Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers meet in a high-stakes New Year clash of BBL|15 in Hobart, with the in-form defending champions Hurricanes looking to consolidate a top-two spot against a Scorchers outfit still searching for consistency but carrying serious firepower. Expect a contest shaped by Hurricanes’ chasing template and Scorchers’ explosive middle order on a ground that usually rewards positive batting.​

Hurricanes sit in the top two with 4 wins from 5 and a healthy net run rate, riding a three-match winning streak, all achieved while chasing.​ Whereas, Scorchers have 2 wins from 4; they opened with a win, lost two on the bounce, then smashed 202 and beat Sydney Thunder by 71 runs to reassert themselves.​ These sides already met in Perth this season, where Hobart chased down 151 with 3 balls to spare, which gives the Hurricanes a psychological edge.

HH vs PS, BBL|15: Match details

• Date and Time: January 1 (Thursday); 1:45 pm IST / 8:15 am GMT / 7:15 pm Local
• Venue: Bellerive Oval, Hobart

HH vs PS, Head-to-Head Record in BBL

Matches played: 22 | Perth Scorchers won: 13 | Hobart Hurricanes won: 09 | No result/Tied: 0

Bellerive Oval Pitch Report

Bellerive Oval in Hobart delivers a well-balanced pitch for Big Bash League matches, where seamers gain early help from movement and bounce with the new ball. The pitch provides true carry and shorter boundaries, becoming more batter-friendly later, supporting strike rates near 138 and first-innings totals typically from 147 to 166.​ As the match advances, the surface flattens out, benefiting aggressive batting. Fast bowlers claim most early wickets, while spinners gain traction with grip in the middle overs. Dew, if present, can turn it into a high-scoring affair.​ Chasing sides have dominated lately, winning 10 of the last 20 BBL games here. Totals of 150-190 have been defendable, with the ground favoring teams that post or chase competitively.​

Squads:

Hobart Hurricanes: Nathan Ellis (c), Tim David, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Beau Webster, Jake Weatherald, Chris Jordan, Rishad Hossain, Rehan Ahmed, Mac Wright, Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake

Perth Scorchers: Mitchell Marsh, Finn Allen (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ashton Turner (c), Laurie Evans, Aaron Hardie, Ashton Agar, Joel Paris, Brody Couch, Mahli Beardman, Sam Fanning, Nick Hobson, Bryce Jackson, Corey Rocchiccioli

Also READ: Ashton Turner’s explosive knock leads Perth Scorchers to dominating win over Sydney Thunder in BBL|15

HH vs PS, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Perth Scorchers wins the toss and bowls first
• Hobart Hurricanes’ powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
• Hobart Hurricanes’ total score: 170-180

Case 2:

• Hobart Hurricanes wins the toss and bowls first
• Perth Scorchers’ powerplay score: 55-65 (6 overs)
• Perth Scorchers’ total score: 180-190

Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest

Also WATCH: Tanveer Sangha takes a sensational diving catch to dismiss Josh Inglis in BBL|15

Russian President Vladimir Putin (PTI photo)

The CIA has turned down Moscow’s claim that Ukraine tried to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s residence earlier this week. US officials said CIA director John Ratcliffe briefed President Donald Trump on the assessment on Wednesday.Russia had publicly accused Ukraine of trying to strike Putin’s home on Monday, and Trump told reporters that Putin mentioned it to him during a phone call. Trump said he was troubled by the claim and seemed to accept it at first, even though Ukraine strongly denied any involvement.

“I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump said, adding that he was “very angry” when he heard about the alleged attack.Russia used the accusation to warn that it might take a tougher position in peace talks, even though it has not provided clear evidence of the supposed drone strike. Moscow claimed the target was Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, a rural area.But the US intelligence assessment matches Ukraine’s position. In a social media post, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s claim “a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war.”On Monday, even though Trump said he was upset about the reported attack, he admitted he had no confirmation and said it was “possible” it never happened.“It’s a delicate period of time,” he said. “This is not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive because they’re offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house.”This episode came shortly after Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy at his private club Mar-a-Lago in Florida. While they appeared positive after the meeting, they made little progress on major issues such as security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia’s demand that Ukraine cede territory.Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Wednesday that he and other senior officials spoke with Rustem Umerov and several European national security officials about efforts to end the war.“We focused on how to move the discussions forward in a practical way on behalf of @POTUS’ peace process, including strengthening security guarantees and developing effective deconfliction mechanisms to help end the war and ensure it does not restart,” he wrote on social media.

The United States has granted a majority-Russian-owned Serbian oil company a temporary reprieve from sanctions targeting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a Serbian minister said on Wednesday. Washington’s sanctions on the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), part of its crackdown on Russia’s energy sector, forced the shutdown in early December of Serbia’s sole oil refinery, which supplies around 80 percent of the Balkan country’s fuel needs. The measures have hit hard in Serbia, a key Kremlin ally and one of the few European countries not to have imposed sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war.“NIS has obtained a licence from US OFAC (the Office of Foreign Assets Control) allowing it to continue operations until January 23. This means that the Pancevo refinery will be able to resume operations after 36 days,” Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Instagram.The reprieve will allow the Pancevo refinery, located near the capital Belgrade, to resume its activities refining crude — a significant relief for Serbia, which has had to dip into its fossil fuel reserves to satisfy domestic demand. “We have achieved what seemed almost impossible. We will safeguard our energy security, as we have done so far,” Handanovic added.After nine months of successive postponements, Washington on October 9 imposed sanctions on NIS, demanding the complete exit of Russian shareholders and preventing the refinery from receiving supplies. But talks over its potential sale have dragged on, with analysts warning that the refinery’s closure could shrink Serbia’s economic growth and threaten thousands of jobs. NIS employs some 13,500 people, and contributed more than two billion euros ($2.5 billion) in tax revenue, or nearly 12 percent of the national budget, according to the firm’s annual report. ‘Phenomenal news’Shortly before Handanovic’s announcement, President Aleksandar Vucic said on social media that he believed he could soon announce some “phenomenal political news”. “We’ve worked hard, we’ve earned it,” Vucic added, without offering further details. NIS is 45-percent owned by Gazprom Neft, which has been targeted by US sanctions. Its parent company, Gazprom, transferred its 11.3-percent stake in NIS in September to another Russian firm, Intelligence.The Serbian state holds nearly 30 percent of NIS, with the rest owned by minority shareholders.According to the Serbian national broadcaster RTS, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was involved in discussions between Vucic and the US State Department earlier Wednesday, while the Hungarian firm MOL is in negotiations to buy the Russian portion of NIS’s shares. Meanwhile, Croatian pipeline operator Janaf, which had stopped supplying crude to the Pancevo refinery because of the sanctions, also announced it had been informed by OFAC about the reprieve.This decision “allows us to continue implementing our agreement (with NIS) on oil transportation” until January 23, the Croatian company stated.The two companies have a contract for crude transport valid until the end of 2026, for a total capacity of 10 million tonnes.

Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani on Thursday was sworn in as New York City’s mayor, beginning a four-year term at the helm of the United States’ largest city. The 34-year-old Democrat, known for his left-leaning views and criticism of US President Donald Trump, took the oath of office just after midnight at the long-abandoned City Hall subway station beneath Manhattan’s City Hall.Mamdani made history as New York’s first Muslim mayor, placing his hand on the Quran during the ceremony. “This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” he said after being sworn in.The oath was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a close political ally, at the historic City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops, famed for its elegant arched ceilings.Mamdani will be sworn in again later on Thursday in a larger public ceremony at City Hall, where US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of his political inspirations, will administer the oath.

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor at historic subway station (Photo: AP)

The event will be followed by a public block party along Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes,” traditionally known for ticker-tape parades.During the mayoral campaign, Trump had threatened to withhold federal funding from New York City if Mamdani won and even floated the idea of deploying National Guard troops.However, the president later surprised both supporters and critics by inviting Mamdani to the White House for what was described as a cordial meeting in November. “I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said. Despite this, tensions are expected to resurface given their sharp policy differences, particularly on immigration.

Who is Zohran Mamdani

Born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani is the son of Indian-origin parents and acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, known for films such as Salaam Bombay! and Monsoon Wedding, and Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-born Ugandan academic. He spent part of his early childhood in Cape Town before moving to New York at the age of seven.Mamdani was educated at St George’s Grammar School in Cape Town, Bank Street School for Children, and the Bronx High School of Science. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College in 2014. While in college, he co-founded Students for Justice in Palestine and later worked on several progressive political campaigns in New York.In 2019, Mamdani won a seat in the New York State Assembly from the 36th District, representing Astoria and Long Island City, where he focused on issues such as housing, transit affordability and immigrant rights, priorities that shaped his mayoral bid.A practising Shia Muslim, Mamdani married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji earlier this year. Her illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker and The Washington Post. The couple will move from their one-bedroom, rent-stabilised apartment in an outer borough to the official mayoral residence in Manhattan.(With input from agencies)