In the first ODI match against New Zealand on Sunday, Team India emerged victorious by four wickets at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. Wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul gave the finishing touches to India's victory. Facing 21 balls, he scored an unbeaten 29 runs, which were laced with two boundaries and a maximum. Shouldering the innings was Harshit Rana, who scored 29 runs off 23 balls, including two boundaries and a six, before departing. The duo stitched a crucial partnership of 37 runs. After the match, KL Rahul spoke about batting with Harshit Rana, saying he had to calm the 24-year-old and remind him not to go for a big shot on every delivery. "Batting with Harshit Rana in the final overs was fun. I had to calm him down. He kept asking me to remind him not to try and hit a six every ball, because that was his mindset. I had to settle him. He is new to ODIs and hasn't played many games," Rahul said on JioHotstar. He also said that Harshit is a kind of player which every team wants to have in their squad. "We have all seen his potential. He batted well in Australia and has played crucial knocks for the team. The dressing room sees his potential and wants him to develop into a great cricketer, the kind of player every team wants to have in their squad," added Rahul. The 33-year-old cricketer then said that at times, the pacer gets overconfident, but labelled it as a "good attitude". Rahul also revealed the strategy they followed during the run chase of 301 runs against the "Black Caps". "He is tall, bowls at 145 kph with good variations, and can contribute with the bat. He has a good attitude. Sometimes he is a little overconfident, but I'd rather have that than no confidence at all. Once he hit a few boundaries, I told him we weren't chasing much. We aimed for one boundary an over, took one calculated risk, and then tried to get me back on strike," he said. IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: Date and venue The second ODI match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. (With ANI Inputs)
12 January,2026 06:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Team India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has shared a post on his official social media handle, confirming his engagement with Sophie Shine. "From shared smiles to shared dreams. Grateful for the love, the blessings and every good wish for our engagement as we choose togetherness forever. -Shikhar & Sophie," read the post's caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial) Earlier, an Indian newspaper reported that Dhawan will soon tie the knot with Shine, who is an Irish national. According to reports, the celebration will be held in the third week of February in Delhi-NCR. The bigwigs from cricket and Bollywood are expected to attend the marriage. The news had come after months of speculation surrounding the couple's relationship. The rumours started piling up when Dhawan was seen in the stands along with Shine during the Champions Trophy 2025. Later, the social media posts shared by the two only fuelled curiosity. Shikhar Dhawan's statistics in international cricket Over the years, the former left-handed batsman was known for forming one of the most successful opening pairs along with Rohit Sharma. Having played 34 Test matches, Dhawan garnered 2315 runs, including seven boundaries and five half-centuries. He also made 167 ODI appearances for the "Men in Blue" and smashed 6793 runs, with the help of 17 boundaries and 39 half-centuries. In T20Is, the former left-handed batsman accumulated 1759 runs. The 40-year-old former opening batsman also has 11 half-centuries registered under his name in the format. Dhawan has also been one of the big names in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In his career, he has represented franchises such as Punjab Kings, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. By far, the former left-handed batsman is the third-highest run-scorer in the history of the cash-rich league. In 222 IPL matches, he had smashed 6769 runs, including two tons and 51 half-centuries. The top two on the list are Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli and Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma. Earlier, Dhawan had launched his memoir 'The One: Cricket, My Life and More'. The former cricketer is also known for being vocal about his thoughts on social media regarding social issues or paying tributes to the big names of different fields. Apart from this, Dhawan also entertains his followers by sharing videos of him mimicking different audios across social media platforms.
12 January,2026 05:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India's pacer Harshit Rana said that the management is aiming to groom him as an all-rounder, and he is working hard to meet the expectations of the think tank. In the first ODI match against New Zealand, the pacer claimed two wickets by conceding 65 runs in 10 overs. "The team management wants to groom me as an all-rounder, and my aim is to work on it, and I am doing it in the nets. The team wants me to bat at No.8 as an all-rounder. I believe I am good enough to make 30-40 runs whenever the team wants." he told reporters after the match. With the bat, Harshit accumulated 29 runs in 23 balls, which included two boundaries and a maximum. Speaking further, he expressed confidence in Virat Kohli, saying that until the stalwart was present, it seemed that the match would end early, with five to six overs to spare. "Till Virat bhai was there it felt that the match would end early, maybe with 5-6 overs to spare but a game of cricket can change anytime and you cannot predict it," said the 24-year-old cricketer. Virat Kohli's historic feat Stalwart Kohli played a blistering knock of 93 runs off 91 deliveries, which was laced with eight boundaries and a maximum. With this, he scripted history by becoming the fastest player to achieve the mark of 28,000 runs across all three formats in international cricket. Playing in his 624th innings, Kohli reached the milestone by hitting a four off New Zealand leg-spinner Adithya Ashok. Before him, Sachin Tendulkar had reached the landmark during his 644th innings, while Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, only the third player in the 28000-run club, crossed the feat in his 666th innings. Currently, the 37-year-old cricketer has 28,068 runs in 625 innings for Team India. The "Men in Blue" registered a victory by four wickets against the Kiwis at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. The second ODI match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. (With Inputs from Agencies)
12 January,2026 05:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the first ODI match against New Zealand, Team India secured a win by four wickets at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. During the clash, Team India's wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul played a match-winning knock. Facing 21 deliveries, the right-handed batsman scored an unbeaten 29 runs, which was laced with two boundaries and a maximum. The 33-year-old cricketer showcased immense patience throughout his innings and finished the match by smashing a towering six. Following his knock, former Team India cricketer Aakash Chopra heaped praise by saying Rahul has the ability to hit the boundaries easily. "KL Rahul's batting approach in this first ODI against New Zealand was interesting. We know him as an aggressive player. But here, with Harshit Rana and an injured Washington Sundar batting with him, he was different. Many times you think he will accelerate and finish the match quickly with a big shot, but he took his time. The first ball he hit in the 49th over wasn't a boundary ball, but he found the boundary. He has the ability of finding the boundaries easily and He hits his shots when he wants," said the JioStar expert Chopra. Further speaking, Chopra said that Rahul does everything you ask him to do, and he just hasn't bowled yet. The former cricketer also highlighted that the Bengaluru-born cricketer is excelling in the toughest role in modern-day cricket. "He was taking singles off balls he usually hits, but he waited for the right chances. In a different way, his versatility is his biggest quality. Ask him to open, keep the wickets, or be the stand-in captain, he will do it. He just hasn't bowled yet, that is pending. In these death overs, controlling the chase so well, controlling the nerves almost like Dhoni, hats off to KL Rahul. He is excelling at the toughest role in modern cricket - The finisher," he concluded. Team India stalwart Virat Kohli was named the "Player of the Match" award for his blistering knock of 93 runs. IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: Date and Venue The second ODI match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 14 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. (With ANI Inputs)
12 January,2026 05:26 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNandini Sharma's maiden hat-trick went in vain as Sophie Devine starred with a breathtaking 95 and a superb final over under pressure to steer Gujarat Giants to a thrilling four-run win off the last ball over Delhi Capitals in a Women's Premier League match here on Sunday. This was Gujarat Giants' second win on the trot, while DC slipped to their second loss. Sent in to bat, Giants opener Devine smashed seven fours and eight sixes in her 42-ball knock, adding 94 runs for the opening wicket with Beth Mooney (19) to set the platform. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, but Nandini turned the tide with remarkable figures of 5 for 33, including a hat-trick, as Gujarat were bowled out for 209. Chasing a stiff target, opener Lizelle Lee struck a scintillating 86 off 54 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. She put on 41 runs with Shafali Verma (14) before adding 90 off 55 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 38) to keep Delhi firmly in the hunt. Once Lee was dismissed by Kashvee Gautam (1/48) in the 15th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad removed Chinelle Henry (7) to leave Delhi at 146 for three. Needing 64 off the last 25 balls, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (15) joined Wolvaardt as the pair plundered 58 runs in 23 balls to bring the equation down to seven off the final five deliveries. Devine then returned to the spotlight, dismissing both batters and conceding just two runs in the final over to seal a dramatic win. Earlier, Devine set the tone early, striking three fours off Chinelle Henry before taking Nandini apart with two fours and a six in the fourth over. She was particularly severe on Sneh Rana, hammering two fours and four successive sixes in an over that yielded 32 runs and powered Gujarat Giants to 80 without loss in the powerplay. The New Zealander brought up her half-century in just 25 balls before Shree Charani broke the opening stand with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the ninth over to remove Mooney. Devine briefly regained control, hitting Charani for three sixes, but fell in the 11th over bowled by Nandini Sharma. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept Gujarat Giants on course with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to take the side past the 200-mark. Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a fine catch to dismiss Georgia Wareham (3), while Henry removed Gardner and Bharti Fulmali (3). Nandini then capped a memorable outing by picking up four wickets in the final over, including three off the last three balls, to complete her maiden hat-trick. Brief scores:Gujarat Giants 209 all out in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 95, Ashleigh Gardner 49; Nandani Sharma 5-33, Shree Charani 2-42, Chinelle Henry 2-43) beat Delhi Capitals 205/5 in 20 overs (Lizelle Lee 85, Laura Wolvaardt 77; Sophie Devine 2-21, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-34) by 4 runs. 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
12 January,2026 09:04 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | PTISarfaraz Khan and Devdutt Padikkal would be expected to extend their breathtaking form when domestic heavyweights Mumbai and Karnataka meet in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals here on Monday. The second quarter-final between Uttar Pradesh and Saurashtra will also be held at the Centre of Excellence on Monday. With 640 runs in seven innings, including four hundreds and a half century, Padikkal is the tournament’s leading run-getter. Sarfaraz too is knocking on the doors by extending his sensational T20 form to one-day cricket. In the unexpected loss to Punjab, Sarfaraz smashed the fastest fifty by an Indian in men’s List A cricket. 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
12 January,2026 08:38 AM IST | Bengaluru | PTIFormer India wicketkeeper-batsman and renowned coach Chandrakant Pandit has been conferred with a doctorate degree by IES University, Bhopal, on Saturday. Pandit, 64, a former Kolkata Knight Riders head coach, helped Mumbai, Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh win Ranji Trophy titles. “Obviously, to get a doctorate [Doctor of Philosophy] for your work is always an honour. And it gives me motivation that yes, I can do more. When someone gives recognition for your work, it’s a great feeling,” Pandit told mid-day over the phone from Bengaluru on Sunday. Currently, Pandit is guiding the MP team as a head coach as they prepare for the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final against Punjab to be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru on Tuesday. When asked how he feels when people say Dr Chandrakant Pandit now, Pandit, who represented the country in five Tests and 36 ODIs, said: “I’m yet to decide whether to put it [Dr] before my name [laughs].” Former Olympic sprinter and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia also received similar degrees from chief guest Madhya Pradesh governor Mangubhai Patel.
12 January,2026 08:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureMumbai Indians all-rounder Nicola Carey has quickly made a strong impression in her maiden Women’s Premier League season, stepping into the playing XI following Hayley Matthews’s injury and delivering composed, match-winning performances with both bat and ball. Carey impressed in her first two outings for the franchise, contributing at No. 5 with the bat and bowling effectively in the Powerplay. The all-rounder has taken five wickets and scored 61 runs in two matches. She reflected on her unexpected opportunity and the learning curve in the WPL after her match-winning performance (12-ball 21 and 3-37) against the Delhi Capitals. ‘Hayley’s not too far off’ “That would be very fair to say that I wouldn’t be starting had Hayley been there. I’ve been lucky enough to find my way into the team, sadly, because Hayley has a niggle. She’s not too far off, and it would be nice to get her back,” Carey said at the post-match press conference, adding that Amelia Kerr had to adjust her role at the top of the order in Matthews’s absence. Speaking about her mindset as a backup player, Carey said preparation remained unchanged despite the uncertainty. “If you look at the other overseas players in this line-up, they are world-class. I was under no illusions about where I sat. I just prepared how I would go into a game. Sometimes you have last-minute changes, and that’s just the nature of these competitions,” she said. Carey also shared her excitement about experiencing the WPL environment. “The crowd has been amazing. It’s been wild. Playing alongside players like Harmanpreet Kaur and watching how they go about things has been really cool. You’re always learning in different conditions with different players and coaches,” she noted. Reflecting on her improvement from the previous game, she said: “I had to bowl it into the wicket a little more. You learn from games, and I was lucky I could take something away from the last one.” Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals head coach Jonathan Batty reflected on their defeat, saying the 190 is a chaseable score but the team “did not quite click with the bat.” ‘190 is chaseable’ Assessing the bowling effort overall, he added, “Our plans were very good and about 75 per cent of what we did with the ball was really good. When we missed, we missed quite significantly, which allowed them to get away a little. With a quick outfield and short boundaries, 190 is a chaseable score with our batting line-up.” 5No. of wickets taken by Nicola Carey in two WPL games 61No. of runs scored by Nicola Carey in two WPL games 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
12 January,2026 08:31 AM IST | Navi Mumbai | IANSDhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India’s ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand. Jurel, who has been in stellar form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, has joined the squad for the series that began on Sunday. Pant suffered a side strain while batting in the nets on Saturday. “Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant felt a sudden onset discomfort in his right lateral abdominal area while batting in the nets during India’s practice session on Saturday afternoon,” said the BCCI. 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
12 January,2026 08:26 AM IST | Vadodara | PTISouth African pace legend Allan Donald perceived that Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket a touch sooner, but said the star Indian batter has the hunger to keep himself going till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Donald, who had developed a cordial relationship with Kohli while working as the bowling coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2014-15, cited the batter’s excellent work ethics to back his thought. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen hunger in a player other than Virat. I’ve got massive respect for him. I often talk about it in the dressing rooms and chats about being a champion trainer. There’s no one who trains as hard as he does. He is just a machine,” Donald told a select media gathering during SA20. “I actually miss him in the Test match arena. I think he’s retired too early, but yeah, I look with no doubt we will see him in the white-ball arena in the World Cup very, very soon,” 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
12 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Cape Town | PTIVirat Kohli reigned supreme once again with a 91-ball 93 and skipper Shubman Gill hit 56, but India huffed and puffed before completing a nervy four-wicket win against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the three-match series here on Sunday. In pursuit of 301, India were in complete control when Kohli departed in the 40th over, but a flurry of wickets saw the home side go over the line with 306-6 in 49 overs. Kohli fell a few runs short of what could have been his 54th ODI century when India needed 67 from 66 balls with seven wickets in hand. Ravindra Jadeja (4) and Shreyas Iyer (49) followed him soon in the dressing room, giving New Zealand a real chance to clinch the game. KL Rahul during his unbeaten 29 However, KL Rahul (29 not out) put on 37 runs with Harshit Rana (29), and the remaining runs came in the company of an injury-hit Washington Sundar (7 not out), aided by a few uncharacteristic dropped catches by the Kiwis towards the end. It was Kyle Jamieson (4-41) who dragged New Zealand back in the game when all seemed lost. Earlier, Daryl Mitchell stood tall with a stroke-filled half-century to help New Zealand post 300 for eight. Mitchell clobbered five fours and three sixes to make 84 off 71 balls after New Zealand’s middle-order failed to build on an ideal start given by Devon Conway (56 off 67 balls; 6 fours, 1 six) and Henry Nicholls (62 off 69 balls; 8 fours). Openers Conway and Nicholls had put on 117 runs to defy India for the first 21 overs, but Rana’s (2-65) second spell of 2-0-13-2 turned the tables and the home side chipped away with regular strikes. Kyle Jamieson celebrates an Indian wicket on Sunday 4-41NZ pacer Kyle Jamieson’s figures on Sunday — his best in ODIs 28,068No. of international runs for Virat Kohli. He surpassed Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) to become the second-highest, now trailing only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357). He is also the fastest to score 28,000 runs (624 innings) 117No. of runs put on by Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls for the opening wicket — NZ’s first 100-plus opening stand in ODIs away from home since the unbeaten 137-run partnership by Martin Guptill and Colin Munro against Sri Lanka in the 2019 World Cup FourNo. of 60-plus scores by Daryl Mitchell in his last five ODIs vs India. Overall, he averages 52.55 in 11 one-dayers against India 650 No. of sixes hit by Rohit Sharma in international cricket — the only player to reach this feat 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
12 January,2026 08:20 AM IST | Vadodara | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
