United News of Bangladesh

The battle for the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League title turned into an exciting stage after defending champions Dhaka Abahani Limited and their nearest rivals Dhaka Mohammedan SC won their 2nd super league matches at different venues in the capital and adjoining areas on Wednesday. With the day’s feat, Dhaka Abahani Limited maintained their supremacy in the six-team super league securing highest 24 points from 14 matches beating Gazi Group Cricketers 10 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Muzarabani overshadows Mehidy as Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets   Dhaka Mohammedan SC followed the leaders neck and neck with 22 points from 14 encounters defeating Gulshan Cricket Club by five wickets at BKSP ground -3 in Savar. In the day’s other match, Legends of Rupganj advanced to the 4th slot in the six-team fray with 17 points from 14 outings toppling Gulshan CC crushing Agrani Bank Cricket Club by a huge 103 runs at BKSP ground-4 in Savar also on Wednesday. BCB security official Ikram dies during Sylhet Test duty Sent into bat first in Mirpur, Dhaka Abahani Ltd were all out for a moderate 249 in 48.2 overs featuring 107 runs in 19.1 overs in the opening stand by Shahriar Komol and Parvez Hossain Emon. Opener Shahriar Komol contributing the team highest 96 runs off just 100 balls hitting eight fours and three sixes and was adjudged player of the match while another opener Parvez Hossain Emon scored 52-ball 45 runs including seven boundaries. Besides, SM Meherov (45), Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbu (19), Mrittunhoy Chowdhury (15), captain Mosaddek Hossain (10) were the other notable contributors for Abahani. Wasi Siddiquee grabbed four wickets for 38 runs while Sheikh Parvaz Jibon took three wickets for 40 runs. Chasing a target of 250 runs, Gazi Group Cricketers were all out for 239 runs in 49. 3 overs despite back to back century by former national opener Anamul Haque Bijoy’s, who hits 108 runs off 133 deliveries with nine hits to the fence.   Mrittunjioy Chowdhury captured three wickets for 51 runs while captain Mosaddek Hossain and Ripon Mondal grabbed two wickets each conceding 35 and 40 runs respectively. Sent into bat first at BKSP ground -3 in Savar, Gulshan Cricket Club were all out for 224 runs in 47.4 overs with Shakil Hossain making the team highest 57 runs off 71 balls including two fours and three sixes. Mohammad Saifuddin claimed three wickets for 42 runs while Nabil Samad, Nasum Ahmed and Abu Hider Rony took two wickets each. In reply, Mohammedan SC reached their target scoring the match winners 225 runs for the loss of five wickets in 46.4 overs featuring 93 runs in the 3rd wicket stand by captain Towhid Hridoy and veteran Mahmudullah Riyad.  Veteran national cricketer Mahmudullah Riyad hammered the match highest 71 runs off 103 balls featuring three fours and a six and was adjudged the player of the match while captain Towhid Hridoy added 85-ball 62 runs with four boundaries. At BKSP ground-4 in Savar, Legends of Rupganj  outplayed Agrani Bank CC by a massive 103 runs. Sent into bat first, Legends of Rupganj piled up a huge total of 333 runs for loss of three wickets in quota 50 overs with national coloured opener Soumya Sarkar hammering a polished 153 runs off 112 balls hitting 17 fours and six sixes. In reply, the bankers team were all out for 230 runs in 43. 1 overs with middle order Marshall Ayub making 74 runs off 96 balls hitting three boundaries. Saif Hasan took three wickets foir 20 runs.  

Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 10-wicket haul in the match went in vain as Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets on Wednesday in the Sylhet Test, riding on the bowling and batting brilliance of Blessing Muzarabani and Brian Bennett.  Set a target of 174 runs, Zimbabwe reached the mark during the third session of day four. Opener Brian Bennett anchored the chase superbly, scoring his second half-century of the match. He shared a crucial 95-run opening stand with Ben Curran, providing a solid platform for the visitors. However, the chase wasn't straightforward. Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who completed his second five-wicket haul of the match, triggered a collapse by dismissing Curran and claiming four more wickets rapidly. Taijul Islam added two more, creating big pressure and sending tremors through the Zimbabwe camp. Sylhet Test: Muzarabani takes six, Zimbabwe need 174 to win Despite the wobble, Wessly Madhevere (19*), supported by Wellington Masakadza (12) and Richard Ngarava (4*), showed admirable composure to guide their team home. Zimbabwe owed much of their position to Blessing Muzarabani. The fast bowler was exceptional throughout, finishing with match figures of 9/122. His second-innings haul of 6/72 was instrumental in bowling Bangladesh out for 255, despite fifties from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (60) and Jaker Ali (58). Failures from other key batters and an inability by Bangladesh's pacers to exploit the helpful Sylhet conditions meant the hosts couldn't set a more daunting target. With Zimbabwe taking the lead in the series, both teams will now travel to Chattogram to play the second Test, starting from April 28. 

Ikram Chowdhury Ikram, a member of BCB security committee and the security coordinator at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, passed away Wednesday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest while on duty during the ongoing Test match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He was 50. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sources said he had been overseeing field inspection operations with the Bomb Disposal Unit when he fell ill. Sylhet Test: Muzarabani takes six, Zimbabwe need 174 to win Following immediate medical advice from BCB physicians, he was rushed to Al Haramain Hospital where he suffered a second heart attack. He was taken to the CCU of the hospital where doctors later pronounced him dead. A respected figure in Sylhet's sporting community, Ikram had worked with the BCB’s security committee since 2014. He regularly led security coordination during matches at the Sylhet stadium. Bangladesh extend lead past 100 before weather curtails 3rd day in Sylhet His passing has cast a pall over the Sylhet Test and local cricket circles. In a condolence message, the BCB expressed deep sorrow and extended sympathies to his family.  

Zimbabwe need 174 runs to claim victory in the first Test against Bangladesh, after bowling the hosts out for 255 in their second innings in Sylhet on Wednesday. Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani was the standout performer, dismantling the Bangladesh batting lineup. Muzarabani secured his second-best career figures, taking an impressive 6 wickets for 72 runs. His crucial spell prevented Bangladesh from building a more imposing lead. He dismissed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (60) early in the day before he could add to his overnight score, and later removed top-scorer Jaker Ali (58). Muzarabani finished with excellent match figures of 9/122. Bangladesh added only 61 runs to their overnight score of 194 for 4 before being all out for 255. Having established an 82-run first-innings lead by scoring 273 against Bangladesh's 191, Zimbabwe's batsmen now face the task of chasing 174 on a pitch that has offered assistance to bowlers. After Sylhet, both teams will travel to Chattogram to play the second and final Test of the series.

Lokesh Rahul anchored Delhi Capitals to an emphatic eight-wicket win over his former franchise Lucknow Super Giants and reached the 5,000-run mark in Indian Premier League on Tuesday. Rahul made an unbeaten 57 off 42 balls with three fours and three sixes as Delhi romped to 161-2 in 17.5 overs and joined Gujarat Titans atop the points table with 12 points from six wins. Opener Abishek Porel made 51 off 36 balls in Delhi’s aggressive run-chase as off-spinner Aiden Markram claimed both wickets for 30 runs. Earlier, Lucknow couldn’t capitalize on Markram (52) and Mitchell Marsh’s (45) 87-run opening stand off 60 balls and was restricted to 159-6 with fast bowler Mukesh Kumar returning with impressive figures of 4-33. With five wins and four defeats Lucknow is at No. 5 on the table. Rahul controls the chase Rahul was unavailable when Delhi recorded a thrilling one-wicket win over Lucknow earlier this season, but he controlled the chase well with captain Axar Patel in his first game since parting ways with his former franchise. Table-topping Gujarat routs defending champion Kolkata in IPL Rahul became the quickest batter to complete 5,000 runs in the IPL as he reached the landmark in 130 innings. David Warner held the previous record of completing the milestone in 135 innings. After losing Karun Nair to Markram in the fourth over of the run-chase, Rahul revived the chase with Porel. They countercharged against leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as Porel raised his first half-century of the season off 33 balls. With 55 needed off the 49 balls, Patel smashed four sixes in his unbeaten 34 off 20 balls and Rahul completed his half-century off 40 balls to guide Delhi home. Kumar derails Lucknow Markram and Mitchell had provided Lucknow a solid platform in the first half of the innings despite Patel (0-29) bowling four steady overs of his left-arm spin on the trot with the new ball. "In the powerplay we didn’t take a wicket but we kept it under control,” Patel said. “I had an injury issue earlier that hampered my bowling, (but) now I’m better and I took on the responsibility of bowling in the powerplay.” Markram was more aggressive than Mitchell, hitting three sixes and two boundaries, before Dushmanta Chameera of Sri Lanka, playing his first game of the season, had him caught in the deep in the 10th over. Kumar clean bowled Marsh with a superb yorker and also removed Abdul Samad, who struggled to keep the momentum going and fell for 2. Lucknow’s in-form batter Nicholas Pooran was undone by Mitchell Starc’s slow short ball and was bowled for nine. Kumar then returned for the final over and clean bowled Ayush Badoni (36), and captain Rishabh Pant’s below-par season continued when he was out for duck as he dragged the ball back onto his stumps while going for a reverse lap shot against the fast bowler. 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest ever IPL cricketer Pant surprisingly demoted himself until the fifth wicket fell with two balls left in the innings. The left-hander missed the first ball he faced from Kumar before he got dismissed in a bizarre fashion. “We were 20 runs short,” Pant said. “Whoever is bowling first gets a lot of help from the wicket … it always happens in Lucknow, wicket becomes better in the second innings.”

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto held firm with an unbeaten half-century as Bangladesh crossed the 100-run lead mark against Zimbabwe before poor light brought an early close to the third day of the opening Test. Bangladesh ended the rain-affected day on 194 for 4, with Najmul on 60 and Jaker Ali unbeaten on 21. Only 44 overs were bowled after the morning session was lost to persistent showers, further limiting play in an already tightly contested Test. Resuming from their overnight position, Bangladesh consolidated through a 60-run second-wicket stand between Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque. Sylhet Test: Mominul, Shanto lead Bangladesh after washout session, secure lead Joy, who made 33, was dismissed by the ever-reliable Blessing Muzarabani, who continued his strong outing with three more wickets in the second innings after taking as many in the first. Mominul narrowly missed a half-century, falling for 47 after adding 65 runs for the third wicket with his captain. Najmul then steadied the innings and helped Bangladesh push past Zimbabwe’s first-innings advantage of 82 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim’s struggles with the bat persisted, as he again fell for 4. He also made the same score in the first innings.  Earlier, Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s five-wicket haul had helped Bangladesh claw back into the contest after Zimbabwe posted 273, gaining a slender lead over the home side’s 191 in the first innings.

The first session of the third day of the first Test between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe washed out due to rain, and following that, Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto guided the hosts to take the lead on Tuesday.  After the first innings of each team, Zimbabwe maintained an 82-run first innings lead. Bangladesh lost their first wicket early in the second innings when Shadman Islam fell prey to Blessing Muzarabani. Bangladesh ended the second day at 57 for one.  Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who was unbeaten overnight, could only manage five runs on day three before falling as the second wicket of Muzarabani.  After the fall of both openers, Mominul and Shanto paired up to guide Bangladesh.  At the end of 25 overs, Bangladesh were at 105 for two.  Table-topping Gujarat routs defending champion Kolkata in IPL Earlier, Zimbabwe made 273 in their first innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a five-for, while Nahid Rana took three.  Bangladesh posted a 191 in their first innings after winning the toss. Mominul scored a fifty for the hosts, but the other batter failed to capitalise.  The second and final Test of this series will be played in Chattogram on April 28.           

The Gujarat Titans continued their impressive IPL run with a dominant 39-run win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday, tightening their grip at the top of the table. Skipper Shubman Gill led from the front with a classy 90 off 55 deliveries, while Sai Sudharsan extended his dream season with another fifty — his fifth — scoring 52. Their 114-run opening stand laid the platform for Gujarat’s imposing total of 198-3. Fed Cup Football: Holders Bashundhara Kings will play 12th time champions Dhaka Abahani in final on Tuesday Despite chasing at a venue known for high scores, Kolkata never really found their footing and limped to 159-8, suffering their third home defeat of the campaign. “It’s hard to have a flawless performance,” said Gill after the match. “But finding a way to win is something we’ve mastered.”   Kolkata batters struggle Kolkata’s chase was clipped early when Mohammed Siraj pinned Rahmanullah Gurbaz lbw for just 1 in the Afghan opener's first game of the season, and Rashid Khan dismissed Sunil Narine off his third ball in the powerplay. Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane resisted with a 36-ball 50 as the middle order struggled to accelerate against the spinners in Gujarat’s sixth win in eight games. Venkatesh Iyer struggled for 19 balls to make 14. His slog sweep against Sai Kishore’s left-arm spin went straight to Washington Sundar at deep mid-wicket. Rahane departed in the next over when he was stumped off Sundar’s wide ball and Kolkata's chase was derailed at 91-4 in the 13th over. Dominant Gujarat top order Gujarat opening pair Gill and Sudharsan perfectly assessed the tricky surface with their occasional aggressiveness. Gill, who lost the toss, missed out on a century but paced the innings nicely with left-hander Sudharsan. They combined for 114 runs then Jos Buttler hit a rampant unbeaten 41 off 23 balls with eight boundaries. Gill and Sudharsan completed half-centuries in almost identical style, hitting a dozen boundaries and two sixes between them. Kolkata couldn’t separatem until the 13th over. Sudharsan, taking 34 balls for his fifty, perished soon after when he cut Russell’s short ball and got a thin outside edge. Gill's 33-ball half-century included 29 runs off 12 balls. He was out swatting Vaibhav Arora’s low full toss to Rinku Singh in the outfield in the 18th over. Buttler was dropped early but his late flurry closed out a stiff total. “I thought 199 was chaseable, we came back into the game really well with the ball,” Rahane said. “You expect good opening starts but that’s what we’re struggling with.”

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed heartbreak over the decision to remove his name from the north stand of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, calling it a disgrace and urging the BCCI to take action. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) was formally directed to erase Azharuddin's name from the North Pavilion Stand following serious allegations of favoritism during his tenure as HCA president. The order came from Justice V Eswaraiah, HCA’s Ethics Officer and Ombudsman, in response to a petition highlighting these concerns, reports Hindustan Times. According to Cricbuzz, the directive stemmed from a complaint filed by Lord's Cricket Club, a local organization, which alleged that Azharuddin’s decisions as HCA president showed a conflict of interest and served his personal interests. The petition accused him of acting in ways that compromised fairness and impartiality. The order also instructed the HCA to stop printing Azharuddin’s name on any tickets for the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Ex-India skipper Md Azharuddin sacked as regional cricket body chief The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium is set to host five more IPL matches this season, including three Sunrisers Hyderabad home games, as well as the crucial Qualifier 1 and Eliminator playoff matches. "What's unfolding is beyond comprehension, and it hurts me on a personal level. I was not allowed to contest the HCA elections simply because I exposed the corruption within the system. That truth made me a target," said Azharuddin. Beyond removing Azharuddin’s name, the petition also urged that the stand be renamed in honour of VVS Laxman, the Hyderabad-born cricketing legend, suggesting it be officially designated as the VVS Laxman Pavilion for all signage, ticketing, and related materials. 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest ever IPL cricketer The petitioner concluded by requesting the Ombudsman to issue any further directives necessary to ensure justice and fairness in handling the case.

Right-arm spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz registered a five-for in the Sylhet Test to restrict Zimbabwe to 273 runs in their first innings on Monday. Bangladesh lost opener Shadman Islam early in the second innigns. At the end of second day, Bangladesh were at 57 for one wicket. They are strill trailing by 25 runs. Despite Mehidy’s heroics with the ball, Zimbabwe managed to secure an 82-run first-innings lead. Opener Brian Bennett and Sean Williams hit a fifty each for the visitors. They scored 273 in the first innings. While Mehidy took five, Nahid Rana bagged three wickets. Sylhet Test: Mehidy takes five to restrict Zimbabwe to 273 It was the 11th time that Mehidy took a five-for in a Test innings. His last five-wicket haul at home came in 2022. An 82-run lead is not big in Test, but Bangladesh have to bat better than they did in the first innings to take back the control of the match. And for that, the openers and subsequent batters at the top-order have to deliver well this time. Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and batted first. They posted 191 runs, with Mominul Haque being the top scorer with 56. Former Bangladesh coach recounts desperate departure from Bangladesh Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 40, and Jaker Ali was the only other batter to score more than 20 runs. Blessing Muzarabani, and Wellington Masakadza were the best bowlers for Zimbabwe, taking three wickets each.