Skipper Radha Yadav produced an excellent all-round effort to power India A into the final of the Women's Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup with a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka A here on Friday. Sri Lanka elected to bat after winning the toss, but the decision backfired spectacularly. The Indian bowlers, led by Radha, ran through the line-up to bowl them out for a paltry 118. The left-arm spinner returned with fine figures of 4 for 19. She was ably supported by another left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar (2/20) and leg-spinner Prema Rawat (2/9). For Sri Lanka, opener Sanjana Kavindi (31, 35b) offered a token fight. The Lankans were placed at 71 for two in the 10th over but could not counter the Indian spinners from that point, losing the remaining eight wickets for 47 runs in a little over nine overs. The only bright spot in their innings was a 36-run alliance between Kavindi and fellow opener Hansima Karunaratne (14). India did not have too many moments of worry during the chase, apart from losing three wickets for 21 runs at ne stage. That included top-scorer Vrinda Dinesh (42). But with Radha making an unbeaten 31 off 18 balls with seven fours, India sauntered past the rages in 13.3 overs. In the final, India will face the winner of the other semifinal between Bangladesh and Pakistan which will be played later in the day. Brief scores: Sri Lanka A Women: 118 all out in 19.4 overs (Sanjana Kavindi 31; Radha Yadav 4/19, Prema Rawat 2/9, Tanuja Kanwar 2/20) lost to India A Women: 119/5 in 13.3 overs (Vrinda Dinesh 42, Radha Yadav 31 not out; Shashini Gimhani 2/33) by 5 wickets. 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
21 February,2026 10:27 AM IST | Bangkok | PTIIndia will need their batting big guns to fire collectively against an experienced Australian bowling group in the third and final women's T20 International to seal a historic maiden series triumph Down Under, here on Saturday. Despite registering a few victories in the past, the Indian women are yet to score a bilateral series win in Australia across all three formats. To change that script, India need a better batting effort here and it starts from openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Both Smriti and Shafali got starts but failed to kick on, impeding India's relatively easy-looking chase of 164 in the second match. The veteran Aussie trio of Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux exploited that opening, getting rid of five Indian batters for a mere seven runs to wreck the chase. But the Adelaide pitch offers a lot more trueness than its counterpart at Canberra, and the Indian batters should be able to trust their pick-up shots here. An excellent outfield also adds value to the drive here. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh love the ball coming on to the bat, and they can expect some assistance here. However, the smooth nature of the ground also puts an onus on Indian pacers -- Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Goud and Amanjot Kaur -- to be steady in their lines, as the Aussie batters can quite ruthlessly exploit any slack. In that context, no one is a bigger threat than young and prolific Georgia Voll, who has seamlessly taken over the opening role from the now-retired Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy. Those are massive shoes to fill, but the 22-year-old has been nothing less than remarkable so far. The Indian pacers will have to stop Voll in her tracks, and the spinners -- Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani -- too need to chip in during the middle overs. It is mandatory to keep the range-hitters Sutherland and Ash Gardner and the innovative Phoebe Litchfield quiet post the Powerplay segment. 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
21 February,2026 10:25 AM IST | Adelaide | PTIMumbai-based former Jammu & Kashmir pacer Deepak Pandit believes J&K’s maiden entry into the Ranji Trophy final is extra special given the snow factor in the region restricts year-round training. “It’s really tough to practice throughout the year as there is snow for almost six months in Kashmir. That’s why this achievement [maiden Ranji final entry] is a dream come true for cricketers from the region. J&K have been consistent performers in the last few years, and I have no doubt that we will beat Karnataka in the final [beginning in Hubballi on February 24],” Pandit, who represented the J&K senior team between 1982 and 1988 after coming through the ranks in the U-19 and U-22 age groups besides playing for North Zone, told mid-day after pacer Auqib Nabi’s nine-wicket match haul (5-87 and 4-36) helped J&K beat Bengal by six wickets in the Ranji semi-final at Kalyani on Wednesday. Pandit, who currently represents the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) on the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Apex Council, also credited BCCI chief Mithun Manhas for the J&K team’s success. “Credit should go to Mithun Manhas too as he has made a big difference in J&K cricket. Before becoming BCCI chief, he was an administrator [in JKCA] for five, six years during which he worked a lot for the region’s cricket and cricketers. Head coach Ajay Sharma also deserves credit for this achievement,” Pandit concluded.
21 February,2026 10:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureOpener Yashasvi Jaiswal may not be part of India’s squad at the ongoing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, but he’s still grabbing plenty of eyeballs halfway around the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yashasvi Jaiswal (@yashasvijaiswal28) The southpaw Instagrammed pictures, roaming around London, while wearing a black cardigan with a blue sweater underneath. He was even seen sporting a moustache. Jaiswal’s post earned a whopping six lakh-plus ‘likes.’ He will next be seen in action at the IPL, which begins on March 26, playing for Rajasthan Royals.
21 February,2026 10:23 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentFormer India skipper Rohit Sharma has got an IPL hat-trick up his sleeve — for Deccan Chargers in 2009 (4-6 vs MI) — but on Friday, the 38-year-old showed that he’s equally adept at handling three balls at once. In an Instagram story posted by the opener, Rohit can be seen showing off his juggling skills with three plastic balls, at what looks like a kid’s play area. Interestingly, Rohit, who retired from T20Is after leading the Men in Blue to glory at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, is juggling two roles. Besides being an international cricketer, he is also ICC’s brand ambassador for this T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
21 February,2026 10:21 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentEightNo. of times India have scored 200 or more against South Africa in T20Is, all while batting first FourNo. of times SA have scored more then 200 against India while batting second; three of those have come in a losing cause ZeroNo. of times India have won a T20I against SA while chasing 200 or more, in their three previous meetings 283-1Runs scored by India against SA in Johannesburg in 2024; this remains the highest T20I innings total between the two nations ThreeNo. of times Arshdeep Singh has dismissed an opener in the first over in his last five T20s vs SA (including the T20 World Cup warm-up match) 70.85Tilak Varma’s average (minimum four T20Is) against SA — the highest among players from both countries in T20Is. Tilak also holds the record for the most runs scored by an Indian vs SA in T20Is (496 in 10 matches) 100India’s winning percentage in the last five T20Is at Ahmedabad — they have beaten England twice and registered one win each against New Zealand, SA and the Netherlands EightNo. of times India have batted first in nine T20Is in Ahmedabad — they won six of those matches ThreeNo. of times India have posted above 200 in the last four T20Is in Ahmedabad, with their highest being 234-4 against New Zealand in 2023 23No. of wickets claimed by India pacer Arshdeep against SA — the highest among players from both teams in T20Is
21 February,2026 08:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan KoliAll that Abhishek Sharma needs is a start, but there hasn't been any discussion about the talented opener's wretched run in the T20 World Cup so far, bowling coach Morne Morkel said ahead of India's first Super Eights game against South Africa here on Sunday. Abhishek is yet to open his account in the current edition of the tournament and during Friday's training, he was seen spending considerable time with head coach Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir was seen trying to explain to him certain finer points and like a diligent student, the flamboyant southpaw nodded in agreement. After that he went for a high catch session. At times, excess training can prove to be counter productive and Abhishek was seen bowling to the other batters for better part of the game. When asked if there's discussion in general within the team on Abhishek, Morkel denied emphatically. "Absolutely no discussion. He's a world class player. So far in the tournament, luckily, there's been some guys standing up for Abhishek (others scoring runs)," Morkel told the media. However, he agreed that Abhishek needs to score runs as they enter the business end of the tourney. "But we're going through a very important phase of the World Cup now and we expect him to do well. "And I'm pretty sure, not just for the team, but also for all the viewers watching the game. Because he's (Abhishek) entertaining, and we love to see that. "So yeah, I'm pretty sure he's hitting the ball well. It's just a matter of getting that start and Abhishek will get going," Morkel 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
21 February,2026 08:02 AM IST | Ahmedabad | PTIHaving missed the first three overs of the Netherlands’s chase on Wednesday night, Abhishek Sharma was stationed at a wide slip when Jasprit Bumrah walk-ran in to kick off the fourth over here. Max O’Dowd, the tall opener who had no clue what was flying out of Bumrah’s right hand, essayed an optimistic drive to a length ball that snaked away and caught his outside edge. Abhishek went flying to his left, two-handed, and got a nice piece of the ball in his palms, but the white orb somehow slipped out of his grasp and clanged onto the turf. As the camera unforgivingly focussed on him, Abhishek buried his face in the same palms that had just let him down. A melange of emotions must have been flooding through his troubled mind; after all, when it rains, it truly pours. The left-handed opener came into the T20 World Cup as India’s chief enforcer. With a strike-rate hovering close to 200 and a wonderfully uncluttered game and mind as his ally, Abhishek had rapidly scaled the ladder to become the No. 1 T20I batter in the world. Teams quivered at the prospect of having to bowl to him first up, because they had seen and experienced the carnage he was capable of. Three innings and eight deliveries into the World Cup, Abhishek is still searching for his first runs. The clanger off O’Dowd was the latest — he will be hoping the last — in a series of misadventures that is bound to have a massive impact on him mentally, but which he must quickly put behind him with the business end of the tournament approaching. A first-baller against USA in Mumbai, a night in the hospital to address a stomach infection, and two outs to off-spin against Pakistan and Netherlands, paint the perfect picture of a tale of woe and misfortune. A hat-trick of ducks in the last fortnight, and five blobs in seven T20I hits in 2026, must be difficult to deal with, but Abhishek, 25, is fortunate to be surrounded by love and undisputed backing. If there is one thing he must guard against, it should be the tendency to overthink and beat himself up too much. There’s nothing he can do to remedy the past, but a new phase beckons from Sunday. Abhishek can still make the Super Eights his stage because class will out, and the young man is nothing if not pure class. 173.91Abhishek Sharma’s strike-rate in T20Is vs SA; the left-hander has amassed 200 runs off 115 balls
21 February,2026 08:01 AM IST | Ahmedabad | R KaushikThe Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) chairman Dr GK Mahantesh believes the BCCI’s commitment towards supporting blind cricket will not only ease the struggles of the players, but will also lift the level of their game. In a statement released on Friday, CABI said that “BCCI has committed support to the men’s and women’s national teams, focussing on providing international travel and accommodation for two overseas tournaments annually, accommodation for home and visiting teams in bilateral series in India and access to BCCI-supported stadiums and grounds for domestic and international fixtures.” When the Deepika TC-led Indian blind team won the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka last November, the CABI chairman had told mid-day about the team’s struggles to find sponsors. On Friday, he heaved a sigh of relief. “This was long-awaited and has finally happened. We are thankful to BCCI and to [ICC chief] Jay Shah for valuing the journey of our cricketers. BCCI’s support will reduce the struggle on our shoulders and also of our players. We can now focus more on the game’s development and our teams will also add value by performing better,” Mahantesh told mid-day.
21 February,2026 08:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureNew Zealand middle-order batter Mark Chapman banked on the familiarity factor to tame the mystery spinner Usman Tariq-led Pakistan bowling unit in their T20 World Cup Group 2 Super 8s match here on Saturday. Since 2024 August, New Zealand have played Pakistan in 20 bilateral matches across ODIs and T20Is, and Chapman averred that those games have given his side a good understanding of Pakistan's attack. "Obviously, Usman Tariq has a pretty unique action with the way that he stops at the crease, so I mean that's something to factor in. But for us, Pakistan have a number of really good spinners, so each of them poses their own threat," said Chapman in the pre-match press conference here on Friday. "So, Pakistan is one of the teams that we've played probably the most frequently over the last few years. So, we're well aware of what they're going to bring. It's just about making sure we're really clear in the way that we want to play as a team," he added. NZ players celebrate a wicket vs Canada recently. Pic/PTI Chapman also conceded that New Zealand bowlers will have to rethink their tactics on the Sri Lankan pitches, slower than their Indian counterparts. "I think in India we've seen that the pitches on - particularly on red soil - have been favourable for batting. So, it's been pretty tough for the bowlers. The margins have been pretty small. "I mean, you've seen a lot of games nearing that 200 score regularly. I think the bowlers have certainly had a little bit of a challenge. But here it's slightly different with the slower nature of the pitches. The bowlers will, hopefully, get a chance to really show off their skills," he said. "I know that spin is probably more likely to play a part here in particular. So, yeah, we'll just wait and see what the pitch looks like." However, the 31-year-old batter hoped being stationed in Colombo for all their Super Eights matches would work in favour of the Kiwis. "I think, when you play in these tournaments, one of the challenges is hopping from venue to venue and adapting. I guess playing all three games here, we'll learn each game as we go. Mark Chapman "I think for us, it's quite nice to be able to turn up to the same place and the same venue, similar pitches and adjust. So I think, yeah, certainly something that we're not complaining about," he noted. Chapman also allayed fitness concerns around Mitchell Santner after an unwell New Zealand skipper missed the previous match against Canada on Tuesday. "Mitch Santner, he looks pretty sprightly, so I think he's pretty excited to get back to the park. Barring any last minute sickness, I think he'll be there. Obviously, Lockie (Ferguson on parental leave) has left us. "I think he's currently on the way back, and I think he's landing potentially soon. So we'll just see how he pulls up from the flight," he said. 15No. of T20Is New Zealand and Pakistan have played since 2024 41No. of times NZ and Pakistan have faced each other across formats between October 2022 and April 2025 23-24Head-to-head between NZ and Pakistan in 49 T20Is — two games ended in no result 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
21 February,2026 07:59 AM IST | Colombo | PTIIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Oman, Australia emerged victorious by nine wickets at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. Having put to chase a target of 105 runs, Australia scored 108 runs for the loss of one wicket in 9.4 overs. Opening the innings, skipper Mitchell Marsh played an unbeaten knock of 64 runs off just 33 deliveries, which was laced with seven boundaries and four maximums. Fellow opening batsman Travis Head smashed 32 runs in just 19 balls, including six boundaries. Wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis scored an unbeaten 12 runs, which came in six balls, with the help of two boundaries. Oman's Shakeel Ahmad managed to pick up one wicket for 29 runs in four overs. Shafiq Jan, Jay Odedara, Wasim Ali, and Jitenkumar Ramanandi went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Australia. Having put to bat first, Oman was bowled out for 104 runs in 16.2 overs. Opening the innings, Aamir Kaleem was dismissed on a one-ball duck. Skipper Jatinder Singh scored 17 runs in 15 balls, including three boundaries. Karan Sonavale managed to score 12 runs after facing 11 balls, and also smashed two boundaries. Hammad Mirza accumulated 16 runs in 13 balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Wasim Ali played a knock of 32 runs off 33 deliveries, which was laced with four boundaries. Mohammad Nadeem and Wicketkeeper-batsman Vinayak Shukla were dismissed on two and nine balls, respectively. Nadeem's innings included three balls, whereas Shukla's innings of eight balls included a boundary. Jitenkumar Ramanandi and Shakeel Ahmad registered one and three runs, respectively. Ramanandi faced three balls, and Ahmad played seven deliveries. Shafiq Jan was also dismissed on a one-ball duck. Jay Odedara stayed unbeaten on four runs off three balls, including a boundary. Australia's Adam Zampa returned with the figures of four wickets for 21 runs in 3.2 overs. Glenn Maxwell and Xavier Bartlett bagged two wickets each. Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Ellis also chipped in with one wicket each. Cameron Green went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Oman. T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: Group 1 and 2 teams The match also marked the last clash of the group stage. The T20 World Cup 2026 will now proceed to its Super 8 stage, with Group 1 consisting of teams India, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Group 2 include teams England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
20 February,2026 09:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
