Showing posts with label T20 World Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label T20 World Cup. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Friday, 6 March 2026
Thursday, 5 March 2026
Thursday, 19 February 2026
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Saturday, 14 February 2026
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Thursday, 5 February 2026
INDIA FAVOURITES AS T20 WORLD CUP TO BEGIN AFTER CHAOTIC BUILD-UP
 |
| Co-hosts India are the defending T20 World Cup champions (Indranil Mukherjee) (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/AFP) |
Cricket's T20 World Cup begins Saturday after an acrimonious build‑up overshadowed by political turmoil, with Bangladesh kicked out and Pakistan refusing to face arch-rivals and co-hosts India.
When the first ball is finally bowled after a chaotic lead-in, Pakistan will open the tournament against the Netherlands in Colombo.
Defending champions and tournament favourites India will make their tournament bow in the night match on day one against the United States in Mumbai, carrying the hopes of a billion-plus home cricket supporters.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India will start as firm tournament favourites and are expected to ease into the Super Eight stage from Group A.
But they will be wary of the United States, who are looking to take down another cricketing powerhouse, having shocked Pakistan to make the Super Eights in 2024.
Former champions Australia and England are also strong contenders to lift the trophy and deny holders India the title for a record second straight time.
The 2021 winners Australia have been hit hard by the absence of pace spearhead Pat Cummins, who was ruled out with a lower back injury.
Pace bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss the early stages as he recovers from hamstring and Achilles injuries.
Led by Mitchell Marsh, the Australians should still ease into the next round from Group B against Ireland, who they play first on Wednesday, plus co-hosts Sri Lanka Oman and Zimbabwe.
Harry Brook's England, full of confidence after a 3-0 T20 series win in Sri Lanka this week, are expected to make the Super Eights from a Group C that also features two-time winners West Indies, debutants Italy, Nepal and Scotland.
Brook, under intense scrutiny after having to apologise for an incident with a night club bouncer in New Zealand last year, takes charge at a global tournament for the first time since he replaced Jos Buttler as white ball captain.
England, who start with a match against Nepal on Sunday in Mumbai, won the tournament in 2010 and 2022.
Scotland, after their 11th-hour call-up to replace Bangladesh, will take guard on the opening day when they face the West Indies in Kolkata.
Football powerhouse Italy will make an appearance at a cricket World Cup for the first time, and will kick off against the Scots in Kolkata on Monday.
South Africa, the runners-up in 2024, have never won a white ball World Cup, but are buoyed by winning the World Test Championship last year.
They will be a threat but must first emerge from a tough-looking Group D that contains dangerous opponents in New Zealand and Afghanistan.
They begin against Canada on Monday in Ahmedabad, with the UAE the other team in that group.
The top two teams from each of the four groups of five teams will advance to the Super Eights, with the top four making the semi-finals.
- Politics, pullouts -
There will be relief at the weekend when the action gets under way finally after weeks of political posturing that has dominated the build-up to 10th edition of the showpiece tournament.
Bangladesh refused to play in India, citing security concerns, as relations between the two countries soured and were kicked out by the International Cricket Council (ICC) from England's Group C.
The ICC is led by Jay Shah, the former Indian cricket board secretary and son of the powerful Indian home minister Amit Shah.
Pakistan, who had backed Bangladesh's plea to have their games moved to Sri Lanka, were cleared to play by the Islamabad government but they ordered the team not to play the marquee group clash against fierce rivals India on February 15.
According to media reports, the ICC is still waiting formal communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board on the boycott, leaving the door slightly ajar for a last-minute deal to get the game on.
If India are awarded a walkover, Pakistan will lose two points and take a big hit to their net run rate.
If any of their other three Group A games are lost to the weather then it could make it almost impossible for Pakistan to qualify.
Pakistan's pullout will result in a loss of millions of dollars in revenue for broadcasters, and will be a huge letdown for fans on both sides.
The crisis was triggered last month when India's cricket board ordered the IPL's Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, a move that deepened political strains between the neighbours.
The tournament will conclude with the final on March 8 in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go that far.
- Faisal KAMAL
Sunday, 30 June 2024
INDIA BEAT SOUTH AFRICA IN THRILLER TO WIN T20 TITLE
T20 World Cup final, Barbados
India 176-7 (20 overs): Kohli 76 (59), Axar 47 (31); Maharaj 2-23, Nortje 2-26
South Africa 169-8 (20 overs): Klaasen 52 (27); Hardik 3-20
India won by seven runs
India ended their 13-year wait for a world title by fighting back to beat South Africa in a thrilling T20 World Cup final.
The Proteas needed 26 from 24 balls in pursuit of 177, but the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen for 52 from 27 swung a dramatic game in India’s favour.
Arshdeep Singh conceded only four from the penultimate over, leaving Hardik Pandya to defend 16 from the last.
David Miller was sensationally caught by Suryakumar Yadav at long-off for 21 from the first ball before India closed out a seven-run win.
It sparked jubilant scenes among the India players and fans in Barbados, including superstar Virat Kohli, who dragged his side to 176-7 with 76 off 59.
It is India's second T20 title, having won the inaugural tournament in 2007, and first World Cup win in either format since the 2011 50-over competition.
For South Africa, it was a horrible defeat that brought back all the pain of World Cups past.
India's wait is over
In the end Hardik was in tears.
He was part of the India side that lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia on home soil eight months ago. This was their glorious redemption in the Caribbean.
The game looked done during Klaasen’s onslaught but Hardik removed him by finding a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Even as Klaasen slumped off, South Africa remained favourites.
They have done so much to banish the cruel reputation of choking that follows their cricket team around.
In the end, up against some superb bowling from Jasprit Bumrah, who took 2-18 in a high-scoring game, they faltered again at the last.
In the final moments, Kagiso Rabada edged a four and Hardik bowled a wide, leaving eight needed from the last two balls before Radaba was caught at long-off.
India have so much in their favour – a team of superstars chosen from population of 1.4 billion and the largest proportion of the revenue generated in the game.
As they celebrated, none of that mattered. It was an occasion of pure sporting drama and relief.
South Africa come so close
Suryakumar takes incredible catch to dismiss Miller for 21 in the final over
The Proteas, like India, had progressed to this point unbeaten. They had come through a series of tight games and their semi-final win against Afghanistan was their first victory in the last four of a World Cup in eight attempts.
They slipped to 12-2 early on, Reeza Hendricks sensationally bowled by Bumrah, but fought back to set up a grand stand finale.
Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs struck 39 and 31 respectively, taking down India’s vaunted spinners. That assault was ramped up further by Klaasen, who struck five sixes.
After Klaasen fell, number seven Marco Jansen struggled and was bowled by Bumrah in the 18th over.
India captain Rohit Sharma gambled by using Bumrah’s final over when there were still two to follow. He will have been grateful to 25-year-old left-armer Arshdeep, whose mix of pace in the 19th was superb.
In the closing moments India were just more clinical, no more so than Suryakumar when he juggled the ball on the long-off boundary while keeping his feet in play to dismiss Miller.
This will hurt South Africa just as much, if not more, than those previous semi-final defeats.
Kohli rises to occasion
Watch the best shots of Kohli's "excellent" 76 in the T20 World Cup final
India’s innings was built around Kohli, who had only made two double-figure scores in the tournament.
Here he notched his third within five balls by driving and flicking Jansen for three fours in the first over.
India were flying when Rohit hit the first two balls of the second over for four, but after the captain swept spinner Keshav Maharaj to square leg, the Proteas fought back superbly.
Rishabh Pant chipped up a full toss for a duck and the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav was caught at fine leg but, from 34-3, Kohli was able to play the role he knows best.
He did not hit a boundary between the fourth and 18th overs. Axar Patel, promoted to provide a left-handed option, instead provided the attack with 47, including two fine hits over long-on, in a partnership of 72.
Shivam Dube added impetus with his 16-ball 27 as Kohli’s next support act.
In the 18th over, Kohli cut loose, striking Rabada superbly over long-on, pulling the next ball for four and in the 19th he whipped Jansen on to the roof of the pavilion.
The 50-over World Cup, where Kohli was the tournament’s leading scorer, was supposed to be the white-ball great’s crowning glory.
In the end, it came on the other side of the world eight months later, with Kohli confirming this was his final T20 World Cup appearance.
'A special feeling' - reaction
Player of the match, India batter Virat Kohli: "I am so proud to get the runs for the team on the day it mattered most. We have wanted to lift a trophy for a long time.
"It's an amazing day, I am so thankful."
South Africa captain Aiden Markram: "Gutted. We've had a great campaign but this hurts.
"South African people are competitive, but they are respectful. We pride ourselves on that. Hopefully moving forward we can learn from this and use it.
"This will always be a proud day for us, regardless."
India captain Rohit Sharma: "I am so proud of all of my boys and the management for giving us the liberty and trusting in each one of us."
Player of the tournament, India bowler Jasprit Bumrah: "I am someone who tries to keep my emotions in check but the emotions are taking over right now. This is such a special feeling."
- Matthew Henry, BBC Sport Journalist in Barbados
Saturday, 15 June 2024
INDIA'S LAST GROUP MATCH AGAINST CANADA WASHED OUT
 |
| Reuters |
India's T20 World Cup group match against Canada in Lauderhill, Florida was abandoned on Saturday, after rain left the Central Broward Park stadium with wet patches in the outfield.
India progressed to the Super Eight stage as the top team in Group A with seven points from four matches. Canada, already eliminated, finished with three points.
The United States' match against Ireland at the same venue was also called off on Friday due to a wet outfield after unrelenting rain, which had put South Florida at risk of life-threatening flooding.
The cancellation resulted in Pakistan being eliminated and the U.S. qualifying for the Super Eight stage for the first time after ensuring second place in the group with five points.
Central Broward Park is also scheduled to host the last Group A match on Sunday, with Pakistan facing bottom side Ireland.
India play Afghanistan in their first Super Eight Group One match on Thursday. The U.S., placed in Super Eight Group Two, will face South Africa on Wednesday.
- Reuters
Thursday, 30 May 2024
T20 WORLD CUP A BOOST TO SPORT'S AMERICAN DREAM
 |
| Reuters |
Cricket begins a campaign for the hearts and wallets of American fans this week, as the T20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday in Dallas, bringing the best of the sport to less familiar territory.
The United States play Canada in the first match of the tournament co-hosted by the West Indies, while a temporary stadium in Nassau County, New York, hosts its first of eight fixtures on Monday. Lauderhill, Florida, will host four matches.
Cricket boasts billion fans around the globe but few adherents in the lucrative North American market, where fans are more accustomed to watching New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge picking up a bat than Rohit Sharma or Jos Buttler.
"This is the start of a journey," International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Geoff Allardice told Reuters. "The awareness that we're bringing in more elite cricket to the USA is something that's been a strategic priority for us."
 |
| Reuters |
The journey started with Major League Cricket, which began play in the United States last year, and culminates with the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where cricket will be reintroduced to the Olympic programme for the first time since 1900.
"In the lead up to the Los Angeles Olympics, I think we'll be continuing to try and raise the profile of cricket, not just for the established cricket fans in the USA but for new fans," said Allardice.
The tournament, which counts Jamaican track hero Usain Bolt as an ambassador, is a dream come true for U.S. immigrants, who comprise much of the sport's U.S. fan base and are more used to watching the action on television than in their own backyard.
"I mean, (India have) got some of the biggest names in world sport as part of their team," said Allardice. "And to be able to get close to them and see them in action, I think it's an opportunity that's something that comes along (not) very often for cricket fans in the USA."
The ICC T20 World Cup runs from June 1-29.
- Amy Tennery
Thursday, 23 May 2024
INDIA, THE BIGGEST PROMOTER OF T20 CRICKET, IS DETERMINED TO END A WORLD CUP TITLE DROUGHT
 |
| Kohli. AP Photo |
NEW DELHI (AP) — In the ever-growing Twenty20 cricket landscape, India boasts the richest and most-watched league in the world. Yet all that investment and attention hasn't translated into international success for India's national team.
Rohit Sharma’s India squad travels to the T20 World Cup in the United States and Caribbean in search of a second title to end a long drought.
Undoubtedly, the Indian Premier League is flush with cash and talent, attracting the best cricketers from across the world.
Since the advent of IPL, though, India hasn't lifted the World Cup trophy.
After winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, India has only reached one more final — losing to Sri Lanka in 2014.
The title drought crosses formats, too. India last won an International Cricket Council title in 2013 – the Champions Trophy in England. It last lifted the Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format in 2011.
Last year was an exceptional one in that sense – India lost the World Test Championship final to Australia in England and, a few months later, also lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia, this time on home soil.
That caused major anguish in a cricket-mad country of 1.4 billion, considering India was on a 10-0 winning streak and a hot favorite going into the final.
Seven months later, Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli are leading the campaign in what in all probability will be their last T20 tournament in India's blue.
Sharma has been a part of every Indian squad at the T20 World Cup. Kohli made his debut in the 2012 edition, making this his sixth attempt at the title.
Kohli has scored 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50 and strike-rate 131.30 in his 27 games at the tournament. Sharma has scored 963 runs in 39 games at a strike rate of 127.88.
Both players missed all of India's T20 internationals between the 2022 semifinal loss in Australia and January of this year, leading to some speculation they'd miss out on the 2024 World Cup starting June 1.
That was dispelled by both BCCI secretary Jay Shah and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Now, there will be big focus on their contributions – in terms of runs and strike-rate.
Sharma only managed 417 runs for Mumbai Indians in the club's unsuccessful 2024 IPL campaign. Kohli, meanwhile, topped the run charts for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with with 741 runs runs in 15 matches, avering 61.75. But his strike-rate earlier in the season was criticized by some TV broadcast analysts.
In a news conference to confirm the India squad, Agarkar brushed off any concerns regarding Kohli’s strike-rate.
“There’s a difference between IPL and international cricket,” Agarkar said. “You need experience as the pressure of a World Cup game is different. You (only) try to take positives from what is happening in the IPL.”
Kohli opens the batting for his IPL franchise but goes in at No. 3 for India in T20s. It has led to a significant debate over his batting position for the World Cup because it holds the key to India’s XI.
Should Kohli continue to bat at No. 3, Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings with Sharma. India will then have to play with only four specialist batters including Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s top-ranked T20 batter.
Allrounder Hardik Pandya and first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant would slot in next, with bowling allrounders to follow.
If Kohli opens with Sharma, it allows for an extra batter in the middle order and likely makes room for Shivam Dube, who has impressed selectors with his power hitting in the IPL and strike rate of 162.29.
Dube can also bowl useful medium pace if needed, and could provide backup to Pandya.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead a bowling attack that will contain four spinners, including left-arm all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzendra Chahal complete the line-up.
“I asked for four spinners,” Sharma explained. “Most of our matches will start at 10-11 a.m. (and) we expect all-rounders to do a job for us. It gives us a variety of combinations to explore depending on the opposition.”
India begins its World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5, then faces fierce rival Pakistan in New York on June 9 in what could be the highlight of the group stage. India will play the U.S. on June 12 and Canada on June 15.
While it is a seemingly straight-forward road for India in the first round, the tension to end a prolonged title drought will grow once it reaches the West Indies for the Super Eight stage.
- CHETAN NARULA
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Monday, 7 November 2022
Saturday, 5 November 2022
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)