Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan has decided to boycott the high-profile match against arch-rivals, India. Speaking on the issue, former Team India cricketer Madan Lal said that the Pakistan government or the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is damaging their own cricket by extending their support to Bangladesh. He also added that teams such as New Zealand, England and others will get sponsorship. "I think the Pakistan government or PCB, they are all damaging their own cricket. It's not going to solve their problems. Someone has to be there to think right. They are not thinking right at the moment. They want to support Bangladesh. You keep on supporting Bangladesh. That's not our business. At the end of the day, Bangladesh is going to suffer, and Pakistan is going to suffer... The main thing is New Zealand, England, South Africa, Australia, they are the biggest countries for cricket, they're going to get the crowds, they're going to get all the sponsorship," he said. The controversy began after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, following the minorities atrocities in Bangladesh. The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to begin from February 7, with the first clash scheduled to be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. The "Men in Blue" will also begin their campaign on the same date by playing a match against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The high-profile clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Earlier, the ICC had pushed Bangladesh out of the marquee tournament. The board then replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in Group C of the tournament. Scotland will lock horns against the West Indies in the tournament-opening match on February 7 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. T20 World Cup 2026: Group A teams India and Pakistan are placed in Group A of the tournament along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States of America (USA). (With ANI Inputs)
02 February,2026 05:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) was right about warning Pakistan of a serious outcome for its selective pullout of the high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan's decision, conveyed through an official government statement, is being seen as a political protest linked to Bangladesh's removal from the tournament after the world body declined its request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka on security grounds. The ICC already warned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that the boycott of the India clash could lead to serious punishments and also stated that the decision is not in the favour of the game in general. "The ICC has issued a big statement on this subject. It has highlighted element of sportsmanship. We completely agree with the ICC. BCCI will not make any comment until we speak to the ICC," Shukla told reporters. The controversy began after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had released Mustafizur Rahman from its squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, following the minorities atrocities in Bangladesh. The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to begin from February 7, with the first clash scheduled to be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. The "Men in Blue" will also begin their campaign on the same date by playing a match against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The high-profile clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Earlier, the ICC had pushed Bangladesh out of the marquee tournament. The board then replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in Group C of the tournament. Scotland will lock horns against the West Indies in the tournament-opening match on February 7 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. T20 World Cup 2026: Group A teams India and Pakistan are placed in Group A of the tournament along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States of America (USA). (With PTI Inputs)
02 February,2026 05:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentYoung Kanishk Chouhan showed his all-round prowess as India comfortably outclassed arch-rivals Pakistan by 58 runs in a Super Six encounter to qualify for the semifinal of the ICC U-19 World Cup here on Sunday. India will meet Afghanistan in the semifinal while England and Australia will play in the other last-four encounter. It was all-rounder Kanishk, whose quickfire 29-ball 35 and a 50-run stand for the eighth wicket with Khilan Patel (21 not out off 15 balls) took India U-19 to a decent 252 in 49.5 overs. Kanishk Chouhan However, for Pakistan to qualify for the semi-finals on account of better run-rate, they needed to reach 253 in 33.3 overs but their batters didn’t seem interested in making a match as they managed 167 for 4 in 33.3 overs before finally getting bowled out for 194 in 46.2 overs. In the bowling department, it was Kanishk, who basically stopped the Pakistan team on its tracks with figures of 1 for 30 in 10 overs which included an astounding 40 dot balls. With pitch assisting spinners, left-arm spinner Khilan Patel (3-35 in 9.2 overs) and skipper Ayush Mhatre (3-21 in 8 overs) also choked the run flow throughout the middle overs. Pakistan’s Asia Cup hero Sameer Minhas was dismissed by a Henil Patel off-cutter. “There was a good start but in the middle, the ball was spinning. The way KC [Kanishk’s nickname] batted brilliant. Vedant [Trivedi] was batting well in the nets, so I was confident in him. Boys were contributing. Pakistan batters batted well in the first 25 [overs], after that the spinners bowled really well. We are looking match by match. Just want to win the semi-finals,” skipper Mhatre said after the match. Earlier, Kanishk and Khilan added 50 runs in just 5.1 overs to provide a final flourish after Vedant’s patient 68 off 98 balls helped them lay a platform. Put into bat, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (30 off 22 balls) started in his typical attacking fashion but despite getting a reprieve off left-arm seamer Mohammad Sayyam’s (2-69) bowling, he was dismissed trying a second pull-shot in as many deliveries. SixNo. of consecutive semi-final appearances for India at the ICC U-19 World Cup Brief scoresIndia 252 all out in 49.5 overs (V Trivedi 68; A Subhan 3-33, M Sayyam 2-69) beat Pakistan 194 all out in 46.2 overs (U Khan 66; A Mhatre 3-21, K Patel 3-35) by 58 runs 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
02 February,2026 08:08 AM IST | Bulawayo | PTIDelhi’s Ranji Trophy campaign ended without a single win as their last Elite Group ‘D’ match against Mumbai finished in a draw at the MCA-BKC ground on Sunday. However, two Delhi batters emerged top run-getters after the league stage — Ayush Doseja (949 runs) and Sanat Sangwan (828). Doseja helped his team post 407-6 declared in the second essay, scoring an unbeaten 159 (11x4, 2x6), before both captains called off the game half-an hour before the tea break on the fourth and final day. Doseja was the stand-in skipper because regular captain Ayush Badoni was picked in the India ‘A’ squad for the T20 World Cup warm-up games on the eve of the Ranji match. “I rate this century as the biggest, because it came against Mumbai, it has always been my dream,” Doseja told reporters on Sunday. Doseja, who was unbeaten on 62 overnight, reached 99 with a lofted off-drive for six against off-spinner Himanshu Singh (3-86), which brought 300 on the board for the visitors. Doseja was dropped in the same over by Hardik Tamore before he took a quick single to bring up the fourth century of his maiden first-class season. After the game, Doseja approached Mumbai Test batter Sarfaraz Khan for his advice for batting on red-soil pitches. “Sarfaraz told me that if I keep my head down while batting on the red-soil pitch, it will be better,” said Doseja, who also picked batting great Virat Kohli’s brains earlier this season. “I have idolised him [Kohli] since childhood. So, when he played for Delhi [during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December] I got some time to talk to him. He said, ‘If you’re going to the ground, you have to give your 200 per cent because you are representing Delhi and it’s not a small thing. If you want to play for India, you have to keep the same mindset. You shouldn’t play in survival mode. You have to dominate and play.’ I follow his fitness regime too,” said Doseja. Mumbai, who secured three points against Delhi, lead Group ‘D’ with 33 points and will face Karnataka in the quarters at the MCA-BKC ground, starting from February 6. Delhi returned home with no points from the fixture. 949No. of runs scored by Ayush Doseja in the Ranji Trophy league stage Brief scoresDelhi 221 & 407-6d (A Doseja 159*, V Kandpal 61, D Mehra 46; H Singh 3-86, O Tarmale 2-49) vs Mumbai 317 all out
02 February,2026 07:59 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayurePakistan on Sunday formally announced its decision to boycott its marquee ICC T20 World Cup group league match against India, even as the government cleared the national team’s participation for the rest of the tournament, starting February 7. Pakistan government’s decision is being perceived as a mark of protest after ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland not accepting the latter’s demand of shifting its matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security reasons. In a statement posted on its verified social media handle, the government of Pakistan said it has granted approval to the Pakistan cricket team to take part in the tournament but said the team “shall not take the field” for the Feb 15 fixture against India in Colombo. The decision brings an end to days of speculation over Pakistan’s participation in the tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. “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 government posted on social media. 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
02 February,2026 07:58 AM IST | Lahore | PTIWicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan said his focus remains firmly on carrying his good form into the upcoming T20 World Cup after scoring a blistering 42-ball century in India’s 46-run win over New Zealand to complete a 4-1 series win here on Saturday. “I felt the ball was doing a bit early on, but batting alongside Abhishek Sharma really helps. You see his intent, you understand the momentum the team needs, and then you just try to watch the ball and play accordingly. That approach worked well for me. I still feel I’m not there yet. Yes, I’ve done well and I’m getting these awards, but my focus is firmly on the World Cup. That’s where the extra effort is needed. What’s important is carrying this form forward and continuing to contribute there,” said Kishan. Meanwhile, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed Tilak Varma, who recently underwent a testicular surgery, will return for two warm-up games (Feb 2 and Feb 4) of the upcoming T20 World Cup, held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. 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
02 February,2026 07:57 AM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | AgenciesIndia and Pakistan captains skipped the customary handshake at the toss during the Super 6 Group 2 match of the ongoing ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 on Sunday. India U-19 team captain Ayush Mhatre and Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf completed the toss formalities without the traditional handshake. Notably, no handshake during the toss for the India-Pakistan cricket matches has become a regular sight ever since India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, refused to shake hands with his Pakistan counterpart during the 2025 Asia Cup, amid escalating political tensions between India and Pakistan. The trend persisted as the India A team refused to shake hands with Pakistan Shaheens in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 match, and now the same happened during the Under-19 World Cup clash between both teams. In the U-19 match, Pakistan Under-19 won the toss and opted to bowl first against India in a crucial Super 6 Group 2 match. With the clash serving as the last group-stage fixture, both India and Pakistan are vying for a spot in the semi-final, and the match is a must-win for both Asian teams. Australia and Afghanistan have qualified for the semifinal from Super Six Group 1, while England has qualified from Super Six Group 2. With England already through from Group 2, only one spot remains up for grabs. India sit second in the group with three wins from as many matches and a net run rate of +3.337, while Pakistan are third with two wins from three games and a net run rate of +1.484. A victory over India would level Pakistan on points with India at six, but they would need a big-margin win to surpass India's superior net run rate. For the Ayush Mhatre-led India, a win will suffice. Notably, India are unbeaten in the tournament. India vs Pakistan Under-19 match playing 11s: India U-19 playing 11: Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre(c), Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu(w), Vedant Trivedi, RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran. Pakistan U-19 playing 11: Hamza Zahoor(w), Sameer Minhas, Usman Khan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf(c), Huzaifa Ahsan, Ali Hassan Baloch, Abdul Subhan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Ali Raza. 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.
01 February,2026 04:39 PM IST | Bulawayo [Zimbabwe] | ANIPakistan Under-19 won the toss and opted to bowl first against India Under-19 in the Super 6 Group 2 match of the ongoing ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026. With the clash serving as the last group-stage fixture, both India and Pakistan are vying to get a spot in the semi-final and the match stands as a must-win for both the Asian teams. Australia and Afghanistan have qualified for the semifinal from Super Six Group 1, while England has qualified from Super Six Group 2. With England already through from Group 2, only one spot remains up for grabs. India sit second in the group with three wins from as many matches and a net run rate of +3.337, while Pakistan are third with two wins from three games and a net run rate of +1.484. A victory over India would level Pakistan on points with India at six, but they would need a big-margin win to surpass India's superior net run rate. For the Ayush Mhatre-led India, a win will suffice. Notably, India are unbeaten in the tournament. India vs Pakistan Under-19 match playing 11s: India U19 playing 11: Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre(c), Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu(w), Vedant Trivedi, RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran. Pakistan U19 playing 11: Hamza Zahoor(w), Sameer Minhas, Usman Khan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf(c), Huzaifa Ahsan, Ali Hassan Baloch, Abdul Subhan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Ali Raza. At the toss, Indian captain Ayush Mhatre said the team is confident and ready to bat first, announcing that Deepesh Devendran replaces Udhav Mohan in the playing 11. "We were looking to bat first. Boys are doing really well. We are confident enough. The boys are playing really well. It's a sunny day. First three matches, it was raining, there was some difficulties. Last two matches, good weather and it's really helped us. One change. Udhav Mohan misses out, Deepesh comes in," Mhatre said at the toss. 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.
01 February,2026 02:49 PM IST | Bulawayo [Zimbabwe] | ANIGujarat Giants broke their eight-match losing streak against Mumbai Indians by registering their first-ever win over the defending champions to book a spot in Women’s Premier League playoffs. Mumbai skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who fought valiantly with an unbeaten 82, rued the lack of support. “For the first six overs, we weren’t able to execute our batting plans. Unfortunately, we lost an early wicket and couldn’t score enough runs. We were hoping to build two solid partnerships, but we didn’t have any impactful ones,” she said. 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
01 February,2026 09:08 AM IST | Vadodara | IANSThe Monank Patel-led USA team is in the city, all set to experience the T20 World Cup, starting in India and Sri Lanka on February 7. But Houston-based 15-year-old fast bowler Rhea Nadkarni, is already experiencing her best cricketing memories in the City of Dreams. Rhea, a Std IX student and 5’9’’ tall cricketer, who started playing the game seriously at the age of eight, taking inspiration from father Sushil, a former Maharashtra Ranji Trophy opener, who led the USA national team later and elder brother Aarin, 19, clocked an impressive 65 mph (100 kmph) and emerged fastest in the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) Speed Queen contest selection trials held at the Air India ground in Kalina on January 26. Rhea Nadkarni (centre) with her father Sushil (left) and grandfather Uday Ajgaonkar at their residence in Dadar on Saturday. PICS/SHADAB KHAN Recalling her experience during the trials, Rhea said: “I was really surprised by how many girls turned up trials, so I was a bit nervous, because we just came into the trials not knowing much about. I was expecting a speed between 58 to 60mph in my first ball, but my spike got stuck, and I ended up clocking 52 mph. But one of the selectors, Khyati Gulani, said, ‘This girl has a very good action, good [bowling] mechanics.’ So, she gave me a second chance in a different net and there I bowled at 63 mph, so it was a big improvement. After that I climbed speed to 64 and my last ball was 65 mph, which is the fastest in the U-19 category,” Rhea told Sunday mid-day on Saturday. Rhea practises for two-three hours daily and plays matches on weekends in Houston. “I always wanted to do fast bowling. My favourite bowler is [South African] Shabnim Ismail because she’s the fastest in the world. I aspire to be like her. My first goal is to make the USA senior women’s team, so that I’m eligible to play in the WPL. For the past year and a half, I’m being coached in fast bowling by former Sri Lankan Test pacer Sujeewa de Silva,” revealed Rhea. Her immediate goal, though, is the final trials on Monday (Feb 2) here in Mumbai: “I’m not sure if I will get selected because there are quite a few girls from across the country who are shortlisted, but I’ll do my best.” Rhea’s father Sushil, who also represented India U-19 before shifting base to USA in 1999, revealed how his family decided to get Rhea for the WPL trials. “We got to know about the trials just two weeks before and sent her bowling videos to the organisers. When her videos got accepted, we felt this is something she should try because she might do well because of her fast bowling,” Nadkarni revealed. “I expected Rhea to clock somewhere between 63 and 65 mph because she does that in the USA. But when we actually saw that she’s the fastest here, it felt very satisfying to know that she has the talent,” said Nadkarni, adding that his daughter began troubling older boys with her speed and accuracy when she was just 12.
01 February,2026 09:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureA popular Sanju Samson blitz eluded the legion of fans, but their dejection was washed away by centurion Ishan Kishan’s sensational shot-making as India beat New Zealand by 46 runs in the fifth and final T20I to win the series 4-1 here on Saturday. Batting first, India posted a massive 271-5. Kishan (103, 43 balls, 6x4, 10x6), who struck his maiden hundred in the format, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (63, 30b, 4x4, 6x6) treated the Kiwis bowlers with utter disdain during their 137-run third wicket stand, which came in just over 10 overs. In reply, opener Finn Allen gave the visitors some hope with his quickfire 80 off 38 balls, but thanks to pacer Arshdeep Singh’s 5-51 and spinner Axar Patel’s 3-33, the Kiwis were bowled out for 225 in 19.4 overs. Earlier, openers Samson (6), whose fifth successive failure in this series now casts a huge shadow over his T20 World Cup prospects could not get going, falling to pacer Lockie Ferguson. Abhishek Sharma (30 off 16 balls) gave a solid start but extra pace from Ferguson did him in. 69No of sixes scored by India in five T20Is against New Zealand — the most by any team in a bilateral series 42No of balls taken by Ishan Kishan to reach his century — the fastest by an Indian vs NZ 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
01 February,2026 09:01 AM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
