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AFG vs SA, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: South Africa and Afghanistan will go head-to-head as they open their respective Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on Friday (Feb 21). The clash comes months after both teams had dream runs in the 2024 T20 World Cup with South Africa beating Afghanistan in the semis. Ahead of the contest between Afghanistan and South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025, here are all the details.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 &nbsp;match Live Streaming online on OTT?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Which stadium will host the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match?</h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What time will the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match start?</h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Friday (Feb 21) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-pak-skipper-muhammad-rizwan-offers-update-on-fakhar-zaman-injury-8739149" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy: Pak skipper Muhammad Rizwan offers update on Fakhar Zaman injury</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Squads<o:p></o:p></h2>
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka

Sports, Cricket:  The Champions Trophy 2025 comes months after both teams had dream runs in the 2024 T20 World Cup with South Africa beating Afghanistan in the semis.

AFG vs SA, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: South Africa and Afghanistan will go head-to-head as they open their respective Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on Friday (Feb 21). The clash comes months after both teams had dream runs in the 2024 T20 World Cup with South Africa beating Afghanistan in the semis. Ahead of the contest between Afghanistan and South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025, here are all the details. Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India. Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match Live Streaming online on OTT? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. Which stadium will host the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi. What time will the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match start? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Friday (Feb 21) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST. ALSO READ | Champions Trophy: Pak skipper Muhammad Rizwan offers update on Fakhar Zaman injury Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Squads Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka

AFG vs SA Live Streaming Free: When and where to watch Champions Trophy 2025 Afghanistan vs South Africa live online

AFG vs SA, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Afghanistan" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Afghanistan</a> will take on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=South+Africa" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">South Africa</a> in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Champions+Trophy+2025" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025</a> as the Asian nation looks to continue its dream run in ICC tournaments. Playing in their maiden Champions Trophy clash, Afghanistan have had a good run in ICC tournaments having caused major upsets in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.&nbsp;Ahead of the key contest between Afghanistan and South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025, here are all the details.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 &nbsp;match Live Streaming online on OTT?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Which stadium will host the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match?</h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What time will the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match start?</h2>
The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Friday (Feb 21) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Head-to-Head Stats</h2>
Overall: Afghanistan 2 wins, South Africa 3 wins, no results - 0
In Asia: Afghanistan 2 wins, South Africa 2 wins
In ICC tournaments: Afghanistan 0 wins, South Africa 2 wins
In Champions Trophy: Afghanistan 0 wins, South Africa 0 wins
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Pitch Report</h2>
Fast bowlers should get good help at the National Stadium in Karachi as South Africa and Afghanistan look to make the most of the conditions. The pitch has historically favoured fast bowlers, so it will be interesting to see how it works on the match day. &nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Weather Report</h2>
The contest should go ahead without any rain interruption as both Afghanistan and South Africa look to start on a winning note. The pleasant weather conditions should favour the bowlers while the temperature ranges between 25 degrees and 30 on the match day.&nbsp;
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-pak-skipper-muhammad-rizwan-offers-update-on-fakhar-zaman-injury-8739149" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy: Pak skipper Muhammad Rizwan offers update on Fakhar Zaman injury</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Squads<o:p></o:p></h2>
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka

Sports, Cricket: Playing in their maiden Champions Trophy clash, Afghanistan have had a good run in ICC tournaments having caused major upsets in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.

AFG vs SA, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: Afghanistan will take on South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025 as the Asian nation looks to continue its dream run in ICC tournaments. Playing in their maiden Champions Trophy clash, Afghanistan have had a good run in ICC tournaments having caused major upsets in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Ahead of the key contest between Afghanistan and South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025, here are all the details. Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India. Where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match Live Streaming online on OTT? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. Which stadium will host the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi. What time will the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match start? The Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Friday (Feb 21) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST. Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Head-to-Head Stats Overall: Afghanistan 2 wins, South Africa 3 wins, no results - 0 In Asia: Afghanistan 2 wins, South Africa 2 wins In ICC tournaments: Afghanistan 0 wins, South Africa 2 wins In Champions Trophy: Afghanistan 0 wins, South Africa 0 wins Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Pitch Report Fast bowlers should get good help at the National Stadium in Karachi as South Africa and Afghanistan look to make the most of the conditions. The pitch has historically favoured fast bowlers, so it will be interesting to see how it works on the match day. Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Weather Report The contest should go ahead without any rain interruption as both Afghanistan and South Africa look to start on a winning note. The pleasant weather conditions should favour the bowlers while the temperature ranges between 25 degrees and 30 on the match day. ALSO READ | Champions Trophy: Pak skipper Muhammad Rizwan offers update on Fakhar Zaman injury Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs SA Squads Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka

AFG vs SA Champions Trophy 2025: All you need to know, check Live streaming, Head to head, stats, pitch report, squad

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a scathing dig at Babar Azam after he played a slow innings during Pakistan&rsquo;s defeat to New Zealand in the opening match of the Champions Trophy 2025 contest. Tasked to chase 321 runs, Pakistan lost by 60 runs during which Babar played a 64-run knock. The innings was later criticised by Ashwin as he compared the innings with the turtle from &ldquo;The Tortoise and Rabbit Story&rdquo;.<o:p></o:p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Babar&rsquo;s journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha&rsquo;s batting has to be the best depiction of &ldquo; The Tortoise and Rabbit story&rdquo; . <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsTrophy</a> The 50 I hope will come soon enough🤞
&mdash; Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1892236833641087072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ashwin makes scathing remark about Babar<o:p></o:p></h2>
"Babar's journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha's batting has to be the best depiction of 'The Tortoise and Rabbit story'. #ChampionsTrophy," Ashwin wrote on X.<o:p></o:p>
The former Pakistan scored 64 runs off 90 balls which consisted of 6 fours and a six before he was scalped by Mitchell Santner. However, the asking run rate was climbing consistently while Babar was in the middle leading to his harsh criticism. Interestingly, at one point the asking rate was above 10 as Pakistan were struggling to keep pace.<o:p></o:p>
Babar was given a good helping hand by Khushdil Shah as he played a quickfire innings of 69 runs off 49 deliveries. His innings consisted of 10 fours and a six while Salman Agha also contributed with 42 off 28. While other batters were contributing to reducing the asking rate, Babar&rsquo;s innings did no favours to Pakistan as they ended on a losing note.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-ban-live-score-updates-champions-trophy-2025-ball-by-ball-updates-and-full-scorecard-india-vs-bangladesh-dubai-international-cricket-stadium-8738242" aria-label="LIVE | IND vs BAN Live Score, Champions Trophy 2025: India kickoff against Bangladesh in Dubai">LIVE | IND vs BAN Live Score, Champions Trophy 2025: India kickoff against Bangladesh in Dubai</a>
The defeat to New Zealand now means Pakistan&rsquo;s clash against India on Sunday could be a must-win affair. If India and New Zealand both beat Bangladesh in their respective contests, then a defeat to India will spell the end of Pakistan&rsquo;s journey in the Champions Trophy 2025.<o:p></o:p>
The squad will now board their flight to Dubai as they face India in the Gulf nation under the hybrid model.

Sports, Cricket: Tasked to chase 321 runs, Pakistan lost by 60 runs during which Babar Azam played a 64-run knock which made no favours for the defending champions.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a scathing dig at Babar Azam after he played a slow innings during Pakistan’s defeat to New Zealand in the opening match of the Champions Trophy 2025 contest. Tasked to chase 321 runs, Pakistan lost by 60 runs during which Babar played a 64-run knock. The innings was later criticised by Ashwin as he compared the innings with the turtle from “The Tortoise and Rabbit Story”. Babar’s journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha’s batting has to be the best depiction of “ The Tortoise and Rabbit story” . #ChampionsTrophy The 50 I hope will come soon enough🤞 — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 19, 2025 Ashwin makes scathing remark about Babar "Babar's journey to 50 coupled with Salman Ali Agha's batting has to be the best depiction of 'The Tortoise and Rabbit story'. #ChampionsTrophy," Ashwin wrote on X. The former Pakistan scored 64 runs off 90 balls which consisted of 6 fours and a six before he was scalped by Mitchell Santner. However, the asking run rate was climbing consistently while Babar was in the middle leading to his harsh criticism. Interestingly, at one point the asking rate was above 10 as Pakistan were struggling to keep pace. Babar was given a good helping hand by Khushdil Shah as he played a quickfire innings of 69 runs off 49 deliveries. His innings consisted of 10 fours and a six while Salman Agha also contributed with 42 off 28. While other batters were contributing to reducing the asking rate, Babar’s innings did no favours to Pakistan as they ended on a losing note. ALSO READ | LIVE | IND vs BAN Live Score, Champions Trophy 2025: India kickoff against Bangladesh in Dubai The defeat to New Zealand now means Pakistan’s clash against India on Sunday could be a must-win affair. If India and New Zealand both beat Bangladesh in their respective contests, then a defeat to India will spell the end of Pakistan’s journey in the Champions Trophy 2025. The squad will now board their flight to Dubai as they face India in the Gulf nation under the hybrid model.

Champions Trophy 2025: Ravi Ashwin takes scathing dig at Babar Azam, compares innings with tortoise

Defending champions and hosts Pakistan made a losing start to their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on Wednesday (Feb 19) as New Zealand got the better of them at the National Stadium in Karachi. Chasing 321 runs to win the curtain-raiser clash, Pakistan lost by 60 runs which now puts them in a must-win situation ahead of their key clash against India on Sunday. Here&rsquo;s a detailed look at how Pakistan could qualify for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Here&rsquo;s how Pakistan can qualify for the CT 2025 semis<o:p></o:p></h2>
At the time of writing, Pakistan have two matches still to play in the group stage of the Champions Trophy 2025, meaning they could reach a maximum of four points if they win those contests. However, a defeat for Pakistan on Sunday could spell the end of their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign before the last group game. <o:p></o:p>
If India beat Bangladesh on Thursday in their opening match, Pakistan&rsquo;s match against the Men in Blue will become a must-win. A win for Pakistan will bring them level with India, while a defeat will spell the end of the campaign.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-kane-williamson-breaks-6-year-streak-during-opener-against-pakistan-8737013" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan</a> 
In another scenario, if Bangladesh beat India on Thursday, Pakistan&rsquo;s hopes of a semifinal spot will remain intact as both will enter Sunday&rsquo;s high-voltage clash with zero points. In this case, the winner of the India-Pakistan contest will be in pole position to qualify for the semis. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Will Pakistan get knocked out if they lose to India?<o:p></o:p></h2>
If Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s side wins against Bangladesh they will enter the India-Pakistan contest with two points while Mohammad Rizwan&rsquo;s side will be on zero points. In this case, a defeat against India will see Pakistan&rsquo;s maximum tally reduce to two points and they can no longer finish in the top spot with one match to go. On the other hand, if New Zealand beat Bangladesh on Monday in Rawalpindi, the hosts will face elimination.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The above scenario will see both India and New Zealand with four points while even a win for Pakistan in their final group match will only see them attain a maximum of two points.

Sports, Cricket: Chasing 321 runs to win the curtain-raiser clash, Pakistan lost by 60 runs which now puts them in a must-win territory ahead of their key clash against India.

Defending champions and hosts Pakistan made a losing start to their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on Wednesday (Feb 19) as New Zealand got the better of them at the National Stadium in Karachi. Chasing 321 runs to win the curtain-raiser clash, Pakistan lost by 60 runs which now puts them in a must-win situation ahead of their key clash against India on Sunday. Here’s a detailed look at how Pakistan could qualify for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal. Here’s how Pakistan can qualify for the CT 2025 semis At the time of writing, Pakistan have two matches still to play in the group stage of the Champions Trophy 2025, meaning they could reach a maximum of four points if they win those contests. However, a defeat for Pakistan on Sunday could spell the end of their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign before the last group game. If India beat Bangladesh on Thursday in their opening match, Pakistan’s match against the Men in Blue will become a must-win. A win for Pakistan will bring them level with India, while a defeat will spell the end of the campaign. ALSO READ | Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan In another scenario, if Bangladesh beat India on Thursday, Pakistan’s hopes of a semifinal spot will remain intact as both will enter Sunday’s high-voltage clash with zero points. In this case, the winner of the India-Pakistan contest will be in pole position to qualify for the semis. Will Pakistan get knocked out if they lose to India? If Rohit Sharma’s side wins against Bangladesh they will enter the India-Pakistan contest with two points while Mohammad Rizwan’s side will be on zero points. In this case, a defeat against India will see Pakistan’s maximum tally reduce to two points and they can no longer finish in the top spot with one match to go. On the other hand, if New Zealand beat Bangladesh on Monday in Rawalpindi, the hosts will face elimination. The above scenario will see both India and New Zealand with four points while even a win for Pakistan in their final group match will only see them attain a maximum of two points.

Champions Trophy 2025: Here's how Pakistan could still qualify for semis despite defeat against New Zealand

IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue:&nbsp;Team <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Indian+cricket+team" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">India</a> will start their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=+Champions+Trophy+2025+" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025</a> campaign on Thursday (Feb 20) as they take on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Bangladesh+cricket+team" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bangladesh</a> at the Dubai International Stadium. One of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy 2025, India will look to start their campaign on a high before they square off against arch-rivals <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Pakistan+cricket+team" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pakistan</a> on Sunday (Feb 23). On the other hand, Bangladesh will have a point to prove, having reached the semis in the last edition of the Champions Trophy 2025.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 &nbsp;match Live Streaming online on OTT?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website in India.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Which stadium will host the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match?</h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.&nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What time will the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match start?</h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Thursday (Feb 20) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Head-to-Head Stats</h2>
Overall:&nbsp;India 33 wins, Bangladesh 8 wins, no results - 1
In Asia:&nbsp;India 30 wins, Bangladesh 8 wins
In ICC tournaments:&nbsp;India 4 wins, Bangladesh 1 win
In Champions Trophy:&nbsp;India 1 win, Bangladesh 0 win
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Pitch Report</h2>
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has favoured the spinners in recent times. Both teams will be expected to field spinners and bowling all-rounders. With no dew expected, the toss won&rsquo;t be a decisive factor in the outcome.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Weather Report</h2>
According to a weather bulletin from the National Centre of Meteorology for Thursday: &ldquo;Partly cloudy and cloudy at times with the probability of light rainfall around coastal areas. There will be a gradual increase in temperature during the day, and it will be humid at night.&rdquo;
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swot-analysis-champions-trophy-2025-underdogs-with-a-fight-can-bangladesh-overcome-the-odds-8733923" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds?</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Squads<o:p></o:p></h2>
India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.<o:p></o:p>
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

Sports, Cricket: One of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy 2025, India will look to start their campaign on a high before they square off against arch-rivals Pakistan.

IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: Team India will start their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on Thursday (Feb 20) as they take on Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. One of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy 2025, India will look to start their campaign on a high before they square off against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday (Feb 23). On the other hand, Bangladesh will have a point to prove, having reached the semis in the last edition of the Champions Trophy 2025. Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India. Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match Live Streaming online on OTT? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website in India. Which stadium will host the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. What time will the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match start? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Thursday (Feb 20) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST. Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Head-to-Head Stats Overall: India 33 wins, Bangladesh 8 wins, no results - 1 In Asia: India 30 wins, Bangladesh 8 wins In ICC tournaments: India 4 wins, Bangladesh 1 win In Champions Trophy: India 1 win, Bangladesh 0 win Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Pitch Report The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has favoured the spinners in recent times. Both teams will be expected to field spinners and bowling all-rounders. With no dew expected, the toss won’t be a decisive factor in the outcome. Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Weather Report According to a weather bulletin from the National Centre of Meteorology for Thursday: “Partly cloudy and cloudy at times with the probability of light rainfall around coastal areas. There will be a gradual increase in temperature during the day, and it will be humid at night.” ALSO READ | SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds? Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Squads India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy. Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

Ind vs Ban Champions Trophy 2025: All you need to know, check Live streaming, Head to head, stats, pitch report, squad

Team India&rsquo;s opening contest of the Champions Trophy 2025 could be at the rain gods' mercy as they take on Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday (Feb 20). Led by Rohit Sharma, India will start the Dubai leg of the Champions Trophy 2025 with rain coming down heavily in the buildup to the contest. So here&rsquo;s what the current weather in Dubai is like, as India brace for the tournament opener against Bangladesh.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Weather Report</h2>
According to a weather bulletin from the National Centre of Meteorology for Thursday: &ldquo;Partly cloudy and cloudy at times with the probability of light rainfall around coastal areas. There will be a gradual increase in temperature during the day, and it will be humid at night.&rdquo;
On Monday and Tuesday, there was a slight drizzle in Dubai suggesting there won&rsquo;t be much impact on the Champions Trophy contest. India will be playing all their matches in Dubai, including the high-voltage clash against Pakistan on Sunday before concluding the group stage on March 2 against New Zealand.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What will happen if rain plays spoilsport?</h2>
In case rain plays spoilsport in the India vs Bangladesh contest, then both teams will get one point each, meaning both will break the duck on standings.
However, India will then face Pakistan and New Zealand in their remaining matches, meaning they will have to win at least one of the contests. In case of a draw followed by India&rsquo;s defeat to Pakistan, the Men in Blue could face an early exit from the Champions Trophy 2025.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swot-analysis-champions-trophy-2025-underdogs-with-a-fight-can-bangladesh-overcome-the-odds-8733923" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds?</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Which stadium will host the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match?</h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.&nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What time will the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match start?</h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Thursday (Feb 20) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.

Sports, Cricket: Team India’s opening contest of the Champions Trophy 2025 could be at the rain gods' mercy as they take on Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday (Feb 20).

Team India’s opening contest of the Champions Trophy 2025 could be at the rain gods' mercy as they take on Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday (Feb 20). Led by Rohit Sharma, India will start the Dubai leg of the Champions Trophy 2025 with rain coming down heavily in the buildup to the contest. So here’s what the current weather in Dubai is like, as India brace for the tournament opener against Bangladesh. IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Weather Report According to a weather bulletin from the National Centre of Meteorology for Thursday: “Partly cloudy and cloudy at times with the probability of light rainfall around coastal areas. There will be a gradual increase in temperature during the day, and it will be humid at night.” On Monday and Tuesday, there was a slight drizzle in Dubai suggesting there won’t be much impact on the Champions Trophy contest. India will be playing all their matches in Dubai, including the high-voltage clash against Pakistan on Sunday before concluding the group stage on March 2 against New Zealand. What will happen if rain plays spoilsport? In case rain plays spoilsport in the India vs Bangladesh contest, then both teams will get one point each, meaning both will break the duck on standings. However, India will then face Pakistan and New Zealand in their remaining matches, meaning they will have to win at least one of the contests. In case of a draw followed by India’s defeat to Pakistan, the Men in Blue could face an early exit from the Champions Trophy 2025. ALSO READ | SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds? Which stadium will host the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. What time will the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match start? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Thursday (Feb 20) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.

IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Weather Report: Will it rain in Dubai? What we know

IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue:&nbsp;India will look to raise curtains on a high as they take on Bangladesh in their match of the Champions Trophy 2025 contest. The match will be played on Thursday (Feb 20) with India being the clear favourites after white-washing England 3-0 last week. Ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 contest between India and Bangladesh, here are all the details, including live streaming, squads, and more.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 &nbsp;match Live Streaming online on OTT?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website in India.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Which stadium will host the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match?</h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.&nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What time will the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match start?</h2>
The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Thursday (Feb 20) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swot-analysis-champions-trophy-2025-underdogs-with-a-fight-can-bangladesh-overcome-the-odds-8733923" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds?</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Squads</h2>
India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.<o:p></o:p>
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

IND vs BAN Live Streaming Free: India will look to raise curtains on a high as they take on Bangladesh in their match of the CT 2025 contest. Ahead of the match here are all the details.

IND vs BAN, Champions Trophy 2025 Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: India will look to raise curtains on a high as they take on Bangladesh in their match of the Champions Trophy 2025 contest. The match will be played on Thursday (Feb 20) with India being the clear favourites after white-washing England 3-0 last week. Ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 contest between India and Bangladesh, here are all the details, including live streaming, squads, and more. Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match on TV? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be telecast on Sports 18 and Star Sports Network in India. Where to watch the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match Live Streaming online on OTT? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website in India. Which stadium will host the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. What time will the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match start? The India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy 2025 match will start at 2:30 PM IST on Thursday (Feb 20) with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST. ALSO READ | SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds? Champions Trophy 2025, IND vs BAN Squads India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy. Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

IND vs BAN Live Streaming Free: When and where to watch Champions Trophy 2025 India vs Bangladesh live online

Liverpool's Premier League title charge was slowed by Aston Villa after a pulsating 2-2 draw on Wednesday left neither side satisfied.
Arne Slot's men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds.
Liverpool led through Mohamed Salah but were also forced to come from behind after Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins swung momentum in Villa's favour.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected shot secured a point for the visitors, but it should have been more as substitute Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch victory.
"You can understand there is one person in the dressing room who feels quite down," said Slot on Nunez's late miss.
"If you watch the game back we created far more chances than them, we did everything we needed to do. The only thing that wasn't perfect was conceding from a set-piece."
Villa, though, could also have won it in stoppage time as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen went close.
A point does little for Villa's hope of returning to the Champions League next season as they remain in ninth.
"A draw I think is fair for both teams because they had also chances to score," said Villa boss Unai Emery.
Liverpool are now 22 Premier League games unbeaten, but after conceding at the death against local rivals Everton, a second 2-2 draw in eight days offers Arsenal hope in the title race.
Slot's men also face a tough trip to Manchester City on Sunday.
"We're happy where we are," added Slot. "A bit too much now we played games where we deserve more than we got.
"We want to achieve something together this season and we have all the ingredients for it but still 12 games to go."
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-kane-williamson-breaks-6-year-streak-during-opener-against-pakistan-8737013" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan</a>
<h2>Liverpool onslaught</h2>
Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were handed their first Villa starts by Emery as he reacted to a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Ipswich on Saturday.
Rashford nearly had a hand in the opening goal but had strayed offside before his cross was turned into his own net by Virgil van Dijk.
Villa were masters of their own downfall when the opener did arrive on 29 minutes.
Andres Garcia's backpass went straight to Diogo Jota, who unselfishly squared for Salah to fire in his 29th goal of the season.
Villa were level within nine minutes as Liverpool failed to properly clear a free-kick into the box and the ball fell kindly to Tielemans, who produced a classy finish on the volley.
Jota should have restored the visitors' advantage immediately when be blazed high and wide with just Emi Martinez to beat.
Instead it was Villa who led at half-time as poor Liverpool defending allowed Watkins a free run to meet Lucas Digne's cross with a header into the far corner.
The Liverpool onslaught followed in the second half to extend Slot's run of never having lost an away Premier League game.
Jota curled a fine effort from the edge of the box off the bar.
Alexander-Arnold was a growing influence on the game when he levelled on the hour mark with the aid of a deflection off Tyrone Mings.
Slot threw on Luis Diaz and Nunez off the bench in search of a winner and one of his substitutes should have delivered a vital three points.
Nunez had an open goal to aim at after being picked out by Dominik Szoboszlai but fired over to the disbelief of his manager.
Martinez then had to rush off his line to deny Nunez another clear run on goal.
Villa, though, had the majority of the chances in a frantic finale.
Jacob Ramsey's strike was ruled out for offside before Rogers and Malen's powerful drives flew just off target.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Arne Slot's men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds.

Liverpool's Premier League title charge was slowed by Aston Villa after a pulsating 2-2 draw on Wednesday left neither side satisfied. Arne Slot's men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds. Liverpool led through Mohamed Salah but were also forced to come from behind after Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins swung momentum in Villa's favour. Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected shot secured a point for the visitors, but it should have been more as substitute Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch victory. "You can understand there is one person in the dressing room who feels quite down," said Slot on Nunez's late miss. "If you watch the game back we created far more chances than them, we did everything we needed to do. The only thing that wasn't perfect was conceding from a set-piece." Villa, though, could also have won it in stoppage time as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen went close. A point does little for Villa's hope of returning to the Champions League next season as they remain in ninth. "A draw I think is fair for both teams because they had also chances to score," said Villa boss Unai Emery. Liverpool are now 22 Premier League games unbeaten, but after conceding at the death against local rivals Everton, a second 2-2 draw in eight days offers Arsenal hope in the title race. Slot's men also face a tough trip to Manchester City on Sunday. "We're happy where we are," added Slot. "A bit too much now we played games where we deserve more than we got. "We want to achieve something together this season and we have all the ingredients for it but still 12 games to go." ALSO READ | Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan Liverpool onslaught Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were handed their first Villa starts by Emery as he reacted to a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Ipswich on Saturday. Rashford nearly had a hand in the opening goal but had strayed offside before his cross was turned into his own net by Virgil van Dijk. Villa were masters of their own downfall when the opener did arrive on 29 minutes. Andres Garcia's backpass went straight to Diogo Jota, who unselfishly squared for Salah to fire in his 29th goal of the season. Villa were level within nine minutes as Liverpool failed to properly clear a free-kick into the box and the ball fell kindly to Tielemans, who produced a classy finish on the volley. Jota should have restored the visitors' advantage immediately when be blazed high and wide with just Emi Martinez to beat. Instead it was Villa who led at half-time as poor Liverpool defending allowed Watkins a free run to meet Lucas Digne's cross with a header into the far corner. The Liverpool onslaught followed in the second half to extend Slot's run of never having lost an away Premier League game. Jota curled a fine effort from the edge of the box off the bar. Alexander-Arnold was a growing influence on the game when he levelled on the hour mark with the aid of a deflection off Tyrone Mings. Slot threw on Luis Diaz and Nunez off the bench in search of a winner and one of his substitutes should have delivered a vital three points. Nunez had an open goal to aim at after being picked out by Dominik Szoboszlai but fired over to the disbelief of his manager. Martinez then had to rush off his line to deny Nunez another clear run on goal. Villa, though, had the majority of the chances in a frantic finale. Jacob Ramsey's strike was ruled out for offside before Rogers and Malen's powerful drives flew just off target. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Aston Villa dent Liverpool's title charge with hard-earn draw

Real Madrid swept Manchester City aside to qualify for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, while Paris Saint-Germain rubber-stamped their spot in the next round by thrashing French rivals Brest.&nbsp;
Kylian Mbappe struck twice in the first half before completing his hat-trick on the hour at the Santiago Bernabeu as the European champions won the return leg of the play-off tie 3-1 to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory.
"I said it (before), I didn't come to Real Madrid to play badly," Mbappe told Movistar.
"Making my dream come true is one thing, but I want to play well here, mark an era and make history at Real Madrid."
Carlo Ancelotti's side will face either city rivals Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, coached by former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso, in the last 16, for which the draw will made on Friday.
"The best team won, they deserve to be there and we don't," said City boss Pep Guardiola.
After two late goals last week swung the balance considerably in Madrid's favour, City suffered another blow before kick-off in Spain with Erling Haaland only considered fit enough to start on the bench.
Mbappe padded Madrid's advantage with a fourth-minute lob, squeezing in between Ruben Dias and John Stones as he latched on to Raul Asencio's long ball and lifted his effort over City goalkeeper Ederson.
The France striker rounded off a flowing team move with a sharp finish for Madrid's second of the game, completing his hat-trick with a crisp left-footed shot from the edge of the area.&nbsp;
Nico Gonzalez netted a consolation in stoppage time for City after Omar Marmoush's powerful free-kick came back off the crossbar.
The lone real disappointment on the night for Madrid was a yellow card for Jude Bellingham that will rule the England midfielder out of the first leg of the last 16.
For City, the focus will switch to simply securing a place in next season's Champions League after a disastrous domestic campaign for a team that won the last four Premier League titles.&nbsp;
"It's been our worst year... we've been an incredible team and this year, for many reasons, we have lost that consistency," said Guardiola.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-kane-williamson-breaks-6-year-streak-during-opener-against-pakistan-8737013" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan</a>
<h2>Record win for rampant PSG</h2>
PSG demolished Brest 7-0 at the Parc des Princes as goals from seven different players propelled the in-form French champions to a 10-0 win over both legs.
Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in the first half to eliminate any small doubts for the hosts, who showed no mercy with Vitinha, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Ramos and Senny Mayulu also on target.
It was PSG's record winning margin in a European game. They scored just three goals in their first five Champions League matches this season, but have found the net 21 times in five outings since then.
"I think we are showing that winning everything is possible," Kvaratskhelia told Canal Plus. "We come into every game to win and of course that is our goal and our dream. We will put everything into that."
Luis Enrique's men go on to a blockbuster clash with Liverpool or Barcelona, while Brest's first-ever European campaign ended in sorry fashion against a club they have not beaten in 40 years.&nbsp;
"It is pretty shameful to go out this way. To lose 7-0 is too much. Yes Paris are a great team and I hope they go all the way, but to lose 7-0 is unacceptable," said Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou.
PSV Eindhoven knocked out Juventus 4-3 on aggregate after extra time, overturning a first-leg deficit with a 3-1 win in the Netherlands.
Timothy Weah cancelled out Ivan Perisic's opener for PSV, but the hosts forced an additional 30 minutes with a goal from Ismael Saibari.
Defender Ryan Flamingo turned in from close range in the 98th minute to send PSV through at the expense of Thiago Motta's Juventus, with Arsenal or Inter Milan awaiting the Dutch side next month.
Borussia Dortmund progressed after a goalless draw at home to Portugal's Sporting Lisbon sealed a 3-0 overall victory.
The competition's leading scorer Serhou Guirassy missed a second-half penalty but it mattered for nothing in the end as last season's runners-up were rarely troubled by Sporting.
Dortmund's reward is a last-16 tie against Aston Villa or Lille.&nbsp;
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Kylian Mbappe struck twice in the first half before completing his hat-trick on the hour at the Santiago Bernabeu as the European champions won the return leg.

Real Madrid swept Manchester City aside to qualify for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, while Paris Saint-Germain rubber-stamped their spot in the next round by thrashing French rivals Brest. Kylian Mbappe struck twice in the first half before completing his hat-trick on the hour at the Santiago Bernabeu as the European champions won the return leg of the play-off tie 3-1 to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory. "I said it (before), I didn't come to Real Madrid to play badly," Mbappe told Movistar. "Making my dream come true is one thing, but I want to play well here, mark an era and make history at Real Madrid." Carlo Ancelotti's side will face either city rivals Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, coached by former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso, in the last 16, for which the draw will made on Friday. "The best team won, they deserve to be there and we don't," said City boss Pep Guardiola. After two late goals last week swung the balance considerably in Madrid's favour, City suffered another blow before kick-off in Spain with Erling Haaland only considered fit enough to start on the bench. Mbappe padded Madrid's advantage with a fourth-minute lob, squeezing in between Ruben Dias and John Stones as he latched on to Raul Asencio's long ball and lifted his effort over City goalkeeper Ederson. The France striker rounded off a flowing team move with a sharp finish for Madrid's second of the game, completing his hat-trick with a crisp left-footed shot from the edge of the area. Nico Gonzalez netted a consolation in stoppage time for City after Omar Marmoush's powerful free-kick came back off the crossbar. The lone real disappointment on the night for Madrid was a yellow card for Jude Bellingham that will rule the England midfielder out of the first leg of the last 16. For City, the focus will switch to simply securing a place in next season's Champions League after a disastrous domestic campaign for a team that won the last four Premier League titles. "It's been our worst year... we've been an incredible team and this year, for many reasons, we have lost that consistency," said Guardiola. ALSO READ | Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan Record win for rampant PSG PSG demolished Brest 7-0 at the Parc des Princes as goals from seven different players propelled the in-form French champions to a 10-0 win over both legs. Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in the first half to eliminate any small doubts for the hosts, who showed no mercy with Vitinha, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Ramos and Senny Mayulu also on target. It was PSG's record winning margin in a European game. They scored just three goals in their first five Champions League matches this season, but have found the net 21 times in five outings since then. "I think we are showing that winning everything is possible," Kvaratskhelia told Canal Plus. "We come into every game to win and of course that is our goal and our dream. We will put everything into that." Luis Enrique's men go on to a blockbuster clash with Liverpool or Barcelona, while Brest's first-ever European campaign ended in sorry fashion against a club they have not beaten in 40 years. "It is pretty shameful to go out this way. To lose 7-0 is too much. Yes Paris are a great team and I hope they go all the way, but to lose 7-0 is unacceptable," said Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou. PSV Eindhoven knocked out Juventus 4-3 on aggregate after extra time, overturning a first-leg deficit with a 3-1 win in the Netherlands. Timothy Weah cancelled out Ivan Perisic's opener for PSV, but the hosts forced an additional 30 minutes with a goal from Ismael Saibari. Defender Ryan Flamingo turned in from close range in the 98th minute to send PSV through at the expense of Thiago Motta's Juventus, with Arsenal or Inter Milan awaiting the Dutch side next month. Borussia Dortmund progressed after a goalless draw at home to Portugal's Sporting Lisbon sealed a 3-0 overall victory. The competition's leading scorer Serhou Guirassy missed a second-half penalty but it mattered for nothing in the end as last season's runners-up were rarely troubled by Sporting. Dortmund's reward is a last-16 tie against Aston Villa or Lille. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Champions League: Real Madrid outclass Man City as PSG power into last 16

PAK vs NZ Live Champions Trophy 2025 Highlights Score Updates: The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Champions+Trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy</a> is back on the calendars of cricket enthusiasts as the extravaganza fest returns after over seven years of absence with a high-profile match between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-babar-is-the-right-man-to-open-says-pakistan-skipper-rizwan-8733515" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pakistan</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=New+Zealand+cricket+team" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">New Zealand</a> beginning the tournament in the revamped Karachi Stadium on Wednesday.
<h2>PAK vs NZ Live Score - Champions Trophy 2025</h2>
Cricket has been going through a phase where the ODI craves attention while its younger sibling, T20I, has been getting all the plaudits for delivering on its promise of an action-packed affair.
As the Champions Trophy returns, fans' appetite for ODI cricket is expected to return to its peak. A lot has happened since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Sarfaraz+Ahmed" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sarfaraz Ahmed</a> took Pakistan to glory in 2017 by overwhelming their bitter rival, India, with a 180-run victory in the final. Before fans could forget Pakistan's success story in 2017, the Champions Trophy has returned, even though it remains an awkward fit considering the amount of T20I and Test action that has unfolded over the past years.
In the tournament opener, Pakistan will face familiar foes, New Zealand, who have recently had an upper hand over the defending champions. The Blackcaps will be on familiar turf, considering no other team has played more ODIs than them in Pakistan (11) since the beginning of 2019.
New Zealand will certainly back themselves to outfox Pakistan, considering their success over Pakistan in the ODI tri-nation final just five days before in Karachi.
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score Updates on Wionews.com</h2>

New Zealand started their Champions Trophy campaign with a strong win over hosts Pakistan. The Blackcaps won the match in Karachi by 60 runs. For New Zealand, captain Mitchell Santner and Will O&rsquo;Rourke took three wickets each.&nbsp;
Score:
Pakistan:&nbsp;260 all out in 47.2 overs

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: New Zealand register dominating win over Pakistan

Chasing down the target of 321 runs, Pakistan find themselves under pressure as Khushdil Shah falls down to Will O&rsquo;Rourke for a well made 69 off 49 balls.
Score:
Pakistan:&nbsp;229/8 (43.4 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Khushdil Shah departs as Pakistan in troubled waters

Matt Henry sends back Shaheen Afridi back to pavillion for 14 runs off 13 balls.
Score:
Pakistan: 200/7 (41 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Shaheen Afridi departs as New Zealand dominate

Blackcaps captain got the all-important wicket of Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam, who was looking in fine touch. Babar made 64 off 90 balls.
Score:
Pakistan: 153/6 (34 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Santner sends Babar Azam packing

With 20 overs remaining in the game, the hosts find themselves under pressure in the run chase. Babar Azam hit 50. His innings was laced with five boundaries and one six.
Score:
Pakistan:&nbsp;136/5 (32.2 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Tayyab departs as Pakistan struggle in run chase

Depsite Pakistan struggling in the run chase, hosts brought their 100 up in 27.5 overs with Babar Azam and Salman Agha at the crease.
Score:
Pak: 104/3 (28 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: 100 up for Pakistan

20 overs have passed but Pakistan have not even been able to score at a rate of 4 let lone required 6-something. Good bowling aided by some great fielding, New Zealand are firmly on top of the contest in Karachi.
Live Score:&nbsp;
PAK: 66/2 in 20 overs vs NZ: 320/5
PAK need 255 runs in 30 overs.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Pak struggling to break free 

With New Zealand posting a huge total of 320/5, Pakistan open their innings with Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Pakistan start mammoth chase

Brilliant centuries by Will Young (107off 113 balls) and Tom Latham ( 118 not out off 104 balls) helped New Zealand put up a massive total of 320/5&nbsp;in their allotted 50 overs at the tournament opener against Pakistan at National Stadium, Karachi.
For Pakistan, Naseem Shah scalped two wickets.
Score:
New Zealand:&nbsp;&nbsp;3/4 (50 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Latham, Young tons guide Blackcaps to 320/5

Former Blackcaps captain Tom Latham scored second century of the game as he reached the milestone in 95 balls. His innings included nine boundaries and two sixes.
Score:
New Zealand:&nbsp;270/4 (46.3 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live:  100 up for Latham

With five overs remaining, Tom Latham (88 not out from 88 balls) and Glenn Phillips (32 off 26 balls) are pushing the Blackcaps to take post a big total against Pakistan in the tournament opener.&nbsp;
Score:
New Zealand: 256/4 (45 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Phillips, Latham accelerate

A great six by Latham brings up 200 for New Zealand with nearly 10 overs left - they'd like to add at least 80-90 runs more to the total.
Live Score
NZ: 207/4 in (40 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live:  200 up for Kiwis

A fine, fine catch by Faheem Ashraf as Naseem Shahs gets better of Will Young who goes shortly after scoring a sensational 100.
New Zealand:&nbsp;191/4 (37.2 overs)
Will Young c sub (Faheem Ashraf) b Naseem Shah 107

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Young departs

New Zealand batsman Will Young and Tom Latham forged a 100-run partnership in 19 overs. Will Young smashed the first century of the tournament from 107 balls, while Tom Latham scored his half-century in 61 balls.
Score:
New Zealand: 181/3 (35.4 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: 100-run partnership for Kiwis

Blackcaps opener Will Young scored a smashing century, first one in the 2025 ICC Chaampions Trophy against Pakistan in the tournament opener on Wednesday (Feb 19).
Young scored the ton in 107 balls. His innings was laced with one six and 11 boundaries.
Score:
New Zealand:&nbsp;175/3 (35 overs)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: A Young 100

The partnership between Will Young and Tom Latham has provided much needed stability to Kiwis as they cross the 150-run mark. They still have a lot of do with 20 overs left but more importantly seven wickets in hand.
Live Score
NZ:&nbsp;151/3 in (31 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: 150 up for New Zealand

Will Young has looked good and strong while Tom Latham is supporting him ably. The duo has added 50 runs for the fourth wicket after Kiwis were looking in a bit of trouble at 73/3.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: 50 partnership

100 runs up for New Zealand as they keep trying to rebuild amid regular wickets by Pakistan bowlers. Will Young has scored more than half of those runs and the hosts will definitely like to take his wickets before it gets danegrous for them.
Live Score
NZ: 100/3 in (22.3 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: 100 up for Kiwis

New Zealand loose another wicket - their third - and it is Haris Rauf this time who takes the wicket.&nbsp;
Live Score
NZ: 77/3 in (17 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Rauf strikes as Young hits fifty

First milestone achieved as New Zealand reach 50-run mark for loss of one wicket too many at least if not two. Good bowling overall by the Pakistan - keeping every NZ in check.
Live Score
NZ: 50/2 in (11 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: 50 up for Kiwis

It was looking a decent partnership between Will Young and Devon Conway before two quick wickets have left the Kiwis reeling that too without 50 runs on the board.
Live Score:
NZ: 40/2 in (8.1 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Two quick wickets turn the game on

Some good bowling by Pakistan in the beginning by pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah as New Zealand stay tentative in five overs. Good thinkg for Kiwis - no wickets lost yet.
Live Score
NZ: 30/0 in (5 overs) vs Pak

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: NZ tentative in start

Ex-Pakistan spinner calls for 'teaching BCCI a lesson' over tantrums
&ldquo;Their tantrums are not getting over. We are still praising them. The youngsters in Pakistan want to see Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. I don&rsquo;t know in which world they are living in and what they want to achieve. When are they going to be intelligent and wise?" said Mushtaq while speaking on a local media channel 24 news.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-ex-pakistan-spinner-calls-for-teaching-bcci-a-lesson-over-tantrums-8735569">Read Full Story</a>

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Score and Updates

1 Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Nathan Smith, 11 Will O'Rourke
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our XI for Champions Trophy Game 1! Batting first in Karachi after a toss win for Pakistan. Watch play LIVE in NZ on <a href="https://twitter.com/skysportnz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@skysportnz</a> 📺 LIVE scoring | <a href="https://t.co/cVlkusQf3c">https://t.co/cVlkusQf3c</a> 📲 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsTrophy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/ItFsfbi5Mb">pic.twitter.com/ItFsfbi5Mb</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/1892133173133262964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>

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PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: NZ Playing XI

1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Saud Shakeel, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt &amp; wk), 5 Salman Ali Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 TOSS &amp; PLAYING XI 🚨 Pakistan win the toss and opt to bowl first 🏏 Our team for Match 1 of the ICC <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsTrophy</a> 2025 🇵🇰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvNZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeHaveWeWill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeHaveWeWill</a> <a href="https://t.co/SnAfRzZtsK">pic.twitter.com/SnAfRzZtsK</a>
&mdash; Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1892130754039369895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>

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PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Pakistan Playing XI

Matches played: 3 Pakistan: 0 New Zealand: 3 Last Result: New Zealand beat Pakistan by 5 wickets (Johannesburg, 2009)

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Heah-to-head in CT

Matches played: 118 Pakistan: 61 New Zealand: 53 Tied: 1 No Result: 3 Last Result: New Zealand beat Pakistan by 5 wickets (2025) Last 5 Results: NZ-3 | PAK-2

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: PAK vs NZ H2H record in ODIs

Pakistan Squad: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Khan, Saud Shakeel
New Zealand Squad: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: What are the squads?

When will the match start: Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025, 14:00 Local Time (14:30 IST)
Where will be the match played: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Match 1, National Stadium, Karachi

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Live streaming details

Lahore's National Stadium has hosted 8 matches since the start of 2023, seven of being played between Pakistan and New Zealand
Devon Conway has struggled against Naseem Shah, getting thrice in three games against the pacer
Tom Latham, who hasn't been in the best of forms in 2025, has stroked three fifties across seven innings at the National Stadium

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Here are some interesting facts

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam/Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf
New Zealand: Will Young/Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith/Jacob Duffy, Will O'Rourke

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: What are the probable Playing XI's?

Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the tournament. Kyle Jamieson has been roped in as his replacement. Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra, who had sustained a face injury during the tri-series has resumed his practise, but his availability is yet to be confirmed.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: New Zealand team news

Haris Rauf, who had sustained a muscular strain in his lower chest wall during the recently-concluded tri-series, was declared available for the opening game of Champions Trophy. He has also resumed practice in the nets.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: What is the team news?

It's been a high-scoring venue, with the average first innings score of 289. Of the 19 venues that have hosted at least six ODIs since January 2023, it is the second highest scoring venue after Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. However, there is no distinct advantage for winning the toss. In the last eight games played at the venue, teams batting first and bowling first have won four times each.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: What to expect?

The Champions Trophy is back on the calendars of cricket enthusiasts as the extravaganza fest returns after over seven years of absence with a high-profile match between Pakistan and New Zealand beginning the tournament in the revamped Karachi Stadium on Wednesday.

PAK vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Live: Hosts face New Zealand in curtain-raiser 

PAK vs NZ Champions Trophy 2025 Highlights Score Updates: Pakistan kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Karachi, as the two nations go head-to-head on curtain-raiser.  Cricket Sports

PAK vs NZ Live Champions Trophy 2025 Highlights Score Updates: The Champions Trophy is back on the calendars of cricket enthusiasts as the extravaganza fest returns after over seven years of absence with a high-profile match between Pakistan and New Zealand beginning the tournament in the revamped Karachi Stadium on Wednesday. PAK vs NZ Live Score - Champions Trophy 2025 Cricket has been going through a phase where the ODI craves attention while its younger sibling, T20I, has been getting all the plaudits for delivering on its promise of an action-packed affair. As the Champions Trophy returns, fans' appetite for ODI cricket is expected to return to its peak. A lot has happened since Sarfaraz Ahmed took Pakistan to glory in 2017 by overwhelming their bitter rival, India, with a 180-run victory in the final. Before fans could forget Pakistan's success story in 2017, the Champions Trophy has returned, even though it remains an awkward fit considering the amount of T20I and Test action that has unfolded over the past years. In the tournament opener, Pakistan will face familiar foes, New Zealand, who have recently had an upper hand over the defending champions. The Blackcaps will be on familiar turf, considering no other team has played more ODIs than them in Pakistan (11) since the beginning of 2019. New Zealand will certainly back themselves to outfox Pakistan, considering their success over Pakistan in the ODI tri-nation final just five days before in Karachi. Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score Updates on Wionews.com

Champions Trophy, Pak vs NZ Highlights Score: New Zealand register dominating win over Pakistan

The Champions trophy is officially underway in Pakistan. Pakistan have been set a target of 321 in Karachi after centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham in the tournament opener. WION's Esha Hanspal gets you the details.

Champions Trophy underway in Pakistan

India face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy. India are playing all their matches in Dubai. Shubman Gill has climbed to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batters. Watch in for more details!

India begins Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh

The WTA has banned a man who exhibited “fixated behaviour” towards Emma Raducanu after he was taken away by security personnel during the 2021 US Open champion's match at the Dubai Championship.

WTA bans 'Fixated' fan after Raducanu incident

Pakistan is hosting a ICC tournament for the first time since the horrors of the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan Cricket team. The Champions trophy is underway but this is not just any tournament, this is there chance to restore the faith of global audience in Pakistan as a reliable hosts. Wion's Nikhil Mathur and VIdur Kathuria break down the significance of Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy and why it’s crucial for the country to deliver a successful event.

5 reasons why Pakistan needs a successful Champions Trophy

USA&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s cricket team beat Oman on Tuesday (Feb 18), breaking India&rsquo;s long-standing record for the lowest total defended in an ODI match. Playing at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Al Amerat, USA defended a mere 122 to rewrite the record books. Previously, the record was held by India, which beat Pakistan in 1985 while defending a total of 125 in Sharjah.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">USA break India&rsquo;s record for lowest total defended</h2>
Playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two 2023-27 cycle, Oman decided to bowl first after winning the toss. The decision proved right as the visitors were narrowed to 31/5 in 13 overs before some resolute batting show by the batters. Shakeel Ahmed (20/3), Aamir Kaleem (22/2) and Samay Shrivastava (41/2) were the pick of the bowlers for Oman.
Milind Kumar was the top scorer for the USA side as he scored 47 off 82 and tried to steady the innings. Aaron Jones (16) and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (16) also contributed as the two helped USA reach the three-figure mark.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swot-analysis-champions-trophy-2025-underdogs-with-a-fight-can-bangladesh-overcome-the-odds-8733923" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds?</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Lowest totals defended in ODIs</h2>
1. United States &ndash; 122 vs Oman (2024)
2. India &ndash; 125 vs Pakistan (1985)
3. West Indies &ndash; 127 vs England (1981)
4. Zimbabwe &ndash; 129 vs Afghanistan (2017)
5. South Africa &ndash; 129 vs England (1998)
6. Afghanistan &ndash; 131 vs Zimbabwe (2015)
7. Zimbabwe &ndash; 134 vs England (1992)
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Oman fail to chase</h2>
Tasked to chase 123 to win, Oman had a horrible batting collapse as they were bowled out for 65 in 25.3 overs. Hammad Mirza with 29 runs was the only batter to score in double figures for the hosts with no other batter showing any resilience. Interestingly, four batters were out on duck for Oman, highlighting flaws in the batting line-up.
Nosthush Kenjige was the pick of the bowlers for the USA as he ended with figures of 11/5 while Milind Kumar (17/2) and Yasir Mohammad (10/2) were also among the wicket-takers.

Sports, Cricket: USA defended a mere 122 to rewrite the record books. Previously, the record was held by India, which beat Pakistan while defending a total of 125 in Sharjah.

USA’s men’s cricket team beat Oman on Tuesday (Feb 18), breaking India’s long-standing record for the lowest total defended in an ODI match. Playing at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Al Amerat, USA defended a mere 122 to rewrite the record books. Previously, the record was held by India, which beat Pakistan in 1985 while defending a total of 125 in Sharjah. USA break India’s record for lowest total defended Playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two 2023-27 cycle, Oman decided to bowl first after winning the toss. The decision proved right as the visitors were narrowed to 31/5 in 13 overs before some resolute batting show by the batters. Shakeel Ahmed (20/3), Aamir Kaleem (22/2) and Samay Shrivastava (41/2) were the pick of the bowlers for Oman. Milind Kumar was the top scorer for the USA side as he scored 47 off 82 and tried to steady the innings. Aaron Jones (16) and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (16) also contributed as the two helped USA reach the three-figure mark. ALSO READ | SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds? Lowest totals defended in ODIs 1. United States – 122 vs Oman (2024) 2. India – 125 vs Pakistan (1985) 3. West Indies – 127 vs England (1981) 4. Zimbabwe – 129 vs Afghanistan (2017) 5. South Africa – 129 vs England (1998) 6. Afghanistan – 131 vs Zimbabwe (2015) 7. Zimbabwe – 134 vs England (1992) Oman fail to chase Tasked to chase 123 to win, Oman had a horrible batting collapse as they were bowled out for 65 in 25.3 overs. Hammad Mirza with 29 runs was the only batter to score in double figures for the hosts with no other batter showing any resilience. Interestingly, four batters were out on duck for Oman, highlighting flaws in the batting line-up. Nosthush Kenjige was the pick of the bowlers for the USA as he ended with figures of 11/5 while Milind Kumar (17/2) and Yasir Mohammad (10/2) were also among the wicket-takers.

USA men's cricket team breaks record for lowest total defended in ODIs, in Oman match

Argentine appeals judges on Tuesday dismissed rape charges against French rugby players Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, even as their accuser vowed to seek recourse to a higher court.
The men, both 21, were arrested two days after winning their first international caps for France against Argentina in the western city of Mendoza in July last year.
<h2>Argentine appeals court throws out rape case</h2>
A 39-year-old woman, whom they met in a nightclub after the match, accused them of a vicious assault in a hotel room.
Auradou and Jegou insisted they had consensual sex with the woman after a night of drinking.
The players were held in preventive custody for over a week in Mendoza and then under house arrest for nearly a month before being allowed to return to France last September after prosecutors said the case against them appeared flimsy.
On Tuesday, three appeals judges in Mendoza upheld a lower court's ruling last December to dismiss all charges against the pair.
In a judgment seen by AFP dismissing an appeal by the complainant, the judges cited a "lack of elements to support a serious accusation."
The accuser's lawyer Natacha Romano told AFP Tuesday they would lodge an appeal with the highest court of the province of Mendoza, and if necessary after that, the Supreme Court of the nation.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swot-analysis-champions-trophy-2025-underdogs-with-a-fight-can-bangladesh-overcome-the-odds-8733923" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds?</a>
Romano had previously vowed to exhaust all avenues of appeal, which could still include the Inter-American Court for Human Rights based in Costa Rica.
Jegou and Auradou made their first Test appearance since the accusation last month, starting on the bench for France's Six Nations opener against Wales.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports: Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were arrested two days after winning their first international caps for France against Argentina in the western city of Mendoza in July.

Argentine appeals judges on Tuesday dismissed rape charges against French rugby players Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, even as their accuser vowed to seek recourse to a higher court. The men, both 21, were arrested two days after winning their first international caps for France against Argentina in the western city of Mendoza in July last year. Argentine appeals court throws out rape case A 39-year-old woman, whom they met in a nightclub after the match, accused them of a vicious assault in a hotel room. Auradou and Jegou insisted they had consensual sex with the woman after a night of drinking. The players were held in preventive custody for over a week in Mendoza and then under house arrest for nearly a month before being allowed to return to France last September after prosecutors said the case against them appeared flimsy. On Tuesday, three appeals judges in Mendoza upheld a lower court's ruling last December to dismiss all charges against the pair. In a judgment seen by AFP dismissing an appeal by the complainant, the judges cited a "lack of elements to support a serious accusation." The accuser's lawyer Natacha Romano told AFP Tuesday they would lodge an appeal with the highest court of the province of Mendoza, and if necessary after that, the Supreme Court of the nation. ALSO READ | SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds? Romano had previously vowed to exhaust all avenues of appeal, which could still include the Inter-American Court for Human Rights based in Costa Rica. Jegou and Auradou made their first Test appearance since the accusation last month, starting on the bench for France's Six Nations opener against Wales. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Argentine appeals court throws out rape case against French rugby players

Novak Djokovic's comeback came to a crashing halt on Tuesday as he lost 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to Matteo Berrettini in the second round of the Qatar Open.
Djokovic, who was seeded third and received a first-round bye, was playing his first match since limping out of his Australian Open semi-final in January.&nbsp;
But the Serb said that while he was not 100 per cent, fitness was not the issue.
"I was outplayed by just a better player today," he said.&nbsp;
"Yes, I wasn't at my desired level, and it could be that I'm still not moving the way I want to move, but I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that."
"I think he played a masterclass match to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side."
It was only Berrettini's second&nbsp;win this year and his first over a player in the top 10 since 2023.&nbsp;
It was also the Italian's first ever win over Djokovic. Their previous encounters included victories for the Serb in the Wimbledon final and Roland Garros quarterfinals both in 2021.&nbsp;
"Something I've been looking to do for a long time. I've played against him in the most important tournaments on tour,"&nbsp;the 28-year-old Italian said on court after the victory. "I wish I could have won one of those matches."
Berrettini has struggled with injuries over the last 18 months but won three tournaments after returning to court last year.
"Really happy with my performance," he said. "Really happy because I enjoyed my time out there, which is the most important thing."
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swot-analysis-champions-trophy-2025-underdogs-with-a-fight-can-bangladesh-overcome-the-odds-8733923" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds?</a>
The first set went with serve but Berrettini took two points off Djokovic's serve to win the tiebreak.&nbsp;The Italian then broke to love in the second game of the second set.&nbsp;
Djokovic had broken Berrettini 27 times in their four previous encounters but the Italian was comfortable on serve until the final game before finally winning on his second match point.
"A champion like Novak is always ready to come back," Berrettini said. "You don't have to think about match point. You have to think about the next point."&nbsp;
Djokovic said that Andy Murray had agreed to continue as his coach "indefinitely" but said that he did not plan to overhaul his style.&nbsp;
"I am trying to improve my game, like everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically," Djokovic said. "My game is what it is, the core is going to be the same."
"There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it's more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances."
<h2>Cold and windy</h2>
Alex de Minaur celebrated his birthday by beating Russian Roman Safiullin&nbsp;6-1, 7-5, even though the Australian did not enjoy the weather.
"They're tough days, these ones," said De Minaur. "It's cold, it's windy, you probably don't want to get out of bed. But once you step on court, you have to do everything you can to win.&nbsp;
"Whether it's ugly or pretty tennis, you just put the ball in the court, and that's what I did today."&nbsp;
World No.6 Daniil Medvedev eliminated compatriot and defending champion Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.&nbsp;
Medvedev, the former world No.1, has not won a tournament since the Rome Masters in spring 2023. He was knocked out in the second round of this year's Australian Open by teenage American Learner Tien.&nbsp;
A third Russian former champion, Andrey Rublev, the fifth seed, beat Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Novak Djokovic, who was seeded third and received a first-round bye, was playing his first match since limping out of his Australian Open semi-final in January.

Novak Djokovic's comeback came to a crashing halt on Tuesday as he lost 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to Matteo Berrettini in the second round of the Qatar Open. Djokovic, who was seeded third and received a first-round bye, was playing his first match since limping out of his Australian Open semi-final in January. But the Serb said that while he was not 100 per cent, fitness was not the issue. "I was outplayed by just a better player today," he said. "Yes, I wasn't at my desired level, and it could be that I'm still not moving the way I want to move, but I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that." "I think he played a masterclass match to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side." It was only Berrettini's second win this year and his first over a player in the top 10 since 2023. It was also the Italian's first ever win over Djokovic. Their previous encounters included victories for the Serb in the Wimbledon final and Roland Garros quarterfinals both in 2021. "Something I've been looking to do for a long time. I've played against him in the most important tournaments on tour," the 28-year-old Italian said on court after the victory. "I wish I could have won one of those matches." Berrettini has struggled with injuries over the last 18 months but won three tournaments after returning to court last year. "Really happy with my performance," he said. "Really happy because I enjoyed my time out there, which is the most important thing." ALSO READ | SWOT analysis | Champions Trophy 2025: Underdogs with fighting spirit - Can Bangladesh overcome the odds? The first set went with serve but Berrettini took two points off Djokovic's serve to win the tiebreak. The Italian then broke to love in the second game of the second set. Djokovic had broken Berrettini 27 times in their four previous encounters but the Italian was comfortable on serve until the final game before finally winning on his second match point. "A champion like Novak is always ready to come back," Berrettini said. "You don't have to think about match point. You have to think about the next point." Djokovic said that Andy Murray had agreed to continue as his coach "indefinitely" but said that he did not plan to overhaul his style. "I am trying to improve my game, like everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically," Djokovic said. "My game is what it is, the core is going to be the same." "There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it's more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances." Cold and windy Alex de Minaur celebrated his birthday by beating Russian Roman Safiullin 6-1, 7-5, even though the Australian did not enjoy the weather. "They're tough days, these ones," said De Minaur. "It's cold, it's windy, you probably don't want to get out of bed. But once you step on court, you have to do everything you can to win. "Whether it's ugly or pretty tennis, you just put the ball in the court, and that's what I did today." World No.6 Daniil Medvedev eliminated compatriot and defending champion Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Medvedev, the former world No.1, has not won a tournament since the Rome Masters in spring 2023. He was knocked out in the second round of this year's Australian Open by teenage American Learner Tien. A third Russian former champion, Andrey Rublev, the fifth seed, beat Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Qatar Open: Matteo Berrettini ends Novak Djokovic's comeback in straight sets win

Bayern Munich needed a stoppage-time goal to see off Celtic and secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, while AC Milan were dumped out by Feyenoord and both Club Brugge and Benfica also advanced.
In Germany, Bayern were defending a 2-1 lead over Celtic in their play-off tie from last week's first leg but the Bundesliga leaders were unable to put the tie to bed, with Harry Kane hitting the bar before half-time.
Instead it was Celtic who went ahead on the night on 63 minutes thanks to Nicolas Kuehn, the former Bayern player, who slotted low into the net after a failed attempt to win the ball by Kim Min-jae.
That meant the tie was heading for extra time, but Bayern ultimately would not need to go that far as they scored in the fourth minute of injury time.
Alphonso Davies bundled the ball in from close range to make the score 1-1 on the night and clinch the tie for six-time European champions Bayern 3-2 on aggregate.
Vincent Kompany's team will find out their last-16 opponents when the draw is made on Friday, but it will be either German rivals Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.
"Of course, we always want to dominate and be much better than the opponent, especially here. But the result is always the most important thing," Kompany told UEFA.com
It was a heartbreaking way for Celtic to go out but the Scottish champions will take heart from their performance over the two legs.
"It never looked like we were going to concede the goal that we did and sadly for us, we did. I can only take immense pride from the performance and the guys gave everything," said Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
Earlier, seven-time European Cup winners Milan were eliminated by Feyenoord, a 1-1 draw at San Siro taking the Dutch club through 2-1 on aggregate.
Santiago Gimenez, playing against the club he left just last month, had put Milan ahead on the night from close range in the first minute to level the tie on aggregate.
However, Milan had Theo Hernandez sent off early in the second half for a second booking, and Feyenoord levelled on the night through Julian Carranza on 73 minutes.
The visitors had Givairo Read shown a red card at the end of the game after they had held on to win the tie.
They could now come back to San Siro in the next round, with Inter Milan and Arsenal their two possible opponents.
<h2>Benfica and Club Brugge through</h2>
In Lisbon, Benfica drew 3-3 at home with Monaco to win their play-off tie 4-3 on aggregate and go through to play either Barcelona or Liverpool next.
Having won 1-0 in Monaco last week, the Portuguese giants extended their aggregate lead when Kerem Akturkoglu opened the scoring on the night midway through the first half.
Monaco came roaring back with Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir netting either side of half-time to level the tie on aggregate.
Vangelis Pavlidis scored a penalty, his seventh goal in his last six Champions League games, to make it 2-2 on the night, only for substitute George Ilenikhena to hit back for Monaco.
However, the tie swung decisively back towards Benfica as Orkun Kokcu made it 3-3 on the night on 84 minutes.
"It was a tough night, we knew Monaco would put pressure on us from the start and we felt it, we didn't play our best game," Kokcu told broadcaster SportTV.
"Still, we're happy to have progressed to the last 16. I'm happy to have contributed to the result."
Teenage starlet Chemsdine Talbi scored twice as Club Brugge claimed a 3-1 victory away to Atalanta in Italy to win their tie 5-2 on aggregate.
Talbi's brace was followed by a superb Ferran Jutgla strike as the Belgians built on their 2-1 win at home in last week's first leg and advanced to a last 16 tie against either Lille or Aston Villa.
Atalanta had 29 attempts on goal but were punished on the break by the Belgians and Ademola Lookman's reply at the start of the second half was scant consolation.
Lookman also had a penalty saved while Atalanta captain Rafael Toloi was sent off late on, as last season's Europa League winners bowed out.
The remaining play-off second legs will take place on Wednesday, with the standout fixture seeing Real Madrid defend a 3-2 first-leg lead at home to Manchester City.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Bayern Munich needed a stoppage-time goal to see off Celtic and secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich needed a stoppage-time goal to see off Celtic and secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, while AC Milan were dumped out by Feyenoord and both Club Brugge and Benfica also advanced. In Germany, Bayern were defending a 2-1 lead over Celtic in their play-off tie from last week's first leg but the Bundesliga leaders were unable to put the tie to bed, with Harry Kane hitting the bar before half-time. Instead it was Celtic who went ahead on the night on 63 minutes thanks to Nicolas Kuehn, the former Bayern player, who slotted low into the net after a failed attempt to win the ball by Kim Min-jae. That meant the tie was heading for extra time, but Bayern ultimately would not need to go that far as they scored in the fourth minute of injury time. Alphonso Davies bundled the ball in from close range to make the score 1-1 on the night and clinch the tie for six-time European champions Bayern 3-2 on aggregate. Vincent Kompany's team will find out their last-16 opponents when the draw is made on Friday, but it will be either German rivals Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid. "Of course, we always want to dominate and be much better than the opponent, especially here. But the result is always the most important thing," Kompany told UEFA.com It was a heartbreaking way for Celtic to go out but the Scottish champions will take heart from their performance over the two legs. "It never looked like we were going to concede the goal that we did and sadly for us, we did. I can only take immense pride from the performance and the guys gave everything," said Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Earlier, seven-time European Cup winners Milan were eliminated by Feyenoord, a 1-1 draw at San Siro taking the Dutch club through 2-1 on aggregate. Santiago Gimenez, playing against the club he left just last month, had put Milan ahead on the night from close range in the first minute to level the tie on aggregate. However, Milan had Theo Hernandez sent off early in the second half for a second booking, and Feyenoord levelled on the night through Julian Carranza on 73 minutes. The visitors had Givairo Read shown a red card at the end of the game after they had held on to win the tie. They could now come back to San Siro in the next round, with Inter Milan and Arsenal their two possible opponents. Benfica and Club Brugge through In Lisbon, Benfica drew 3-3 at home with Monaco to win their play-off tie 4-3 on aggregate and go through to play either Barcelona or Liverpool next. Having won 1-0 in Monaco last week, the Portuguese giants extended their aggregate lead when Kerem Akturkoglu opened the scoring on the night midway through the first half. Monaco came roaring back with Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir netting either side of half-time to level the tie on aggregate. Vangelis Pavlidis scored a penalty, his seventh goal in his last six Champions League games, to make it 2-2 on the night, only for substitute George Ilenikhena to hit back for Monaco. However, the tie swung decisively back towards Benfica as Orkun Kokcu made it 3-3 on the night on 84 minutes. "It was a tough night, we knew Monaco would put pressure on us from the start and we felt it, we didn't play our best game," Kokcu told broadcaster SportTV. "Still, we're happy to have progressed to the last 16. I'm happy to have contributed to the result." Teenage starlet Chemsdine Talbi scored twice as Club Brugge claimed a 3-1 victory away to Atalanta in Italy to win their tie 5-2 on aggregate. Talbi's brace was followed by a superb Ferran Jutgla strike as the Belgians built on their 2-1 win at home in last week's first leg and advanced to a last 16 tie against either Lille or Aston Villa. Atalanta had 29 attempts on goal but were punished on the break by the Belgians and Ademola Lookman's reply at the start of the second half was scant consolation. Lookman also had a penalty saved while Atalanta captain Rafael Toloi was sent off late on, as last season's Europa League winners bowed out. The remaining play-off second legs will take place on Wednesday, with the standout fixture seeing Real Madrid defend a 3-2 first-leg lead at home to Manchester City. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Champions League: Bayern Munich edge out Celtic to reach last 16; Milan dumped out

The Champions Trophy kicks off on Wednesday with defending champions and host Pakistan taking on New Zealand. However, on the eve of the match, the Black Caps have been dealt a major blow. Their most experienced fast bowler, Lockie Ferguson, has been ruled out of the tournament due to a foot injury. Ferguson is a veteran with 65 ODIs, including two world cups in which New Zealand reached back-to-back semi-finals. He picked up the injury during the DP World ILT20 in the UAE earlier this month. Watch in for more details!

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: New Zealand names Kyle Jamieson as Ferguson's replacement

Novak Djokovic on Monday urged tennis authorities to overhaul the sport's anti-doping system, pointing to "inconsistencies" in cases involving top stars Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek and those of lower-ranked players.
World number one Sinner agreed to a three-month ban on Saturday, admitting "partial responsiblity" for mistakes by his team which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.
Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-the-top-three-blockbuster-matches-to-watch-out-for-in-tournament-india-vs-pakistan-england-vs-australia-england-vs-afghanistan-8730158">Champions Trophy: The top three blockbuster matches to watch out for in tournament</a>
In a surprising move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.
In another high-profile case last year, five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine.
"There's a majority of the players that I've talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled," said Djokovic.
"A majority of the players don't feel that it's fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It seems like, it appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers."
In contrast, the recently retired Simona Halep, a former world number one, was handed a four-year ban by the&nbsp;ITIA in 2022 after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug roxadustat.
She argued it was the result of a tainted supplement and successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced her suspension to nine months.
"Simona Halep and (Britain's) Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known that have been struggling to resolve their cases for years, or have gotten the ban for years," said Djokovic.
"There is so much inconsistencies between the cases."
Djokovic, who is returning to action this week at the Qatar Open for the first time since retiring injured from last month's Australian Open semi-finals, believes a change is needed.
"Right now it's a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn't work (for) anti-doping, it's obvious," he said.
"I hope that in the next period of the near future that the governing bodies are going to come together, of our tours and the tennis ecosystem, and try to find a more effective way to deal with these processes.
"It's inconsistent, and it appears to be very unfair."
"If you are going to treat every case individually or independently, which is what's happening, then there's no consistency, then there is no transparency, and some cases are transparent, some are not," he continued.
"The problem is that right now there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, towards WADA and ITIA, and the whole process."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World number one Sinner agreed to a three-month ban on Saturday, admitting "partial responsiblity" for mistakes by his team which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol. Sports

Novak Djokovic on Monday urged tennis authorities to overhaul the sport's anti-doping system, pointing to "inconsistencies" in cases involving top stars Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek and those of lower-ranked players. World number one Sinner agreed to a three-month ban on Saturday, admitting "partial responsiblity" for mistakes by his team which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August. Also Read: Champions Trophy: The top three blockbuster matches to watch out for in tournament In a surprising move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban. In another high-profile case last year, five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine. "There's a majority of the players that I've talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled," said Djokovic. "A majority of the players don't feel that it's fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It seems like, it appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers." In contrast, the recently retired Simona Halep, a former world number one, was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA in 2022 after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug roxadustat. She argued it was the result of a tainted supplement and successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced her suspension to nine months. "Simona Halep and (Britain's) Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known that have been struggling to resolve their cases for years, or have gotten the ban for years," said Djokovic. "There is so much inconsistencies between the cases." Djokovic, who is returning to action this week at the Qatar Open for the first time since retiring injured from last month's Australian Open semi-finals, believes a change is needed. "Right now it's a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn't work (for) anti-doping, it's obvious," he said. "I hope that in the next period of the near future that the governing bodies are going to come together, of our tours and the tennis ecosystem, and try to find a more effective way to deal with these processes. "It's inconsistent, and it appears to be very unfair." "If you are going to treat every case individually or independently, which is what's happening, then there's no consistency, then there is no transparency, and some cases are transparent, some are not," he continued. "The problem is that right now there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, towards WADA and ITIA, and the whole process." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Novak Djokovic calls for 'overhaul' of anti-doping system after Jannik Sinner case

Liverpool moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as Luis Diaz ended his goal drought to spark a tense 2-1 win against struggling Wolves on Sunday. Arne Slot's side got back on track after an unexpectedly poor week thanks to Diaz's first goal in 2025 and yet another Mohamed Salah strike.<o:p></o:p>
Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/kim-jong-un-red-cards-spurs-north-korea-drops-tottenham-broadcasts-in-political-power-play-8726180" rel="dofollow">Kim Jong Un &lsquo;red cards&rsquo; Spurs: North Korea drops Tottenham broadcasts in political power play</a>
While Diaz has struggled to find the net, Salah is in red-hot form and his penalty before the interval took the Egypt star to 28 goals in all competitions this season.<o:p></o:p>
Matheus Cunha netted in the second half for fourth-bottom Wolves, but although Liverpool looked tired in a disjointed, nervous, climax, they held on for a valuable victory.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool had gone two games without a win: an embarrassing FA Cup fourth round loss at second tier Plymouth last weekend and the stormy 2-2 draw at Everton on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal's 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday had applied a little more pressure on Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
The Reds responded to Arsenal's challenge as they moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English title.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool, who last won the Premier League in 2020, will be within touching distance of the crown if they take maximum points from trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City before hosting Newcastle over the course of the next 10 days.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool boss Slot was in the dug-out despite being charged with abusive behaviour after angrily approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch following the Merseyside derby.<o:p></o:p>
Slot was furious that James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser was not disallowed because of a possible push by Toffees striker Beto on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate.<o:p></o:p>
Slot had urged Liverpool to use their "anger" from the painful end to the Everton game as fuel to get back on track against Wolves.<o:p></o:p>
They didn't have to wait long to light the fuse as Diaz bagged his first league goal at Anfield since September.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Liverpool dig deep<o:p></o:p></h2>
In the 15th minute, Diaz picked out Salah and his return pass took a wicked deflection off Toti Gomes.<o:p></o:p>
Diaz stumbled forward to chest the ball past Wolves keeper Jose Sa as it barely trickled over the line.<o:p></o:p>
It was hardly a work of art but Diaz wasn't complaining about the scruffy nature of the strike.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai nearly netted with a more eye-catching effort, striding forward with purpose before drilling a low shot just wide.<o:p></o:p>
The Reds were rampant and Sa repelled Jota's drive at the near post after Robertson's cross caused panic in the Wolves defence.<o:p></o:p>
Wolves couldn't stem the tide as Liverpool went further ahead in the 37th minute.<o:p></o:p>
Wolves claimed Emmanuel Agbadou was pushed by Diaz before he raced into the area and was tripped by Sa.<o:p></o:p>
But VAR ignored their protests and Salah flicked the penalty down the middle with a flamboyant flourish.<o:p></o:p>
Salah has seven goals in his last six games, underlining his immense value to Liverpool as his contract winds towards its conclusion at the end of the season.<o:p></o:p>
Wolves debutant Marshall Munetsi wasted a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit early in the second half.<o:p></o:p>
Munetsi was sent clean through by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but Alisson Becker raced off his line to make a fine save.<o:p></o:p>
Jota appeared to have won a penalty when Agbadou's challenge sent him sprawling, but VAR overturned the decision as replays showed he had dived.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool had lost their momentum and Cunha took advantage, evading Ryan Gravenberch and curling a superb finish into the far corner in the 67th minute.<o:p></o:p>
That set up a fraught finale for Liverpool, who had to dig deep to secure a fourth win in their last five league games.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal.

Liverpool moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as Luis Diaz ended his goal drought to spark a tense 2-1 win against struggling Wolves on Sunday. Arne Slot's side got back on track after an unexpectedly poor week thanks to Diaz's first goal in 2025 and yet another Mohamed Salah strike. Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal. Also read | Kim Jong Un ‘red cards’ Spurs: North Korea drops Tottenham broadcasts in political power play While Diaz has struggled to find the net, Salah is in red-hot form and his penalty before the interval took the Egypt star to 28 goals in all competitions this season. Matheus Cunha netted in the second half for fourth-bottom Wolves, but although Liverpool looked tired in a disjointed, nervous, climax, they held on for a valuable victory. Liverpool had gone two games without a win: an embarrassing FA Cup fourth round loss at second tier Plymouth last weekend and the stormy 2-2 draw at Everton on Wednesday. Arsenal's 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday had applied a little more pressure on Liverpool. The Reds responded to Arsenal's challenge as they moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English title. Liverpool, who last won the Premier League in 2020, will be within touching distance of the crown if they take maximum points from trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City before hosting Newcastle over the course of the next 10 days. Liverpool boss Slot was in the dug-out despite being charged with abusive behaviour after angrily approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch following the Merseyside derby. Slot was furious that James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser was not disallowed because of a possible push by Toffees striker Beto on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate. Slot had urged Liverpool to use their "anger" from the painful end to the Everton game as fuel to get back on track against Wolves. They didn't have to wait long to light the fuse as Diaz bagged his first league goal at Anfield since September. Liverpool dig deep In the 15th minute, Diaz picked out Salah and his return pass took a wicked deflection off Toti Gomes. Diaz stumbled forward to chest the ball past Wolves keeper Jose Sa as it barely trickled over the line. It was hardly a work of art but Diaz wasn't complaining about the scruffy nature of the strike. Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai nearly netted with a more eye-catching effort, striding forward with purpose before drilling a low shot just wide. The Reds were rampant and Sa repelled Jota's drive at the near post after Robertson's cross caused panic in the Wolves defence. Wolves couldn't stem the tide as Liverpool went further ahead in the 37th minute. Wolves claimed Emmanuel Agbadou was pushed by Diaz before he raced into the area and was tripped by Sa. But VAR ignored their protests and Salah flicked the penalty down the middle with a flamboyant flourish. Salah has seven goals in his last six games, underlining his immense value to Liverpool as his contract winds towards its conclusion at the end of the season. Wolves debutant Marshall Munetsi wasted a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit early in the second half. Munetsi was sent clean through by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but Alisson Becker raced off his line to make a fine save. Jota appeared to have won a penalty when Agbadou's challenge sent him sprawling, but VAR overturned the decision as replays showed he had dived. Liverpool had lost their momentum and Cunha took advantage, evading Ryan Gravenberch and curling a superb finish into the far corner in the 67th minute. That set up a fraught finale for Liverpool, who had to dig deep to secure a fourth win in their last five league games. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Luis Diaz ends goal drought to power Liverpool seven points clear at top

World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannick Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the "process is completely broken". And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become "too scared" of it.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner&rsquo;s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday (Feb 15) after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes that had led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-number-one-jannik-sinner-accepts-three-month-suspension-over-doping-charges-8723883" rel="dofollow">Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges</a>
Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August.<o:p></o:p>
In a surprise move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.<o:p></o:p>
In a statement, WADA said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year. The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA's Asian swing in September-October citing "personal matters".<o:p></o:p>
Pegula, last year&rsquo;s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players.<o:p></o:p>
"I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don't, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely not a process," the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. "It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling. <o:p></o:p>
"I don't really understand how that's fair for players when there's just so much inconsistency and you have no idea."<o:p></o:p>
Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes.<o:p></o:p>
"If you're clean or not, the process is completely broken," she stated. "I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered."<o:p></o:p>
"I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.<o:p></o:p>
&ldquo;I don't think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It's just a horrible look for the sport."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'Too scared': Sabalenka<o:p></o:p></h2>
Sabalenka, meanwhile, refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but said she had become too wary of falling foul of the sport&rsquo;s strict anti-doping rules.<o:p></o:p>
"You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn't care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I&rsquo;m not going to drink from the same glass of water," said the Belarusian world number one.<o:p></o:p>
"You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they&rsquo;re going to go for you and they&rsquo;re not going to believe you or anything.<o:p></o:p>
"You just become too scared of the system. I don&rsquo;t see how I can trust the system."<o:p></o:p>
American world number three Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance.<o:p></o:p>
"I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that's all I can hope for," said the former US Open champion.<o:p></o:p>
"I just hope it's more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis; he admitted "partial responsibility" for team mistakes.

World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannick Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the "process is completely broken". And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become "too scared" of it. Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday (Feb 15) after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes that had led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. Also read | Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August. In a surprise move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban. In a statement, WADA said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage. Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year. The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA's Asian swing in September-October citing "personal matters". Pegula, last year’s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players. "I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don't, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely not a process," the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. "It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling. "I don't really understand how that's fair for players when there's just so much inconsistency and you have no idea." Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes. "If you're clean or not, the process is completely broken," she stated. "I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered." "I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair. “I don't think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It's just a horrible look for the sport." 'Too scared': Sabalenka Sabalenka, meanwhile, refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but said she had become too wary of falling foul of the sport’s strict anti-doping rules. "You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn't care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water," said the Belarusian world number one. "You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything. "You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system." American world number three Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance. "I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that's all I can hope for," said the former US Open champion. "I just hope it's more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sinner’s doping case ban scares Sabalenka; Pegula calls process 'completely broken’

Manchester United forward Amad Diallo could be sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering ankle ligament damage, according to reports on Saturday.<o:p></o:p>
Diallo is believed to have sustained the problem in training, with United yet to confirm the extent of the damage as the 22-year-old awaits further tests.<o:p></o:p>
The Ivory Coast international had been one of United's most dynamic performers in a difficult campaign for the troubled Premier League club, netting crucial goals against Manchester City and Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pl-omar-marmoushs-maiden-hat-trick-powers-manchester-city-back-into-top-four-8724888" rel="dofollow">PL: Omar Marmoush&rsquo;s maiden hat-trick powers Manchester City back into top four</a>
Diallo has scored six times in his last 14 games in all competitions and his prolonged absence would be a massive blow to United manager Ruben Amorim.<o:p></o:p>
Amorim had already revealed ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham that United were hit by unspecified injuries and illness.<o:p></o:p>
Reports subsequently emerged that United midfielders Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer picked up injuries in addition to Diallo's setback.<o:p></o:p>
Lisandro Martinez recently sustained a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Amorim suggested Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, Mason Mount and Altay Bayindir would remain absent.<o:p></o:p>
Academy players, including 17-year-old Chido Obi, have been promoted to first-team training to help cope with the issues.<o:p></o:p>
United sit 13th in the Premier League standings ahead of the meeting with Tottenham, who are two points behind them.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Diallo has scored six times in his last 14 games in all competitions and his prolonged absence would be a massive blow to United manager Ruben Amorim.

Manchester United forward Amad Diallo could be sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering ankle ligament damage, according to reports on Saturday. Diallo is believed to have sustained the problem in training, with United yet to confirm the extent of the damage as the 22-year-old awaits further tests. The Ivory Coast international had been one of United's most dynamic performers in a difficult campaign for the troubled Premier League club, netting crucial goals against Manchester City and Liverpool. Also read | PL: Omar Marmoush’s maiden hat-trick powers Manchester City back into top four Diallo has scored six times in his last 14 games in all competitions and his prolonged absence would be a massive blow to United manager Ruben Amorim. Amorim had already revealed ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham that United were hit by unspecified injuries and illness. Reports subsequently emerged that United midfielders Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer picked up injuries in addition to Diallo's setback. Lisandro Martinez recently sustained a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Amorim suggested Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, Mason Mount and Altay Bayindir would remain absent. Academy players, including 17-year-old Chido Obi, have been promoted to first-team training to help cope with the issues. United sit 13th in the Premier League standings ahead of the meeting with Tottenham, who are two points behind them. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Manchester United's Diallo sidelined for rest of season with injury - Report

Omar Marmoush scored his first Manchester City goals with a first-half hat-trick to beat Newcastle 4-0 and fire Pep Guardiola's men back into the Premier League's top four on Saturday. The Egyptian was in scintillating form as City recovered from their late Champions League collapse to lose to Real Madrid 3-2 at home in midweek.<o:p></o:p>
The English champions have a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season.<o:p></o:p>
But Marmoush's explosion gives some cause for optimism as Newcastle were blown away inside the opening 33 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
The match had been billed as a clash between the Premier League's two top strikers as Golden Boot rivals Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak went head-to-head.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pl-merinos-brace-helps-arsenal-beat-leicester-as-gunners-close-gap-with-leaders-liverpool-8724615" rel="dofollow">PL: Merino&rsquo;s brace helps Arsenal beat Leicester as Gunners close gap with leaders Liverpool</a>
However, they were both overshadowed as Marmoush announced his arrival to the English game.<o:p></o:p>
The 26-year-old scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season before making a &pound;59 million ($72.6 million) move to Manchester in January.<o:p></o:p>
City were keen to add more goalscoring threats to support Haaland and the early signs are promising that the Norwegian and Marmoush can dovetail effectively.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola made six changes to freshen up his side between the Madrid double header with Marmoush one of those to come into the side.<o:p></o:p>
Ederson was at fault for City's late collapse from 2-1 to 3-2 down against the European champions on Tuesday, but made amends with his third assist of the season.<o:p></o:p>
Kieran Trippier was caught underneath the Brazilian goalkeeper's booming kick upfield and Marmoush had the simple task to lob the stranded Martin Dubravka.<o:p></o:p>
That goal continued City's run of scoring in their last 33 Premier League games against the Magpies.<o:p></o:p>
Five minutes later, it was 2-0 when Ilkay Gundogan fed Marmoush inside the area, who cut inside before his deflected effort found the bottom corner.<o:p></o:p>
Savinho's pace and trickery down the right was another major positive for Guardiola and he created the third by skipping past Lewis Hall and squaring for Marmoush to fire home from close range.<o:p></o:p>
City's fragility at defending leads this season was never seriously tested as the visitors suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a return to the Champions League next season.<o:p></o:p>
Either side of reaching next month's League Cup final, Eddie Howe's men have lost three of their last four Premier League games to slip to seventh.<o:p></o:p>
City, on the other hand, climb back into pole position for Champions League qualification despite their drastic dip in standards this season that will see an unprecedented run of four consecutive league titles almost certainly come to an end.<o:p></o:p>
James McAtee came off the bench to add the fourth six minutes from time when the midfielder turned in Haaland's flick on from a Gundogan corner.<o:p></o:p>
But there was a worrying scene for City as Haaland had to be replaced in the closing stages after receiving treatment on a knee injury.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: City has a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season.

Omar Marmoush scored his first Manchester City goals with a first-half hat-trick to beat Newcastle 4-0 and fire Pep Guardiola's men back into the Premier League's top four on Saturday. The Egyptian was in scintillating form as City recovered from their late Champions League collapse to lose to Real Madrid 3-2 at home in midweek. The English champions have a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season. But Marmoush's explosion gives some cause for optimism as Newcastle were blown away inside the opening 33 minutes. The match had been billed as a clash between the Premier League's two top strikers as Golden Boot rivals Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak went head-to-head. Also read | PL: Merino’s brace helps Arsenal beat Leicester as Gunners close gap with leaders Liverpool However, they were both overshadowed as Marmoush announced his arrival to the English game. The 26-year-old scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season before making a £59 million ($72.6 million) move to Manchester in January. City were keen to add more goalscoring threats to support Haaland and the early signs are promising that the Norwegian and Marmoush can dovetail effectively. Guardiola made six changes to freshen up his side between the Madrid double header with Marmoush one of those to come into the side. Ederson was at fault for City's late collapse from 2-1 to 3-2 down against the European champions on Tuesday, but made amends with his third assist of the season. Kieran Trippier was caught underneath the Brazilian goalkeeper's booming kick upfield and Marmoush had the simple task to lob the stranded Martin Dubravka. That goal continued City's run of scoring in their last 33 Premier League games against the Magpies. Five minutes later, it was 2-0 when Ilkay Gundogan fed Marmoush inside the area, who cut inside before his deflected effort found the bottom corner. Savinho's pace and trickery down the right was another major positive for Guardiola and he created the third by skipping past Lewis Hall and squaring for Marmoush to fire home from close range. City's fragility at defending leads this season was never seriously tested as the visitors suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a return to the Champions League next season. Either side of reaching next month's League Cup final, Eddie Howe's men have lost three of their last four Premier League games to slip to seventh. City, on the other hand, climb back into pole position for Champions League qualification despite their drastic dip in standards this season that will see an unprecedented run of four consecutive league titles almost certainly come to an end. James McAtee came off the bench to add the fourth six minutes from time when the midfielder turned in Haaland's flick on from a Gundogan corner. But there was a worrying scene for City as Haaland had to be replaced in the closing stages after receiving treatment on a knee injury. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Omar Marmoush’s maiden hat-trick powers Manchester City back into top four

Arsenal ignored their injury woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as Mikel Merino came off the bench to clinch a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday. <o:p></o:p>
Mikel Arteta's side were in danger of wasting a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race as they laboured to make the breakthrough at the King Power Stadium. But, with his attacking options limited by a host of injuries, Arteta sent on Spain midfielder Merino to act as a makeshift striker in the closing stages.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/mitoma-mintehs-magic-inspires-brighton-to-dominating-win-over-chelsea-8722571" rel="dofollow">Mitoma &amp; Minteh&rsquo;s magic inspires Brighton to dominating win over Chelsea</a>
It proved an inspired move as Merino netted twice in the last nine minutes to extend Arsenal's unbeaten run in the league to 15 games.<o:p></o:p>
Having lost 2-0 at Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final second leg before an extended break due to their early FA Cup exit, the Gunners returned to action with a vital victory that keeps them hot on the heels of Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand on Wednesday, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>
With Kai Havertz ruled out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury while blocking a shot during Arsenal's recent training trip to Dubai, Arteta was left with a threadbare attack.<o:p></o:p>
Havertz's injury blow came just weeks after Arsenal failed to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window.<o:p></o:p>
Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already sidelined, so Arteta was forced to use Belgian winger Leandro Trossard as his central striker.<o:p></o:p>
Underling the paucity of Arteta's forward options, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and the out of form Raheem Sterling filled in on the flanks either side of Trossard.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Protest songs<o:p></o:p></h2>
Fortunately for Arteta, third-bottom Leicester were ideal opponents for his weakened team.<o:p></o:p>
Underlying the gloom around Leicester's relegation battle, fans staging a vocal protest against the club's Thai owners and Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin after 14 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
With the protest songs still ringing around the King Power Stadium, Declan Rice headed wastefully wide when Nwaneri's cross teed up Arsenal's first sight of goal.<o:p></o:p>
Arteta tried to rouse Arsenal from their lethargic start with an animated team-talk during a break in play.<o:p></o:p>
Sterling's lack of confidence was clear to see in an ill-timed fall that allowed another chance to slip away.<o:p></o:p>
Ndidi was close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header skidded off the rain-soaked surface and flashed just wide of the far post.<o:p></o:p>
Nwaneri was one of Arsenal's few bright sparks on a murky day in the east midlands. The teenager surged onto Martin Odegaard's pass and curled just wide from 20 yards in a rare Arsenal threat.<o:p></o:p>
Nwaneri was a constant menace, unloading a stinging strike that Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen tipped onto the post.<o:p></o:p>
Leicester couldn't stem the tide as Arteta's gamble paid off in the 81st minute.<o:p></o:p>
Nwaneri swung a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Merino found space to thump his header past Hermansen from six yards.<o:p></o:p>
Merino celebrated by dancing a jig around the corner flag, but he wasn't finished yet.<o:p></o:p>
Seven minutes later, Trossard whipped a cross into the six-yard box and Merino's well-timed run eluded the Leicester defence as he slotted home to keep Arsenal firmly in the title chase.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

Arsenal ignored their injury woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as Mikel Merino came off the bench to clinch a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday. Mikel Arteta's side were in danger of wasting a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race as they laboured to make the breakthrough at the King Power Stadium. But, with his attacking options limited by a host of injuries, Arteta sent on Spain midfielder Merino to act as a makeshift striker in the closing stages. Also read | Mitoma & Minteh’s magic inspires Brighton to dominating win over Chelsea It proved an inspired move as Merino netted twice in the last nine minutes to extend Arsenal's unbeaten run in the league to 15 games. Having lost 2-0 at Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final second leg before an extended break due to their early FA Cup exit, the Gunners returned to action with a vital victory that keeps them hot on the heels of Liverpool. Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand on Wednesday, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday. With Kai Havertz ruled out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury while blocking a shot during Arsenal's recent training trip to Dubai, Arteta was left with a threadbare attack. Havertz's injury blow came just weeks after Arsenal failed to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window. Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already sidelined, so Arteta was forced to use Belgian winger Leandro Trossard as his central striker. Underling the paucity of Arteta's forward options, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and the out of form Raheem Sterling filled in on the flanks either side of Trossard. Protest songs Fortunately for Arteta, third-bottom Leicester were ideal opponents for his weakened team. Underlying the gloom around Leicester's relegation battle, fans staging a vocal protest against the club's Thai owners and Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin after 14 minutes. With the protest songs still ringing around the King Power Stadium, Declan Rice headed wastefully wide when Nwaneri's cross teed up Arsenal's first sight of goal. Arteta tried to rouse Arsenal from their lethargic start with an animated team-talk during a break in play. Sterling's lack of confidence was clear to see in an ill-timed fall that allowed another chance to slip away. Ndidi was close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header skidded off the rain-soaked surface and flashed just wide of the far post. Nwaneri was one of Arsenal's few bright sparks on a murky day in the east midlands. The teenager surged onto Martin Odegaard's pass and curled just wide from 20 yards in a rare Arsenal threat. Nwaneri was a constant menace, unloading a stinging strike that Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen tipped onto the post. Leicester couldn't stem the tide as Arteta's gamble paid off in the 81st minute. Nwaneri swung a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Merino found space to thump his header past Hermansen from six yards. Merino celebrated by dancing a jig around the corner flag, but he wasn't finished yet. Seven minutes later, Trossard whipped a cross into the six-yard box and Merino's well-timed run eluded the Leicester defence as he slotted home to keep Arsenal firmly in the title chase. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Merino’s brace helps Arsenal beat Leicester as Gunners close gap with leaders Liverpool

Sports, MMA: After securing a gold medal at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, Phogat transitioned to MMA in 2019, joining Evolve MMA in Singapore

For Ritu Phogat, the past two and a half years have been transformative. Once hailed as India’s brightest MMA prospect, the 30-year-old fighter had taken a break from the sport to embrace motherhood. Now, she is set to return to the cage at ONE 171: Qatar, ready to prove that she is stronger than ever. Her opponent, Ayaka Miura, is a dangerous submission specialist, known for her lethal ground game. But Phogat isn’t just fighting to win—she’s fighting for a bigger purpose. "I don't fight for myself anymore. I fight for my child," she told WION's Jatin Verma in an exclusive interview. It is this newfound motivation, drawn from the love for her child, that has made her return even more powerful. Ritu Phogat’s journey in combat sports began long before she stepped into an MMA cage. Coming from India’s famous Phogat wrestling family, she grew up in an environment where strength, discipline, and resilience were part of daily life. The daughter of Mahavir Singh Phogat, Ritu followed in the footsteps of her sisters—Geeta and Babita Phogat—who made history for Indian women’s wrestling. After securing a gold medal at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, Phogat transitioned to MMA in 2019, joining Evolve MMA in Singapore. Her wrestling background gave her an edge in takedowns and ground control, making her a formidable force in the atomweight division of ONE Championship. However, just as she was gaining momentum, life had other plans. In 2022, Phogat stepped away from competition to embrace a new role: Motherhood. Training through pregnancy: A fighter’s discipline While many athletes pause their training during pregnancy, Phogat took a different approach. "When I was pregnant, I continued my workouts. I never cheated on my diet," she revealed. Her dedication ensured that her body remained conditioned, even as she prepared for the biggest change in her life. By the fourth month of pregnancy, she was back in light training, incorporating strength and cardio exercises to maintain her fitness. Such discipline is rare, but Phogat was determined to return to the sport she loved, stronger than ever. Her biggest challenge came after giving birth. "My body became very weak," she admitted. The physical demands of pregnancy and childbirth had changed her body, and she had to start rebuilding from scratch. Bouncing back Most new mothers take months, even years, to return to intense physical activity. But Phogat resumed training just two weeks after delivery. "Handling training alongside taking care of the baby was really tough," she confessed. "But my family has been a huge help in allowing me to practice and focus on my game." Her training regimen post-pregnancy included: Wrestling and ground control – sharpening her strongest weapon, Kickboxing – improving her striking game, Jiu-Jitsu – strengthening her submissions and defensive skills and strength & conditioning – regaining endurance and explosiveness. Despite the challenges, Phogat was determined to push forward. “My fitness is stronger than before,” she said, emphasising that her comeback isn’t just about returning to the cage—it’s about proving that a mother can compete at the highest level. Facing Ayaka Miura Ritu Phogat’s return fight is far from an easy one. Ayaka Miura is a veteran of ONE Championship with a track record of dominant submission victories. Known for her "Ayaka Lock" (scarf-hold armlock), Miura has made a habit of forcing her opponents to tap out. But Phogat remains confident. "I can already see myself winning," she stated. “Whether it happens in the first round or the last, I will win.” Her strategy for the fight revolves around neutralising Miura’s submission game while leveraging her superior wrestling to dictate the pace. "My base is ground game, but I need to sharpen it even more," she admitted. She has been working closely with her coach to enhance her grappling defense and improve her striking, ensuring she can dominate in all areas of the fight. Breaking Barriers Beyond the fight, Phogat’s comeback carries a deeper significance. In India, women in sports often face societal expectations to step away from competition after marriage or childbirth. But Phogat is challenging that norm. “I want to show everyone that a mother can do whatever she sets her mind to,” she said with determination. Her journey is not just about winning fights—it’s about empowering women, proving that motherhood and professional sports can coexist. Yet, the journey hasn’t been without hurdles. "In India, there is no government support for MMA fighters," Phogat pointed out. "You have to manage everything yourself. It’s a big challenge." Despite the lack of institutional backing, she remains undeterred, relying on sheer determination and the unwavering support of her family. As she steps back into the cage, Phogat hopes to inspire young athletes—especially women—to pursue their dreams fearlessly. "I want to become the best MMA world champion in India. I want to show the world that I am the best fighter from India," she declared. Her advice to young fighters? "Hard work is the only way. Never give up, no matter what challenges come your way." The Big Night With fight night fast approaching, the excitement surrounding Ritu Phogat’s return is at an all-time high. Fans across India and the MMA world are eager to witness her comeback. The question remains: Can Ritu Phogat defy the odds and make a statement in her return fight? One thing is certain—she has already won the battle of perseverance, proving that true strength comes not just from physical power, but from an unbreakable will. And on February 20, the world will see the Indian Tigress roar once again.

Exclusive | Driven by motherhood, Ritu Phogat eyes glory in ONE Championship return

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