United News of Bangladesh

Opening batter Priyansh Arya hit the joint fourth-fastest century in the Indian Premier League as Punjab Kings handed Chennai Super Kings their fourth straight loss on Tuesday. Arya’s (103) 39-ball hundred powered Punjab to 219-6 despite five of its top six batters falling for a combined score of 23 runs. Chennai fell short for the fourth successive time in its run-chase and got restricted to 201-5 to lose by 18 runs as New Zealand left-handed opener Devon Conway top-scored with 69 off 49 balls. Punjab’s third win in four games pushed them to No. 4 on the points table. Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants clinched a thrilling run-fest against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens by four runs. Nicholas Pooran (87 not out) and Mitchell Marsh (81), who notched his fourth half-century in five games, decimated the Kolkata pacers to put up 238-3, Lucknow’s second-highest IPL total. Kolkata was on the verge of overhauling the tall target on the back of captain Ajinkya Rahane’s blazing 61 off 35 balls but four wickets in 14 deliveries undermined the chase and they fell short at 234-7. Nasir Hossain gets ICC clearance after 2-year ban Aggressive Arya stuns Chennai The 24-year-old Delhi opener turned heads when he smashed six sixes in one over during Delhi Premier League last year and was later picked by Punjab at the IPL auction. Arya whacked Khaleel Ahmed’s first ball for a six before the fast bowler couldn’t hold onto a regulation return catch of the next ball as Chennai was scratchy in holding onto catches. The left-hander got another opportunity on 35 when Vijay Shankar dropped a difficult catch at mid-wicket before he completed his half century off 19 balls inside the batting power play. While Arya capitalized on chances with his continuous aggression against both pace and spin of Ravichandran Ashwin, Punjab stumbled to 83-5 in eight overs. But Arya didn’t hold back as he reached his maiden IPL hundred by smacking Matheesha Pathirana for 6, 6, 6, and 4. Chris Gayle holds the record of fastest IPL hundred — off 30 balls — followed by Yousuf Pathan (37 balls), David Miller (38 balls) and Travis Head (39 balls). Arya smashed nine sixes and seven fours before he eventually holed out at long-on in the 13th over while going for another big shot against wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad of Afghanistan. No. 7 batter Shashank Singh made unbeaten 52 off 36 balls and together with Marco Jansen (34 not out) carried Punjab past the 200-run mark with an unbroken 65-run stand. Chennai falls short yet again The New Zealand left-handed pair of Rachin Ravindra (36) and Conway provided Chennai a decent start of 61 off 39 balls, but captain Ruturaj Gaikwad yet again faltered and was dismissed cheaply for 1 by Lockie Ferguson. Conway and Shivam Dube (42) both got chances with the New Zealander twice getting dropped of Jansen’s successive deliveries and Ferguson couldn’t grab a simple catch of Dube at point. Ferguson made amends and had Dube clean bowled of a knuckle ball in the 16th over and Conway got retired out as Chennai looked for counterpunch in the final two overs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck three sixes and a boundary in his 12-ball knock of 27. But with 28 required off the final over, he was brilliantly snapped at short fine leg by Yuzvendra Chahal. Kolkata fights back At their home, Kolkata was ahead of the run rate required for so long thanks to a whirlwind start from Rahane and Sunil Narine, who made 30 off 13 balls. They raced to 90-1 in the batting power play against wayward Lucknow pace bowling. Rahane featured in another fruitful 71-run partnership with Venkatesh Iyer until Lucknow dented the chase with four quick wickets. Gill leads Gujarat to 7-wicket IPL win vs Hyderabad Shardul Thakur bowled five consecutive wide balls at the start of over No. 13, but he started the slide when yet another full toss was mis-timed by Rahane, who was caught in the covers. When fast bowler Akash Deep got Iyer on 45 in the 16th over three wickets had fallen in nine balls. Then Thakur followed by taking out Andre Russell in his last over through another full toss and the odds were back in Lucknow’s favor. With Kolkata seven down, all the pressure fell on Rinku Singh but his unbeaten 38 off 15 wasn’t quite enough. Marsh and Pooran power Lucknow Aiden Markram and Marsh flattened Kolkata with their opening stand of 99 runs off 62 balls, followed by Pooran’s blitz. Markram was undone by Harshit Rana’s full delivery that nipped back into the South African’s stumps. Marsh, who hit six fours and five sixes, and Pooran then smashed 71 off 30 balls until Marsh holed out to deep point. Pooran continued the punishment, raising his fifty off just 21 balls. He hit eight fours and seven boundaries in his unbeaten knock and leads the IPL batting charts. The game was rescheduled from Sunday at the request of Kolkata police due to religious festivities in the city. Source: With input from agency 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday announced the squad for the opening Test of the two-match home series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin on 20 April at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The second Test will take place in Chattogram from 28 April. The major talking point from the announcement is the absence of fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who misses out due to injury. BCB’s Senior Physician Dr. Debashis Chowdhury confirmed that the pacer is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a left Achilles tendon issue and has not been deemed fit for the series. James Pamment appointed as Bangladesh’s new fielding coach In Taskin’s absence, 22-year-old Tanzim Hasan Sakib has earned his maiden Test call-up. The right-arm fast bowler has represented Bangladesh in 28 white-ball matches but is yet to feature in the longest format.  The Test series is the beginning of a packed international calendar for Bangladesh, with the team set to play continuous cricket through early 2027. Bangladesh squad for first Zimbabwe Test:  Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Vice Captain), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed James Pamment as the new fielding coach of the national men’s team, ahead of a season packed with challenges.  James will take over the role ahead of the home series against Zimbabwe later this month. The 56-year-old will serve in the role through the ICC ODI World Cup in October–November 2027. Pamment, an English-born New Zealander, brings a wealth of experience to the Bangladesh setup. He has been associated with high-level fielding development for over a decade, most recently as an assistant coach for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he specialised in fielding and running between the wickets since 2018. His coaching resume includes a five-year stint as head coach at Northern Districts in New Zealand, as well as high-performance roles with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He has previously worked with the senior New Zealand national team, New Zealand A, and the U19 squads. Pamment also briefly served as interim head coach of the United States national team. In a media release issued Monday, the BCB said Pamment will link up with the Bangladesh team ahead of the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. “I am really excited about the opportunity to get involved with a very talented Bangladesh side,” Pamment said in the statement. “I am eagerly looking forward to joining the players and the backroom staff ahead of the Zimbabwe series.” His appointment is part of the BCB’s ongoing effort to strengthen the coaching staff under head coach Phil Simmons, whose tenure was recently extended through to the 2027 World Cup.

Australian batter Will Pucovski has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at only 27, citing ongoing symptoms from repeated concussions.  The former Test opener, who played just one match for Australia in 2021, confirmed the decision on Tuesday, saying a medical panel strongly advised him to stop playing following a series of head injuries.  Pucovski last played in March 2024, when he was struck on the helmet by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield match and subsequently retired hurt. In the months that followed, he struggled with debilitating side effects, including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and motion sickness. “In the couple of months post that, I struggled to get anything done,” Pucovski said in a radio interview. “Things didn’t get better, and it became clear I couldn't go on.” Cricket Victoria acknowledged his retirement and said it had been in regular contact with the player and his management team. Despite his early exit, Pucovski leaves behind a remarkable domestic record, scoring 2,350 runs in 36 first-class matches at an average of 51.40. His elegant 62 -run Test debut against India in 2021 had promised a bright future. His final century came against a strong New South Wales attack in February 2024, reinforcing his potential just months before injury forced him to stop. “It’s been hard to let go,” he said. “I wanted to play 100 Tests, but one is where it ends. My focus now is living a healthy life and staying connected to the game in other ways.”

Gary Stead announced on Tuesday that he will no longer serve as New Zealand's coach for Twenty20 and one-day international formats, and he is currently reflecting on his future involvement in test cricket. Stead stated that he anticipates taking a month to make a final decision. The 53-year-old has been coaching New Zealand in all formats since 2018, when he succeeded Mike Hesson. New Zealand Cricket confirmed that it will begin advertising for the coaching role next week, though it has not yet decided whether to appoint separate coaches for different formats. Under Stead’s leadership, New Zealand reached the finals of the 2019 ICC World Cup, the 2022 T20 World Cup, and this year’s Champions Trophy, while also securing victory in the inaugural World Test Championship. Nasir Hossain gets ICC clearance after 2-year ban “Gary’s results have been impressive over an extended period, and we’re comfortable giving him the time he needs to consider his next steps,” said Bryan Stronach, NZC's high-performance officer, in a statement. “At this stage, we don’t have a strong preference between a split-coaching structure or one coach for all formats, and we won’t make a decision until we see who applies for the role.” Recently, New Zealand completed a 4-1 win over Pakistan in a home T20 series and a 3-0 victory in the one-day international series, despite having many key players unavailable due to the Indian Premier League. “I’m looking forward to stepping back from the touring life for a while and reflecting on my future,” Stead shared. “My focus has been on finishing the season strongly with a less experienced team.” “The past six to seven months have been extremely busy, with almost continuous cricket since September. I now want to assess my options, though I still feel I have more to offer as a coach, but not as the head coach across all formats.”    

Bangladesh cricketer Nasir Hossain has been officially cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resume his professional cricket career, following the successful completion of his two-year ban for breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. The 33-year-old all-rounder, once a mainstay in Bangladesh’s middle order, was suspended in September 2023 for two years—with six months of the sentence suspended—after being found guilty of corruption-related violations during his stint in a foreign franchise league. Gill leads Gujarat to 7-wicket IPL win vs Hyderabad On Monday, the ICC confirmed that Nasir had met all the conditions necessary for reinstatement, including the completion of a mandatory anti-corruption education programme. With those requirements now fulfilled, he is once again eligible to participate in all forms of official cricket, effective from April 7. Nasir wasted no time marking his return. On the very day of his reinstatement, he turned out for Rupganj Tigers in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, making his competitive comeback after nearly 19 months away from the professional game. Nasir last played for Bangladesh in 2018, ending an international career that saw him appear in 115 matches across formats. He gained a reputation early on for his aggressive strokeplay and handy off-spin, playing key roles in Bangladesh's rise in limited-overs cricket during the 2010s. Bangladesh gear up for Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan Nasir’s comeback arrives at a time when Bangladesh cricket is witnessing a generational transition. Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad have retired from international cricket, and Mushfiuqr Rahim has said goodbye to ODIs and T20Is.

Shubman Gill crafted a composed unbeaten 61 to guide Gujarat Titans to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, with 20 balls to spare, in Sunday’s Indian Premier League match. It was Gill’s first fifty of the season and played a key role in Gujarat registering their third straight win, lifting them to second in the standings. His 43-ball knock featured nine boundaries. Delhi downs Chennai to stay unbeaten and Punjab suffers first loss to Rajasthan in IPL All-rounder Washington Sundar chipped in with a rapid 49 off 29 deliveries in the successful chase, as Gujarat reached 153-3 in 16.4 overs. Hyderabad, after losing the toss, posted 152-8 in 20 overs following another lacklustre batting performance. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj starred with 4-17 from his four overs. Hyderabad’s losing streak continuesThe defeat marked Hyderabad’s fourth loss in a row, leaving them anchored at the bottom of the 10-team table. The top-order failed to fire again, crumbling under pressure from Siraj’s new-ball spell. Travis Head was dismissed for eight, while Abhishek Sharma managed only 18. Ishan Kishan, who had scored a century in the opening match, could only muster 17 before being removed by Prasidh Krishna. The 2024 runners-up found themselves struggling at 50-3 in the 8th over. Despite the early damage, Nitish Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen put on a 50-run stand off 39 balls for the fourth wicket. Klaasen, the costliest overseas player this season, is yet to reach a half-century in five outings. He made 27 off 19 balls, striking two fours and a six. Reddy top-scored with 31 off 34 balls, including three boundaries, but Gujarat’s spinners tightened the screws. Sai Kishore returned figures of 2-24 from four overs, while Rashid Khan went wicketless, conceding 31 runs. Kolkata thumps Hyderabad by 80 runs in IPL-2025 Following the end of the fourth-wicket stand in the 14th over, Hyderabad kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Captain Pat Cummins provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 22 off nine balls, laced with three boundaries and a six, pushing the total past 150. Shaky start for GujaratGujarat’s innings got off to a shaky start. Mohammed Shami (2-28) removed Sai Sudharsan for five early on, and Cummins took the big scalp of in-form Jos Buttler, who was caught behind for a three-ball duck. That set the stage for a match-winning third-wicket partnership between Gill and Sundar. The pair added 90 runs off 56 balls, with Sundar taking the aggressive approach. Promoted to No. 4, he struck five fours and two sixes. Shami broke the stand early in the 14th over, dismissing Sundar, but Sherfane Rutherford, brought in as an impact player, picked up the pace. The West Indies all-rounder blasted an unbeaten 35 off just 16 balls, featuring six boundaries and a six, sealing the win swiftly for Gujarat. Gill brought up his half-century in 36 balls and remained unbeaten to finish the job. Schedule change on SundayOnly one match was played on Sunday instead of the planned doubleheader. The Kolkata Knight Riders’ home fixture against Lucknow SuperGiants was postponed to Tuesday at the request of Kolkata police due to religious festivities in the city. Tuesday will now feature two matches, with Punjab hosting Chennai in the evening after the rescheduled Kolkata-Lucknow game.

The Bangladesh women's cricket team are set to begin their campaign in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers from April 10, as six nations vie for the final two spots in the 2025 World Cup, to be hosted by India. The qualifying tournament, scheduled from April 9 to 19 in Lahore, Pakistan, features Bangladesh, West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland, Scotland, and Thailand. All matches will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground. While India and five top teams from the ICC Women’s Championship cycle—Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka—have already secured their places in the main event, the remaining two spots will go to the top two teams from this qualifier. With a defeat to the West Indies in January this year, Bangladesh lost the way for a direct qualification. So this tournament for Bangladesh is a must-win. Key decisions ahead for South Africa, Australia before WTC final West Indies remain the tournament favorites, with hosts Pakistan also posing a serious threat. Bangladesh’s head-to-head record with Pakistan in ODIs is evenly poised at 7-7, with one tie. The team will also face challenges from Ireland and Scotland, both of whom have shown steady improvement, while Thailand—though less experienced—have proven capable of springing surprises. Bangladesh is playing in this event under new coach Sarwar Imran. He took over the role after the departure of Sri Lankan Hasan Tillakarante. Mohsin Naqvi elected Asian Cricket Council chairman Bangladesh begin their campaign against Thailand on April 10, followed by fixtures against Ireland (April 13), Scotland (April 15), West Indies (April 17), and hosts Pakistan (April 19).  

With two months to go before the final of the ICC World Test Championship, both South Africa and Australia are finalising their teams. The final will take place at the Lord’s on June 11. South Africa's batting lineup seems mostly settled. Aiden Markram will likely open alongside Tony de Zorzi, whose recent domestic form has been impossible to ignore. Rising star Tristan Stubbs looks set for the crucial No. 4 spot, with skipper Temba Bavuma – now comfortable at number 5 – following him. The middle order gains stability through wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and the seasoned David Bedingham. The versatile Marco Jansen brings valuable all-round credentials, expected to join pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada in a threatening attack. The Proteas' main headache remains their third seamer choice. The fiery Gerald Coetzee is in contention if his body holds up, while young leftie Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch – fresh from an eye-catching Test debut – offer compelling alternatives. Spin duties will likely fall to the reliable Keshav Maharaj. The defending champions Australia face fewer selection puzzles. Usman Khawaja should open with teenage prospect Sam Konstas, allowing Travis Head to slide back to his preferred No. No.5 position. The trusty duo of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith anchor the batting, while Cameron Green could reclaim the No. 6 spot if he's recovered fully. Australia's pace arsenal features Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and either Josh Hazlewood or Scott Boland – a luxury of riches offering both variety and know-how. Hazlewood boasts impressive Lord's credentials, though Boland was the standout in last year's final. Nathan Lyon will handle the spin department with Alex Carey keeping wicket. Both sides pack quality and depth, though final calls might depend on typical English summer conditions and how the Lord's pitch looks. The battle for cricket's ultimate Test prize begins well before the players take the field – in selection rooms where every choice could prove decisive.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has been elected as the new chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), replacing Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva. The announcement was made following a virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) of ACC member nations on Thursday. Naqvi will serve a two-year term, assuming the presidency with immediate effect. “Pakistan will lead the Council in its mission to promote and expand cricket across the Asian continent,” the ACC confirmed in a media release. Naqvi acknowledged the honour in his first statement as ACC president. “Asia remains the heartbeat of world cricket, and I am committed to working with all member boards to accelerate the game's growth and global influence,” he said. He also thanked the outgoing leadership, expressing hopes for continued collaboration across the region. His appointment comes at a critical juncture, with preparations underway for the upcoming Asia Cup in September. Though initially allocated to India, the tournament will be hosted in a neutral venue due to diplomatic constraints between India and Pakistan that hinder cross-border team travel. Finalising the host country will be among Naqvi’s first and most pressing responsibilities. The UAE is widely seen as the frontrunner, though Sri Lanka remains a strong contender. A decision is expected soon, particularly after commercial rights for the event were recently secured.