Fast bowling duo of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi have made a return to South Africa's ODI squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, starting on February 19. South Africa are in Group B of the Champions Trophy alongside Afghanistan, Australia and England.

The duo’s return to the Proteas ODI squad comes after they missed the entire home international season with injuries. While Nortje has made a full recovery from a left toe injury, Ngidi is back to action after recovering from a groin injury.

South Africa’s 15-man squad will be led by Temba Bavuma and includes ten players who were part of the squad that qualified for the semi-finals of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India. Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Wiaan Mulder have been selected for their first senior 50-over ICC tournament.

Liverpool advanced to the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup with an impressive 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday afternoon at the Anfield Stadium. The Reds dominated the match, showcasing their attacking flair and solid defense.

The breakthrough came in the 30th minute when a quick counter-attack turned an Accrington corner into a Liverpool goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold, captaining the side for the day, played a precise ball down the right flank to Darwin Núñez. The striker surged forward and squared the ball for Diogo Jota, who calmly tapped it in from close range.

Alexander-Arnold, who has been under scrutiny in recent games, unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner to give the Reds a comfortable cushion heading into the break.

Ahead of the first ODI against Australia, England captain Heather Knight said it will be "really tough" to beat the world champions in the 50-over format.

Knight feels that the drawn Ashes series in 2023 will give them a huge confidence boost to topple the hosts this time.

"They're going to be really tough for us to beat out here in one-day cricket but we're really confident with where we're at. We've had some brilliant wins over the last year and that 2023 series will give us a lot of confidence," Knight told reporters at North Sydney Oval on the eve of the first ODI.

"We know that the Aussies were probably a bit scarred by that and they're going to come out really hard, and we've got to be prepared for that and have our plans ready to face that, and to try and counteract that ourselves," she added.

Knight's comments echoed those of England spinner Charlie Dean, who a day earlier stated that her team "doesn't have as many scars" from past Ashes defeats. Last year's draw marked a significant turnaround for England after Australia had secured back-to-back victories.

Steve Smith equaled the record for most centuries in the Big Bash League (BBL) history, playing for Sydney Sixers against Perth Scorchers on Saturday. The 35-year-old Australian maestro scored an unbeaten 121 off just 64 balls, hammering 10 fours and seven towering sixes to equal the feat.

His innings propelled the Sixers to an imposing total of 222/3 in their 20 overs, laying the foundation for a thrilling contest.

Smith’s century came off 58 deliveries, marking his fourth T20 century and his third in the history of the BBL. With this feat, he equaled Ben McDermott’s record for the most centuries in the competition. Notably, Smith achieved this milestone in just his 32nd BBL innings, a stark contrast to McDermott, who has played 100 matches in the league.

Marcus Rashford’s representatives have opened talks with AC Milan about loaning the Manchester United forward in the January transfer window.

According to a report by The Athletic, Dwaine Maynard, Rashford’s brother and agent, flew to Milan on Tuesday to hold discussions with recruitment staff at the Serie A side.

Rashford’s contract with the Red Devils expires in the summer of 2028 which makes a deal in the winter transfer window unlikely. Alongside AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund are hoping to sign him on a season-long loan. A deal similar to what the German club had struck with United for Jadon Sancho in the 2023/24 season.

Rashford has not featured for the side since December 1 when he scored a brace in the 4-0 win against Everton, which was Amorim’s first league win at the club.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has hailed Jasprit Bumrah as the greatest fast bowler across all formats after the Indian spearhead delivered a sensational Player of the Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah was a standout performer in the series, claiming 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and his devastating bolwing left Australia reeling in multiple occasions in the series. The India pacer's 32 wickets in the series brought him tantalisingly close to breaking Sydney Barnes' 1911-12 record of 34 wickets in a series by a touring pace bowler in Australia. However, his injury in the SCG Test prevented him from equalling or surpassing the historic feat.

"The thing I've thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he's the best fast bowler ever across all three formats," Clarke said on ESPN's Around the Wicket.

Yet to score their first outright win in the event, Delhi SG Pipers face a keen contest when they take on second-paced Shrachi Rarh Bengal Warriors in their third match of the Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Saturday.

Delhi SG Pipers have drawn both their matches so far and have come from behind in both games. The Pipers defeated Team Gonasika 4-2 in a shootout after the opening game of the tournament ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time. Delhi went down 4-5 against Hyderabad Toofans in sudden death after overturning a 0-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter.

Argentine striker Tomas Domene has been Delhi SG Pipers' star player until now, scoring both goals against Gonasika in regulation time. Gareth Furlong scored from a penalty corner and Dilraj Singh scored from a field goal against the Hyderabad Toofans. The Bengal Tigers are on a roll after winning both their matches and are one of two teams with a one hundred percent record. UP Rudras are currently leading the standings by virtue of a better goal difference than the Bengal Tigers. Delhi SG Pipers are currently third with three points from two games.

Top seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev of Russia suffered a surprising defeat to Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in the second round of the ATP Hong Kong Open on Thursday. The world No. 8 fell to 58th-ranked Marozsan 5-7, 6-3, 3-6 after a match that lasted one hour and 58 minutes at Victoria Park.

Marozsan will face China's Shang Juncheng in the quarterfinals. 19-year-old Shang advanced comfortably, defeating seventh seed Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-1.

In the day's other action, second seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy triumphed over qualifier Gabriel Diallo of Canada, while Spain's Jaume Munar upset fifth seed Nuno Borges of Portugal 6-3, 7-5, reports.

The year 2024 was a good one for Rublev as he won his first title of the season in Hong Kong, defeating Liam Broady, Arthur Fils, Shang Juncheng, and Emil Ruusuvuori in the process.

Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes that Mitchell Starc would leave no stone unturned to be match-fit for the crucial New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting on January 3.

Starc suffered rib and back soreness during the Boxing Day Test. The 34-year-old, a crucial cog in Australia’s pace attack, was seen battling through the pain to help his team win the Boxing Day Test.

"It will be up to Mitch and the powers to be (whether he plays). He will be doing everything possible to be out in the middle. He is such a massive part of this Australian team, and when he is on fire, he is as good as anyone going around.

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic’s doubles run at the Brisbane International came to an end in dramatic fashion as the pair fell to top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in a tense tiebreak on Wednesday.

Having rallied from a set down, Djokovic and Kyrgios looked headed for the semi-finals before the former World No. 1 pushed for too much on his second serve at 8/6, the beginning of a four-point winning streak by the top seeds to close out the match 6-2 3-6, 10-8.

The loss brought down the curtain on Kyrgios’ comeback tournament, which had been eagerly anticipated following an 18-month hiatus due to injury.

The Division 2 of the Yuva Kabaddi Series is heading toward a conclusion as UP Falcons solidified their position at the top and secured a spot in the final against Chandigarh Chargers.

Day 9 of Division 2, hosted at the Karpagam Academy of Higher Education in Coimbatore, featured intense clashes as teams battled to end on a high note.

The opening match saw UP Falcons defeat Delhi Dhurandhars 48-38 in a high-scoring encounter. This victory not only propelled the Falcons to the top of the table but also confirmed their place in the final. Substitute Rachit Yadav turned the game around with a brilliant Super 10, while Navneet Nagar and Ayush Kumar earned High 5s.

Delhi’s Shubham Bhiduri impressed with 11 points, and Vinod Pal contributed a high-5 off the bench, but the overall team effort fell short against the in-form Falcons.

India’s newly-appointed Swedish coach, Joakim Alexandersson, began his journey on a more than satisfactory note as the Blue Tigresses ended the year with a brilliant demolition of the Maldives, winning 14-0 at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on Monday.

It was the first of the two friendly matches scheduled against the Maldives. The second will be played at the same venue on January 2, 2025. India led 8-0 at half time.

Alexandersson handed over debuts to as many as eight players, three of whom excelled in attack, scoring eight of India's goals in the game.

While seasoned campaigner Pyari Xaxa and debutant Lynda Kom Serto finished with hat-tricks, scoring three and four goals, respectively, Neha and Kajol Dsouza (two each), Sangita Basfore, Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu and Rimpa Haldar accounted for one goal each.

The aftermath of India’s crushing 184-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne saw Rohit Sharma facing tough questions about his future as a Test cricketer and a leader. During the post-match press conference, the Indian skipper admitted that both his batting and captaincy had fell short of expectations.

Rohit’s individual form has been a glaring issue, with just 31 runs in five innings in the series and a mere 123 runs across his last six Tests. His captaincy record has also come under scrutiny, with India winless in their last six Tests under his leadership, including a historic 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand in October-November.

"We had the opportunity today to pull the game in our favour or draw it, Still a game to go, if we play well, it'll be 2-2. I stand where I am standing today. Nothing to think what has happened in the past. Lot of things I am trying to do as a batter are not falling into place. You want to come here and try to do things successfully. When it doesn't come off, it is disappointing," Rohit told reporters.

Ashton Agar has thrown his support behind Western Australian teammate Mitchell Marsh, insisting the under-pressure all-rounder remains one of Australia’s top six batters despite a challenging run in the Border-Gavaskar Series.

Marsh’s form slump, which has seen him endure five consecutive single-digit scores, has sparked debate about his place in the Test side ahead of the fifth Test at the SCG and two-match tour of Sri Lanka.

Marsh has managed just 283 runs at an average of 18.86 across nine Tests in 2024. His latest dismissal - a duck to Jasprit Bumrah in Australia's second innings on Sunday - was his fifth consecutive single-digit score in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

The share of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the flagship company of the Adani Group, jumped nearly 5 per cent in the morning trade on Monday.

At around 11:06 am, the share price of Adani Enterprises rose 4.97 per cent to Rs 2,529 per share on the BSE.

The stock's 52-weeks high price was Rs 3,743 per share and lowest price was Rs 2,030 per share.

The current market price of Adani Enterprises has crossed its two resistances. The current market price first crossed the resistance of 2,444.93, after which it was successful in crossing the resistance of 2,473.37.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios lashed out at tennis authorities over their handling of the high-profile doping cases involving Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Labelling the situation "disgusting," the Australian star criticised the state of integrity in the sport, calling it “a horrible look” for tennis.

Kyrgios’ comments come as the tennis world grapples with controversies surrounding two former world number ones. Italian Jannik Sinner, the reigning men’s world number one, tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, twice in March.

Although the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared him of wrongdoing, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision, bringing the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Meanwhile, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who was the women’s world number one at the time, served a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned heart medication. The ITIA accepted that her positive test resulted from contamination in her melatonin supplements, ending her ban on December 4.

Gus Atkinson (England), Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka), Saim Ayub (Pakistan), and Shamar Joseph (West Indies) have been named the 2024 ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year nominees

Gus Atkinson’s meteoric rise began with a stunning debut in James Anderson’s final Test in July. The 26-year-old announced himself with a career-best performance of 7/45 at Lord’s against the West Indies, followed by a five-wicket haul in the second innings to finish with 12/106—the fourth-best figures by a debutant in men’s Test history.

Atkinson has since cemented his place as England’s frontline pacer, claiming 34 wickets in home Tests against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, and adding 12 more during England’s historic series win in New Zealand.

India’s medal-winning athletes are aiming to reach higher levels in the new year after their impressive show at the Asian youth and junior weightlifting championships 2024 in Doha where India won 33 medals across youth and junior categories.

The next target for the lifters is Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification and national weightlifting coach and Olympian Mirabai Chanu’s mentor Vijay Sharma says the Doha performance was promising and signals “a bright future for India.”

The weightlifting competition in Qatar featured 40 categories – 20 each in youth and junior levels. Medals were awarded for snatch, clean and jerk and overall sections in each of the 40 categories.

India’s youth (13-17 years) lifters won 21 medals, including seven golds. The juniors (15-20 years) won 12 medals. Uttar Pradesh’s 16-year-old Jyoshna Sabar was among the standout performers in Doha. She created an Asian record in the women’s youth 40kg class with a combined lift of 135 kgs. This reiterated Sharma’s thoughts that “India’s women had greater prospects of winning international medals.”

Arsenal moved past Chelsea to second place in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (IST). The Gunners’ midfield anchor Declan Rice reflected on the absence of Bukayo Saka who is looking at a period on the sidelines with a torn hamstring.

“Tonight was different without him - he's been our main man. We're going to have to adapt. It's a great chance for players to step up over the coming months and make their mark,” said Rice to Amazon Prime

The Englishman was substituted off after suffering an injury during their 5-1 win against Crystal Palace. The 23-year old was in top form in the ongoing season having scored nine goals and registered 13 assists in all competitions.

Batter Georgia Voll retains her place in Australia’s squads for next month's Women’s Ashes, but left-arm spin all-rounder Sophie Molineux has been ruled out due to a left knee injury needing surgery.

Sophie had missed Australia’s ODI tour of New Zealand with a knee complaint, an issue which flared up during their 3-0 home series win over India. “Sophie Molineux will undergo left knee surgery next month, following that we will provide further updates on an anticipated return date,” said Kate Beerworth, Australian women’s team physiotherapist.

Australia’s spin-bowling department duties will be handled by off-spin all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner and leg-spinners Georgia Wareham and Alana King, with no room still for left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen.

Australia batter Steve Smith, who had entered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the back of an 18-month century drought, has pointed out the difference between being ‘out of form and out of runs’ after scoring a brilliant century on Day 2 of the fourth Test.

After resuming on an overnight score of 68 not out, Smith went to score a brilliant 140 off 197. His innings was laced with 13 boundaries and three sixes as he moved level with greats Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara in the list of most Test centuries with his 34th ton.

The 35-year-old Aussie is now tied for seventh place on the all-time list of century-makers, which is led by India's Sachin Tendulkar with 51 hundreds. Smith's effort at the MCG was his second century on the trot, following his innings of 101 against India during the third Test of this series at the Gabba.

India’s spearhead pacer Jasprit Bumrah has solidified his top spot in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings after his phenomenal performance in Brisbane. Bumrah’s nine-wicket haul for 94 runs in the rain-marred third Test against Australia earned him 14 additional rating points, taking his total to a career-high 904.

With his rating, Bumrah equalled the record set by former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in December 2016, and became the joint highest-rated Indian Test bowler in ICC history. With one more Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played in Melbourne, Bumrah has the chance to surpass Ashwin’s record.

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Australia’s Josh Hazlewood are currently ranked second and third, respectively, but trail Bumrah significantly in points.

Australia’s Travis Head continued his remarkable run in the ongoing series against India, climbing to fourth place in the Men’s Test Batting Rankings. His heroic knock of 152 at the Gabba after his ton in Adelaide has taken him one spot above to number four with 825 points.

India all-rounder Axar Patel shared a heartwarming announcement, on Tuesday, revealing the arrival of his baby boy, Haksh Patel.

Axar took to Instagram to share the joyous moment, posting a picture of his son, dressed in a tiny Indian team jersey, holding his parents' hands.

"He's still figuring out the off side from the leg, but we couldn’t wait to introduce him to all of you in blue. World, welcome Haksh Patel, India's smallest, yet biggest fan, and the most special piece of our hearts," Axar captioned the post.

'Co Co!' is how the Australians call Kho Kho. It just took some googling and training sessions that were held in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, and the sport was warmly accepted. They are now gearing up to be a part of the inaugural World Cup scheduled to take place here from January 13 to 19.

The Australians have always been known for having a rich sporting culture. From cricket to rugby, they have been a force to reckon with and are all set to excel at Kho Kho where they will be featuring in both men's and women's categories.

From each team of 15, besides there being a handful of Indians, there are 6 male and 8 female players of Australian origin. Gus Dowdle, one of the members of the team, expressed delight and excitement of coming to India and being a part of history.

As the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) approaches, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has cautioned under fire skipper Rohit Sharma to reconsider his aggressive batting style against Australia’s formidable bowling attack.

Sharma, who has been struggling for consistency in Test cricket this year, needs to recalibrate his approach to make a meaningful contribution to India’s campaign in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, currently tied at 1-1.

Rohit’s form in Test cricket has been underwhelming in 2024. From 13 matches, he averages a modest 26.39, a sharp decline from his usually reliable standards. He missed the first Test of the series due to the birth of his second child but returned for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, only to score a meagre nine runs across two innings. In Brisbane’s rain-affected third Test, he batted at No. 6 and managed just 10 runs in his sole outing.

Australia capped off their 24-match ICC Women's Championship campaign with a dominant a 75-run victory over New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, securing an unassailable lead in the tournament standings and clinching their third consecutive title in the competition.

Finishing with 39 points (17 wins, three no-results, three losses), Australia’s total is beyond reach for any other team. India, their closest competitor, can only reach 37 points with their remaining matches against West Indies (two) and Ireland (three).

The loss has significant implications for New Zealand, who now face uncertainty regarding automatic qualification for the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. Currently sitting in the final automatic spot with 21 points from 24 matches, they are vulnerable to being overtaken by Bangladesh (19 points, three matches remaining) or the West Indies (14 points, five matches remaining). If overtaken, New Zealand will have to compete in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, where six teams vie for the last two tournament spots.

Brilliant century from Saim Ayub followed by a controlled team bowling performance guided Pakistan to a 3-0 ODI series sweep against South Africa on Monday (IST).

Pakistan have consigned South Africa to their first-ever clean sweep defeat in a home men's ODI series, defeating the Proteas by 36 runs (DLS Method) in a rain hit match.

The victory in the third ODI was orchestrated by Saim Ayub, who hit his second century of the series, and debutant Sufyan Moqim, who returned figures of 4-52 along with half-centuries from skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Saim’s 10-over spell of bowling yielded 1-34.

Ayub compiled his second century of the series (101), also claiming 1/34 with the ball as he teamed up with four fellow wicket-takers to close out the performance.

Put in to bat, Pakistan started shakily after opener Abdullah Shafique was dismissed facing his first ball. Saim and Babar Azam steadied the innings, putting on a commanding 115-run partnership.

Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester City in a gripping Premier League clash at Villa Park. Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers sealed the win, leaving City frustrated as their recent struggles continued.

Villa started brightly, with City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega producing two stunning saves in the opening minute to deny Jhon Duran and Pau Torres. However, the hosts broke through in the 16th minute when Duran converted his 12th goal of the season. Youri Tielemans set up the Colombian striker with a perfectly threaded pass, leaving Duran to finish clinically from 12 yards.

A superb City attack, sparked by a wonderful Gvardiol surge upfield on 43 minutes then saw the Croatian glance a header over the bar as he sought to convert Grealish’s inviting cross with Martinez caught in no-man’s land.

The 19-year-old Australian batter Sam Konstas, currently representing Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL), reflected on his maiden Test call-up to the men’s national team during the game against Sydney Sixers on Saturday.

With the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series perfectly poised at 1-1, Konstas is poised to debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), during the Boxing Day Test match. The right-handed opener has revealed he was ‘trying not to cry’ whilst breaking the news to his parents.

"I was in the nets and I got the call from George Bailey, he told me I was in the Test squad so I called my parents straight away, they were very emotional. I'll meet up with the team tomorrow and go from there," said Konstas to BBL broadcasters mid-game.

Kerala Blasters FC will aim to record a league double over Mohammedan SC when the two sides meet in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.

Kerala Blasters FC secured a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture in October. Achieving another win would mark only the second instance of Kerala Blasters FC completing a league double against a team in their debut attempt, with the first being FC Pune City in 2014. However, the home side will come into this game on the back of a disappointing run of form, having lost their last three matches.

They parted ways with head coach Mikael Stahre and will look to avoid equalling their longest losing streak (four games) registered in the 2022-23 season.

After 12 games, the Kochi-based team has garnered 11 points and occupy the 10th spot in the points table. Mohammedan SC have five points from 11 matches and are placed at the bottom of the standings.

All-rounder Annabel Sutherland hit a brilliant century as Australia moved closer to winning a third consecutive ICC Women’s Championship title through a 65-run victory via DLS method over New Zealand in the second ODI at Basin Reserve on Saturday.

After hitting a stunning century in the final ODI against India at Perth, Annabel made it back-to-back centuries by being unbeaten on 105 off just 81 deliveries, laced with 11 fours and two sixes at a strike-rate of 129.63.

The importance of her knock is further noted with none of the Australian batters touching 35. Pacer Molly Penfold picked her career-best ODI figures of 4/42, but it wasn’t enough as Australia posted 291/7.

English midfielder Mason Mount is set to miss Manchester United's heavily congested December fixtures due to the injury he recently sustained. The midfielder has had wretched luck and was visibly upset when being forced to leave the field during the first half of the Manchester derby victory last weekend.

Head coach Ruben Amorim admitted before the Carabao Cup defeat at Tottenham that Mount, who has shown real promise in adapting to Amorim's system, was ‘very sad’ in the dressing room at the Etihad Stadium, fearing another lay-off. Ahead of Sunday's Premier League game against Bournemouth, Amorim was asked about Mount's injury. "Several weeks. I don't know the exact date, but it's going to be for long. And that’s it, it's part of football and you continue."

When asked whether the situation with injuries, in general, is a concern and something he will need to look into further, Ruben added: "No it's not. That is not my department.

Stand-in captain Litton Das has expressed his willingness to take Bangladesh's long-term captaincy if offered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Litton-led side clean swept West Indies 3-0 in the T20I series at Kingstown on Thursday to avenge their humiliating 3-0 drubbing in the ODI series. The opening batter stood up to take up the leadership role in the absence of the injured Najmul Hossain Shanto on the Carribean tour.

Bangladesh handed Mehidy Hasan Miraz the captaincy of the ODI and Test teams, but for T20Is, the board turned to Litton, who impressed by skillfully managing his resources during the series sweep.

The BCB is reportedly seeking a long-term captain for T20Is, especially given Najmul's form in the format. Initially, Najmul declined the captaincy role but later reconsidered after BCB president Faruque Ahmed intervened. However, his plans to lead in any format were halted due to an injury he sustained after being named captain for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.

All-rounder Kayla Reyneke has been named as South Africa’s captain for the 2025 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, starting on January 18 in Malaysia. South Africa are drawn in Group C alongside Samoa, New Zealand, and Nigeria.

Kayla is among seven players included from the squad that competed in the previous edition of the tournament, held in 2023 in South Africa, alongside Jemma Botha, Mona-Lisa Legodi, Simone Lourens, Karabo Meso, Seshnie Naidu and Nthabiseng Nini in the squad.

Diara Ramlakan, who served as a non-travelling reserve in the 2023 edition, has earned a spot in the main squad for the upcoming tournament. Leg-spinner Seshnie and wicketkeeper Karabo Meso are the only two players in the lineup who have earned their South Africa senior women’s caps.

Rest of the members in the South Africa team comprise of players who were a part of the series against Ireland, as well as in the tri-series comprising India U19 A and B teams in Pune held earlier this month.

All-rounder Henry Shipley will continue his long-awaited return from injury when he lines up for New Zealand XI in a one-off T20 warm-up against Sri Lanka on Monday at Lincoln University, the New Zealand Cricket said on Friday.

Shipley, who has represented New Zealand in eight ODIs and five T20Is, has faced a sustained period on the sideline since suffering a stress fracture in his back while playing for Sussex in the English County Championship in July last year.

He last featured in a competitive match in last season’s Ford Trophy final for Canterbury against Auckland, but a recurrence of the injury saw him sidelined for the New Zealand winter and the start of the 2024-25 New Zealand domestic summer.

NZC high-performance coach Bob Carter said he was delighted to see Shipley making a return.