Category: Sports

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s Instagram account returned on Friday morning after it mysteriously disappeared overnight on January 30, sparking widespread curiosity and concern among fans.

Kohli, one of the most-followed athletes in the world with 274 million followers on Instagram, vanished from the platform without any explanation. The sudden disappearance quickly set off speculation across social media, with fans questioning whether the account had been deactivated intentionally or removed due to a technical issue.

The incident did not stop with Kohli. His brother Vikas Kohli also saw his Instagram profile deactivated around the same time. While Virat Kohli’s account became visible again at around 8:00 am, Vikas Kohli’s account remained inactive.

Neither Kohli nor his management team issued a statement on the matter. Instagram also offered no clarification, leaving the cause of the disappearance unclear.

As discussions intensified, social media users turned the situation into a meme fest. Many linked Kohli’s vanishing act to the viral “missing penguin” trend that recently dominated timelines. Users shared screenshots of Kohli’s unavailable profile alongside images of the penguin.

Although Kohli’s Instagram account is now fully accessible, the lack of an official explanation has kept fans puzzled.

Pakistan on Thursday started the T20I series against Australia in Lahore with a 22-run victory at Gaddafi Stadium.

It was Pakistan’s first T20I win over Australia in seven years, with the last victory coming in 2018 when they won by 33 runs in Dubai.

After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha chose to bat first. 

The decision looked risky early on as Sahibzada Farhan fell for a duck on the very first ball of the match. Pakistan then steadied the innings through a responsible partnership between Saim Ayub and Salman.

Saim scored 40 runs while the skipper hit 39 runs off 27 balls. Babar Azam chipped in with 24. 

Fakhar Zaman scored 10, Usman Khan made 18, Shadab Khan managed one and Shaheen Afridi was dismissed for a duck. Mohammad Nawaz remained not out on 15 as Pakistan finished for 168 for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.

For Australia, Adam Zampa led the bowling attack with four wickets for 24 runs. Xavier Bartlett and Behrendorff picked up two wickets each.

Chasing 169, Australia were off to strong start but Pakistan struck early. Saim Ayub claimed the wickets of Matt Short and Travis Head, leaving Australia 28-2.

Cameron Green fought hard and top-scored for Australia with 36 runs. Xavier Bartlett impressed with the bat as well, scoring 34, while Matt Renshaw made 15 and Josh Philippe added 12. 

Despite these efforts, Australia could only reach 146 for eight in their 20 overs.

Pakistan’s bowlers kept tight control throughout the innings. Abrar Ahmed delivered a standout performance, conceding just 10 runs in his four overs and taking two wickets. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz picked up one wicket each.

The second T20I of the series will take place at the same venue on Saturday.

The owner of the new league of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Fawad Sarwar has made it clear that Pakistan’s batting star Babar Azam tops his wishlist as the new side Hyderabad prepares for its debut in the 11th season.

In a recent interview, Sarwar spoke about his passion for cricket, team plans, and how he views the upcoming season.

When asked about his favourite player, Sarwar said, Babar Azam is his favourite cricketer, and if the opportunity arises, he would love to include him in my team. 

“Of course, every team would want him. For now, we haven’t thought about any other players. We’ll make decisions once we know which players have been retained by their current franchises,” he said.

Sarwar, whose group won the Hyderabad franchise at the PSL expansion auction, praised the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to introduce an auction system this year. 

“There couldn’t have been a better step. The chairman and management made a great decision. We were the only group that initially pushed for this idea, and eventually, others joined in,” he said.

PSL has introduced new player retention rules for its 11th edition. Under the updated policy, each franchise may retain a maximum of four local players before the player auction, with a limit of one from each category: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver. After retentions conclude, teams will enter the first-ever PSL player auction on February 11 to complete their rosters.

Since teams can retain only one Platinum player, sides like Peshawar Zalmi must make tough choices, meaning they may release either Babar or Saim ahead of the auction.

Hyderabad has appointed former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie as head coach, supported by assistants Craig White and Grant Bradburn.

Sarwar said owning a PSL team fulfilled a long-held dream. His group secured the Hyderabad franchise for approximately Rs1.75 billion, outbidding competitors in a high-profile auction. He added that the team’s full name and logo are ready and will be unveiled closer to the auction or at a planned launch event.

The 2026 Pakistan Super League, expanded to eight teams including Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallions, will run from March 26 to May 3 this year.

Star Sports has released a promo for the Pakistan-India match on February 15 in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, featuring Indian YouTuber Abhishek Malhan, popularly known as Fukra Insaan, along with other creators.

The short clip opens with Fukra and his friends stepping into a lift. A man wearing a Pakistan jersey asks, “Obhai, 15 ke liye ready?” [Bro, are you ready for the 15th?] Fukra replies, “Apko harany ke liye always ready” [Always ready to beat you]. 

Then he said, “Halkay me mat lena, greatest rivalry hai” [Don’t take it lightly, it’s the greatest rivalry]. Fukra responds, “Apki team ko halkay mein kesy le sakty hein, 7-1 ko 8-1 jo karna hai” [How can we take your team lightly, we have to make it 8-1 after 7-1], referencing India’s seven wins against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, with Pakistan’s only victory coming in 2021.

The promo received a mixed reaction online, with many viewers criticising the humour. 

One Indian user wrote, “Worst ad ever seen”, while another said, “Maza ni aya ” [Didn’t enjoy it]. Others posted, “Not very funny as previous ones.” “No creativity ”. One user wrote “Cringe” and another said, “Unfunny”

Pakistani fans also joined the conversation, trolling the promo. One commented, “Normal match for us.” Another user wrote, “But you can’t beat 6-0.” A third added, “We don’t take India seriously.”

However, Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup remains uncertain. 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has said the board will announce a final decision either on Friday or early next week. The indecision stems from Pakistan’s principled support for the Bangladeshi team, which the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced with Scotland after Bangladesh refused to travel to India due to security concerns.

The PCB is also exploring several protest options, including a potential boycott of the February 15 clash against India.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has left fans both excited and puzzled after offering pre-orders for the official Pakistan cricket jersey for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup without revealing the design and before making a final decision on the national side’s participation.

Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup remains uncertain as PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi maintains that a final decision in this regard would be announced Friday or early next week. The lack of clarity stems from the country’s principled stance in support for the Bangladeshi team, which the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced with Scotland after the former’s refusal to travel to India due to security concerns.

While Pakistan is also exploring a wide range of protest options, including a potential boycott of the Feb 15 match against India, netizens are questioning the logic of pre-ordering the jersey without knowing if the team would actually be playing the World Cup, besides not knowing what the jersey even looks like. 

“Jersey reveal world cup k baad hogi [the jersey will be revealed after the World Cup],” wrote one user while another said, “Reveal at least jersey first or either offer extreme discounted price, then it makes sense to pre-order, otherwise why would anyone order before seeing the jersey.”

Others wrote, “Oh bhie design kaha ha [where is the design?]” and “Aby jersey reveal tou kardo bhai phele [come on, reveal the jersey first].”

“So, we are playing the World Cup?” commented one user. Another asked, “Bhai agar team ne khelna he nahi tou kya faida [what’s the point if the team isn’t going to play]?”

One fan even joked, “Agar shirt aney se pehle team bahir hogaye to [what if the team is knocked out before the shirt even arrives] ?” 

While deliveries will start from February 1, the new jersey offers customisable variants with eight different sizes.

Pakistan are scheduled to open their T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. 

The PCB has named a 15-member squad for the tournament, led by Salman Ali Agha, and featuring Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has charged USA batter Aaron Jones with five breaches of the Anti-Corruption Code and has suspended him from all formats of cricket with immediate effect. 

The 31-year-old now has 14 days to respond to the charges.

Jones attended a USA training camp in Sri Lanka as part of preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Selectors have yet to announce the final squad, but they plan to select 15 players from the 18-member camp. The suspension has ruled Jones out of the selection process. 

According to reports, the ICC said the case centres mainly on Jones’s involvement in the 2023–24 Bim10 tournament in Barbados, which comes under the jurisdiction of Cricket West Indies. The governing body also linked two of the charges to international matches.

In a statement, the ICC said that Jones engaged in or attempted to influence match outcomes during the Bim10 tournament. The charges also accuse him of failing to report approaches to engage in corrupt conduct, refusing to cooperate with a corruption investigation, and withholding full details from the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit. The ICC further alleged that Jones obstructed the investigation by concealing or tampering with relevant information.

The ICC stressed that the investigation extends beyond Jones. “The charges against Jones are part of a wider investigation which is likely to result in further charges being issued against other participants in due course,” the statement said.

Jones has represented the USA in 52 One Day Internationals and 48 T20 Internationals since making his debut in 2019. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, he produced a match-winning 94 off 40 balls against Canada and followed it with an unbeaten 36 off 26 balls in a historic victory over Pakistan.

Jones has also played in franchise leagues including the Caribbean Premier League, Major League Cricket and the Bangladesh Premier League. He last appeared in international cricket in April 2025.

Senior Indian sports journalist Sharda Ugra has thrashed the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), saying that the global cricketing body no longer functioned independently and instead operated under India’s control.

“The ICC is nothing more than the BCCI’s Dubai office,” Ugra said during an interview as she criticised the handling of the ongoing T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh’s exit over security concerns in India.

She also argued that poor management and lack of seriousness had damaged the credibility of the sport.

“I can say with full confidence that India has played a major role behind this crisis […] in particular, the BCCI’s influence, its dominance within the ICC and the near-submissive behaviour of other countries represented on the ICC board have created this situation.”

Ugra said Bangladesh’s exclusion was a clear example of double standards, adding that the ICC failed to take Bangladesh’s concerns seriously.

“There is a clear disparity here. When Bangladesh raises objections to playing in India, it is not taken seriously and is instead brushed aside under ICC regulations. This argument is extremely weak and unsustainable,” she said.

Ugra added that the financial strength of Indian cricket has pushed the ICC into a compromised position. “It is now an open secret in the cricketing world that the ICC operates exactly as the BCCI wants. The ICC executive board reacts in much the same way. That is why I am not surprised by this decision at all.”

She also warned that Pakistan’s possible withdrawal from the World Cup could deal a major financial blow to the ICC, as Pak-India matches generate the highest revenue for the tournament.

The interview comes as Pakistan openly backs Bangladesh’s position. Reports suggest the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is weighing multiple protest options, including a possible boycott of its February 15 match against India in Colombo.

The possibility emerged after PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi delayed a final decision on Pakistan’s participation following a meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday. 

A decision was expected after the meeting, but Naqvi announced on X that the final decision would be made either on Friday or next Monday.

Australian captain Mitchell Marsh has been surprised by the cold weather in Pakistan as his team arrived in Lahore for a three-match T20I series. 

Speaking at the trophy unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, Marsh admitted he did not expect such cold and had not packed enough warm clothing.

“I did not expect it to be this cold in Pakistan, so I did not bring many warm clothes,” Marsh said during the pre-series press conference.

Australia landed in Lahore amid an unusual cold spell across the country. While locals have reacted with mixed feelings, the visiting players arriving from summer conditions in Australia were surprised by Pakistan’s cold weather.

Marsh said he was happy to be in Pakistan and described the series as an important part of Australia’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. “We are really excited to be here. This series is very important for our World Cup preparation, and the whole squad is looking forward to it,” he said.

He added that most members of Australia’s World Cup squad are available and said the team aims to use the series to fine-tune its plans. “Playing in these conditions will not be easy. We will try to attack the spinners based on the conditions, and we will decide the playing eleven tomorrow,” Marsh said.

Praising Pakistan’s pace attack, Marsh said, “Pakistan has a great history of fast bowling. Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of the best bowlers in the world right now, and he will be a big challenge for us in the series and the World Cup.”

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also addressed the media and urged focus on the team rather than individual players. “I hope that when I come to a press conference, I am not asked questions about Babar. Leave him alone and let him bat,” Salman said.

He added that Pakistan have several players capable of performing. “There are other players in the team. We can talk about them as well. I am not concerned about the Big Bash League. Babar is batting well,” he said.

Salman termed the series crucial for both teams. “This series gives us a clear direction and a great opportunity to prove ourselves against a strong side like Australia,” he said. He added that every player understands his role and stressed the importance of playing according to match situations.

Salman Ali Agha described Australia as a team with a consistent mindset and said Pakistan have a strong chance to win the series. He also named Usman Tariq as a potential trump card for Pakistan.

Reports suggest Travis Head may lead Australia in the first match as Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper Josh Inglis are likely to be rested due to workload management after playing the Big Bash League final on Sunday.

The T20I series will be played on January 29, January 31, and February 1 at Gaddafi Stadium, with all matches starting at 4 pm Pakistan Standard Time.

The baggy green worn by Australian cricket legend Sir Don Bradman has been sold for a record AUD 460,000 (PKR 89 million).

According to reports, an anonymous buyer purchased the prized item, and no further details about the bidder were disclosed.

Bradman wore the cap during Australia’s final home Test series against India in 1947–48. After the series, he gifted it to Indian opening bowler Ranga Sohoni whose family preserved the cap in strict privacy for nearly 75 years and never displayed it publicly.

Lloyds Auctions chief operating officer Lee Hames described the cap as a “holy grail” of the cricketing world. He revealed that even family members were only allowed to view it for a few minutes after turning 16.

The cap carries the names “D G Bradman” and “S W Sohoni” stitched inside, along with “1947–48” engraved beneath the Australian crest.

It is one of Bradman’s 11 known baggy greens, as players in that era used a separate cap for each series.

Sir Donald Bradman remains the greatest batter in cricketing history. He scored 6,996 runs in 52 Test matches at an unmatched average of 99.94, with 29 centuries and a highest score of 334 against England in 1930.

His records continue to define excellence in the sport decades after his retirement.