, guiding blue shirts to a seven-wicket victory over England in the opening T20I match at Eden Gardens.
India’s choice to bowl first proved to be a masterstroke, as the Indian bowlers put on a stellar display, restricting England to a modest total of 132 runs. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the standout performer, finishing with figures of 3 for 23, while pacer Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and all-rounder Axar Patel each claimed two wickets.
Chasing 133, Sanju Samson provided India with a blazing start, blasting 22 runs off an over from Gus Atkinson, including 4 fours and a six. Then India quickly lost both Sanju Samson and skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the same over. However, their dismissals did not affect India’s momentum. Young Indian opener Abhishek Sharma played a brilliant match-winning innings, scoring 79 off 34 balls, which included 5 fours and 8 sixes, leading India to a comfortable victory in just 12.5 overs.
ICC Response: According to an ICC source, it is mandatory for every team to include the tournament logo on their kits, and all teams must adhere to this requirement.
ICC has stated that it is compulsory for all teams to display the tournament logo on their Jerseys.
The controversy erupted when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declined to include the host nation’s ‘Pakistan’ name on India’s jersey for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will take place in both Pakistan and Dubai, with all of India’s matches scheduled to be played in Dubai as India refused to travel to Pakistan. This resulted in a compromise, with both the PCB and ICC agreeing to a hybrid model for India’s fixtures. Nevertheless, Pakistan remains the official host nation for the tournament.
The BCCI’s decision has caused frustration for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), because this is ICC’s rule that all participating teams must feature the tournament’s official logo on their jerseys, including the name of the host nation.
During the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Pakistan included India’s name on their jerseys, even though the tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Likewise, when Pakistan played in India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 and the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, they featured India’s name (as the host country) on their kits.
ICC Response
Pakistan were seeking towards International Cricket Council (ICC) to settle this issue. According to sources, the ICC has stated that it is compulsory for all teams to display the tournament logo on their kits, and any team that fails to comply with this requirement will result in strict penalties.
PCB Response from Jerseys to Politics
In reaction to the BCCI’s decision, a PCB official condemned the move, arguing that the refusal to print Pakistan’s name on India’s jersey is yet another example of the BCCI bringing politics into cricket, which will cause adverse effect to the sport.
He further stated, “We trust that the global governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) will intervene and stand by Pakistan in this matter.”
IND vs ENG:Suryakumar Yadav will captain India in the opening match of the five-game T20I series against England, with Jos Buttler leading the visitors.
Experienced Axar Patel will serve as a Vice Captain. [ Image Source: X/@BCCI ]
The first T20I match is set to take place on Wednesday at Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. An exciting showdown is set to take place between these two energetic teams.
Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the Sydney Test due to injury, has not been included in the squad, pacer Harshit Rana replaced him. However, Mohammad Shami’s return brings valuable experience to the bowling attack, having last featured in an ODI during the 2023 World Cup final against Australia.
Muhammad Shami, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh have been added to the squad, while Mohammed Siraj has been released.
Reigning World Champions India last played a four-match series against South Africa, which they had won by 3-1 away. Before that, India completed a clean sweep in their three-match series against Bangladesh at home. Meanwhile, England arrives on the back of a 3-1 series victory (away) over the West Indies.
Both India and England last played their T20I matches in November, and after nearly 1.5 months, they will finally be back in action. India will look to extend their winning streak, while the visitors are determined to defeat the hosts on their home soil.
IND vs ENG: Head-to-Head records
India and England have squared off 24 times in T20I matches.
Total Matches (T20)
INDIA (won)
England (won)
. 24
. 13
. 11
These records show the intensity of the rivalry between both teams. India holds the upper hand with 13 wins, while their opponents trail closely with 11 victories.
India have remained unbeaten in the T20 series since August 2023.
IND vs ENG– Live Streaming
The first T20I between India and England will be shown live on the Star Sports Network. Additionally, the match will be streamed live on the Disney+ Hotstar app.
IND vs ENG – T20I SQUADS
INDIA
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Axar Patel (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, and Mohammad Shami.
Axar Patel will serve as a Vice Captain.
England
Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook (VC), Ben Duckett, Phil Salt (WK), Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith (WK), Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood.
AUS-W VS ENG-W: Australia Women Put on a Clinical Display to Beat England Women in the First T20 at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Beth Mooney played an explosive knock, scoring 75 runs off 51 deliveries. Image Source: X/@AusWomenCricket
England Women Won the Toss and Made the Decision to Bowl First on the Sydney Pitch.
Australia Women Extend Their Lead to 4-0 in the 8-Match Women’s Ashes with a Clinical 57-Run Victory in the First T20 at Sydney. Although England can no longer win the multi-format series, but still has a chance to win the remaining two T20Is and the Test matches to level the series, just like they did in the 2023 edition.
After dominating the ODI series with a 3-0 clean sweep, Australia has claimed victory in the first T20I against England Women.
Australia’s captain, Alyssa Healy, missed this game because of a foot injury, which has raised concerns about her availability for the upcoming matches in the Ashes series.
Tahlia McGrath captained Australia, and the team managed to set a strong total of 198/7 in 20 overs. The Sydney pitch typically benefits the team batting first, which is clearly evident in this match.
Opening wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney played an explosive knock, scoring 75 runs off 51 balls, including 11 boundaries, before being dismissed by Freya Kemp.
Young opening batter Georgia Voll scored 21 runs, Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath played a quick knock of 26 runs, including 4 fours and a six. While Phoebe Litchfield made 25 and other batters also added some runs, which helped the Aussies to set a challenging total of 198/7 in 20 overs. They benefited from some hesitant bowling and sloppy fielding by an England team that seemed understandably lacking in confidence.
Chasing the target, England suffered an early setback as both openers were dismissed for ducks, with neither managing to score a single run for their team.
Following the opener’s quick dismissals, Sophia Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt were tasked with rebuilding the innings. They aimed to extend their stay at the crease, but the leg spinner Alana King shattered their plans by getting Nat Sciver-Brunt out for 20 off 12 balls.
At the drinks break, England were still in the chase, with the score at 96/3. Sophia Dunkley smashed a half-century ( 59 off 30) which kept England in the game. After the drinks break, England began to lose wickets steadily and were eventually bowled out, collapsing from 96/3 to 141 all out.
Georgia Wareham (3-25) and Alana King (2-14) took five wickets collectively, which helped the Aussies to bowl out England for just 141 in 16 overs.
Player of the Match: Beth Mooney (AUS-W). 75 off 51 deliveries.
AUS W vs ENG W: The first T20 clash of the three-match series will kick off today at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Australia’s captain Alyssa Healy will miss the first T20 of the series due to an injury. Image Source: X/@AusWomenCricket
Australian women’s cricket team is in high confidence, after a commanding 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series, now ready to enter the T20I series with full of confidence and momentum, eager to strengthen their position at the top of the points table.
However, their most recent series in the Women’s Ashes 2023 wasn’t as enjoyable, with England coming out on top, winning the series 2-1 against Australia. After their defeat in the ODI series, England may be feeling disheartened, but they will undoubtedly look to regroup and bounce back with a fresh beginning in the T20I series. Now England has another opportunity to recover and keep their Ashes aspirations alive.
The T20I series offers an opportunity for England to address their issues from the ODIs, where they struggled to chase down targets in two back-to-back matches.
Australia has been in exceptional form, especially with their bowling attack, Alana King is delivering outstanding bowling performances for the Australian team, which has consistently kept the pressure on England throughout the ODI series.
AUS W vs ENG W – SCG Pitch Report
The SCG provides comfort for batters, producing high-scoring matches. While seamers typically dominate with bounce and swing, the pitch could offer more support for spinners as the game unfolds. Although teams batting first may have a small edge by setting a tough target for their opponent.
SQUADS
Australia WOMEN
Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Kim Garth, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Grace Harris, and Darcie Brown.
Captain Alyssa Healy will miss the opening T20 of the Ashes series due to an injury.
ENGLAND WOMEN
Heather Knight (C), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amy Jones (WK), Freya Kemp, Charlotte Dean, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Danielle Gibson, Linsey Smith, Sarah Glenn, and Sophie Ecclestone.
Pakistan’s spin trio of Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Abrar Ahmed shared all 20 wickets to lead a dominant victory over the West Indies in the opening Test match in Multan.
Sajid Khan picked up 9 wickets in 1st Test match. Image Source: X/@TheRealPCB
Pakistan delivered a commanding performance, defeating the West Indies by 127 runs in the opening Test of the series in Multan, taking a lead of 1-0 in the two-match Series.
Sajid Khan picked up 9 wickets, Noman Ali took 6, and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed contributed 5 wickets in both innings, which played a key role in securing Pakistan’s victory.
The spinners broke down the West Indies batting order in both innings, taking all 20 wickets.
On Day 2, Pakistan found themselves in a strong position, with captain Shan Masood scoring a solid half-century in challenging conditions. At the close of play, Pakistan were 109/3, with Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan at the crease.
Resuming their second innings, Pakistan looked set to build on their lead, but Jomel Warrican’s sharp bowling disrupted their progress. He took the crucial wickets of Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, both falling for just two runs, leaving Pakistan at 113/5.
Kamran Ghulam (27) fought hard to steady the innings, but his dismissal added to Pakistan’s woes. Jomel Warrican’s relentless performance continued as he took out Noman Ali for (9) and Sajid Khan for (5) runs, leaving the hosts in a bad position at 154/9.
The final blow came when Warrican delivered a precise direct hit to run out Khurram Shahzad. In the end, Pakistan set a target of 251 runs for the visiting team.
Jomel Warrican finished with his career-best bowling figures of 7 wickets for 32 runs from 18 overs.
Chasing 251, Pakistan’s spin trio tore through the West Indies batting, bowling them out for just 123 runs in the opening match of the series.
Sajid Khan took five wickets, Abrar Ahmed claimed four, and Nouman Ali picked up one wicket in the second inning.
India announced squad: On January 18, the BCCI revealed the squad for both the upcoming ODI series against England and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Jasprit Bumrah (subject to fitness) will be replaced by Harshit Rana if he is not fully fit.
Having won the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in 2002 and 2013, India will aim to secure a third title under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, with Shubman Gill appointed as the vice-captain.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, hosted a press conference to formally announce the 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI Series against England as well as the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and the Dubai.
A major highlight of the squad is the return of fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who last played an ODI during the final of the 2023 World Cup against Australia.
Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined for part of the Sydney Test due to injury, has been named in the squad. Considering Bumrah’s fitness, Harshit Rana has been added to India’s squad for the upcoming England ODIs leading up to the Champions Trophy, ready to replace Bumrah if necessary.
Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh have been included in the squad, while Mohammad Siraj and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson have been omitted. Alongside, pacer Akash Deep has been ruled out of the squad due to a back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
PAK vs WI: Noman Ali claimed a five-wicket haul, and Sajid Khan picked up four crucial wickets to bowl out West Indies for just 137 on Day 2.
Noman Ali topped Pakistan’s bowling performance with figures of 5-39. Image Source: X/@TheRealPCB
Pakistan’s spin duo, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, dismantled the West Indies batting lineup on Day 2 of the first Test at the spin-friendly Pitch in Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan made an early impact as Sajid Khan removed Mikyle Louis and Keacy Carty off consecutive deliveries, further crippling the opposition’s batting order. After three overs, his bowling figures read an impressive 4 wickets for just 8 runs as he dismissed another two batters,including captain Kraigg Brathwaite for 11 runs and Kavem Hodge for just 4.
Noman Ali quickly joined in, striking in the tenth over to bowl out Justin Greaves for 4. The left-arm spinner then claimed three more wickets in his next three overs, reducing West Indies from 22/4 to a precarious 66/8.
Sajid Khan and Noman Ali both delivered outstanding performances during England’s tour of Pakistan last year.
At that stage, Pakistan hoped to dismiss the visitors before they crossed 100, but the tailenders dashed those hopes.
Gudakesh Motie scored 19, Jayden Seales contributed 22, and Jomel Warrican blasted an unbeaten 31, with 4 fours and one Six, helping West Indies reach 137 runs.
Noman Ali topped Pakistan’s bowling performance with figures of 5-39, while Sajid Khan finished the innings with 4-65. Abrar Ahmed claimed the final wicket, ending with figures of 1-6
Remarkably, all 10 wickets were claimed by spinners.
PAK vs WI: Playing XI
Pakistan
Shan Masood (C), Muhammad Huraira, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Khurram Shahzad.
Pak vs WI:West Indies bowlers triggered a collapse during the morning session on Day 2 in Multan.
Muhammad Rizwan smashed (71) including nine boundaries. Image Source: X/ @TheRealPCB
West Indies bowlers took control with the ball, overwhelming Pakistan and dismissing them for 230 in the opening session of Day 2 at Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan continued their first innings with Saud Shakeel (56) and Mohammad Rizwan (51) at the crease. Both went unbeaten throughout day 1.
Pakistan, resuming at 143/4 following Friday’s fog-affected session, started positively with the duo adding over 40 runs in the early morning session. At 187/4 after 56 overs, Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse following the loss of their fifth wicket, eventually being bowled out for just 230.
However, off-spinner Kevin Sinclair after the drinks break sparked the downfall of their fifth wicket. Kevin Sinclair dismissed Saud Shakeel for 84, which included 6 boundaries.
Earlier, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan partnered for a crucial 141-run stand, guiding Pakistan past early difficulties and putting them in a stronger position. The partnership came to an end when Kevin Sinclair dismissed Saud Shakeel.
Rizwan smashed (71) including nine boundaries, before falling into Kevin Sinclair’s trap.
Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican were the top performers with the ball, each taking three wickets. Kevin Sinclair supported with two wickets, while Motie chipped in with one.
PAK vs WI 1st Test: Pakistan are 143/4, with Saud Shakeel unbeaten on 56* and Muhammad Rizwan having scored 51* runs.
Muhammad Rizwan ( 51*) and Saud Shakeel (56*) remain unbeaten at the end of day 1. Image Source: X/@TheRealPCB
Following the toss, Pakistan made the decision to bat first.
In Multan, foggy weather caused a slow start on the opening day, but Pakistan managed to score 143 runs by the end of the day.
Pakistan’s top order struggled against the seamers, with debutant Mohammad Huraira (6), Babar Azam (8), and Kaman Ghulam (5) all falling to Jayden Seales. Although the surface was ideal for spinners, it was the fast bowler who made a triple strike.
However, captain Shan Masood (11) was unable to play a significant knock and was dismissed by Gudakesh Motie. At that time, Pakistan was reduced to 46 for the loss of 4 wickets.
After losing four wickets early, Pakistan found themselves in a difficult situation. Muhammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel came to rescue Pakistan. The duo built momentum and brought Pakistan back into the game.
Despite the early setbacks, they built an unbeaten 97-run partnership. Saud Shakeel scored an undefeated fifty, and shortly after him, M. Rizwan also reached his half-century.
Muhammad Rizwan ( 51*) and Saud Shakeel (56*) remain unbeaten at the end of day 1. This pair will resume batting at the start of Day 2.
