United News of Bangladesh

af du Plessis scored 50 off 27 balls as Delhi Capitals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets on Sunday to secure a second consecutive win in the 2025 Indian Premier League. The 40-year-old du Plessis hit three fours and three sixes as he put on 81 off 55 balls for the first wicket with Jake Fraser-McGurk (38) helping Delhi chase down the 164-run target with four overs to spare. Earlier, Mitchell Starc picked up 5-35 in 3.5 overs to help bowl out Hyderabad for 163 runs in 18.4 overs. Delhi finished with 166-3 in 16 overs. It was Starc’s maiden five-wicket haul in his fourth IPL season, and helped Delhi climb to second in the points table with two wins from two games. Hyderabad had opted to bat first but lost its way early in its innings. Hard-hitting opener Abhishek Sharma was run out for one, and the visitors were soon reduced to 37-4 in 4.1 overs. Ishan Kishan, a centurion in the previous game, was out caught for two, while Nitish Reddy was dismissed for a two-ball duck. Starc also sent back fellow Australian Travis Head – caught behind for 22 off 12 balls leaving Hyderabad’s innings in tatters. Aniket Verma, 23, then smacked a maiden half-century in his third IPL game to help rescue the innings. Verma hit six towering sixes, and another five fours, as he raced to 50 off 34 balls. In doing so, he put on 77 off 42 balls with Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 32 off 19 balls including two sixes. Their fifth-wicket stand helped Hyderabad cross 100, and Verma’s assault almost pushed Delhi onto the back foot. But Klaasen miss-hit and was caught in the 11th over to balance the scales again. South Australia state wins its first Australian first-class cricket title in 29 years Kuldeep Yadav picked up 3-22 in four overs as Hyderabad’s tail failed to wag with six wickets lost for 49 runs in the space of 47 balls to finish with an under-par total. In reply, du Plessis and Fraser-McGurk set the opening pace for Delhi. Debutant spinner Zeeshan Ansari struck thrice to peg Delhi back, including removing both set openers in the space of six balls hallway through. But it wasn’t enough as Abhishek Porel smacked 34 not out off 18 balls including two sixes, while Lokesh Rahul – in his maiden outing for the Capitals – also hit 15 off 5 balls. Ansari bowled Rahul for his third wicket, even as Tristan Stubbs rounded off the game with 21 not out off 14 balls. He put on 51 off 28 balls with Porel as Delhi won with 24 balls remaining. It was Hyderabad’s second loss in three games, while Delhi built on its surprise win over Lucknow SuperGiants in the first game. In Sunday’s evening game, Rajasthan Royals hosts Chennai Super Kings at Guwahati.

South Australia has chased down a record 269 runs in an Australian first-class cricket final to win its first Sheffield Shield cricket title in 29 years. South Australia scored 270-6 in its second innnings to beat Queensland by four wickets Saturday. It was the fourth day of the scheduled five-day final. Jason Sangha led the South Australians with an unbeaten 126 while Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey scored 105. The two combined for a 202-run partnership. Sangha hit the winning runs when he clipped a Callum Vidler delivery off his pads for four to seal the victory. Several hundred fans ran on to the pitch at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide when the match ended. The 33-year-old Carey had returned from a hectic season of international duties and straight from the Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan, where Australia lost in the semifinals to India. New Zealand beat Pakistan by 73 runs in 1st one-day cricket international Queensland was bowled out for 95 in its first innings — the lowest total of any team batting first in a Shield final which involves Australian state sides. South Australia posted 271 all out in reply. Queensland appeared down and out at 221-6 in its second innings, just 45 runs ahead, at lunch on the third day Friday. But centuries from Jack Wildermuth (111) and Jack Clayton (100) led a comeback and Queensland reached 445 in its second innings for its 269-run lead. The highest previous run chase to win a Shield final was Victoria’s 239-2 against New South Wales in 1990-91. Jake Lehmann scored 102 in South Australia's first innings. He's the son of South Australian great and former Australian national coach Darren Lehmann, who played in the state’s last Shield victory in 1995-96.

Mark Chapman scored 132 and Daryl Mitchell 76 in a 199-run partnership as New Zealand made 344-9 and went on to beat Pakistan by 73 runs Saturday in the first one-day international. Chapman posted his third one-day international century and rebuilt the innings with Mitchell after New Zealand had been three wickets down in the 13th over, struggling against bounce and swing from the Pakistan fast bowlers. Muhammad Abbas, the first Pakistan-born player to play for New Zealand, made 50 from 24 balls — the fastest half century by a player on debut in one-day internationals. Babar Azam led Pakistan's run chase with 78 from 83 balls but when he was out Pakistan slumped, losing seven wickets for 22 runs. For much of its innings Pakistan was ahead of New Zealand, 64-0 after 10 overs where New Zealand had been 34-2. Thakur and Pooran secure Lucknow’s five-wicket win over Hyderabad Usman Khan and Abdullah Shafique put on 83 for the first wicket, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan added 76 for the third wicket then Babar and Salman Ali Agha contributed a further 85 for the fourth wicket. Pakistan was 249-3 in the 39th over and still well on target. New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell was forced to bring back his strike bowlers Will O'Rourke and Jacob Duffy. O'Rourke offered a short ball to Babar which he hooked to Mitchell on the boundary at backward square. Duffy then ran out Tayyab Tahir (1) and bowled Irfan Khan first ball as Pakistan slumped to 253-6 in the 40th over. Pakistan's hopes faded as wickets dwindled and the run-rate rose. Pakistan was 271-9 when Salman was out for 58 from 48 balls. “We started the second innings with good intent and we got the things you need for a big chase,” Rizwan said. “But at the end the pressure was very big because as you get near to the end, the pressure becomes more.” Pakistan won the toss, bowled and was on top early through the efforts of its four seam bowlers, Naseem Shah, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali and Haris Rauf. Akif and Ali were making their ODI debuts. There were patches of grass on the pitch at McLean Park and the ball moved more than is usual at the venue where the average first-innings score in ODIs is 244. Naseem Shah and Akif Javed used the conditions superbly. New Zealand slumped to 34-3 in the 13th over, bringing Chapman and Mitchell together. Runs were hard to come by at first but after bowling his seamers through the first 25 overs, Rizwan was forced to go to his fifth bowler. The New Zealanders cashed in. Phil Simmons confirmed as Bangladesh head coach until 2027 World Cup Chapman and Mitchell took 67 runs from the five overs bowled by Salman and 51 runs from five overs bowled by Irfan Khan. Irfan had his revenge dismissing both Chapman and Mitchell. Chapman's 132 came from 111 balls and Mitchell's 76 from 84 deliveries. “It was certainly pretty tricky to bat early on,” Chapman said. "We were probably aiming for a total lower than we got in the end. But it's something we pride ourselves on, being able to adapt to the conditions then putting up a score and just scrapping.” Pakistan lost the preceding five-match T20 series 4-1 by margins of nine wickets, five wickets, 115 runs and eight wickets as the visiting batters struggled to adapt to bouncy New Zealand pitches. The second match in the three-match ODI series is next Wednesday in Hamilton.

Shardul Thakur’s fiery 4-34 and Nicholas Pooran’s record-breaking half-century powered Lucknow Super Giants to a commanding five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday. Thakur's early breakthroughs, including successive dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, restricted Hyderabad to 190-9 after Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant opted to chase. In reply, Pooran’s explosive 70 off 26 balls, along with Mitchell Marsh’s 52 off 31, propelled Lucknow to victory in just 16.1 overs. Pooran and Marsh Dominate the ChaseHyderabad’s Mohammed Shami struck early, dismissing Aiden Markram in the opening over. However, Pooran and Marsh turned the tide with a 116-run stand off just 43 balls. Pooran smashed the fastest half-century of the season off just 18 balls, reaching the milestone with a six off Adam Zampa. Lucknow raced to 96-1 in just seven overs, leaving Hyderabad struggling to regain control. Speedster Nahid prioritises Zimbabwe series over PSL Captain Pat Cummins briefly revived Hyderabad’s hopes by trapping Pooran leg-before and later dismissing Marsh, who had just completed his half-century with consecutive boundaries. Despite the late dismissals of Pant (15) and Ayush Badoni (9), Abdul Samad wrapped up the chase in style, hammering 22 off eight balls, including two sixes and two fours. Thakur Dismantles Hyderabad’s Top OrderEarlier, Thakur’s fiery spell derailed Hyderabad’s batting lineup. He removed Sharma and Kishan in successive deliveries, nearly claiming a hat-trick. Travis Head counter-attacked with 47 off 28 balls, but his momentum was halted by Prince Yadav (1-29) in the eighth over. Phil Simmons confirmed as Bangladesh head coach until 2027 World Cup The only late resistance came from Aniket Verma, who smashed five sixes in a 13-ball 36. However, Hyderabad failed to build substantial partnerships, managing only 190-9, a stark contrast to their record 286-run total at the same venue last Sunday. Lucknow Registers First WinWith this win, Lucknow bounced back from their opening defeat to Delhi Capitals, securing their first points of the season. Source: With input from agency 

Bangladeshi pace sensation Nahid Rana said representing country is always the priority over franchise leagues like the Pakistan Premier League (PSL) to him. "To me, representing my country is always the priority over franchise leagues like the PSL," he said. He made the remarks while opening a business establishment in his hometown Chapainawabganj on Thursday. Since his debut for the national team, the Chapainawabganj Express has been showcasing exceptional bowling skills and his blistering pace has already drawn the attention of the international cricketing fraternity in a short time. Following this impressive performance, he has now been drafted into the popular PSL. Pakistani franchise Peshawar Zalmi picked the speedster from the draft and is expected to share the field with stars like Babar Azam and Saim Ayub. Phil Simmons confirmed as Bangladesh head coach until 2027 World Cup Nahid has already applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to participate in the PSL, set to begin on April 11. The speedster said that he has sought permission for the entire PSL season. However, Bangladesh is scheduled to play two Test matches against Zimbabwe in April, raising uncertainty over his full participation in the league. He informed that BCB would decide on his availability after he plays one match. Ashutosh Sharma’s heroics secure dramatic one-wicket win for Delhi over Lucknow in IPL If Nahid gets the green light to play in the PSL, it will be a significant milestone in his career, the tournament providing him with an opportunity to showcase his talent on the international stage.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed the extension of Phil Simmons’ tenure as head coach of the national men’s team, with the former West Indies batter set to remain in charge until the ICC ODI World Cup in 2027. Simmons, 61, initially joined Bangladesh in October 2024 on a short-term deal that ran through to the end of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Following a positive impression during that period, which included series against South Africa, Afghanistan, and the West Indies, as well as the Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan and the UAE, the BCB has now opted to continue with him on a long-term basis. “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to work with Bangladesh cricket on a long-term basis,” Simmons said in a media release issued by the BCB. “The talent within this team is undeniable, and I believe we have the potential to achieve great things together. I am looking forward to the journey ahead,” he added. Simmons praised the players he has worked with so far, highlighting their “skill and passion” and expressing confidence in the team’s future. Shakib cleared to bowl again, eyes return to competitive cricket “My time with the Bangladesh team over the past few months has been incredibly rewarding. The energy, commitment, and ability within this group have been nothing short of impressive. I’m excited to continue helping these players reach their full potential,” he added. A veteran coach with nearly two decades of experience, Simmons has previously led several international sides. After a playing career that included 26 Tests and 143 ODIs for the West Indies between 1987 and 1999, he transitioned to coaching, starting with Zimbabwe in 2004. He then led Ireland from 2007 to 2015, steering them to three ICC World Cups and a historic win over England in 2011. He had two stints as West Indies head coach and was at the helm when they lifted the ICC World T20 title in 2016. Simmons also coached Afghanistan from 2018 to 2019.

Ashutosh Sharma’s explosive 66 off 31 balls powered Delhi Capitals to a thrilling one-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League on Monday. Sharma sealed the win in spectacular fashion, smashing a straight six off left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed to take Delhi to 211-9 with three balls remaining. The loss marked a disappointing debut as captain for Rishabh Pant, the IPL’s most expensive player, who was dismissed for a six-ball duck. Despite Pant’s early exit, Lucknow posted 209-8, thanks to blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran (75) and Mitchell Marsh (72). Sharma’s Stunning Knock Rescues DelhiLucknow appeared in control until Sharma turned the game around with an explosive partnership alongside Vipraj Nigam, who contributed a quick 39 off 15 balls. Hyderabad, Chennai start IPL with season-opening victories Delhi suffered a shaky start, losing four wickets in the powerplay. Shardul Thakur dismissed Jake Fraser-McGurk (1) and Abishek Porel (0) in his opening over. At 113-6 in the 13th over, when Tristan Stubbs was bowled by impact substitute Manimaran Siddharth for 34, Delhi’s chances looked bleak. However, Sharma and Nigam launched a counterattack before Nigam was dismissed in the 17th over with Delhi still needing 42 runs from 23 balls. Marsh fell soon after, misreading Ravi Bishnoi’s googly and skying a catch to Pant, while Kuldeep Yadav was run out in the penultimate over trying to rotate the strike. With six runs required in the final over, Mohit Sharma survived a close stumping call before taking a single off Ahmed. Sharma then wrapped up the game in style, smashing his fifth six to stun Lucknow. Pooran and Marsh Set the Stage for LucknowEarlier, Pooran and Marsh set a strong foundation for Lucknow with a combined 13 sixes and 12 boundaries, though wickets tumbled quickly in the final overs. Marsh, playing solely as a batter this IPL, partnered with Aiden Markram (15) in a 46-run opening stand, including 21 runs off Mitchell Starc’s (3-42) second over. Leg-spinner Nigam made an immediate impact on his IPL debut, removing Markram with his fourth ball. But Pooran and Marsh then launched an aggressive assault, hammering the bowlers all over the ground. Pooran, who was dropped on 17 by Sameer Rizvi, punished the bowlers by smashing three sixes off Nigam and four consecutive sixes off Tristan Stubbs in a 28-run over. New Zealand beat Pakistan by 115 runs in 4th T20I Marsh’s innings ended in the 12th over when he holed out at long-on, while Pant’s struggle ended with a catch to Faf du Plessis off Kuldeep Yadav (2-20). Starc, expensive in his first spell, made a strong comeback, cleaning up Pooran with a 140 kph delivery. Delhi’s bowlers tightened their grip, restricting Lucknow to just 49 runs in the last seven overs while taking six wickets. David Miller added late fireworks, smashing two sixes off the final two balls to finish unbeaten on 27 off 19 deliveries. Source: With input from agency 

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal who suffered a heart attack has regained consciousness after undergoing a stent procedure on his heart at a hospital in Savar. He has talked to doctors and family members, Tariqul Islam, an official at Mohammedan Sporting Club, told UNB. Earlier Dr Razeeb Hasan, Medical Director of the KPJ Specialised Hospital, said the stenting was done smoothly and efficiently, and the blockage has been completely cleared. “However, he is still under observation, and his condition remains critical. It will take a little more time,” he said at a press briefing.  Dr Razeeb said, “He came to us in a critical condition. We gave all the necessary treatment. By the grace of Allah, his condition is now better. He had a heart attack. To address it, we performed an angiogram, angioplasty, and placed a stent.” The procedure was carried out by cardiologist Dr Moniruzzaman Maruf. Tamim was hospitalised after suffering a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League (DPL) match at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) grounds in Savar on Monday morning. CA Dr Yunus enquires about Tamim Iqbal’s health condition   Tamim, who was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club against Shinepukur Cricket Club in Dhaka Premier League (DPL) at BKSP in Savar, experienced chest pain after the toss. He was initially treated on the ground and later rushed to the nearby KPJ Specialised Hospital, where a blockage in his heart was detected. Tamim is currently in the hospital’s Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) receiving close monitoring. Former national cricketer Salim Shaheed named as chairman of CWAB His wife Ayesha Siddiqui and brother Nafis Iqbal are by his side, while senior officials from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), including president Faruque Ahmed, visited the hospital.

Ishan Kishan smashed an unbeaten 106 off 47 deliveries as Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched a 44-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the 2025 Indian Premier League on Sunday. Kishan’s explosive innings, featuring 11 fours and six sixes, marked his maiden IPL century on debut for his new team, which recorded its second-highest total in tournament history. Travis Head contributed 67 off 31 balls, as Hyderabad carried forward its 2024 momentum to post a formidable 286-6 in 20 overs. New Zealand beat Pakistan by 115 runs in 4th T20I The team’s previous highest total was 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season, the highest-ever IPL score. In the later match, Chennai Super Kings triumphed over Mumbai Indians by four wickets with five balls to spare in a high-stakes showdown. Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad returned exceptional figures of 4-18 in four overs, helping Chennai restrict Mumbai to 155-9 after opting to bowl first. Tilak Varma top-scored with 31 off 25 balls. Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 65 off 45 balls, coupled with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s rapid 53 off 26, powered Chennai to 158-6 in 19.1 overs. Rajasthan’s Brave Chase Falls Short at 242-6 Despite putting up a strong fight, Rajasthan Royals could only manage 242-6 in response to Hyderabad’s massive target. Dhruv Jurel led the charge with 70 off 35 balls, while Sanju Samson struck 66 off 37. Sent in to bat first, Hyderabad got off to a flying start with Head and Abhishek Sharma (24) putting together a blistering 45-run stand in just 19 balls. Kishan shifted gears, reaching his half-century in just 25 balls. Having been acquired at the season’s auction, he proved to be an instant success, smashing his way to a dominant hundred on his first outing for Hyderabad. He shared an 85-run stand off 39 balls with Head, who also struck nine fours and three sixes before falling just before the halfway mark. Kishan, alongside Hyderabad, kept the scoring rate high. He found able support in Nitish Reddy (30 off 15) and Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14). His second fifty came off just 22 deliveries, propelling Hyderabad to a commanding total in their opening game. Heather Knight steps down as England Women’s Cricket captain after nine years A Forgettable Outing for England’s Jofra Archer England fast bowler Jofra Archer endured a torrid spell, conceding 76 runs in his four overs—the most expensive figures in IPL history. Rajasthan’s chase got off to a shaky start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal departing for just one and Riyan Parag falling for four—both in the second over. Nitish Rana followed soon after, dismissed for 11, leaving Rajasthan at 50-3. Samson, introduced as an impact substitute, made an instant impression. He raced to 50 in 26 balls and put together a 111-run partnership off 60 deliveries with Jurel, keeping Rajasthan in the contest on a batting-friendly surface. Jurel reached his half-century off 28 balls, striking six sixes and five fours to anchor the chase. However, Adam Zampa removed him in the 15th over, while Samson fell in the previous over. With the required rate soaring, Rajasthan struggled to pull off the mammoth chase despite late cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23) and Shubham Dubey (34* off 11). Mumbai Struggles Against Spin in Chennai Ahmad starred with the ball after left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed claimed 3-29, including the prized wicket of Rohit Sharma for a four-ball duck. On a sluggish Chepauk pitch, Mumbai failed to gain momentum in their season opener. They also missed the services of captain Hardik Pandya, who was serving a slow over-rate suspension from last season. Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav managed 29 off 26 before falling to Ahmad, who was assisted by a sharp stumping from Indian legend MS Dhoni, making his IPL return for Chennai at 43. Mumbai slumped to 96-6 in 13 overs and further to 118-7 in 16.1 overs. Deepak Chahar, making his Mumbai debut against his former team, chipped in with an unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, including two sixes, to push the total beyond 150. Chasing 156, Chennai was boosted by a 67-run second-wicket partnership off just 37 deliveries between Gaikwad and Ravindra. Gaikwad’s 50 came in just 22 balls, featuring three sixes and six fours. Mumbai fought back through 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur (3-32). Chennai kept losing wickets to Puthur and Will Jacks, but Ravindra ensured his side got across the line in the final over. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 0 off two deliveries.

Jacob Duffy and Zakary Foulkes shared seven wickets as New Zealand bowled out Pakistan for 105 Sunday to win the fourth Twenty20 international by 115 runs and clinch victory in the five-match series with a game remaining. Duffy took 4-20 and Foulkes 3-25 as New Zealand's pacers thrived in responsive conditions under the floodlights at Bay Oval and bowled out Pakistan in 16.2 overs. At 56-8 Pakistan was in danger of falling short of its lowest score in T20 internationals — 74 against Australia in 2012. But Abdul Samad made an unbeaten 44 to steer his team past that total and, at 91, past its lowest total against New Zealand. Earlier, Finn Allen made a half-century from 19 balls and captain Michael Bracewell made an unbeaten 46 as New Zealand posted 220-6 after being sent in. Tim Seifert made 44 from 22 balls to dominate an opening partnership with Allen that produced 59 runs in 4.1 overs. New Zealand went on to 79-1 after six overs, it’s highest power play total against Pakistan. Allen hit six fours and three sixes to accelerate the New Zealand scoring: the home team was 134-2 at the midpoint of its innings. Haris Rauf took 3-27 to curb the New Zealand scoring before Bracewell finished strongly. Heather Knight steps down as England Women’s Cricket captain after nine years “With Tim (Seifert) belting them it makes it tough to get some rhythm sometimes,” said Allen who was Player of the Match. “It's nice for me to sit at the other end and watch him go and then try to take over when he goes.” Pakistan lost three wickets in the first two overs including third match century-maker Hasan Nawaz for 1. O'Rourke and Duffy produced devastating opening spells to upset the Pakistan run chase. O'Rourke cut a ball back from outside off to bowl Mohammad Haris (2) with the second ball of the Pakistan innings. Duffy then removed Nawaz and captain Salman Ali Agha (1), both caught behind by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay. The New Zealand pacers were able to move the ball around in conditions under floodlights that previously had seemed relatively benign. Even leg spinner Ish Sodhi found the purchase to turn the ball sharply. “We have to give them credit, they bowled really well and they outplayed us,” Ali Agha said. “It was swinging and turning as well. It did a lot in the second innings but we are an international team and we have to do better.” The final match of the series will be played at Wellington on Wednesday.