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COLOMBO: Pakistan spinners on Sunday registered a unique feat against India in the high-stakes encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, currently underway here at the RPS Stadium.

After putting India to bat first, Pakistan utilized six spin bowling options —Mohammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, and  Salman Ali Agha.

The use of the six spinners marked the first time that a team has used six spinners in the T20 World Cup and the joint highest by a full member nation in the shortest format.

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Pakistan went with pacer Shaheen Afridi and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf. However, Shaheen bowled only two overs and remained on the expensive side, giving away 31 runs.

While Faheem Ashraf did not bowl a single over.

Saim Ayub remained the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, picking up three wickets in his four overs.

As a result, India were restricted to a score of 175-7 in 20 overs.

At the time of filing this story, Pakistan were in trouble with 38-4 in six overs.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

READ: Saim’s three-fer restricts India to 175

COLOMBO: Ishan Kishan’s majestic 77 and a resounding bowling performance from India bowlers overwhelmed Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, played here at the RPS Stadium on Sunday.

Set a stiff 176, Pakistan fell way short of the target and were skittled for 114 in 18 overs.

Pakistan were off to a horror start as they lost 13-3 in the first two overs.

Hardik Pandya started the proceedings with Sahibzada Farhan’s (0) wicket before ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah sent back Saim Ayub (6) and Salman Ali Agha (4) in one over.

After an early blow, Usman Khan and Babar Azam tried to arrest the slide with a brief 21-run partnership.

However, the Green Shirts’ woes compounded when Babar Azam, trying to play slog sweep, was cleaned bowled by Axar Patel.

His poor run in the T20Is continued as he managed only five.

Despite the wickets tumbling around him, Usman counterattacked in a bid to take control of the required run rate.

His resistance ended when Pakistan were 73 in 10.4 overs. He remained the top-scorer with 44 from 34 balls, laced with six fours and a six.

Following his dismissal, Pakistan’s innings quickly unraveled with none of the batters showing grit in front of a disciplined Indian bowling attack.

For India, it was an all-round bowling performance with each of the main bowlers picking up a wicket.

Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, Ishan Kishan’s batting carnage powered India into a commanding position before Saim Ayub’s spin wizardry halted their progress.

Put into bat first, India racked up 175-7 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan inflicted a poor start on India with Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal in the very first over.

The left-hander was caught for a duck in an interesting move from skipper Salman Ali Agha, who himself decided to bowl the opening over.

After an early wicket, Ishan Kishan unleashed fireworks that Pakistan could not control till the halfway mark of the innings.

He forged a 87 run partnership off 46 with Tilak Varma to keep India afloat. The pair brought the scorecard to 88 in 8.4 overs.

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Kishan played the core aggressor role while Varma played the second fiddle.

Pakistan managed to hold on as the stand eventually culminated with Kishan’s wicket.

He remained the top-scorer with a sublime 77 from 40, peppered with 10 fours and three sixes.

Despite the wicket, India carried on the momentum as skipper Suryakumar Yadav stitched a cautious 38-run stand with Varma.

India were 126 in 14.2 overs when Saim Ayub turned the game with his double-wicket over.

The right-arm off-spinner removed Varma and Haridk Pandya on back-to-back deliveries to make a strong comeback.

Varma made a sluggish 25 from 24 with the aid of a six and two fours, whereas Pandya was caught on long off for a duck.

Consequently, India suddenly slumped to 126-4 in 14.3 overs.

After quick wickets, Pakistan effectively managed to slow down India’s progress despite a brief stand of 33 between Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube.

Yadav eventually departed after scoring 32 from 29, while Dube played till the end, ensuring that India posted an above-par score.

The left-hander struck 27 off 17 with the aid of three fours and a six.

For Pakistan, it was Saim Ayub who stood out with the ball, picking up three wickets in his four overs while giving away only 25.

Usman Tariq was the other bowler who remained economical. The off-spinner gave only 24 in his four overs and took the important wicket of the Indian skipper.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

READ: USA keep T20 World Cup hopes alive with win over Namibia

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set for a spell on the sidelines after tearing his calf muscle, the Bundesliga club announced on Sunday.

Neuer, 39, was subbed off at half-time in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Werder Bremen which helped Bayern restore their six-point lead over Borussia Dortmund atop the Bundesliga table.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl initially said Neuer’s substitution was a “precautionary measure” and the injury was “nothing dramatic”.

A scan on Sunday, however, showed the tear was more serious than initially expected.

“Bayern Munich will have to do without Manuel Neuer for the time being,” the league leaders said in a statement without indicating how long their captain would be out.

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German media reported Neuer was in doubt for Bayern’s trip to Dortmund at the end of February and would miss next Saturday’s clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.

The veteran goalkeeper turns 40 in March and has been plagued by calf problems recently, missing 10 matches last season with a similar injury.

Bayern were 11 points clear in the German league at Christmas but Dortmund have drawn six points behind the leaders after a six-match winning run.

READ: USA keep T20 World Cup hopes alive with win over Namibia

The United States (USA) kept their slim hopes of qualifying for the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup alive with a 31-run against Namibia in Group A.

Replying to the USA’s 199-4, Namibia finished their 20 overs on 168-6.

For the USA, Sanjay Krishnamurthi hit 68 not out, and captain Monank Patel 52. Namibia’s top-scorer was Louren Steenkamp with 58.

It leaves the USA on four points after their four group A matches, level with India and Pakistan who clash later Sunday.

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Now the USA must wait for the outcomes of the final group games and hope the result goes their way.

Pakistan play Namibia in Colombo and India play the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, with both matches on Wednesday.

Playing XIs

USA: Monank Patel (c/wk), Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, Milind Kumar, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ehsan Adil and Saurabh Netravalkar.

Namibia: Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz and Max Heingo.

READ: T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan captains skip handshake at toss

COLOMBO: Ishan Kishan’s quick-fire 77, followed by a dominant bowling attack, helped India defeat Pakistan in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

IND 114 (18 Overs)

17.6: Usman Tariq 0 (3)
Tariq backs away and then makes a feeble attempt at a back-foot punch. The ball breezes past the outside edge and then rattles into the stumps.

Hardik Pandya to bowl

IND 106/9 (17 Overs)

Rinku Singh to bowl now

IND 97/9 (16 Overs)

15.4: Abrar Ahmed 0 (1)
Googly on the back of a length just outside off. Abrar has no clue about it. The ball jams him on the pad right in front.

15.3: Faheem Ashraf 10 (14)
Faheem chances his arm, but the ball is well inside the deep mid-wicket fence, and Rinku was never going to drop that.

Varun Chakravarthy returns

IND 94/7 (15 Overs)

Tilak Varma continues

IND 89/7 (14 Overs)

Kuldeep Yadav continues

IND 84/7 (13 Overs)

12.1: Shadab Khan 14 (15)
Shadab thinks he can smash this into the ocean, but slices across it way too much, and Dube settles under it at long off to hand Tilak a wicket.

Tilak Varma gets the ball

IND 78/6 (12 Overs)

11.4: Mohammad Nawaz 4 (5)
Nawaz tries to shovel it away, but the shot lacks the power to clear the fence. Shivam Dube moves a little to his right and pouches it.

Kuldeep Yadav continues

IND 73/5 (11 Overs)

10.4: Usman Khan 44 (34)
Usman steps out of his crease and is nowhere close to the pitch of the ball; the wicket-keeper whipped off the bails.

Axar Patel continues

IND 71/4 (10 Overs)

Kuldeep Yadav comes to bowl

IND 66/4 (9 Overs)

Axar Patel continues

IND 57/4 (8 Overs)

Varun Chakravarthy continues

IND 47/4 (7 Overs)

Axar Patel continues

IND 38/4 (6 Overs)

Varun Chakravarthy comes to bowl

IND 34/4 (5 Overs)

4.5: Babar Azam 5 (7)
Babar has a massive slog at it and gets nowhere close to the ball, which also comes in with the arm.

Axar Patel replaces Hardik Pandya

IND 25/3 (4 Overs)

Bumrah continues

IND 21/3 (3 Overs)

Hardik Pandya continues

IND 13/3 (2 Overs)

1.6: Salman Ali Agha 4 (4)
Salman tries to pick this up and dump it over mid wicket, but the shape is all wrong, and mid on cannot believe the offering that has come his way.

1.2: Saim Ayub 6 (2)
In-swinging yorker, starting on middle and then swerving in. Ayub seems to fall across and then plays all around it. The bat is nowhere near the ball as it kisses the front pad first.

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the second over

IND 0/1 (1 Over)

0.4: Sahibzada Farhan 0 (4)
Dug in short outside off and Farhan, after three dot balls, feels the pinch to get one away, and Rinku, stationed at mid on, makes no mistake.

Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub come out to open the innings for Pakistan, while Hardik Pandya is taking the new ball for Team India.

PAKISTAN vs INDIA (1st INNINGS)

COLOMBO: Ishan Kishan’s quick-fire 77 helped India post against Pakistan in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

IND 175/7 (20 Overs)

19.6: Axar Patel 0 (1)
The bat face closes upon impact, and Axar arrows it towards deep mid wicket, where Ayub runs in and gobbles up the chance smartly.

19.5: Shivam Dube 27 (17)
There is some confusion between the batters, and the end result is that Dube has been run out.

Shaheen Afridi to bowl the final over

IND 159/5 (19 Overs)

18.5: Suryakumar Yadav 32 (29)
Tossed up on a length on middle and off, SKY looks for the slog sweep but has no pace to work with. Saim Ayub pockets an easy catch!

Usman Tariq to bowl the penultimate over

IND 154/4 (18 Overs)

Abrar Ahmed returns

IND 140/4 (17 Overs)

Usman Tariq returns

IND 136/4 (16 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

IND 127/4 (15 Overs)

14.3: Hardik Pandya 0 (1)
Hardik goes a mile up, and he bites the dust as the ball safely lands in the hands of Babar Azam.

14.2: Tilak Varma 25 (24)
Zipped in full on the middle stump, Tilak looks to tonk it into tomorrow via a slog sweep but misses it completely as the ball comes in with the arm.

Saim Ayub returns to the attack

IND 125/2 (14 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

IND 118/2 (13 Overs)

Usman Tariq continues

IND 108/2 (12 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

IND 98/2 (11 Overs)

Usman Tariq replaces Saim Ayub

IND 92/2 (10 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz comes onto the bowl

IND 89/2 (9 Overs)

8.4: Ishan Kishan 77 (40)
Kishan backs away, perhaps trying to force the ball through the offside. The ball spins appreciably, sticks in the surface, and the stumps have been rattled.

Saim Ayub returns

IND 82/1 (8 Overs)

Shadab Khan comes onto the attack

IND 65/1 (7 Overs)

Abrar Ahmed continues

IND 52/1 (6 Overs)

Saim Ayub continues

IND 41/1 (5 Overs)

Abrar Ahmed replaces Salman Ali Agha

IND 30/1 (4 Overs)

Saim Ayub replaces Shaheen Afridi in the attack

IND 25/1 (3 Overs)

Salman Ali Agha continues

IND 16/1 (2 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi comes to bowl from the other end

IND 1/1 (1 Over)

0.6: Abhishek Sharma 0 (4)
Darted in on the back of a length on middle and leg. Skids on and gets a little big on Abhishek. He has a hack at it, but all he musters is a tame chip to Shaheen.

Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan come out to open the innings for India, while skipper Salman Ali Agha is taking the new ball for the Green Shirts.

PAKISTAN vs INDIA (1st INNINGS)

COLOMBO: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against arch-rivals India in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Historically, India have held the upper hand in T20 Internationals, winning 13 of the 16 meetings between the two sides, with Pakistan claiming three victories.

Overall matches: 16, India: 12, Pakistan: 3, Tied: 1

In T20 World Cup clashes, India lead 7-1, with one match ending in a tie at the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup.

Both teams enter the contest unbeaten in the group stage. The Green Shirts have secured wins over the Netherlands and the USA, while India have defeated the USA and Namibia.

READ: T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan captains skip handshake at toss

COLOMBO: India and Pakistan captains again skipped customary handshakes at the toss of the high-octane clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Following the toss, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha avoided interaction with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav.

The Indian skipper later followed a similar thing, with no visible exchange between the two captains.

Earlier, it was reported that both teams would avoid handshakes, a practice that began during the Asia Cup 2025.

Meanwhile, former Indian player Sanjay Manjrekar also slammed India’s conduct over the no handshake policy

“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” he wrote on his X.

The issue first arose during the first of three clashes between Pakistan and India in the Asia Cup 2025.

India and Pakistan met three times in the continental tournament and on each occasion, they avoided the customary handshake.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan win toss against India

COLOMBO: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against arch-rivals India in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Historically, India have held the upper hand in T20 Internationals, winning 13 of the 16 meetings between the two sides, with Pakistan claiming three victories.

Overall matches: 16, India: 12, Pakistan: 3, Tied: 1

In T20 World Cup clashes, India lead 7-1, with one match ending in a tie at the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup.

T20 World Cup matches: 8, India: 7, Pakistan: 1, Tied: 1

Both teams enter the contest unbeaten in the group stage. Pakistan have secured wins over the Netherlands and the USA, while India have defeated the USA and Namibia, setting the stage for another high-pressure chapter in cricket’s most intense rivalry.

READ: West Indies thrash Nepal to seal Super Eight spot in T20 World Cup

MUMBAI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed India’s no-handshake policy against Pakistan, describing it as a “silly thing” and against the spirit of the game.

Since the Asia Cup 2025, India refrained from exchanging post-match handshakes with Pakistan across men’s and women’s age-group levels.

With another high-profile India-Pakistan clash scheduled today in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, debate has resurfaced over whether Indian players will continue the policy.

Manjrekar termed the stance inappropriate and urged clarity in approach.

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“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” he wrote on his X.

At the pre-match press conference, India captain Suryakumar Yadav downplayed questions regarding the handshake issue, choosing not to elaborate.

“Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha emphasised that cricket should be played in the right spirit and indicated his team’s willingness to follow tradition.

“Cricket should be played in the right spirit. My personal opinion may not matter, but cricket should be played the way it has always been played. It’s up to them to decide what to do,” Agha said.

READ: West Indies cruise past Nepal to seal Super Eight spot in T20 World Cup 2026

KANDY: Australia men’s cricket team find themselves in a tricky position after a shock defeat to Zimbabwe on February 13, leaving their hopes of reaching the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hanging in the balance.

The upset has blown Group B wide open, with four teams still in contention for the two qualification spots.

Australia are currently placed third in the group, behind Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, holding two points from two matches with a net run rate of 1.100.

However, the 23-run loss has put them at real risk of an early exit.

How can Australia qualify?

Australia are set to face Sri Lanka on February 16 and Oman on February 20, needing victories in both of their matches.

If they win these two matches, they can finish on six points, but qualification may then be decided by net run rate.

If Sri Lanka defeat Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe beat Ireland, leaving Australia, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe tied on six points while Ireland finish on two.

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For a clearer path to the Super Eights, Australia would want either Sri Lanka to lose to Zimbabwe or Zimbabwe to lose to Ireland.

In both cases, only one other team would reach six points, significantly improving Australia’s chances of progressing.

What if they lose to Sri Lanka?

Even a defeat against Sri Lanka would not immediately end Australia’s campaign, but it would leave them relying heavily on other outcomes.

If Australia finish on four points, assuming they defeat Oman, Zimbabwe must lose both of their remaining fixtures against Ireland and Sri Lanka.

That combination would put Sri Lanka on eight points, while Australia, Zimbabwe, and Ireland would battle for the second qualifying spot with four points each, likely decided by net run rate.

With the group finely poised, Australia remain alive but walking a tightrope.

Their margin for error is minimal, and both performance and mathematics will determine whether they can avoid a rare early exit from the tournament.

READ: India outclass Pakistan in ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026

BANGKOK: India cricket team recorded their first victory in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 with a convincing eight-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the Terdthai Cricket Ground on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, Pakistan endured a difficult outing against a disciplined Indian bowling unit and were bowled out for just 93 in 18.5 overs.

Early strikes left Pakistan under pressure as Yusra Amir fell for one to Saima Thakor, while Omaima Sohail was dismissed for one by Jintimani Kalita, reducing them to 15-2 inside the first four overs.

The middle order failed to recover from the early blows.

Eman Naseer was run out after scoring four, Hafsa Khalid managed just one before falling to Thakor, and Huraina Sajjad added only two before being removed by Radha Yadav.

Amid the collapse, Shawaal Zulfiqar offered resistance with a fighting 23 off 29 balls, including three boundaries, before Yadav struck again.

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Anosha Nasir chipped in with 17 but was run out, while Gull Rukh contributed 21 off 28 deliveries, hitting a four and a six, before falling to Prema Rawat.

Chasing a modest target, India completed the task comfortably, reaching the total in just 10.1 overs with two wickets down.

The star of the chase was Dinesh Vrinda, who produced a dominant unbeaten 55 off 29 balls, smashing 12 boundaries to seal the win.

Anushka Sharma supported with a steady 24 off 26 balls before being dismissed by Momina Riasat.

Pakistan did manage an early breakthrough when Waheeda Akhtar removed opener Humaira Kazi for a first-ball duck, but it proved only a minor setback.

Tejal Hasabnis remained unbeaten on 12 off five balls, striking a four and a six to finish the chase in style.

READ: Vinicius bags brace as Real Madrid beat Sociedad, take La Liga lead