Sports

Mumbai: The International Cricket Council has unveiled the list of match officials for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, assigning some of the most experienced umpires to high-profile clashes. India vs South Africa: Experienced Hands in Charge For the crucial Super 8 encounter between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday, England’s Richard Kettleborough and New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney will serve as on-field umpires. England’s Alex Wharf has been appointed as the third umpire, while New Zealand’s Chris Brown will take up fourth umpire duties. Pakistan vs New Zealand Opener in Colombo The Super 8 stage begins Saturday in Colombo with Pakistan taking on New Zealand. Australia’s Rod Tucker and Paul Reiffel will officiate on the field. South Africa’s Allahudi...

Pallekele: Already out of contention for the Super 8 stage, Australia signed off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a crushing nine-wicket victory over Oman at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. A clinical bowling performance led by Adam Zampa set the tone before skipper Mitchell Marsh unleashed a blistering half-century to complete a one-sided contest. Australia’s Bowlers Dominate After winning the toss, Australia opted to field first — a decision that paid immediate dividends. Xavier Bartlett struck on the very first ball, dismissing Aamir Kaleem and putting Oman under early pressure. Oman’s captain Jatinder Singh and Karan Sonavale attempted to stabilize the innings with a brief 24-run stand, but wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. At the end of the ...

New Delhi: With the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 underway, verbal volleys have begun off the field as well. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif stirred controversy by claiming that Pakistan could defeat India later in the tournament — despite suffering a crushing 61-run defeat in the group stage. However, his optimism did not go unchallenged. Renowned Pakistani journalist Nauman Niaz openly dismissed Latif’s remarks during a television discussion, calling them unrealistic and overly ambitious. India’s Commanding Performance In their earlier encounter in Colombo, India delivered a clinical performance. Powered by a blistering 77-run knock from Ishan Kishan, India posted a formidable total. The bowling unit, led by Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, dismantled Pakistan’s ...

New Delhi: Indian leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has officially announced his divorce from his wife, Ishani Johar, bringing an end to their four-year marriage. The 26-year-old cricketer shared the development through a heartfelt post on social media, revealing that the legal process had been ongoing for the past 15 months. “I Married at a Young Age,” Says Chahar In his statement, Chahar reflected on marrying at the age of 22, admitting that he had not fully understood himself or the life he wanted to build at the time. “I got married at a young age, before I truly understood myself, my worth, or the life I genuinely wanted to create. Over the years, I learned lessons I never expected. The last 15 months were spent in court, where I learned patience, courage, and the kind of strength tha...

Colombo: New Zealand’s middle-order batter Mark Chapman has acknowledged the challenge posed by Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq ahead of their crucial Super 8 encounter in the T20 World Cup. The high-stakes Group 2 match will see New Zealand take on Pakistan in Colombo on Saturday. Chapman Highlights Tariq’s Unique Action Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Chapman said that Tariq’s unconventional bowling action — particularly his ability to pause at the crease before delivery — makes him a difficult bowler to read. “Usman Tariq has a very different kind of action. The way he holds at the crease before releasing the ball is quite unusual, and that’s something we’ll need to be mindful of,” Chapman said. He also emphasized that Pakistan’s spin department as a whole...

New Delhi: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, known for his explosive performances on the field, has made headlines off the field as well by sharing a romantic photo of his girlfriend Mahika Sharma on her birthday, February 19. The post has quickly gone viral on social media. A Heartfelt Instagram Post Pandya shared the picture on his official Instagram Story, showing him and Mahika embracing each other in a pool. Alongside the photo, he wrote, “Happy Birthday, my princess.” Hardik and Mahika have been dating for some time, and they have often been spotted together. During the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Mahika has been seen accompanying the Indian team. Hardik Pandya in Top Form On the cricketing front, Pandya has been in excellent form during the T20 World Cup 2026, contributing w...

New Delhi / Colombo: Following Pakistan’s loss to India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the team faced heavy criticism from former players and cricket legends. Figures like Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf, and Rashid Latif openly questioned the team’s performance, with Afridi suggesting that players such as Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Afridi be dropped. However, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan hit back strongly at the criticism, defending his team’s record against India. Shadab’s Response to the Legends Speaking to the media, Shadab said, “Our former cricketers have their opinions, and they have done well for Pakistan. But at the end of the day, they have never beaten India in a World Cup. We were the ones who defeated India in the 2021 World Cup. Yes, they are legends, bu...

New Delhi / Ahmedabad: In the final group-stage match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Team India defeated the Netherlands by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, maintaining their unbeaten streak and securing a place in the Super 8 stage. However, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma struggled yet again, failing to score in his third consecutive match. Jersey Mix-Up Adds Curiosity Interestingly, Sharma came out to bat wearing Mohammed Siraj’s jersey. Despite this unusual gesture, even Siraj’s “luck” could not help him get off the mark, as he was clean bowled by Aryan Dutt in the very first over. Sharma, who is known for his explosive starts, has found it difficult to get going in this World Cup. Match Highlights India, having won the toss, chose to bat first and posted 193 ...

New Delhi: Team India, under the captaincy of Surya Kumar Yadav, has dominated the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, winning all four matches against USA, Namibia, Pakistan, and the Netherlands to top their group and qualify for the Super 8 stage. However, despite this unbeaten run, a key weakness could prove costly in the next phase: fielding. Dropped Catches Raise Concerns India’s fielding has been inconsistent throughout the tournament. In the final group-stage match against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on February 18, India dropped two crucial catches in the last over. A miscommunication between Rinku Singh and captain Surya Kumar Yadav resulted in a dropped catch, followed by another dropped catch by Tilak Varma. Overall, India has dropped ...

New Delhi: As the holy month of Ramadan begins worldwide, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has given a unique statement regarding the significance of this month during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. After scraping through the group stage with a win over Namibia, Pakistan qualified for the Super 8 stage, where they will be in a group with England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. Speaking to the media after the Namibia match, Shadab humorously called Ramadan Pakistan’s “12th man” in the tournament. Shadab Khan’s Statement Shadab said at the post-match press conference, “Ramadan has started, and our 12th man is with us.” He emphasized focusing only on what can be controlled, stating, “At the end of the day, you can control only a few things, so you should focus on those.” In the Namibia ...