United News of Bangladesh

India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, avenging their 2000 loss and becoming the only team to win the title three times. On Sunday (March 9) final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Rohit Sharma’s team beat the Kiwis by four wickets. New Zealand, batting first after winning the toss, scored 251 runs by losing 7 wickets. In response, India chased down the target with one over to spare and four wickets in hand. New Zealand set 252-run target for India in Champions Trophy final India captain Rohit Sharma laid the foundation for his team’s win by scoring a inning-high 76 runs as an opener. His leadership also played a key role in restricting New Zealand's innings, preventing them from posting a higher total. For his all-around contribution, he was awarded the Player of the Match in the final. In addition to Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) stabilized the middle order. Towards the end, Lokesh Rahul’s 34 (not out) completed the chase. On the other hand, Mitchell Bracewell, despite taking two wickets for just 26 runs in 10 overs, including a maiden, failed to lead his team to victory.

In a calm and control chase, Virat Kohli starred as India beat Australia to march to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai. Kohli hit 84 to guide India to a chase down the 265 with 11 balls to play. The former captain showed why he is considered one of the best in pressure chases, pacing his innings to perfection and forming crucial partnerships through the middle overs. Australia, after opting to bat first, posted 264 in 49.3 overs. They started briskly, with Travis Head playing his natural attacking game, scoring 39 off 33 balls before falling to Varun Chakravarthy. But, the top order faltered against a disciplined Indian attack, with Mohammed Shami dismissing both Cooper Connolly and Steven Smith. Smith’s 73 was the backbone of Australia’s innings, but the lack of support from others left them short of a truly imposing total. India stumble to 249 as Matt Henry’s five-for puts New Zealand on top Alex Carey injected life into Australia’s innings with a lively 61 off 57 balls, but regular wickets at the death ensured they couldn’t accelerate as much as they wanted. Shami ended with 3 for 48, while Jadeja and Varun took two wickets each. India’s chase got off to a shaky start when both openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, departed inside eight overs. At 43 for 2, the pressure was on, but Kohli, calm as ever, rebuilt the innings alongside Shreyas Iyer. The pair added 91 runs, balancing caution with timely boundaries. Iyer fell for 45, but Kohli carried on, guiding the chase with help from Axar Patel and KL Rahul. Kohli’s innings was a masterclass in control — rotating the strike, finding the gaps, and keeping the required rate in check without unnecessary risks. His 84 off 98 balls contained just five boundaries, but it was the singles and twos that kept the scoreboard moving. Kohli eventually fell to Adam Zampa in the 43rd over, but by then India were firmly in control. Rahul’s unbeaten 42 off 34 and Pandya’s quick 28 ensured there were no late stumbles, and India reached 267 for 6 with ease. “It was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan,” Kohli said after the match. “Understanding conditions, rotating the strike and building partnerships was the key.” This win puts India in the second consecutive final of the ICC Champion Trophy. In the last final in 2017, they lost to Pakistan. This time, they have got another chance to lift the Champions Trophy title.

England ended their ICC Champions Trophy campaign with three defeats in as many matches. Following these disappointing results, they are set to begin a period of introspection, with their immediate focus shifting to the future of white-ball leadership. Head coach Brendon McCullum said that England’s struggles in the tournament stemmed, at least in part, from a lack of self-belief among the players. Speaking after their heavy defeat to South Africa, McCullum said his team lacked the confidence required to succeed at this level.  “We didn’t play with enough conviction,” McCullum quoted in an ICC news article. “There’s no hiding from that fact. In professional sport, sometimes things don’t go your way, and you have to accept it and keep moving forward.”  The situation has been made even more complex by Jos Buttler’s decision to step down as captain just before England’s final group match. Buttler’s call to relinquish the role was a direct response to England’s prolonged struggles in one-day cricket, and his decision leaves a big leadership void for McCullum and the England and Wales Cricket Board to fill.  South Africa romps into Champions Trophy semifinals with 7-wicket win over England McCullum confirmed that England will assess their leadership structure over the coming weeks. One key question is whether England will appoint a single captain for both ODIs and T20Is, or split the responsibility between two players.  “We’ll figure that out after proper discussions,” McCullum said. “Whether it’s one captain or two, the important thing is to understand what each team needs and how to put the right structure in place for both formats.”  McCullum also hinted that a new captain will likely want to shape the team in their own image, bringing fresh ideas and their own brand of leadership. That, he believes, could spark the evolution the team needs after a tough campaign.  The search for Buttler’s successor will begin almost immediately, with McCullum planning to meet with ECB officials to map out a plan for the future. “The conversations will start once I’m back home. We need to understand what the team needs and learn from this tournament so we come back stronger next time,” McCullum said.

Rassie van der Dussen scored 72 not out off 87 balls to lead South Africa into the semifinals of the Champions Trophy by beating England by seven wickets Saturday. Van der Dussen’s half-century highlighted South Africa’s clinical performance as it finished atop Group B. The Proteas finished with 181-3 in 29.1 overs in reply to England’s hapless effort of 179 all out (38.2 overs). This was after England — already ousted from the tournament after back-to-back losses — had won the toss and opted to bat. Marco Jansen picked 3-39 in seven overs, while Wiaan Mulder took 3-25 in 7.2 overs as England’s batting looked disinterested. England had previously lost to Australia and Afghanistan and thus finished winless after three games, marking a dismal end to Jos Buttler’s run as skipper. Buttler announced on Friday that he would step down after England’s surprising exit as well as its past failures in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Australia is the second team to qualify from Group B and will face either India and New Zealand after those two Group A teams battle for the top spot in Dubai on Sunday. South Africa’s victory Saturday eliminated Afghanistan, which finished third in Group B. England’s innings suffered early blows against Jansen. Phil Salt was out caught for eight and then Jamie Smith was caught for a three-ball duck. Australia through to Champions Trophy semifinal after rain denies result against Afghanistan It became 37-3 when Ben Duckett returned a catch to Jansen for 24 off 21 balls. “These were good conditions from a batting point of view, and the boys worked very hard," said Jansen, who was named player of the match. “I used my options well and hit my lengths.” Joe Root top-scored with 37 off 44 balls and made an effort to stabilize the innings. He added 62 off 61 balls with Harry Brook (19). Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-35) got the breakthrough with Jansen taking a nice catch at midwicket to dismiss Brook. Thereafter, England collapsed again. Mulder bowled Root in the 18th over, and while Buttler held one end with 21 off 43 balls, regular wickets meant that the English innings never took flight. Jofra Archer scored 25 off 31 balls with four fours. England lost its last seven wickets for 80 runs, finishing with a below par score. “It was a really disappointing performance and we were short of our mark today,” Buttler said after England’s seventh straight ODI defeat. “It was a decent surface and Duckett got us into a nice position, but we couldn’t take advantage of that. As a whole group, we are not getting results and that takes away the confidence from us.” Chasing a paltry total, South Africa’s start wasn’t too good either. Archer bowled makeshift opener Tristan Stubbs for a five-ball duck, and then bowled Ryan Rickelton (27) later on as well. It was 47-2 when Van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen came together, and they put on 127 runs off 122 balls for the third wicket. Van der Dussen reached 50 off 72 balls, and his knock for the day included six fours and three sixes overall. Stand-in skipper Aiden Markram did not bat as he had sustained a hamstring injury while fielding. Klaasen finished with 64 off 56 balls with 11 fours before he was out caught off Adil Rashid (1-37) near the finish line.

Rain washed out the Champions Trophy game between South Africa and two-time winner Australia on Tuesday without a ball being bowled. The pitch remained under covers at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium throughout the day because of a persistent light drizzle before umpires called off the game shortly after 5 p.m. local time. Both unbeaten teams go into their last Group B game with a chance to qualify for the semifinals with three points already secured. Australia plays against Afghanistan at Lahore on Friday while South Africa meets England at Karachi on Saturday. South Africa and Australia began their campaigns by posting 300-plus scores against Afghanistan and England, respectively. Australia, coming into the Champions Trophy without three frontline fast bowlers, made the tournament’s highest-ever chase of 352 on the back of Josh Inglis’ century against England at Lahore. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Shanto stands by Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah amid Bangladesh’s early exit   South Africa registered an emphatic 107-run win over Afghanistan at Karachi after Ryan Rickelton made his maiden ODI hundred in a strong total of 315-6. New Zealand and India have already qualified for the semifinals after winning both their Group A games against Pakistan and Afghanistan. England will take on Afghanistan in a must-win game for both teams to stay in semifinal contention in Lahore on Wednesday.

New Zealand secured a comfortable five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, knocking them and Pakistan out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Rachin Ravindra starred with a match-winning 112 off 105 balls, ensuring New Zealand chased down 237 with 23 balls to spare. Bangladesh, in a must-win encounter, batted first and posted 236 for 9. Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 77 off 110, but the batting unit struggled for momentum. Jaker Ali (45 off 55) and Rishad Hossain (26 off 25) provided late resistance, but Michael Bracewell’s 4 for 26 restricted Bangladesh to a below-par total. Michael Bracewell bagged four wickets for 26 runs for New Zealand. “Awesome to contribute to a win. Main focus today was to win and get the semi-final spot,” Bracewell said after the match. New Zealand’s chase got off to a shaky start as Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana struck early, removing Will Young and Kane Williamson cheaply. Bangladesh may play Mahmudullah in must-win clash vs New Zealand The inclusion of Nahid, with his extra pace, clearly added an extra dimension to Bangladesh's attack that was sorely missing in the opener against India, for which he was bewilderingly dropped. But Ravindra anchored the innings with a fluent century, putting together a 129-run fourth-wicket stand with Tom Latham (55 off 76) to take the game away from Bangladesh. Ravindra’s innings, with 12 fours and a six, was ended by Rishad Hossain, but by then, New Zealand were well in control. Glenn Phillips (21*) and Michael Bracewell (11*) completed the formalities with ease. With this win, New Zealand qualified for the semis, while Bangladesh’s bid for the next phase ended with back-to-back defeats. Bangladesh and Pakistan will now face each other their final game of the event on February 27th.