Category: Sports

Australia on Monday defeated Pakistan by seven wickets to claim the Over-40 T20 World Cup title. 

The hosts ended up second despite a strong all-round performance by former Test cricketer Fawad Alam.

Fans had also hoped to see legendary all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi in the final, but he did not play.

The final at National Bank Stadium in Karachi saw Pakistan bat first and score 150-9. Alam and Nadeem Javed scored 24 runs each. 

Australian bowler Mark Carely took five wickets giving away just 22 runs, taking down the Pakistani batting lineup.

Chasing 151, Australia lost three wickets but reached the target comfortably. Steve Nottle scored 47 off 40 balls, while Stephen Paleson added 42 off 34. Alam also impressed with the ball, taking two key wickets.

Pakistan’s Humayun Farhat finished as the tournament’s top batter with 312 runs and hit the most sixes, totaling 23. Mark Cleary was the leading bowler with 19 wickets. 

Khalid Qureshi of Hong Kong was named th3 best wicketkeeper, and Harshad, representing Rest of the Gulf, was awarded best fielder. West Indies’ Antoniel Attolia won Player of the Tournament.

The award ceremony was led by special guest Sterling Heman, chairman of the International Masters Cricket Council. 

Former Test captains Javed Miandad, Mushtaq Muhammad, Sadiq Muhammad, Jalaluddin and Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association chairman Fawad Ijaz Khan also attended the ceremony.

Pakistan fast bowler Ihsanullah emerged as the most prominent Pakistani signing at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 auction in Dhaka. 

Noakhali Express bought him for $28,000 in Category C, giving the young bowler a strong comeback opportunity after going quiet in his earlier stint with Rangpur Riders.

The auction took place ahead of a reshaped BPL season, which will run from December 26, 2025, to January 23, 2026. This edition features a major structural change as the league moves from seven teams to five.

Along with Ihsanullah, Haider Ali and Jahandad Khan also secured deals through the auction. Noakhali Express signed Haider for $20,000, while Rajshahi Warriors picked Jahandad for the same amount. 

Haider enters the season with solid experience from his 37 international matches and past BPL appearances. Jahandad continues his rise after making his T20I debut last year and featuring regularly since.

The auction included only three Pakistani names because the remaining six players had already earned direct contracts before the event. 

Usman Khan joined Dhaka Capitals, Abrar Ahmed linked up with Chattogram Royals, and Sylhet Titans signed Saim Ayub along with Mohammad Amir. Rangpur Riders brought in Khawaja Nafay, while Rajshahi Warriors added Sahibzada Farhan. 

The signings brought the total number of Pakistani players in the league to nine, highlighting the continued demand for Pakistan’s talent despite the reduction in teams.

This season features both returning and newly owned sides. Dhaka Capitals and Rangpur Riders remain part of the tournament, while Chattogram Royals, Rajshahi Warriors and Sylhet Titans enter with fresh ownership. 

Defending champions Fortune Barishal and Khulna Tigers will step away for this edition.

Indian batsman Rohit Sharma has broken former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi’s long standing record for the most sixes in One Day Internationals. 

Sharma reached 352 sixes during the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday, moving one ahead of Afridi’s 351.

Rohit achieved the milestone in 269 innings. Afridi, on the other hand, played 369 innings to reach his total. On paper, Rohit now holds the record, but a deeper comparison shows a very different picture of their hitting power.

Rohit has faced 12,321 balls in his ODI career, while Afridi faced 6,892. When the numbers are compared, Afridi hit a six almost twice as often as Rohit. 

Afridi cleared the boundary once every twenty balls approximately while Rohit hits one roughly every thirty five balls.

Rohit Sharma did not start his ODI career as a heavy six hitter. He struck his first six in his third innings against Pakistan in Jaipur, and even after scoring his maiden ODI century in his 40th innings in 2010, he had managed only five sixes from 1023 balls. His big hitting skills developed much later.

Shahid Afridi, in contrast, announced himself as a power hitter from the very beginning. He did not bat in his debut match against Kenya in October 1996, but in his very next game, he blasted a 37 ball century against Sri Lanka, scoring 102 runs with 11 sixes and six fours. 

His style never changed and defined his entire career.

The contrast shows that Afridi remained the more explosive batter, even though Rohit eventually surpassed his total.

Both players sit near the top of the global charts across all formats as well. Rohit leads international cricket with more than six hundred and forty sixes. Chris Gayle follows with 553, while Afridi remains third with 476 on the overall list.

South African cricket star Faf du Plessis has revealed that he will skip the upcoming IPL 2026 auction and instead take part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026.

“This league has been a massive part of my journey. I’ve been lucky to play with world-class teammates, for amazing franchises, and in front of fans whose passion is like nothing else. India has given me friendships, lessons, and memories that have shaped me as a cricketer and as a person,” the 41-year-old said in a statement posted on Instagram.

Du Plessis played nine games for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, scoring 202 runs at an average of 22.44. 

Delhi Capitals marked the fourth franchise he has represented, after stints with Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

In total, he has featured in 154 IPL matches, amassing 4773 runs at an average of 35.09.

Looking ahead, du Plessis confirmed he will join the PSL 2026, calling it a “new challenge”. 

He has previously played in the PSL for Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, appearing in six matches across two seasons.

Pakistani-origin British boxer Amir Khan believes Pakistan’s boxing future looks bright and says the country will produce a global champion like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson.

Speaking at the Jinnah Sports Complex in Lahore during the International Boxing Championship on Saturday, Khan said, “Pakistan has tremendous talent. One day, a champion like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson will emerge from here.”

In the main event, British boxer James Metcalf won the WBA Asia Gold Middleweight title after knocking out Julio de Jesus of the Dominican Republic in the third round.

Argentina’s Alberto Palmetta claimed the WBA Asia South Welterweight title after knocking out Filipino fighter Jopher Montano in the sixth round.

Khan praised the event’s organisation and atmosphere. “It feels great to be in Lahore. Boxers from 15 countries competed here. The fans, the environment, the security, everything was excellent,” he said.

He added that the championship would help promote sports in Pakistan. “This event will boost sports in the country. The hosting was impressive, and it will also support tourism.”

Khan also thanked the Pakistan Army for facilitating the championship. “The fights we saw were outstanding. I am grateful to the Pakistan Army for organising such a great event and for ensuring top-level security for all international boxers and guests.”

Amir Khan is a former unified light-welterweight world champion. He won the WBA title in 2009 and added the IBF belt in 2011 after defeating Zab Judah. 

Khan first rose to fame when he won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics at the age of 17, making him Britain’s youngest Olympic boxing medallist in more than 30 years. 

He retired in 2022 with major career victories that include wins over Marcos Maidana, Zab Judah, Paulie Malignaggi, and Andriy Kotelnik.

Iran announced on Friday that it will boycott next week’s FIFA World Cup finals draw in Washington DC after the United States refused to issue visas to several members of its football delegation.

According to foreign media reports, the Iranian football federation said it informed FIFA that the decision by US authorities had nothing to do with sports. The spokesperson told state television that the delegation will not take part in the draw.

An Iranian sports outlet reported on Tuesday that the US rejected visa applications for multiple officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj. 

Taj criticised the move on Thursday and described it as a political act. He said he told FIFA President Gianni Infantino that the US must stop this behaviour.

According to Varzesh 3, four members of the delegation, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, received visas for the December 5 draw.

Iran qualified for the World Cup in March, securing a fourth straight appearance and seventh overall. The team has never reached the knockout stage, but its 2-1 victory over the US in the 1998 World Cup remains one of its most celebrated moments. 

The US won the most recent meeting in 2022 with a 1-0 result.

Tensions between the US and Iran have shaped relations for more than forty years. Both sides held nuclear talks starting in April, but the negotiations collapsed in mid June after Israel launched a major bombing campaign on Iran. 

The strike triggered a 12 day conflict that briefly pulled the US into direct military action against key Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Pakistan Olympic Association has announced the list of Olympic Solidarity Scholarship holders for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

As per the details, the athletes will receive support under the IOC Olympic Solidarity Programme from September this year till August 2028. 

Each athlete will get $13,500 annually to help them prepare for the next Olympic Games. The list includes four men and four women from athletics, shooting, table tennis and taekwondo.

While Olympian Arshad Nadeem, who won a historic gold medal at the Paris Olympics with his record javelin throw, is among the athletes, the National Rifle Association of Pakistan has named five shooters namely Muhammad Farrukh Nadeem, Suliman Khan, Imam Haroon, Kishmala Talat and Rabia Kabir.

From table tennis, Haiqa Hassan has been selected for the scholarship whereas Taekwondo champ Fatima Uz Zahra Khawar will also receive support until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

After a roughly two-year-long rough patch that saw him struggling on the crease, former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has opened up about handling failure and dealing with public pressure.

Appearing on Kevin Pietersen’s new YouTube channel “The Switch”, he sat down for a candid conversation with the England great.

During the interview, Kevin asked him how he manages tough phases and criticism, to which Babar said he blocks out distractions and focuses on honest conversations with himself and the people he trusts. 

“You know if you have a bad patch then the main thing is focus. There are a lot of distractions and a lot of negative thoughts. People talk and everyone has a different opinion. The main thing is I just stop listening to anyone. I talk to myself and I talk to my coaches,” he said.

Kevin also asked if Babar still has coaches from his early days who guide him. 

“Yeah, my school coach is Mama Jee [Uncle]. He always supports me a lot. Mansoor Rana coaches me a lot too. Our very good friend Mushtaq Ahmed… he is a good coach. I spoke with Mushi bhai [Mushtaq Ahmed]. My father always talks with me. Then I get back to normal and focus on my game.”

The former English batter then talked about the intense expectations from fans. “When Babar comes out, Babar has to make a hundred. He is not allowed to make anything less than a hundred,” he said.

“I am a human being. Sometimes you make a few mistakes. Mostly when you are playing, the good time is very short,” he replied.

Babar has faced a challenging run with the bat since scoring 151 against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup.

That innings was his last international hundred for a long stretch as he struggled to convert starts for more than a year.

He finally ended the drought when he scored a century against Sri Lanka earlier this month. It was his first hundred after 83 innings across formats, giving him a much-needed boost after months of form-related discussions.

Babar is currently part of Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing tri-nation series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Pakistan are set to face Sri Lanka in the final on November 29 in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 is set to witness a major shake-up with two new franchises joining the tournament.

Amid speculation on the names of the two new cities set to join the country’s flagship T20 league, sports journalist and anchor Syed Yahya Hussaini has claimed that the franchises would be named after Hyderabad and Faisalabad.

“Pakistan Super League 2026 will feature a seventh franchise from Hyderabad and an eighth from Faisalabad. Season 11 will also see Iqbal Stadium hosting its fifth PSL match,” he wrote on X.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is renewing franchise agreements following the conclusion of the 10th season. 

Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators have all accepted the PCB’s new proposal and will continue under their current owners.

Meanwhile, Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has announced his departure citing “principles”. 

“Being part of this team has been one of the greatest honours of my life. I love the fans, I love this team, and I absolutely love being able to represent South Punjab. Something my late uncle Alamgir Tareen was especially proud of,” he said in a statement earlier this week.

“I have always spoken my mind. I never learned how to play it safe or just play along. If staying means compromising those principles, there is only one choice I can make. I would rather lose this team while standing on my feet than run it from my knees. So, this is goodbye,” he said.

The Multan Sultans and PCB have had a rocky relationship, including a public feud a few weeks back.

On the financial front, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has announced revised prize money for the upcoming season. 

“Complementing the Pakistan Super League’s growth, I am thrilled to announce a new reward for franchises in the forthcoming editions,” he said. 

The champions will receive $500,000, the runner-up will take home $300,000, and an additional $200,000 will be awarded to the franchise contributing most towards cricket development.

The auction for the two new PSL teams is scheduled for January 6, 2026, while the final decision on which cities will host the teams will be made after December 15. 

The expansion marks the league’s first major restructuring in seven years since the addition of Multan Sultans in 2018.

The PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2025 group stage is starting Nov 28 and will continue till Dec 4 with teams fighting for a spot in the grand finals. 

In one of the hottest group‑stage showdowns, Pakistan’s top squad Inner Circle (IC) will square off against India’s OG, setting up a cross-border “El Clasico” in esports that fans have eagerly anticipated. 

Another Indian team, TR, competes in the other group, making PMGC 2025 a tournament to watch for both sides.

OG secured their place via the Gauntlet stage, while IC enters the competition with momentum from regional qualifiers.

Fans still remember the last time a Pakistani team faced an Indian side in global competition, when IC battled India’s former squad. 

Streaming records broke and hype went through the roof. This time, the battle will last for three straight days in the group stage, and if both teams qualify for the finals, they could clash over an additional three days, promising non‑stop excitement for fans.

With the group stage beginning on Nov 28 and the Grand Finals scheduled for December 12–14 in Bangkok, the stakes are high and every match counts.