Sports
Champions Trophy: Final squads of all eight participating teams

Dubai, Feb 14: The ICC Champions Trophy is set to commence in Pakistan on February 19. The marquee tournament, returning after an eight-year hiatus, will see the top eight men’s ODI teams battling for glory.
As the deadline for squad submissions ended on February 12, all participating nations have officially announced their 15-member squads, with several last-minute changes shaking up team compositions.
Led by Rohit Sharma, India enters the tournament boasting a formidable lineup, including eight players from their victorious T20 World Cup 2024 squad. However, the team suffered a major blow with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to injury. Young pacer Harshit Rana has been called in as his replacement. Additionally, Varun Chakaravarthy steps in for Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Defending champions Pakistan, under the leadership of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, will aim to retain their 2017 title. The squad features key players from their last Champions Trophy-winning team, including Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Faheem Ashraf. However, they will miss the services of opening batter Saim Ayub due to injury.
The ODI world champions Australia will head into the tournament significantly weakened, with multiple senior players missing. Captain Pat Cummins, along with premier pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, have withdrawn from the original squad. In their absence, Steve Smith has been handed the captaincy. The Aussies will also be without all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, with new faces Ben Dwarshuis, Spencer Johnson, and Tanveer Sangha stepping up.
New Zealand’s squad, initially set, had to undergo a change as pacer Ben Sears was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Jacob Duffy has been named as his replacement. Mitchell Santner, leading the Kiwis in his first ICC tournament as captain, will guide a squad with a mix of youth and experience. The absence of veteran pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee puts pressure on Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and young quick Nathan Smith to deliver.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, aims to surpass their semi-final finish from 2017. Senior players Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim provide stability, while exciting youngsters Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain add firepower.
Afghanistan has been forced to make a last-minute tweak, with young spinner Nangyal Kharoti stepping in for the injured Allah Ghazanfar. The squad retains seasoned stars Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran add strength at the top order.
England’s lineup sees the return of Joe Root, while Tom Banton has replaced the injured Jacob Bethell. Under the leadership of Jos Buttler, their bowling attack will be spearheaded by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, backed by Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton.
South Africa faced a setback with Anrich Nortje ruled out due to injury, leading to Corbin Bosch’s inclusion. Kagiso Rabada leads the Proteas’ pace attack, while Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, and Heinrich Klaasen form the batting core.
The eight teams are split into two groups, with the top two from each group progressing to the semifinals. Group A consists of hosts Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, promising thrilling subcontinental rivalries. Group B features Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan.
India begin their ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 before taking on rivals Pakistan on February 23. India will play their final Group A match against New Zealand on March 2.
This tournament marks the first time Pakistan will host an ICC event since 1996. The 2025 edition features eight teams split into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
The top eight-team competition will see 15 matches to be played over 19 days in Pakistan and the UAE. India will play all their matches in Dubai, including the semi-final and the final (subject to qualification)
All final squads:
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami
Bangladesh squad: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch.
Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.
Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Sports
IPL 2025: Suryakumar set for big celebration after bagging first POTM award in 13 games

Mumbai, May 22: In a brilliant Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season in which he has emerged as the top scorer for Mumbai Indians and produced 25-plus scores in 12 matches in a row, Suryakumar Yadav’s wife Devisha spotted a big anomaly—the batter known for his 360-degree batting has not won a single Player of the Match award.
Suryakumar Yadav rectified that abnormality on Wednesday as he hammered a 43-ball 73 on a slightly sluggish wicket that was offering a turn to the spinners and helped Mumbai Indians reach 180/5, laying the foundation for a 59-run victory against Delhi Capitals in Match 63 of IPL 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium. He equalled the record for the most successive 25-plus scores in T20 cricket, joining Temba Bavuma at 13.
SKY and Naman Dhir hammered 48 runs in the last two overs, which lifted Mumbai Indians from 132/5 to 180 and gave the bowlers a good target to defend.
Mitchell Santner (3-11) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-12) then helped the five-time winners bundle out Delhi Capitals for 121, secure a 59-run win, and seal the fourth and final spot in the playoffs. Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged the Player of the Match (POTM) for his brilliant knock.
“It has been thirteen games now, my wife told me a sweet story. She said I have gotten all the awards, but not the POTM award. This award is really special today. From the team’s point of view, the knock was important today. And this trophy is for her (my wife), and it was important (for me) to play till the end,” said Suryakumar Yadav after accepting the award.
The 34-year-old batter, who is now third in the Orange Cap race with 583 runs, behind Gujarat Titans duo Sai Sudharsan (617) and Shubman Gill (601), said they will have their usual celebration with a big cake for this innings.
“She waits for such moments, and we celebrate them when we go back, so really looking forward to it. It was really important for a single batter to bat till the end – we knew there was a 15-20 run over somewhere. The way Naman came in and shared that energy with me (was great),” said Suryakumar Yadav.
Delhi Capitals’ stand-in captain Faf du Plessis felt that they were excelled in the field on Wednesday but were disappointed with the bat to lose the match.
He said his bowlers did well for most of the match but were undone by the way Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir snatched it by hammering 48 runs in the last two overs.
“Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs…undoing the work of the first 17-18 overs, we lost that momentum. If you look at the two teams, it was a case of David and Goliath. I enjoy that because it gives you the opportunity to play as a team,” said the South African.
“Sums up our season – we have been cold either in the batting or the bowling in the last seven or eight games. Perhaps a fair reflection (that we did not qualify),” said Faf.
He admitted that Delhi Capitals missed their regular captain and top spinner Axar Patel on this wicket.
“Axar on a wicket like that, the way Mitchell Santner bowled…Axar is that kind of class, proven international bowler who, on a wicket like that, would have loved to bowl. But he was very sick. Starcy (Mitchell Starc) is a fantastic bowler, but a spinner on a wicket like this is worth gold. I am a big believer that you never take it (momentum) for granted,” said Faf du Plessis.
Sports
LSG’s Digvesh gets one game suspension, SRH batter Abhishek fined 25 pc of match fees for on-field altercation

Lucknow, May 20: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Digvesh Rathi and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Abhishek Sharma are penalised for their ugly verbal spat during their IPL 2025 match on Monday.
Digvesh has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. This was the LSG spinner’s third Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 this season and hence he accumulated two demit point for a total of five, which result in a one-game suspension.
“Digvesh Singh, Bowler, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Monday.
“This was his third Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 this season and hence, he has accumulated Two Demerit Points, in addition to Three Demerit Points he had accumulated earlier – One Demerit Point against Punjab Kings on April 01, 2025 and Two Demerit Points against Mumbai Indians on April 04, 2025.
“As he now has Five Demerit Points this season – which result in a one-game suspension – Digvesh will now be suspended for LSG’s next game – against Gujarat Titans on May 22, 2025 in Ahmedabad,” the statement from IPL read.
Meanwhile, SRH batter has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the match and accumulated one demerit point as this was his first offences under IPL code og conduct.
“Abhishek Sharma, All-rounder, Sunrisers Hyderabad has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Lucknow Super Giants,” the statement further read.
“This was his first Level 1 offence under Article 2.6 this season and hence, he has accumulated One Demerit Point,” it added.
The incident happened during the 8th over of SRH’s chase when Digvesh got Abhishek out with a catch in the deep and celebrated with his usual notebook gesture. But soon after, the two got into a heated argument, and the umpires along with LSG captain Rishabh Pant had to step in quickly.
Replays showed Digvesh making a gesture to Abhishek after the dismissal, which may have led to the argument.
Crime
Chadian national held at Mumbai airport with gold worth Rs 3.86 cr hidden in slippers

Mumbai, May 17: In a major crackdown on gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, arrested a Chadian national who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from Addis Ababa, after seizing 4,015 grams of gold worth Rs 3.86 crore ingeniously concealed in the heels of his slippers.
Acting on specific Intelligence, DRI officers intercepted the male passenger shortly after his arrival in Mumbai. Upon conducting a personal search, the officers discovered multiple foreign-origin gold bars cleverly hidden inside the modified heels of the man’s slippers.
In his voluntary statement recorded by officials, the Chadian national admitted to concealing the gold in this unusual manner to bypass customs checks and evade legal detection. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger was placed under arrest.
Officials stated that further investigations are underway to trace the origin and intended recipients of the smuggled consignment and to determine if the incident is linked to a broader smuggling network.
This seizure adds to a growing list of recent smuggling attempts intercepted by vigilant DRI officials.
In an earlier case from April 2025, DRI Mumbai had seized foreign-origin gold worth Rs 6.30 crore from a passenger who had arrived at CSMIA from Bangkok. The gold, hidden in specially designed compartments of the passenger’s luggage, was also seized under the Customs Act, with the individual arrested immediately.
The DRI continues to maintain a strict vigil at international entry points, using a combination of Intelligence gathering and surveillance to thwart attempts at smuggling precious metals and other contraband. The agency reiterated its commitment to cracking down on such offenses, which pose a serious threat to economic stability and border security.
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