Latest News
Dube powers India to series lead
A calculated innings from Shivam Dube (60* off 40) led India’s chase as the hosts gunned down Afghanistan’s modest total of 158 in the opening T20I in Mohali with 15 balls to spare and six wickets left in the tank.
The hosts did lose their openers inside the powerplay but Dube along with Tilak Verma (26 off 22) led the counterattack while Jitesh Sharma (31 off 20) joined in to bring India closer to the target. Afghanistan were about 20-25 runs short of a par score and the fact that they even got to 158 was largely thanks to Mohammad Nabi (42 off 27) whose counter-punch gave impetus after a slow start.
On a good batting surface with minimal movement upfront and no real signs of spin, Afghanistan were strangely hesitant when it came to their intent in the powerplay. Only 33 runs came in the first six overs without a single wicket lost – a stat that proved to be significant to the eventual result. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran were both unable to get their tempo going, perhaps trying too hard to force things on a pitch that naturally allowed strokeplay. However, they did stitch a 50-run stand which meant that there was some platform for the rest to launch.
After such a slow start, it was imperative for the openers to kick on but unfortunately for Afghanistan, both fell in quick succession. Gurbaz charged down to Axar Patel to get stumped while Dube picked up the Afghanistan skipper with a slower ball. Debutant Rahmat Shah then chopped one on to the sticks as Afghanistan lost 3/7 across 13 deliveries to find themselves in a hole.
On an easing pitch with his team in trouble, Nabi knew that he had to take the challenge to India and so he did in the company of the impressive Azmatullah Omarzai (29 off 22) as the pair added 68 off just 43 balls with crisp ball-striking. Nabi started the onslaught as peppered the short boundary for sixes while Omarzai also joined in shortly thereafter. When the stand was going great guns, Afghanistan looked set for a total in excess of 160 or even 165.
Mukesh Kumar, though, returned in his final spell to get rid of the two set batters in successive overs. A slower ball took out Omarzai who chopped one on while Nabi holed out to the deep in pursuit of another six. Their dismissals in quick succession robbed some momentum from the innings but Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat played cameos to ensure that the score ended up close to the 160-run mark
A lot is riding on this series for Rohit Sharma the player but the Indian captain fell to a huge mix up with Shubman Gill, resulting in the former’s run out. The single was on but Gill was ball-watching and it sent a furious Rohit on his way back in the first over of the chase. Just the start Afghanistan were seeking.
The young opener looked in ominous touch at his home ground, stroking some elegant boundaries but a rush of blood saw him getting stumped against Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. At 28/2 in the fourth over with an inexperienced middle order to follow, Afghanistan were sensing an opening to create more pressure. Particularly with the lack of batting depth as well.
The two left-handers (Dube and Tilak) love to be aggressive as it’s their natural game and that’s how they reacted to the pressure situation. Dube took on Nabi for a monstrous six while also collecting boundaries against the pacers. Tilak was equally confident, if not more, as he executed his signature wristy strokes on both sides of the wicket. The 44-run stand came off just 29 balls as the chase got back on track after the initial wobble.
A blinder by Gulbadin Naib at deep square leg ended Tilak’s stay at the crease but the visitors weren’t able to build on that breakthrough as Jitesh Sharma continued to up the tempo. Dube also motored along at the other end, breezing past his fifty. He added 45 off just 31 balls with Jitesh and then stitched an unbroken 42-run stand with Rinku Singh to see India through. Apart from Dube, there weren’t any big scores but consistent partnerships meant that the result was never in doubt.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 158/5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 42; Axar Patel 2-23, Mukesh Kumar 2-33) lost to India 159/4 in 18.3 overs (Shivam Dube 60*, Jitesh Sharma 40; Mujeeb-ur-Rahman 2-21) by six wickets
Latest News
Sun directly overhead Beruwala, Gurulubadda, Rakwana, Godakawela, Udawalawe and Thanamalwila at about 12:13 noon today (06)
On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 15th of April in this year.
The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (06th) are Beruwala, Gurulubadda, Rakwana, Godakawela, Udawalawe and Thanamalwila at about 12:13 noon.
Latest News
Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 05 April 2026, valid for 06 April 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
Latest News
Sameer Rizvi aces another tricky chase as Delhi Capitals floor Mumbai Indians
Sameer Rizvi picked up his second Player-of-the-Match award in as many games in IPL 2026, this time scoring 90 off 51 balls to help Delhi Capitals [DC] seal a tricky chase against Mumbai Indians [MI] with six wickets and 11 balls to spare. If you include his Player-of-the-Match award from DC’s last game of the 2025 season, it makes it three in a row. Only seven others have done so, and no one has gone beyond.
Before the Rizvi show, the DC bowlers restricted MI to 162 for 6 on a slow, black-soil pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With Hardik Pandya unwell, Suryakumar Yadav captained MI and top-scored with 51 off 36 balls. But most other batters struggled to play their shots. In fact, the first six of the MI innings came on the last ball of the seventh over.
DC, too, lost KL Rahul and Nitish Rana early in the chase but Pathum Nissanka’s counterattack kept them going. Nissanka made 44 off 30, after which Rizvi, coming in as DC’s Impact Player once again, ran away with the game.
Mukesh Kumar started waywardly, and Ryan Rickelton made him pay with two leg-side boundaries. From the other end, Rohit Sharma did the same against Lungi Ngidi. But Mukesh bounced back in his second over. He had Rickelton miscuing to mid-off and then caught and bowled Tilak Varma off a knuckleball.
With two right-hand batters, Rohit and Suryakumar, in the middle, Axar immediately brought himself on and sneaked in a three-run over. Rohit did hit two fours off Ngidi’s slower ones in the sixth over, the first a streaky one but the second a caress through covers, to take MI to 41 for 2, but it was a six-less powerplay for them. The last time it happened for MI was in 2023, against Chennai Super Kings in Chepauk.
Axar had a good match-up against Rohit coming into this game and he improved it further by having the batter caught at cover in the tenth over. Rohit made 35 off 26 balls. His match-up against Axar in the IPL now reads 77 balls, 67 runs, four dismissals.
Sherfane Rutherford didn’t last long and holed out to deep square leg against Vipraj Nigam, but Suryakumar kept MI going. He attacked the spinners and hit Kuldeep for two sixes. In the company of Naman Dhir, he brought up his fifty but was lbw to Ngidi off the following delivery. In Hardik’s absence, MI could score only 38 runs in the death overs.
Against Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul was out for a first-ball duck. Here he lasted three balls and made 1 before being caught down the leg side off Deepak Chahar. Rana was run out in the next over when Jasprit Bumrah, after fielding the ball off his own bowling, nailed a direct hit at the non-striker’s end.
At 7 for 2, Nissanka decided to take the attacking route. In the fourth over, he picked up back-to-back fours off Mitchell Santner, the second of which came via a reverse-hit over a leaping Rohit at cover. In the following over, he smashed two fours and a six off Shardul Thakur. Nissanka got a life on 41 when Dhir dropped him off Corbin Bosch but he fell to Santner three runs later.
After ten overs, DC were 73 for 3 – the exact score MI were at the same stage of their innings. The game was in the balance. Rizvi was batting on 25 off 23 but shifted the momentum in just one over. He flayed Bosch over mid-off, ramped him to the deep-third fence, cut him over deep point and launched him down the ground for 20 runs in all.
To ram home the advantage, he used his feet against Mayank Markande in the following over for back-to-back sixes. The first of those took him to his fifty off 31 balls. Such was his dominance that when the fifty stand for the fourth wicket came up, David Miller’s contribution in that was 1 off five balls. He was more of a bystander than a partner.
By the end of the 15th over, the result was a foregone conclusion. The only real interest left was whether Rizvi could reach his hundred. DC needed 25 to win, Rizvi needed 17. On 90, he attempted yet another big hit off Bosch but holed out to long-off.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 164 for 4 in 18.1 overs (Sameer Rizvi 90, Pathum Nissanka 44, David Miller 21*; Deepak Chahar 1-20, Mitchell Santner 1-22, Corbin Bosch 1-39) beat Mumbai Indians 162 for 6 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 35, Suryakumar Yadav 51, Naman Dhir 28, Mitchell Santner 18*, Corbin Bosch 11*; Mukesh Kumar 2-26, Lungi Ngidi 1=34, Axar Patel 1-22, Vipraj Nigam 1-24, T Natarajan 1-24) by six wickets
[Cricinfo]
-
News4 days ago2025 GCE AL: 62% qualify for Uni entrance; results of 111 suspended
-
News6 days agoTariff shock from 01 April as power costs climb across the board
-
Business5 days agoHour of reckoning comes for SL’s power sector
-
Editorial4 days agoSearch for Easter Sunday terror mastermind
-
Features6 days agoSeychelles … here we come
-
Opinion6 days agoSri Lanka has policy, but where is the data?
-
Opinion3 days agoHidden truth of Sri Lanka’s debt story: The untold narrative behind the report
-
Editorial5 days agoIdeological confusion and identity crisis
