South Africa and New Zealand have made changes to their squads for the upcoming T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. South Africa dropped Tony de Zorzi and Donovan Ferreira due to injuries, replacing them with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs. New Zealand suffered a major setback as key pacer Adam Milne was ruled out with a torn left hamstring, sustained during the SA20 league. Kyle Jamieson has been named as his replacement.

Rickelton’s inclusion follows his outstanding form in the SA20 tournament, where he scored consecutive centuries for MI Cape Town and against Joburg Super Kings. New Zealand coach Rob Walter expressed sympathy for Milne, noting his hard work and strong performances before the injury.

South Africa, placed in Group D, will begin their campaign on February 9 against Canada in Ahmedabad, while New Zealand will face Afghanistan on February 8 in their opening match.

West Indies ended their three-match T20 series against Afghanistan with a consolation victory in Dubai on January 23, 2026. After losing the first two matches and conceding the series, the Caribbean side won the final game by 15 runs, powered by Shamar Springer’s hat-trick. Batting first, West Indies posted 151 for 7 in 20 overs, led by captain Brandon King’s 47 runs and late contributions from Matthew Forde and Springer. Afghanistan replied with 136 for 8, falling short despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 71-run innings.

Afghanistan had been well placed at 72 for no loss after 10 overs, but Springer’s decisive spell turned the match. He dismissed Gurbaz, Rashid, and Shahidullah in consecutive deliveries to complete his hat-trick, becoming the third West Indian bowler to achieve the feat in T20 internationals. Springer finished with figures of 4 for 20 and was named Player of the Match, while Afghanistan’s Darwish Rasooli was named Player of the Series as his team claimed the series 2–1.

The result gave West Indies a morale-boosting finish to the series despite their earlier defeats.

Bangladeshi cultural adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has questioned the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) neutrality after it decided to keep Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches in India despite security concerns. In a Facebook post on Friday, Farooki said the ICC accepted security-based decisions from India and Pakistan in the past but took a different stance when Bangladesh raised similar concerns. He cited recent reports of mob attacks in India targeting people suspected to be Bangladeshi and mentioned a recent killing in West Bengal reported by The Telegraph of India.

Farooki also referred to Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray’s warning about hosting the Bangladesh-India match in Mumbai and linked it to ongoing anti-Bangladesh sentiment, including the removal of player Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. He noted that even ICC’s internal and independent security assessments indicated a medium to high risk for the Bangladesh team in India if Mustafizur played.

Despite these warnings, the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move the matches to Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh Cricket Board and government remain firm on their decision not to play in India.

Chattogram Royals captain Akbar Ali won the toss in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final on January 23, 2026, and opted to field first. As a result, Rajshahi Warriors will bat first in the title-deciding match. The final brings together two teams that have faced each other three times earlier in the tournament, with Chattogram winning twice and Rajshahi once.

The Chattogram Royals lineup includes Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Naim, Mahmudul Hasan, Hasan Nawaz, Asif Ali, Mehedi Hasan (captain), Amir Jamal, Tanvir Islam, Zahiduzzaman (wicketkeeper), Mukidul Islam, and Shariful Islam. Rajshahi Warriors’ playing eleven features Sahibzada Farhan, Tanzid Hasan, Kane Williamson, Nazmul Hossain (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mehrab Hasan, Jimmy Neesham, Abdul Gaffar, Tanzim Hasan, Hasan Murad, and Binura Fernando.

The teams’ previous encounters suggest a competitive final, with Chattogram holding a slight edge in head-to-head results.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance mutual cooperation in cricket development. The agreement was signed on Friday, January 16, at the Bangladesh High Commission chancery in Pretoria, South Africa. Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Shah Ahmed Shafi, signed on behalf of the BCB, while CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki represented the South African board.

According to the Bangladesh High Commission in Pretoria, the MoU will allow emerging Bangladeshi cricketers to receive high-quality training at CSA’s Centre of Excellence in Pretoria on a regular basis. The agreement also includes training and exchange programs for umpires and pitch curators, as well as increased bilateral tours for both men’s and women’s teams at various levels.

The three-year agreement aims to promote coaching development, technical knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity building between the two boards. Officials expressed optimism that the MoU will further strengthen cricket relations between Bangladesh and South Africa.

Former Pakistan cricket captain Rashid Latif has called on Pakistan to boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup in solidarity with Bangladesh. The appeal follows Bangladesh’s decision not to send its team to India over security concerns. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul confirmed that Bangladesh wants to play in Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament, rather than in India. The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request, prompting criticism from Latif.

Latif argued that Pakistan should stand with Bangladesh and challenge what he described as the current cricket system’s unfairness. He said this was an opportunity for Pakistan to take a firm stance and demonstrate unity. Latif also questioned the ICC’s assurance that there would be no security risks for Bangladeshi players in India, calling such guarantees unrealistic.

The tenth edition of the T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7, with India and Sri Lanka as co-hosts. Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India and Latif’s call for Pakistan’s boycott have added new tension to the tournament’s preparations.

Cristiano Ronaldo broke another record on Wednesday night as Al Nassr defeated Damac 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League. The Portuguese superstar scored in the 50th minute, marking his 116th goal for Al Nassr across all competitions. With this, he became the club’s highest-scoring foreign player, surpassing Abderrazak Hamdallah’s previous record of 115 goals set between 2018 and 2021.

Ronaldo, now 40, has played 131 matches for Al Nassr, averaging 0.89 goals per game and scoring once every 99 minutes. His tally includes six hat-tricks and 22 assists for teammates. In the overall list of Al Nassr’s top scorers, including Saudi players, Ronaldo currently ranks third behind Majed Abdullah with 259 goals and Mohammad Al-Sahlawi with 131. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now reached 960 career goals and is 40 goals away from the 1,000-goal milestone.

So far this season, Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in the Saudi Pro League, continuing his prolific form and extending his record-breaking career.

Novak Djokovic continued his dominant form at the Australian Open, defeating Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli in straight sets to secure a place in the third round. The Serbian superstar won 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, marking his 399th career singles victory in Grand Slam tournaments. With this result, Djokovic stands just one win away from becoming the first player in tennis history to reach 400 Grand Slam singles wins.

In other second-round matches, Italy’s Jannik Sinner advanced after beating Australia’s James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Croatia’s Marin Cilic also progressed, defeating Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka reached the third round after a five-set battle against France’s Arthur Gea, winning 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-3).

In the women’s singles, Poland’s Iga Swiatek cruised past Czech player Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-3, while Japan’s Naomi Osaka overcame Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to move forward.

Bangladesh suffered a 5-1 defeat to Pakistan in the ongoing SAFF Futsal Championship in Thailand, effectively ending their hopes of winning the title. Despite Pakistan being reduced to four players following a red card, coach Saeed Khodarahmi’s team failed to capitalize on the advantage. The match took place at Nonthaburi Stadium in Bangkok, where Bangladesh missed several early scoring chances before conceding multiple goals.

After five matches, Bangladesh has collected seven points, while Maldives leads the table with 12 points from four straight wins. Pakistan sits in second place with 10 points from five matches. The tournament follows a round-robin format, with the team earning the highest points crowned champion. Bangladesh will face Nepal in their final match on Saturday.

The loss leaves Bangladesh out of title contention, while Maldives and Pakistan remain the leading contenders for the championship based on current standings.

Sri Lanka began their One Day International series against England with a 19-run victory in Colombo. Batting first on a spin-friendly pitch, the hosts posted a total of 271 runs. In reply, England reached 252, with Ben Duckett scoring 62 and Joe Root adding 61, but they fell short of the target.

Kusal Mendis anchored Sri Lanka’s innings with an unbeaten 93 featuring 11 fours, while Janith Liyanage contributed 46 off 53 balls in an 88-run partnership. Dunith Wellalage added a quick 25 from 12 balls with one six and three fours before taking two wickets with the ball, earning him the player of the match award.

The win gives Sri Lanka an early lead in the series, setting up momentum ahead of the remaining matches in the ODI contest.

Afghanistan clinched the three-match T20 series against West Indies after a 39-run victory in the second match held in Dubai. Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s hat-trick and four-wicket haul led the team to a 2–0 lead, securing the series with one game remaining. Afghanistan had earlier won the first match of the series.

Batting first, Afghanistan posted 189 for 4 in 20 overs, with Darwish Rasooli scoring 68 off 39 balls and Sediqullah Atal adding 53 off 42. The pair shared a 115-run partnership for the third wicket. In reply, West Indies were bowled out for 150 in 18.5 overs despite a fifty from Brandon King and 46 from Shimron Hetmyer.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman was named Player of the Match for his performance, taking 4 wickets for 21 runs in four overs. The win marked Afghanistan’s second consecutive bilateral T20 series victory over West Indies.

Youth and Sports Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul announced that Bangladesh will not participate in the upcoming World Cup in India, citing no improvement in the security situation there. The decision was reaffirmed during a meeting held today at a five-star hotel in Dhaka with national cricketers to finalize Bangladesh’s stance on the tournament.

According to the report, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam Bulbul had requested additional time at an ICC meeting yesterday to convey the country’s final decision. Following that, the BCB held a joint discussion with government representatives and players. After the meeting, Dr. Nazrul confirmed that the government remains firm on its earlier position not to send the team to India due to security concerns.

The adviser emphasized that the government’s stance remains unchanged, and Bangladesh is not in favor of traveling to India under the current circumstances.

Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul is scheduled to meet national team cricketers at 3 p.m. today at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka to clarify the government’s position on the upcoming World Cup. The meeting comes as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remains firm in its decision not to play in India, citing security concerns, and instead prefers Sri Lanka as the host venue.

According to the report, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected BCB’s request to shift Bangladesh’s matches from India and has insisted that the team must play there. The ICC has given BCB one day to confirm its participation, warning that a replacement team will be chosen if Bangladesh withdraws. The government’s adviser will explain to the players why the decision not to play in India was made and discuss possible next steps.

The outcome of today’s meeting is expected to determine Bangladesh’s final stance, which must be communicated to the ICC within the given deadline.

Barcelona secured a 4-2 victory over Slavia Prague in their UEFA Champions League group match at Fortuna Arena. Despite conceding an early goal to Czech forward Vasil Kusej in the tenth minute, the Spanish champions came back strongly. Fermin Lopez scored twice, while Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski added one goal each. Slavia Prague’s second goal came from an own goal by Lewandowski in the first half.

Barcelona dominated possession with 59 percent and registered 17 shots, 12 of which were on target, compared to Prague’s eight shots with only two on target. Coach Hansi Flick had to field his team without Lamine Yamal due to a card suspension. Dani Olmo scored just a minute after coming on as a substitute in the 61st minute, and Lewandowski redeemed his earlier own goal with a strike in the 70th minute.

With this win, Barcelona climbed to ninth place in the standings with 13 points from seven matches, keeping their hopes alive for a place in the round of 16. Three other teams above them also have 13 points, with one group-stage round remaining.

Bangladesh had earlier informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it would not play the upcoming T20 World Cup in India, citing security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested to play its matches in Sri Lanka instead, but the ICC, under pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), rejected the proposal. Following a board meeting, the ICC confirmed that Bangladesh must play in India as scheduled or face alternative measures.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) supported Bangladesh’s stance, sending a letter to the ICC endorsing BCB’s request. ESPN Cricinfo reported that the ICC convened a meeting based on this letter but ultimately upheld the original schedule. Other member boards did not support Bangladesh’s position. The ICC reportedly gave BCB until January 21 to review its decision, though the BCB denied receiving any formal deadline.

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, with Bangladesh scheduled to play three group matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.