South Africa all geared up to break Pakistan Champions' dream in WCL 2025 final
In 2024, Indian cricket fans witnessed Yuvraj Singh lead the India Champions to victory. This year, AB de Villiers stands at the forefront, ready to take the crown and secure the title for South Africa. Backed by a stellar line-up featuring Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris, the South Africa Champions earned their place in the final with a commanding win over Australia Champions in the semi-final.
Their final opponents, the Pakistan Champions, have looked unstoppable throughout the tournament. With a powerful squad comprising Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan and Saeed Ajmal, they bring experience, aggression and consistency to the final stage.
WCL 2025 has been a celebration of cricket's golden era. Sanctioned by the England & Wales Cricket Board, the tournament has brought together some of the biggest names in world cricket.
This season featured a star-studded cast including Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Brett Lee, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, and Sir Alastair Cook, drawing fans from across the globe.
Now, the journey comes to an epic conclusion. As anticipation builds, millions of fans across the globe will tune in to witness history. The WCL grand finale is not just about cricket - it's about legacy, pride, and the love of the game.
The high-stakes clash will be broadcast live in India on Star Sports and FanCode at 9:00 PM IST.
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The Hindu
6 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Manush Shah reaches men's and mixed doubles finals at WTT Contender Foz do Iguacu
Manush Shah made it to the finals of both men's doubles and mixed doubles while also keeping his campaign in singles alive at the WTT Contender event in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, on Friday. Shah, along with Manav Thakkar, defeated Chinese Taipei's Huang Yan-Cheng and Kuo Guan-Hong 3-2 (5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5) in the men's doubles semifinals. The top-seeded Indian duo had earlier taken down Frenchmen Florian Bourrassaud and Lilian Bardet 3-2 (11-6, 2-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6) in the quarterfinals, and Japanese qualifiers Satoshi Aida and Mizuki Oikawa 3-1 (11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6) in the round of 16. Shah-Thakkar pair, who finished as runner-up at a WTT Contender event in Skopje in June, will face the second-seeded German duo of Benedikt Duda and Dang Qiu in Saturday's final. In mixed doubles, Shah and Diya Chitale progressed to their second final, having won the title in Tunis earlier this year. The top seeds, who got a bye in the round of 16, beat Chileans Nicolas Burgos and Paulina Vega 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-7) in the semifinals after defeating Gustavo Gomez and Daniela Ortega 3-1 (11-6, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6) in the quarterfinals. Shah-Chitale pair will be up against Japanese qualifiers Aida and Honoka Hashimoto in Sunday's summit clash. Shah, Harmeet Desai and Manika Batra were the only Indians who stayed in contention in singles. Duda, Korea's Oh Junsung and Kim Nayeong will be their respective opponents in the round of 16. RESULTS Men's Singles Round of 32: Manush Shah bt. [16] Liao Cheng-Ting (TPE) 3-2 (11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6); Harmeet Desai bt. [15] Kay Stumper (GER) 3-2 (11-3, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9); Kuo Guan-Hong (TPE) bt. [11] Manav Thakkar 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7) Round of 64: Manush Shah bt. Kim Taehyun (MLT) 3-1 (13-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6); Harmeet Desai bt. [Q] Allan Sarmento (BRA) 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-8); Nicolas Burgos (CHI) bt. [Q] Payas Jain 3-1 (11-8, 12-10, 12-14, 11-8); Guilherme Teodoro bt. Snehit Suravajjula 3-2 (7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 11-3) Women's Singles Round of 32: [12] Manika Batra bt. Diya Chitale 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 15-13); [3] Cheng I-Ching (TPE) bt. [WC] Swastika Ghosh 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-4); [11] Hitomi Sato (JPN) bt. Yashaswini Ghorpade 3-0 (15-13, 11-8, 11-6); [7] Kim Nayeong (KOR) bt. Ayhika Mukherjee 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-9) Round of 64: Diya Chitale bt. Zhiying Zeng (CHI) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-4); Ayhika Mukherjee bt. Beatriz Fiore (BRA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-4); Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Ana Codina (ARG) 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 12-10); [WC] Swastika Ghosh bt. Karina Shiray (BRA) 3-1 (11-3, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8) Men's Doubles Semifinal: [1] Manush Shah/Manav Thakkar bt. Huang Yan-Cheng/Kuo Guan-Hong (TPE) 3-2 (5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5) Quarterfinal: [1] Manush Shah/Manav Thakkar bt. Florian Bourrassaud/Lilian Bardet (FRA) 3-2 (11-6, 2-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6); Huang Yan-Cheng/Kuo Guan-Hong (TPE) bt. Harmeet Desai/Snehit Suravajjula 3-2 (11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8); [2] Benedikt Duda/Dang Qiu (GER) bt. Payas Jain/Ankur Bhattacharjee 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-7) Round of 16: [1] Manush Shah/Manav Thakkar bt. [Q] Satoshi Aida/Mizuki Oikawa (JPN) 3-1 (11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6); Harmeet Desai/Snehit Suravajjula bt. [3] Santiago Lorenzo (ARG)/Hwan Bae (AUS) 3-2 (11-3, 9-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8); Payas Jain/Ankur Bhattacharjee bt. [Q] Yukiya Uda/Ryoichi Yoshiyama 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6) Women's Doubles Quarterfinal: Joo Cheonhui/Lee Eunhye (KOR) bt. [Q] Manika Batra/Swastika Ghosh 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 12-10) Round of 16: [Q] Manika Batra/Swastika Ghosh bt. Diya Chitale/Yashaswini Ghorpade 3-1 (12-10, 11-8, 3-11, 11-9) Mixed Doubles Semifinal: [1] Manush Shah/Diya Chitale bt. [4] Nicolas Burgos/Paulina Vega (CHI) 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-7) Quarterfinal: [1] Manush Shah/Diya Chitale bt. Gustavo Gomez/Daniela Ortega (CHI) 3-1 (11-6, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6), [Q] Satoshi Aida/Honoka Hashimoto (JPN) bt. [Q] Manav Thakkar/Swastika Ghosh 3-1 (9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5) Round of 16: [Q] Manav Thakkar/Swastika Ghosh bt. [3] Guilherme Teodoro/Giulia Takahashi (BRA) 3-2 (11-8, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8); Oh Junsung (KOR)/Miyu Nagasaki (JPN) bt. Harmeet Desai/Yashaswini Ghorpade 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2)
Indian Express
6 minutes ago
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‘2019 World Cup, I saw him crying…: Yuzvendra Chahal on seeing Virat Kohli cry post World Cup semis loss against New Zealand
It has been close to six years since the Virat Kohli-led Indian team lost the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand and bowed out of the tournament in their bid to win the world title. With Kohli not winning a World Cup under his captaincy, the former Indian captain won the IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the first time in this year's IPL. Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has now shared how he also saw Kohli crying in the bathroom after the 2019 World Cup loss. Chahal was replying to a question about having seen Kohli cry while talking about Kohli in tears after winning the IPL trophy. 'In the 2019 World Cup, I saw him (Virat Kohli) crying in the bathroom. And then I was the last batter; when I was crossing him, he had tears in his eyes. In 2019, I saw everyone crying in the bathroom,' Chahal said in a YouTube show hosted by Raj Shamani. The Indian team had lost the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand, a match in which weather played a part. With rain interrupting the match on the first day, the match resumed on the reserve day with the Kiwis resuming at 211 for 6 in 46.1 overs. New Zealand set a target of 240 runs on the reserve day, followed by the Indian team being bundled out for a total of 221 runs in 49.3 overs. It also turned out to be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's last ODI match, as the former Indian captain announced his international cricket retirement in 2020. Chahal, who took one wicket for 63 runs in that match, shared that he regrets his performance in the semifinal. 'It was Mahi bhai's last match. I could have done better. I still regret that. I could have pushed myself a bit more, bowled a bit better, and leaked 10-15 fewer runs. But sometimes you are in that flow; it happens so quickly that you don't get time to think. I thought if I was calmer, I could have done even better. I gave my best, but it was the semi-final, a bigger stage, and you have to give your 10-15 percent extra,' Chahal added. The 35-year-old leg-spinner also shared his experience playing under different captains, including Rohit Sharma. 'I love how Rohit bhaiya carries himself on the ground. He's a very good captain. With Virat bhaiya, it's the energy he brings, the same energy every day. It will only go up and never down. Same energy. Every day,' said Chahal.
Business Standard
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Marcus Trescothick says Akash Deep's send-off to Duckett was uncalled for
England's Assistant Coach Marcus Trescothick reflected on Ben Duckett and Indian pacer Akash Deep's friendly banter during the first session of day two of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, on Friday. Trescothick said it is better for a batsman to put his head down and walk off after getting out, adding that there was probably no need to walk Duckett off in the manner Akash Deep did. During the first session, Duckett tried getting under Akash Deep's skin, saying, "You cannot get me out in here". In response, although Akash did not say anything, Duckett hit him with a reversed ramp shot to the delight of the English crowd. However, Akash Deep soon turned the tables, bowling Duckett out caught behind by wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel for 43 runs off 38 balls, which included five fours and two sixes. During the celebration, he pumped his fist in front of Duckett, then wrapped his hand around his shoulder, smiling and exchanging a few words with the opener. "I don't think I've ever seen a bowler do that after getting someone out. You see, he obviously has many words, and we've seen it within the series on both sides, but it was just different. You put your head down and walk off. Your job is done at that point. There's probably no need to sort of walk him off in that fashion," Trescothick told the media. Trescothick also spoke on providing substitutes for injured players, and said rules have been in place for many years and they've done just fine in the past, so we should not be changing anything at the moment. Ahead of the start of Day 2 of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, England suffered a significant blow as their ace right-arm seamer Chris Woakes was ruled out of the Test match after suffering a shoulder injury. "Test matches is test matches, and I think you don't need to adjust too much. I like to think we're producing some good cricket around the world in every test-playing nation. I don't think we should try and mess with it too much. The rules have been in place for many, many years. And they've done just fine in the past, so I wouldn't be changing anything at the moment," he added. Trescothick also believes the match is evenly poised between India and England and feels the pitch probably continues to be lively and more seam movement will happen as the game moves forward. "It's pretty evenly poised, I guess at the moment, plenty of wickets in the course of today, but the game is moving forward pretty quickly, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. I think you'll see the pitch probably continuing to be lively and more seam movement as the day goes on," he said. Coming to the match, four-wicket hauls from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna and an attacking half-century from Yashasvi Jaiswal put India at the driver's seat at the end of the second day's play during the fifth Test against England at The Oval on Friday. At the end of the day's play, India was 75/2, with Jaiswal (51*) and night-watchman Akash Deep (4*) unbeaten. They lead by 52 runs. In their first innings, England had scored 247 in response to India's 224. However, Prasidh Krishna (4/62) and Mohammed Siraj (4/86) bowled exceptionally well to deny England a massive lead and triggered a batting collapse. The final session of the day kicked off with England being 215/7, with Harry Brook (33*) joined by Gus Atkinson, a capable lower-order hitter. Brief Scores: England: 247 (Zak Crawley 64, Harry Brook 53, Prasidh Krishna 4/62) vs India: 224 and 75/2 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51*, Sai Sudharsan 11, Gus Atkinson 1/26).
