ICC unveils Women’s Player of the Month nominees for May

New Delhi [India], June 10 (ANI): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the nominees for the Women’s Player of the Month award for May 2026, with Pakistan’s Gull Feroza, England’s Lauren Bell and New Zealand’s Maddy Green making the shortlist after strong performances across recent international series.

Gull Feroza was in excellent form for Pakistan during their ODI series against Zimbabwe. The right-handed opener scored 256 runs in three matches at an impressive average of 128.00 and a strike rate of 103.64. esporist.org

She started the series with a composed half-century before producing back-to-back centuries — 100 and an unbeaten 106, to help Pakistan secure a 3-0 clean sweep. Her performances earned her the Player of the Series award.

Feroza also made an impact in the T20Is, scoring 82 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 157.69. Her standout knocks included a quick 37 off 19 balls against Zimbabwe and a rapid 32 off 15 deliveries against Ireland.

Lauren Bell, on the other hand, was in impressive form for England across formats. The fast bowler finished as the leading wicket-taker in England’s ODI series against New Zealand, returning figures of 2/38 in the opening match and 3/20 in the third ODI. Across the two games, she took five wickets at an average of 13.40 and an economy rate of 4.36.

She carried that momentum into the following T20I series against New Zealand and India, where she picked up eight wickets in four matches at an average of 14.00 and an economy rate of 7.00.

Her standout spells included 2/23 in the opening T20I against New Zealand and 3/34 in the first T20I against India at Chelmsford, highlighting her growing importance in England’s bowling attack ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Maddy Green (New Zealand)

Maddy Green had a strong tour of England, delivering consistent performances across both ODIs and T20Is for New Zealand. In the ODI series, she scored 125 runs in two innings at an average of 62.50 and a strike rate of 83.33.

She played a key role with a composed 88 off 107 balls in the opening ODI, followed by a quick 37 off 43 deliveries in the third match. Her efforts earned her the Player of the Series award.

Green continued her good form in the T20I series, scoring 93 runs in three matches at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 98.93. Her best knock came in the second T20I, where she struck an unbeaten 56 off 48 balls. (ANI)

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New York [US], June 11 (ANI): The New York Knicks produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in NBA Finals history, overturning a 29-point deficit to edge the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in a dramatic Game 4 on Wednesday night (Local Time) and move within touching distance of their first championship in more than five decades.

Trailing for almost the entire contest at a packed Madison Square Garden, the Knicks appeared headed for a damaging defeat as the Spurs dominated the opening half, according to Reuters.

San Antonio came out firing from the start, piling up 41 first-quarter points and building a commanding 19-point lead by the end of the opening period. Led by Victor Wembanyama’s all-around brilliance, the visitors stretched the advantage to as many as 29 points in the second quarter, leaving New York struggling to find answers.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically after halftime.

The Knicks, refusing to surrender on their home floor, tightened up defensively and began chipping away at the deficit. Their energy reached another level in the fourth quarter, where New York unleashed a stunning 28-9 run in just over seven minutes.

Every defensive stop ignited the crowd, while every basket fueled growing belief that an unlikely comeback was possible.

Jalen Brunson spearheaded the revival with a magnificent 36-point performance. The star guard repeatedly attacked the Spurs’ defence and delivered the game’s biggest moment before the finale, driving through traffic for a crucial layup with 1:22 remaining to hand New York its first lead of the night at 105-104.

San Antonio responded through rookie Stephon Castle, who calmly converted two free throws to put the Spurs back in front. Yet the final twist belonged to the Knicks.

With seconds remaining, Brunson’s contested three-pointer bounced off the rim, only for OG Anunoby to rise above the crowd and tip the ball home with 2.3 seconds left on the clock.

Anunoby finished with 33 points on an efficient shooting night, while Wembanyama recorded 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for San Antonio.

The victory gives New York a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Now, the Knicks head to San Antonio needing just one more win to capture their first NBA title since 1973 and complete a comeback that will be remembered for generations. Game 5 will be played at the same venue on Sunday morning. (ANI)

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Guadalajara [Mexico], June 11 (ANI): South Korea captain Son Heung-Min said he still feels like “a young boy again" whenever he steps onto the FIFA World Cup stage, as the Asian side prepares to open its 2026 campaign against Czechia in Guadalajara on Thursday (Local Time), reported ESPN.

The 33-year-old forward, who will feature in his fourth World Cup, remains the cornerstone of the South Korean team and brings a wealth of experience with 144 international appearances to the tournament. He has scored 56 goals in international football.

Speaking ahead of the Group A clash at Estadio Guadalajara, Son admitted that the excitement of representing his country on football’s biggest stage has never faded.

“I’m very happy to be back on the World Cup pitch, which is something I dreamed of from a very young age," Son said, according to ESPN. “Whether it’s my first World Cup or fourth World Cup, I feel like a young boy again. This is the stage of dreams."

“It’s not something that can be expressed in one word. Whether it’s the first, fourth or sixth World Cup, our mindset must be the same when we participate in the World Cup," he added.

South Korea arrive in Mexico hoping to build on the lessons learned from previous World Cup campaigns. The Taegeuk Warriors reached the Round of 16 in Qatar 2022 but have struggled in recent tournament openers, failing to win their first match in each of the last three editions.

Reflecting on the team’s growth since Qatar, Son believes the current squad is better equipped to handle the challenges ahead.

“I think during [the last World Cup in] Qatar, we showed a lot of strength but also had losses and failures. I think those are lessons that we have learned from going forward," he said, as per ESPN.

“Of course, we are a little bit more mature and experienced. There are some changes [in personnel] but our mindset on the world stage is the same," South Korea skipper added.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star also praised the commitment within the squad, highlighting the determination of his teammates ahead of the opener.

“The atmosphere, right from the beginning now, is no problem at all. And whenever I see my teammates working so hard for the team, for Korea, sometimes I even have to calm them down," Son said.

“We’re very prepared, and I hope that we will get a good result tomorrow because I’m sure they [his teammates] deserve it," he added.

Despite the significance of the opening match, Son insisted his focus remains firmly on the present rather than dwelling on expectations.

“When it comes to the importance of the first match, I don’t live for tomorrow," he said. “Today is the most important day for me, and I need to develop myself. Today I will be focused on training."

“Tomorrow, I can think about tomorrow. Tomorrow, we will do our best," he concluded.

South Korea begin their World Cup journey against Czechia, seeking the positive start that has eluded them in recent tournaments and hoping their experienced captain can once again inspire them on football’s grandest stage. (ANI)

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England fast bowler Lauren Bell has bought a new camera with the hope that she will shoot all the celebrations after the hosts win the Women’s T20 World Cup title.

The global showpiece event starts on Friday with England facing Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. Bell, 25, has said that she’s looking forward to doing well herself and taking her team all the way to the final at Lord’s on July 5.

“How good would that be? A little picture with the World Cup trophy! That is the plan,” Bell told the Press Association after revealing her new camera.

“I’m just going to try and take it all in and enjoy it the best I can. It is so exciting and it could very much be something that only happens once in our careers. I feel really fortunate that I get to be in this position and a home World Cup has come at a time in my career where I feel in a really confident place,” added Bell, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.

Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of India’s ODI series against Afghanistan after suffering a quadricep strain during training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Scans confirmed a sprain requiring at least two weeks of recovery. He will continue rehabilitation at the CoE, with a possible return before the England ODI series. Selectors will also review Virat Kohli’s fitness ahead of squad selection.