Daniel Munoz avoided Colombia’s embarrassment with a second-half winner as the South Americans won 1-0 over DR Congo and booked their place in the round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup in Guadalajara on Tuesday.

After dominating possession and creating several chances, Colombia looked set for a disappointing night against a strong DR Congo side inspired by goalkeeper Lionel Mapasi. But Munoz finally broke the deadlock in the 76th minute to send Nestor Lorenzo’s side into the knockout rounds with a game remaining.

Colombia vs DR Congo, FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlights

The result took Colombia to six points from two group matches, ensuring qualification regardless of results elsewhere. Portugal, who defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 earlier in the day, also advanced, setting up a battle between the two sides for top spot in the group.

For DR Congo, defeat was a brutal outcome after an organized and disciplined demonstration. They remain on one point but have a real chance of progressing if they beat Uzbekistan in their final group-stage match.

Colombia arrived in Guadalajara full of confidence after a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan in the opening match and immediately threw themselves into the contest. James Rodriguez orchestrated attacks from midfield, Luis Diaz provided a constant threat down the flanks and Jhon Arias repeatedly found space in dangerous areas.

Yet, despite all its control, Colombia found itself repeatedly outgunned by the Mapasi.

The DR Congo goalkeeper made several excellent saves to keep the score level. He reacted sharply to block James’ effort from inside the box, stood firm against Diaz and then frustrated Arias as Colombia’s pressure increased. With each save, Congolese players grew in confidence while Colombia grew more anxious heading into the game.

DR Congo rarely threatened for sustained periods, but remained dangerous on the counter-attack. They played strong defense, effectively closing down passing lanes and forcing Columbia to look for open spaces that never came.

As the match progressed, Colombia’s dominance began to look like a waste.

The breakthrough finally came when Juan Quintero unlocked the defense with a clever pass into the path of Munoz. Timing his run perfectly, the defender burst into the penalty area and fired a low effort towards the near post. A slight deflection allowed the ball to escape Mapasi and into the net, overcoming notable resistance from the goalkeeper.

The goal brought more relief than celebration among the Colombian players, who knew they had been made to work harder than expected.

DR Congo attempted to respond late, but Colombia easily managed the closing stages and preserved their slight advantage to make it back-to-back wins in the tournament.

While Munoz delivered the decisive moment, much of the post-match discussion is likely to focus on Mapasi’s performance. The goalkeeper made eight saves and was the primary reason the competition survived for so long.

The win continues Colombia’s impressive World Cup trend. They have now advanced beyond the group stage in each of their last three tournament appearances, also reaching the knockout rounds in 2014 and 2018.

Munoz also etched his name in Colombian World Cup history. He became only the second Colombian defender to score multiple goals in a World Cup, joining Yerry Mina, who scored three goals during the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Qualification may now be secure, but Colombia will know there are tough tests ahead. Against Portugal, they are likely to get fewer chances than against DR Congo and will need to be far more clinical if they are to establish themselves as genuine contenders in the knockout stage.

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Rishabh Pant (BCCI/IPL Photo)

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant He had a simple message for the Lucknow Super Giants after his return to Delhi Capitals was confirmed on Tuesday. The wicketkeeper-batsman re-shared LSG’s farewell post on Instagram Stories and wrote just three words: “Thank you team.“The message came soon after Pant’s high-profile trade back to Delhi Capitals in exchange for spinner Kuldeep Yadav.Pant’s departure from LSG ends his disappointing two-year stint with the franchise. The left-handed batsman had joined Lucknow ahead of IPL 2025 for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at that time.However, things did not go according to plan. As captain, Pant struggled to turn LSG into contenders and his performances with the bat also fell short of expectations.LSG finished seventh in IPL 2025 with six wins and eight losses. The next season was even more difficult as the Pant-led side finished bottom of the 10-team table with only four wins from 14 matches.Pant scored 269 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2025. In IPL 2026, he scored 312 runs and registered just one half-century.

The move will see Pant’s salary cut by Rs 12 crore as he will return to Delhi Capitals for Rs 15 crore. He will be reuniting with the franchise where he spent eight seasons between 2016 and 2024.Pant played 111 matches for Delhi before entering the IPL 2025 mega auction and also captained the team from 2021 to 2024, leading them in 43 matches.Interestingly, when LSG signed Pant, owner Sanjiv Goenka had described the deal as a long-term investment. But after two tough seasons, the franchise decided to part ways with the star wicketkeeper-batsman.As part of the trade, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved from Delhi Capitals to Lucknow Super Giants at his current salary of Rs 13.50 crore.Kuldeep has been a key player for Delhi since joining the franchise in 2022. He took 72 wickets in 65 matches. However, he did not have a good IPL 2026 season, taking only 10 wickets in 14 matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.30.

Ellyse Perry produced a match-winning all-round performance as Australia defeated Pakistan by 113 runs and moved one step closer to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The dominant win in Leeds left the tournament favorites on the brink of qualification from Group A ahead of their final league match against India. After being invited to bat, Australia made a strong score of 199/7, with Perry making a brilliant inning of 71 runs.

australia vs pak highlights

Pakistan never managed to recover during the chase as Australia’s bowlers demolished the innings, bowling them out for just 86 runs. Perry also made his mark with the ball, claiming 2/9 in a brilliant spell that included two wickets in his opening over.

The 113-run win became Australia’s second-biggest win in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup, just behind England’s 114-run win over Pakistan in the previous edition. Australia have now won all four of their group matches and have a good net run rate ahead of their blockbuster clash against India at Lord’s.

Perry Anchor Australia

Australia’s innings had a bad start when Beth Mooney was out without opening the account. Sadia Iqbal edged an outside edge and Gul Firozha completed a brilliant diving catch at slip to send it back to the wicketkeeper.

The initial shock brought the experienced Perry to the crease early and he immediately changed the pace. Consecutive boundaries through the off side and midwicket indicated Australia’s aggressive intent.

Georgia Vol matched Perry’s aggression and the pair quickly rebuilt the innings. Perry also scooped Diana Baig over the wicketkeeper, as the two made a half-century partnership in five overs.

Perry continued his dominance and defeated Ramin Shamim, while Voll kept the scoreboard moving. Thanks to Woll’s powerful straight drive, Australia crossed the 100-run mark in the 10th over.

Pakistan finally broke the situation when Nashara Sundhu dismissed Woll for 39 after being caught by Iram Javed. The fielding team attacked again almost immediately, as Ash Gardner fell for a duck and dismissed Diana Baig in the deep.

Although Perry completed a composed half-century, Australia lost momentum for a while. Georgia Wareham were dismissed for five after Ramin was dismissed by Gul Firozha, leaving the score at 107/4.

Annabel Sutherland then reinvigorated the visitors with a quickfire 27 off just 18 balls and added 44 valuable runs with Perry before Fatima Sana took an excellent running catch to dismiss her.

Perry’s impressive innings eventually ended on 71 when she was caught by Muneeba Ali behind the stumps off a short ball from Fatima Sana. Captain Sophie Molineux was also out cheaply off the bowling of Sadia Iqbal, but Nicola Carey scored an unbeaten 26 off just 13 balls to take Australia to 199/7.

Pakistan collapsed due to the dominance of Australia’s bowlers

Pakistan got off to a lively start through Muniba Ali, who hit a boundary off Kim Garth. However, Gul Firozha was run out due to a mix-up while attempting to run after a wide, giving Australia an early breakthrough.

Saira Jabeen followed soon after, finding Ash Gardner in the deep, but Muneeba continued the attack despite Beth Mooney requiring treatment after some heavy diving behind the stumps.

Australia missed an opportunity when Mooney dropped Muneeba and the opener took advantage of it by hitting a four and a six off Garth. Pakistan’s momentum was disrupted again when Ayesha Zafar was run out without scoring due to another miscalculation between the wickets.

Iram Javed hit back briefly and hit three consecutive fours off Gardner to help Pakistan reach 50/3 at the end of the powerplay.

Georgia Wareham then turned the situation around with immediate success, dismissing Iram for 14 when the batsman cut the ball onto his stumps during a wicket-maiden over.

Muniba tried to keep Pakistan in the contest, but after scoring 32 runs in 25 balls, he was out straight to Gardner on Perry’s first ball.

Fatima Sana responded with a few fours against Perry, but Aliya Riaz was soon behind after Mooney. Pakistan’s running errors continued to haunt them, with Ramin Shamim becoming the third batsman to be run out in the innings.

Sophie Molineux removed Nashra Sundhu to leave Pakistan in further trouble, while Fatima’s aggressive run of 17 ended when she missed Annabel Sutherland.

Sutherland ended the contest by having Sadia Iqbal caught behind, capping a brilliant Australian performance that maintained their unbeaten record and cemented their position as one of the favorites for the title.

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The sparks flew as expected at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Center as India survived a tough late fight from arch-rivals Pakistan to register a thrilling 4-3 win in their opening match of the FIH Pro League London leg. Meeting on the international stage for the first time in almost two years, the two Asian giants delivered an unforgettable spectacle that lived up to the rich, chaotic history of this age-old rivalry.

The win continues India’s remarkable decade-long unbeaten streak against their neighbors – extending their dominance to 18 matches without a defeat, which now extends to 3784 days.

IND vs PAK, FIH Pro League: Highlights

The defeat left Pakistan at the bottom of the table with no win in 13 matches this season, while India moved up to 7th after getting their third win in 13 matches and progressing to a good Dutch leg of the FIH Pro League.

The lopsided final figures tell a story of total Indian dominance, with the Men in Blue registering an astonishing 30 circles compared to Pakistan’s only nine. Nevertheless, the contest started with a shock for the pre-match favourites. Despite India dictating traffic with 19 circle penetrations and earning nine penalty corners in the first half alone, it was Pakistan who struck first during the game. Ahmed Nadeem took advantage of the rare start in the first quarter to pierce the Indian defense and give the weaker team a surprising lead.

Pakistan’s 22-year-old goalkeeper Ali Raza put up a heroic, lone resistance to keep the Indians at bay. Early in the second quarter, Dilpreet Singh found himself one-on-one with the young shot-stopper and launched a ferocious attack, only for Raza to pull off a brilliant block with his left foot outstretched.

But finally in the 23rd minute Pakistani resistance was broken. Dilpreet immediately regained possession and delivered a brilliant cross into the danger area for Abhishek, who ruthlessly fired a powerful open-play strike into the bottom right corner. A frustrated Pakistan review yielded nothing and the tie remained intact.

The changeover was completed barely 60 seconds later, via a chaotic penalty corner routine. Pakistan’s first rusher did brilliantly to stop the initial flick, but the ball came loose inside the D. Neelkanth Sharma reacted quickest and fired the loose ball towards the bottom left corner. Mandeep Singh effectively tested Raza’s vision as the ball went through several people and into the back of the net to score Nilkanth’s 19th international goal for the blue shirt.

The long struggle was in vain

After the intermission, India continued their relentless pressure and finished an impressive third place. Leading a decisive attack, Sukhjit Singh received a cross into the box with his back to goal. In one fluid motion, the forward turned his marker and delivered a powerful strike that left Raza with no chance.

India’s dominance was further rewarded with its tenth penalty corner in the final quarter. In a clever strategic shift, the informers deployed Captain Harmanpreet Singh as an impostor, allowing Rajinder Singh to take the lead. Rajinder fired a brilliant drag-flick at an awkward, uncomfortable height that eluded the stranded Raza to make it 4-1 with seven minutes left on the clock.

Yet, in line with the volatile nature of this fixture, the Green Shirts refused to surrender. Sensing complacency late on, Abu Bakar pulled one back by taking a deflection through the keeper’s legs to inspire confidence in the Pakistani dugout. With just 15 seconds remaining, Ghazanfar Shakeel took advantage of the desperate goalmouth situation to score Pakistan’s third goal.

Although the final whistle brought much relief to the Indian contingent after a nervy finish, the result reinforced the excellent form shown during the Rotterdam leg. India will look to address its defensive shortcomings before taking on hosts England on June 25, while a formidable Pakistan will be ready to immediately face the English team on Wednesday.

India and Pakistan will face each other again in the second leg on Friday in London.

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Cricketer Rishabh Pant (PTI photo)

IPL There’s never been a shortage of blockbuster contracts, but history shows that even the biggest stars aren’t immune to dramatic pay cuts. The latest example is Rishabh Pant, who has taken a huge pay cut following his return to Delhi Capitals after a disappointing two-year stint with Lucknow Supergiants.Pant was bought by LSG ahead of IPL 2025 for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at that time. However, after two disappointing seasons as captain and batsman, the franchise decided to part ways with him. In a high-profile deal concluded ahead of IPL 2027, Pant returned to Delhi Capitals for Rs 15 crore, resulting in a massive cut of Rs 12 crore.The move highlights a recurring trend in the IPL, where player valuations can fluctuate rapidly depending on performance, team strategy and auction dynamics. Pant’s statistics with LSG never matched expectations. He scored 269 runs in IPL 2025 and followed it up with 312 runs in 2026 as the franchise slipped as low as seventh in the table under his leadership.Although Pant’s pay cut is one of the biggest in IPL history, he is not alone. Venkatesh Iyer’s salary drops from Rs 23.75 crore with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025 to Rs 7 crore with Royal Challengers Bangalore a year later. Sam Curran suffered an even bigger drop in percentage after returning to Chennai Super Kings, falling from Rs 18.5 crore to Rs 2.4 crore at Punjab Kings.Fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Kyle Jamieson and Jhye Richardson have also experienced sharp valuation improvement despite entering the auction with big reputations. Pant’s return to Delhi may offer a fresh start, but his move also serves as a reminder that in the IPL, prestige rarely guarantees long-term financial security.

Biggest salary cut taken by players in IPL history

14:56 IST:

Pitch Report – Ian Smith is pitchside and first warns that the temperature is going to rise into the mid 30s, but also notes that there is a good breeze on the field. Regarding dimensions, he explains that the square boundaries measure evenly at 59 metres, while the straight strike to the ground is 71 metres, with the pockets sitting at 69 and 70 meters respectively, making them a touch shallow for those looking to ramp up or scoop using the ball’s speed behind them. Alan Wilkins also joins in and says that the biggest change over the years has been the bounce, and he emphasizes that bounce is the story in this game as well. He referred to the West Indies vs Sri Lanka match where Hayley Matthews took three early wickets, all on the bounce. He recalls Vismi being caught and bowled, Mathews himself taking a brilliant catch, before he saw Athapaththu bowled over the off stump and Samarawickrama caught at backward point. Three wickets, a common formula, Allen underlines, with extra bounce resulting in a loss every time. With New Zealand winning the toss, Allen identified Amelia Kerr as the important person for her today. He believes that if Kerr hits the ball as well as Matthews and gets the ball to the right areas, he has the best chance of leading New Zealand to victory here in Bristol.

The hype surrounding the Women’s T20 World Cup was inevitable. India entered the tournament riding on the momentum of their historic first ICC title, having won the ODI World Cup last year. That win in the 50-over format was widely seen as a turning point for women’s cricket in the country, raising hopes that the team could build on their success and establish a period of sustained dominance. The result was that when the Women’s T20 World Cup started, all eyes were on India.

India started their campaign with two emphatic wins over Netherlands and Pakistan. However, everyone knew that those matches didn’t really test him. Both these matches were like a honeymoon phase for the Indian team.

But when was India brought back to reality South Africa gave them a crushing defeat by six wickets. The mistakes that India did not have to suffer against against Pakistan and Netherlands came back to haunt them against the Proteas.

It felt as if South Africa showed a mirror to Harmanpreet Kaur’s team, while Laura Wolvaardt’s team exposed its shortcomings and showed others the blueprint to defeat India. It seems that India have mastered the ODI format but they are still unable to find the right formula for success in T20.

India lost a good start

India were guilty of failing to get off to good starts during their South Africa tour, a problem that resurfaced repeatedly which led to them squandering a 3–0 lead and eventually suffering a 4–1 defeat. In the World Cup match against the Proteas, India again got off to a great start, scoring 59 runs in the first six overs, although they lost both openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana early.

However, with eight wickets remaining, India were expected to reach the 180-run mark, especially with a strong middle order and power-hitters like Richa Ghosh in prime form. Instead, they could only score 99 runs in the last 14 overs.

Most of the batsmen reached double figures and looked set to make meaningful contributions, but none could convert their starts into big innings. Richa provided the finishing kick against Pakistan and Netherlands, but failed to replicate that impact against stronger bowling attacks.

India still have two matches left, and will need their middle order to build on the platform set by the top order if they are to recover.

Spinners can’t save you every time

India’s spinners have been in excellent form throughout the tournament. Deepti Sharma conceded 16 runs in the final over of South Africa’s chase, but such occasional setbacks are part of the game and do not detract from their overall impact.

Sri Charani has emerged as the leading wicket-taker With 10 wickets at an exceptional average of 6.40, and her remarkable consistency, she could soon move up the ICC T20I rankings, and potentially overtake Lynsey Smith.

However, India’s pace attack has struggled to make a meaningful impact. The seamers have lacked both consistency and penetration with the ball since the South Africa tour.

Arundhati Reddy has given 50 runs at an economy rate of 10 without taking any wicket, while Kranti Goud did not get any wicket against Pakistan and Netherlands. Nandani Sharma showed early promise against the Dutch but faltered against South Africa.

With limited contributions from the fast bowling unit, India will need a lot of support from their pace attack to maintain balance when the spinners come under pressure.

catches win the match

India’s fielding has been a major concern in the World Cup and has played a key role in their struggles so far. On Sunday, Radha Yadav dropped Marizanne Kapp twice, and Kapp made India pay a heavy price. As one of India’s most reliable fielders, Radha is usually expected to set the standard, but she faltered at a crucial moment when India needed her most.

Against Pakistan, Richa Ghosh and Arundhati Reddy also dropped one catch each, giving Muniba Ali several lives. However, Muniba, unlike a player of Kapp’s calibre, failed to fully capitalize on those opportunities. Kapp, on the other hand, is a powerful batsman who has once again troubled India when given the opportunity.

Against top teams, dropped catches are often decisive, and they leave little room for recovery. After the match, Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that missed chances proved costly for India. Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle also said that India’s fielding has been below standard throughout. If such lapses continue against strong teams like Australia, the consequences could be much more serious.

Time is running out for India

Even before the tournament began, Group A was widely seen as a virtual tri-series between India, Australia and South Africa. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Netherlands are also part of the group, but given their experience and firepower, it would be truly extraordinary for the lower-ranked teams to consistently challenge the top three. Australia has already defeated both India and South Africa, so are in a strong position to seal a place in the semi-finals.

As a result, India and South Africa are effectively competing for the remaining qualification spot unless Bangladesh performs exceptionally well in their final two matches. After South Africa’s win over India, the match between India and Australia at Lord’s on June 28 has become even more important.

If India wins, it will put itself in a strong position to advance, provided South Africa does not overtake them in terms of net run rate. However, a defeat would leave India with a strong chance of elimination. Beyond the results, what India needs most is to address the shortcomings exposed against South Africa.

If India can strengthen their fundamentals and avoid collapsing under pressure, they are capable of not only reaching the semi-finals but also winning the World Cup at Lord’s next month, a view already talked about by Shreyanka Patil, who was sad to miss out on the competition.

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