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India wins toss and opt to ball first in the historic Asia Cup final | The Express Tribune

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India wins toss and opt to ball first in the historic Asia Cup final | The Express Tribune


Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket burst spearheaded India’s bowling fightback as Pakistan were skittled for just 146 in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Opting to field, skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s call proved decisive as his attack recovered strongly after a fiery opening stand.

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman launched Pakistan to 84 without loss by the 10th over, putting early pressure on India.

Farhan, who continued his fine run against Jasprit Bumrah, top-scored with 57 off 38 balls, striking five boundaries and three sixes. Fakhar added 46 from 35, laced with two fours and two sixes.

But once Varun Chakravarthy broke the stand by removing Farhan, the innings unraveled. Kuldeep Yadav struck in the 13th over to dismiss Saim Ayub (14), before running through the middle order in a decisive spell.

Pakistan lost six wickets in just 25 balls, including captain Salman Ali Agha and all-rounders Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf, slumping from 113 for 1 to 134 for 8.

Kuldeep finished with 4 for 30, while Axar Patel (2 for 20), Bumrah (2 for 26), and Chakravarthy (2 for 29) shared the spoils.

Earlier, India have already defeated Pakistan twice in earlier stages of the tournament, the final was expected to be a different contest altogether.

This is the first time that the two arch-rivals are meeting in the final of the Asia Cup final.

Pakistan qualified for the final after defeating Bangladesh by 11 runs in a crucial Super Four match, effectively a semi-final.

Historically, Pakistan and India have faced each other in five tournament finals across various competitions. Pakistan leads this rivalry with three wins, while India has emerged victorious twice.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, captain Salman expressed confidence in his team, saying: “We’re hopeful of a strong performance in the final. Our goal is to win the cup, and we won’t repeat past mistakes.”

He acknowledged the pressure both teams face and hinted that Pakistan may have saved its best batting for the final. The playing XI, he said, will be finalised after assessing pitch conditions.

Meanwhile, India are missing their key all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the important game.

Teams

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed



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LPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’

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LPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’


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The United States came away with 33 total medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, and many came from the female athletes who showed out in Italy this month. 

There were 17 medals won by the U.S. female athletes, including eight of the 12 gold medals.

As many Americans enjoyed watching the events at home, LPGA Tour legend Michelle Wie West was in Milan watching the U.S. reach the podium in several events. 

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Michelle Wie attends Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2” New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 21, 2025, in New York City.  (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

“I had the honor to be in Milan with Nike and got to see some Winter Olympic Games for the first time in person. It’s amazing to see all these competitors,” she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “Got to see [silver medalist] Chloe [Kim] do her halfpipe, and that was incredible. 

“Women’s hockey, I mean, incredible. I got to go to the first game, and it was just lights out.”

From Mia Manganello in speed skating, to Alysa Liu’s captivating gold medal in figure skating, Wie West admitted the Olympics made her a bit emotional seeing the athletes achieve their dreams.

“This whole Winter Olympics season has been so — I think every Olympic season is so uplifting,” she said. “But this one in particular was so inspiring, and it feels like the female athletes really knocked it out of the park.

“I feel like every Olympics gets me really emotional. I can see athletes achieve their dreams, and it’s so cool. It was really cool to see it in person.”

Alysa Liu holds American flag after medal skate

Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy.  (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Wie West also added that Lindsey Vonn’s “heartbreaking” crash, after competing through a torn ACL, was hard to see. However, “seeing her journey up until that moment and even afterwards has been so inspiring to me.”

Breanna Stewart, a three-time gold medalist with Team USA women’s basketball, shared Wie West’s sentiments about seeing American success overseas. 

“I think there were so many events I really learned a lot about, whether it was bobsledding, or curling, or watching hockey,” she said. “Just wanting to cheer on the USA in whatever event they were doing, and see the pride and passion the athletes were having whenever they stepped up to compete with their sport.”

Michelle Wie West swings

LPGA player Michelle Wie West plays her shot from the 14th tee during the Golden Bear Pro-Am prior to the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 28, 2025, in Dublin, Ohio. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Stewart even mentioned getting “goosebumps” thinking about what it feels like getting a medal around your neck, and better yet, seeing the flag raise with the national anthem playing. 

“It’s really just satisfaction and justification of why you’re doing it and why you’ve gone through those hard moments and times,” she explained. “To me, the Olympics is the highest of the high. You’re playing your sport at the highest level against everyone else in the world, and you see that. It’s just a goosebump feeling no matter how many times you do it. Just the pride and knowing you’re representing something bigger than yourself always comes through full circle.”

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Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart reflects on 'pride and passion' shown by Team USA in Milan





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Washington State’s Emmanuel Ugbo suspended for rest of season

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Washington State’s Emmanuel Ugbo suspended for rest of season


PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State forward Emmanuel Ugbo, who is currently under a court order resulting from allegations of stalking and harassment, has been suspended for the remainder of the season.

Coach David Riley told reporters this week that Ugbo, who has neither played nor practiced for the Cougars since he was suspended on Jan. 28, will sit out the rest of the way.

“As an institution,” Riley told reporters, “we believe that’s the best course of action.”

Ugbo was accused by a Washington State women’s volleyball player of stalking and harassment after she ended their relationship. Last week, a Whitman County judge granted the woman a full protection order against Ugbo.

Ugbo’s suspension began with Washington State’s home game on Jan. 31, shortly after the woman filed for a temporary protection order. Ugbo averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18 minutes this season. He previously played for Boise State.



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How Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup semi-finals after New Zealand loss? | The Express Tribune

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How Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup semi-finals after New Zealand loss? | The Express Tribune


A win over Sri Lanka would tie Pakistan with New Zealand on points, with net run rate deciding semi-final progression

England’s Phil Salt (2L) walks back after getting out as Pakistan’s players celebrate during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup Super Eights match between England and Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on February 24, 2026. Phot: AFP

Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup remain alive following New Zealand’s defeat against England in the Super Eight stage.

England beat New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling encounter in Colombo, denying the Kiwis a guaranteed place in the semi-finals while keeping Pakistan’s slender chances intact.

England, having already qualified for the semi-finals, sit at the top of the table with six points from three wins, whereas New Zealand are second with three points.

Pakistan, who lost their crucial Super Eight match against England, are third with one point, earned from a washed-out match against New Zealand. Co-hosts Sri Lanka, having lost both of their opening Super Eight matches, are already out of contention for the final four.

Pakistan’s semi-final fate now rests on their match against Sri Lanka, scheduled for tomorrow at Pallekele. A win would level Pakistan and New Zealand on points, leaving net run rate as the deciding factor for progression.

However, the path to qualification is far from straightforward. Pakistan will need to secure a convincing victory over the hosts or chase their target rapidly to overcome New Zealand’s net run rate advantage, following the Kiwis’ comprehensive win against Sri Lanka.

If batting first, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or more to improve their net run rate sufficiently. Alternatively, if chasing, they must reach the target within 13.1 overs to ensure a semi-final berth.



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