Japan has officially secured its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026, becoming the first team to qualify for the mega event set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
On Thursday, Japan secured its qualification by defeating Bahrain 2-0 in the qualifiers. This victory made Japan the first team from Asia to confirm its place in the World Cup.
Ritsu Doan and Kaoru Mitoma scored in the second half, ensuring their team’s triumph. Three matches remain for Japan in the third qualifying round, but the team has already booked its place in the tournament.
This win also helped Japan claim the top spot in Group C of the third-round qualifiers.
The third round of Asian qualifiers features 18 teams divided into three groups. Each group’s top two teams will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Hosts USA, Canada, and Mexico have already secured their spots in the tournament.
The qualification rounds for the World Cup are currently underway across different continents, with teams competing for a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a huge cash reward of ₹58 crore (around 188 crore Pakistani rupees) for the Indian cricket team following their impressive victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and secured the title with a comfortable win over New Zealand in the final.
According to the BCCI’s official statement, the reward will be shared among the players, coaching staff, support staff, and the men’s selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is happy to announce a cash reward of ₹58 crore for Team India after their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory. This financial reward is a way to recognize the efforts of the players, coaching staff, and selection committee,” the statement read.
India dominated the tournament under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, winning four matches on their way to the final. They started their campaign with a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, followed by another six-wicket win against Pakistan. In their next match, they defeated New Zealand by 44 runs before securing a four-wicket victory against Australia in the semi-final.
BCCI President Roger Binny praised the team’s achievement, saying, “Winning back-to-back ICC titles is a great achievement, and this reward is a way to recognize the team’s hard work. The players and support staff put in a lot of effort behind the scenes. This was also our second ICC trophy in 2025, after the U19 Women’s World Cup win, showing the strong cricketing system we have in India.”
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also congratulated the team, saying, “The BCCI is proud to reward the players and support staff for their dedication. India’s success in world cricket is a result of years of effort and planning. This win has proved why India is the top-ranked team in white-ball cricket, and we are confident they will continue to perform at the highest level. The players’ hard work has set new standards, and we believe Indian cricket will keep reaching new heights.”
Pakistan cricket team interim head coach Aaqib Javed has stated that a bowler conceding four sixes is not a major concern and that fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi must continue improving his game to establish himself in international cricket.
Speaking to the media in Auckland on Thursday, Javed emphasised the need for fast bowlers to keep enhancing their performances.
“If Shaheen wants to prove himself in international cricket, he needs to do even better,” Javed said.
He acknowledged that playing in New Zealand is challenging as the boundaries are small but expressed confidence in the Pakistan team’s ability to bounce back in the series.
“If our batters score well at the top, we can win. The Pakistan team will make a comeback and can win the series,” he asserted.
Javed also addressed concerns over Pakistan’s two consecutive losses in the T20I series against New Zealand, hinting at possible changes in the playing XI.
“People are upset after losing two matches. We may make one or two changes in the third T20I,” he revealed.
He also reflected on the debate surrounding Sarfaraz Ahmed’s captaincy, saying, “That discussion is four years old now. The T20 team that was performing well two years ago is no longer the same. Cricket has changed in these two years, and now teams are being built separately for T20Is.”
Javed confirmed that Pakistan is also working on forming a specialised T20 squad.
“We are trying to build a separate team for T20s. Strike rate holds great importance in this format,” he explained.
Javed stressed that Pakistan’s primary focus is the upcoming Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, both of which will be played in India.
“Big scores are made on Asian pitches. The conditions in South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia are tough, and playing there is not easy,” he noted.
Referring to Pakistan’s recent series in Australia, he pointed out that high-scoring matches are uncommon in such conditions.
“When young players play in difficult conditions, they gain confidence. The experience gained here will be very useful in Asian conditions,” he added.
Javed concluded by expressing optimism about Pakistan’s squad, saying, “The real preparation is for the Asia Cup and World Cup. Once Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman join the team, it will become a strong unit.”
Pakistan’s cricket team is currently in New Zealand, playing three ODIs and five T20 matches.
Pakistan has already lost both matches of the T20 series.
The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will kick off on March 22, 2025, and run until May 25, 2025.
The tournament features 10 teams, including defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, and Lucknow Super Giants.
The opening match will see KKR face RCB at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on March 22. Over 65 days, a total of 74 matches will be played across 13 venues in India.
Here is the complete match schedule for IPL 2025.
The IPL 2025 will feature ten teams:
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Venues
Matches will be held across 13 venues in India:
Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi Stadium
Bengaluru: M Chinnaswamy Stadium
Chennai: MA Chidambaram Stadium
Delhi: Arun Jaitley Stadium
Dharamsala: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium
Guwahati: Barsapara Stadium
Hyderabad: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
Jaipur: Sawai Mansingh Stadium
Kolkata: Eden Gardens
Lucknow: BRSABV Ekana Stadium
Mullanpur: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium
Mumbai: Wankhede Stadium
Visakhapatnam: Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly not incurred any financial loss in hosting the Champions Trophy, as all tournament expenses were covered by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
According to reports, the ICC allocated a budget of $70 million for the Champions Trophy, from which all expenditures were managed. The PCB received a $6 million hosting fee, a standard amount given to every host country. This fee is not used to cover any expenses, ensuring that the host nation benefits financially.
Additionally, gate money from ticket sales will also go to the PCB, but the final amount is yet to be determined.
Reports further revealed that the issue of hosting five matches in Dubai is still under discussion. Once all matters are settled, the PCB will have complete finances concerning its earnings from the event.
Regarding stadium upgrades, the PCB itself recognised the need for improvements before hosting the Champions Trophy. Given that this is the first ICC event in Pakistan after 29 years, the board decided to upgrade the stadiums accordingly. The PCB Governing Board approved the budget for these upgrades, ensuring that facilities met international standards.
With all financial aspects still being finalised, the PCB is expected to evaluate the overall financial impact of the tournament once all revenues and expenses are accounted for.
15 Bangladeshi cricketers have been arrested in Malaysia after being denied entry into the country, foreign media reports have said. The players were reportedly travelling to Malaysia to participate in a tournament.
However, Malaysian authorities discovered that the tournament in question did not exist, leading to the cricketers’ arrest. The operation was carried out by Malaysia’s Border Control and Protection Agency which detained the players on March 17 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The cricketers had claimed they were travelling for a tournament organized by the Penang Cricket Association, but investigations revealed that no such event was scheduled to be played.
According to media reports, the group stated that the tournament was set to take place between March 21 and 23, but authorities found no official schedule for such an event. Legal proceedings regarding the matter are currently underway.
Former Pakistan Test cricketer Sikander Bakht has urged PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to take strict action against Mohammad Rizwan and call for his central contract to be suspended.
Speaking on a private TV channel, the former fast bowler stated, “Mohammad Rizwan is an employee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and receives a salary of PKR 6 million per month. Therefore, he should be obligated to participate in PCB-organised tournaments.”
Bakht emphasised that the PCB must take control of the situation and ensure that contracted players are available for board-sanctioned events. He said, “If you are playing club cricket but refusing to participate in a PCB tournament, it means you are disrespecting the board.”
The ex-cricketer further insisted that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi needs to take a firm stance on the matter. “This should not be happening. Mohsin Naqvi must act strictly. He needs to change his approach, investigate what is going on, and enforce discipline. The PCB should suspend their central contracts,” he said.
Rizwan has already been under fire following Pakistan’s poor performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy. The national team was eliminated in the group stage, leading to heavy criticism of the players. Additionally, Rizwan was dropped from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand.
Pakistan’s national team captain, Mohammad Rizwan, recently became the subject of mockery over his English-speaking skills. However, all-rounder Aamir Jamal did not hold back and gave a strong response to former Australian cricketer and commentator Brad Hogg.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Aamir Jamal criticised Hogg, stating, “It is a very shameful act from @Brad_Hogg who called himself an international cricketer, making fun of @iMRizwanPak about his English, which is his 3rd language, not even 2nd. I would rather suggest you become #TikToker because you might need followers and attention by making fun of other people. That’s the platform for you, not the cricket community.”
The controversy erupted after a video of Brad Hogg mocking Rizwan’s English went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism.
In the video, Hogg is seen interacting with an impersonator, mimicking Mohammad Rizwan. Hogg asks him about Kohli, to which the impersonator jokingly replies: “I and Virat are the same. He drinks water, I drink water. He eats food, I eat food. We are the same. There is no difference.”
The impersonator then shifts focus to Rizwan, mimicking his accent while discussing Pakistan’s “win or learn” strategy. Hogg sarcastically praises Rizwan’s English, to which the impersonator responds: “Yes, in Pakistan, everyone says my English is very good.”
The video sparked outrage among fans, who condemned it as disrespectful to the Pakistani cricketer.
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has revealed the toughest bowler he has faced in his career, naming one of his teammates as the best in the world.
In a video shared by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kohli praised his teammate, Jasprit Bumrah, saying, “There is no doubt that he is the best bowler in the world across all formats. He has dismissed me a few times in the IPL.”
The 31-year-old fast bowler has established himself as a nightmare for opposition batters, and even Kohli is no exception.
Kohli first faced Bumrah during the 2013 edition of the IPL. Interestingly, Kohli became the fast bowler’s first-ever wicket in the tournament during a match between RCB and Mumbai Indians.
Although Kohli does not play him frequently in net sessions, their real battles occur in the IPL when RCB takes on Mumbai Indians. Speaking about their intense contests, Kohli said, “We don’t get to do this in the nets, but even there, it feels like we are playing an actual match. The intensity is the same as in an IPL game. We always think of every ball as a mental challenge.”
Kohli has played against Bumrah 16 times in the IPL. While the RCB batter has scored 140 runs at a strike rate of 147.36 against him, he has also been dismissed five times.
Currently, the star pacer is recovering from a back injury that ruled him out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Mumbai Indians could feel his absence in the early matches of the IPL. He is expected to rejoin the five-time champions in early April, provided he receives clearance from the medical team at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
He suffered a back strain during the fifth Test match against Australia in Sydney and was initially advised five weeks of rest. This led to his exclusion from the Champions Trophy 2025. Earlier, he had undergone back surgery in March 2023.
The fast bowler’s recovery will be crucial for India and Mumbai Indians, as he remains one of the most lethal pacers in world cricket today.
Actress and model Sana Javed, known for her roles in Pyaray Afzal, Khaani, and Aye Musht-e-Khaak, has been in the news for the past year following her marriage to former cricketer Shoaib Malik. Currently, she appears as a regular guest on the private TV game show Jeeto Pakistan.
However, since her marriage to Shoaib Malik, Sana Javed has been a target of criticism, and her appearances on Jeeto Pakistan have only added to the scrutiny.
For the past few years, Sana Javed has been a part of the Ramadan special episodes of Jeeto Pakistan, and this year is no different.
On the episode aired on March 17, former Pakistan cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sana Javed appeared as guests on the show.
A video from the episode has been making rounds on social media, upsetting Sarfaraz Ahmed’s fans. The controversy stems from what many viewers perceived as Sana Javed’s disrespectful attitude towards the cricketer.
Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sana Javed were seen participating in the show’s most popular segment, Dabba Kholo, in the viral clip.
At one point, Sarfaraz tried to stop host Fahad Mustafa from opening a box, to which Sana Javed remarked, “What is this? Just open the box immediately!”
Sarfaraz responded, “Listen, this game lasts for 45 minutes. We need to make it interesting for TV. The world is watching us. We can’t just keep opening boxes randomly. The last time I made the final decision, I received messages from all over the world.”
However, Sana Javed replied, “It looks like someone wound you up, and now you won’t stop talking!”
Sarfaraz then pointed out, “She didn’t even play properly where she was supposed to, and now she’s acting like this.”
His remark was a subtle dig at a previous episode where Sana Javed lost to her husband, Shoaib Malik, during the game.
In response, Sana Javed said, “Why does it bother you how I play with my husband? You just focus on your own game!”
As soon as the clip went viral, Sarfaraz Ahmed’s fans took to social media to criticize Sana.
One user wrote, “This woman has no manners. The way she is disrespecting Sarfaraz Ahmed is unacceptable.” Another commented, “Sana Javed should not be invited to the show anymore. Her rudeness is getting worse by the day.”
Several users even tagged Sarfaraz Ahmed, advising him that as a national hero, he should not tolerate such behaviour on the show.
