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Aryansh Sharma, Sohaib Khan power UAE to thrilling win over Canada
Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan fired Unitrd Arab Emirates to a hard-fought five wicket win against Canada in Delhi. It was UAE’s second win in the competition, after they beat Namibia in the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup. Aryansh and Sohaib did justice to Junaid Siddique’s five-wicket haul which restricted Canada to 150 for 7.
UAE were themselves down in the dumps at 66 for 4, before this pair added 84 of the 85 runs required at that stage. With eight needed from the last over, Aryansh struck a six off the first ball and then took a single. Sohaib top edged Jaskarandeep Singh to fall with UAE needing one off three balls before Muhammad Arfan scored the winning run.
UAE however were nowhere near a win when left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar took 3 for 14 to put Canada a strong position by the 13th over of the chase.
Kaleem Sana had the UAE captain Muhammad Waseem caught at midwicket for four in the third over. Zafar then removed the other dangerman, Alishan Sharafu, in the seventh over to give Canada the early advantage. Sharafu couldn’t clear Nicholas Kirton at covers and fell for five.
Zafar was stingy and kept his subtle change of pace going, removing Mayank Kumar for four in the 11th over. Kumar’s intention to belt him down the ground only found Sana at long-on. In his next over, Zafar had Harshit Kaushik cagut at deep midwicket.
UAE had their backs to the wall as they needed 56 runs in the last four overs. Sohaib hit Dilon Heyliger for two sixes and a four. He first smoked him over midwicket for a maximum, followed by a lofted shot over mid-off for four, and a six straight into the sight-screen. After the 17-run over, Sohaib then got stuck into Jaskarandeep with a four and a six off the first two balls of the 18th over.
He then cracked two more fours to start Sana’s penultimate over, before the left-arm quick’s beamer hurt wicketkeeper Shreyas Movva. Another top edged boundary and a straight hit for two got Sohaib to his half-century off just 28 balls, leaving UAE eight to win from the last over.
The 33-year-old Siddique began UAE’s push when he had Dilpreet Bajwa caught at mid-off in the second over for 11. Yuvraj Samra mistimed a pull to mid-on in Siddique’s next over. When Muhammad Jawadullah had Nicholas Kirton caught behind in the sixth over, UAE gained a stronghold in the game.
Siddique returned with three more wickets in his late spell. He started off with Harsh Thaker’s wicket after he had reached his half-century. Siddique used the slower delivery to outfox a set Thaker. He removed Movva and Zafar in the last over, completing his maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is.
Dhaliwal, who made a half-century against South Africa in Canada’s previous game, struck four boundaries in his 34 off 28 balls. His run-out was unfortunate when Dhaliwal’s bat got stuck just outside the crease. Thaker later fell on exactly 50 off 41 balls, with two fours and three sixes, though Thaker held together the UAE innings till the 18th over.
Brief scores:
United Arab Emirates 154 for 5 in 19.4 overs (Arynash Sharma 74*, Sohaib Khan 51; Kaleem Sana 1-29, Jaskaran Singh 1-45, Saad Bin Zafar 3-14) beat Canada 150 for 7 in 20 overs (Dilpreet Bajwa 11,Navneet Dhaliwal 34, Harsh Thaker 50, Shreya Movva 21; Junaid Siddique 5-35, Muhammad Jawadullah 1-16) by five wickets
[Cricinfo]
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Tamim Iqbal elected new BCB president
Tamim Iqbal has been elected as the new BCB president following the elections held in Dhaka on Sunday. Tamim was the only candidate, and he will serve a four-year term in total, having already completed two months as the ad-hoc committee’s head.
The Bangladesh government called for BCB elections under the interim body in April, following the dissolution of the previous elected body under Aminul Islam.
The day-long election, including physical votes and e-ballots, were held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, which is also the board headquarters. A total of 23 directors were elected in three categories and two government representatives were announced later to form the 25-member body.
Tamim is one of the most prominent cricketers to have played for Bangladesh, having appeared in 391 internationals across three formats. He led Bangladesh to 21 wins in 38 matches across formats, including the 2-1 ODI series against South Africa in 2022. After his international retirement in early 2025, Tamim continued to play domestic tournaments but a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match that year put an abrupt end to his playing career.
The election commission said 88 votes were cast to elect 23 directors in two out of the three categories. The first category includes all the divisions and districts of the country, the second is the Dhaka clubs that participate in the league system, while the third consists of former cricketers, captains, education boards and others. Tamim was one of twelve directors elected from the second category.
The new 25-member body held an election among themselves to choose the president and two vice-presidents. After Tamim was elected as board president, Fahim Sinha was elected as one of the two vice-presidents. The other vice-president hasn’t been selected.
The previous board elections were held on October 6 last year. Aminul was re-elected BCB president under controversial circumstqnces when Tamim, leading one of the panels, withdrew from the polls alleging Aminul of “bias and malpractice”.
Category 1 directors: Sayeed Bin Zaman, Abdullah Al Fuad, Minhajul Abedin, Moyeen Uddin Chowdhury, Shantanu Islam, Shafiqul Alam, Mizanur Rahman, Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Shakrul Alam, Faisal Amin
Category 2 directors: Tamim Iqbal, Fahim Sinha, Asif Rabbani, Israfil Khasru, Dr Sarkar Mahbub Ahmed, Masuduzzaman, Rafiqul Islam, Sakeef Ahmed, Shanian Taneem, Syed Ibrahim Ahmed, Yasir Abbas, Yasir Faisal
Category 3 director: Sirajuddin Alamgir.
Government representative directors: Ruhul Amin, Sarfaraz Ahmed
[Cricinfo]
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West Indies look to level series in rainy Kingston
With no play possible in the second ODI, both teams go into the third game well-rested. Perhaps this is a chance for the IPL returnees in particular to have caught their breath. The rain, though, may not have cleared in Kingston completely. According to the forecast, showers are likely in the afternoon and also possible in the evening, though there may be dry spells in between. There is a chance this will be a stop-start match in which DLS calculations come into play.
With a series win now beyond them, West Indies will be especially motivated to avoid being blanked at home. There is also the matter of their current 10th-placed ranking, which is not enough for them to gain automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup (cut-off is end of March next year). They need every ranking point they can get over the next two months. Sri Lanka are slightly more comfortable, at sixth position, and about 12 points clear of the current cut-off. But they’ll want to build more of a cushion themselves.
In the first ODI, Sri Lanka’s dominance in the middle overs is what had won them the match. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga were economical on a helpful surface, where West Indies’ frontline spinner Gudakesh Motie had been hit out of the attack. And Sri Lanka’s top six also showed serious hustle, picking up the tempo and keeping the runs flowing after Sri Lanka had had a poor powerplay with the bat.
These remain two relatively evenly-matched teams, however. With a little more discipline from their bowlers, West Indies are capable of leveling the series.
Although his Test average remains outstanding, Kamindu Mendis is yet to find a home in limited-overs cricket. Partly this is because his batting is so versatile, coaches and selectors have tended to yank him up and down the order as the team’s needs evolve. So far in ODIs, he has done his best work at No. 7 and 8, but he has now been asked to open the innings alongside Pathum Nissanka. His first innings at the top of the order brought only 12, but Sri Lanka are unlikely to ditch the strategy after one game. Can batting in the powerplay be the change he needs to kick his white ball career into high gear?
Over a fledgling international career, Keacy Carty has demonstrated promise at No. 3, where he averages 45.18. What he doesn’t have, so far, however, is the kind of body of work a long-term No. 3 should ideally built. So far, he has two tons apiece against England and Ireland, but is yet to put up serious numbers against other oppositions. Runs against an attack of Sri Lanka’s quality would add to his confidence.
Rain will potentially dictate conditions on Monday. If there’s rain around, teams tend to prefer to chase. Not only do they prefer to be batting while DLS calculations are in play, but a wetter ball is also more difficult for bowlers to grip, particularly spinners.
West Indies may think about bringing Shimron Hetmyer into the XI to shake up the batting a little.
West Indies (possible): John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (capt.)(wk), Shimron Hetmyer/Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
Sri Lanka may keep their winning XI, but with so many quicks to choose from, may be tempted to give Eshan Malinga a run, especially if it’s a shortened match.
Sri Lanka (possible): Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (capt.)(wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Milan Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando/Eshan Malinga
[Cricinfo]
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Huge crowds throng Madrid streets for Pope’s open-air mass
More than a million people lined the streets of Madrid on Sunday as Pope Leo XIV held an open-air mass in the Spanish capital, the Vatican said.
Crowds descended on the city as the pontiff arrived for the service on the second day of his official visit to the country at the Plaza de Cibeles, with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia among the congregants.
The pair welcomed the pontiff to the royal palace on Saturday, as he began his trip by praising the Spanish government’s opposition to global conflicts and its support for migrants.
The Pope waved as he made his way through the city early on Sunday, where authorities mounted a major security operation for the mass and subsequent procession through central Madrid.
People waved flags and shouted “long live the Pope”, with some throwing petals as he arrived at the square.
Large crowds had similarly gathered in the city as he began his trip on Saturday. He was later joined by some 500,000 congregants – most of whom were young people – for a prayer vigil near Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium which stretched into the night.
“In the face of the emptiness of indifference and compliance, before the violence of war and lies, you must be the sparks of a new humanity,” he told those gathered.


His remarks echoed those he delivered during his royal reception, in which he praised Spain’s commitment to peace and its “faithful adherence to international law”.
The country’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has clashed with US President Donald Trump over the US and Israel’s war against Iran, and with Israel over the war in Gaza. The Chicago-born pope has also drawn criticism from the president over his anti-war views.
His trip to Spain – the first by a pope in some 15 years – will also feature an unprecedented address before the Spanish parliament and a meeting with victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo is also due to visit the Canary Islands with Prime Minister Sánchez later in the week, where they will honour thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach Europe.
(BBC)
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