Team India's swashbuckling batsman Abhishek Sharma has been wreaking havoc in international cricket, but New Zealand's star pacer Matt Henry said that the Kiwis will aim to put him under pressure. "He's been playing brilliantly over the last two years and he's been taking to attacks, not just in international cricket but in IPL as well. I think for us it's just about how you're putting him under pressure," he told the media. The pacer admitted that it is challenging for a bowler to do that, but also feels that doing things accurately is the only way to put Abhishek under pressure. "It's challenging from a bowling point of view but the key thing is how do you come back when you have a mixed over, how do you have an impact on the game and not worry about those things?. I think it all comes back down to accuracy. You have to be accurate at what you're doing and you're just trying to put your best foot forward," added Henry. He then said that the five-match T20I series against the "Men in Blue" was a preparatory series for the "Black Caps" ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. "For me, T20 cricket is about confidence...how do you keep coming back and challenging batters when you're under pressure? How do you find a way to make it work? But if you keep turning up, you keep learning and I think that's probably a highlight of this series for us. It's never nice being put under that kind of pressure but we knew that the long-term picture was getting prepared for a World Cup and how do you put teams under pressure when they're flying like that," he said. "So, it was all positive gains from our point of view and we're just really pleased that the guys could still stay confident going into that last game. I think that is a true testament of character of the group," added the 34-year-old cricketer. IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Date and Venue The fifth and final T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 31 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. (With ANI Inputs)
30 January,2026 05:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndian cricket superstar Virat Kohli left his fans stunned when his Instagram account mysteriously vanished, leaving millions of followers unable to access his profile. With over 274 million followers, Kohli’s Instagram is one of the most followed athlete accounts in the world. On Friday morning, users trying to visit his handle were greeted with Instagram’s standard “User not found” or “Profile isn’t available” messages. The sudden disappearance triggered confusion and concern among fans worldwide. Social media quickly exploded with reactions, memes, and questions. Many followers humorously turned to his wife, Anushka Sharma, seeking answers, while others speculated on whether the account had been deliberately deactivated, suffered a technical glitch, or if Kohli was taking a planned break from social media. Some fans even created threads trying to track the timeline of the disappearance, reflecting the enormous global interest in the cricketer’s online presence. Interestingly, Kohli’s activity on X (formerly Twitter) remained unaffected, with his posts and interactions continuing as usual. This fueled further curiosity about why only Instagram appeared to be affected. Neither Kohli himself nor his management team has released any official statement, and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has remained silent, leaving followers to guess the reason behind the temporary blackout. The incident quickly became a trending topic online, with hashtags and memes highlighting the moment as both humorous and bewildering. Many fans expressed panic at the thought of losing access to the cricketer’s updates, while others joked about the potential implications for his brand collaborations and sponsorships. The sudden disappearance also sparked discussions about the influence of social media in the lives of global celebrities and how quickly an entire online following can be left in limbo. Kohli’s Instagram back online, mystery behind disappearance continues After a few hours, Kohli’s Instagram account reportedly returned, though still without any explanation for its disappearance. While the account is now active again, the brief blackout has left fans and observers speculating and discussing the event across platforms. For millions of followers, the incident served as a reminder of the central role social media plays in connecting them with their favorite stars. Until an official explanation is provided, Kohli’s Instagram disappearance remains one of the most curious and talked-about social media moments involving a global sports icon.
30 January,2026 10:11 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDefending champions and two-time winners Mumbai Indians will take on Gujarat Giants in a crucial Friday encounter, with the Giants aiming to secure a second consecutive Women’s Premier League playoff spot. Gujarat Giants, with eight points and a negative Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.271, sit two points ahead of Mumbai Indians (six points, NRR +0.146). The Giants hold their fate in their own hands, with a win over Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians securing their spot in the WPL playoffs. MI will be riding high after dominating one of the tournament’s top teams, RCB, for most of their last match, ultimately winning by 15 runs. For MI, having the best NRR among the teams vying for the playoffs is a significant advantage. In the event of a points tie, a superior NRR would see MI through. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2026 09:56 AM IST | Vadodara | PTIIndia captain Suryakumar Yadav said the side deliberately fielded six batters and five specialist bowlers in the fourth T20I against New Zealand, describing the 50-run defeat as a useful learning experience ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup. After posting 215-7, New Zealand left India, reduced to a batter short due to Ishan Kishan’s niggle-enforced absence, struggling at 82-5. India were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs, making the series scoreline 3-1. “We purposely played six batters today. We wanted to have five perfect bowlers and wanted to challenge ourselves. But it’s fine at the end of the day. We wanted to play all the players who are part of the World Cup squad. Otherwise, we would have played other ones,” said Suryakumar. Asked about opting to bowl first, he said, “We’ve been batting really well when we bat first. So I wanted the guys to take responsibility if we’re chasing 180 or 200 and are two or three wickets down, and see how we bat. It’s a good challenge. Hopefully, if we get an opportunity again, we might chase again. But at the end of the day, it’s a good learning.” Suryakumar acknowledged the impact of dew and praised Dube’s innings of 65, but rued the lack of support at the other end. “With the heavy dew, I think one or two partnerships here and there, like the way Dube batted, one batter with him would have made a lot of difference at the end of the game. I think we lost by 50 runs, but it’s okay. As I said, one or two partnerships like this in a run-chase like this might make a difference.” OneFor the first time in this series, none of India’s top 3 batters scored a half-century This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2026 09:44 AM IST | Visakhapatnam | IANSAfter tormenting India one more time, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner said his role in T20Is is to bowl defensively, build pressure and take wickets. He added that it was satisfying to see the strategy pay rich dividends in the fourth T20I here. India came across a familiar foe in Santner as the New Zealand skipper bowled a brilliant spell of 4-0-26-3 to lead his side to a 50-run win at the ACA-VDCA stadium. He extended the misery of Sanju Samson, got rid of the dangerous Hardik Pandya and then capped the fine run with the wicket of Jasprit Bumrah. “I guess my role might be playing a little bit more defensively and trying to get wickets that way. At times, you want to be smart, six singles are a good option. We’ve seen a lot of power hitting, a lot of big scores. So, I think the role as a spinner [in T20Is], unless there is spin, is to build pressure and get wickets that way,” said Santner. “If you’re defending a big score, then let the run rate go up. And if it’s a lower score, the only way we stop these guys is by getting wickets. So, I think, yeah, it’s all about adapting and seeing what’s on the table,” he added. 22No. of wickets claimed by Mitchell Santner in 25 T20Is vs India This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2026 08:24 AM IST | Visakhapatnam | PTIAll-rounder Sophie Molineux was on Thursday appointed the Australian women’s T20 captain for the series against India next month and will succeed Alyssa Healy as the leader across formats after the home assignment. Healy will retire from international cricket after playing vs India in which she will lead the team in three ODIs and a one-off Test. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Sydney | PTIThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already scheduled its T20 World Cup squad to depart for Colombo early on February 2, virtually ruling out any possibility of boycotting either the tournament or the marquee clash against India on February 15, sources close to the board said on Thursday. “The PCB has already made travel arrangements for the World Cup squad to leave early morning on February 2 for Colombo,” he said. It is expected that the PCB would confirm their participation on Friday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Lahore | PTIIt was a testing time for some of Mumbai’s fielders on Thursday due to the pollution arising from construction work going on near the MCA-BKC ground. After the tea break, Sarfaraz Khan, Himanshu Singh, Musheer Khan, and some of the support staff members were seen wearing masks: “Due to the construction, some of our players were having issues breathing, so they put those [masks] on,” said Mohit Awasthi.
30 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureMumbai dominated the proceedings on Day One of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group ‘D’ game at the MCA-BKC ground on Thursday thanks to pacer Mohit Avasthi’s 5-62. Opting to bowl, Mumbai dismissed Delhi for 221 in the first innings. In reply, the hosts were 13-1 at stumps. Pacer Tushar Deshpande and left-arm spinner Shams Mulani supported Avasthi well, claiming two wickets apiece. Back in rhythm Avasthi, 33, who had a shoulder injury earlier and made a comeback in the previous game against Hyderabad last week, said he felt relieved to have done well here. “It’s a relief because I’m playing Ranji Trophy after a long time. I had a ligament tear in the shoulder of my bowling arm and had to stay away for recovery. It was tough to get back into rhythm as a fast bowler,” Avasthi said after day’s play on Thursday. Delhi’s Sanat Sangwan after getting his century Avasthi understandably took his time to get things going, but once he found his rhythm, the right-arm pacer needed just 31 balls to get his five wickets. Avasthi was wicketless in his first 11 overs before picking two wickets in his next over. Right-hander Aryan Rana (10) gifted his wicket when he chased one outside the off to give an easy catch to Sarfaraz Khan in the slips. One ball later, Avasthi dismissed Delhi’s top run-getter and skipper Ayush Doseja (0) through wicketkeeper Akash Anand. He then bowled a beautiful outgoing delivery in the next — his 13th over — to dismiss No. 6 left-hander Sumit Mathur (2) through Anand again. Avasthi, who completed his century of wickets (104) in the previous game against Hyderabad, then achieved a sixth fifer in his 34th first-class game, dismissing Delhi’s No.11 Money Grewal (0) through first-slip fielder Sarfaraz again. Century for Delhi’s Sangwan Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan’s century (118, 11x4, 2x6) was the only positive for the visitors. Sangwan admitted it was tough to play Avasthi. “The first session wasn’t easy and we had to apply ourselves,” said Sangwan, 25, who is playing only his 14th first-class match and the first against Mumbai. Brief scoresDelhi 221 all out (S Sangwan 118, P Rajvanshi 39, V Kandpal 32; M Avasthi 5-62, T Deshpande 2-36, S Mulani 2-45) vs Mumbai 13-1 (A Herwadkar 4*; D Mehra 1-4)
30 January,2026 08:22 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureIn the WPL 2026 match against UP Warriorz, Royal Challengers Bengaluru emerged victorious by eight wickets at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. In an attempt to chase a target of 144 runs, RCB scored 147 runs for the loss of two wickets in 13.1 overs. The win also helped the Bengaluru-based franchise seal its berth in the title clash of the marquee tournament. Opening the innings, Grace Harris scored 75 runs in just 37 balls, including 13 boundaries and two maximums. Skipper Smriti Mandhana smashed an unbeaten 54 runs off just 27 deliveries. Her knock was also laced with eight boundaries and two maximums. Georgia Voll departed after scoring 16 runs in 15 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Along with Mandhana, wicketkeeper-batswoman Richa Ghosh stayed unbeaten without facing any ball. Warriorz's Shikha Pandey and Ash Sobhana managed to pick up one wicket each. Bowling four overs, Pandey conceded 36 runs, whereas Sobhana was smashed for 24 runs in two overs. Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, and Chloe Tryon went wicketless in the WPL 2026 match against UPW. Earlier, having put to bat first, skipper Meg Lanning played a brilliant knock of 41 runs in 30 balls, including six boundaries and a maximum. Wicketkeeper-batswoman Amy Jones scored one run in two balls. Harleen Deol departed after scoring 14 runs in 14 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Opening batswoman Deepti Sharma accumulated 55 runs off 43 deliveries, and also smashed six boundaries and a maximum. Chloe Tryon managed to score just six runs in seven balls, including a boundary. Shweta Sehrawat scored seven runs in 10 balls. With this, the Warriorz posted a total of 143 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. RCB's Nadine de Klerk returned with the figures of four wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Grace Harris registered two wickets for 22 runs in three overs. Lauren Bell also chipped in with one wicket and gave away 21 runs in her spell of four overs. On the other hand, Shreyanka Patil also claimed one wicket by conceding 27 runs.
29 January,2026 11:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the fourth T20I match against New Zealand, Team India suffered a defeat by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. During the match, Team India's Sanju Samson scored 24 runs in 15 balls, with the help of three boundaries and a maximum. In his last five T20I innings, Samson's highest score is 37, which came against South Africa in December last year. Speaking about him on JioStar, veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal feels that pressure should not be an excuse for Samson's failure. He also said that a player's failure can be acceptable in one or two matches, but not in four games. "Sanju Samson has played for many years. He started in the IPL middle-order, then became an opener. After playing international cricket for 10-12 years, pressure shouldn't be an excuse. He has had four chances in this series. I can accept failure in one or two matches, but not in three or four. He knows someone like Ishan Kishan, who is the backup and is batting well at number three, is waiting. Sanju will blame himself. He had four opportunities but could not make them count," he said. Considering that the T20 World Cup 2026 is just around the corner, the spinner feels that management should consider in-form Ishan Kishan for the opener's role if Samson is struggling to deliver performances. "However, there's no need to feel too bad because the T20 World Cup is still far. There's one more match against New Zealand. It now depends on the team management's thinking. If they feel Sanju is struggling as an opener and Ishan is doing well at number three, then the right call would be to make Sanju sit out and let Ishan Kishan take his spot as the opener and wicketkeeper in the final T20I," said the 35-year-old cricketer. The "Men in Blue" under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav have already sealed the series. They have a lead of 3-1 against the "Black Caps". IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Date and venue The fifth and final T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 31 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. (With ANI Inputs)
29 January,2026 08:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
