United News of Bangladesh

Sri Lanka was bowled out by South Africa for 42 at Kingsmead on Thursday, its lowest total in test cricket. Sri Lanka's previous worst was 71 just over 20 years ago in Kandy against Pakistan. South Africa needed only 83 legal deliveries — 13.5 overs — to rout the Sri Lankans in their first innings. That's the lowest number of deliveries in 100 years. England routed South Africa in 75 balls in 1924. The 42 was also a record low for a test at Kingsmead, and the record low against South Africa, eclipsing New Zealand's 45 in 2013 in Cape Town. The pitch was considered batting friendly on day two of the first test, as South Africa scored 111 runs in an extended morning session, resuming on 80-4 and being dismissed for 191. Kamindu Mendis top-scored with 13 in a Sri Lanka lineup which featured four ducks. Medium-pacer Marco Jansen took a career-best 7-13 in 6.5 overs. Jansen was only the second player after Hugh Trumble of Australia, in 1904 against England, to take seven wickets inside seven overs of a test innings.

Pakistan hopes it will get a fair deal on “equality” when the International Cricket Council holds a virtual meeting on Friday to finalize details for next year’s Champions Trophy. There’s an impasse for the eight-team, 50-over format tournament after India declined to tour Pakistan for the event, scheduled to be held from Feb. 19 to March 9. A decades-long tense political situation between the two south Asian countries hasn’t see India playing international cricket in Pakistan since 2008 when it competed in Asia Cup. Both nations have competed in ICC tournaments with Pakistan touring India last year for the 50-overs World Cup. “I promise we’ll do what is best for Pakistan cricket,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in Lahore. “We’re still clear in our stance that it’s not acceptable that we play cricket in India, and they don’t play cricket here. Whatever will happen, will happen on the basis of equality. We’ve told the ICC very clearly, and what happens next we’ll let you know.” The ICC board could decide the issue in a vote among members. “Whatever we do, we will make sure the best outcome for Pakistan is achieved,” Naqvi said. “But I repeat, and I am sure you know what I mean, it’s not possible that Pakistan play in India, and they don’t come here.” Earlier this month, the ICC told the PCB that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had informed the game’s governing body it will not tour Pakistan for the event. The PCB sent an email, asking the ICC reasons behind India’s refusal. 13-year-old cricketer Suryavanshi can become India's latest T20 batting sensation Naqvi said he’s been in “constant touch” with the ICC chairman Greg Barckley, but didn’t say whether he got the answers from the game’s governing body as to why India was not willing to tour Pakistan. Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the Pakistan government, said that whatever decision the ICC makes on Friday, he will go to his government for the final approval. Pakistan has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi — the three venues chosen for the Champions Trophy. Naqvi said he hoped the renovation of three stadiums will be completed well in time to host the event.  

Bangladesh Women started their ODI series against Ireland with a big 154-run victory at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday, riding on Sharmin Akhter’s 96 and a disciplined bowling effort. Bangladesh opted to bat first after winning the toss and posted 252 runs for four wickets, their highest-ever ODI total. Opener Fargana Hoque anchored the innings with a steady 61 off 110 balls before Sharmin took charge. Sharmin’s knock, featuring 14 boundaries, came off just 89 deliveries. Murshida Khatun (38) and captain Nigar Sultana (28) also contributed well with the bat. Women’s ODI: Bangladesh take on visiting Ireland on Wednesday Ireland’s bowlers struggled to contain the hosts, with Freya Sargent (2-51) being their best bowler. Laura Delany and Aimee Maguire chipped in with one wicket each, but the Irish attack lacked better bowling against Bangladesh's composed batting. In response, Ireland faltered early in their chase of 253, losing Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter within the first three overs to pacer Marufa Akter. Sarah Forbes (25) and Laura Delany (22) attempted to rebuild but found little support as Bangladesh’s bowlers continued to dominate. Sultana Khatun’s remarkable spell of 3-23 dismantled the middle order, while Nahida Akter (2-23) and Marufa (2-18) maintained pressure. National Cricket League: Sylhet win their maiden title Three Irish batters fell to run-outs, further underlining Ireland’s struggles. The visitors folded for just 98 runs in 28.5 overs, sealing a comprehensive win for Bangladesh. The second and third ODIs will take place on November 30 and December 2. After the ODI series, both the teams will lock horns in a T20I series, begins on December 5, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for December 7, and December 9.

England test captain Ben Stokes said he opted out of the bidding in the Indian Premier League to prioritize playing international cricket in what he described as the “back end” of his career. Stokes sat out the lucrative IPL this year to ease his workload following knee problems and was a notable absentee in the auction for the 2025 edition. Stokes, one of cricket's biggest stars, could have commanded a huge fee, given he signed a contract worth $2 million with Chennai Super Kings for last season. His priorities lie elsewhere, though. “I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can," Stokes told the BBC the day before England begins its test series against New Zealand. "Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that — prioritizing games and when I do play. "It’s about looking at what I’ve got ahead and making the decision that I think is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to be wearing this England shirt for as long as I can.” England is set to hand out a seventh test debut of the year, with Jacob Bethell coming into the team for the first test in Christchurch at No. 3 — a role he has never previously performed in first-class cricket. That's because wicketkeeper Jordan Cox sustained a broken thumb in the nets during a warmup week in Queenstown and was ruled out of the match. It would have been a test debut for Cox, who was himself only filling in for Jamie Smith, who is on paternity leave. “It’s a horrible thing to go through an injury and particularly when you’re on the verge of making your test debut,” Stokes said of Cox. “But as gutted as I am, as gutted as the rest of the team are, you understand that Jordan is even more gutted. You put an arm round him, check in on how he’s going, but there’s not too much you can really say because it is absolutely gutting for the lad and a real shame.” New Zealand is coming off a historic 3-0 series win in India, while England has just lost a series 2-1 in Pakistan.

Touring Bangladesh suffered a huge 201 runs defeat against hosts West Indies in the first Test on the 5th and final day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua on Tuesday. This was the 5th consecutive defeat for Bangladesh in the Test cricket after conceding two -match series against India and South Africa. Chasing a target of 333 runs, Bangladesh resumed the 2nd innings on Tuesday with 109 for 7 and were all out for 132 runs to maintain their losing trend. However, West Indies made their ground work for winning on the 4th day restricting Bangladesh for 109 runs for 7 in the 2nd innings and achieved  their  within one hour of the final day's play. Earlier, West Indies, riding on Justin Greaves maiden test century declared the first innings at 450 for 9.  Justin Greaves was adjudged the man of the match for his unbeaten 115 runs in addition to two wickets. But, Taskin Ahmed made the match exciting one dismissing the Caribbean team for 152 runs in the 2nd innings with his test career best six-wicket haul. Stand in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored the Bangladesh highest 45 runs in the 2nd innings Bangladesh,  which declared the first innings for  269 for 9, folded their 2nd innings for 132 runs due to their traditional batting collapse.

Bangladesh will take on the touring Ireland on Wednesday in the first of the three-match ODI series. After the ODI series, both teams will take on each other in a three-match T20I series. Both the series will be played in Mirpur. Nigar Sultana will lead the Bangladesh team in this series, while Gaby Lewis will lead the tourists. The second and third ODIs will take place on November 30 and December 2. The T20I series begins on December 5, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for December 7, and December 9. Before this series, Bangladesh faced Ireland in six ODIs and won three of those. Two matches ended without a result, and Bangladesh lost one.   Matches of this will be broadcast live across multiple platforms. In Bangladesh, fans can catch the action on T Sports (TV) and the T Sports App (OTT). For viewers in India, Fancode will stream the matches, while the rest of the world can tune in via T Sports' YouTube channel. Bangladesh ODI squad: Nigar Sultana (c), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Fargana Hoque, Sharmin Akhter, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Sultana Khatun, Taj Nehar, Sanjida Akther Ireland ODI squad: Gaby Lewis (c), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Una Raymond-Hoey, Freya Sargent, and Alice Tector.

A 13-year-old from India’s northern state of Bihar could become the latest T20 batting sensation after Rajasthan Royals bought the youngster for $130,000 during the mega auction of the Indian Premier League. Vaibhav Suryavanshi came to the limelight last month after he scored a century against Australia's Under-19 team off just 58 balls before he got out for 104. At the age of 13 years and 187 days, Suryavanshi broke the record of Bangladesh’s present test captain Najmul Hasan Shanto, who at the age of 14 years and 241 days held the previous record of scoring a century at youth level. Delhi Capitals also showed plenty of interest when the bid for Suryavanshi started at his base price of $35,500 before Rajasthan eventually bought him. “He’s (Suryavanshi) been to our high performance center in Nagpur, he had trials there and really impressed our coaching set-up there,” Rajasthan’s chief executive officer Jake Lush McCrum said after the auction ended in Saudi Arabia on Monday. “He’s an incredible talent and of course you've got to have the confidence so he can step up to the IPL level.” McCrum described Suryavanshi as a “hell of a talent” and hoped lots of work will go into the coming months before the IPL begins on March 14 with former Indian captain Rahul Dravid among the coaching panel of the franchise. Suryavanshi idolizes legendary West Indian batter Brian Lara and often gets tips from former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer, with whom he met during an Under-19 tournament in Bangladesh last year. India rout Australia by 295 runs in 1st test His father Sanjiv Suryavanshi is his coach and has worked with him since an an early age once his son started to show interest in the game. “He is not just my son now, but entire Bihar’s son," the elder Suryavanshi told Press Trust of India. "My son has worked hard.”    

Sylhet Division won their first-ever National Cricket League (NCL) championship on Tuesday, defeating Barishal Division by five wickets at the Sylhet International Stadium. The victory came with one match still to play in this year’s league. Chasing a modest target of 105 runs, Sylhet chased down the target in the first session of the final day, led by a crucial unbeaten 38-run knock from captain Amit Hasan. Earlier, Sylhet’s bowlers had bundled out Barishal for 142 in the second innings to set up the chase. Amit, who scored 661 runs in five matches this season, played a pivotal role in his team’s campaign. Sylhet’s road to the title was further solidified as Rangpur, their closest competitor, failed to beat Dhaka Metro in Cox’s Bazar. The match ended in a draw, guaranteeing Sylhet the championship regardless of the result in the final round. The chase was not without challenges. Sylhet stumbled early, losing two wickets for just seven runs. A steadying 77-run partnership between Amit and Nasum Ahmed (44) brought the team to the brink of victory. Nasum fell with just one run required, but Amit quickly took the final single to seal the win. Sylhet now leads the table with 37 points, far ahead of Dhaka Division (25) and Rangpur Division (23).

West Indies are on the brink of victory in the first Test against Bangladesh, reducing the visitors to 109 for 7 at stumps on the fourth day.  With only three wickets in hand, Bangladesh are now facing a tough task, as Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales orchestrated a commanding bowling performance. Bangladesh began the day with an unusual decision to declare their first innings at 269 for 9, leaving a deficit of 181 runs. This aggressive approach aimed to create opportunities for their bowlers, a gamble that seemed to work momentarily as Taskin Ahmed delivered a career-best 6 for 64 to bowl West Indies out for 152. Rishabh Pant becomes the most expensive cricket player in IPL history However, the inspired bowling effort was undone by Bangladesh’s fragile batting under relentless pressure from the West Indies attack. Roach struck early in Bangladesh’s chase, removing Zakir Hasan for a duck and later claiming Mominul Haque with a sharp return catch. Jayden Seales added to the woes, dismissing Mahmudul Hasan Joy and then Taijul Islam with precise deliveries. Bangladesh's top-order collapse left them reeling at 59 for 5. Amid the chaos, captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz staged a lone fightback, scoring a brisk 45 off 46 balls. His innings featured bold strokes, including five boundaries and a six, as he tried to keep the scoreboard ticking. Zimbabwe stuns new-look Pakistan in rain-affected 1st ODI However, his dismissal to a sharp catch behind the stumps by Joshua Da Silva off Seales effectively ended Bangladesh’s hopes of a resurgence. Litton Das managed a quick 22 but fell to Shamar Joseph after a brief counterattack. Earlier in the day, West Indies started their second innings cautiously but were undone by Taskin’s fiery spell. Alick Athanaze top-scored with 42, while Kraigg Brathwaite contributed 23. Despite Taskin’s heroics, supported by two wickets from Mehidy, West Indies set a daunting target of 334 runs. The West Indies bowlers, backed by sharp fielding despite some missed chances, maintained a stranglehold on Bangladesh. Roach finished the day with 3 for 20, while Seales impressed with 3 for 31.

    PERTH, Australia, Nov 25 (AP/UNB) — India hammed Australia by 295 runs in the opening Border-Gavaskar test to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with more than a day to spare at Perth Stadium on Monday. Set an impossible 534 runs to win, Australia was bowled out for 238 runs soon after tea on the fourth day as India secured its biggest win against the hosts in Australia following the 222-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 1977. Travis Head top scored for the homeside with 89 runs off 101 balls with eight fours. Head tried to delay the inevitable defeat first with Steve Smith (17), sharing 62 runs for the fifth wicket to lift Australia from 17-4 soon after it resumed the day from an overnight 12-3. Then in the company of hard-hitting Mitchell Marsh (47), Head added 82 runs for the sixth wicket before fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah forced the left hander to edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Bumrah finished with a match-haul of 8-72 (5-30 and 3-42) and increased his wicket tally in Australia to 40 at an average of 18.80 in eight test matches. Bumrah passed offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin (39 wickets) as the third most successful Indian bowler in Australia behind swing bowler Kapil Dev (51 in 11) and legspinner Anil Kumble (49 in 10). Fast bowler Mohamed Siraj took 3-51. Test debutante and fast bowler Harshit Rana bowled Alex Carey for 36 to seal a wonderful win for India. It was also India's second biggest win in terms of runs against Australia in all tests since the 320-run win at home in Mohali in October 2008. India's comfortable win was set up by two majestic centuries — Yashasvi Jaiswal's 161 and an unbeaten 100 by evergreen Virat Kohli — as the tourists set Australia the highest-ever run chase on a pitch that was getting increasingly difficult to bat on. Playing only its fourth five-test series since its first tour here in 1947/48, India secured only its 10th win in 53 tests on Australian soil and only its second in Perth in six test matches. India last won in Perth in 2008 at the old WACA ground. India had gone into the test without skipper Rohit Sharma, who stayed home for the birth of his second child and batsman Shubman Gill who suffered a broken finger during a practice match between the squad. But a young and inexperienced team under Bumrah redeemed itself and turned its fortunes around following an embarrassing 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand leading into this test series. After an eventful start to the test that saw 17 wickets fall on the first day, India took control of the test as it plundered 487-6 declared. This was after it was bowled out for 150 after winning the toss and then dismissed Australia for a paltry 104. But the test belonged to 22-year-old Jaiswal who provided the backbone of the Indian second innings that will be long remembered for it class and exuberance against the much-vaunted Australian pace attack. It was his third century in 2024 and anchored the innings with a record 201-run opening stand with KL Rahul (77). Kohli then took over to become the most successful visiting batsman in Australia by scoring his seventh hundred here before India declared. Only Englishman Jack Hobbs (9) has scored more hundreds in Australia in 24 matches. Kohli has played only 14 games. The start of day four did not go well for the hosts as Siraj forced Khawaja (4) to top edge for Pant to complete a running catch to reduce Australia to 17-4. But Smith and Head survived some anxious moments against India’s pace quartet and Head counterattacked his way to a 63-ball half century with six fours. Smith put behind his first ball nought in the first innings to play a watchful innings, but was eventually undone by a superb Siraj delivery. The series now moves to Adelaide for a pink ball test from Dec. 6. India has held the Border-Gavaskar trophy since the 2016/17 home series.