The United States became the second team after co-hosts Mexico to book their place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a comfortable 2-0 win over Australia on Friday. Mauricio Pochettino’s team won two games from two matches, progressed with one game remaining and recorded their first back-to-back World Cup victories since 1929.

After opening their campaign with an emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay, the co-hosts produced another convincing performance in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Cameron Burgess’s own goal and Alex Freeman’s VAR-awarded header proved enough to send the Americans through to the round of 32 and underline their growing credentials on home soil.

usa vs australia, FIFA World Cup 2026: highlighted

The result takes the United States top of Group D on six points, while Australia remains on three points and will now need a positive result against Paraguay to keep qualification hopes alive.

America attacked quickly to take control

The Americans needed just 11 minutes to break the deadlock.

Folarin Balogun outran the Australian backline and drove into the penalty area before delivering a dangerous low ball across goal. Defender Cameron Burgess, attempting to clear the danger, could only divert the ball into his own net.

Australia struggled to recover from the early setback as the United States continued to control the pace with their energy and pressure. The Socceroos enjoyed spells of possession but rarely threatened to test the American defense.

The hosts thought they had doubled their lead just before half-time when Alex Freeman scored from close range. The assistant referee’s flag initially disallowed it, but a lengthy VAR review confirmed the goal, leading to wild celebrations among the home supporters.

This moment just before the break effectively took the wind out of Australia.

Pochettino’s side continue to build momentum

After impressing against Paraguay in their opening match, the United States once again looked organized, disciplined and clinical when the opportunity arose.

Pochettino’s side may not have produced a display full of attacking fireworks, but they took control of the match when it mattered. Australia struggled to create clear chances, while the Americans looked comfortable protecting their two-goal advantage during the second half.

This victory also holds historical importance.

The United States had not won its opening two matches at a World Cup since the 1929 edition, making it the nation’s first World Cup double in 96 years. More importantly, it has sealed their place in the knockout rounds, with one group-stage match still to be played.

With qualification already secured, the United States can now go into their final Group D match against Truckee with confidence and an opportunity to build further momentum before the knockout stage begins.

Meanwhile, for Australia, the equation is much simpler. Their World Cup future now hinges on winning the match against Paraguay as they attempt to keep their campaign alive.

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Henry Nicholls of New Zealand (AP Photo)

henry nichols Made an immediate impact on his return to New Zealand colours, stepping in for the retired Kane Williamson and scoring a strong unbeaten century against England on the third day of the Test at the Oval to put his team in a dominant position. At stumps on Friday, New Zealand were 252 for 3 in their second innings and took their total to 352 after bowling out England for 291 just before lunch. Nicholls remained unbeaten on 119 runs and took the innings forward Rachin RavindraWho scored a fluent 76 before being out after tea. The pair added 161 runs in 201 balls and created a new record for the highest partnership for New Zealand at the Oval. His stand first stabilized the innings, then steadily took control before changing gears after tea, when he started scoring almost six runs per over with sharp timing and clean strokeplay. New Zealand’s position puts them firmly in control of the match, they still have seven wickets in hand and a chance to move towards a 500-run lead. This will leave England facing a tough challenge in the fourth innings, especially considering their history at the venue. His highest successful chase at the Oval is 263 runs against Australia in 1902, while his highest ever chase in the fourth innings is 378 for 3 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 during the baseball era. Nicholls, who arrived in London only last Sunday after Williamson’s shock retirement, admitted the change was unexpected. “(Williamson’s retirement) was a bit of a shock to everyone,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of cricket with Kane. I’ll never be able to replace him. I’ve really enjoyed coming back to Test cricket, you want to contribute. It was fun, the partnership with Rachin and finally the partnership with Daryl (Mitchell).“ Walking early at 8 for 1, Nicholls faced jofra archer Had to bowl fast and tackle quickly. It survived the initial explosion, then was rebuilt after. devon conwayRavindra was out, playing a more attacking role while Nicholls provided stability. There were some early alarms, including a chance left on 7 by debutant wicketkeeper James Reeve, who endured a difficult outing behind the stumps. England’s bowling struggled to break stands in the middle session as both the attack and the crowd systematically sapped energy. However, the momentum changed dramatically after tea. Nicholls completed his half-century in 72 balls, soon followed by Ravindra, who completed his first half-century against England in 79 balls. Ravindra’s innings ended on 76 when he was lbw to Jacob Bethel, who once again proved decisive after taking three wickets in the first innings. Nicholls brought up his century soon after, reaching the milestone with his 14th four off Bethel over midwicket in 133 balls. This was his 11th Test century in his 59th match and his second against England, having previously scored a century in Auckland in 2018. He also recently recorded back-to-back centuries, including an unbeaten 150 in Zimbabwe last August. He accepted the applause, picked up his bat and carried on with calm assurance. At stumps, he was unbeaten on 119 off 164 balls, with Daryl Mitchell unbeaten on 32, as New Zealand added 63 runs from the final 86 balls of the day without losing control. Earlier in the day, New Zealand’s position was built on the back of a strong bowling effort matt henryWho took 5 wickets for 80 runs to get his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests. Making a strong comeback after missing the first Test at Lord’s due to back spasms, Henry was supported by sharp catching in the field as England were restricted to 291. England’s lower order showed unexpected resistance Matthew Fisher And debutant Sonny Baker thwarted the attack and added 53 runs for the last wicket. Fisher remained unbeaten on 50 off 77 balls and received a standing ovation from the Oval crowd despite England suffering a heavy deficit.

Former India head coach WV Raman believes India have the batting depth and spin-bowling strength required to win the Women’s T20 World Cup. However, the former India batsman expressed concern over the team’s powerplay bowling and stressed the need to identify bowlers who can perform consistently with the new ball.

Against Pakistan, India conceded 52 runs in the powerplay, which is Pakistan’s highest ever powerplay score against India in Women’s T20I. Even against Netherlands, Indian bowlers looked under pressure in the beginning. However in both the matches Sri Charani and Deepti Sharma helped India regain control By putting brakes on the opposition batsmen in the middle overs.

“I think this is a very strong team. The batting is strong. And they have a lot of experience in the spin department. This team has the potential to win the T20 World Cup as well,” Raman told PTI in an interview.

“If there is any area of ​​concern, it would probably be the ability to take wickets in the power play or fast bowling combinations – in particular, who will bowl with the new ball and at the end of the innings,” Raman said.

‘Harmanpreet has become patient’

Raman also praised captain Harmanpreet Kaur for becoming more patient and patient, noting that she has evolved from a player who often loses her temper easily.

Raman said, “Over the years, Harman has become a lot more patient. And that’s the experience for any cricketer. It makes her mature. During my tenure, she was someone who got irritated easily. And she also kept her heart above her head.”

India currently top Group A with four points and a net run rate of +3.975. They next face Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa at Old Trafford, Manchester on June 21, followed by Nigar Sultana Joty’s Bangladesh before concluding the group stage against Sophie Molineux’s Australia.

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India’s KL Rahul (AP Photo)

With the ODI series already secured after wins in the first two matches against Afghanistan, India have used this opportunity to test different combinations and assess players outside their established core group.Absence of senior personalities Virat Kohli, hardik pandya And Jasprit Bumrah has allowed the team management to experiment, especially with the batting order. Both Ishan Kishan And Shubman Gill He was given opportunities at No. 3, the position usually occupied by Kohli, and the pair responded with promising performances.However, one strategic decision has continued to spark debate. Despite being one of the most experienced batsmen in India’s top order, KL Rahul has once again been deployed in a finishing role lower down the order. While Rahul played a quickfire inning of 39 not out off 19 balls in the opening ODI, he was out without opening the account in the second match in Lucknow.Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes that Rahul’s talent is not being fully utilized at the No. 6 position and feels that the wicketkeeper-batsman should be handed greater responsibility in the upper order.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said, “It is not good for KL Rahul and the team if he is batting at number six. In my opinion, he should bat at number four or five maximum. I think they can go by the rotation policy. Relax the certainties in a few games, give chances and then choose the team.”The former opening batsman also supported the rotation strategy in the remaining games, arguing that India should use the series to evaluate the team’s depth and identify its strongest combination ahead of future tournaments.Srikkanth also expressed concern over the schedule of the Afghanistan series and questioned whether the players were given enough time to recover after tough cricket. With the IPL and Men’s T20 World Cup having recently concluded, and the Women’s T20 World Cup currently underway, he felt the timing of the ODI series was far from ideal.“Afghanistan is not really a great team. It is sad. Now they are going to play in Chennai where it will be very hot. I don’t know how they will play there. It is not fair. I don’t think they should play in June. The T20 World Cup and IPL have just finished. Give them a break and the Women’s T20 World Cup is going on, why don’t we focus on that? Honestly, there should be a month’s break after the IPL. There is no family there.” time, no leave, and most importantly, no mental break,” he said.India will now enter the final ODI after clinching the series, while the discussion on Rahul’s batting position and the player’s workload remains the main issue.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) CEO Rajesh Menon said Virat Kohli’s hunger for success is as strong as ever and backed him to continue representing the franchise until at least 2030. While Menon said Kohli is expected to play for the next three to four years, he praised the legendary batsman for his unwavering commitment to the franchise since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008.

Kohli’s association with RCB is one of the most enduring and notable player-franchise partnerships in world cricket. Having represented the Bengaluru-based team in every IPL season, he has become the face of the franchise.

Over the years, he has rewritten the record books, and has emerged as the highest run-scorer in IPL history with 9,336 runs in 283 matches. Most recently, He played a key role in helping RCB successfully defend their IPL titleFurther cementing his legacy as one of the franchise’s greatest players.

Menon told CNBC TV18, “RCB and Virat are different sides of the same coin. He has been a constant factor for RCB. We have not seen him being a part of RCB even after he is out of his cricket career. We have to find out. Next three-four years, I am sure he will play for at least four years.”

“He is fit, the hunger never dies. You saw in this IPL season the energy, the runs, the attitude he brought. Everything was there. Three-four years, absolutely no problem,” the RCB CEO said.

Virat Kohli’s hunger is increasing

The former India captain has had many memorable seasons for RCB over the years. In 2016, he enjoyed what is considered one of the greatest batting campaigns in IPL history, scoring a record 973 runs. Most recently, he won the Orange Cap in 2024 by scoring 741 runs and followed it up with another stellar season in 2025 with 657 runs at an average of 54.75 as RCB finally ended their long wait for an IPL title.

Kohli once again played a key role in RCB’s successful IPL 2026 campaign. The veteran batsman was the franchise’s most reliable player throughout the season, and finished as the team’s leading run-scorer with 675 runs.

He saved his best for the biggest occasion. In the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans, Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls in RCB’s chase and scored the fastest half-century of his IPL career. The 37-year-old remained unbeaten till the end and sealed the victory with a six as RCB defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets to lift their second consecutive IPL title.

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New Delhi: The Suryavanshi family in Motipur village of Tajpur, Samastipur (Bihar) already has a cricket sensation in the form of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Now, another youngster in the family has started attracting attention – 10-year-old Ashirwad Suryavanshi.Vaibhav’s younger brother has already told what is going to happen next. Ashirwad, who started playing cricket just six months ago, scored 103 runs on just 87 balls in his first match for the Cricket Academy Tajpur in a practice match. His innings included 20 fours and one six.The knock may have happened in local cricket, but Vaibhav, who is currently representing India A in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, shared a screenshot of his younger brother’s scorecard on social media, after which it soon reached a wider audience.The post immediately drew attention to the 10-year-old and sparked curiosity about another budding cricketer from the Suryavanshi clan.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi post (Photo: Special arrangement)

only six months training

What makes Ashirwad’s century remarkable is that he has been playing cricket for only six months. The youngster quickly adapted to the game and wasted little time in making an impact.Chandra Deep, Ashirwad’s coach and who runs the Tajpur Cricket Academy, told TimesofIndia, “Ashirwad started just six months ago. He quickly learned bat handling and grip.” com in an interview.The coach believes that the younger Suryavanshi is showing signs of following the same path as his elder brother.

Same land, same dream

Ashirwad’s cricket journey has started from the same place where Vaibhav’s dreams first took shape.Right behind the family home are two practice pitches – one made of cement and one made of clay. It was on these surfaces that Vaibhav spent countless hours honing his skills as a child. Today, Ashirwad trains on the same ground, following a familiar path.

(Photo: Special arrangement)

According to coach Chandra Deep, contrasting surfaces provide very different challenges and play a vital role in shaping Vaibhav’s game. Now, the younger brother is also going through the same problem.He said, “Cement pitches provide more speed. On clay pitches, the ball swings, turns and spins, but it also remains very stable, which makes it very difficult to bat. Vaibhav has practiced on these surfaces from a very young age and now Ashirwad is doing the same.”

Not a copy of Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Comparisons between the two brothers are inevitable, but Blessings is far from being a mirror image of Vaibhav.While Vaibhav is a left-handed batsman who can bowl spin, Ashirwad is a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pacer. Actually, the young player sees himself as an all-rounder.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ashirwad Suryavanshi (Photo: Special arrangement)

When asked if Ashirwad reminded him of any current cricketer, the coach made an interesting comparison.

“Vaibhav was gifted with bat swing. But Ashirwad chose his own path. We once asked him what he wanted to be and he said an all-rounder. He looks like Hardik Pandya. He is there in batting and also in bowling.”

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learn by watching your elder brother

Ashirwad has spent hours watching Vaibhav train. Be it at home or during practice sessions, he watched his elder brother closely and gradually developed an interest in cricket.According to Chandra Deep, Ashirwad is a quiet child who likes to concentrate on his games rather than talking much.

“He says, ‘I want to play like my brother and work just as hard.’ Vaibhav has inspired him a lot”

moon lamp

Perhaps no one celebrates Vaibhav’s success with more enthusiasm than Aashirwad. glorious during splendor IPL During the 2026 season, where he scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, and his exploits at the Under-19 World Cup, the younger brother used to burst crackers in celebration at home.Whenever Vaibhav’s matches are on television, Aashirwad makes sure he is glued to the screen.

Cover Drive and Love to Fish

Like most young cricketers, Ashirwad also has a favorite shot – the cover drive. His daily routine revolves around cricket, with physical training in the morning followed by long batting sessions.And when the cricket is over, there is one thing he enjoys more than anything else – fish.Like their cricket, the two brothers also have different food preferences. While Vaibhav was known for his love for mutton growing up, Ashirwad couldn’t survive without fish.The coach said, “He likes fish very much. He wants it with his food.”

Ashirwad Suryavanshi Coach (Photo: Special Arrangement)

Looking forward to seeing my brother score a century

Vaibhav has already been selected in India’s T20 team for the tour of England and Ireland. asian games The spotlight is slowly turning towards his younger brother – who has become the youngest player to achieve the feat.But for now, Ashirwad is just a 10-year-old kid who loves watching his elder brother bat.

Ashirwad Suryavanshi (Photo: Special arrangement)

As the family gets ready to travel to the United Kingdom, the youngster can’t contain his excitement. More than anything, he wants to see Vaibhav score a century in person.The coach said, “He is going to UK with his family, he is very happy. He says he wants to see brother score a century.”For Suryavanshi, the dream that began on two modest pitches behind his home may be beginning its second chapter.