United News of Bangladesh

Defending champions Bangladesh Under-19 Cricket team will fly for United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday (Nov 24) in a hope to retain the U-19 Asia Cup Cricket title beginning there on Friday (November 29). Earlier on Thursday (November 21), Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 14-member final squad of Bangladesh Youth team for the eight-nation continental youth cricket tournament naming Azizul Hakim Tamim as the captain. Bangladesh clinched their maiden and only U-19 Asia Cup crown beating UAE by a huge margin of 195 runs in the last year's final. The official photo session of Bangladesh team for the upcoming one-day format Youth Asia Cup Cricket was held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday. Later, addressing the pressmen, Bangladesh skipper Tamim said, "we are the defending champions, our team is studded with five cricketers of the last champions team, so we are very much optimistic to win the title this time too". "We worked hard in last three to four months, our confidence level is now high after winning the home series against UAE, we wants to win the U-19 World Cup crown also apart from winning the ensuing Asia Cup title '" he added Eight Asian teams--five full-member countries –India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan-- alongside three qualified teams—Nepal, Japan and UAE –split into two groups, will compete in the first phase of the upcoming Asia Cup. Bangladesh, which was placed in four-team Group B with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, will play Afghanistan in one of the two opening day’s matches on November 29 at Dubai International Stadium. Bangladesh will play Nepal on December 1 and Sri Lanka on December 3 in the remaining group matches. Ahead of the main draw, Bangladesh team will play a warm-match against India on November 26 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Bangladesh U-19 team: Azizul Hakim Tamim (captain), Jawad Arbar (vice-captain), Rifat Beg, Samiun Bashir Ratul, Devashis Sarkar, Rizan Hossain, Al Fahad, Iqbal Hasan Emon, Rafiuzzaman Rafi, Farid Hasan Foysal, Maruf Mrida, Shihab James, Ashrafuzzaman and Saad Islam Razi.

ast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and the Indian opening batsmen put India in control of the first cricket test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series Saturday at the end of the second day of the opening match of the five-test series. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 90 not out and KL Rahul’s unbeaten 62 took India to 172-0 at stumps and extended its lead to 218 runs after Bumrah had taken 5-30 to help bowl out Australia for 104 and secure a 46-run first innings lead. India’s only previous test win in Perth came back in 2008 at the WACA Ground. Jaiswal redeemed himself by setting sight on his fourth test century after being dismissed for nought in the first innings. He twice called for assistance during his 4½ hour innings as he nursed his right arm. He has faced 193 balls and hit two sixes and seven fours. When Jaiswal danced down the track and hit offspinner Nathan Lyon for a huge six over long on he surpassed New Zealander Brendon McCullum’s 33 sixes in a calendar year with 34 of his own. Earlier, he had gloriously flicked left-arm swing bowler Mitchell Starc over long leg, too. Jaiswal and Rahul batted untroubled on a pitch that had claimed 17 wickets on the opening day. The openers weathered the much-vaunted Australian pace attack. India was dismissed for 150 on the first day after it had won the toss and batted. Starting the second innings after lunch, India comfortably progressed to 81 without loss at the tea break and extending the lead to 130 runs. The 22-year old Jaiswal, renowned for his aggressive batting, was more circumspect and grafted his half-century off 123 balls — the slowest among his nine 50s. Rahul was happy to play second fiddle to his junior partner and brought up his 16th 50 in his 54th test hitting just four boundaries off 124 balls. Australia toiled for 57 overs and used seven bowlers desperately trying to separate the pair but both Jaiswal and Rahul were determined to resume battle on the third day at Perth Stadium. Australia resumed the day on 67-7 and were dismissed following a rearguard action by Mitchell Starc, who braved over two hours to top score with 26 runs and lift Australia from a precarious 79-9. Bumrah, who dismantled the Australian top order on the first day, began the second by dismissing Alex Carey for 21 with his first ball of the day. It was Bumrah’s 11th five-wicket haul in his 41st test, and so far has 37 wickets in eight test matches in Australia at an average of 19.18. Bumrah, captaining in the absence of Rohit Sharma who is awaiting the birth of the his second child, spearheaded the four-pronged pace attack. Starc skied paceman Harshit Rana (3-48) after a stubborn 26-run stand that lasted 90 minutes. Resuming the day, Australia lost two quick wickets in Carey and Nathan Lyon (5) and was facing the prospect of being bowled out for its lowest total against its subcontinent opposition before Starc and Hazlewood dug in. Starc was hit on the helmet when he ducked into a Rana delivery and required attention from the medical and support staff under the concussion rule. Starc and Rana are teammates at Kolkata Knight Riders in the T20 Indian Premier League, and Rana quickly apologized to Starc. Five overs after Carey fell, Lyon lobbed a catch to Rahul at third slip to give Rana his second wicket on his test debut. Australia and India are one-two in the World Test Championship standings.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the launch of the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 edition on Saturday, aiming to provide a platform for local cricketers to prove their talent and prepare for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).   The tournament, officially named the Al-Arafah Islami Bank NCL T20 Powered by Walton, will take place from December 11 to 24.    The tournament's logo was unveiled at a ceremony held at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka. The BCB President Faruk Ahmed, BCB Director Fahim Sinha, and representatives from the sponsors were present at the program.    A total of eight teams, including seven divisional teams and Dhaka Metro, will participate in the NCL T20.    The league matches will be played at the Sylhet Divisional Stadium and Sylhet Divisional Stadium Outer Ground, while the playoffs and the final will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.   BCB President Faruk Ahmed emphasised the tournament's importance in providing local cricketers with a platform to prove themselves ahead of the BPL.   He expressed his hope that the players would seize this opportunity to showcase their skills and contribute to the development of T20 cricket in Bangladesh.   The sponsors expressed their enthusiasm for being part of the tournament and their commitment to supporting cricket in Bangladesh.   The matches will be broadcast live on T Sports, the country's first and only sports channel, with at least 18 matches televised. All matches will also be available on the T Sports app. In addition, the matches will be streamed on the OTT platform FanCode in India and on the T Sports YouTube channel for the rest of the world.

Right-arm pacer Sumon Khan bagged seven wickets with a hat-trick in the ongoing sixth round of the National Cricket League (NCL), and it led to a record collapse of Rajshahi Division, who lost all wickets in just 42 runs against Dhaka Division at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura on Saturday. Sumon took two wickets in his first over, and he continued his dominance throughout the innings. The 24-year-old pacer wrapped up Rajshahi’s innings in dramatic fashion, securing his maiden first-class hat-trick by dismissing Asaduzzaman LBW, becoming the 15th Bangladeshi bowler to achieve this milestone in first-class cricket. Tilak Varma creates history with 3rd consecutive T20 century Before Sumon, 14 other bowlers registered hat-tricks in NCL, with Sohag Gazi and Elius Sunny each doing it twice.  Sumon’s heroics also brought Rajshahi their lowest-ever first-class score, surpassing the previous record of 46 runs set by Barishal against Khulna last season.Rajshahi’s batters had no answer to Sumon’s relentless pace and swing. Their highest scorer, Meherob Hossain, managed just 18 runs, while only one other batter, Sabbir Hossain, reached double figures.

India’s Tilak Varma has etched his name in T20 cricket history, becoming the first player—male or female—to score centuries in three consecutive innings. He achieved this rare feat with a sensational 151 off 67 balls during Hyderabad’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 opener against Meghalaya in Rajkot. The 22-year-old entered the domestic T20 tournament following back-to-back centuries in South Africa, where he scored an unbeaten 107 in Centurion and followed it with 120 not out in Johannesburg. Antigua Test: Louis falls short of century as West Indies reach 250 on day one His intense knock against Meghalaya also made him the first Indian male cricketer to score over 150 in a T20 match. Previously, Kiran Navgire, representing Nagaland, had smashed an unbeaten 162 against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy in 2022. Tilak batted at No. 3, coming in during the first over, and displayed a stunning strike rate of 225.37. He hammered 14 fours and 10 sixes before being dismissed on the final ball of the innings. Particularly ruthless against medium pacer Dippu Sangma, Tilak scored 50 off just 18 balls, including six fours and three sixes. His 122-run partnership for the second wicket in just 48 balls laid the foundation for Hyderabad’s highest-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy total of 248 for 4, which is also the fifth-highest score in the tournament’s history. Tilak’s exceptional form comes as he remains one of the five players retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He previously represented the franchise in 2023 and 2024.  Source: ESPNcrickinfo

Mikyle Louis misses on a ton for three runs on day one of the Antigua Test against Bangladesh on Friday. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first. At the end of day one, they posted 250 for five, with Justin Greaves and Joshua Da Silva remaining not out for 11 and 14 respectively. West Indies lost their first wicket for 25 runs when Taskin trapped Kraigg Brathwaite for lbw. It was an outside off delivery but sharply turned to the stumps. Kraigg missed it while driving and the ball hit his pads. Antigua Test: Louis hits fifty as West Indies build slowly vs Bangladesh In his next over, Taskin dismissed Keacy Carty for a duck. It was a soft dismissal. Taijul Islam took an easy catch at the mid-on. West Indies were reduced to 84 for three wickets. In the fourth wicket, Mikyle Louis  and Alick Athanaze added 140 runs. Louis fell for 97 when he was edged by Mehidy Hasan Miraz at the slip. Athanaze continued and fell for 90 runs. Athanaze fell victim to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam. The batter went for a sweep but missed it to edge to wicketkeeper. Antigua Test: Bangladesh opt to bowl first Bangladesh opted for a three-pacer attack in this match, taking Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Shoriful Islam in the XI. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is also on the team. Hasan Murad, who is yet to make debut for Bangladesh, is overlooked despite registering a hat-trick in the practice match ahead of the main series. Bangladesh hasn't had the best track record against the West Indies in Tests, having won just four out of twenty encounters. This time around, they'll be fielding a rather youthful side with several seasoned players missing. The second and final Test of the series will be played from November 30 in Kingston.  

Mikyle Louis hits a fifty for West Indies in the Antigua Test after Taskin Ahmed takes two wickets. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first. At the end of 53 overs, the hosts were batting at 113 for three, with Louis was unbeaten on 68. West Indies lost their first wicket for 25 runs when Taskin trapped Kraigg Brathwaite for lbw. It was an outside off delivery but sharply turned to the stumps. Kraigg missed it while driving and the ball hit his pads. In his next over, Taskin dismissed Keacy Carty for a duck. It was a soft dismissal. Taijul Islam took an easy catch at the mid-on. Bangladesh opted for a three-pacer attack in this match, taking Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Shoriful Islam in the XI. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is also on the team. Hasan Murad, who is yet to make debut for Bangladesh, is overlooked despite registering a hat-trick in the practice match ahead of the main series. Bangladesh hasn't had the best track record against the West Indies in Tests, having won just four out of twenty encounters. This time around, they'll be fielding a rather youthful side with several seasoned players missing. The second and final Test of the series will be played from November 30 in Kingston.  

Bashundhara Kings clinched the season's curtain raiser soccer meet, the Bangladesh 2.0 Challenge Cup Football 2024-25,  beating Dhaka Mohammedan SC by 3-1 goals at the Basundhara Kings Arena here on Friday. Adviser for Youth and Sports Ministry Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan was the chief guest in the match and distributed the prizes. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) introduced the Bangladesh 2.0 Challenge Cup as the season's curtain raiser football meet that was dedicated to the July-August student's uprising. The entire amount raised in ticket sales will be given to the July-August Martyrs Foundation. This was the first victory for the Kings’ Romanian Coach Valeriu Tita after conceding three successive defeats in international matches. In the day's lone match tournament, Captain Souleymane Diabate put the Federation Cup runners-up Mohammedan SC ahead in the 7th minute and dominated the first half by 1-0 goals. The BPL and Federation Cup champions Kings took control of the match in the 2nd half and won the match comfortably scoring three goals in a row. Defender Topu Barman leveled the margin for the Kings in the 74th minute by placing a shot from the danger zone, utilizing a corner of Brazilian midfielder Miguel Damasceno (1-1). Federation Cup champions  Bashundhara Kings took the lead from behind in the 81st minute when Foysal Ahmed Fahim scored the 2nd goal by brilliant shot, off a Miguel Damasceno cross (2-1). The Bhutanese referee gave 18 minutes additional time as the match was stopped for about ten minutes. Antigua Test: Bangladesh opt to bowl first Kings captain Miguel Damasceno, who played a vital role in the team's first two goals, finally sealed the fate of the match scoring the 3rd goal in the 7th minute of the additional time (90+9 minute). The country's most prestigious 10-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football will kick off on November 29 and the 10-team Federation Cup Football will begin on December 3 in a new format.  

Bangladesh have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the Antigua Test against West Indies on Friday. Mehidy Hasan Miraz is leading the Bangladesh team in this series, making his debut as Bangladesh's captain in Tests. The tourists will play a two-match Test series against the hosts before locking horns in an ODI and T20I series. Bangladesh opted for a three-pacer attack in this match, taking Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Shoriful Islam in the XI. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is also on the team. Hasan Murad, who is yet to make debut for Bangladesh, is overlooked despite registering a hat-trick in the practice match ahead of the main series. Bangladesh haven’t had the best track record against the West Indies in Tests, having won just four out of twenty encounters. This time around, they'll be fielding a rather youthful side with several seasoned players missing. With Najmul Hossain Shanto out, the selectors have turned to Shahadat Hossain Dipu, a batsman with a decent first-class record. Dipu played 33 matches in first-class cricket and scored over 1700 runs with three centuries. In the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh only have one all-rounder in Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who will also lead the team in this series. Relatively inexperienced Bangladesh team will be hoping to young guns to fire under new captain. The second and final Test of the series will be played from November 30 in Kingston. Bangladesh XI: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain, Litton Das (wk), Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam West Indies XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Mikyle Louis, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales.  

The Ireland national women’s cricket team arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning to play a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series against the hosts. Nigar Sultana will lead the Bangladesh team in this series, while Gaby Lewis will lead the tourists. The ODI series kicks off on Wednesday, November 27, followed by the second and third ODIs on Saturday and Monday, December 2, respectively. The T20I series begins on Thursday, December 5, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, and Monday, 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. 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.