Category: Sports

COLOMBO: Weather could play spoilsport in the much-anticipated Pakistan vs India clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with forecasts indicating a significant chance of rain on Sunday, February 15.

The high-voltage encounter at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium is already surrounded by drama after uncertainty earlier threatened the fixture.

However, while the political and administrative hurdles were eventually cleared, attention has now shifted to Colombo’s unpredictable weather.

According to forecasts, there is around a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms during the match window, with nearly 2.1mm of rainfall expected.

The conditions raise the possibility of interruptions and, in the worst-case scenario, a complete washout if the weather fails to improve.

As per tournament regulations, both sides would share one point each should the match be abandoned.

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Despite the looming weather threat, the result is unlikely to significantly impact qualification scenarios.

Both teams currently sit at the top of Group A with two wins each, India leading on net run rate.

A washout would move both sides to five points, keeping them firmly on course for a place in the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Historically, India have held the upper hand in this rivalry in the shortest format.

Out of 16 T20 internationals between the two teams, India have won 13, while Pakistan have secured three victories.

In T20 World Cup meetings, India lead 6-1, with one encounter ending in no result.

READ: Will Abhishek Sharma be available for India-Pakistan clash?

COLOMBO: India’s preparations for their marquee showdown against Pakistan have been dealt a potential blow, with explosive opener Abhishek Sharma still uncertain for the high-voltage ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 encounter scheduled on February 15.

The left-handed batter is racing against time to regain full fitness after being hospitalised earlier this week due to a stomach infection.

According to Indian media reports, Sharma has recovered enough to be discharged and rejoin the squad, but lingering weakness continues to concern the team management ahead of the crucial fixture.

Sharma had already missed India’s previous match against Namibia on Thursday, a game the defending champions won comfortably by 93 runs.

Medical staff are closely monitoring his condition, and a final decision on his participation is expected after Friday’s training session in Colombo.

In a recent video update alongside pacer Arshdeep Singh, Sharma revealed the toll the illness has taken on him, sharing that he survived mostly on plain rice and lentils and lost nearly two kilograms during his recovery period.

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India are due to arrive in Colombo from Delhi later tonight as preparations intensify for one of cricket’s most anticipated rivalries against the Pakistan national cricket team.

The clash, part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, is scheduled for Sunday and carries significant importance for both sides.

The aggressive opener has amassed 1,297 runs in 39 matches at a remarkable strike rate of 194.95, including two centuries and eight half-centuries.

Against Pakistan, he has scored 110 runs in three appearances at a strike rate of 189.65, registering one half-century.

Historically, India have dominated the rivalry in the shortest format. Out of 16 T20 internationals between the two teams, India have won 13, while Pakistan have managed three victories.

In T20 World Cup contests, India lead 6-1, with one match ending without a result.

READ: Sialkot Stallionz add domestic trio to squad for PSL 11

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) new franchise Sialkot Stallionz has expanded their squad to 19 members with the addition of three domestic players following the player auction held on February 10 in Lahore.

The outfit confirmed the signings in a statement that included the players’ details.

“Sialkot Stallions have included Mohammad Shehzad, Arshad Iqbal, and Nisar Khan in their squad,” it said.

“All three players have signed contracts worth PKR 6 million each with the franchise and will represent Sialkot Stallions in the upcoming season,” Stallionz added.

“The inclusion of these players will further strengthen the team’s batting and bowling departments. Following these new signings, Sialkot Stallions’ squad for HBL PSL now consists of 19 players.”

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Among the notable inclusions is all-rounder Mohammad Shehzad, who went unsold in the auction.

Shehzad posted on social media about his frustration at not being selected in the auction, questioning why he could not secure a place on a team.

“Hey, hope [you] all are good, 10 months before I was the Player of the Tournament in President’s Trophy,” Shahzad posted on his Instagram handle.

He emphasized his domestic performance over the past year, noting that he was also outstanding performer in the Hong Kong Super Sixes.

“I’m the second highest wicket taker in the tournament of Hong Kong Super Sixes and was part of Emerging Asia Cup winning team, [but] unfortunately I did not get opportunity to play,”

“Now I’m unsold in PSL auction. I can’t fit in 100 players? Really?,” he questioned.

For the unversed, PSL 11 will kick off on March 26 across five cities of Pakistan.

Sialkot Stallionz Squad for PSL 11

Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, Saad Masood, Steve Smith, Jahanzaib Sultan, Sahibzada Farhan, Ashton Turner, Peter Siddle, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lachlan Shaw, Delano Potgieter, Josh Phillippe, Shan Masood, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Shahzad, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Arshad Iqbal, and Nisar Khan

READ: T20 World Cup: India seal big win ahead of Pakistan showdown

DELHI: Hardik Pandya’s all-round skills came to the fore against Namibia, powering India to a 93-run victory ahead of the Pakistan clash in the 18th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

Set a daunting 210, Namibia were skittled for 116 in 18.2 overs.

Namibia’s openers started positively with 33 runs in the first 3.4 overs. Jan Frylinck struck three fours and a six in his 22 from 15 balls.

Despite the wicket, the visitors kept batting briskly as Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Louren Steenkamp put on 34 run stand on the second wicket, bringing the score to 67 in 7.1 overs.

Steenkamp top-scored with 29 from 20 balls, hitting two fours.

After his wicket, skipper Gerhard Erasmus came to the crease and struck two sixes before getting caught. He made 18 from 11 balls.

His wicket sparked a collapse as India never allowed Namibia to recover. Consequently, they slumped to 94-6 to all-out from 86-2 in 18.2 overs.

Earlier, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s rapid half-centuries propelled India to a massive total.

Asked to bat first, India racked up  209-9 in their 20 overs.

Sanju Samson, who was brought into the side as ill Abhishek Sharma’s replacement, started briskly with a flurry of boundaries.

The right-hander hit three sixes in his 22 from eight before getting caught in the second over.

After his wicket, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma stabilized the innings with a 79-run partnership on 39 balls.

Ishan, who struck five sixes and six fours in his 61 from 24, played the core aggressor role while Varma played the second fiddle.

The duo brought the team’s score to 104 from 25 in 7.1 overs.

Namibia’s spin bowlers made an impressive comeback in the middle overs, wicket-quick wickets to dent the hosts’ proceedings.

For India, Varun Chakravarthy took three wickets, while Hardik Pandya also chipped in with the ball, taking two wickets.

India will face Pakistan in the high-voltage clash on Sunday, February 15.

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As a result, India were 124-4 in 11.5 overs with all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube at the crease.

The pair stitched a vital 81-run partnership off 39 balls, putting their side in a commanding position.

Pandya scored a brisk 52 from 28, including four maximums and four boundaries.

Nambia did well in the final two overs as India lost five wickets in the span of eight balls.

For Namibia, Gerhard Erasmus stood out with four wickets to his name in his quota of four overs.

READ: T20 World Cup: Shanaka record-breaking fifty sinks Oman

Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the co-hosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the T20 World Cup on Thursday in Pallekele for their second win in Group B.

Sri Lanka piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9.

The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a fifty in T20 World Cups.

Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century.

It has been a bruising few months for the out-of-form Shanaka since reclaiming the captaincy late last year.

But on a batting-friendly pitch he smacked the Oman bowlers to all corners of the park, peppering the stands with five sixes and two fours.

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Before that, Pavan Rathnayake and Kusal Mendis laid the foundation as the pair each posted fluent half-centuries, stitching together a 94-run stand for the third wicket.

Once the platform was set, Kamindu Mendis applied the finishing touches.

Fresh from his match-turning cameo in the win over Ireland, the left-hander scored an unbeaten 19 off just seven deliveries, striking one four and two sixes.

Oman were never really in the game as they fell to a second defeat at the tournament.

Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana shared the new ball with Dushmantha Chameera, and they accounted for two wickets apiece.

READ: PSL 11: Rawalpindi secure Jake Fraser-McGurk as direct signing

The renamed franchise of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Rawalpindi has directly signed Australia opener Jake Fraser-McGurk for the landmark season 11, set to start on March 26. 

McGurk, 23, is a destructive top-order batter with his ability to hit the ball long and has been a prominent name around the globe in the T20 franchise circuit.

The right-handed batter has played eight T20Is for Australia.

The announcement was revealed following the historic PSL Player Auction held in Lahore on February 10.

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“From Down Under straight to streets of Rawalpindi. We’ve signed the most destructive young talent in the world as our Direct Signing,” the caption of the franchise, which is yet to be officially named, wrote.

“Jake Fraser-McGurk is officially a Pindi Boy,” it added.

He remained unpicked and failed to attract buyers in both the main and accelerated rounds of the auction, despite being listed at a base price of Rs 4.2 million.

However, his signing fee has not been disclosed yet.

For the unversed, Multan Sultans was bought by Walee Technologies with a record bid of PKR 2.45 billion, the highest in PSL history, and subsequently rebranded the team as Rawalpindi.

The franchise retained former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan in the Platinum category for PKR 5.60 crore.

England’s hard-hitting batter Sam Billings was picked in the Diamond category for PKR 3.08 crore, while pacer Zaman Khan was placed in the Gold category for PKR 1.12 crore.

Young batter Yasir Khan completes the retained list in the Silver category for PKR 60 lakh.

Rawalpindi Squad for PSL 11

Mohammad Rizwan, Sam Billings, Zaman Khan, Yasir Khan, Naseem Shah, Rishad Hossain, Daryl Mitchell, Mohammad Amir, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Dian Forrestor, Laurie Evans, Asif Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Fawad Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan, Jake Fraser-McGurk

READ: Imad Wasim shares emotional note after Islamabad United pick

Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim penned down an emotional note after being selected by Islamabad United in the unsold category of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Player Auction held in Lahore on February 10.

Imad took to X, noting that Islamabad United has picked him in the auction to reignite his desire and prove his worth.

“One team believed, thank you Islamabad United,” he wrote.

“This auction has sparked a fire in me. I’ve always proved my worth, and I will do so again. Every run, every wicket, every game… I’ll show on the field why I was worth the pick. Watch closely — the reminder is coming,” he added.

Initially, Wasim remained unpicked in the opening round of released players with a base price of PKR 4.2 crore.

Later on, the three-time PSL champion United picked him from the list of unsold players for PKR 2.2 crore.

Wasim, 37, has been a regular in T20 leagues around the globe since hanging up his boots from international cricket in December 2024.

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He has captained Karachi Kings and led them to title glory in 2020 before joining his hometown franchise, Islamabad United, in 2023.

In total, he has played 101 matches in PSL and has amassed 1293 runs at a strike rate of 136.97 with the aid of seven fifties. Besides his batting, he has also picked up 77 wickets with the ball.

For the unversed, following the auction, all eight teams have stacked their squads ahead of the landmark season 11, which kicks off in March across five cities in Pakistan.

The change to the player selection model followed the expansion, which added two new franchises: Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen.

READ: Ahmed Shehzad burst into tears on live TV after PSL snub

MUMBAI: Dominant Italy deflated Nepal’s bowling attack to seal a 10-wicket win over Nepal in the 17th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 played here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Set mere 124, Italy made the target look so easy and chased it down in only 12.4 overs.

The first win in the mega event marked a historic moment in Italy’s cricketing landscape, as they overpowered opposition like Nepal, which had nearly pushed England to the brink in their previous fixture.

Justin Mosca and Anthony Mosca, both brothers, came out firing all cylinders with 68 on the board in the first six overs.

Italy’s openers not only took down the bowlers but also impressed with their range of shots.

The pair continued on their destructive batting after the Powerplay and reached the half-centuries in the process.

Anthony Mosca nudged for a single in the 12th over to seal a memorable win.

Justin Mosca struck three sixes and five fours in his 60* from 44, whereas Anthony Mosca scored 62 from 32 included six maximums and three fours.

Earlier, asked to bat first, Nepal’s shambolic batting display saw them 123 all out in 19.3 overs.

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Kushal Bhurtel was dismissed early for five with Aasif Sheikh and the skipper Rohit Paudel coming to the fore. The duo steadied the innings with a 41-run partnership.

The scorecard is 49 when Sri Lanka-born Crishan Kalugamage removed Paudel. The skipper managed 23 from 14 with the help of two sixes.

Italy snared another quick wicket to get hold of the proceedings before a 44-run stand between Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh propelled their score to 93 in 13.5 overs.

However, Airee’s wicket sparked a collapse that Nepal could not recover from. They slumped to 102-8 and 123 all out in 16.5 overs from 93-4.

Aarif Sheikh remained the top scorer with 27 off 24 balls, hitting three fours.

For Italy, Crishan Kalugamage stood out with three wickets to his name. Ben Manenti supported him well with two scalps.

READ: Ahmed Shehzad burst into tears on live TV after PSL snub

LAHORE: Former Pakistan opening batter Ahmed Shehzad broke down in tears during a live television show while speaking about not being selected in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Speaking on a private TV channel, Shehzad admitted that he became emotional after watching his former teammates take the field while he remained unpicked.

“I feel very sad. I still want to play,” he said.

The cricketer added that he often goes through self-reflection and accountability, questioning the reasons behind his exclusion. “After every auction, the days are particularly difficult for me,” he shared.

Shehzad said that, having spent 18 years in cricket, watching the PSL unfold without being part of it is painful.

“PSL started in front of my eyes. I have given 18 years to cricket, and suddenly everything feels gone. It hurts a lot. I miss it, and sometimes I cry,” he said.

He also expressed disappointment that no board official has approached him for clarification.

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“Why doesn’t someone come and talk to me and ask what happened? Let’s sort it out,” he said.

Shehzad revealed that there appears to be confusion among some franchise officials regarding his status.

“New teams are being added to the PSL. One team even thought I was banned or had retired from cricket. There is no clarity about me,” he explained.

Becoming visibly emotional during the show, Shehzad said the most painful part this time was his nine-year-old son’s wish to see him play.

“This time, what hurts most is that my nine-year-old son wanted me to play,” Shehzad said, as his eyes filled with tears.

The host embraced him to offer comfort, while fellow guest Mohammad Amir also consoled him.

“My son sleeps next to me and says, ‘Baba, I remember you used to play. But now I will remember you better.’ That is what makes me emotional,” he added.

For those unaware, Ahmed last played PSL in 2021 for Quetta Gladiators and endured a horror run, managing only 61 runs in seven matches at an average of 8.71

READ: PSL 11: Complete squad lists after Player Auction

LAHORE: All eight team squads for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 have been finalized following a historic player auction held on February 10 here in Expo Centre.

The auction was the first of its kind in the league’s history, replacing the draft—a player selection process—that had been used for the first 10 editions since it started in 2016.

The change to the player selection model followed the expansion, which added two new franchises: Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen.

List of Squads for PSL 11

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Naeem, Mustafizur Rahman, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Fakhar Zaman, Ubaid Shah, Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Farooq, Dasun Shanaka, Parvez Hossain Emon, Asif Ali, Tayyab Tahir, and Gudakesh Motie.

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali, David Warner, Azam Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shahid Aziz, Mir Hamza, Adam Zampa, Mohammad Hamza Sohail, Aqib Ilyas, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Johnson Charles, Muhammad Waseem, Ihsanullah and Rizwanullah.

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan, Salman Irshad, Andries Gous, Devon Conway, Faheem Ashraf, Mehran Mumtaz, Max Bryant, Khurram Shahzad, Mark Chapman, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mir Hamza Sajjad, Sameer Minhas, Sameen Gul, Shamar Joseph, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Dipendra Singh Airee.

Peshawar Zalmi: 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 and Mirza Tahir Baig.

Quetta Gladiators: Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Hasan Nawaz, Shamyl Hussain, Spencer Johnson, Rilee Rossouw, Faisal Akram, Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Wasim Akram Jnr, Khan Zaib, Bismillah Khan, Saqib Khan, Brett Hampton, Sam Harper, Bevon Jacobs, Saud Shakeel, Ben McDermott and Tom Curran.

Rawalpindi: Mohammad Rizwan, Sam Billings, Zaman Khan, Yasir Khan, Naseem Shah, Rishad Hossain, Daryl Mitchell, Mohammad Amir, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Dian Forrestor, Laurie Evans, Asif Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Fawad Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan and Jake Fraser-McGurk

Sialkot Stallionz: Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, Saad Masood, Steve Smith, Jahanzaib Sultan, Sahibzada Farhan, Ashton Turner, Peter Siddle, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lachlan Shaw, Delano Potgieter, Josh Phillippe, Shan Masood, Momin Qamar, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Arshad Iqbal and Nisar Khan

Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen: Saim Ayub, Akif Javed, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khan, Mohammad Ali, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Ottniel Baartman, Hammad Azam, Riley Meredith, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Mehmood, Hunain Shah, Rizwan Mehmood, Saad Ali and Tayyab Arif.

READ: Motie spins West Indies to victory over England at T20 World Cup