Latest News
India, New Zealand battle for Group A supremacy
In a telling remark about Indian cricket last year, Stephen Fleming had said: “Looking at the amount of talent that is on the show… I am very jealous.” The former New Zealand skipper was comparing the talent in India with the resources in New Zealand. He was reminded that New Zealand still constantly manage to beat India in global events. He just shrugged it off with a laugh.
It is no laughing matter, of course. The numbers speak for themselves. A 5-10 record in global tournaments, including a win in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, skews the balance heavily in the favour of the Black Caps. New Zealand also triumphed in the only face-off in this competition, back in the final of the ICC Knockout 2000. Sunday’s clash in the 2025 Champions Trophy will not affect qualification – both teams are already through – but it’ll decide which of these teams finish top of Group A and carry momentum with them into the knockouts.
There may be an underlying reason for New Zealand’s dominance despite the lack of resources. Without the pressure of constant competition, the Kiwis play with a sense of security – they don’t have to prove themselves every day to retain their spots, something KL Rahul touched upon ahead of the game. “There is – I won’t lie,” Rahul admitted, acknowledging the constant competition with Rishabh Pant, on Friday.
Mike Hesson, former coach of New Zealand, gave his take to Cricbuzz on the Black Caps hegemony. “Look, New Zealand players are really well-drilled, very well-coached. They all know their roles very clearly because there’s not a huge amount of competition. They all know that they’re not playing for their place every day. So they understand what’s required to win the game, and they play as a team. And I think that’s a huge advantage in tournament play.
“You don’t get overawed. And in terms of, you know, India’s superiority, obviously they’ve got a lot of talented players, but so do New Zealand… so I wouldn’t underestimate them. And as I said, the key part of the Black Caps’ success is understanding the role definitions and playing as a team on the field, obviously, throwing their body on the line in the field. So they’ve pretty much outfielded everybody, and I would imagine they’ll do the same in the semifinal.”
India, though, can count a victory in their last meeting on the world stage as a positive. They registered a convincing, comprehensive and clinical win in the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup in Mumbai where all in the current top order – Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul – fired. India will aim to repeat that imperious display on Sunday.
India may try to give some game time to those who haven’t played yet. Rohit batted for a long time on Friday night alleviating concerns of a hamstring niggle, yet it may not be a surprise if he decides to rest himself. Mohammed Shami, coming from a knee surgery, and Kuldeep Yadav could be given a break for Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy.
“I am sure there will be some temptation and we have been in these positions before where if there is an opportunity where you can try out the players who haven’t gotten games. They do get a game, but I don’t know if that will happen in a Champions Trophy,” Rahul said on Friday. He then added: “This is my version. I don’t know, it might be very different tomorrow.”
It is unlikely that it’ll be very different from what Rahul thinks.
India may opt to make a couple of changes, though it remains unclear whether they will rest skipper Rohit Sharma. The captain is nursing a hamstring injury, but he appeared to be fine on Friday night after batting for an extended period. Mohammed Shami could make way for Arshdeep Singh, with Varun Chakravarthy potentially coming in for Kuldeep Yadav.
The already-qualified Black Caps too will be tempted to give players carrying niggles a breather before the knockouts. That said, Daryl Mitchell, is fit again after missing the Bangladesh game with illness. Who he replaces in the XI will be a dilemma for Santner and Stead given the player who replaced Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, hit a fine hundred. Incidentally, Ravindra, who was injured before his return against Bangladesh, was replaced by Will Young, who also has a century in this tournament
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
New Zealand Playing XI: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
[Cricbuzz]
The Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Pradeep Nilanga Dela, has announced the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic will be held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy from 3.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. on April 18, and 12.00 noon to 5:30 p.m for 10 days thereafter from
At least 37 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a crash involving two buses in the western Potosi region of Bolivia, police and local authorities have said.
The accident happened on Saturday at 7am local time (11:00 GMT) on the route between the cities of Uyuni and Colchani, when one of the vehicles swerved into the oncoming lane.
Uyuni is the gateway to the Salar de Uyuni, a major tourist attraction and the world’s largest salt flat at more than 10,000sq km (3,900sq miles).
“As a result of this fatal accident we have 39 people injured in four hospitals in the town of Uyuni, and 37 people have lost their lives,” a spokesperson for the Departmental Police Command of Potosi told reporters.
Police personnel are working to identify people who were killed and those who were injured and hospitalised, the spokesperson added.
One of the buses was heading to Oruro, where one of the most important carnival celebrations in Latin America is currently taking place.
Police officers removed survivors from the steel wreckage, according to images shot by Radio Uyuni, which showed several bodies covered in blankets strewn across the high Andean flatlands.
A police spokesperson said one of the two drivers, who both survived the crash, was spotted by passengers consuming alcohol.
Bolivia’s mountainous, under-maintained and little-supervised roadways are some of the deadliest in the world, killing an average of 1,400 people every year.
[Aljazeera]
The Israeli government says it has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza because the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas has expired.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas had so far refused to accept a temporary ceasefire extension under a proposal by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff.
A Hamas spokesman called the move “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” on the ceasefire agreement and urged mediators to get Israel to resume the supply of aid.
The Palestinian group wants phase two of the deal to go ahead as originally negotiated, with the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
On Friday night, Hamas said it would not agree to any extension of phase one without guarantees from US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that phase two would eventually take place.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said: “With the end of Phase 1 of the hostage deal, and in light of Hamas’s refusal to accept the Witkoff outline for continuing talks – to which Israel agreed – Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease.
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.”
The Hamas spokesman said: “Netanyahu’s decision to stop aid going into Gaza once again shows the ugly face of the Israeli occupation… The international community must apply pressure on the Israeli government to stop starving our people.”
Late last night, Netanyahu’s office said Israel had agreed to a US proposal for the ceasefire to continue for about six weeks during the Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Passover periods.
If, at the end of this period, negotiations reached a dead end, Israel would reserve the right to go back to war.
US envoy Witkoff has not made his proposal public. According to Israel, it would begin with the release of half of all the remaining living and dead hostages.
Netanyahu’s office said Israel would immediately start negotiations if Hamas changed its position on the six-week ceasefire extension.
The first phase of the ceasefire that came into force on 19 January expired on Saturday.
It halted 15 months of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military, allowing the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
But negotiations on phase two, including the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, have barely begun.
There are believed to be 24 hostages alive, with another 39 presumed to be dead.
Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage.
Israel responded with an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, during which at least 48,365 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
[BBC]
Dates and times for the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic announced
How royal divorce papers have shaken the Zulu kingdom
Navy bring critically ill fisherman
-
Business7 days agoSri Lanka’s 1st Culinary Studio opened by The Hungryislander
-
Sports7 days agoAir Force Rugby on the path to its glorious past
-
Features7 days agoRani’s struggle and plight of many mothers
-
News5 days agoUSD 900,000 paid monthly for three unused SriLankan aircraft– Dy. Finance Minister
-
Opinion7 days agoThe Buddha I believe in
-
Editorial7 days agoFirst they come for criminals …
-
News6 days agoParliament approved USAID and other foreign-funded projects: Karu J
-
Features7 days ago“Independent” Prosecutor’s Office: Myth and Reality