Category: Cricket

India revived their T20 World Cup campaign with their “fearless” brand of cricket ahead of a winner-takes-all decider against the West Indies for the last semi-final berth.

Hot favourites to defend their title on home soil, India thrashed Zimbabwe by 72 runs in Chennai on Thursday to bounce back from their heavy defeat against South Africa in their Super Eights opener.

India’s batting, led by opener Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 55 and an unbeaten 50 by Hardik Pandya, piled up 256-4, the second-highest total in the history of the tournament.

In a brutal show of power hitting, the Indian batters demolished the opposition bowling with 17 sixes and 17 fours at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

India face the West Indies, who went down to South Africa by nine wickets, in Kolkata on Sunday to decide the second semi-finalist from Group 1.

“We want to play the fearless cricket, the brand of cricket we played today, and we played since last year,” batter Tilak Varma said.

“The same intent we want to keep in the next game as well. And going ahead in the tournament, we take the same intensity (forward).”

The left-handed Varma hit a 19-ball 44 as he put together an unbeaten 84-run stand with Pandya, who capped off the innings with two sixes to raise his fifty.

It all came together for India after they rejigged their opening combination with the return of Sanju Samson, who handed the team a quick start with his 24 off 15 balls.

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The left-handed Abhishek hit form with his first T20 World Cup fifty after he struggled in the tournament with three ducks in four innings.

“It’s important when the openers give us a good start, the same confidence follows to number three, four and five,” said Varma.

“And we discussed that whatever the situation is, (even) if we lose three-four wickets in powerplay, we will bat with the same rhythm,” he added.

“And we want to show the fear in opposition bowlers, that these guys are ready to hit each and every ball.”

India, the world’s top-ranked T20 team, came into the World Cup on the back of huge totals in bilateral contests and were tipped to cross the 300-run mark at the tournament.

But their batting had looked fragile and was often exposed, including by minnows the United States, who reduced them to 77-6 in their opener.

Tilak Varma remains cautious of his team’s plans against the West Indies, who posted 254-6 against Zimbabwe in their Super Eights opener.

“So if the wicket is not good, then we’ll adjust, and we’ll keep that intensity on,” said Varma.

“I would not say we want to score more than 250 — but if we get a good start, then of course we’ll go for it.”

READ: India rewrite record books with 256-4 blitz against Zimbabwe

CHENNAI: Defending champions India produced a batting masterclass to dismantle Zimbabwe and, in the process, rewrote multiple records during their Super Eight clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

India piled up a staggering 256-4 in their allotted 20 overs, now their highest-ever total in T20 World Cup history.

The effort eclipsed their previous best of 218/4 against England in the inaugural 2007 edition.

India’s highest totals in T20 World Cups

256/4 vs Zimbabwe (2026)

218/4 vs England (2007)

210/2 vs Afghanistan (2021)

209/9 vs Namibia (2026)

205/5 vs Australia (2024)

The total also ranks as India’s fifth-highest score in men’s T20 Internationals overall, with their 297/6 against Bangladesh in 2024 still sitting at the top.

The 256-4 is also the second-highest total ever recorded in the history of the men’s T20 World Cup.

Only Sri Lanka’s 260/6 against Ireland in 2007 stands above it.

Highest totals in ICC Men’s T20 World Cups

Sri Lanka – 260/6 vs Ireland (2007)

India – 256/4 vs Zimbabwe (2026)

West Indies – 254/6 vs Zimbabwe (2026)

Ireland – 235/5 vs Oman (2026)

England – 230/8 vs South Africa (2016)

In doing so, India surpassed the West Indies’ 254-6, also made against Zimbabwe earlier in the ongoing Super Eight stage, while Ireland’s 235/5 slipped to third in the current edition’s rankings.

Notably, India’s 256-4 is now the highest total of the 2026 tournament so far.

The carnage was highlighted by an onslaught of sixes. Indian batters cleared the ropes 17 times, the most by India in a single T20 World Cup innings.

Their previous best was 15 sixes against Australia in the semi-final of the 2024 edition.

Most sixes in an innings at T20 World Cups

West Indies – 19 vs Zimbabwe (2026)

Netherlands – 19 vs Ireland (2014)

India – 17 vs Zimbabwe (2026)

Australia – 16 vs India (2010)

India – 15 vs Australia (2024)

While West Indies and the Netherlands jointly hold the overall record with 19 sixes in an innings, India’s 17 placed them third on the all-time list.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi rope in England fast bowler as direct signing

Peshawar Zalmi have bolstered their pace arsenal by securing the services of England fast bowler Tymal Mills as a direct signing for the upcoming 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The franchise confirmed the development through their official social media platforms, welcoming the left-arm pacer with a punchy message: “The storm just levelled up. Let’s welcome England’s express pacer Tymal Mills to the Yellow Storm.”

 

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PSL 11 is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3, and Zalmi appear keen to assemble a squad capable of mounting a serious title challenge.

Mills becomes Zalmi’s second direct signing this season after Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie was drafted in as a replacement for Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who withdrew from the tournament.

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The English pacer is no stranger to the franchise, having previously represented Zalmi in the third edition of the PSL. During that campaign, he featured in five matches and picked up seven wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.21.

Overall, Mills has played 30 PSL matches, claiming 37 wickets at an economy of 8.41. He featured in the last two seasons for Islamabad United.

Peshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 11

Babar Azam, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aaron Hardie, Aamir Jamal, Mohammad Haris, Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, James Vince, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mirza Tahir Baig and Tymal Mills.

READ: India batter Rinku Singh leaves team after father’s death

India batter Rinku Singh has left the team during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in the middle of the tournament after the death of his long-ailing father, official sources told AFP.

The middle-order batter had rejoined India ahead of Thursday’s Super Eights victory against Zimbabwe, but did not feature in the playing XI in Chennai.

India hammered Zimbabwe by 72 runs to move into a winner-takes-all decider against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday for a last semi-final berth.

Notably, he has endured a difficult campaign in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 so far, managing scores of 6, 1, 11* and 6 not out during the group stage.

His struggles continued in the Super Eight clash against South Africa in Ahmedabad, where he was dismissed for a two-ball duck in India’s 76-run defeat.

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The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said Rinku’s father, Khanchand Singh, had been battling liver cancer and died Friday morning at a hospital on the outskirts of New Delhi.

An attacking left-hander, 28-year-old Singh emerged as a finisher for his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders before making his place in the Indian T20 team.

Singh rose from a humble background, with viral videos of his father delivering gas cylinders emerging after he made his India debut in 2023.

Tributes poured in from former cricketers for Rinku’s father.

“This must be an especially difficult time for Rinku and his family,” former spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote on X.

READ: Ronaldo buys stake in Spanish club Almeria

CHENNAI: Dominant India sealed a massive win over Zimbabwe in the Group 1 crucial Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

Set a massive 257, spirited Zimbabwe fell short, managing 184-6 despite Brian Bennett’s unbeaten 97*.

Zimbabwe, who stunned Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super Eights, were never in the chase despite a brisk start as the asking rate kept rising.

Opener Brian Bennett was not out 97, the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean in T20 World Cup history, as his side exited the semi-final reckoning with a game still to play.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers conceded 510 runs in 40 overs in two Super Eights matches after West Indies posted 254-6 against the tournament’s surprise packages on Monday.

India’s left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh took 3-24 from his four overs.

With this, South Africa have qualified for the semi-final while India will play West Indies in a virtual quarter-final.

Earlier, Abhishek Sharma’s brisk half-century, ably supported by cameos from the middle order, propelled India to a massive total

Put into bat first under lights at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, India racked up a massive 256-4 in their 20 overs, the second-highest target of World Cup history.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma provided a brisk start, adding 48 in 3.4 overs.

Samson made 24 from 15 balls with the help of two sixes and a four.

The rampage continued as Ishan Kishan joined the party, taking the score to 120 in 10.4 overs. Kishan made 38 from 24, striking four boundaries and a six.

Meanwhile, Sharma also continued the assault and reached his — maiden World Cup fifty, putting India into a dominant position.

He was eventually caught after scoring 55 off 30, including four maximums and four boundaries.

At this stage, India were 150-3 in 12.5 overs.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (33 from 13) also flexed their muscles.

Pandya and Varma particularly provided the impetus in the final overs, with the former reaching his fifty on the final ball of the innings. The all-rounder hit four maximums and two fours on his way to 50* from 23.

Meanwhile, Varma 44 from 16 was laced with four sixes and three boundaries.

For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, and Richard Ngarava picked up a wicket each.

Playing XIs

India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Zimbabwe: 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), 2 Brian Bennett, 3 Dion Myers, 4 Ryan Burl, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Tony Munyonga, 7 Tashinga Musekiwa, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Tinotenda Maposa, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard Ngarava

READ: Shanaka seeks government help after T20 World Cup exit

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has urged the government to intervene over players’ mental health concerns following their exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. 

The Islanders suffered a 61-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand, marking their second loss of the Super Eight and ending their T20 World Cup campaign.

Speaking after the loss to New Zealand, Shanaka cited negativity as the reason behind the team’s downfall.

“A lot of times what we see and hear are negative things,” Shanaka said.

“No matter how we as cricketers try to stay positive, there is negativity outside. That’s a big loss for Sri Lankan cricket,” he added.

The skipper emphasized that they have only one sport, noting that there is too much outside noise.

“This is the only sport we have, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to protect it. If you look outside the stadium, you’ll see how many people are standing outside with mics, and people will say stuff without having watched the match,” he continued.

“Why spread this negativity? Yes, we lost a World Cup, and we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns,” Shanaka lamented.

The 34-year-old urged the government to intervene, stating that it would be better for players’ mental health and future if the government mitigated this negativity.

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“More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore. We will play and leave, but if for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it [the negativity] that’s better for their mental health.”

He also highlighted the squad and emphasised good batting wickets, lamenting the unfavourable conditions.

“I said before the start of the tournament that I expected the wickets to be good for batting,” he said. “Sri Lanka’s best batters are here. We’ve picked players who have good domestic strike rates and ability. No one is here by force.

“Sometimes we don’t get conditions we want, and we lose matches in unexpected ways. We’re very sad about what has happened.”

“The team is always trying to perform, especially in a World Cup, and I don’t think anyone here will be able to play in a World Cup in Sri Lanka again,” Shanaka concluded.

READ: T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe win toss against India

CHENNAI: Zimbabwe have won the toss and opted to field first against India in the Group 1 Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk on Thursday.

Playing XIs

India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Zimbabwe: 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), 2 Brian Bennett, 3 Dion Myers, 4 Ryan Burl, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Tony Munyonga, 7 Tashinga Musekiwa, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Tinotenda Maposa, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard Ngarava

Head-to-head

India and Zimbabwe have played 13 times in T20Is. The Men in Blue have dominated the Chevrons with `10 victories while the latter have only managed three.

Matches: 13, India: 10, Zimbabwe: 3

READ: T20 World Cup: South Africa close in on semis after West Indies rout

COLOMBO: Rachin Ravindra rose to the occasion for New Zealand when it mattered most, handing the Black Caps a massive win over hosts Sri Lanka in the Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Set a challenging 169, Sri Lanka could only muster 107-8 at the end of their 20 overs.

Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra combined to inflict a miserable start on Sri Lanka, leaving them two down in the first two overs.

The Islanders’ main batter, Pathum Nissanka, was castled on the very first delivery of the innings, which set the tone for what was to come.

The wicket was followed by another, this time Charith Asalanka, who was caught cheaply in a bid to slog sweep. The former captain could only manage five.

With the Islanders in trouble at 6-2 in 2.1 overs, Kusal Mendis (11) and Pavan Rathnayake (10) tried to put the chase back on track. The pair did manage to arrest the slide but chewed up several overs as New Zealand kept it tight.

The tight overs never allowed the pair to free their arms, and as a result, they were reeling at 28 in eight overs.

The clinical bowling display from New Zealand yielded high rewards for them as Ravindra snapped two wickets in an over to leave Sri Lanka in a big mess with 29-4.

The woes were further compounded when skipper Dasun Shanaka was caught for three, pushing the 2014 champions to the brink.

Sri Lanka were hoping for a miracle that never happened, and wickets continued to tumble at short intervals.

Kamindu Mendis remained the top scorer with 31 from 23 while Dunith Wellalage managed 29 off 23 balls with the aid of a six and three fours, which only reduced the margin of defeat for Sri Lanka.

For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra stood tall amongst the bowlers with four wickets in his quota, whereas Matt Henry took two wickets in a clinical bowling display.

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The victory margin gives New Zealand a huge chance to qualify for the semi-final if they beat England, while Pakistan will be hoping for the result to go their way.

Earlier, Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana spun a web around the New Zealand batting lineup, but skipper Mitchell Santner’s gutsy knock lifted them to a strong total.

Asked to bat first here at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, New Zealand managed to post 168-7 in their 20 overs.

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were off the block quickly, racing to 30 runs in 3.3 overs before Dushmantha Chameera struck to break the opening stand.

Tim Seifert made eight from nine balls and was caught at deep square leg.

Following an early wicket, Maheesh Theekshana also came into action, picking up the prized wicket of Finn Allen to jolt the BlackCaps. Allen was caught and bowled after scoring 23 off 11 with the aid of a six and three fours.

As a result, New Zealand were reduced to 34-2 in 4.4 overs.

The wickets brought Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra to the crease. The pair stabilized the innings with a 41-run partnership. Both batters looked settled, with New Zealand eyeing a big total as the scorecard read 75 in 9.3 overs.

However, Maheen Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage bowled in tandem to spark a mini collapse, leaving New Zealand six down in the span of eight runs.

The collapse left New Zealand in dire straits, 84-6 in 12.1 overs.

But it was Captain’s knock from Mitchell Santner alongside Cole McConchie for the eighth wicket that not only lifted them out of trouble but also put them in a commanding position.

The pair took the score from 84 to 168 at the end of the 20 overs, with Santner caught brilliantly on the last ball of the innings.

Santner 47 from 26 included four sixes and two fours, while McConchie remained unbeaten on 31 from 23, striking two sixes and three fours.

For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera and Maheesh Theekshana shared six wickets between them.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has questioned Babar Azam’s place in the T20I side, saying the batter’s approach and strike rate raise concerns amid a slump in form.

Babar, 31, has failed to rise up to the occasion in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, managing 91 runs in four innings at an average of 22.75.

Speaking on a private channel, Latif questioned Babar Azam’s inclusion in the national side after his exclusion due to his approach in the shorter format.

“Babar is no longer a player of this format”.“Where did it improve? Why did you bring him back?” he questioned.

The wicket-keeper batter also scrutinized Pakistan’s approach with the bat, noting that modern-day batting demands batters play aggressively in response to changing situations.

He further remarked that a batter puts pressure on his fellow player after consuming 20 to 25 balls without playing aggressively.

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He also emphasized that set batters must take responsibility and bat deep, especially when partners are struggling to score freely.

It is worth mentioning that Babar was recalled to the national side in the home series against South Africa.

Babar, also the leading run-scorer in T20Is, was dropped from the side in December 2024 due to concerns about his strike rate. He also missed several key assignments for the Pakistan team, including the Asia Cup 2025, in the meantime.

Since his return to the T20I side, Babar has only scored 373 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.87. He managed to cross the fifty-run mark on three occasions, with 74 his highest score.

Interestingly, his strike rate is also on the lower side, which is 82.08, as compared to his overall T20I career, which is 128.02.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan climbs to career-best third in ICC T20I rankings

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka have won the toss and opted to bowl first against New Zealand in the must-win ICC Men’s T20 World Cup encounter here at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Playing XIs