It has been the busiest 48 hours in cricket since the T20 World Cup final itself — and today, March 14, 2026, there is still more happening.
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Pakistan bounced back brilliantly in Mirpur. KKR's bowling attack is falling apart before IPL 2026 even begins. An Indian-owned franchise has broken cricket's biggest unwritten rule by signing a Pakistani player — and their Twitter account has been suspended as a consequence. And tomorrow, India's greatest cricketers will gather in New Delhi for the BCCI Naman Awards, the most star-studded cricket ceremony of the year.
Here is everything you need to know — in one place.
🇵🇰 Pakistan Level Series 1-1 — Maaz Sadaqat's All-Round Masterclass
After the humiliation of being bowled out for 114 in the first ODI — and losing to Bangladesh by 8 wickets — Pakistan needed a response. They produced one of the most emphatic in recent memory.
Pakistan 274 all out (47.3 overs) | Bangladesh 114 all out (23.3 overs, target 243 DLS) | Pakistan won by 128 runs (DLS)
Maaz Sadaqat — a 20-year-old playing only his second ODI — was the difference between the two sides in every sense. He opened the batting and blazed 75 off just 46 balls, featuring boundaries off Rishad Hossain and Mehidy that left Bangladesh's fielders rooted to the spot. His opening partnership of 103 runs with Sahibzada Farhan in only 75 balls was Pakistan's best ODI opening stand of 2026, and it set the platform for Salman Agha's composed 64 and Mohammad Rizwan's steady contribution that took Pakistan to 274 all out. Pakistan, who were dismissed for 114 in the first ODI, were completely unrecognisable.
Then came the controversy. At 231 for 3, with Salman Agha and Rizwan batting comfortably, Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled a ball back towards the stumps — and Agha, momentarily outside his crease, failed to get back in time. Bangladesh appealed. The third umpire upheld it. Agha was furious, walking off while gesturing towards the Bangladesh players. Pakistan's lower order then collapsed from 231 for 3 to 274 all out — losing 7 wickets for 43 runs — in part because of the disruption that followed.
However, a hailstorm that interrupted play for over two hours during Bangladesh's chase ultimately ended any contest. Bangladesh's revised target was 243 off 32 overs — and with Shaheen Shah Afridi taking two early wickets and Mohammad Wasim Jnr removing Saif Hasan, Bangladesh were 15 for 3 inside five overs. They were eventually skittled for 114 — the exact total Pakistan had made in the first ODI. Sadaqat added 3 for 23 with his left-arm spin; Haris Rauf mopped up the tail with 3 for 26.
The series decider is on Sunday, March 15 — same venue, Mirpur. Pakistan will be confident. But after that first-ODI collapse, nothing can be taken for granted.
| Quick Scorecard | |
|---|---|
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 274 all out (47.3 ov) — Sadaqat 75, Agha 64, Rishad 3/56 |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 114 all out (23.3 ov) — Litton 41, Sadaqat 3/23, Rauf 3/26 |
| Result | Pakistan won by 128 runs (DLS) | Series: 1-1 |
| ⭐ POTM | Maaz Sadaqat — 75 + 3/23 |
😱 KKR Crisis — Harshit Rana Out, Pathirana Doubtful, Three Pacers Gone
The IPL 2026 starts on March 28 — in exactly 14 days. And Kolkata Knight Riders, the three-time champions, are running out of fit bowlers before the tournament has even begun.
Harshit Rana — KKR's primary death-over bowler, who took 19 wickets in their 2024 title-winning campaign and 15 more in IPL 2025 — has been officially ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 season. He had been injured during India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai, and despite undergoing knee surgery on February 9, doctors have confirmed he will not recover in time.
That injury was bad enough. But KKR's bowling problems run deeper. Their marquee overseas signing, Matheesha Pathirana — bought for ₹18 crore — was also injured during the T20 World Cup and remains doubtful for the start of the season. And Mustafizur Rahman, originally signed as a third pace option, was released by the BCCI due to geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh, following the fallout from Bangladesh's exclusion from the T20 World Cup. KKR have replaced him with Blessing Muzarabani — the Zimbabwe pacer who was outstanding in the T20 World Cup — but even Muzarabani's role is now unclear given the uncertainty around Pathirana.
As things stand, KKR's pace attack heading into March 28 consists of Vaibhav Arora, Muzarabani, Umran Malik, Akash Deep and Kartik Tyagi. With Andre Russell retired, Pathirana uncertain and Rana definitely absent, this is the most inexperienced bowling attack Ajinkya Rahane has ever led into an IPL season. The franchise is yet to announce a replacement for Rana. Possible options include Akash Madhwal, Simarjeet Singh and local Delhi bowler Money Grewal.
There is some silver lining: Finn Allen and Tim Seifert — KKR's explosive T20 WC semi-final opening pair — are expected to be fully fit and available from day one. KKR's batting looks powerful on paper. Their bowling, right now, does not.
🔥 The Abrar Ahmed Controversy — Indian-Owned Franchise, Pakistani Player, Twitter Suspended
The most talked-about cricket story of the week has nothing to do with a match. It started at The Hundred 2026 men's auction on March 12, when Kavya Maran's Sunrisers Leeds — owned by the same Sun Group that owns Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL — signed Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 (approximately ₹2.34 crore), making him the first-ever Pakistani player to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise.
What happened next was immediate and intense. Indian fans on social media flooded X (formerly Twitter) with criticism of Kavya Maran and Sunrisers Leeds — with thousands mass-reporting the franchise's official account. Within hours of the signing, Sunrisers Leeds' official X account was suspended after X said it had violated the platform's rules. The suspension was widely seen as the direct result of mass reporting by Indian users.
The controversy has several layers worth understanding. Abrar Ahmed was controversial in India long before this signing — fans have not forgotten a gesture he made in a previous series, and the signing brought all of that anger back to the surface. Head coach Daniel Vettori defended the decision, telling BBC Sport: "He's unique in the amount of variations and a lot of domestic players won't have seen him before." Vettori added that Usman Tariq — a fellow Pakistan spinner — was also on their list, but had been signed by Birmingham Phoenix first.
When asked to comment, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla issued a clear statement: "It is not in our domain. They have done it for some foreign league. We cannot do anything. They will have to take a call." The BCCI's position is technically correct — The Hundred is run by the ECB in England, and the BCCI has no authority over what franchises do outside the IPL. Releasing Abrar at this stage could expose the franchise to ECB penalties and contract breach claims.
As of today, Sunrisers Leeds have not released Abrar — and it appears they will not. The franchise's X account remains suspended. The backlash is ongoing. And SRH fans in India are watching very closely to see how this affects the team's atmosphere when IPL 2026 begins on March 28.
🏆 BCCI Naman Awards — Tomorrow, New Delhi — India's Golden Year Celebrated
Tomorrow — Sunday, March 15 — New Delhi hosts the BCCI Naman Awards 2026, the most special edition of the ceremony in the board's history. Why special? Because for the very first time, all five ICC trophy-winning Indian teams will be felicitated together at a single event — the T20 World Cup 2026 champions, the 2025 Women's World Cup winners, the 2025 Champions Trophy holders, the U19 Boys' World Cup winners and the U19 Girls' World Cup winners. India's "Golden Year" — five ICC trophies — honoured in one room.
Key awards confirmed for tomorrow:
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 🏆 Polly Umrigar Award — Best Int'l Cricketer (Men) | Shubman Gill (2nd time) |
| 🏆 Polly Umrigar Award — Best Int'l Cricketer (Women) | Smriti Mandhana (5th time) |
| 🎖️ Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award | Roger Binny + Rahul Dravid |
| 🎖️ BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award (Women) | Mithali Raj |
| ⭐ Lala Amarnath Award — Best Domestic All-Rounder (LOI) | Ayush Mhatre (Mumbai) |
| ⭐ Lala Amarnath Award — Best All-Rounder (Ranji) | Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha) |
| 🏅 Best State Association | Mumbai Cricket Association |
The headline stories are Rahul Dravid and Shubman Gill. Dravid — who coached India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title in Barbados and laid the foundation for everything Gambhir's side has built since — receives the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI's highest honour. It is recognition that was a long time coming for the man who shaped an entire generation of Indian cricketers as both player and coach.
Gill — India's ODI and Test captain — receives the Polly Umrigar Award for the second time, after scoring 1,764 international runs in 2025 at an average of 49.00, including 754 Test runs against England. Roger Binny, the leading wicket-taker in India's 1983 World Cup triumph and former BCCI president, joins Dravid in receiving the lifetime honour.
The T20 World Cup champions — India's 96-run winners over New Zealand in Ahmedabad on March 8 — will attend as a full squad. Expect Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and of course Jasprit Bumrah to be centre stage. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that all five winning squads, their coaches and support staff will be invited.
What is your reaction to the Abrar Ahmed controversy — did Sunrisers Leeds make the right call? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 🏏🔥
Stay with The Yorker Crew for the PAK vs BAN series decider on March 15, live Naman Awards updates, and everything IPL 2026 as we count down to March 28. Check out our Top 5 Moments of T20 World Cup 2026 if you haven't already!
#CricketNews #PAKvBAN #KKR #IPL2026 #AbrarAhmed #TheHundred2026 #BCCINamanAwards #ShubmanGill #RahulDravid #TheYorkerCrew
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