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RCB's Record Win, CT Prize Pool And NZ Victory – February 14 Cricket Highlights

Aakash Saini

Richa Ghosh and Daryl Mitchell [Source: @RCBTweets, @BLACKCAPS/x]Richa Ghosh and Daryl Mitchell [Source: @RCBTweets, @BLACKCAPS/x]

New Zealand won the ODI tri-series final against Pakistan in Karachi. In India, the WPL 2025 season got off to a cracking start between Gujarat Giants and defending champions RCB. Ahead of the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the apex body announced a lucrative prize pool for the tournament.

Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Friday, February 14.

RCB Women Start Off With A Win In WPL 2025

Defending champions RCB Women started off with an emphatic six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in the opening match of the WPL 2025 season. Batting first, Giants mounted 201-5 from 20 overs, with new captain Ashleigh Gardner scoring 79 unbeaten runs from just 37 balls. Opening batter Beth Mooney also smeared 56 off 42 at the top of the order to overcome Renuka Singh’s (2-25) economical new-ball spell.

In response, Ellyse Perry at number three minted 57 off 34 balls, before a 93-run partnership between Richa Ghosh (64* off 27 balls) and Kanika Ahuja (30* off 13 balls) in just six overs ensured RCB sealed the chase with six wickets and nine balls to spare.

Mitchell, Latham 50s Steer New Zealand To Tri-Series Win

New Zealand defeated hosts Pakistan in the final to win the tri-nation ODI series in Karachi. Visiting fast bowler Will O’Rourke picked up four wickets during the Pakistan innings upfront, snaring even the prized-scalps of Fakhar Zaman and top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan. Spinners Michael Bracewell (2-38) and Mitchell Santner (2-20) bowled out their 10 overs to pick up two wickets each.

Chasing 243, Devon Conway made 48 after losing opening partner Will Young earlier in the innings. Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham listed calculated half-centuries in the middle order before Glenn Phillips (20* off 17) and Michael Bracewell shrugged off the remaining runs with five wickets in the bank.

Gambhir Faces BCCI’s Wrath Over PA Fiasco

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir will not be accompanied with his personal assistant (PA) at the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, as per the guidelines rolled out by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). During India’s recently-concluded five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test tour of Australia, Gambhir’s PA became a focal point of contention after being spotted in restricted team areas.

The BCCI has now barred support staff’s personal aides from team travel and accommodations, promting Gambhir’s PA to be relocated to a separate hotel for the upcoming eight-team event.

Ben Sears Ruled Out Of CT 2025, NZC Name Replacement

New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears has been ruled out of the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy owing to a hamstring injury he suffered during the Pakistan ODI tri-series. Sears felt discomfort in his hamstring during a training session earlier this week, with his rehabilitation timeline estimated to be of at least two weeks.

New Zealand Cricket named Otago paceman Jacob Duffy as his last-minute replacement for the upcoming eight-team event, considering the 30-year-old speedster was already with the national squad for the tri-series in Pakistan.

ICC Announce Biggest Prize Pool For CT 2025

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a prize pool of $6.9 million for the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The winning team will walk away with a whopping $2.24 million, while the runners-up will receive $1.12 million. The two semi-finalists of the tournament will be pocketing $560,000 each.

Notably, the prize pool of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy marks 53 percent higher than that of the previous edition of the tournament back in 2017.