In the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Canada, South Africa emerged victorious by 57 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In an attempt to chase a target of 214 runs, Canada managed to score 156 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. Opening the innings, captain Dilpreet Bajwa was dismissed on a one-ball duck. Fellow opening batsman Yuvraj Samra scored 12 runs in eight balls, including three boundaries. Navneet Dhaliwal garnered 64 runs off 49 deliveries, which was laced with seven boundaries and a maximum. Nicholas Kirton scored four runs in three balls, including a boundary. Wicketkeeper-batsman Shreyas Movva scored nine runs in 11 balls, including two boundaries. Harsh Thaker accumulated 33 runs off 29 balls, with the help of two boundaries and the same number of maximums. Saad Bin Zafar scored 11 runs in 12 balls, including a boundary. Jaskaran Singh departed on a one-ball duck. Dillon Heyliger and Kaleem Sana stayed unbeaten on four and five runs, respectively. Heyliger played an innings of five balls, whereas Sana's innings of three balls included a boundary. South Africa's Lungi Ngidi returned with the figures of four wickets for 31 runs in four overs. Marco Jansen also bagged two wickets. Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch claimed one wicket each. Earlier, having put South Africa to bat first, skipper Aiden Markram played a stunning knock of 59 runs off 32 deliveries. His knock was laced with 10 boundaries and a maximum. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock scored 25 runs in 22 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Ryan Rickelton accumulated 33 in 21 balls, with the help of three boundaries and a maximum. Dewald Brevis departed early by scoring six runs in six balls, including a boundary. Later, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs stayed unbeaten. Facing 23 balls, Miller smashed 39 runs, including a boundary and three maximums, whereas Stubbs accumulated 34 runs in just 19 balls, with the help of two boundaries and the same number of maximums. With this, the Proteas posted a total of 213 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs. Canada skipper Dilpreet Bajwa bagged one wicket by conceding 40 runs in four overs. Ansh Patel returned with the figures of three wickets for 31 runs in four overs. Kaleem Sana, Dillon Heyliger, Saad Bin Zafar, and Jaskaran Singh went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against South Africa.
09 February,2026 11:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been downgraded to Grade B of the latest annual central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI awarded central contracts to 30 men and 21 women cricketers classified in groups A, B and C. Shubman Gill, who has been leading Team India in two formats, Tests and ODIs, has been named in the Grade A contract by the board. Along with him, lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah and star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are also named in the same grade. Grade B consists of players, Washington Sundar, Rohit, Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer. Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been named in Grade C of the annual contract. 🚨 News 🚨BCCI announces Annual Player Retainership for Team India Senior Men and Senior Women for the 2025-26 season#TeamIndia | Details 🔽https://t.co/Rd3pUCPRr9 pic.twitter.com/UNYRThs1kW — BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2026 Currently, Team India is busy featuring in the T20 World Cup 2026. So far, the "Men in Blue" under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav have secured a win over the United States of America (USA) by 29 runs. They will now lock horns with Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The high-voltage clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Team India will conclude its group stage matches by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The semi-final 1 and semi-final 2 of the marquee tournament are scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively. The title clash of the event will be played on March 8, with the venue yet to be decided. India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (With PTI Inputs)
09 February,2026 09:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPakistan pacer Salman Mirza said that the team is preparing to play all the matches in the T20 World Cup 2026 and added the "Green Shirts" will only feature in the India clash, if the government allows them. "We are preparing for the entire T20 World Cup. We will play accordingly to the team we have to play. It will be the decision of the government. We will do whatever is told to us," he said. Pakistan will face the United States of America (USA) in their upcoming clash. In the previous edition of the global showpiece, the USA had defeated them. Speaking ahead of the clash, the pacer said that the side is focused on its upcoming match. "We are focused on the coming match and we are focusing on the match one-to-one, whichever is coming up. And about the match on the 15th (vs India), that is the decision of the government, whatever they decide we will play accordingly," said Mirza. When asked him about the loss against the USA in the previous edition of the tournament, he said that it often happens in the sport and the side can only learn from the mistakes. "This happens often in cricket. It is a past and we can only learn from it. Our focus is on the next match. The group is preparing well and we will be focused on that. All matches are important. I don't think any team is weak or strong in T20 cricket. The team that plays good cricket on the given day will be good. Pakistan always tries to play good cricket and we will try to do the same in all the matches," said the 32-year-old cricketer. The match between Pakistan and the USA is scheduled to be played on February 10 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan (WK), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay (WK), Usman Tariq. (With PTI Inputs)
09 February,2026 07:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter lifting the title in the inaugural edition and navigating a challenging second season, Tiigers of Kolkata capped ISPL Season 3 as runners-up, marking a powerful return to the latter stages of the tournament through consistency, squad depth and a series of record-setting performances. The Tiigers’ campaign was defined by their ability to entertain while relentlessly pushing boundaries. The statement came early in the league stage, when they opened their season against Srinagar by posting a then-record team total of 136 runs — setting the benchmark for the tournament. Rather than settling, the side raised the bar again later in the league, smashing 149 runs against the same opponents to register the highest team total of ISPL Season 3. That performance also produced the biggest win in league history, as the Tiigers stormed to a 93-run victory. The intent carried seamlessly into the knockouts, where they piled up 124 runs against Mumbai in the Eliminator — underlining a fearless, crowd-pulling brand of cricket that made the Tiigers one of the most entertaining teams of the season. Captain Bhavesh Pawar praised the collective effort and support from the ownership, adding, “This season has been about unity and clarity. Every player understood their role and stepped up when the team needed it most. I’d like to thank Aksha ma’am and the entire management for backing us throughout — that trust allowed us to play with freedom and confidence. While the final didn’t go our way, the way this team fought and grew together is something we’re proud of”. With historic totals, landmark individual achievements and a return to the final, ISPL Season 3 stands as a defining chapter for Tiigers of Kolkata — a campaign that reaffirmed the franchise’s identity as one of the league’s most competitive and forward-looking teams. 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.
09 February,2026 07:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Oman, Zimbabwe emerged victorious by eight wickets at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. While chasing a target of 104 runs, Zimbabwe posted 106 runs for the loss of two wickets in 13.3 overs. Opening batsman Brian Bennett played an unbeaten knock of 48 runs off 36 deliveries, which was laced with seven boundaries. Fellow opening batsman Tadiwanashe Marumani scored 21 runs in 11 balls, including five boundaries. Dion Myers was dismissed on a two-ball duck. Wicketkeeper-batsman Brendan Taylor retired hurt on 31 runs. His innings of 30 balls also included three boundaries. Captain Sikandar Raza stayed unbeaten in five runs off two balls, including a boundary. Oman's Safyan Mehmood managed to claim two wickets by conceding 12 runs in three overs. Fausal Shah, Shakeel Ahmad, Nadeem Khan, Wasim Ali, Jitenkumar Ramanandi, and Karam Sonavale went wicketless in the clash. Having put to bat first, Oman was bowled out for just 103 runs in 19.5 overs. Opening batsman Aamir Kaleem scored five runs in seven balls, including a boundary. Skipper Jatinder Singh also scored five runs in five balls, with the help of a boundary. Hammad Mirza and Karan Sonavale departed on five and six-ball ducks. Wasim Ali scored three runs in eight balls. Sufyan Mehmood accumulated 25 runs in 39 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Wicketkeeper-batsman Vinayak Shukla garnered 28 runs in 21 balls, laced with four boundaries. Jitenkumar Ramanandi returned to the pavilion after scoring one run off three balls. Nadeem Khan smashed 20 runs off 18 deliveries, including a boundary and a maximum. Zimbabwe's Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, and Brad Evans claimed three wickets each. Captain Sikandar Raza also bagged one wicket. Having bowled four overs each, Ngarava was smashed for 17 runs, whereas Muzarabani conceded 16 runs. Evans, in his spell of 3.5 overs, leaked 18 runs. Raza also gave away 17 runs in four overs. Brian Bennett and Wellington Masakadza went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Zimbabwe. In two overs, Bennett leaked 18 runs, and Masakadza gave away 12 runs.
09 February,2026 06:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands, Pakistan's premier batsman Babar Azam scored 15 runs in 18 balls, with the help of a boundary. Speaking about his performance, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting stated that by playing such a knock, the batsman not only puts pressure on himself, but also on the non-striker. "If you're 15 off 18 balls, you're not just putting pressure on yourself, you're putting pressure on the guy at the other end," he said. "The guy at the other end then knows that he's got to be the one to take up the boundary scoring. Babar needs to hit boundaries early on. He needs to get off and going, he needs two boundaries in his first six balls, otherwise the whole momentum of the game is going to change every time he goes in," added Ponting. He then feels that Babar has lost his ball-striking ability and said that the "Green Shirts" will need the best version of him, going further in the global showpiece. "It just looks to me like he's lost a bit of his power, his ball striking ability, like taking that spinner on the way he did and not being able to even go close to clearing it. I defended him at the start of the tournament, a big name player in a big event experience, you need (those players) in your side if you're going to win. Pakistan need the best version of Babar Azam if they're going to go further in this tournament," said the former cricketer. Further speaking, Ponting feels that the right-handed batsman should bat at number three and explained the reason, saying that the players coming to bat after him have enough power to strike the ball. "I would even think about batting him at No.3. I think the earlier he goes in, if he can get some time inside the Powerplay with the field up, I think that's going to help him because if he has just lost that little bit of power, then you need everything in your favour. So, having only two fielders out would help him. The guys that (are) batting after him have got plenty of power anyway. They can take advantage of those middle overs with the spinners on and the fielders out," he said. "They've got a big decision to make whether he stays in or whether they leave him out," Ponting concluded. The "Green Shirts", however, managed to secure a win by three wickets against the Netherlands. They will now lock horns with the United States of America (USA) on February 10 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan (WK), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay (WK), Usman Tariq. (With ANI Inputs)
09 February,2026 05:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs the T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway in India and Sri Lanka, US President Donald Trump has extended his best wishes to the national team by saying, "America is rooting for you!". "I just heard the Cricket World Cup is underway in India! I wish the best of luck to TEAM USA! We have a very strong team. America is rooting for you!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, the United States of America (USA) is placed in Group A of the tournament, along with teams such as India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and Namibia. The side is being led by Monank Patel. They lost their tournament-opening clash against Team India by 29 runs. During the match, the "Men in Blue" posted a total of 161 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav played a fiery knock of 84 runs off 49 deliveries, which was laced with 10 boundaries and four maximums. USA's Shadley van Schalkwyk bagged four wickets by conceding 25 runs in four overs. Harmeet Singh also returned with the figures of two wickets for 26 runs in four overs. Ali Khan and Mohammad Mohsin also claimed one wicket each. Later, while chasing a target of 162 runs, the USA's team managed to post 132 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Shubham Ranjane scored 37 runs each, but failed to help their team cruise to victory. Team India's Mohammed Siraj registered three wickets, followed by Arshdeep Singh (2), Axar Patel (2), and Varun Chakaravarthy (1). T20 World Cup 2026: USA's upcoming clash and full squad for the marquee event The USA will now lock horns with Pakistan in their upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match on February 10 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. USA squad for T20 World Cup: Monank Patel (captain), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane. (With ANI Inputs)
09 February,2026 04:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAmid the uncertainty over the T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that the Indian board has left the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and will follow the decision that the global body takes. "We have left everything on the ICC. We will follow whatever decision the ICC takes," he said. Earlier, Pakistan had announced that its national team would not play the group stage match against India. The T20 World Cup 2026 match between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Pakistan's decision was reportedly taken in support of Bangladesh, as they had expressed unwillingness to travel to India for the marquee event. Earlier, former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly expressed surprise at Pakistan's decision, adding that every point is crucial in the global showpiece. "Backing out of a World Cup for what? They are playing in Sri Lanka, in any case. I am surprised Pakistan is backing out. In a World Cup, every point is important," he said. So far in the T20 World Cup 2026, India and Pakistan have played one match each. The "Men in Blue" are topping Group A with a net run rate (NRR) of +1.450 and two points, whereas Pakistan is placed second with a net run rate (NRR) of +0.240 and two points. The "Green Shirts" will lock horns against the United States of America (USA) on February 10 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. On the other hand, the "Men in Blue" will take on Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Additionally, considering Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav's fiery knock in the previous match, it will be interesting to see if he continues to deliver performances for the team. T20 World Cup squad for India Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (With ANI Inputs)
09 February,2026 04:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWhile English fans were few at the Wankhede on Sunday, Nepal enjoyed massive support. Chetan Kesi, part of a group of 20 Nepal fans, especially flew down from Kathmandu. “We’re here to support Nepal. Our players are working hard and in future we will be an important team in the World Cup. There are around 3000 to 4000 fans here,” Kesi told mid-day. Meanwhile, English couple Garry and Clare Pheasey from Manchester are enjoying the cricket as well as looking forward to celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on February 10 here. “I remember, immediately after our wedding in 2021, we went to Sri Lanka to watch England play cricket and now we’re here to see England again,” said Clare.
09 February,2026 10:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureNepal almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets against England at this T20 World Cup at Wankhede on Sunday before the two-time champions managed to eke out a close four-run win. The Rohit Paudel-led Nepal side put up a strong fight, chasing 184-7. With 46 needed off the last 18 balls, No. 6 batter Lokesh Bam (39 not out off 20 balls) smashed pacer Jofra Archer (1-42) for two consecutive sixes in a 22-run over. With 24 required off the last 12 balls, left-arm pacer Luck Wood (1-31) conceded 14 runs off the 19th over, leaving Nepal needing 10 off the last six balls. Left-arm pacer Sam Curran (1-27), however, used all his experience, bowling some perfect yorkers to concede just five runs. Will Jacks All-rounder Will Jacks, who scored 39 not out off 18 balls and claimed 1-17 with his off-spin, admitted the win was a huge relief. “Relief and happiness. We came into this game to win, and we did. Job done. But it’s also part of preparation for what’s to come because we know we’ll be in similar situations again,” Jacks said at the post-match press conference. When asked to assess the contest, Jacks said, “Full credit to Nepal. They were outstanding in the field and their running between the wickets was excellent — they just kept coming.” There was a 17,000-strong crowd at the Wankhede and majority were cheering for Nepal. Nepal pacer Nandan Yadav, who claimed 2-25, said, “Matches like this are good for us and for the crowd as well. It shows that our standard is going up.” Dipendra Singh Airee (44 off 29 balls), captain Rohit Paudel (39) were Nepal’s other key contributors. Earlier, England posted 184-7, thanks to half-tons by Jacob Bethell (55) and skipper Harry Brook (53).
09 February,2026 10:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureOne of the easiest, and laziest, explanations for Saturday’s escape to victory is complacency and arrogance. It’s tempting to attribute India’s spectacular collapse to a feeling of superiority against an honest but not-too-threatening United States attack, but that can’t be farther from the truth. As Axar Patel, the vice-captain, acknowledged more than once after the 29-run victory in their World Cup opener, this wasn’t the usual Wankhede Stadium strip, benign but true and of even bounce. Right from the first over from Saurabh Netravalkar, it was apparent that there was reasonable juice in the form of considerable lateral movement, but that wasn’t the only threat to batters. The ball often sat in the pitch, making hitting through the line fraught with danger. There was grip and turn for the spinners. For batters accustomed to shirtfronts, these were different but not insurmountable challenges. India didn’t try to brazen or muscle their way out of trouble. They scaled down their expectations of the par score very early in the piece, and largely played the ball on its merit in the Powerplay, until Shadley van Schalkwyk picked up three wickets in five deliveries in the sixth over with different kinds of balls. These things can happen when one hasn’t encountered such tracks too often. India were quick to understand what was happening but too slow to adapt. Fortunately for them, Suryakumar Yadav was around, using his legendary calm and poise to resuscitate a gasping, floundering innings from 77-6. Having bossed over South Africa and New Zealand in the last two months, this was a wake-up call of sorts. India will be thankful, having bagged the two points, that it came this early on in the tournament; it should facilitate being quicker on their mental feet so that there is no encore, which will be punished by a more established and experienced outfit. Boss Gambhir hails Surya’s masterclass India head coach Gautam Gambhir hailed Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning knock of an unbeaten 84 against the USA as a “masterclass”, calling it one of the finest T20I innings played under pressure. SixNo of wickets India lost for just 77 runs — their third-lowest score at the fall of the sixth wicket in T20 World Cups, after an identical 42-6 against Australia in 2010 and New Zealand in 2016
09 February,2026 10:05 AM IST | Mumbai | R KaushikADVERTISEMENT
