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ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council awarded Pakistan the hosting rights for the ICC Women&#39;s T20 World Cup 2028 qualification pathway on Monday, with matches involving India to be played at neutral venues. The ICC Board met on Sunday and approved a range of measures covering women&#39;s cricket scheduling, tournament formats, playing conditions and governance. Pakistan hosted the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, its first global ICC event in 29 years. The country previously held the ACC Asia Cup in full in 2008 and co-hosted the 2023 edition with Sri Lanka. The 2028 Women&#39;s T20 World Cup will have 12 teams. Ten spots are automatic: the top eight from the 2026 edition, the host nation if not already among them, and the next highest-ranked side on the ICC Women&#39;s T20I rankings as of July 6, 2026. The remaining two places will go through a 10-team Global Qualifier supported by regional rounds, with allocations to be confirmed at the ICC&#39;s July meetings. The board rescheduled the ICC Women&#39;s Champions Trophy 2027 to February 14&ndash;28, moving it from the June-July window. It also approved the ICC Women&#39;s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026 as a 10-team competition (five Full Members and five Associate Members) with qualification based on rankings and prior world cup results. On the men&#39;s side, the ICC Board approved in principle a Global Qualifier pathway for future Men&#39;s T20 World Cups and directed management to finalize a 16-team structure. Teams in the Challenge League retained eligibility for other List A matches within each cycle. The board approved a pink ball trial for Test matches, subject to consent from both teams, to allow play to continue in poor light. It also updated playing conditions to allow coaches or their designees to consult players at drinks intervals, mandated 15-minute intervals in T20 internationals, and required batters to be ready at the resumption of play. The legside wides trial was made permanent. All remaining MCC Laws changes take effect on October 1, 2026. The Board suspended Cricket Canada from ICC membership with immediate effect for breaching its membership obligations. Canadian national teams will remain eligible for ICC events during the suspension period.

A screenshot shows team captains posing during Captains’ Day for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. (ICC)

Cricket

Two spots in the 12-team field are determined through a 10-team Global Qualifier, with additional qualification places allocated through regional pathways.

Pakistan to host ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028

KANDY: New Zealand qualified for the T20 World Cup semi-finals after Sri Lanka avoided a big defeat against Pakistan on Saturday in Kandy.&nbsp;Pakistan, who needed to win by 65 runs in their final Super Eights match to pip New Zealand on net run rate, won by only five after scoring 212-8 with Sri Lanka just falling short on 207-6.&nbsp;Sahibzada Farhan hit a 60-ball century for Pakistan, his second of the tournament, to take his side to their highest total in any T20 World Cup.&nbsp;Pakistan needed to keep Sri Lanka down to 147 or fewer, but Pavan Rathnayake hit 58 and captain Dasun Shanaka struck an unbeaten 76 off just 31 balls to snuff out Pakistan hopes.&nbsp;After a thrilling chase, Sri Lanka needed six off the last ball but Shanaka failed to connect after hitting three of his eight sixes in the final over.&nbsp;The result puts New Zealand through to a likely meeting with South Africa in Kolkata on Wednesday for a place in the final.&nbsp;Spinner Abrar Ahmed was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with 3-23 in his four overs.&nbsp;After Pakistan were asked to bat first, Farhan followed his group-stage century against Namibia with another ton to become the first player to score two hundreds in the same T20 World Cup.&nbsp;Fellow opener Fakhar Zaman cracked 84 off 42 balls.&nbsp;Farhan scored five sixes and nine fours as he took his aggregate for the tournament to 383 runs, a T20 World Cup record, passing India&#39;s Virat Kohli&#39;s 319 in 2014.&nbsp;Farhan and Zaman put on an opening stand of 176 in 15.5 overs. Zaman hit four sixes and nine fours.&nbsp;Farhan pushed Shanaka for a single to complete his century off 59 balls before being dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka in the final over.&nbsp;Madushanka was the best Sri Lankan bowler with 3-33.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s previous highest at a T20 World cup was the 201-5 they made against Bangladesh in Kolkata in 2016.

New Zealand reaches the T20 World Cup semifinals after Pakistan’s five-run win over Sri Lanka in Kandy proved insufficient. Sahibzada Farhan’s century lifted Pakistan to 212-8, but Sri Lanka’s strong chase denied the required big-margin victory.

Pakistan knocked out of T20 World Cup despite win over Sri Lanka

ISLAMABAD: Indian Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has triggered widespread outrage after suggesting that two Australian women cricketers &ldquo;should learn a lesson&rdquo; following their molestation in Indore, instead of condemning the attack and addressing the security lapse. The incident occurred when two members of Australia&rsquo;s women&#39;s cricket team were reportedly touched inappropriately by a man on a motorcycle while walking from their hotel to a cafe in Indore during the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup. Police said the suspect was later tracked down and arrested after the team&rsquo;s security filed a complaint. Rather than focusing on the crime, BJP-led Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Vijayvargiya implied that the players were at fault for not informing local authorities before stepping out, saying they &ldquo;should be aware of their popularity.&rdquo; His victim-blaming remarks have been condemned as insensitive and regressive. The comments have drawn sharp criticism from civil society, opposition leaders, and social media users, who accused the minister of normalizing harassment and undermining women&rsquo;s safety in India. Indian singer and voice actress Chinmayi Sripaada said: &ldquo;BJP Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya basically says here that women visiting another city/country must be worried/concerned/think about their own safety when stepping out without telling anyone. So basically, it was the women&#39;s fault.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1982539897899770225&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=9dfec250f7666fa98c69846d3746befae251fa32&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1286px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> An X user, Veena Jai,n wrote on X: &ldquo;Do you know why India is failing to attract foreign tourists despite being a beautiful country? Because of people like MP Govt minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is blaming Australian women cricketers only for molestation instead of apologizing. Shame 🤮.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1982631588988063987&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=9dfec250f7666fa98c69846d3746befae251fa32&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 650px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> Another user, Avishek Goyal, wrote: &ldquo;What can be more pathetic? No accountability, no responsibility, no decency, no morals. BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya brushing off the molestation of Australian players as just &lsquo;fan moments&rsquo; shows how this power-drunk regime sees women.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1982497163973403047&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=9dfec250f7666fa98c69846d3746befae251fa32&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 726px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> User Vishnukant posted: &ldquo;Ruling party minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the players should &lsquo;learn a lesson.&rsquo; He added that they should have informed a local person before going out. Why are BJP and media houses silent now?&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1982540947113296204&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=9dfec250f7666fa98c69846d3746befae251fa32&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>This is not the first time Vijayvargiya has made controversial remarks about women and morality. His repeated statements on &ldquo;cultural values&rdquo; and public behavior have often drawn condemnation, reinforcing concerns over misogynistic attitudes within sections of India&rsquo;s political leadership.

India

His victim-blaming remarks have been condemned as insensitive and regressive.

Indian minister blames Australian cricketers over Indore molestation incident

ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu produced a decisive final-over spell to guide her side to a seven-run victory over Bangladesh in the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 on Monday.&nbsp;Chasing a target of 203 runs, Bangladesh appeared well placed for victory, needing just nine runs from the final over with five wickets in hand. However, Athapaththu conceded only one run and took four wickets in the final over to secure a dramatic win.&nbsp;Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka were all out for 202 in 48.4 overs.&nbsp; Sri Lanka&#39;s Right-hand batter Hasini Perera anchored the innings with 85 off 99 balls, hitting 13 fours and a six. She shared a 72-run stand with captain Athapaththu, who scored 46 off 43 deliveries. For Bangladesh, leg-spinner Shorna Akter claimed three wickets, while Leg-spinner Rabeya Khatun took two.&nbsp;Bangladesh captain and wicketkeeper-batter Nigar Sultana top-scored with 77 off 98 balls, while opener Sharmin Akhter remained unbeaten on 64 off 103 deliveries. Despite their strong partnership, Bangladesh collapsed in the final over and were restricted to 195.&nbsp;The result lifted Sri Lanka to sixth place on the points table with four points, while Bangladesh was eliminated from semi-final contention, as they remain on two points from six matches, with a group match left against India on Sunday.

Athapaththu’s spell, taking four wickets for one run, hands Sri Lanka dramatic seven-run victory over Bangladesh in ICC Women’s World Cup, eliminating the Tigers from semifinal contention.

Athapaththu’s final-over heroics seal Sri Lanka’s thrilling win

ISLAMABAD: England held their nerve to beat India by four runs and secure a place in the semifinals of the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 on Sunday. Chasing 289, India looked set for victory for much of their innings. Smriti Mandhana scored 88, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur added 70 runs off 70 balls. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt took 2-47 in eight overs, and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled tightly, taking Mandhana&rsquo;s key wicket and helping England restrict India to 284-6 in 50 overs. India finished with 284-6 in 50 overs, its third straight loss in the tournament in front of a home crowd at Holkar Stadium. Earlier, England batted first and scored 288-8, thanks to Heather Knight&rsquo;s brilliant 109 off 91 balls. The win gives England four victories in five games, keeping them unbeaten and sending them to the semifinals alongside defending champions Australia and South Africa.&nbsp; England will face Australia on Wednesday at Holkar Stadium. India must bounce back against New Zealand on Thursday and Bangladesh on Sunday in Navi Mumbai to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

England held their nerve to defeat India by four runs at Holkar Stadium, with Heather Knight’s 109 and key wickets from Nat Sciver-Brunt and Linsey Smith helping secure a semifinal spot in the tournament

England edge India by four runs, secure Women’s World Cup semifinal

ISLAMABAD: Persistent rain forced the abandonment of the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday, confirming South Africa&rsquo;s place in the semifinals alongside defending champions Australia. Pakistan was 92 for 5 after 25 overs when heavy rain returned for the second time, prompting officials to call off play after a three-hour delay. Earlier, New Zealand medium pacer Lea Tahuhu removed Omaima Sohail for 3, while Sidra Amin fell for 9 to a sharp catch by Eden Carson at point before the first rain break left Pakistan struggling at 52 for 3 in the 13th over. When play briefly resumed, Pakistan lost two more wickets, including captain Fatima Sana, bowled by a well-disguised Amelia Kerr googly, before rain ultimately ended the game. The washout lifted New Zealand to fifth in the standings, with two challenging fixtures remaining against India and England, while Pakistan remained winless and anchored at the bottom after five matches. It was the second consecutive no-result for both sides, as persistent bad weather continued to disrupt World Cup matches in the Sri Lankan capital.

Persistent rain washed out the Pakistan–New Zealand Women’s World Cup match in Colombo, confirming South Africa’s semifinal berth. Pakistan, at 92–5 after 25 overs, remained winless, while New Zealand stayed fifth in the standings.

Rain washes out Pakistan–New Zealand clash, South Africa advance

ISLAMABAD: South Africa continued their winning streak in the ICC Women&rsquo;s World Cup 2025, thrashing Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in a rain-hit match at R. Premadasa International on Friday.&nbsp;Due to rain, the match was reduced to 20 overs, with South Africa restricting Sri Lanka to 105-7 before comfortably chasing a revised target of 121 in 14.5 overs to consolidate their hold on second place in the points table.&nbsp;Sri Lanka, who chose to bat first, were 46-2 when rain stopped play. After the break, left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlba took 3-30 as the bowlers allowed only 59 runs in the last eight overs while taking five wickets.&nbsp;Vishmi Gunaratne&rsquo;s quick 34, which included six fours, was the only notable contribution for Sri Lanka.&nbsp;Chasing six an over, South Africa&rsquo;s openers made the task look easy. Captain Laura Wolvaardt struck an unbeaten 60 off 47 balls, while Tazmin Brits hit 55 not out off 42 balls with four fours and two sixes. Their 125-run stand came off just 89 deliveries to complete a commanding victory.&nbsp;For a team bowled out for just 69 by England in their opening game, South Africa&rsquo;s recovery has been impressive with four wins in a row.&nbsp;Sri Lanka remain winless after five matches in a campaign affected by rain and inconsistency.&nbsp;The victory took South Africa to eight points, one behind defending champions Australia on nine. England, the four-time winners, are third with seven points and a game in hand.

Wins by 10 wickets in a rain-shortened Women’s World Cup match in Colombo, restricting them to 105-7 before chasing a revised 121-run target in 14.5 overs.


 South Africa crush Sri Lanka to extend dominant World Cup run

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan were denied a famous win over England after their ICC Women&rsquo;s World Cup 2025 match was washed out due to heavy rain in Colombo on Wednesday.&nbsp;Pakistan, still looking for their first win of the tournament, had bowled brilliantly to restrict four-time champions England to 133-9 in a 31-over game.&nbsp;Chasing a revised target of 113, Pakistan made a strong start, reaching 34-0 in 6.4 overs before rain returned and ended the match.&nbsp;Captain Fatima Sana led the attack superbly, taking 4-27. She bowled brilliantly, removing key batters Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt, while also dismissing Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont.&nbsp;Pakistan right-arm medium-fast Diana Baig struck first by bowling Beaumont and the spinners then controlled the middle overs, keeping England under pressure.&nbsp;Play was first stopped with England struggling at 79-7 after 25 overs. When the game resumed, England right-handed batwomen Charlie Dean and Emily Arlott added 47 runs for the eighth wicket, helping England reach a modest total.It was the third rain-hit match in Colombo this World Cup, after Australia-Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka-New Zealand games were also washed out earlier in the week.&nbsp;Pakistan stays rooted to the bottom of the table, while England remains on top.

Pakistan’s brilliant bowling display, led by Fatima Sana’s 4-27, put England on the back foot, but heavy rain washed out their World Cup clash in Colombo.

Rain saves England after Pakistan’s superb bowling in World Cup clash

NEW DELHI: South Africa&#39;s lower order once again came to the rescue after a top order collapse, edging out Bangladesh by three wickets in a nail-biting finish in the Women&#39;s World Cup in Visakhapatnam on Monday.&nbsp;Chasing 233, the Proteas were on the ropes at 78-5, but their tail refused to throw in the towel, showing the same grit that saw them turn the tables on India in their previous outing.&nbsp;A gutsy 85-run stand for the sixth wicket between Marizanne Kapp, who made 56, and Chloe Tryon, 62, steadied the ship and gave the chase a fresh lease of life.&nbsp;Both batters brought up their half-centuries but their dismissals reopened the door for Bangladesh, who sniffed an upset.&nbsp;Then, Nadine de Klerk, South Africa&#39;s player for a crisis walked in and saw her side over the line.&nbsp;Her unbeaten 37 off 29 deliveries guided her side home with three balls to spare.&nbsp;When Tryon was run out by a direct hit from Ritu Moni, South Africa still needed 35 off 31 balls with three wickets in hand. De Klerk survived a few anxious moments, including a dropped chance on 26 and made Bangladesh pay dearly.&nbsp;With eight needed off the last over, she slashed the first ball from Nahida Akter through the covers for four, then sealed the deal in style, pulling the third ball for a six.&nbsp;The Proteas, who began the campaign in tatters after being bundled out for 69 in a 10-wicket drubbing by England, have now stitched together three wins on the trot to climb to third in the points table and suddenly, a semi-final berth looks well within reach.&nbsp;For Bangladesh, it was a tale of missed chances. A sharper fielding effort could well have tilted the scales their way.&nbsp;After a sluggish start which saw them reach 73-2 at the halfway stage, Bangladesh did well to post 232-6 in their 50 overs, thanks in main to a sparkling 51 not out from Shorna Akter.&nbsp;Coming off just 35 deliveries, it was the fastest fifty of the tournament so far and included three fours and three sixes.

South Africa won a close ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh by three wickets, with Nadine de Klerk’s unbeaten 37 guiding them to victory in the final over.


De Klerk steers South Africa to last over win against Bangladesh

ISLAMABAD: Alyssa Healy&rsquo;s sensational 142 propelled Australia to a thrilling three-wicket victory over India in their ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 clash at ACA&ndash;VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday.&nbsp;Australia held their nerve, reaching 331-7 with just one over to spare. Australia right-hand batswomen Healy&rsquo;s blistering innings of 142 off 107 balls was complemented by unbeaten contributions from Ellyse Perry (47 ) runs and Ashleigh Gardner valuable (45), ensuring Australia completed a nail-biting chase.&nbsp;India had struck early blows, with Sree Charani taking (3-41) and Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur picking up two wickets each. Perry&rsquo;s calm innings, coming after her return from a brief injury layoff, proved crucial in steadying the chase. Earlier, Smriti Mandhana&rsquo;s 80 runs off 66 balls provided a great start for India after Australia won the toss and opted to bowl.&nbsp;Mandhana hit nine fours and three sixes. She put on 155 runs for the first wicket with Pratika Rawal, who scored 75 off 96 ,But India lost its last six wickets for 36 runs, and its dismissal with seven balls left proved costly.&nbsp;Mandhana also became the youngest and fastest player to reach 5,000 ODI runs in 112 innings. Australia&rsquo;s bowlers responded in style, with Annabel Sutherland claiming a spectacular five-wicket haul (5-40) and Sophie Molineux adding (3-75), keeping India&rsquo;s middle and lower order in check.&nbsp;The victory moves Australia to the top of the points table with seven points from four matches, while India slip to third with four points after back-to-back defeats.&nbsp;Seven-time champion Australia is currently unbeaten in 12 Cricket World Cup games stretching back to the previous edition in 2022. It next plays Bangladesh on Thursday, at the same Visakhapatnam venue.

Australia chased down 331 to beat India by three wickets in the Women’s World Cup 2025, led by Alyssa Healy’s 142. Annabel Sutherland took 5-40 as Australia topped the table.

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