From Ashes' action to the series deciding clash between Team India and South Africa, here are all the sporting events that will keep you glued to the screens this week from December 19 to December 24th: December 19, Friday Time Sport Event Match 5.30 AM Cricket Ashes England vs Australia 3rd Test- Day 3 1.45 PM Cricket Big Bash League 2025/26 Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers 7.00 PM Cricket India vs South Africa T20I series India vs South Africa: 5th T20I 7.00 AM Badminton BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals Group Stage Session 1 Court 1 7.00 AM Badminton BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals Group Stage Session 1 Court 2 2.30 PM Badminton BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals Group Stage Session 2 Court 1 2.30 PM Badmintnon BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals Group Stage Session 2 Court December 20, Saturday 5.30 AM Cricket Ashes Australia vs England, 3rd Test - Day 4 1.45 PM Cricket Big Bash League 2025-26 Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers 7.00 AM Badminton BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals Semi-finals Session 1 Court 1 2.30 PM Badminton BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals Semi-finals Session 2 Court 1 6.00 PM Football Premier League 2025-26 Newcastle United vs Chelsea 8.30 PM Football Premier League 2025-26 Bournemouth vs Burnley 11.00 PM Football Premier League 2025-26 Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool Football Premier League 2025-2 Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool December 21, Sunday 5.30 AM Cricket The Ashes 2025-26 Australia vs England, 3rd Test - Day 5 1.45 PM Cricket Big Bash League 2025-26 Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes 7.00 PM Cricket IDFC First Bank India W vs Sri Lanka W T20I Series India (W) vs Sri Lanka (W): 1st T20I 1.30 AM Football Premier League 2025-26 Everton vs Arsenal 1.30 AM Football Premier League 2025-2 Leeds United vs Crystal Palace 10.00 PM Football Premier League 2025-26 Aston Villa vs Manchester United 11.00 AM Badminton BWF 2025 BWF World Tour Finals - Final December 22, Monday 1.45 PM Cricket Big Bash League 2025-26 Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat December 23, Tuesday 1.45 PM Cricket Big Bash League 2025-26 Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars 7.00 PM Cricket IDFC First Bank India W vs Sri Lanka W T20I Series India (W) vs Sri Lanka (W): 2nd T20I 1.20 AM Football Premier League 2025-26 Fulham vs Nottingham Forest December 24, Wednesday 9.00 AM Cricket Vijay Hazare Trophy Pondicherry vs Tamil Nadu 9.00 AM Cricket Vijay Hazare Trophy Hyderabad vs Uttar Pradesh
18 December,2025 06:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOn day 2 of the third Test match of the Ashes series against England, Australia's star spinner Nathan Lyon achieved a historic feat. Having completed 22 overs, he claimed two wickets by conceding 51 runs. With this, he surpassed iconic pacer Glenn McGrath to become Australia's second-highest wicket-taker in the history of the longest format of the game. Above him is just legendary spinner Shane Warne, who has 708 wickets to his name in 145 Test matches. Speaking about his huge achievement, Lyon said growing up, he idolised McGrath and Warne, and surpassing the former pacer is "pretty humbling" for him. "I grew up idolising Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and these guys in my childhood were my heroes," he said. "And to think of being able to overtake Glenn ... it's pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it's something that I'll look back on at the end of my career, or even tonight," added the spinner. He also credited his teammates by saying the accomplishment of the feat would not have been possible without them. "I'll sit back and try and have a moment because it is an extremely special moment for myself. But I haven't been able to do that without the guys at the other end, my teammates," said the 38-year-old spinner. Next in his sights is England seamer Stuart Broad, who has 604 wickets, then Indian great Anil Kumble's 619 scalps. Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, with 800 wickets, is the all-time top wicket-taker, followed by Warne (708 wickets) and England's Jimmy Anderson (704 wickets). Currently, the "Three Lions" are trailing by 158 runs in the ongoing third Test match against the Aussies. They have concluded day 2 with a score of 213 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 68 overs. England skipper Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will resume day 3 with the scores of an unbeaten 45 and 30 runs, respectively. The Aussies are leading the five-match Ashes Test series by 2-0. They will look to secure a win in the ongoing third match to seal the series. On the other hand, the Englishmen will be eager to register their first win of the contest in order to keep the series alive. (With AFP Inputs)
18 December,2025 04:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer India captain Sourav Ganguly has joined the Tiigers of Kolkata as co-owner and mentor ahead of the third season of the Indian Street Premier League, scheduled to be held in Surat from January 9 to February 6, 2026. With ISPL's T10 tennis-ball format rooted in gully cricket -- where instinct, timing, and decision-making define the game, his involvement is aimed at transforming raw street-level ability into a sustainable, long-term cricketing pathway. "I'm excited to begin this new journey. Tennis-ball cricket has always been close to the roots of the game. That foundation is especially strong in the East and across Kolkata," Ganguly said. "My focus will be on helping these players shape their natural instincts into match-winning habits, while creating a clear pathway for growth. Development needs clarity, trust, and patience, and I'm glad to be part of a setup that values all three," he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
18 December,2025 03:34 PM IST | Kolkata | PTIThe fourth T20I match between Team India and South Africa was abandoned due to excessive fog at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. Several fans expressed disappointment following the call-off, as they wanted to witness a thrilling clash between the "Men in Blue" and the Proteas. Speaking about the abandonment of the clash, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla said that the management will need to look into the schedule of the matches. He also stated that the domestic matches are also being affected due to fog. "The match had to be cancelled due to fog. The people were upset about it. We will need to review the scheduling of matches between 15 December to 15 January in north India to determine whether we need to shift them to south India or west India. Domestic matches are also being affected due to fog. It is a serious issue," he told ANI. Notably, the window from December 15 to January 15 will witness domestic competition, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a 50-over tournament, taking place from December 24 onwards to January 18, with Jaipur being one of the venues for the tournament. However, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India is leading the five-match T20I series by 2-1 against the Proteas. The fifth and final clash is scheduled to be played on December 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19. Ahead of the fifth and final clash, Team India's vice-captain, Shubman Gill, may miss out on the all-important match. According to several media reports, the right-hander has sustained a toe injury during the practice session. The 26-year-old cricketer is also struggling to find himself among the runs in the shortest format of the game. In his absence, Team India's think tank may provide an opportunity to Sanju Samson. With Jitesh Sharma already playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the team, the question arises as to who will don the 'Big Gloves' if Samson features in the side for the series decider. The ongoing contest also serves as a preparatory series for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. (With ANI Inputs)
18 December,2025 02:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Team India cricketer Robin Uthappa feels that lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah's demanding action and high pace put immense pressure on his body, and managing his workload is also necessary to keep him match-ready. The pacer was provided rest for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. Later, he played a crucial role in the hosts' dominating 101-run victory over the Proteas in the first T20I match at Cuttack. Earlier, he was also rested for the ODI series against Australia in October, but played the T20I series. Speaking about the pacer, "He is an absolute match-winner, and managing his workload is crucial. Fast bowling is probably the toughest skill in the sport, and Bumrah does it at high pace with a demanding action," Uthappa said on JioStar's 'Cricket Live'. The former cricketer is also hopeful of Bumrah building on the consistency before heading into the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. "You want to protect that, but at the same time, you want him to play enough cricket. We've seen glimpses of his brilliance, and hopefully he can build consistency over the next few games heading into the World Cup," he said. However, the fourth match of the ongoing T20I series between Team India and South Africa was abandoned due to excessive fog. Currently, the "Men in Blue" under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav is leading the five-match series by 2-1. The fifth T20I match between the teams is scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19. Ahead of the fifth and final clash, Team India's vice-captain, Shubman Gill, may miss out on the all-important match. According to several media reports, the right-hander has sustained a toe injury during the practice session. The 26-year-old cricketer is also struggling to find himself among the runs in the shortest format of the game. In his absence, Team India's think tank may provide an opportunity to Sanju Samson. With Jitesh Sharma already playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the team, the question arises as to who will don the 'Big Gloves' if Samson features in the side for the series decider. (With PTI Inputs)
18 December,2025 12:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Deepika TC-led Indian team that created history by winning the first-ever Blind Women’s T20 World Cup after beating Nepal by seven wickets in the final at Colombo last month, enjoyed a special interaction with their hero, Sachin Tendulkar, at the MIG Cricket Club in Bandra on Wednesday. And understandably, the girls were at a loss for words in front of him. Nearly an hour long meet Tendulkar spent nearly an hour interacting with the world champions and congratulating them for their achievement. The team’s vice-captain Ganga Kadam, who was particularly surprised to learn that the legendary cricketer knew her. “Like my other teammates, this was my first meeting with Sachin sir too, but I was shocked to learn that he knew me. When my captain introduced me to him, saying that I’m from Maharashtra and the vice-captain of the Indian team, Sachin sir replied: ‘I know her. She scored 41 runs in the World Cup semi-final against Australia.’ I was stunned. He recognised me,” said Kadam, whose knock of 41 helped India beat Australia by nine wickets in the penultimate clash at Colombo. Sachin’s message “Sachin sir inquired about our practice routine and told us that he had played a match earlier with blind cricketers. ‘Never give up even if you are not selected for a match or a series, keep playing,’ was his message to us,” added Kadam. Skipper Deepika revealed she was at a loss for words when the batting great came in front of her: “Sachin sir is the God of cricket, but when he came in front of us, most of us were speechless. He said: ‘I’m lucky to meet all of you. Winning the Blind World Cup is a proud moment for all Indians. Just keep performing like this’. His sheer presence is inspiring. He also gave autographs to all the players and assured blind cricket his full support, going forward.”
18 December,2025 10:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAnjuman-I-Islam Allana English School (Fort) had a fine outing against Dnyandeep Seva Mandal High School (Nerul) on Wednesday — Day Two of the three-day Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Harris Shield semi-final at MIG Cricket Club (Bandra). They need just 96 runs to win the semi-final on Thursday, with nine wickets in hand. Resuming their first innings on 134-1, Anjuman’s Yuvan Sharma (61 off 76 balls), and Kabir Jagtap (55 off 51) propelled the team to a competitive 286 all out in 65.4 overs. For Dnyandeep, Virat Yadav (6-137) and Golu Pal (4-93) shared all 10 wickets. The Nerul school then compiled a fighting 241-9 from their allotted 40 overs — both teams bowl a maximum of 80 overs in the first innings and 40 in the second — courtesy of half-tons from Virat (56 off 68 balls), Varadaj Desai (55 from 50). Yuvan (5-107) was the pick of the Anjuman bowlers, capping a brilliant all-round performance. It left the Fort school chasing a target of 130 (Dnyandeep were dismissed for 174 in the first innings on Day One). Anjuman ended the day at 34-1 in eight overs. In the other semi-final, General Education Academy (Chembur) bundled out Al-Barkaat MMI English School (Kurla) for 170, before posting 115-2 in their second innings at the end of Day Two.
18 December,2025 09:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamSri Lanka Cricket on Wednesday appointed former India fielding coach R Sridhar in a similar role with their national side until the end of the T20 World Cup, to be held in February-March next year. Sridhar, who was India’s fielding coach from 2014 to 2021, also held a 10-day specialised fielding camp at Sri Lanka’s National High Performance Centre earlier this year. Sridhar’s appointment will be effective from December 11 to March 10, 2026. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 December,2025 09:18 AM IST | Colombo | PTIIndia spinner Varun Chakaravarthy reached a career-best rating to increase his lead at the top of the T20 bowling charts. Chakaravarthy, who bagged two wickets each in the two T20Is played this past week, added 36 rating points to his tally, which has gone up to a career-best 818 points. He now holds a 119-point advantage. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 December,2025 09:10 AM IST | Dubai | IANSAn emotional Alex Carey slammed a controversial 106 on his home ground and Usman Khawaja hit a defiant 82 on Wednesday to put Australia in the driving seat of the third Ashes Test against England. Batting after captain Pat Cummins won the toss as temperatures topped 36 Celsius at Adelaide Oval, the hosts were 326-8 at stumps on Day One after the shock of Steve Smith being ruled out with illness. Mitchell Starc was not out 33 and Nathan Lyon yet to score. “To make a hundred here in front of home fans and family was special,” Carey said, although it was shrouded in controversy over a let-off on 72. Carey conceded he likely edged a delivery from England quick Josh Tongue that was caught behind by Jamie Smith. “I thought there was a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat. If I was given out I think I would have reviewed it, probably not confidently,” he said. He was given not out and England failed to have the decision overturned on review with replays showing a noise spike before the ball reached his bat. The snicko technology’s operator, BBG, admitted to reporters after play there had likely been an error with England raising the matter with match referee Jeff Crowe. “I don’t think we’ve done anything about it so far, but after today, maybe that might go a bit further,” said England bowling consultant David Saker. It overshadowed Carey’s maiden Ashes ton that saw him gesture towards the sky in a nod to his father Gordon, who died from cancer in September. A tireless Jofra Archer ended with 3-29 on a tough day for England’s bowlers in the field. FourAlex Carey is the fourth Australian wicketkeeper to score an Ashes century after Adam Gilchrist, Brad Haddin, and Rod Marsh OneNo. of centuries scored by Alex Carey on his home ground, Adelaide Oval This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 December,2025 09:06 AM IST | Adelaide | AFPTeam India's vice-captain, Shubman Gill, who is struggling to find his form, has been ruled out of the last two T20I matches against South Africa. The right-hander has sustained a toe injury, sources close to the team told PTI. It is also learnt that he sustained the injury during the training session, and all precautionary measures are being taken to ensure his recovery. "Shubman had an extended batting session at the nets on the eve of the fourth T20 International. Towards the end of the session, he was hit on the toe while batting in the nets. He was in pain and was hobbling. It would have been difficult for him to play on Wednesday. Hence, he didn't accompany the team as there was little chance of him playing this game," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. "At this point it is difficult to say if he will play in Ahmedabad," he added. Before the T20 World Cup 2026, Team India will lock horns against New Zealand for the bilateral series. The selection committee and team management will need to take precautions regarding Gill's feature in the global showpiece. Earlier, the 26-year-old cricketer also missed out on the Test and ODI series against the Proteas due to a neck injury. Following the injury, he was hospitalised. In his absence, Rishabh Pant led the Indian pack in the second Test match, and the "Men in Blue" played the 50-over series under the captaincy of KL Rahul. He was declared fit by the Centre of Excellence (COE) ahead of the T20I series, even as critics have been questioning his place in the side ahead of Sanju Samson, who had hit three centuries in the preceding season. Gill's returns for the series have been low, with 4 and 0 in the first two outings, followed by a run-a-ball 28 in the third game in Dharamsala, where he didn't look in his element. However, the entire coaching staff, headed by Gautam Gambhir, has firmly backed their star batter to come good at the T20 World Cup starting in February next year. (With PTI Inputs)
17 December,2025 09:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
