Rovman Powell (Pic credit: ILT20)

Rovman Powell produced one of the finest knocks of the ILT20 Season 4 as his unbeaten 96 propelled the Dubai Capitals to a massive 83-run victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The emphatic result also handed the Capitals their first win of the season, with a significant boost to their net run rate.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Put in to bat, Dubai overcame a jittery start thanks to a match-defining 119-run fourth-wicket stand between Powell and Jordan Cox. The pair rescued their side after early wickets left the Capitals struggling at 43/3 inside the powerplay. Powell blasted 96 off just 52 deliveries, hammering eight fours and four sixes, while Cox played the perfect supporting role with a composed 52 off 36 balls. Together, they transformed a slow surface into a platform for a strong total of 187.

Dubai’s innings came alive in the final over when Powell dismantled Andre Russell, smashing two sixes and two fours in four balls. Russell denied Powell a memorable hundred with two tight deliveries to finish the innings, but the damage was already done.In response, the Knight Riders folded under relentless pressure, crashing to 103 all out in just 15.3 overs. David Willey set the tone with wickets in the first over, removing Alex Hales and Alishan Sharafu. Mustafizur Rahman followed by dismissing Unmukt Chand for a golden duck, leaving Abu Dhabi reeling at 10/3.

Phil Salt’s fighting 27 briefly steadied the chase, while Andre Russell attempted a quick counterattack with two huge sixes. However, Afghanistan’s Waqar Salamkheil (4/29) and veteran all-rounder Mohammed Nabi (2/12) throttled the innings with tight spells, sparking a collapse. None of the lower-order batters could resist, as wickets tumbled in a desperate attempt to accelerate.Reflecting on his Player of the Match performance, Powell said: “They have two high quality spinners in Narine and Chawla. It was important when I went to bat that I fought them off. Cox was very, very helpful. We didn’t want Narine or Chawla to keep bowling at one player and that was the best way to bat against two world-class spinners like them.” Knight Riders captain Jason Holder admitted his side was outplayed: “We were probably just a few runs short in all three departments. We were a little bit untidy in our bowling phases. I thought Rovman Powell and Jordan Cox put together a really good partnership, which took the game away from us.”Brief Scores:

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be viewed differently because of their record in ODI cricket, and their place in the team should not have been questioned. He said this while speaking to JioStar.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!There has been speculation that selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir may be unsure about the senior players’ form and fitness till the 2027 World Cup. But Kohli and Rohit have scored three centuries — two by Kohli — and five half-centuries — three by Rohit — in their last six ODIs.

“I don’t think the place of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team should have been a question. Look at what they have done over so many years,” Bangar said.Bangar said ODIs are played less often now, so established players may need a couple of matches to settle in, and Kohli and Rohit have earned that space because of their work for India.“They have retired from two formats, so it’s obvious they might take just a couple of sessions to get back into action, because they have done it so often. They don’t need to play as many matches as a younger player.”“Once they are there, once they are hungry and fit, you want players of that quality. You have to treat them differently and give them space,” Bangar said.In the ODI series against South Africa, Rohit Sharma, 38, scored 57 and 75 in the first and third matches. Kohli, 37, who was named Player of the Series, scored 135, 102 and 65 not out.“When they are on song, you see the difference. Their sheer presence changes the dressing room atmosphere.”Bangar, who has worked with Kohli at RCB and overseen his batting sessions, said the senior players likely spoke to the younger members after the Test series loss to South Africa.“After the humiliating loss in the Test series, they must have spoken to the boys. They helped put things behind and play with freedom and authority, giving the whole team supreme confidence.”

Smriti Mandhana and Palash Muchhal

Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has officially addressed the end of her engagement with music composer Palash Muchhal, ending weeks of social media speculation.Mandhana shared her statement on Instagram, marking her first public response to the situation.“I need to clarify that the wedding is called off. I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. Over the past few weeks there has been plenty of speculation around my life, and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,” she wrote. “I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level. I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible.“Thank you for all your support. It’s time to move forward.”

Smriti Mandhana’s post

The wedding was initially scheduled for November 23 but was postponed after Mandhana’s father, Shriniwas, was hospitalised due to a heart condition. Palash Muchhal also shared his perspective on Instagram regarding the situation.“I have decided to move on in my life and step back from my personal relationship. Its been very difficult for me to see people react so easily on baseless rumours about something which has been most sacred to me. Its the most difficult phase of my life and I will deal with it gracefully holding on to my beliefs.“I truly hope we, as a society, learn to pause before judging someone based on unverified gossip, whose sources are never identified. Our words can wound in ways we may never understand. While we think about these things, many people in the world are facing drastic consequences. My team will be taking strict legal action against those spreading false and defamatory content.

Palash Muchhal’s post

“Thank you to everyone who has stood by me with kindness in this tough time.”Both individuals have expressed their desire to move forward and requested privacy during this period.

India’s 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team (Reuters Photo)

Former Indian cricket opener Murali Vijay has praised former captain MS Dhoni’s enduring legacy in cricket. He emphasised Dhoni’s natural leadership qualities and instinctive decision-making, particularly highlighting the memorable 2007 T20 World Cup final over given to Joginder Sharma.MS Dhoni, who now exclusively plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will continue with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the 2026 season. Murali Vijay’s connection with Dhoni spans eight IPL seasons at CSK under his leadership.

Vijay shared his thoughts about Dhoni during an appearance on Taruwar Kohli’s YouTube channel, where he discussed Dhoni’s hitting acumen and mental fortitude.“Dhoni is natural and very unique. Those personalities you cannot replicate. Anybody cannot come and do what he is doing. The way he has dominated and taken the game, he was a very strong person. The way he launched those sixes, I don’t think anyone else got that range as a right-hander,” the former batter said. “He gave that last over to Joginder, and we won it. There may not have been logic as Harbhajan had an over as a senior. But it won us the cup as he did something out of the box. We all should be proud that he was born in our country.” Murali Vijay’s international cricket journey began in 2008 when he stepped in for Gautam Gambhir in the final Test against Australia in Nagpur. His career encompassed 87 international matches across formats, including 61 Tests, 17 ODIs, and 9 T20Is.His final international appearance was against Australia in Perth in 2018. He played his last domestic matches for Tamil Nadu in 2019, with his final professional game coming in the IPL in September 2020.Throughout his international career, Vijay accumulated 4,490 runs with an average of 34.80 and a strike rate of 48.48. His achievements include 12 centuries and 16 fifties. In his IPL career, he scored 2,619 runs in 106 matches at an average of 25.93.

India vs Germany (Photo Credit: @TheHockeyIndia on X)

India’s hopes of winning the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup ended as they suffered a 1-5 defeat against defending champions Germany in Sunday’s semifinal. India’s last Junior World Cup victory was in 2016 in Lucknow.Germany displayed their dominance with goals from Lukas Kossel scoring twice at 14th and 30th minutes, Titus Wex at 15th minute, Jonas von Gersum at 40th minute, and Ben Hasbach at 49th minute.India managed to score once through Anmol Ekka’s penalty-corner conversion in the 51st minute.India will now compete for bronze against Argentina on Wednesday, while Germany faces Spain in the final. Spain advanced to the final after defeating Argentina 2-1 in the first semifinal.Despite India’s positive start, Germany gradually took control of the game. In the eighth minute, Indian goalkeeper Princedeep Singh successfully blocked Ben Hasbach’s reverse hit attempt.Germany’s growing confidence led to their first penalty corner in the 13th minute. They earned a penalty stroke when their goal-mouth flick hit an Indian defender’s body, resulting in Lukas Kossel’s successful conversion. Germany strengthened their lead when Wex deflected Kossel’s cross just before the first quarter ended. The defending champions secured their second penalty corner eleven seconds before halftime, with Kossel scoring again for a 3-0 lead.India missed an opportunity to score three minutes after halftime when Sourabh Anand Kushwaha failed to capitalise on an open goal chance. Germany maintained their strong performance while India struggled to respond effectively. Despite missing two back-to-back penalty corners in the 36th minute, Germany scored again through Jonas von Gersum’s neat deflection.The German team continued their offensive pressure, earning their fourth penalty corner in the 42nd minute, which India managed to defend.Hasbach extended Germany’s lead to 5-0 with a diving goal past goalkeeper Bikramjit Singh, following an aerial ball from deep in the field.India secured consecutive penalty corners in the 51st minute, with Anmol successfully converting one through a variation play.Despite India’s late attempts to increase pressure, they couldn’t overcome the significant deficit, ending their championship aspirations.

Steve Smith of Australia with Jofra Archer of England (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Australia captain Steve Smith has downplayed his fiery on-field confrontation with England fast bowler Jofra Archer during the closing stages of Australia’s eight-wicket win in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. The incident, which unfolded late on Sunday, added a flash of intensity to an otherwise one-sided finish as Australia surged to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Speaking to the broadcasters after sealing the victory, Smith addressed the much-discussed duel and insisted there was no lingering tension. “It stays on the field (smiles). Nah, good banter. He’s a good competitor, he comes harder, so it was good fun,” he said, opening up about the verbal exchange that gripped spectators in the final overs.The spark came in the ninth over of Australia’s chase, shortly after Smith clipped Archer for a leg-side boundary. According to cricket.com.au, Smith sledged the pacer with the pointed line, “Bowl fast when there’s nothing going on champion,” a remark that immediately escalated the moment. Archer responded with a barrage of short-pitched bowling, including a bouncer exceeding 150 km/h, delivered right after Smith’s pull shot appeared to irritate the quick. When Smith swung and missed an attempted uppercut, Archer walked down the pitch and continued the verbal back-and-forth.Smith, however, answered in the most emphatic way available: with runs. He took 10 from Archer’s next two deliveries, including a six, before the pair briefly exchanged words again.The drama, while compelling, had little impact on the outcome of the match. England, having been dismissed cheaply in both innings, mustered only a 64-run lead after their second batting effort. That left Australia requiring just 65 for victory. England managed to remove Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, but Smith and Jake Weatherald shut the door firmly, ensuring no further breakthroughs.Smith fittingly ended the contest in the following over, launching Gus Atkinson for a leg-side six to complete the chase and secure an authoritative win. The victory pushed Australia two Tests clear in the Ashes and highlighted Smith’s composure even amid heated exchanges.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: At present, the Indian think tank is walking a tightrope, trying to build the team around a fresh crop of players while maintaining links with the experienced core. In that context, head coach Gautam Gambhir, who oversees this process, was clearly pleased to see contributions coming from both ends of the spectrum.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Providing weight to the senior contingent, Virat Kohli emerged Player of the Series in the ODIs against South Africa, scoring two centuries and a fifty — a swift return to the highs he consistently reached from 2015 onwards. Rohit Sharma added a couple of fifties, underlining his enduring touch and class.

Gambhir expressed hope that the duo will continue delivering such performances, which will keep the ODI side in strong shape.“Look, they’re quality players. I’ve said it many times as well that they’re world-class players. They are quality players in this format and their experience is really important in the dressing room,” Gambhir said at the post-match press meet after India’s nine-wicket win that sealed the one-day series 2-1.“They’re doing what they do. They’ve been doing it for such a long time for Indian cricket. Hopefully, they can continue doing the same, which is always going to be important come the white-ball format and the 50-over format,” he added.The rest given to seniors Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, coupled with the injury-enforced absence of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, provided an opportunity to test some of the younger players’ skillsets. Gambhir was particularly impressed with the growth of Harshit Rana as a bowling all-rounder.“That’s one of the reasons why we are trying to probably develop someone like Harshit, who can actually bat at No. 8 and contribute with a bat.“That’s how we need to find the balance, because come South Africa in two years’ time (2027 ODI WC), we would be needing three proper seamers as well. And if he can continue to develop as a bowling all-rounder, it’s going to give us a massive boost,” he said.Gambhir was also pleased with the outings of seamers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna in the series.“With Jaspreet Bumrah coming back and what we saw of Arshdeep, Prasidh and Harshit in this series was incredible because all these three guys do not have a lot of experience, especially in 50-over format. They’ve hardly played, what, less than 15 ODIs. But they’ve done a fabulous job,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli has been in exceptional form, scoring 376 runs in his last four ODIs with two centuries and being dismissed only twice. After winning the Player of the Series award for his 302 runs in the three-match series against South Africa, Kohli said he felt liberated and in his best rhythm in years, contributing to India securing their 10th ODI series win out of the last 11 at home.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!His resurgence follows criticism after recording consecutive ducks in Australia. In the final ODI against South Africa, Kohli scored an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls as India chased down 271 in 39.5 overs.

“Honestly, playing the way I have in the series is the most satisfying thing for me. I feel really free in my mind. I haven’t played like this in 2-3 years. The whole game is coming together nicely. I’ve tried to maintain my own standards and make an impact. I know when I can bat like that in the middle, it helps the team a long way. Makes me confident, any situation in the middle, I can handle that and bring it in favour of the team,” Kohli said.Reflecting on his long journey, the former India captain admitted there were moments of doubt.“When you play for that long – 15-16 years, you do doubt yourself. Especially as a batter when one mistake can get you out. It’s a whole journey of self-improvement and personal growth along the way. It improves you as a person, and it improves your temperament as well. I’m just glad that I’m still able to contribute to the team,” he shared.One standout feature of his recent form has been his six-hitting, with 12 sixes across the three matches and a strike rate above 100 in each outing.“When I play freely, I know I can hit sixes. There are always levels you can always unlock,” Kohli said about his approach.Kohli, who holds the world record with 53 ODI centuries, rated his 135 in Ranchi as his best knock of the series.“The first one at Ranchi – because I hadn’t played a game since Australia. Just how your energy is on the day, Ranchi is very special for me, and I’m very grateful for how these three games have gone,” he said.Speaking about India stepping up in the deciding match, Kohli highlighted the team’s hunger in pressure moments.“It’s always brought the best of us – that’s what we want to play for. When it’s 1-1, we want to do something special for the team. That’s why we have played for the team for so long. Just happy that both of us continue to do it for so long,” he concluded.

Virat Kohli and Kuldeep Yadav (X)

Virat Kohli has been part of countless wicket celebrations for India, but the Vizag ODI on Saturday produced a moment unlike any other. As Kuldeep Yadav wrapped up a brilliant bowling spell in the decisive third ODI against South Africa, Kohli grabbed the wrist-spinner by the hand and pulled him into a playful, slow-dance-style embrace. The light-hearted scene captured the mood perfectly on a day when India finally snapped their long toss drought and clawed their way back into the match with disciplined bowling led by Kuldeep. After losing 20 consecutive tosses in ODIs, India’s luck finally shifted. Stand-in captain KL Rahul ditched his usual approach and flipped the coin with his left hand. The change worked instantly, drawing smiles as India opted to bowl first.

South Africa, though, threatened to punish that decision early. Quinton de Kock hammered 106 from just 89 deliveries, his seventh ODI century against India, and stitched together a 113-run stand with captain Temba Bavuma. At 168 for 2 and later 199 for 4, the visitors were poised to push well beyond 300. Rahul turned to spin initially, but when that brief control faded, he threw the ball again to Prasidh Krishna, who had been smashed for 27 in his first two overs. The tall seamer responded with a fierce comeback. He trapped Matthew Breetzke lbw, dismissed Aiden Markram with a simple catch to Kohli, and later bowled de Kock as the left-hander tried to slog across the line. Prasidh’s figures of 4 for 66 marked a remarkable turnaround within the same spell. Kuldeep then tightened India’s grip further. Using clever flight and subtle turn on a surface offering just enough grip, he dismissed Dewald Brevis, removed Marco Jansen, and later struck again to send back Corbin Bosch and Lungi Ngidi. His 4 for 41 ensured South Africa never crossed the 300-run mark they had threatened earlier. The viral moment with Kohli followed one of those late breakthroughs, with the former captain sprinting in, locking Kuldeep’s hand, and breaking into a mock dance — a clip that immediately lit up social media. On a day when India needed confidence after the Raipur setback, the scorecard will highlight Kuldeep’s four wickets and a South African collapse. But the images will tell a deeper story: a spinner operating at his peak, and a teammate celebrating him with unfiltered joy.