United News of Bangladesh

Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury has officially received clearance from FIFA to represent Bangladesh in international football. The 26-year-old becomes the first player from the English Premier League to don the red and green jersey. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday, expressing their excitement about Hamza’s inclusion. Austrian soccer player sustains fractured skull in attack by unidentified assailant The FIFA Players' Status Committee approved the request, clearing the final hurdle after England’s Football Association issued a no-objection certificate earlier this year.  “This is a proud moment for Bangladesh football,” BFF’s General Secretary Imran Hossain said. “Hamza Choudhury’s inclusion will inspire a new generation and open doors for future international success.” Hamza, born in England to a Bangladeshi mother, applied for Bangladeshi citizenship in June and received his passport in August.

Last season's treble winners Bashundhara Kings will play six-time champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd in a vital 4th round match of the 10-team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Friday. In Friday's other 4th round match, league leaders Dhaka Mohammedan SC will face Bangladesh Police FC, also at 2:30 pm, at the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. After the 3rd round matches, Federation Cup and Challenge Cup runners-up Dhaka Mohammedan SC took a solo lead in the league table with an all-win run, securing a full nine points from three straight matches after beating Dhaka Wanderers Club 6-0, Bashundhara Kings 1-0, and Dhaka Abahani 1-0. Fed Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings taste first defeat in 2nd match losing to Fortis FC by 0-2 goal With their maiden defeat, former champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd dropped out of the league race, sharing the 3rd spot with Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police FC, and Rahmatganj MFS, all with six points from three matches. The new-look Gopibagh outfit Brothers Union Club followed the league leaders Mohammedan SC closely, securing seven points from three matches after beating Police FC 2-1, Chittagong Abahani 2-0, and drawing 1-1 with Fortis FC. Defending champions Bashundhara Kings made a flying start, crushing Chittagong Abahani Ltd 7-0 in the league opener, suffered a big blow losing to Dhaka Mohammedan 0-1 in the 2nd match, and bounced back in the 3rd round by beating Rahmatganj MFS comfortably 4-1. BPL Football: Holders Bashundhara Kings return to winning ways outplaying Rahmatganj MFS Dhaka Abahani, which maintained an all-win record in the first two matches, beating Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club 2-0 and Dhaka Wanderers Club 1-0, tasted their first defeat, losing to their arch-rivals Mohammedan SC 0-1 in the 3rd match.

Bangladesh endured an eight-wicket defeat against India in their Super Four match of the Under-19 Women's T20 Asia Cup Cricket at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Following the loss, Bangladesh faces a must-win scenario against Nepal on Friday, requiring not only a victory but also a strong net run rate to stay in contention for the final. Meanwhile, India will play Sri Lanka in the other Super Four fixture on the same day. Sent in to bat first, Bangladesh managed to score only 80 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs, struggling against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Opener Mosammat Eva, Habiba Islam, Fahmida Choya, and Nishita Akter Nishi were the only Bangladeshi batters to reach double figures, while 11 runs came from extras. The rest of the lineup faltered under pressure. India's Aayushi Shukla wreaked havoc, claiming 3 wickets for just 9 runs in her four overs, including a maiden. Sonam Yadav was equally effective, taking 2 wickets for 6 runs in her four overs, also with a maiden. Champions Trophy: ICC confirms neutral venues for India-Pakistan matches Chasing a modest target of 81, India reached 86 runs with ease in just 12.1 overs, losing only two wickets. Opener Gongadi Trisha played a stellar innings, smashing an unbeaten 58 off 46 balls, including 10 boundaries. Captain Niki Prasad supported with an unbeaten 22 off 14 balls, hitting one four and two sixes. Bangladesh’s Anisa Akter Soba was the sole wicket-taker, claiming both Indian wickets for 19 runs in her four-over spell.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that all matches between India and Pakistan at ICC events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle will be held at neutral venues, which also includes the ICC Champions Trophy’s next edition. This decision was announced on Thursday and applies to both men's and women's ICC tournaments hosted by either nation. Persistent rain over 5 days forces 3rd test between Australia and India into a soggy draw It will impact the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in February and March 2025. Matches involving the two rival teams will be relocated to a neutral venue. The same arrangement will apply to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, hosted by India, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has secured hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where the neutral venue policy for India-Pakistan fixtures will also be applied. Liton eyes series win over West Indies A total of eight teams—Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan— will participate in the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy.  A fixture of the Champions Trophy is yet to be finalized.  

Persistent rain over all five days forced umpires to finally pull the plug on the third cricket test between Australia and India, calling play about two hours before the scheduled end of the match Wednesday as it ended in a soggy draw. Australia declared its second innings at 89-7 and set India 275 runs to win in 54 overs and about a session and a half before stumps Wednesday. But play only ensued for less than three overs before bad light stopped play and an early tea was taken with India at none for 8 and needed 267 runs to win. But the rain came again and that was the end of play in the test. Earlier Wednesday, Travis Head, named man of the match for his 152 runs in the first innings, dismissed India tailender Akash Deep to end India’s first innings at 260 and secure an 185-run lead for Australia. Mahedi Hasan leaps to 23rd in ICC T20 bowling rankings after heroic performance against West Indies After the test, veteran allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from cricket. With the five-test series level at 1-1 and Brisbane touted as being a pivotal test in the series, it has turned out to be anything but. Rain delay after rain delay spoiled the Gabba match and forced Cricket Australia to refund tickets to about 35,000 spectators who attended the first day because not enough overs were bowled. “Obviously to have interruptions like that wasn’t great, but going to Melbourne at 1-1 is great and gives us confidence that we can go to Melbourne and pull something off there," India captain Rohit Sharma said. Jasprit Bumrah went past India legend Kapil Dev for the most test wickets in Australia by an Indian player when he had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind for 1 on Wednesday. Bumrah is now on top of the list with 53 wickets, two ahead of Kapil on 51. After helping save India from the follow-on with a valuable 10 not out in a crucial last-wicket stand of 47 with Deep, the 31-year-old Bumrah returned to doing what he does best at the bowling crease — he took nine wickets in Brisbane and now has 21 wickets for the series at an average of 10.9. Australia will likely be a bowler down for the remainder of the series after Josh Hazlewood suffered calf soreness ahead of the fourth day’s play and was only able to send down one over before leaving the field. Hazlewood, who missed the second Adelaide test due to side soreness, was late entering the field at the start of play and then looked labored when he came into the attack. “Josh passed all assessments before he was selected for the third test and was fully fit entering the match,” Cricket Australia's high-performance director Ben Oliver said. “Unfortunately Josh suffered a new, unrelated calf injury during the warm-up on day four.” Scott Boland, who replaced Hazlewood in Adelaide and took five wickets, will likely be back for Australia for the Melbourne Cricket Ground test starting Dec. 26. India won the first test by 295 runs at Perth, while Australia came back to win the second day-night test in Adelaide by 10 wickets.

Bangladeshi off-break bowler and all-rounder Mahedi Hasan climbed 18 spots to secure the 23rd position in the latest ICC T20 bowling rankings, published on Tuesday. Mahedi's remarkable performances played a pivotal role in Bangladesh's T20 series win against the West Indies, cementing his status as a key player for the team. In the first T20 match, Mahedi delivered an extraordinary spell, taking four wickets for just 13 runs in four overs. His bowling effort helped Bangladesh defend a modest total of 147 runs, securing a 7-run victory over the hosts. He continued his stellar form in the second T20 match, picking up two wickets for 20 runs, leading Bangladesh to a comfortable 27-run win and clinching the series. Meanwhile, West Indian spinner Akeal Hosein rose to the top of the ICC T20 bowling rankings for the first time. Hosein, who claimed two wickets for 13 runs in the first T20 against Bangladesh, surpassed renowned bowlers such as Adil Rashid, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Adam Zampa to achieve the milestone.

Salzburg has hired Thomas Letsch as coach as the Austrian club seeks a turnaround ahead of the Club World Cup next year and the imminent arrival of Jürgen Klopp as head of soccer for Red Bull's group of clubs. Letsch has signed a contract through 2027 to replace Pepijn Lijnders — formerly Klopp's assistant at Liverpool — who was fired Monday with the club 10 points off the lead in the Austrian league and unlikely to advance in the Champions League. “By quickly resolving this important position, we are now able to continue to plan for as successful a rest of the season as possible without any limitations,” Salzburg's managing director of sport Rouven Schröder said in a statement. Salzburg is heading to the Club World Cup next year based on its results from previous years. It's been drawn against Real Madrid, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal and Mexico's Pachuca in the group stage. Read: Fed Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings taste first defeat in 2nd match losing to Fortis FC by 0-2 goal Salzburg won 10 Austrian titles in a row before losing out to Sturm Graz last season. Letsch last worked for German club Bochum, where he was fired in April. Earlier in his career, the 56-year-old German was a youth coach at Salzburg and was caretaker coach for two games in 2015. Klopp is starting his new role for the Red Bull group of clubs from Jan. 1.

Indian cricket allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin waved goodbye to international cricket. His decision came abruptly on Wednesday.  He hastily called a media conference following the drawn test between Australia and India at the Gabba, and came up with the retirement decision, reports AP.  “It’s a very emotional moment,” Ashwin said. “I have had a lot of fun, I have made a lot of memories alongside Rohit (captain Sharma) and my other teammates.” Bangladesh clinch T20I series vs West Indies The right-arm spinner and handy batter got his maiden Test cap in 2011 and played 106 Tests since. He grabbed 537 wickets in Test cricket. He has 115 wickets in Tests against Australia in 23 matches.  He has more wickets against Australia than other countries.  Sharma said he was aware of Ashwin’s desire to walk away before the start of the series, but convinced him to play in Adelaide last week. The 38-year-old spinner was then left out of the third test in Brisbane, with Ravindra Jadeja taking his spot. India trails Australia by 278 runs on the 4th day of the 3rd test “He felt if I am not needed now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the team,” captain Rohit Sharma said. Ashwin’s call means he will not be available for the final two tests in Australia, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar the two remaining spinners in the Indian squad.

Bangladesh batter Soumya Sarkar has been ruled out for approximately three weeks following a finger injury sustained during the second T20 International against the West Indies in St. Vincent on Wednesday. Sarkar, who has been a key figure in Bangladesh's top order, suffered the injury while attempting a catch in the seventh over of the West Indies' innings and did not return to the field for the remainder of the game. “Soumya sustained a cut injury on his right index finger while fielding, which required five stitches,” National team physiotherapist Bayjedul Islam Khan said on Sarkar's condition. “An X-ray conducted post-match revealed a subluxation in the affected area. We expect his recovery to take about three to four weeks.” In the ongoing West Indies tour, Bangladesh team has been going through different experiences. They won a match in the two-match Test series but failed to win any of the three ODIs. After suffering a clean sweep in ODIs, they came back strongly in the T20Is, winning two consecutive matches and securing the series against West Indies, first time since 2018. Bangladesh will have to take on West Indies in the third and final T20I without Soumya being in the XI. Soumay’s unavailability might open the door for Afif Hossain who was dropped for the second match that Bangladesh won by 27 runs.

Bangladesh delivered a clinical performance with the ball to defeat the West Indies by 27 runs in the second T20I at Arnos Vale Ground, securing the three-match series with one game to spare. It was Bangladesh’s first T20I series win against West Indies since 2018. After a disappointing 3-0 loss in the ODI series, the visitors have bounced back emphatically in the shorter format. Being sent to bat first, Bangladesh struggled to gain momentum on a slow and damp pitch. Captain Litton Das (3 off 10) was the first to depart, stumped off Akeal Hosein, as Bangladesh found themselves in early trouble at 8 for 1. The top order faltered against the West Indies’ disciplined bowling, with Tanzid Hasan (2), Soumya Sarkar (11), and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (26) failing to capitalize on starts. At 72 for 6 in the 14th over, Bangladesh seemed headed for an underwhelming total. India trails Australia by 278 runs on the 4th day of the 3rd test However, a watchfull knock by Shamim Hossain turned the tide. The left-hander smashed 35 off just 17 balls, including two fours and two sixes, lifting Bangladesh to a defendable 129 for 7 in 20 overs. Gudakesh Motie took two wickets for the West Indies. Chasing a modest target of 130, the West Indies' innings was shaken early under the pressure of Bangladesh's disciplined bowling. Taskin Ahmed struck in his very first over, removing Brandon King (8) and Andre Fletcher (0) to leave the hosts reeling at 19 for 2. Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain then combined to decimate the middle order, with Nicholas Pooran (5) and Rovman Powell (6) falling cheaply. Bangladesh edge out West Indies in thrilling first T20I The hosts' hopes rested on Roston Chase, who fought well with a 32-run knock off 34 balls. Akeal Hosein added a battling 31 off 31 at the tail end, but their efforts were in vain as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Taskin returned to claim the final scalp, dismissing Hosein and wrapping up the West Indies innings at 102 in 18.3 overs.