Siddhesh Lad-led Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals lifted the T20 Mumbai League 2025 trophy after beating Shreyas Iyer-led SoBo Mumbai Falcons by five wickets in the grand final at the iconic Wankhede Stadium here.

Playing in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium that included members of India’s first World Cup winning side Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, and 2024 T20 World Cup winning captain Rohit Sharma, SoBo Mumbai Falcons overcame early setbacks to post a competitive 157/4, thanks to a composed half-century from Mayuresh Tandel (50 not out), and a powerful unbeaten 45 from Harsh Aghav.

In response, Chinmay Sutar (53) anchored the MSC Maratha Royals’ chase with a fluent half-century, supported by valuable contributions from Sahil Jadhav (22), Sachin Yadav (19), and the explosive Awais Khan (38).

Skipper Pat Cummins picked a sensational six-for as Australia bowled out South Africa for just 138 in 57.1 overs and took a 74-run lead on Day Two of the 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s here on Thursday.

After a promising first session, where 78 runs came despite the loss of skipper Temba Bavuma, it looked like South Africa could narrow the deficit more in the post-lunch session. But Cummins asked tough questions, to which the Proteas had no answers, as he picked 6-28 in his 18.1 overs and also completed 300 scalps in his Test career.

Cummins also became the first fast-bowling captain since 1982 to take a five-wicket haul at Lord's, where his name will be put on the honours board. He also found good support from his fellow pacers Mitchell Starc (2-41) and Josh Hazlewood (1-27).

Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced on Thursday that the senior men’s team will be playing its first-ever bilateral T20I series against Nepal in Sharjah later this year. CWI added that the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) are the series host, with the side looking to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, set to happen later this year.

The historic three T20Is between West Indies and Nepal are slated to be played on September 27, 28, and 30, respectively.

“This series is more than just a set of international matches—it’s a celebration of the game’s expanding global footprint and a testament to what cricket represents: pride, purpose, and the power of unity. As a full-member nation, we see it as part of our responsibility to contribute to the development of cricket beyond our borders.”

“Supporting Nepal in this key phase of their cricketing journey not only builds the sport at the grassroots and international levels but also reminds us of the deep pride and honour associated with representing our nation and wearing our national colours.”

David Bedingham managed to get over his share of 'plays and misses' to be unbeaten on 39 as South Africa reached 121/5 in 49 overs and trailed Australia by 91 runs at lunch on the second day of the five-day 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's on Thursday.

Resuming from 43/4, South Africa amassed 78 runs in the morning session on Day Two, with Australia captain Pat Cummins taking out his Proteas counterpart Temba Bavuma. A lot will ride on Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne (11 not out) in ensuring South Africa inch closer to surpassing Australia’s first innings total of 212.

Indian shooting sensation Sift Kaur Samra added yet another accolade to her growing list of international achievements, securing a bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup (rifle/pistol) here on Thursday.

Competing in a strong international field, the 23-year-old from Faridkot, Punjab, scored 453.1 in the final to finish third, reaffirming her place among the elite rifle shooters in the world.

The gold went to Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad, who shot a sensational 466.9 in the final, while Switzerland’s Emely Jaeggi won silver with 464.8.

Interestingly, Jaeggi, who initially placed ninth in the qualification round with a score of 590, only made it to the final after two shooters above her were declared ineligible for medals due to their “ranking points only” (RPO) status.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has expressed his excitement for the upcoming five-Test series against England, sharing a picture of himself donning a Test jersey on social media.

Pant took to X and posted his picture in Test whites with the caption, "Reporting for national duty."

Pant, who made his Test debut in England in 2018, has played 12 games against England and scored 781 runs with a highest score of 146 which came in 2022 in Birmingham. Off the 12 games, he played nine on English soil, scoring 556 runs at an average of 32.70.

Pant, however, had struggled the last time India played Tests – in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In Australia, he played all five Tests and scored 255 runs at an average of 28.33, including just one half-century.

Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada picked two wickets each as South Africa reduced Australia to 67/4 in 23.2 overs at lunch on Day One of the 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final at the iconic Lord’s here on Wednesday.

Right from the time South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bowl first under gloomy overcast skies, the fast bowlers justified that decision by bowling tight lines and lengths, as well as extracting great movement, which in turn got Jansen and Rabada scalps. Along with some great catching, it meant that the first session truly belonged to the Proteas.

England’s white-ball contingent was awarded after a string of standout performances against the West Indies propelled several players up the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings, with veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid leading the charge.

Rashid, 37, was a model of consistency in England’s 3-0 T20I series sweep, returning figures of 1/22 at Chester-Le-Street, 1-59 in a high-scoring clash at Bristol, and a match-turning 2/30 in the final game at Southampton.

His efforts were enough to leapfrog both Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and India’s Varun Chakaravarthy, moving him into second place in the T20I Bowling Rankings with a rating of 710, just 13 points behind New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy, the current No. 1.

Opener Georgia Plimmer and wicketkeeper-batter Izzy Gaze among the 15-member New Zealand A's squad for their white-ball tour of England, starting late June.

The squad features 11 players have played for New Zealand and will embark on a six-match tour to England later this month. The tour, comprising three List A one-dayers followed by three T20s, is the return leg of a bilateral A series reintroduced to NZC’s women’s pathway last year.

"The squad will depart on Saturday with their first One Day match in Derby on June 23. Assistant coach Brendon Donkers will name the team’s captains once the squad have assembled in England," New Zealand Cricket said.

Plimmer and wicketkeeper-batter Gaze headline a strong batting unit featuring Jess Watkin; recent international debutants Bella James and Polly Inglis, Emma McLeod, and Izzy Sharp.

The Indian national football team fell to a 1-0 defeat against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at Kowloon's Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday. A stoppage-time penalty from Stefan Pereira secured all three points for the hosts. This result left the Blue Tigers with one point from two matches, while Hong Kong climbed to four.

With both teams having dropped points in their opening fixtures, they approached the game with urgency and attacking intent. The early stages saw end-to-end action, but neither side could carve out a clear-cut chance.

In the 25th minute, Hong Kong’s Raphael Lee tested Vishal Kaith with a long-range effort, but the Indian goalkeeper stood firm. Liston Colaco responded with a strike from distance at the other end, which the opposition keeper comfortably collected.