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Rain wins the day after two balls of cricket
Rain ultimately had the final say in the first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand. The weather forecast was tricky all day, with intermittent rain forcing a half-hour delay in the toss. No sooner than the toss, which New Zealand won and elected to bat first, was held that the heavens opened again, forcing another lengthy delay that brought the game to the verge of being called off without a ball being bowled.
There was a glimmer of hope nearly three hours on, when a short pause in the rain allowed the ground to dry just about enough to ostensibly allow a 5-overs-a-side match, the shortest a T20 can be curtailed to. Shaheen Shah Afridi opened the bowling, and looked like his vintage best when he knocked back debutant Tim Robinson’s middle stump with a searing inswinger off the second ball.
However, that was as much action as the weather would permit, with a drizzle resuming almost instantly after. This time, there was no time to play with, and the umpires immediately called the game off, with the players shaking hands. As per PCB policy, ticket refunds won’t be issued to spectators because the toss did take place.
The unfortunate Robinson was one of four debutants in the match, with Pakistan handing T20I caps to Usman Khan, Irfan Khan and Abrar Ahmed.
The second T20I will also be held in Rawalpindi, on Saturday.
Scores: (match reduced to five overs per side)
New Zealand 2 for 1 in 0.2 overs (Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-00) vs Pakistan (match called off due to rain)
(Cricinfo)
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
The Situation Report released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) at 6:00 AM today (13th December 2025) confirms that 640 persons have died and another 211 persons are missing due to flooding and landslides that took place in Sri Lanka within the past two weeks.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi slammed a blistering 95 ball 171 in the Under 19 Asia Cup opener against UAE on Friday. He fell just six short of Ambati Rayudu’s long-standing India record in youth one-dayers – the 177 against England in Taunton back in 2002.
Suryavanshi, yet to turn 15, hit nine fours and 14 sixes during his innings, before being bowled attempting a paddle in the 33rd over of India’s innings. They eventually finished with 433 for 6 after being put in to bat.
Last month, Suryavanshi had smashed a 42-ball 144 – the joint third fastest century by an Indian in men’s T20s – against UAE at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha. He had got to his century off 32 deliveries that day, in the process recording the joint-sixth-fastest century in all men’s T20s.
Suryavanshi – a certainty to feature in next month’s Under19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe – also recently slammed an unbeaten 61 ball 108 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to become the youngest century-maker in the tournament’s history.
He had a breakthrough year in 2025, when he became the youngest to slam an IPL century, for Rajasthan Royals [101 off 38 balls] against Gujarat Titans. Having made history just a few months earlier – by becoming the youngest pick in an IPL auction at 13 – Suryavanshi featured in seven games in the 2025 edition, all as an opener. He made 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.55.
After IPL 2025, he was part of the India Under-19 squads that toured England and Australia. He smashed a 78 ball century in the first four-day fixture in Brisbane, and finished as the second-highest run-getter of the multi-day series against Australia Under-19s, scoring 133 runs in three innings as India won 2-0.
Prior to that, he had amassed 335runs at a strike rate of 174.01 in the one-dayers against England Under-19s.
[Cricinfo]
Pregnant Mothers to receive Rs 5000 Nutrition Allowance in December
640 deaths, 211 missing as at 6:00AM today (13)
New Digitalization Policy draft reviewed
The government is taking steps to streamline trade facilitation, customs processes, investment approvals, and improving export facilities – Prime Minister
Showers will occur in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva, Central and North-Western provinces.
Big fossil fuel companies are responsible for climate crisis but poor countries like Sri Lanka are battered by it – Greenpeace South Asia
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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