Zimbabwe Under-19 will take on India Under-19 in Super Six Match 6 of the U19 World Cup 2026 at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, on Tuesday, January 27.

Zimbabwe U19 had a difficult group stage, where they failed to register a win, with two losses and one abandoned match. The hosts will now look to start fresh in the Super Six stage and put up a stronger fight against a confident Indian side. Playing at home, Zimbabwe will hope their young players step up and deliver a competitive performance.

India U19, meanwhile, have enjoyed a perfect run so far in the tournament. They won all their group matches against the USA, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. Looking ahead to the Super Six, the Indian team will look to carry on the momentum of winning and increase their chances of going deep into the tournament with another all-round performance.

ZIM U19 vs IND U19: Head-to-Head Record

• Matches Played: 6
• Zimbabwe U19 Won: 0
• India U19 Won: 6
• Tied: 0
• No Result: 0

ZIM U19 vs IND U19: Pitch Report

The surface at Queens Sports Club usually offers good help to fast bowlers, especially early in the innings. Batters have to be careful in the beginning because the ball tends to move around. Once they get a settled position, it becomes easier to score, and those players who get a chance to spend time in the middle can develop good partnerships.

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ZIM U19 vs IND U19: Predicted Playing XIs

Zimbabwe Under 19 (ZIM U19):

Simbarashe Mudzengerere (c), Nathaniel Hlabangana, Kupakwashe Muradzi (wk), Dhruv Patel, Kian Blignaut, Brandon Senzere, Michael Blignaut, Leeroy Chiwaula, Tatenda Chimugoro, Panashe Mazai, Shelton Mazvitorera

India Under 19 (IND U19):

Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi, Kanishk Chouhan, RS Ambrish, Aaron George, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Mohamed Enaan

Indian cricket icons Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar will be honoured with the Padma Shri in the Sports category. The award recognises their outstanding contribution to Indian cricket over the years. Both have captained Indian teams through moments of history. Their successes have bridged formats and generations.

Rohit Sharma's Padma Shri comes after a highly successful phase as the captain of the India men's team. India won two major ICC trophies under his captaincy. The team lifted the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. Soon after the T20 World Cup win, Rohit retired from T20Is.

Rohit later retired from Test cricket in 2025 and nowadays plays only ODIs. He has scored 20,109 runs across international cricket. His record includes 50 centuries and 111 half-centuries. From an elegant batter to a title-winning captain, the growth was complemented by consistency.

Leaders Who Created History

Harmanpreet Kaur’s Padma Shri follows one of the biggest moments in Indian women’s cricket. She became the first Indian captain to win an ICC Women’s World Cup. India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The win gave India their first Women’s World Cup title at home.

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With that triumph, Harmanpreet also became only the second Indian captain to win a World Cup on home soil. MS Dhoni was the first, having led India to the 2011 Men’s World Cup title in Mumbai. The Padma Shri for Rohit and Harmanpreet honours leadership, legacy, and moments that changed Indian cricket history.

Players competing at this year’s Australian Open will be playing for the biggest prize pool in the tournament’s history. Organisers have confirmed a major increase in total prize money, making the event even more rewarding for players across all rounds. The rise highlights the growing financial strength of the season’s first Grand Slam.

The total prize pool has been increased by 16 percent to AUD 111.5 million, which is around USD 75 million. Both the men’s and women’s singles champions will earn AUD 4.15 million each, a significant jump from last year. This increase reflects the tournament’s push to reward top-level performance equally.

Even players who exit early will benefit from the hike. First-round losers in the main draw will receive AUD 150,000, while players knocked out in the opening round of qualifying will still take home AUD 40,500. The move ensures financial support is spread across the entire field.

Tennis Australia Emphasises Support for Players at Every Level

Tournament director Craig Tiley said the changes underline Tennis Australia’s long-term vision for the sport. "From boosting qualifying prize money by 55 percent since 2023 to enhancing player benefits, we're ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors," he said.

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Tiley also stressed the importance of building depth in the game rather than focusing only on elite players. "By supporting players at all levels, we're building deeper talent pools and more compelling storylines for fans."

The Australian Open will begin on January 18 at Melbourne Park. The defending champions, Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys, are expected back to defend their titles, as the tournament is expected to witness some great tennis.

A unique cricket match was played in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday, where cricketers used traditional Dhoti-Kurta as the jerseys. To add more distinctness, the commentary was in the Sanskrit language. A cricket tournament with traditional wear and Sanskrit was arranged to promote the language to revive cultural awareness among young players.

The cricket match captured in the video was organized by Parshuram and was a part of the Maharishi Maitri Cricket Tournament. It is reported that the contest was organized with the students who are aware of the Sanskrit language. Teams from multiple parts of India participated in the tournament.

According to media reports, with players donning the traditional dhoti-kurta, a cricket match was played in Bhopal as part of the Maharishi Maitri Cricket Tournament organized by the Parshuram Kalyan Board. The commentary was done in Sanskrit. It was the sixth edition of this unique cricket competition. 

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Watch the cricket match where cricketers clad in Dhoti Kurta

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: With players donning the traditional dhoti-kurta, a Cricket match was played in Bhopal as part of the Maharishi Maitri Cricket Tournament organised by Parshuram Kalyan Board. The commentary was done in Sanskrit. pic.twitter.com/51qydbKxoY

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2026

"This is the sixth edition of the tournament. We had organized five seasons in the previous years. "Teams have come from Ujjain, Indore, Jabalpur, Delhi, Jammu, Guna, Vidisha, Sehore, and Bhopal," Abhishek Dubey from the organizing committee told news agency ANI. 

"The main goal of the tournament is to promote the Sanskrit language. When people have knowledge of Sanskrit, their culture will become alive... Once here, they first sit for an exam; those who know Vedas and Upanishads are allowed to participate in the tournament once they pass the exam. Those who do not pass the exam are disqualified," he further added. 

The cricket in Madhya Pradesh is being governed by the MPCA (Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association) under the presidency of Mahanaryaman Scindia. The state has produced multiple star cricketers, and the game is quite popular among the locals. Legendary former cricketers like Rahul Dravid (born in Indore) and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (born in Bhopal) are from Madhya Pradesh. Among the active cricketers, Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, and many others are also from the state. 

Bollywood and television actress Khushi Mukherjee has finally broken her silence over the controversy pertaining to her comments on Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Talking exclusively to NDTV, Khushi Mukherjee has clarified that her statements were taken out of context.

The issue gained attention at a sensitive time, with the T20 World Cup just weeks away, and Team India had already been announced under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav. The comments sparked large-scale debate and concern among fans, as any off-field controversies can unsettle the focus and atmosphere of a team. 

When asked about the matter by NDTV, Khushi responded directly and said, “Can’t we talk as friends?” Her statement was aimed at clearing the confusion created after her earlier remarks went viral.

Khushi Mukherjee Explains Her Comments

In a telephonic interview with NDTV, Khushi made it clear that there was no “romantic relationship” between her and Suryakumar Yadav. She said her comments were taken out of context and exaggerated. Khushi also claimed that her Instagram account had been hacked, which added to the misunderstanding.

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She explained that she used to speak with Suryakumar as a friend in the past, but they are no longer in touch. Khushi added that she has not spoken to him even after the controversy began. She also shared her good wishes for Team India and Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the upcoming World Cup. According to her, Suryakumar had spoken to her as a friend after a defeat.

The controversy started after Khushi made a statement at a recent event where she said, “I don’t want to date any cricketer. Many cricketers are after me. Suryakumar used to message me a lot. We don’t talk much now. I don’t even want my name linked with him. I don’t like news about my link-ups.” Khushi Mukherjee has appeared in television shows like MTV Splitsvilla, Kahat Hanuman Jai Shri Ram, Baalveer Returns, and MTV Love School, and has also worked in Tamil and Telugu films. She has repeatedly stated that she has no interest in dating any cricketer.

Former England cricketer Isa Guha has been honored with an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours list for her services to inclusivity and cricket. Guha made history as the first woman of South Asian descent to represent England in any sport. An MBE stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire and is a prestigious award presented to people by the British monarch as a way of appreciating them for the valuable services they have contributed to society. It is announced twice a year: the King's New Year Honours and the King's Birthday Honours. MBE provides rewards for contributions to sport, arts, charity, education, and public services.

A two-time World Cup winner, Guha enjoyed a successful international career for England, where she played eight women's Tests, 83 ODIs, and 22 T20Is, picking up a total of 148 wickets with her energetic medium pace. She was thus one of the most important factors in England's golden era in women's cricket.

Guha retired from international cricket on March 9, 2012, at the age of just 26. Interestingly, her retirement came on the same day as former India captain Rahul Dravid stepped away from international cricket. She chose to move on early to explore life beyond the playing field.

From World Cups to Commentary and Leadership Roles

Before retiring, Guha played a key role in England’s success at the highest level. She was part of the teams that won both the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2009. She also featured in England’s Women’s Ashes victories in 2005 and 2007–08, with her best performance coming at Bowral, where she returned match figures of 9 for 100.

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After ending her playing career, Guha moved into cricket commentary with ease. Like former players Anjum Chopra and Lisa Sthalekar, she built a strong presence in broadcasting. Her career took a major step forward in 2014 when she became the first female summarizer on BBC Test Match Special and later covered major tournaments, including the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

In 2017, Guha achieved another milestone by becoming the first woman appointed as a non-executive director on the board of the Professional Cricketers' Association. Away from broadcasting, she founded the charity Take Her Lead to encourage more women and girls to take up cricket. Born in London to parents who migrated from Kolkata, she remains connected to her roots and, in 2018, married musician Richard Thomas of the band Brother & Bones.

Famous cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has revealed his ODI Team of the Year for 2025 and calling the selection process to be unusually difficult this time around. He went ahead to explain that though the year had a busy cricket calendar, very few One Day Internationals were played in the year, which made the judging tough.

Bhogle pointed out that several world-class players missed out simply because they did not play enough ODIs in 2025. As a result, this year’s selection was based more on impact and consistency rather than reputation. He described the exercise as “peculiar,” since many automatic choices from previous years could not be justified statistically.

He also clarified why he did not name a T20 Team of the Year. According to Bhogle, the heavy presence of franchise cricket and constant experimentation in international T20s make it hard to fairly measure performances. He felt any T20 XI would lack balance and context compared to an ODI selection.

A Balanced XI Built on Consistency and Impact

Bhogle's ODI XI will be built around experience and numerous statistics. He opens with Rohit Sharma, who scored 650 runs at an average of 50, and Shai Hope, who made 670 runs at an average of 56, the latter also donning wicketkeeping duties. He follows that with Virat Kohli and Joe Root, thus making a very sure core in the top order, where every single batsman averaged over 50.

For the middle order, Bhogle selects players who can bring flexibility. While Matthew Breetzke will provide adaptability to various situations, Daryl Mitchell will provide power-hitting whenever quick runs are needed. This allows the team to rebuild calmly or accelerate late into the innings.

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The bowling unit has a clear wicket-taking approach. Mitchell Santner fills the all-rounder slot for his tight economy and improved batting. He gets support from pacers Matt Henry, who took 31 wickets in 13 matches, and Jofra Archer for his match-winning threat. Jayden Seales gets in on the basis of a good strike rate, while Kuldeep Yadav's ability to break partnerships in the middle overs gets him the nod. Bhogle said that even though some big names did not make the cut because of their limited game time, this XI represents the most effective ODI performers of 2025.

Harsha Bhogle's ODI XI of the Year

Rohit Sharma, Shai Hope (wk), Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Matthew Breetzke, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Jofra Archer, Jayden Seales, Kuldeep Yadav.

Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey made history by achieving a feat never seen before in T20 cricket. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner became the first bowler, in men’s or women’s cricket, international or domestic, to take eight wickets in a single T20 match. His historic performance came during the third T20I against Myanmar in Gelephu.

The match was one-sided. Bhutan scored 127 for 9, and Myanmar was bowled out for just 45 runs in 9.2 overs. Yeshey was the star of the match, taking 8 wickets for only 7 runs in his four overs. Before this, the best bowling figures in men’s T20Is were 7 wickets, achieved by Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus and Bahrain’s Ali Dawood. In women’s T20Is, Indonesia’s Rohmalia held the record with 7 for 0.

Yeshey’s incredible performance helped Bhutan win the match by 82 runs.

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𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄!🌍🇧🇹 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒎 𝒀𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑹𝑬𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑫 𝒃𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍! The left-arm orthodox magician claimed 8/7 in 4 overs against Myanmar today. @ICC pic.twitter.com/OtOZofj75n

— BhutanCricketOfficial🇧🇹 (@BhutanCricket) December 26, 2025

Yeshey’s Historic Performance Against Myanmar

Yeshey ran through Myanmar’s batting lineup after the hosts lost early wickets in the power play. Although Pyae Phyo Wai scored 10 off 11 balls, any hope of recovery was ended by Yeshey’s relentless bowling. He took seven of the last eight wickets, including a maiden over, and conceded only seven runs in four overs.

Making his T20I debut in July 2022 against Malaysia, Yeshey impressed immediately with figures of 3 for 16. Over the years, wickets came more steadily, and this historic spell has taken his tally to 37 wickets in 34 T20Is. In the ongoing series, Yeshey has led the bowling charts with 12 wickets in four matches, with one game remaining.

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Breaking Records in Men’s and Women’s T20Is

Before Yeshey, the best bowling figures in men’s T20Is were seven wickets, achieved by Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus (7/8) and Bahrain’s Ali Dawood (7/19). In women’s T20Is, Indonesia’s Rohmalia held the record with 7/0. Other notable seven-wicket hauls in men’s and women’s T20 matches include performances by Colin Ackermann, Taskin Ahmed, Frederique Overdijk, Alison Stocks, and Samanthi Dunukedeniya.

With his eight-wicket haul, Yeshey has surpassed all these records, becoming the first player in T20 cricket, men’s or women’s, to take eight wickets in a single match. His performance has firmly established him as a key player for Bhutan in T20 cricket.

Cricket is a special genre in India because fans in the country follow cricket matches passionately. Taking their passion to a whole new level, the EBG Group has come up with the Tollywood Pro League in Hyderabad because they want to blend cricket action with entertainment for their fans.

Over the years, cricket has evolved from being a sporting activity; it has now become one of the primary forms of entertainment. This is what the Tollywood Pro League captures as it offers a stage where cricket and movies blend. It is exclusively for the Telugu film industry, which gives it a peculiar identity among all the other tournaments.

Following the official announcement, the leadership of the EBG Group spoke about the idea behind the league. The focus is on building a structured, long-term competition that celebrates talent, unity, and entertainment, while also delivering a high-quality experience to fans across the country.

Stars Light Up the Launch of Tollywood Pro League

The launch event in Hyderabad brought together famous names from both cricket and the film industry. Renowned film producer Dil Raju officially opened the tournament. Legendary cricketers Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, and the captain of the World Cup-winning team Kapil Dev also graced the event with their presence.

A number of known faces in the film industry were also in attendance, including Ashish Vidyarthi and Dino Morea. Their presence underlined the close link between films and cricket that the league wants to foster. The tournament will consist of six franchise-based teams and will be held in two seasons in a calendar year.

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Sharing his vision, EBG Group Founder and Chairman Dr. Irfan Khan said, “Tollywood Pro League is not just a cricket tournament; it is a cultural movement built on dignity, structure and long-term vision. With TPL, our intent is to create a world-class platform that celebrates the Telugu film fraternity, strengthens unity within the industry and delivers a premium sports and entertainment experience for fans across the country. A defining pillar of the league is Alai Balai—an inclusion-led movement within TPL that ensures representation across every craft of the Telugu film industry.”

India pacer Mohit Sharma has announced his retirement from all formats of cricket, ending a career that lasted nearly 14 years. Mohit made his international debut in 2013 and played 26 ODIs and eight T20Is for India, taking a total of 37 wickets. He was also part of India’s squad that reached the semifinals of the 2015 Men’s ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Mohit also had a strong domestic career for Haryana. Sharing his retirement note on Instagram, he wrote, “Today, with a full heart, I announce my retirement from all formats of cricket. From representing Haryana to wearing the India jersey and playing in the IPL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing.” He thanked the Haryana Cricket Association for being the backbone of his career.

He added, “A very special thank you to the Haryana Cricket Association for being the backbone of my career. And my deepest gratitude to Anirudh Sir, whose constant guidance and belief in me shaped my path in ways words cannot express. Thank you to the BCCI, my coaches, my teammates, IPL franchises, support staff, and all my friends for their love and support.”

Mohit Sharma’s IPL Journey and Emotional Goodbye

Mohit was well known for his accurate bowling with the new ball and for using cutters, slower balls, and slow bouncers effectively in the death overs. In the IPL, he played 120 matches and took 134 wickets, representing Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Delhi Capitals.  He was one of CSK's leading bowlers in his early years, bagging 20 wickets in IPL 2013 and emerging as the Purple Cap winner in 2014 with 23 wickets.

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After struggling with form, Mohit joined Gujarat Titans as a net bowler in IPL 2022 and made a strong comeback in 2023, becoming the second-highest wicket-taker with 27 wickets. He was also GT’s highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024. In his farewell message, he wrote, “Special thanks to my wife, who always handled my mood swings and anger and supported me through everything. I look forward to serving the game in fresh ways. Thank you so much. Innings over, gratitude forever.”