India’s Renuka Singh, right, celebrates a wicket with Richa Ghosh (PTI Photo)

Thiruvananthapuram: Under the lights at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield Stadium, cheered on by nearly 6,000 fans, India delivered another emphatic all-round performance to surge 3–0 up in the five-match T20 series against Sri Lanka on Friday. Winning the toss for the third consecutive game, Harmanpreet Kaur once again chose to field, and India exploited the conditions perfectly, strangling Sri Lanka to 112/7 before Shafali Verma’s dazzling riposte.The Indian opener’s staggering assault left Sri Lanka scrambling for cover. Her unbeaten 79 off 42 was the cornerstone of a dominant chase, powering India home with more than six overs to spare and eight wickets in the shed, underlining the gulf between the teams.

Medium-pacer Renuka Singh, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, set the tone for India early. Sharp, skiddy and relentlessly accurate, she was the enforcer-in-chief, ripping through Sri Lanka’s middle order with figures of 4/21.Sri Lanka opener Hasini Perera briefly lit up the evening with a breezy 25, but her resistance was snuffed out swiftly. Harshitha Samarawickrama chipped straight back, Nilakshika Silva was pinned in front of the crease. Imesha Dulani was the Himachali girl’s fourth scalp.If Renuka brought the fire, Deepti Sharma brought the ice. Returning after missing a game due to fever, the allrounder slipped straight back into command mode, picking up three vital wickets and becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is. She has now equalled Megan Schutt with 151 international wickets in this format.Sri Lanka opener Chamari Athapaththu’s scratchy stay ended in Deepti’s web, and later she removed Kavisha Dilhari — after a punchy 20 hinted at a shift in momentum — and Malsha Shehani to ensure Sri Lanka never escaped the squeeze.In pursuit, India barely allowed the contest to breathe. The girl from Rohtak continued her purple patch with a second consecutive fifty in the series, reaching the landmark tonight in just 24 deliveries. Shafali bats like she’s borrowed Virender Sehwag’s playbook: fearless, uncluttered and unapologetically aggressive.She was particularly brutal against left-arm spinner Nimasha Meepage, hammering 29 runs from her two Powerplay overs, and unfurled one irresistible cover drive off pacer Malki Madara that brought the crowd to its feet. Like Sehwag, Shafali thrives on instinct rather than convention, trusting her eye, timing and power over textbook technique. In that sense, she doesn’t just echo his style, but embodies his philosophy, reimagined for the new generation.Her dominance allowed the rest of the batting group time and freedom to settle, as India cruised home in complete control. Ruthless with the ball, fearless with the bat, India once again dictated every phase, in a performance as commanding as it was entertaining.“It was a great series for all of us. That’s what we discussed after the (ODI) World Cup that we have to raise our standard and be more aggressive in T20s because the (T20) World Cup is coming up so we are happy with our overall performances,” Harmanpreet beamed at the post-match presentation.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla congratulated young cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Friday after the 14-year-old received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar from President Droupadi Murmu. The award is given to children who show exceptional talent and achievement, and Vaibhav’s recent rise in Indian cricket made him a clear choice.

Vaibhav surprised the cricketing fraternity with outstanding batting performances at the age-group level, as his remarkable impact is also felt in senior cricket, including the Indian Premier League. Despite being only 14, he has already achieved feats that many players can only dream of after long careers. Rajiv Shukla shared a photo on social media platform X showing Vaibhav receiving the award from the President. He praised the young batter and said the recognition should inspire young athletes across the country. “Congratulations to young cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on being conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by the Hon’ble President of India. This recognition of his talent and dedication is a proud moment and an inspiration for young athletes across the country. Wishing him continued success in his cricketing journey,” the BCCI vice-president said on X. Vaibhav has been rewriting record books over the past year. Recently, he became the youngest player ever to score a century in men’s List A cricket. He achieved the milestone during a Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate League match against Arunachal Pradesh. At just 14 years and 272 days, he scored his first senior non-T20 hundred in only 36 balls, stunning everyone with his fearless batting. His rise to fame began last year when he became the youngest player to receive an IPL contract. Rajasthan Royals picked him for Rs 1.1 crore, instantly making headlines. In IPL 2025, Vaibhav went a step further by scoring a sensational century against Gujarat Titans. That knock made him the youngest centurion in T20 cricket and the fastest Indian to score an IPL hundred, reaching the landmark in just 35 balls.

John Cena’s retirement from WWE was always going to be emotional. Few careers in professional wrestling have carried the same weight, longevity and cultural impact. After more than two decades at the top, the Cenation Leader finally decided to call time on an era, stepping away following a farewell run that felt both celebratory and confrontational.Cena’s final year in WWE was anything but routine. For the first time in his career, he turned heel, a move many fans once believed would never happen. It was a bold decision, and one that redefined how his character would be remembered. That turn set the stage for a WrestleMania main event victory over Cody Rhodes, where Cena captured the Undisputed WWE Championship, becoming a 17-time world champion in WWE and adding yet another landmark moment to an already historic resume.Also Watch:

The farewell tour did not stop there. Cena later defeated Dominik Mysterio to win the Intercontinental Championship, completing his journey as a Grand Slam Champion. It was a symbolic achievement, filling one of the few remaining gaps in his career and reinforcing his status as one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. His final in-ring appearance came on December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Cena faced Gunther. The match ended in shock as Cena tapped out. The reaction was immediate and fierce. For a character built around the mantra “Never Give Up,” submission felt jarring to many fans, almost contradictory to everything Cena had represented for years. Days later, Cena addressed the moment on the “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast with Cody Rhodes. He described the tap-out as “going peacefully,” comparing it to a natural ending rather than defeat. He likened it to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s exit in Star Wars, a conscious acceptance of the end rather than a failure. It was a rare, reflective explanation that reframed the moment as closure rather than collapse.

John Cena

Shortly after his retirement, Cena reached another remarkable milestone. Fans voted him as the 2025 Person of the Year, a testament to his influence beyond wrestling. He edged past Cristiano Ronaldo in a tight 55 to 45 margin, underlining the loyalty and admiration he still commands worldwide.

Virat Kohli and Michael Bevan (Photo: PTI/Screengrab)

Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli once again showed why he is regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time. On Friday, the former India captain played a brilliant knock of 77 runs for Delhi against Gujarat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Bengaluru.While the innings helped his team, it also earned Kohli a special place in cricket history.

With this knock, Kohli went past former Australian cricketer Michael Bevan to become the highest-averaging batter in the history of the List A cricket, among players with at least 5,000 runs. Kohli’s List A average now stands at 57.87, just ahead of Bevan’s record of 57.86. Bevan was widely known as one of the best finishers in one-day cricket, and his record had stood strong for many years. Kohli’s innings against Gujarat came off just 61 balls. Over the years, Kohli has often been compared to Sachin Tendulkar for his hunger for runs and centuries. In recent months, questions had been raised about Kohli’s form and his place in the one-day setup. Instead of slowing down, the 37-year-old has responded with an incredible run of scores. In his last six List A matches, Kohli has scored 584 runs at a staggering average of 146.00. His scores during this period include 77 against Gujarat, 131 against Andhra, an unbeaten 65 against South Africa, 102 and 135 in other games against South Africa, and 74 against Australia. Kohli’s form throughout 2025 has been just as impressive. His strike rate in List A cricket this year has stayed above 110, proving that he has adapted well to the faster pace of modern white-ball cricket. Recently, Kohli also became the fastest player in history to reach 16,000 List A runs. He achieved this milestone 61 innings quicker than Sachin Tendulkar.

Former England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Former England captain Alastair Cook delivered a forthright critique of the Melbourne Cricket Ground surface after a chaotic opening day of the Boxing Day Test that saw all 20 wickets tumble, leaving batters from both sides searching for answers. From the outset, conditions proved hostile. The ball moved appreciably through the air and deviated sharply off the pitch, making strokeplay a high-risk exercise. Even players who appeared set at the crease struggled to trust the bounce, with constant seam movement forcing errors. The difficulty of batting was starkly underlined by the scorecard, which showed not a single half-century across the entire day.

Traditionally viewed as a venue that offers balance between bat and ball, the MCG did not live up to that reputation on Friday. Australia, sent in to bat, were dismissed for just 152 before responding emphatically with the ball to bowl England out for 110. Wickets fell at a relentless pace, offering little respite and ensuring the contest remained on a knife-edge after an extraordinary first day. Speaking on TNT Sports, Cook did not hold back in his assessment of the surface, arguing that it tilted the contest too heavily in favour of the bowlers. “This is not a great Test wicket. Unless this flattens out on days two, three and four, if we get there, then that was too heavily weighted in the bowlers’ favour. The bowlers didn’t have to work that hard for wickets,” Cook said. By stumps, Australia had reached 4 without loss, extending their overall lead to 46 runs. Scott Boland was unbeaten on four, with Travis Head yet to take guard, setting up a delicately balanced situation heading into the next day. Cook acknowledged that both batting line-ups could have shown greater application, but felt the conditions made scoring runs exceptionally difficult from the very start. “Could both sides have batted slightly better? Yes, but if you put the ball in the right area, it was going to nip either way. It was a bit of an unfair contest,” he explained. He also highlighted the challenge posed by Australia’s bowlers, singling out Boland for his relentless accuracy and movement. “I was watching Boland, in particular, and I was thinking, ‘I don’t know how you face that’. To left-handers he was coming around the wicket, attacking the stumps, with some balls jagging one way and some the other. I also don’t know where you go as a right-hander. The pitch should flatten out tomorrow, but the groundsman was telling me he doesn’t think it will,” Cook added.

Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Star batters Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant struck composed half-centuries before Gujarat unravelled under pressure, allowing Delhi to sneak home by seven runs in their Elite Group D Vijay Hazare Trophy clash on Friday. Kohli was named player of the match after a fluent 77 off 61 balls, while Pant contributed a measured 70 from 79 deliveries as Delhi posted 254 for nine in their 50 overs. Gujarat, despite being well placed for long periods of the chase, were bowled out for 247 in 47.4 overs.

Kohli once again had to walk in early following the dismissal of opener Priyansh Arya and immediately looked at ease. After defending his first delivery, he drove pacer Chintan Gaja straight down the ground for four, setting the tone for a stylish innings. While Delhi’s other batters struggled to break free against disciplined bowling, Kohli found rhythm with ease in his favoured white-ball format. A pulled six off Gaja and a wristy flicked boundary off Arzan Nagwaswalla followed as Kohli stepped up the tempo. The 37-year-old brought up his fifty in just 29 balls, an innings that featured 10 fours and a six. He later registered his 85th List A half-century by carving Ravi Bishnoi over the covers. Kohli looked set for back-to-back hundreds before left-arm spinner Vishal Jayswal brought his innings to an end. Reading Kohli’s movement early, Jayswal fired one through to have him stumped by Urvil Patel, leaving Delhi at 108 for four. The spinner had earlier removed Nitish Rana and Arpit Gupta, tightening the screws further. With wickets falling, Pant took it upon himself to stabilise the innings. Resisting his natural attacking instincts, the Delhi captain focused on strike rotation and partnerships. He crossed fifty in 64 balls, with his first moment of invention coming via a falling scoop off Bishnoi, which he attempted again later against Gaja. Pant’s stay ended when he lost his stumps to Jayswal, bringing an end to a vital 73-run stand with Harsh Tyagi, who made 40. Late runs from Simarjeet Singh and Ishant Sharma helped Delhi cross the 250 mark, giving their bowlers something to defend. Gujarat’s chase began promisingly on a slightly tacky surface at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Urvil Patel and Aarya Desai put on 67 for the opening stand, before Aarya and Abhishek Desai added another 54 to take Gujarat to 121 for one after 25 overs. From there, the chase derailed rapidly. Aarya, Abhishek, Jaymeet Patel and Hemang Patel fell in quick succession as Gujarat slipped to 144 for five, adding only 23 runs in the process. Saurav Chauhan, who once represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, revived hopes with a counter-attacking 49 off 43 balls, adding 69 runs with Vishal Jayswal for the sixth wicket. Chauhan struck Arpit for two sixes to keep the asking rate manageable, but Simarjeet Singh returned to dismiss him, triggering another collapse at a crucial stage. A late run-out of Gaja left Gujarat needing 12 runs from 17 balls with one wicket in hand. The final blow came when Prince Yadav produced a sharp delivery to dismiss Bishnoi, finishing with figures of three for 37. Kohli sprinted in from cover to take the catch, celebrating emphatically as Delhi sealed a hard-fought victory. Brief scores Delhi: 254/9 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 77, Rishabh Pant 70, Harsh Tyagi 40; Vishal Jayswal 4/42) Gujarat: 247 all out in 47.4 overs (Aarya Desai 57, Saurav Chauhan 49; Prince Yadav 3/37, Ishant Sharma 2/28)

Khaled Mahmud, head coach of Noakhali Express, walks out of team’s training session (Screengrab)

Khaled Mahmud, former Bangladesh captain and head coach of Noakhali Express, created a stir on Thursday when he walked out of his team’s training session at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to get underway on Friday. Later this evening, Noakhali Express will play against Chattogram Royals in what would be their season opener and second match of the tournament overall.

Ahead of the game, though, the head coach was clearly unhappy with how the team was being managed and decided to leave the practice midway. Mahmud was accompanied by Noakhali Express pace bowling coach and former Bangladesh fast bowler Talha. Speaking to reporters at the ground, Mahmud made his frustration very clear. “I will not do the BPL under any circumstances,” Mahmud said, as quoted by Cricbuzz. “I have never seen this in the BPL,” he added. Talha also expressed similar feelings, adding, “I don’t want to work. I don’t know about you, Sujon (Mahmud) bhai, but I am not working.” The incident happened after Mahmud and the team arrived at the ground around 1:30 pm to prepare for the upcoming BPL matches in Sylhet. Soon after, Mahmud and Talha were seen leaving the ground while angrily speaking to someone on the phone. Their sudden exit caught everyone’s attention. According to reports, the main issue was a lack of proper equipment during the training session. There were not enough cricket balls available for practice, which left Mahmud deeply disappointed. When he raised the issue with the owner of Noakhali Express, the situation worsened. It is understood that the owner misbehaved with Mahmud, leading to a heated exchange and the coach deciding to walk out. However, the drama did not last long. A few hours later, both Mahmud and Talha returned to the practice session. A close friend of the duo convinced them to stay as he was told that leaving the team abruptly could harm their careers in the long run.Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board took over the ownership of Chattogram Royals, surprising the entire BPL governing council. BPL chairman Iftekhar Rahman said the move helped avoid further embarrassment. Speaking about Noakhali Express, Iftekhar added, “As far as Noakhali is concerned, what I heard their plane hasn’t arrived (carrying the balls and other things), but if they had asked to BPL governing council, we would have given them 10 balls, but having said that, this means they are unprofessional.”

England’s Ben Stokes, second right, celebrates with teammates. (AP/PTI Photo)

The fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground erupted into history on Friday as a staggering 20 wickets fell on the opening day — the first time such carnage has unfolded on Day One of an Ashes Test since January 1902. In a breathless, old-school shootout, Australia were bowled out for 152 yet still emerged with a first-innings lead after England collapsed for 110, leaving the contest finely poised despite the chaos.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The mayhem played out before a record-breaking Boxing Day crowd of 94,199 at the MCG, the largest ever for a day of Test cricket, eclipsing the attendance at the 2015 World Cup final. What they witnessed was a throwback to the uncovered-pitch era — movement, mistakes and momentum swings by the over.

England struck first after Ben Stokes won the toss on a green-tinged surface. Josh Tongue produced a career-best spell of 5 for 45, ripping through Australia’s top order as the hosts slid to 72 for 4 by lunch. Travis Head and Jake Weatherald departed cheaply, Marnus Labuschagne edged behind, and captain Steve Smith was bowled for nine attempting an ambitious drive.Usman Khawaja (29) briefly steadied the innings, while Michael Neser (35) and Cameron Green (17) added 52 for the seventh wicket, but Tongue returned to mop up the tail, dismissing Neser and Scott Boland with consecutive deliveries. Australia were done by tea — but the drama was only beginning.

Most wickets on Day 1 in AUS vs ENG Tests

England’s reply unraveled even faster. They slumped to 16 for 4 as Michael Neser (4 for 45) and Mitchell Starc exploited the same treacherous conditions. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell fell cheaply before Joe Root edged behind for a duck.Harry Brook counter-punched with a brave 41 off 34 balls, adding 50 with Stokes, but Scott Boland (3 for 30) slammed the brakes on, removing Brook, Jamie Smith and Will Jacks in quick succession. England were dismissed inside 30 overs, conceding a 42-run deficit.Australia survived a nervous over before stumps to reach 4 without loss, leading by 46. The 20 wickets marked the most on Day One of a Boxing Day Test and the first Ashes Day One with 20 wickets since 1901/02.

Most wickets on Day 1 of a Test in Australia

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

Former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth has strongly advocated for Vaibhav Suryavanshi to be pushed quickly into the senior Indian setup, comparing the teenager’s rise to the early days of Sachin Tendulkar. Srikkanth believes the selectors should show boldness and back rare talent early, rather than delaying opportunities for a player who has already shown maturity beyond his years.Srikkanth highlighted Suryavanshi’s swift journey through age-group cricket and his growing impact in domestic competitions. According to him, the youngster stands out for his calmness at the crease, sound technique and an evident desire to dominate attacks. Much like Tendulkar, who made his India debut at the age of 16, Suryavanshi has consistently taken on older and more experienced opponents, adapted rapidly to higher standards and delivered under pressure.

The teenage batter recently made headlines by becoming the youngest player to score a List A century. In a Vijay Hazare Trophy match, Suryavanshi produced a stunning 190 off just 84 balls. His innings was marked by fearless strokeplay and raw power as he smashed 15 sixes and brought up his hundred in only 36 deliveries, completely overwhelming the bowling attack and reinforcing the buzz around his rapid rise.Srikkanth has now doubled down on his support for Suryavanshi, urging the BCCI to act swiftly. He pointed to the batter’s string of big scores across formats and levels as clear evidence that the youngster is ready for a bigger challenge.“Vaibhav is scoring centuries everywhere, be it the IPL, U19, anywhere. You can say it is against Arunachal Pradesh but that is a different story. This boy has been hammering everybody across all kinds of matches. I had told last year also that they should fast-track him for the T20 World Cup. Maybe it is too late for that now, but they still fast-track him into the team. This boy has got tremendous potential. He should be fast-tracked and brought into the Indian team soon,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka.Suryavanshi’s numbers at the youth level further strengthen the argument. In 15 youth ODIs, he averages 51.13, with two hundreds and three fifties, striking at an impressive rate of 158.79.Addressing suggestions that the youngster should be given more time, Srikkanth dismissed the cautious approach. He reiterated that exceptional players deserve early faith, drawing a direct comparison with Tendulkar’s own rise.“People say let him play for some more time, let him do this, let him do that. Sachin also played at such a young age. Of course, he played for India after scoring hundreds at all levels, but the same thing can be done for this boy in white-ball cricket,” he added.