Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi rose to the top spot in the ICC T20I bowling chart on the back of his recent player-of-the series performance against Australia. The 23-year-old was India’s go-to bowler in the just concluded series against Australia, taking nine wickets from five games. Bishnoi, who is on 699 rating points, has jumped five places to displace Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan (692) from the top slot. Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and England’s Adil Rashid, who both have 679 points, are in joint third. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana (677) completes the top five. Bishnoi is the only Indian bowler in the top 10 in the shortest format even as Axar Patel climbed nine spots to be 18th. Suryakumar Yadav, who captained India during the series against Australia, held on to the top spot among batters, while opener Ruturaj Gaikwad dropped a place to be seventh. Hardik Pandya retained the third spot in the all-rounders’ list, despite missing the series against Australia.
U-19 Asia Cup: Azan ton helps Pakistan to beat India
Pakistan rode on Azan Awais’s classy unbeaten century to beat arch-rivals India by eight wickets in the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup at Dubai on Sunday. India managed a mediocre 259 for 9 in 50 overs, largely due to late surge by Sachin Dhas, who hit three sixes in his 42-ball-58. Skipper Uday Saharan (60 off 98 balls) and opener Adarsh Singh (62 off 81 balls) couldn’t force the pace adding only 93 runs in 20 overs. For the winners, right-arm medium pacer Mohammed Zeeshan took four for 46. The biggest name among U-19s -Sarfaraz Khan’s younger brother Musheer (2) couldn’t repeat the performance of the opening game. In reply, Pakistan romped home in just 47 overs with southpaw Azan anchoring the chase, scoring a patient 105 not out off 130 balls with 10 fours. He first added 110 for the second wicket with opener Shazaib Khan and another 125 in just 19.1 overs with Saad Baig, who smashed unbeaten 68 off just 51 balls with eight boundaries and a maximum.
Ashwini-Tanisha pair wins women’s doubles crown
India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto on Sunday won the women’s doubles title of the Guwahati Masters 2023 badminton tournament, beating Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui 21-13, 21-19 in the final. This was Ashwini and Tanisha’s second title as a pair, having previously won the Abu Dhabi Masters Super 100 this year. Additionally, they reached the final of the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament in Lucknow last week. The Indian shuttlers dominated the first game. After tying at 1-1, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto took charge, steadily extending their lead and confidently securing the opener for a lead.
NZ edge Bangladesh in 2nd Test to level series
New Zealand beat Bangladesh by four wickets on the fourth day of the second test to level the two-match series a t 1-1 as Ajaz Patel ripped through the Asian side with six wickets before his batting colleagues secured victory. Chasing 137 to win on a treacherous track at Mirpur’s Shere Bangla Stadium after Bangladesh’s Zakir Hasan hit a battling 59, the tourists rode on Glenn Phillips’ unbeaten 40 and Mitchell Santner’s 35 not out to prevail. “It was a bit of scrap,” New Zealand skipper Tim Southee said. “It’s nice to come out on the right side of it. The guys trusted their ways. The way Phillips and Santner play, it’s on the attacking side to the other players. And they did that.”
