Tag: india

LAHORE: A high-level International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation is set to meet the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, here today to resolve the ongoing deadlock over the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, sources revealed.

The much-anticipated fixture between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, widely regarded as one of cricket’s most commercially significant contests, remains uncertain after the Government of Pakistan directed its national team not to take the field against India in Colombo.

The match is scheduled for February 15 and carries massive implications both financially and competitively.

The 20-team tournament has already been clouded by political tensions following Bangladesh’s refusal to play matches in India due to security concerns, a decision that led to their replacement by Scotland.

In response, the Pakistan government barred the national side from participating in the high-profile Group A encounter against co-hosts India.

Pakistan, who opened their campaign with a victory over the Netherlands on February 7, stand to lose two vital points and suffer a significant blow to their net run rate if they forfeit the contest.

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According to sources, the ICC delegation, led by Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, is expected to arrive in Lahore around 4pm.

The delegation will hold discussions with PCB leadership and senior officials to explore a possible way forward.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam is also likely to join the meeting, reflecting the broader regional dimensions of the issue.

Sources further indicated that the ICC has tasked Khwaja with convincing PCB leadership to reconsider Pakistan’s stance, with the governing body keen to find a compromise that ensures the blockbuster encounter proceeds as scheduled.

The outcome of the talks could prove pivotal for the tournament and the future handling of politically sensitive fixtures in international cricket.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has categorically rejected claims made by Indian media that it wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) refusing to play the T20 World Cup group stage match against India on February 15.

PCB spokesman Amir Mir, clarifying the matter, stated that the board has not made any such contact with the ICC.

“We reject the false claims made by Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta,” Mir said.

He further accused the Indian media of spreading misinformation, adding, “Have patience; it will soon be revealed who actually contacted whom.”

“As usual, sections of Indian media are busy circulating fiction. A little patience and time will clearly show who actually went knocking and who didn’t,” he added.

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The development follows senior Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta’s claim that the PCB had reached out to the ICC to initiate dialogue over the World Cup stalemate.

“PCB has now reached out to ICC for a dialogue on the India-Pakistan World Cup after the ICC replied to their official communication: PCB first wrote to ICC saying they were pulling out of that game implying the ‘Force Majeure’, attaching their Govt’s tweet,” Gupta post read on X.

“The ICC then wrote back, asking what factors under ‘Force Majeure’ were they trying to imply, and telling PCB of legal ramifications and sanctions the ICC could hit them with,” it added.

“The PCB has now approached ICC for a dialogue to ‘resolve’ the issue.”

A week earlier, a post issued by the Government of Pakistan’s official X account said the government had granted permission to the Pakistan team to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, but instructed that “the Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India”.

The statement did not specify a reason for that decision.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the statement read.

It is understood that the PCB is yet to write to the ICC to inform them of the boycott.

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MUMBAI: Suryakumar Yadav and bowlers combined to steer India to a 29-run victory over USA in the third fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Set a challenging 162, the USA fell short of the target and managed 132-8 in 20 overs despite showcasing an excellent display with the ball.

India inflicted a poor start on USA, who lost their top three batters in the first three overs.

As a result, USA were reduced to 13-3 with Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi at the crease.

The pair arrested the slide with a 58-run partnership, although it came on the slower side on 52 balls.

USA scorecard read 71 when Varun Chakravarthy broke the partnership to give India an opening.

The mystery spinner removed Milind Kumar who made 34 from 34 balls.

After the breakthrough wicket, Indian bowlers chipped on and took wickets at regular intervals which never allowed the USA batters to settle down.

As a result, they ended short of the target with Shubham Ranjane losing his wicket on the final ball of the innings.

The right-hander’s valiant knock of 37 from 22 included three sixes and two fours.

For India, Mohammed Siraj picked up three wickets.

Ealier, Suryakumar Yadav played a captain’s knock to lift India out of trouble against a disciplined USA bowling lineup

USA capitalized on the decision to bowl first as they limited the strong Indian batting lineup to 161-9 in 20 overs.

The hosts were put in early trouble right from the outset as their dashing opener Abhishek Sharma was sent back for a duck in the second over.

The left-hander could not make his World Cup debut memorable, holing out to a deep cover.

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After an early wicket, Ishan Kishan played some shots and kept the scoreboard ticking.

He added 37 with returning Tilak Varma for the second wicket, bringing the total to 45. However, Shadley van Schalkwyk’s triple-wicket over put his side in a top position at the end of the powerplay.

He removed Kishan (20) and Varma (25), which was followed by the wicket of  Shivam Dube, who could not open his account.

As a result, India were in dire straits with 46-4 at the end of the six overs.

Rinku Singh came to the fore to rescue India and stitched a 26-run partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav. The pair brought the total to 72 in 11.4 as the partnership was broken in the form of Rinku’s wicket.

The left-hander managed six from 14 before getting caught at long on. The slide continued as all-rounder Hardik Pandya could not trouble the scorers much. He made five as the home side were 77-6.

It was all Suryakumar Yadav’s calculated knock, which not only helped them cross the 150 mark but ensured that they finished on a strong note.

The skipper kept losing partners at the other end and capitalized on the last over from Saurabh Netravalkar, amassing 21 runs.

He remained unbeaten on 84 from 49 balls, striking four sixes and 10 fours.

For the USA, it was a clinical bowling effort except for Netravalkar, who had forgettable figures of 65/0 in four overs. Apart from him, Shadley van Schalkwyk remained the standout bowler, taking four wickets.

Harmeet Singh also provided support from the other end with his two wickets in economical spin bowling.

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MUMBAI: India have replaced injured bowler Harshit Rana with pacer Mohammed Siraj in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad. 

Harshit, 24, suffered a knee injury during the reigning champions’ warm-up fixture against South Africa on Wednesday, which eventually ruled him out of the World Cup.

“Team India pacer Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after sustaining a knee injury during the warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai on February 4th 2026,” the BCCI said in a statement.

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“Following consultations with a specialist and subsequent scans, the BCCI medical team deemed him unfit to participate in the tournament. The team management wishes him a speedy recovery,” it added.

As a result, pacer Mohammed Siraj was named in the squad for the mega event, scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8.

The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Mohammad Siraj as a replacement for Harshit Rana in the India squad.

A player can only be replaced after obtaining approval from the Event Technical Committee (ETC), which must approve the new player before they are officially added to the squad.

India’s updated T20 World Cup squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj.

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HARARE: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s imperious knock, backed by a disciplined bowling effort, powered India to a 100-run victory over England in the U19 World Cup final here at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

Set a daunting target of 412, England were bowled out for 311 in 40.2 overs.

With this, India is now cut above the rest of the teams at the junior level, winning the trophy for the record sixth time.

Notably, the final against India was India’s 11th appearance in the summit clash of the U19 World Cup.

England were jolted early in a steep chase, with India bowlers removing the opener Joseph Moores for 17 in the fifth over.

After an early blow, Ben Mayes and Ben Dawkins added a 74-run stand for the second wicket to put the chase back on track.

The pair brought the team’s total to 93 at the end of the 13 overs. However, Indian bowlers struck back, sending back set batter Mayes. He made 45 from 28 with the help of two sixes and seven fours.

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Despite the wicket, England progressed with another partnership between Thomas Rew and Ben Dawkins.

The stand eventually culminated in the 18th over in the form of Dawkins wicket, who made 66 from 56, striking seven fours and two sixes.

After the wicket, India got a foothold on the match and never allowed England to make a comeback in the final. Consequently, the English side slumped to 177-7 from 142-3 in 22 overs.

With the required run rate rising, England were too much behind the game despite a valiant stand between Calob Falconer and James Minto.

The pair added 92 and demonstrated a fight-back, but the target proved too much for them. Falconer played an eye-catching knock, scoring a sublime innings.

The all-rounder hit seven sixes and nine fours in his 115 from 67 balls before getting caught in the 40th over.

For India, RS Ambrish was the top-wicket taker, picking up three wickets. Deepesh Devendran and Kanishk Chouhan took a brace.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, India racked up 411-9 in their 50 overs, thanks to  Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 175 from just 80 balls.

After losing Aaron George for nine in the third over, Sooryavanshi was joined by skipper Ayush Mhatre, adding up a 142-run stand for the second wicket partnership.

The pair took the team’s India total to 162 from 20 in 19 overs. Ayush Mhatre departed after scoring 53 off 51 with the help of seven fours and two sixes.

Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi carried on and hit towering sixes to complete his record-shattering century.

He was involved in a partnership for a quick-fire 89 run stand off just 39, powering his side into a dominant position.

The left-hander’s innings finally ended when India were 261 in 25.3 overs. He made 175 from 80 balls, pepped with 15 sixes and 1`5 fours.

India eventually ended their innings on a massive score with some other notable contributions from the middle-order batter, notably Kanishk Chouhan, who struck  three fours and a six on his way to 37 from 20 balls.

For England, James Minto remained the stand out bowler with threee wickets to his name.

READ: Sooryavanshi breaks Babar’s record with 175 against England

HARARE: India opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi surpassed Pakistan batter Babar Azam’s record with a scintillating 175 off 80 balls in the U19 World Cup final against England here at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

The left-handed batter was instrumental in India’s 411-run total against England in 50 overs. He shattered numerous U19 records with his imperious knocks, which included 15 fours and 15 sixes.

Vaibhav, 14 years and 316 days old, became the youngest player to score a U19 World Cup century, shattering Babar Azam’s record set against West Indies in 2010.

Babar was 15 years and 92 days old when he notched up a century.

Besides Babar’s record, Sooryavanshi also broke several other notable records, showcasing his batting prowess.

The 175-run masterpiece is now the highest score by any batter in an ICC tournament final, either at the U19 or senior level.

It is also the highest individual score in a final or even any knockout game in Youth ODIs, surpassing the previous record of 172 by Sameer Minhas in an Asia Cup final.

The southpaw also overtakes Raj Bawa’s 162 not out to become India’s highest scorer in Under-19 World Cups.

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Additionally, this innings ranks as the second-highest score for India in Youth ODIs, only behind Ambati Rayudu’s 177 not out against England in 2002.

His 15 sixes are the most ever in a Youth ODI innings, breaking his own previous record of 14 sixes against the UAE in December.

Remarkably, Sooryavanshi has now hit ten or more sixes on five separate occasions in Youth ODIs, while all other batters combined have done it only three times.

His 150 runs purely came from boundaries, another record, surpassing Hasitha Boyagoda’s 124-run record in a Youth ODI innings.

Sooryavanshi’s total of 30 boundaries matches the joint-most in a Youth ODI innings, equalling Boyagoda’s 28 fours and two sixes.

The innings also showcased blistering speed, with 150 runs coming off just 71 balls, setting the record for the fastest individual 150 in Youth ODIs.

His 55-ball century is the second-fastest in U-19 World Cup history, behind Will Malajczuk’s 51-ball ton, and marks the fifth-fastest hundred in Youth ODIs overall.

READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shatters multiple records with 175 in U19 World Cup final

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has formally requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to revisit its decision to boycott the high-profile ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India.

According to international reports, the Sri Lankan board has written to the PCB expressing serious concern over the potential fallout of Pakistan’s non-participation in the marquee fixture, scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The contest, widely regarded as one of the biggest attractions of the tournament, is expected to generate significant revenue and global attention.

In its communication, SLC warned that the abandonment of the Pakistan-India encounter would expose Sri Lanka to substantial financial losses, particularly due to reduced commercial returns and a possible drop in tourism inflows linked to the blockbuster match.

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“Any non-participation will have wide-ranging implications, including substantial financial exposure for SLC and the potential loss of anticipated tourism inflows,” the Sri Lankan board stated in its letter.

SLC also urged the PCB to consider the broader relationship between the two cricket boards and the larger interests of the game.

Emphasising long-standing ties, the Sri Lankan board called for a measured approach amid the sensitive circumstances surrounding the issue.

The situation follows the Government of Pakistan’s reported decision to bar its national men’s team from taking the field against arch-rivals India.

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COLOMBO: Pakistan men’s cricket team will seek advice from their government if they meet arch-rivals India in the knockout phase of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, captain Salman Ali Agha said on Thursday.

The tournament has been marred by an acrimonious political build‑up after Bangladesh were kicked out and Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A match.

However, a semi-final or final showdown between the uneasy South Asian neighbours is still a possibility.

“The India game is not in our control. It was the government’s decision, and if we have to play them in the semi-final or the final, we will go back to them and act on their advice,” Agha told reporters in Colombo.

Bangladesh refused to play in India, citing security concerns, as relations soured and were kicked out of Group C by the International Cricket Council (ICC), to be replaced by Scotland.

Pakistan backed Bangladesh’s plea to have their games moved to Sri Lanka.

The government in Islamabad cleared the national team to take part but ordered them not to play in the marquee group match against India on February 15.

“It’s sad Bangladesh are not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully, they will support us,” Agha said.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in multinational events.

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They will face Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States of America (USA) in the group stage.

“We’re excited to play in this tournament. We lost to the USA in the last World Cup, and we are determined to put that disappointment behind us and put a few things right,” Agha said.

Pakistan will not only lose two points for forfeiting their India match but will also take a big hit to their net run rate.

Even losing one of their group games to bad weather could make it difficult for Pakistan to qualify.

“We know the margin for error is small, but we can’t control the weather. We are here to play good cricket, and we’re not bothered about the conditions,” Agha said.

Pakistan, the 2009 champions, arrive after a 3-0 whitewash of Australia at home.

“We’ve been playing really good cricket. We haven’t lost a series since the Asia Cup last year. Everything is coming along nicely, and we’re confident of doing well,” Agha said.

All of Pakistan’s games will be played in Sri Lanka, where they toured in January.

“Very happy to play in Sri Lanka, it’s a second home for me. This is my sixth visit, we know the conditions, and we get a lot of support,” Agha said.

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s decision to boycott the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against India, scheduled to be played on February 15, insisting that politics must not interfere in sports.

While addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, the premier backed the government’s stance of preventing the national team from taking the field against their arch-rivals, describing the move as a “carefully deliberated and appropriate decision” in response to what he termed the growing politicisation of cricket.

“We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India,” Sharif said, stressing that sports should remain free from political influence.

He added that the decision was made after thorough consultation at the highest level.

The prime minister also expressed support for Bangladesh in the ongoing controversy surrounding the tournament.

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Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup after requesting their matches be shifted from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns.

According to government sources, the development played a key role in Islamabad reassessing its participation in the 20-team global event.

Officials in Pakistan have perceived the ICC’s handling of the Bangladesh situation as biased, further straining confidence in the governing body.

The controversy intensified after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, reportedly following directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The move, coupled with the ICC’s subsequent decision regarding Bangladesh’s participation, was viewed by Pakistani authorities as politically influenced.

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