Cristiano Ronaldo scored an unusual goal but could not prevent Al Nassr’s winning run from ending in the Saudi Pro League. The match against Al Ettifaq ended 2-2, halting Al Nassr’s streak of ten consecutive victories. Ronaldo’s goal came in the 67th minute when a shot from teammate Félix deflected off his back and went into the net. Despite the goal, Al Nassr conceded again later, resulting in a draw.

With this goal, Ronaldo reached 13 goals in the league, sharing the top scorer position with Félix. His career total now stands at 957 goals as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals. After the draw, Al Nassr remained at the top of the league table with 31 points from 11 matches, while Al Taawoun followed in second place with three points fewer.

The result keeps Al Nassr in a strong position in the title race, though the draw ended their momentum from ten straight wins.

Former three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passed away at 6 a.m. on Tuesday at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, marking the end of a major chapter in Bangladesh’s political history. Her death cast a pall of grief over the nation’s sports community, which remembered her contributions to cricket’s global debut, football’s achievements, and the development of sports infrastructure. In her honor, all ongoing matches across the country were suspended.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board, Bangladesh Football Federation, and Bangladesh Olympic Association led tributes, expressing deep sorrow and respect. The BFF described her as a lifelong influential political figure and a strong voice for humanity, while the BOA highlighted her role as Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a key supporter of sports development. Numerous other federations—including hockey, athletics, tennis, swimming, and women’s sports organizations—issued condolence messages to her bereaved family.

Sports journalists’ associations and major clubs such as Mohammedan Sporting Club also joined in mourning, reflecting the widespread respect Khaleda Zia commanded across Bangladesh’s sporting landscape.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has postponed two Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches scheduled for Tuesday in Sylhet following the death of Begum Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female Prime Minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Khaleda Zia passed away at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and the entire nation has expressed grief over her death. The BCB confirmed the postponement through an official press release, stating that the new schedule for the matches will be announced soon.

According to the original fixture, Chattogram Royals were set to face Sylhet Titans in the first match of the day, while Dhaka Capitals were to play against Rangpur Riders in the second. The BCB also expressed condolences and remembered Khaleda Zia’s contributions to the country’s cricket. She had been admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since November 23 and had been in critical condition in the ICU before passing away.

The BCB stated that the rescheduled dates for the postponed matches will be announced shortly.

Former Bangladesh national cricket team captain Tamim Iqbal has called on clubs and stakeholders to stand by players affected by the ongoing turmoil surrounding the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election. The dispute has disrupted Dhaka’s club cricket, with eight of the 20 first-division teams and reportedly 10 of the 24 second-division teams not participating in the league. These boycotts, mainly by clubs that refused to take part in the BCB election, have left many cricketers without playing opportunities.

In an audio message, Tamim expressed concern that the growing practice of halting matches is harmful to players and their futures. He warned that the current situation could affect others in the future and estimated that around 150 players are already impacted by the first-division withdrawals. Tamim urged all parties to prioritize the interests of players over personal or institutional agendas, emphasizing that the continuity of cricket in Bangladesh must be ensured.

He reiterated that his only interest is to see cricket continue in Bangladesh without players suffering losses due to political or administrative disputes.

On Friday night, several major football clubs recorded key victories across leagues. In the English Premier League, Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 2–1, Arsenal beat Brighton 2–1, and Liverpool won by the same margin against Wolverhampton. Manchester United, despite being outplayed in possession and attack, secured a narrow 1–0 home win over Newcastle United at Old Trafford, with Patrick Dorgu scoring the decisive goal. The victory marked coach Ruben Amorim’s first win in three matches. Meanwhile, in the Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals led Al Nassr to a commanding 3–0 win over Al Akhdood.

The results highlighted a competitive night of football across Europe and the Middle East. Manchester United’s win broke a short run of poor form, while Arsenal, City, and Liverpool maintained their strong performances in the Premier League. Ronaldo’s brace reaffirmed his influence in Saudi football as Al Nassr continued their winning momentum.

These outcomes could influence the standings in both leagues, with title races and top-four battles intensifying as the season progresses.

Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Friday night in the English Premier League at Old Trafford. Despite being outplayed in possession, attack creation, and shots, the home side clinched the win through a decisive strike from Danish left-back Patrick Dorgu. The goal, coming from a corner in the 24th minute, marked Dorgu’s first for United and ended the team’s three-match winless run under coach Ruben Amorim. With this result, United climbed to fifth place in the league table with 29 points from 18 matches.

Newcastle created several chances but failed to convert. Bruno Guimaraes’ header was denied by goalkeeper Sen Lammens, while Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley both missed key opportunities, including one that struck the crossbar. Dorgu nearly doubled his tally in the 34th minute, but his close-range effort was saved by Aaron Ramsdale. The match ended with United holding on to their narrow lead despite sustained pressure from the visitors.

The win provided a much-needed boost for Manchester United after a series of draws and losses, strengthening their position in the top five of the Premier League standings.

England captain Ben Stokes and Australian batter Steve Smith expressed dissatisfaction with the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch after England’s victory in the fourth Ashes Test. The match ended in less than two days, with 20 wickets falling on the first day and 16 more on the second before England sealed the win. Stokes said that although his team was proud of the win, the pitch’s behavior was not ideal for Test cricket, as it offered excessive assistance to bowlers and produced an unusually short match.

Smith echoed similar concerns, noting that the pitch provided too much movement throughout the game, preventing batters from settling. He suggested that reducing the grass length from 10 millimeters to 8 might help achieve better balance. The result gave England their first win in Australia in 15 years, but both captains agreed that the surface was overly bowler-friendly.

The debate over the Melbourne pitch has divided cricket fans, with some viewing it as a challenge for bowlers and others criticizing it for undermining the traditional endurance of Test cricket.

England are edging toward victory in the low-scoring Melbourne Ashes Test, where bowlers have dominated all three completed innings. As of the latest report, England reached 77 for 2 in 12 overs, needing 98 more runs with eight wickets in hand to chase a target of 175. The match has seen no team surpass 150 runs in an innings so far.

Australia were bowled out for 132 in their second innings on the second day, undone by the pace attack of Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes. Carse took four wickets for 34 runs, while Stokes claimed three for 24. Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson added two and one wickets respectively, meaning all ten wickets fell to pace bowlers. Earlier, Australia had scored 152 in their first innings, with England replying with 110.

The report indicates that England, led by Stokes, are building resistance and moving steadily toward what could be their first win of the current Ashes series.

Gaurab Singh and Abdul Zahir Tanvir clinched the men’s doubles championship at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Series 2025. The all-Bangladeshi final was held on December 26, 2025, at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium, where the pair defeated Mizanur Rahman and Rahatun Nayeem 2–1 (21–19, 17–21, 22–20) after a fiercely contested match.

The final saw intense rallies throughout. Gaurab and Tanvir took the first set 21–19, but Mizanur and Nayeem leveled the match by winning the second set 21–17. In the decisive third set, both pairs were tied at 20–20 before Gaurab and Tanvir secured two consecutive points to seal victory. After the match, awards were presented by Badminton Federation President Habib Ullah Don, General Secretary Russel Kabir Suman, and other officials.

Habib Ullah Don announced that the federation would discuss special financial rewards to encourage the Bangladeshi finalists. In other events, India, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Malaysia claimed titles in women’s singles, men’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles respectively.

The 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was inaugurated at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium with a colorful ceremony. The event began with a one-minute silence in memory of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi, followed by the national anthem and the release of balloons to officially open the tournament. The opening match will feature hosts Sylhet Titans facing Rajshahi Warriors, organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) before the game.

Former Pakistani cricketer and commentator Waqar Younis hosted the ceremony, while BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul expressed gratitude to all attendees. The stadium had been bustling with preparations the previous night for the grand opening. The BCB also scheduled an additional 45-minute segment of performances before the day’s second match, featuring musician Fuad Al Muqtadir and actress Tanjin Tisha.

The event marked the formal start of the BPL’s 12th season, highlighting both sporting and cultural festivities at the Sylhet venue.

Bangladesh’s women’s volleyball team won the bronze medal at the CAVA Cup held in the Maldives, defeating Afghanistan 3–0 in straight sets. The victory secured third place for Bangladesh, marking the best achievement in the country’s women’s volleyball history. Four teams participated in this year’s tournament, where Bangladesh lost to the Maldives in the semifinals before claiming the bronze in the third-place match. The team was coached by experienced trainer Shafiqul Islam Russell.

Bangladeshi women have been playing volleyball since 1973 and have represented the country internationally for 52 years. However, this is the first time they have finished third in an international competition. Officials of the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation expressed great satisfaction with the result. Executive member Sohel Rana described the success as commendable and a sign of progress for women’s volleyball in the country, expressing hope for even better performances in the future.

On the opening day of the Boxing Day Ashes Test in Melbourne, a total of 20 wickets fell as Australia took a narrow lead. England’s Josh Tongue produced a five-wicket haul to bowl out Australia for 152 runs in their first innings. However, England’s batting collapsed even more dramatically, managing only 110 runs in reply. By the end of the day, Australia reached 4 without loss in their second innings, leading by 46 runs overall.

Australia’s innings unraveled early, losing wickets rapidly after reaching 27 runs. Michael Neser top-scored with 35, while Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey contributed 29 and 20 respectively. For England, Harry Brook scored 41, Gus Atkinson added 28, and captain Ben Stokes made 16, but the rest fell cheaply. Australia’s Michael Neser took four wickets, Scott Boland three, and Mitchell Starc two.

The first day’s play left Australia in a stronger position, holding a modest but valuable lead heading into the second day of the Test.

Indian teenage cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the cricket world by scoring a 36-ball century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, setting multiple world records. Playing for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh, the 14-year-old left-handed opener reached 150 runs off just 59 balls and finished with 190 from 84 deliveries, including 16 fours and 15 sixes. His explosive innings made him the youngest player ever to score a century in List A cricket at 14 years and 272 days, surpassing Pakistan’s Zahoor Elahi, who held the record since 1986.

Suryavanshi’s century was India’s second-fastest in List A history and the fourth-fastest globally, behind Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 29-ball record. His 59-ball 150 also broke AB de Villiers’ 2015 record of reaching the milestone in 64 balls. The performance drew widespread attention, overshadowing the returns of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to domestic cricket after long absences. Analysts hailed Suryavanshi as a prodigious talent, with expectations rising for his future in Indian cricket.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced that the board will lodge a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the behavior of Indian players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final. Pakistan defeated India by a massive 191-run margin, but the victory was overshadowed by allegations of excessive sledging and unsportsmanlike conduct by the Indian team.

Naqvi stated that Indian players repeatedly provoked Pakistani cricketers throughout the match, calling the incidents contrary to the spirit of the game. Pakistan’s U-19 coach Sarfaraz Ahmed echoed the sentiment, describing India’s actions as “against cricketing ethics,” while emphasizing that his team maintained professionalism after the win. The PCB leadership stressed that politics and sports should remain separate.

The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry has long been marked by heightened tension. Similar disciplinary concerns arose during the senior Asia Cup final earlier, when players from both sides faced ICC reprimands. The latest episode may prompt the ICC to review conduct guidelines for youth tournaments.

Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team has received a major financial reward following their emphatic 191-run victory over India in the Youth Asia Cup final. The win marked a significant achievement for Pakistan, whose senior team has struggled to defeat India in recent years. The young squad’s dominant performance brought renewed pride to the nation’s cricketing community.

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had declared a reward of 10 million Pakistani rupees (approximately 4.3 million Bangladeshi taka) for each player. During a meeting with the team, Sharif praised the players and coaching staff for their dedication and outstanding performance, expressing hope that these young cricketers would continue to bring glory to Pakistan.

The victory and subsequent recognition are seen as a morale boost for Pakistan’s cricket system, highlighting the potential of its youth development programs. Analysts suggest the success could strengthen the country’s future talent pipeline and rekindle optimism among fans ahead of upcoming international tournaments.