Will Young was among the more experienced players in an otherwise inexperienced New Zealand ODI squad that suffered a 2-1 defeat in the recently concluded three-match series against hosts Bangladesh. Arriving in Bangladesh after a successful tour of India, Young and his side encountered tougher batting conditions and a hostile pace attack. The New Zealand number three spoke about the conditions, Bangladesh’s bowling threats, and more in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi. The excerpts are as follows:

Blistering fifties by Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to a five-wicket win Saturday after teen prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blasted 103 off 37 balls for Rajasthan Royals.

Nico Gonzalez's stunning strike fired Manchester City into a record fourth consecutive FA Cup final as Pep Guardiola's men produced a late fightback to beat Southampton 2-1 on Saturday.

Eberechi Eze fired Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League on Saturday as relegation-threatened Tottenham won for the first time in 2026 to give themselves renewed hope.

The women in red and green have been in training since the conclusion of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the AFC Women’s U-20 Asian Cup.

Fermin Lopez and Marcus Rashford's goals took Barcelona to the brink of the La Liga title with a 2-0 win at Getafe on Saturday.

A monumental unbeaten 152 by KL Rahul, the highest T20 score by an Indian, went in vain as Punjab Kings mounted the largest successful chase in IPL history to extend their lead at the top of the table on a run-soaked Saturday with a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.

Bagha Sharif from Cumilla’s Homna clinched the title of the 117th edition of the historic Abdul Jabbar-er Bolikhela, defeating Rashed Boli from Cumilla Sadar in a gruelling 40-minute encounter at Laldighi Maidan on Saturday.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque visited Abahani in Dhanmondi today, reaffirming his commitment to keeping the country’s sports arena free from political influence and urging the club’s officials to reclaim their lost pride with proper management.

The Delhi bowler was back-pedalling but misjudged the catch, falling backwards and hitting his head on the turf.

Dorielton Gomes scored his 14th goal of the campaign as Bashundhara Kings re-established a three-point lead at the top of the Bangladesh Football League with a 1-0 win over Brothers Union at the Kings Arena on Saturday.

Opener Sarmin Sultana has received a surprise maiden call-up to the national T20 side, as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match WT20I series against Sri Lanka.

For any footballer, playing a World Cup final for their country is a lifelong dream. Even reaching the final twice -- let alone in consecutive tournaments -- for a single nation is an extraordinary feat. Yet football history witnessed something even rarer, truly unparalleled. Midfielder Luis Monti played in back-to-back World Cup finals -- but for two completely different countries!

A respected figure in domestic cricket since Bangladesh’s independence, he remained professionally active until 2021.

Their sacrifices -- and his tears -- paid off after the 21-year-old fast bowler made an instant impact in the Indian Premier League.

The two sides will now shift focus to the shortest format, with a three-match WT20I series scheduled to be played at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on April 28, April 30, and May 2.

According to tournament rules, reaching the semifinals automatically ensures at least a bronze medal for Bangladesh.

Sodhi -- who is set to play his first T20I in Bangladesh despite featuring in 140 matches in the format -- spoke at length about Rishad’s potential, particularly highlighting his performances in franchise cricket abroad.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo is set to appear in a record sixth World Cup in June, a tournament expected to be the final major chapter of the forward's career.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque yesterday said that expectations from The Daily Star are always to “speak for the people of Bangladesh and stand for the truth”, while praising the newspaper for presenting accurate information and stressing the importance of a free press.