Issue #1 · September 20, 2026

The biggest story of the week

India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai to win a record eighth Women's Asia Cup title. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 129 for the first wicket, the highest opening stand in the tournament's history, and Sri Lanka never recovered, folding for 111. The cricket wasn't close. What happened after was more interesting. India refused to collect the trophy from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be Pakistan's interior minister, with political tensions between the two countries the clear backdrop. The match had a result. The ceremony didn't.

Other global stories worth knowing

Pakistan's tour of England went from bad to worse. England won 3-0. Pakistan were then docked 11 World Test Championship points for bowling too slowly in the final Test, 11 overs short of the required rate. Add a 50% match fee fine, and Pakistan now sit bottom of the table.

Travis Head made 112 off 84 balls, his eighth ODI hundred, as Australia posted 356/6 and beat Zimbabwe by 84 runs. More significant than the score: it's Australia's first away ODI series win since September 2024.

South Africa swept Namibia 3-0. Bigger picture: this was the first-ever bilateral men's ODI series between the two countries, and Namibia's first series against a Full Member side since 2003. Worth remembering when Namibia turn up at a World Cup and nobody's quite sure how they got good.

Laura Wolvaardt hit 126 not out off 62 balls against Zimbabwe, her fourth T20I century and 18th international hundred overall. That draws her level with Mandhana for the most centuries in women's international cricket, full stop. Two players, one record, same week.

Abhishek Sharma against Afghanistan in Delhi. 30 balls to a century, the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian, beating Rohit Sharma's 35-ball record from 2017. He brought it up with a six, then sat down in a meditation pose while Delhi lost its mind around him. He finished the series with 229 runs at a strike rate of 269.

40 for 1 to 49 for 9. That's Guyana Amazon Warriors' collapse against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the CPL semifinal, eight wickets down for nine runs in four overs. Shadab Khan took a hat-trick, Sufyan Moqim matched him with four wickets of his own, and Guyana were bowled out for 76. Rahkeem Cornwall then smashed 49 off 16 balls to finish it in the second-fastest chase in CPL history.

India face Bangladesh in the Asian Games semifinal on September 20, defending their title after opening the tournament by bowling Japan out for 57 and chasing it down in five overs. The CPL final follows on September 21, with Antigua and Barbuda Falcons already through.

Something you probably missed.

Rachin Ravindra survived a full Test summer against England. He didn't survive a Sky advert. The Black Caps all-rounder dislocated his shoulder attempting a diving catch during a promotional shoot in Auckland, and he's now a doubt for New Zealand's T20I series against India next month. Scans cleared him of major damage. His pride is a separate matter.

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