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New Zealand World Cup campaign on shaky ground as losses, injuries pile up – ARN News Centre
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New Zealand leave Pune sore and sorry after notching up their third World Cup defeat in succession against South Africa and with a mounting injury toll weighing on their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Pace bowler Matt Henry is unlikely to feature in Saturday’s crunch match against Pakistan after injuring his right hamstring in the 190-run thumping by the Proteas on Wednesday.
Kyle Jamieson has been called up from New Zealand as cover for Henry and should arrive with the squad late on Thursday, the team said.
Jimmy Neesham is nursing a bruised right wrist after being struck by the ball while bowling in the first innings.
While an X-ray cleared him of broken bones, selectors may have little choice but to play the all-rounder given injury queries over Mark Chapman (calf) and Kane Williamson (thumb), who were ruled out of the South Africa game.
Paceman Lockie Ferguson, meanwhile, is nursing a right Achilles injury, though he was cleared of significant damage by a scan and selectors hope he will be available for Pakistan.
“It’s sad to see guys get injured but at the same time it gives people other opportunities as well,” all-rounder Daryl Mitchell told reporters.
“We’re a pretty close group and we back each other and we’ve done it for a long period of time now.”
After winning their first four games in a perfect start, the Black Caps have crumbled against heavyweights India, Australia and the Proteas. They now cling to fourth place in the standings, two points ahead of Pakistan.
The top four reach the semi-finals.
The heavy defeat to South Africa has also seen their run-rate take a major hit and another big loss against Pakistan could see the south Asians leapfrog them into the top four.
Having won the toss against South Africa, captain Tom Latham surprised by electing to field against opponents that often struggle to chase down totals.
Not that Glenn Phillips was questioning the captain’s call after South Africa put 357 for four on the board.
“Obviously South Africa are incredibly strong batting first, but we’ve got an incredibly good bowling line-up and there was no reason that we couldn’t have restricted them to a total that could have been a lot easier to chase on there,” said the middle order batsman.
New Zealand can ill afford to slip up again but are confident their World Cup fate remains in their hands.
Wins in the last two matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka should be enough for the semi-finals.
“We’ve got our own brand and if we stick to it, we know that we’re fighters, we keep coming back time and time again, and when it matters most, we really put the foot down,” said Phillips.
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Indian chess star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu produced a brilliant final-round victory to win Norway Chess 2026, capping a dramatic finish to one of the year’s most prestigious tournaments.
Entering the final day half a point behind leader Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew only a win would give him a realistic chance of claiming the title. The 19-year-old delivered under pressure, defeating Vincent Keymer with the white pieces to secure the full three points and surge to first place.
The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to 18 points, enough to overtake Wesley So and clinch the Norway Chess crown in Oslo.
So, who had led the standings heading into the final round, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja before winning the Armageddon tiebreak. However, the extra points were not enough to keep him ahead of the charging Indian grandmaster.
Firouzja completed a strong campaign to finish third overall.
Elsewhere, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen signed off in style with a classical victory over reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, delighting home fans with a final-round win.
Final Standings
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 18 points
- Wesley So – 17 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 15.5 points
Assaubayeva dominates women’s event
In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, Bibisara Assaubayeva completed a dominant campaign to secure the title after having already wrapped up first place with a round to spare.
The final day featured three decisive classical games, eliminating the need for Armageddon tiebreaks.
Women’s world champion Ju Wenjun handed Assaubayeva her first classical defeat of the tournament, while Zhu Jiner defeated Humpy Koneru to secure second place overall. Anna Muzychuk also ended her campaign on a high note with a victory over Divya Deshmukh to finish third.
Norway Chess women’s final standings
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 16.5 points
- Zhu Jiner – 16 points
- Anna Muzychuk – 15 points
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph marks another major milestone in the young Indian grandmaster’s rapidly rising career and further strengthens India’s growing influence at the highest level of world chess.
The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title is set for a thrilling finish after a dramatic Round 9 left three players firmly in contention heading into the final day in Oslo.
Tournament leader Wesley So maintained his narrow advantage after drawing his classical game against Magnus Carlsen before winning the Armageddon tiebreak to secure valuable extra points.
The standout result of the day came from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa three points and moved him to within half a point of the tournament lead.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja kept his championship hopes alive by overcoming Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
With one round remaining, Wesley So leads the standings on 15.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 15 points and Firouzja on 14.5 points, setting up a nail-biting conclusion to the tournament.
Assaubayeva seals women’s title
In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with a round to spare.
Assaubayeva drew her classical game against Anna Muzychuk, who later claimed the Armageddon win. However, the result was enough to guarantee Assaubayeva an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
The only decisive classical result in the women’s event came from Zhu Jiner, who defeated Divya Deshmukh to move into second place.
Elsewhere, Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun drew their classical encounter before Ju Wenjun claimed the Armageddon victory.
After Round 9, Assaubayeva tops the women’s standings with 16.5 points, ahead of Zhu Jiner on 13 points and Anna Muzychuk on 12 points.
Praggnanandhaa wins Norway Chess 2026 title after stunning comeback
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