SUTHAR STARS AS INDIA CELEBRATE 600TH TEST WITH SRI LANKA WIN

India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle on Wednesday to win their 600th Test and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with Manav Suthar taking 10 wickets in his second Test to bowl out the hosts for 206.

Playing only his second Test, the 24-year-old Suthar took four wickets in the first innings before returning figures of 6-55 in the second.  Getty Images

INDIA beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle on Wednesday to win their 600th Test and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with Manav Suthar taking 10 wickets in his second Test to bowl out the hosts for 206.

India marked their 600th Test with a 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday, with left-arm spinner Manav Suthar taking 10 wickets to help secure a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Playing only his second Test, the 24-year-old Suthar took four wickets in the first innings before returning figures of 6-55 in the second. He helped India bowl out Sri Lanka for 206 shortly after lunch on the final day.

Chasing 372 for victory, Sri Lanka could not build enough partnerships, with Sonal Dinusha the exception. He was the hosts' top scorer in both innings.

India captain Shubman Gill called the win "very satisfying".

"We were in a comfortable position but were not sure if the match would go on (because of weather), but the team responded well," he said.

Gill praised Suthar and India's batsmen for their efforts on a wicket that was not easy to score runs on.

"He has been bowling magnificently. Looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a long time," he said.

Sri Lanka resumed the final day on 84-4. India took two wickets in the morning session before quickly moving through the lower order.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinusha had earlier added 95 runs for the fifth wicket after batting together for more than two hours.

'It was not easy'

De Silva, who had been dismissed off a no-ball early in his innings, went on to score his 20th half-century. He was eventually caught at short fine leg by Suthar while attempting a sweep against Ravindra Jadeja.

"It was not easy (batting fourth," said De Silva.

"They won the toss, got the runs on the board, and with our batting, we lost wickets and it went downhill from there."

Niroshan Dickwella, who had scored a half-century in the first innings, made 10 in the second before edging Prasidh Krishna to the wicketkeeper while trying to hit over the slips.

Suthar then took three wickets in a maiden over after lunch before claiming the final wicket of Keshara Nuwantha in his next over.

Sri Lanka lost their final four wickets for seven runs, with Suthar taking all four.

Dinusha, 25, finished with 84 after facing 128 deliveries. He hit eight fours and one six before Dhruv Jurel took a bat-pad catch at leg slip.

"We believed that we could draw the game even at lunch," said Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten.

"Our instruction to the lower order batters was to bat as long as they could. We just needed one big partnership but once Dinusha was dismissed, it all fell off quickly."

Devdutt Padikkal was India's other standout performer after scoring 167 and 44 in the match following his inclusion as a late injury replacement.

"The wicket had its natural wear and tear but it was a good Test wicket," Padikkal said.

"Turned a lot more from the third day onwards. In the end it was all about who came out on top with their skill-set."

The teams will now travel to Colombo for the second Test, starting on Sunday.

- Eastern Eye

SCOTTISH FA WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO

Getty Images 

The Scottish Football Association has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino and will not be voting for his re-election as president of Fifa, chief executive Ian Maxwell has told BBC Sport.

Infantino is under increasing pressure over his attempt, later abandoned, to create a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all Fifa competitions, including the World Cups, with 21% to be sold off to a private investment company.

Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) was aborted after widespread criticism from several confederations, led by Uefa, which has threatened a boycott of all Fifa competitions.

"The position of the SFA has been clear since the 55 Uefa associations met," said Maxwell, speaking as he announced Belgian Sebastian Pocognoli as the new Scotland head coach.

"We have aligned ourselves with the Uefa position and 55 nations are stronger than one voice.

"Their statement since then has talked about a lack of confidence in the Fifa leadership and the Scottish FA agree completely with that decision.

"The SFA will not be voting for Gianni Infantino come the re-election in early 2027."

Maxwell rejected the suggestion that the SFA had previously failed to publicly state it no longer supported Infantino because its president, Mike Mulraney, heads up the Fifa finance committee.

The Football Associations of England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have already declared they have withdrawn support for Infantino, who is scheduled to stand for a fourth term as president in March.

'A profound lack of judgement'

Last week, Fifa and Infantino were accused of breaking trust "through deception", in an open letter issued by Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.

The letter, signed by the presidents and general secretaries of the three regional governing bodies, said recent controversy over the FFE proposal was fundamentally about "the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it".

While the statement did not name Infantino, sources have told BBC Sport that it should be seen as an opportunity for him to resign and leave his position with dignity.

Fifa has committed to presenting a report on FFE to the next meeting of the Fifa council, which is expected to take place in October.

The three confederations said this failed to "recognise that proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgement would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party".

It also underlined a legal warning made by Uefa that Fifa should not delete or destroy any documents related to the abandoned plans.

BBC Sport understands that there have been preliminary discussions between the three confederations over breakaway competitions, should Infantino remain in situ. However, substantive talks are yet to begin, according to others.

At present there is no candidate who has put their name forward to stand against Infantino, before a 18 November deadline.

Very difficult to predict who has the upper hand

The football world appears to have been split down the middle by the issue, with the confederations of Africa, South American and Oceania having backed Infantino.

But even within confederations, there is disagreement and it makes it very difficult to predict whether Infantino or his opponents have the upper hand in this battle.

In Oceania, which has 11 member associations, New Zealand has said it will not follow the confederation and vote for him.

Mexico, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis have broken away from the other 32 Concacaf nations to support the Fifa president.

Of the 46 Asian confederations members, so far eight countries have split to champion Infantino's cause - the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mongolia, the Philippines and Bhutan.

The Fifa Council, on which there are 36 confederation and national association heads plus Infantino, seems similarly split.

It raises questions about whether Infantino has the political power to govern Fifa, even if he wins an election of the 211 member associations.

The first test of Uefa's threat is just over three weeks away, when the Fifa Under-20 Women's World Cup is set to kick off. It is being hosted by Poland and features five other European nations, including England.

- Dale Johnson and Chris McLaughlin

IPL 2026 ELIMINATOR: RECORDS BROCKEN BY RR'S SOORYAVANSHI DURING 29-BALL 97

The 15-year-old fell a few runs short of scoring the fastest century, but broke or equalled numerous other IPL records

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot against Sunrisers Hyderabad during the Eliminator IPL T20 match at the New Chandigarh Stadium in Punjab on May 27, 2026 | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Rajasthan Royals (RR) prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi surpassed West Indies legend Chris Gayle for most sixes in a single Indian Premier League (IPL) edition and in a T20 tournament.

Sooryavanshi achieved this milestone during his side’s IPL eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), slamming a stormy 97 in just 29 balls, with five fours and 12 massive sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 334.48.

He's always aiming for the stars 💫

Relive his record-breaking six ▶️ https://t.co/7D6JymqfsM#TATAIPL | #Eliminator | #TheFinalLeap | #SRHvRR | @rajasthanroyalspic.twitter.com/8YODkB5QJy

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 27, 2026

Sooryavanshi has smashed 65 sixes so far in the ongoing IPL season, outdoing Gayle’s tally of 59 sixes in the 2012 edition.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, left, returns to the dugout after his dismissal as players and staff in the dugout applaud him | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Sooryavanshi has also levelled with Gayle for most instances of hitting 10-plus sixes in an IPL innings, a total of four times. Three of these occasions have come this season, making him the first batter to hit 10-plus sixes in three IPL innings in a season.

The 15-year-old’s take down of cricket legends one by one continues as he also surpassed Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya’s tally of seven powerplay sixes during the IPL 2008 clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with eight sixes in the powerplay at Mullanpur.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, left, returns to the dugout after his dismissal as players and staff in the dugout applaud him | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Sooryavanshi is the batter with the most runs coming in the powerplay during an IPL season, with 490 runs, overtaking Australian legend David Warner, who scored 467 runs for SRH in the 2016 edition.

This is also his fifth fifty-plus score in the power play in IPL, with only Warner (six such scores) ahead of him.

He has also joined Suresh Raina (87 against Punjab Kings in 2014) and Adam Gilchrist (74 against Delhi Daredevils in 2009) for fifty-plus scores made during powerplay in an IPL knockout/playoff match.

This is Sooryavanshi’s fifth fifty in less than 20 balls, with only Abhishek Sharma (six) above him.

Sooryavanshi establishes new IPL playoff records

A generational IPL season

In this season, Sooryavanshi has smashed 680 runs in 15 innings at an average of 45.33 and a strike rate of 242.85, including a century and four fifties, with a best score of 103. He has smashed 55 fours and 65 sixes in 280 balls faced. His balls per boundary shot ratio is 2.3, and balls per six ratio is 4.3.

The 15-year-old’s 16-ball half-century tied with Raina’s 16-ball fifty (against PBKS in 2014) for the joint-fastest fifty in an IPL knockout/playoff match.

Twelve sixes smashed by him are also the most in an innings by a batter in IPL knockouts/playoffs, outdoing Shubman Gill’s 10 sixes against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2023. Sooryavanshi has the most sixes in an IPL inning by an Indian as well.

Ninety-seven runs by Sooryavanshi is the second-highest individual score for RR in an IPL knockouts/Playoffs game, behind 106* runs by Jos Buttler against RCB in the qualifier 2 of IPL 2022.

A generational IPL season

In this season, Sooryavanshi has smashed 680 runs in 15 innings at an average of 45.33 and a strike rate of 242.85, including a century and four fifties, with a best score of 103. He has smashed 55 fours and 65 sixes in 280 balls faced. His balls per boundary shot ratio is 2.3, and balls per six ratio is 4.3.

This is the most runs an uncapped batter has scored in an IPL season, overtaking his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal’s tally of 625 runs in the 2023 season. Also, he is the youngest to complete 600 runs in an IPL season.

Before the left-handed sensation arrived to the scene, no other batter in T20 history had smashed 600+ runs in a T20 tournament while also striking at 200-plus.

- ANI

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TEAMS TO TAKE 20 SPIN WICKETS IN A TEST: PAKISTAN'S 60/60 RUN SETS NEW WORLD RECORD

Pakistan secured a 127-run win over West Indies in the first Test in Multan, taking all 20 wickets through spin to set a new world record.

On day three of the first Test, after Pakistan set a target of 251 runs in the first Test against West Indies, off-spinner Sajid Khan removed West Indies' top five batters, adding to his tally of four wickets in the first innings.

Noman Ali chipped in with one wicket, trapping Justin Greaves lbw after he had taken five wickets in the first innings. Abrar Ahmed then took four wickets, demolishing the lower order in a hurry to help the hosts wrap up a 127-run win. He finished with five in the match.

20 wickets via spinners in a Test: Pakistan set new world record

In their last home series, Pakistan had hosted England for a three-Test series. After losing the first Test on a flat track by an innings, courtesy of a triple century by Harry Brook, the Pakistan management shook up their formula of seamer-friendly tracks and deployed extremely spin-friendly pitches in the remaining two Tests. Their spinners then ran riot, taking 40 out of 40 wickets in those two Tests to help the hosts win the series 2-1.

With another 20 wickets taken by spinners in this Test, Pakistan have now achieved the feat of taking 20 wickets via spinners for three straight home Tests, and five times in total including two instances from the 20th century. India held this particular record previously, with four instances.

The unique 60/60 wickets to spin record in Pakistan's last three home Tests has been led by Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who have taken 26 and 28 wickets respectively. Abrar Ahmed has taken five, and Zahid Mehmood one.

Full list: Instances of a team taking 20 wickets through spin in a Test

Apart from the last three Test matches at home, Pakistan took 20 wickets via spinners against West Indies in Faisalabad in 1980 where Iqbal Qasim, Mohammad Nazir, and Abdul Qadir completed the rout.

In November 1987, it was England who fell victim to Pakistan's slow bowlers as Abdul Qadir took 13 wickets, Tauseef Ahmed took four, and Iqbal Qasim struck thrice in the second innings.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have done this three times each, and England once. India are the only team ever to achieve this away from home, against New Zealand in Auckland, in 1976.

On that occasion, Erapalli Prasanna took 11 wickets, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar eight and S Venkataraghavan one to complete the set.

SPORTS MINISTER URGES SOUTH AFRICA TO BOYCOTT AFGHANISTAN MATCH

Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Monday, June 10, 2013.
  -  
Copyright © africanews
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

South Africa's sports minister has joined public calls for the Proteas to boycott the Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan next month and criticised the International Cricket Council for not upholding its own rules.

Gayton McKenzie said on Thursday he felt “morally bound to support” a match boycott because the Taliban government has banned women's sports and disbanded the national women's cricket team.

"It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether South Africa should honour cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen,” McKenzie said in a statement.

“As a man who comes from a race that was not allowed equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way today when the same is being done towards women anywhere in the world."

The Proteas are scheduled to play Afghanistan on Feb. 21 in a group match in Karachi, Pakistan.

England was also urged to forfeit its match against Afghanistan on Feb. 26 by more than 160 U.K. politicians on Monday.

McKenzie believed the ICC was also being hypocritical for not upholding its own mandates that member nations develop men's and women's cricket.

McKenzie noted Sri Lanka Cricket was suspended by the ICC from November 2023 to January 2024 for government interference.

“This does not happen in the case of Afghanistan, suggesting that political interference in the administration of sport is being tolerated there,” McKenzie said.

"Cricket South Africa, the federations of other countries and the ICC will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports.

“I hope that the consciences of all those involved in cricket, including the supporters, players and administrators, will take a firm stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan.”

- Rédaction Africanews with AP

STEVE SMITH NAMED CAPTAIN OF AUSTRALIA SIDE FOR TWO-MATCH TEST SERIES AGAINST SRI LANKA

Nathan McSweeney who was dropped from the Australian squad in the middle of the series against India has been recalled

Australian cricketer Steven Smith

Australia has announced their squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Full-time skipper Pat Cummins is out of the tour due to the birth of his second child and also an ankle injury. Steven Smith will lead the side for the two games.

“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions players may be presented with. This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets we may encounter in each match,” chief selector George Bailey was quoted as saying.

We are excited about the opportunity ahead for the squad members who are at the start of their Test careers to continue to grow their games in subcontinent conditions where we have a number of important tours in coming years,” he added.

In the absence of Pat Cummins the squad has three front-line pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Sean Abbott. The spin department will be taken care of by off-spinner Nathan Lyon and left-arm spinner Matt Kuhneman.

Australia SQUAD: Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Nathan McSweeney, Beau Webster, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Cooper Connolly, Todd Murphy, Matt Kuhneman, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland

No WTC relevance

The series in terms of the World Test Championship final is irrelevant as Australia and South Africa have reached the final and play at Lords in June later this year.

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has hinted that the Proteas are looking for an opponent to play a Test match in England before their World Test Championship (WTC) final face-off against Australia at Lord’s on June 11.

South Africa does not have any five-day matches scheduled before the WTC final.

“We’re going to try and get a Test match, possibly in the UK, against Ireland or Afghanistan, whoever is free,” coach Shukri Conrad said on SuperSport.

- The IndianExpress, Sports Desk

HOW INDIA CAN REACH WTC FINAL: WIN AT SCG AND HOPE FOR SRI LANKA SERIES VICTORY OR DRAW AGAINST AUSTRALIA

To qualify for the final, India must win the last Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and then hope for a positive result for Sri Lanka (or a 0-0 draw) when Australia tour the island nation early next year.

India fans show their support during the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne. India may have lost the crucial Boxing Day contest by 184 runs but all is not lost as far as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are concerned. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

India may have lost the crucial Boxing Day contest by 184 runs but all is not lost as far as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are concerned.

To qualify for the final, India must win the last Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and then hope for a positive result for Sri Lanka (or a 0-0 draw) when Australia tour the island nation early next year.

Post the loss, India's point percentage (PCT) has dropped to 52.78 from 55.89. Australia, on the other hand boosted their PCT as they now have 61.46.

South Africa have already qualified for the WTC final after beating Pakistan in the first Test by two wickets on Sunday.

If India manage to win in Sydney, they will have 55.26 PCT and Australia will have 54.26. A win out of two Tests against Sri Lanka then would be enough for Australia to go past India's PCT and join the Proteas in the final.

India began the 2024/25 season in a rampant fashion, securing a confident 2-0 win over Bangladesh at home.

The script that followed was, however, not according to their plans. The side suffered an unprecedented historic loss to New Zealand at home, before embarking on a challenging tour of Australia.

Under stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, the Men in Blue rekindled their hopes for a third straight appearance in the WTC Final, with a win in the opening Test in Perth.

However, the side has since gone on to lose two games in Australia, and their WTC chances have taken a significant hit.

But Australia's compelling win in the final session here has improved their chances of a World Test Championship 2025 final appearance, with the side now just one more Test win away from making it to Lord's next year.

Earlier in Centurion's Boxing Day Test, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen's stunning partnership took South Africa to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test, confirming their spot at next June's final.

While Australia are out in front as claimants to the second spot, India are still in with a chance. Sri Lanka too are alive, but both will need a string of favourable results to keep their hopes alive.

- THE HINDU

CHARITH ASALANKA | POST MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE | 2ND T20 STI LANKA VS. NEW ZEALAND | 2024

7 DEAD, 20 INJURED IN SRI LANKA IN RACE CAR CRASH

People gather around a car that crashed into the spectators during the Fox Hill Supercross, a motor racing event organized by Sri Lanka's army, in Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka, April 21, 2024.

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — A race car veered off the track during a competition in Sri Lanka on Sunday and rammed into a crowd of spectators and race officials, killing seven people and injuring 20 others, officials said.

Thousands of spectators looked on as the crash took place during a race in the town of Diyatalawa in the tea-growing central hills, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital Colombo.

The cause wasn't immediately clear.

Police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said one of the cars veered off the track and struck spectators and officials. Seven people, including four officials, were killed and another 20 were being treated at a hospital, said Thalduwa. He said three of the injured were in critical condition.

Thalduwa said police have launched an investigation into the crash, which happened during the 17th out of 24 scheduled events. The race was suspended afterward.

About 45,000 spectators had gathered at the race circuit at a Sri Lankan military academy. The event was organized by the Sri Lankan army and Sri Lanka Automobile Sports.

- Associated Press 

SRI LANKA HEAPS MORE WORLD CUP MISERY ON ENGLAND WITH BIG WIN

Reuters 

Sri Lanka breathed life into their World Cup campaign and left England in increasing danger of missing out on a semi-final spot after crushing the defending champions by eight wickets in a low-scoring match on Thursday.

Chasing a modest 157 for only their second win, Sri Lanka overcame the loss of two early wickets before Pathum Nissanka (77 not out) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (65 not out) got them across the finish line in 25.4 overs.

The pair played with plenty of patience in their 137-run partnership for the third wicket after an initial burst by David Willey (2-30) to ensure England suffered a third straight World Cup defeat for the first time since 2015.

The win lifted Sri Lanka to fifth in the table while England are ninth, ahead of only the Netherlands.

Sri Lanka earlier restricted England to a below-par 156 all out in 33.2 overs in the must-win clash between the tournament's stragglers, with only Ben Stokes offering some resistance in an otherwise dismal batting display.

Stokes (43) took the attack to Sri Lanka on a dry wicket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after England's middle-order collapsed in the face of some incisive bowling, but he holed out to Dushan Hemantha in the deep off Lahiru Kumara (3-35) in the 31st over.

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