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Pakistan’s predicament adds spice to India match-up in New York

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Virat Kohli has been consistent in his last four T20Is against Pakistan, while for Babar Azam it's been all or nothing in their last two meetings in the shortest format [Cricinfo]

Here we go, again. One of the consequences of their politically motivated estrangement in the bilateral-cricket ecosystem is a heightened sense of anticipation when India and Pakistan meet at an ICC event. Even if it’s happened 12 times at 11 tournaments in the 13 years since 2011.

This time, however, is different. India and Pakistan are playing in New York. The ICC are hoping the 34,000-seater stadium it spent millions to speed build in the span of five months will be at full capacity, to show America the spectacle cricket can be in its most fever-pitched form. There won’t be as many as there were in Melbourne,  it won’t be as one-sided as Ahmedabad was, but they will come, and hopefully be witness to a contest worthy of the occasion.

So, if this particular fixture didn’t have enough riding on it already, Pakistan gave it several extra helpings of context with their incredible meltdown against USA in Dallas. Babar Azam’s side unravelled against Virat Kohli in a high-pressure finish in 2022 and were utterly overwhelmed in 2023. If they lose to India again on Sunday, their chances of qualifying for the Super Eights will be at the mercy of other results going their way. Rohit Sharma’s men aren’t facing that sort of heat, having beaten Ireland in their first game.

While India have been based in New York ever since they landed in the USA, and played their warm-up match and their first group game there, Pakistan’s build-up to Sunday has been rather different. They only got to New York before sunrise on Friday, changed their hotel to avoid the painful commute Sri Lanka had to endure, and got their first look at the ground on the eve of the match.

So, here we go, again. India appear stable. Pakistan not so much. It’s often been that way in the lead-up to the most-anticipated fixture of the World Cup.

India are likely to play the same XI that beat Ireland by eight wickets with 46 balls to spare.

India (probable): Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli,  Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav,  Shivam Dube,  Hardik Pandya,  Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel,  Jasprit Bumrah,  Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

Imad Wasim did not play Pakistan’s game against USA due to a rib-cage injury, but head coach Gary Kirsten said he is fit and will play against India. Azam Khan, who made a golden duck in Dallas, could get dropped.

Pakistan (probable): Mohammed Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (capt), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim,  Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir,  Haris Rauf

[Cricinfo]



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More than 360 dead, 1,400 missing in Nepal and Tibet after Himalayan floods

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A drone view shows mud covering buildings and property following devastating floods at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal, on August 27, 2026 [Aljazeera]

Some 360 bodies have been recovered and more than 1,400 people are missing across Nepal and China’s Tibet region after a huge collapse of mud and rock into a Himalayan river triggered catastrophic flooding across local towns and valleys, authorities have said.

Rescue teams waded through mud on Thursday searching for the missing, as authorities in Nepal said at least 359 people have been killed there.

At least three people have died in the neighbouring Tibet region.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived at the mudslide site in Tibet on Thursday afternoon to “guide emergency rescue and relief work” a day after the disaster, state media reported.

Nepalese police and tourism officials said that more than 500 foreigners were among 910 people missing in Nepal.

Among the missing are tourists from more than two dozen countries: 177 are from India, 63 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from the United Kingdom, and 25 from Canada.

Beijing’s foreign ministry also said nearly 100 Chinese nationals were among the missing in Nepal.

In Tibet’s Gyirong county, 558 people are reported missing, including 260 foreign nationals, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Search and rescue operations are proving to be a “massive challenge” as just simply “getting to the affected areas … to try and recover the survivors”, is proving to be extremely difficult as the roads and bridges there have suffered extensive damage, said Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez, reporting from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.

[Aljazeera]

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Unyielding Dinusha, spirited tail hold off India to save Colombo Test

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Dinusha hit his second century of the Test to wear out India [SLC]
Sonal Dinusha put up an impressive resistance to keep the Indian bowlers at bay on the final day, helping Sri Lanka save the second Test in Colombo after they were asked to follow-on. In a seven-hour vigil, Dinusha remained unbeaten on 133 and, with handy lower order support, ensured that India didn’t bat a second time in the Test. This was the first time in nine occasions that India failed to secure a victory after enforcing a follow-on against Sri Lanka.
Needing only four wickets on the final day in order to begin the chase, the Indian bowlers had to toil hard on a surface which offered a bit of turn, but largely predictable pace and bounce. Overnight batters Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha kept the Indians all through the morning session even though the new ball was taken within the first half an hour of play.
The seventh-wicket stand stretched to 88 runs, consuming more than 40 overs, which also ensured Sri Lanka cleared the first innings deficit. The first strike of the day came soon after the lunch break when Manav Suthar got a delivery to spin in sharply and took the outside edge of Nuwantha’s bat to the second slip.
Prabath Jayasuriya continued to remain defiant, resisting for 28 balls before his attempted drive off Ravindra Jadeja took the outside edge to Dhruv Jurel at second slip. Even as the lead swelled past the 150-run mark with only two wickets remaining and nearly a session and a half to play, the Indians had enough incentive to go for the kill.

However, Lahiru Kumara provided much-needed support to Dinusha as the duo put an end to India’s hopes. The southpaw used the sweep to good effect to counter the turn. The duo chewed up 169 deliveries for 47 runs in a period of attritional batting, during which Dinusha brought up his century. Kumara did provide India a chance when he attempted a slog sweep which fell in front of Jurel at deep mid wicket soon after Dinusha reached his century. But that was a rare opportunity.
Kumara eventually departed on 12 when an inside edge was pouched at short leg by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Nonetheless, which the number of overs reducing, Dinusha took Sri Lanka till the end of day without any further trouble and helped avoid a whitewash.
Brief scores:
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with  Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and  429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
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UAE’s Asif Khan handed 15-month ban for using a banned substance

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Asif Khan turned out in 94 internationals for UAE [Cricinfo]

Asif Khan the UAE batter, has been banned for 15 months after admitting to having tested positive for a banned substance – “a metabolite of mesterolone” – in an out-of-competition test conducted in September 2025, the ICC said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement said that Asif, 36, “had admitted the violation” of Article 2.1 of the ICC’s anti-doping code and accepted the period of ineligibility “pursuant to a case resolution agreement entered into with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the ICC”, which means there is no right to appeal on the part of the player.

The sanction is effective from September 8, 2025 and will run until December 7, 2026.

“Asif may return to training with a team or use the facilities of a club or other ICC Member organisation from 8 October 2026 but will only be eligible to play from 8 December,” the statement added. “The player’s individual results from 8 September 2025 until his provisional suspension on 29 December 2025 have been disqualified, along with all resulting consequences, including the loss of any medals, points, prize money or prizes.”

Asif, a former Pakistan Under-19 cricketer, made his UAE debut in March 2022 in an ODI against Oman in the ICC’s Cricket World Cup League 2. He turned out in 38 ODIs and 56 T20Is between then and September 2025.

The last three of those T20Is, against India, Oman and Pakistan in the T20 Asia Cup in 2025, came after September 8, and will be removed from his record.

[Cricinfo]

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