RAJKOT: It’s time to recalibrate batting plans now that ODIs are being played with only one ball after the 34th over. With the ODI World Cup in South Africa less than two years away, teams are trying to gauge what a significantly older ball will mean at the back-end of an innings.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was upfront about the challenges posed by the revised playing conditions. Forming a new template is one of the goals for the team management in this series. The presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli gives India an edge, as they are among the few active batters who grew up playing ODIs with an old, softer ball in the final phase of an innings.

“We will have to adjust in the batting department. We have to try to set up one template based on how we play after this new rule,” Kotak said, adding that the differences become clear late in the innings. “We played 25 overs any way with each ball. After this rule, you don’t feel the difference till the 42nd over, since it is 25 overs with one ball. We have to plan for the remaining eight overs,” he added.New Zealand opener Henry Nicholls was quick to point out the challenge his team faced. “At the end of our innings, the ball was obviously a lot darker and probably a lot softer as well, which made it harder to get away. It won’t be as easy to score as much right at the end. You need to take on the bowling a little bit earlier,” Nicholls said.

The management is studying the trend. The sample size is still too small to draw firm conclusions and there aren’t many ODIs scheduled over the next 20 months. Teams may have to wait for harder surfaces to fully understand the effect of the older ball after the 34th over. White balls are not expected to turn as soft or as discoloured outside South Asia.“Looking ahead to the World Cup, there will be (new) plans about how you go about the powerplay and the 30-40th over period,” Kotak said, adding, “It will also dictate the bowling combination.”

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the second ODI against India on Wednesday, New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls spoke about how important this series is for his team as they start preparing for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Nicholls said that ODI cricket is now played less often between major tournaments. Because of that, every bilateral series has become more valuable.

“I think there’s not as much one-day cricket between major events. I think that makes these series even more important. You know, certainly for us as a group, it’s an exciting format,” Nicholls told reporters.Nicholls said some New Zealand players have stayed connected to the 50-over format by playing List A cricket at home. That has helped them stay ready. He added that the team enjoys playing ODIs and wants to make full use of every chance they get.“A few of us have been playing some of the List A cricket back home, so we have got a bit of the 50-over format under our belt, but it’s a format that we enjoy playing… we’re certainly looking to make the most of these opportunities as a team,” Nicholls added.The 34-year-old also spoke about the challenge of facing Indian greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He said playing against such players is always a learning experience.“Any time you play, you’re going to learn from players like that, and that’s a challenge that we knew coming into the series.”Nicholls praised New Zealand’s bowlers for the way they tried to handle both batters in the first ODI. He felt the team showed improvement as the match went on.“But also to see in the first game… the way the guys adapted, certainly from a bowling point of view… I think we saw a little bit of that towards the end of the match,” he further stated.He added that building pressure against top players on Indian pitches will remain a key challenge for the team going forward.India won the first ODI by four wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing a target of 301, India were guided by captain Shubman Gill’s 56, Virat Kohli’s 93 and Shreyas Iyer’s 49. KL Rahul and Harshit Rana added useful runs at the end.Earlier, New Zealand were restricted to 300 for 8. Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway shared a strong 117-run stand. Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj picked up two wickets each to keep the hosts in check.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan once again found themselves in an uncomfortable spotlight in the Big Bash League. Just a day after Mohammad Rizwan’s unusual “retired out” moment, Hasan Ali added to the embarrassment with a poor piece of fielding on Tuesday.The incident happened during the match between Melbourne Stars and Adelaide Strikers, with the Stars were chasing a small target of 84 runs. They were 35 for 2 in the eighth over. Tabraiz Shamsi was bowling. The fifth ball was pushed towards the cover region.Hasan Ali ran in to stop the ball before it reached the boundary. However, he misjudged it badly. And despite him giving his all till the last moment, the ball slipped past and crossed the rope. The third umpire later confirmed it was a boundary. The moment quickly went viral, with social media accounts of both Fox Sports and Big Bash League sharing the video.This came just one day after another awkward episode involving a Pakistan player. On Monday, Mohammad Rizwan was retired out during a Big Bash League match between Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades. Rizwan struggled to score quickly near the end of the innings. He made 26 runs off 23 balls. His knock included two fours and one six.Failing to add momentum, Rizwan was called back by the Renegades. Captain Will Sutherland replaced him at the crease. Rizwan became the first overseas player in BBL history to be retired out.On Tuesday, the match itself was a one-sided affair. Tom Curran produced a career-best bowling performance to help Melbourne Stars crush Adelaide Strikers. The Strikers were bowled out for just 83 runs in 19.3 overs.Curran’s spell with the new ball caused early damage. The Strikers were reduced to 21 for 4 by the end of the powerplay. A small partnership between Jamie Overton and Liam Scott briefly lifted the score near 40. The collapse soon followed.Chasing 84, the Stars lost early wickets. Sam Harper made nine. Campbell Kellaway was dismissed for a duck. Thomas Rogers steadied the chase. He top-scored with 32 off 40 balls. Blake Macdonald supported him with a useful stand.The Stars reached the target in 15.1 overs. Marcus Stoinis made 23 off 20 balls before retiring hurt. Liam Scott took two wickets for the Strikers.Tom Curran was named Player of the Match. He took four wickets for just 10 runs. Mitchell Swepson also impressed with three wickets.

NEW DELHI: Two Kaurs, a Carey , and a handful of dropped catches – that was all Mumbai Indians needed to chase down Gujarat Giants’ 193 and secure a seven-wicket win at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Mumbai Indians comfortably achieved the target in the sixth match of the Women’s Premier League 2026 on Tuesday, leaving Ashleigh Gardner’s Gujarat Giants short.Mumbai Indians chased down Gujarat Giants’ target with seven wickets in hand in the sixth match of the Women’s Premier League 2026 on Tuesday.Mumbai Indians needed 193 to win. The chase began with an early setback as both openers were dismissed for a total of 37 inside the first five overs. Amanjot Kaur and Harmanpreet Kaur then steadied the innings with a 72-run partnership. Amanjot scored 40 off 26 balls, while Harmanpreet made 71 off 43 deliveries.After Amanjot’s dismissal in the 13th over, Mumbai Indians remained in control. Nicola Carey joined Harmanpreet and added momentum to the chase with 38 off 23 balls. Mumbai Indians reached the target comfortably in 19.2 overs to register a seven-wicket win.Earlier, Gujarat Giants posted 192 for five in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Openers Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney got Gujarat off to a quick start, hitting four boundaries in the second over. Devine was dismissed for eight off four balls by Shabnim Ismail, leaving Gujarat at 26 for one in three overs.Kanika Ahuja then struck a six and a four in the next over as Gujarat moved to 40 for one. At the end of the powerplay, Gujarat were 62 for one, their third-best powerplay score in WPL history.Amelia Kerr removed Mooney for 33 off 26 balls in the seventh over. Nicola Carey dismissed Gujarat captain Ashleigh Gardner in the 10th over. Gardner scored 20 off 11 balls as Gujarat reached 99 for three at the halfway stage.Hayley Matthews dismissed Kanika Ahuja for 35 off 18 balls in the 11th over, reducing Gujarat to 101 for four. Georgia Wareham and Ayushi Soni then added stability. Gujarat were 130 for four after 15 overs. Soni, who made 11 off 14 balls, was retired out after the 16th over.In the final four overs, Wareham and Bharti Fulmali put together an unbeaten 56-run partnership. Fulmali scored 36 not out off 15 balls, while Wareham finished on 43 not out off 33 deliveries. Their stand helped Gujarat Giants close on 192 for five.

NEW DELHI: Punjab booked a place in the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a 183-run win over Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinal in Bengaluru on Tuesday.Batting first, Punjab posted 345 for six in 50 overs. Captain Prabhsimran Singh led the scoring with 88 off 86 balls. He was supported by Anmolpreet Singh, who scored 70 from 62 balls, Nehal Wadhera with 56 off 38 deliveries, and opener Harnoor Singh, who made 51 off 71 balls. Ramandeep Singh added 24 off 15 balls at the end to push the total close to 350.

Punjab got off to a strong start as Prabhsimran and Harnoor put on 116 runs for the opening wicket in a little over 21 overs. Madhya Pradesh got their first breakthrough in the 22nd over when Aryan Pandey dismissed Harnoor. Anmolpreet then joined Prabhsimran and kept the scoring rate steady.Prabhsimran was dismissed in the 30th over after being caught off Kuldeep Sen’s bowling. Naman Dhir made 23 off 20 balls before Punjab reached 199 for three in the 36th over. Nehal Wadhera then accelerated the innings, adding 76 runs for the fourth wicket with Anmolpreet. Punjab maintained momentum through quick running and boundaries in the final overs.For Madhya Pradesh, Tripuresh Singh returned figures of 2 for 61 from 10 overs, while captain Venkatesh Iyer took two wickets for 60 runs in seven overs.In reply, Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 162 in 31.2 overs. They lost wickets early and were 66 for five in the 17th over. Rajat Patidar top-scored with 38 off 40 balls, but his dismissal in the 27th over left MP at 132 for seven. Tripuresh Singh was the only other batter to cross 30, scoring 31.Punjab’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Sanvir Singh leading the attack with figures of 3 for 31 in six overs. Gurnoor Brar, Krish Bhagat and Ramandeep Singh picked up two wickets each.Brief scores:Punjab 345/6 in 50 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 88, Anmolpreet Singh 70, Nehal Wadhera 56, Harnoor Singh 51)Madhya Pradesh 162 all out in 31.2 overs (Rajat Patidar 38; Sanvir Singh 3/31)

NEW DELHI: India’s ace shuttler Lakshya Sen began his India Open Super 750 campaign on a strong note on Tuesday. He moved into the second round with a comfortable straight-game win over fellow Indian Ayush Shetty. The match was played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.Lakshya, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, was in control from the start. He defeated the 20-year-old Ayush 21-12, 21-15. Ayush was playing his first match at the Super 750 level and found it tough against the experienced campaigner.

After the match, Lakshya spoke about the conditions and the challenge ahead.“I didn’t expect it to be too tricky, but I think it will get better from the second round,” Lakshya said.He also spoke about adapting to the new hall.“We thought the hall was big, so the shuttle might travel a little bit slower, but I think it was quick, and also there was a little bit drift or sideways, but I think again, first round it’s always we have to adapt to the situations.”Lakshya praised his opponent and said he was staying focused.“He’s a really, really good opponent, and I had to come really prepared for the match. I’m just taking one match at a time, so I’m not thinking, I think, too wide, just focusing on the next match.”In the opening game, Lakshya dominated early at the net. He raced to a 17-6 lead. Ayush tried to fight back and won a few points in a row, but Lakshya closed the game without trouble. The second game was more competitive. Ayush started well and led early. Lakshya soon found his rhythm. He tightened his shots and forced errors. He pulled ahead late and sealed the match with a strong winner.Lakshya will next face Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto. Nishimoto advanced after his compatriot Kodai Naraoka retired mid-match.In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also started well. The Indian pair won 21-15, 21-11 against Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai. They will now play China’s seventh-seeded pair Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min.In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun won their first-round match against Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi and Ong Yew Sin. They will face China’s fourth seeds next. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the next round after receiving a walkover.Lakshya also spoke about planning his season carefully.“I think we have big tournaments coming up this year, so I think it will be important to maintain a good ranking but also peak at the right time for the big ones,” he said.“So just I think in the training plan for the year or the tournament plans I think we have made it skipped a few tournaments also to get a good practice so that towards the end when we have big tournaments like Asian games and world championship coming up so we are better prepared for those ones.”Elsewhere, men’s singles fourth seed Chou Tien Chen and French sixth seed Alex Lanier were knocked out on the opening day.ALSO READ: Fresh controversy amid Olympics 2036 ambitions: Denmark badminton player Mia Blichfeldt blasts India Open conditions

MI vs GG, WPL Live Score: Gujarat Giants face their biggest test of the season as they take on defending champions Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League on Tuesday. Giants arrive with momentum after winning their first two matches, both after crossing the 200-run mark. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, will look to build on their win over Delhi Capitals after an opening loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The contest brings together two in-form batting units and contrasting bowling strengths. Gujarat have shown a sharp shift in approach this season, while Mumbai continue to rely on discipline and control with the ball.

Mumbai Indians will rely heavily on their senior players as they aim to stop Gujarat’s winning run. Nat Sciver-Brunt has been among their key performers, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur returned to form with a 42-ball 74 against Delhi Capitals. Harmanpreet said the long batting line-up has given her freedom to play her shots without worrying about batting deep. Mumbai’s bowling has been their strength so far, conceding just 7.74 runs per over across two matches. They nearly defended 154 against RCB and then restricted Delhi Capitals to 46 for 5 while defending another total.

Stay with TOI for live updates, key moments, and turning points from this WPL clash.

Pakistan-born USA fast bowler Ali Khan has been denied an Indian visa ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, raising uncertainty over his availability for matches scheduled to be played in India during the tournament.The 35-year-old, who was born in Pakistan’s Punjab, shared the update on Instagram Stories on Tuesday (January 13). He posted a picture of himself with the caption, “India visa denied but KFC for the win.”

Ali Khan has played 15 ODIs and 18 T20Is for the USA, taking 33 wickets in ODIs and 16 in T20Is. He was part of the USA squad at the 2024 T20 World Cup and featured in the group match in which the USA defeated Pakistan in a Super Over.Overall, Ali Khan has played 99 T20 matches and has taken 93 wickets. He represented Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the first three seasons of the ILT20 and played for Gulf Giants in the 2025–26 season.The USA have not yet announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, but Ali Khan was expected to be in contention.The T20 World Cup 2026 will be held from February 7 to May 8 across five venues in India — Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai — and three venues in Sri Lanka — Colombo (R Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club Stadium) and Pallekele.The USA are placed in Group A along with India, Pakistan, Namibia and the Netherlands. They are scheduled to play three of their four group matches in India. The USA will open their campaign against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7, before facing Pakistan on February 10 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Their remaining group matches against the Netherlands and Namibia will be played on February 13 and 15 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

MUMBAI: Mumbai stand-in captain Siddhesh Lad has called on the BCCI to do away with 9am starts for knockout matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, saying the scheduling gives a clear advantage to teams bowling first and makes the toss a decisive factor. Lad’s remarks came after Mumbai lost to Karnataka by 55 runs (via the VJD method) in the quarterfinals in Bengaluru on Monday. He suggested that all knockout matches be played in a day-night format to ensure equal conditions for both teams.Asked to bat first by Karnataka, who won the toss at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, Mumbai slided to 60 for four in the 18th over, before fighting back through a half-century by Shams Mulani (86 off 91 balls) and support acts by Lad (38 off 58 balls) and Sairaj Patil (33 off 25 balls) to finish at 254 for eight in 50 overs. Karnataka coasted to 187 for one in 33 overs, with Devdutt Padikkal (81 not out off 95 balls) and Karun Nair (74 not out off 80 balls) going strong, before rain and bad light stopped play.“It doesn’t make sense to start the quarterfinal matches of VHT at 9 am. The ball was seaming around for around 40-45 overs of our innings, and our young batsmen were being beaten. Any cricketer will tell you how it’s such a big disadvantage to the team batting first. In those conditions, you can’t put up a good score while batting first. If you lose early wickets, it’s very difficult to stage a recovery. Still, we made a decent score. To add to our woes, the pitch at CoE had a generous grass cover. Combine that with a 9am start, and it’s trouble for the team batting first,” Lad fumed, while talking to TOI on Tuesday.“I request the BCCI to stage the VHT quarterfinals in the Day/Night format from the next season, so that any team batting first doesn’t face a disadvantage. I can understand that you can’t play day/night matches during the league stage, because there are many teams involved. However, you can play under lights in the KOs because only eight teams are there,” Lad stressed.Lad’s suggestion has found an echo in former India batsman and ex-Punjab captain Mandeep Singh. “As we saw in the first two quarterfinals of VHT, it’s about winning the toss, and winning the match. In our List A cricket, matches start at 9am. There is moisture in the wicket. For a substantial part of the first innings, the conditions are tough for batting, which gives an undue advantage to the fielding side. I remember that during the 2022-23 season, we were playing our Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad,” Mandeep said in a video on Instagram.“Due to the big stands there, there would hardly be any sunlight inside the stadium. There were four matches at that ground, and on all occasions, the team batting second won the match. Saurashtra were the worthy champions that time, but the toss was a very big factor that time. I hope that the same is not the case this time and the team batting first too wins a match,” Mandeep said.“In Jaipur (where Mumbai played their league matches), you can still bat well in the morning because the wicket is dry. However, in Bengaluru, especially on a red soil pitch at CoE with a big tinge of green, it’s tough to score runs and keep the wickets in the morning time,” Lad felt.“I’m not making up excuses for our defeat. But this (early start in VHT) has been happening for a long time now. It’s not about us losing or winning a match. This needs to change in the future,” asserted the 33-year-old.“We had our issues. We were without (in-form) Sarfaraz Khan and Tushar Deshpande, which meant that our pace attack was inexperienced, and we dropped a couple of catches that Padikkal offered at the start of his innings. However, he too was tentative at the wicket, as the ball was moving a bit at the start of the second innings too. Imagine how much the ball was seaming around in the first innings,” Lad lamented.