Team India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has completed five years in international cricket. Speaking about the completion of five years, the Indian skipper, who led the "Men in Blue" to their third T20 World Cup title, said, "Wearing the India jersey is a feeling I can still never fully put into words". "5 years ago, a dream turned into reality. Wearing the India jersey is a feeling I can still never fully put into words. Here's to many more memories that we're going to create, for team India," he wrote on his official social media handle. 5 years ago, a dream turned into reality. Wearing the India jersey is a feeling I can still never fully put into words 🇮🇳Here’s to many more memories that we’re going to create, for team 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/qhis2f44tQ — Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) March 14, 2026 The right-handed batsman made his debut in international cricket on March 14, 2021, at the age of 30 years and 181 days. It was a bilateral T20I match against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. At the same venue, Suryakumar led his team to the third-shortest format world title. With this, India became the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles. The "Men in Blue" also became the first team to defend their title on home soil. The Mumbai-born cricketer did not bat in the debut match, but in the fourth T20I match against the "Three Lions", the right-handed batsman smashed Jofra Archer for a maximum, facing his first delivery in international cricket. The journey has been a remarkable one for the Indian skipper after that. In the last five years, he has made 3272 T20I runs in 113 matches with the help of four centuries and 25 half-centuries. He is the third in the list of the leading run-scorers for India in the shortest format, only after Rohit Sharma (4231) and Virat Kohli (4188). He made his ODI debut on July 18, 2021, against Sri Lanka in Colombo, and his Test debut against Australia in Nagpur in 2023, making him the first Indian to debut in all three formats after turning 30. The 35-year-old was also named the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022 just a year after making his international debut. (With ANI Inputs)
14 March,2026 12:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai has always contributed quality players to a World Cup-winning India side and the recent successful campaign which ended in the Men in Blue becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup thrice and also the first team to defend its title on home turf, was no different. Mumbai men — skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube — made significant contributions and Mumbai Cricket Association President Ajinkya Naik is an extremely proud man when he proclaims this. Mumbai power “Mumbai has always produced champions for Indian cricket and this World Cup was no different. It was very satisfying to see Mumbai’s invaluable contribution to the national team again. While Suryakumar led the team brilliantly with both bat and his accurate on-field strategies, Dube delivered time and again with his power-hitting in crunch situations,” Naik, who accompanied the duo as they paid a visit to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence on Wednesday, tells mid-day. Critics have often pulled Suryakumar down for not scoring the tons of runs he’s known for, while Dube has also been criticised for not delivering consistently with the ball. However, Naik insisted that delivering under pressure is what matters most and that’s exactly what this duo have thrived on. “I’ve been closely watching both Surya and Shivam excel under pressure right from the first season of the T20 Mumbai League [TML] in 2016. They were in different teams and almost single-handedly performed consistently. To cite a couple of examples, I’ve seen Surya’s team get off to poor starts and struggling at around 30-5, but then he comes in and blasts away, eventually taking the team total to around 190. Shivam, on the other hand, has won so many matches in the TML with his big shots late, down the order. I remember one particular match. His team needed six runs off the last ball and he clobbered the ball into the Wankhede stands so effortlessly. This is why I was always confident that these two would thrive in pressure situations at the T20 World Cup. Surya’s 49-ball 84 not out in India’s campaign-opener against USA, when the hosts were in spot of bother, and Shivam’s eight-ball 26 to take the Indian total past 250 in the final, are examples of just this — thriving under pressure,” explained Naik, under whose leadership the MCA has been awarded the Best State Association in domestic cricket for the third consecutive year by the BCCI. MCA planning felicitation The MCA chief is now planning a felicitation function for Mumbai’s star cricketers, both men and women. “We are planning an awards function where we will felicitate all the Mumbai players, who were part of India’s women’s ODI World Cup-winning team, the men’s U-19 World Cup-winning team, and of course the T20 World Cup-winning side. We are currently looking at the availability of all the players and will announce the date accordingly,” Naik signed off. Seven Mumbaikars helped Team India! MCA President Ajinkya Naik has told mid-day that it was not just two Mumbaikars, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, who helped Team India excel at the T20 World Cup but, in fact, seven. “The other five members were part of the Indian team’s support staff. Team manager Sumeet Mallapurkar, liaison officer Khaja Mubassiruddin, media manager Anand Subramaniam, team doctor Dr Rizwan Khan and content producer Ameya Tilak are the other Mumbaikars who have contributed behind the scenes towards the team’s success. We are proud of all of them,” said Naik. This World Cup trophy belongs to entire India: Skipper Suryakumar Captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed heartfelt gratitude to fans after India’s triumphant campaign, dedicating the title to millions of supporters who stood beside the team. “Dear Team India fans, a heartfelt thank you. We exist because of your support and blessings. This World Cup trophy belongs to the whole of India,” Suryakumar said in a video released by the BCCI on Friday. 59.50Percentage of runs Suryakumar scored through boundaries; he smashed 21 fours and 10 sixes during his 242-run T20 World Cup campaign 39.16Shivam Dube’s average in the just-concluded T20 World Cup — the second-best for India after Sanju Samson (80.25) 24No of runs smashed by Shivam Dube off James Neesham in the 20th over of Sunday’s final — the most runs scored by India in the last over of a World Cup final
14 March,2026 09:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroIndia’s spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were re-united, though this time not on the cricket field, but at the Haldi Ceremony of the left-arm wrist-spinner. In a video Instagrammed by Chahal on Friday, he is seen applying haldi on his former teammate and recent T20 World Cup winner. Chahal captioned the post: “Mere yaar ki shaadi hai,” referencing the popular Bollywood film. The post received over two lakh ‘likes’ in the span of one hour. 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
14 March,2026 09:32 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesFormer India spinner Harbhajan Singh could not resist adding a hint of cheekiness to a sweet message shared with wife Geeta Basra on her 42nd birthday on Friday. Harbhajan Instagrammed a series of pictures alongside Geeta and captioned it: “Happy birthday to the woman who makes my life beautiful…and my wallet lighter. Love you forever. May you continue to rise, shine and be blessed with everything your heart desires.” 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
14 March,2026 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThree-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday announced the signing of lanky Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani ahead of the IPL season, with the fast bowler pulling out of the Pakistan Super League, which will run concurrently. The right-arm pacer was the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, where Zimbabwe reached the knockout stage. 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
14 March,2026 09:19 AM IST | Kolkata | PTIFormer India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra believes that Rohit Sharma should remain on the field for the entire duration of a T20 match instead of being used as an Impact Player by the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). “Logically, if you are fit, you should play the whole game and not be substituted. Especially when you are batting second, you shouldn’t come in as an impact player. An opener is not used to watching 20 overs of the match from the dugout,” Chopra told JioHotstar. “Opening batters are used to staying on the field, preparing accordingly and then hitting the ground running. Rohit Sharma is the fittest, meanest and maybe the strongest at this point in time, so he should be on the ground for all 40 overs. That’s actually how Mumbai Indians will be able to make full use of Rohit Sharma,” he added. 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
14 March,2026 09:15 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSThe BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Friday downplayed the acquisition of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds during The Hundred auction, saying the development in an “overseas league” is beyond the board’s ambit. The Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Chennai-based media conglomerate Sun Group, on Thursday signed Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar during The Hundred player auction, making him the first Pakistan cricketer to be picked by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament. “It doesn’t concern us. It’s not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other overseas leagues, we have nothing to do with it,” Shukla told PTI. The franchise paid GBP 190,000 (approximately Rs 2.34 crore) for Abrar after a bidding contest with Trent Rockets. The tournament will be held from July 21 to August 16. Sunrisers Leeds faced backlash following Abrar’s signing, with the team’s X account suspended briefly. 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
14 March,2026 09:10 AM IST | New Delhi | PTITeam India's swashbuckling opening batsman Abhishek Sharma visited the famous Katra Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu. His visit came after Team India's historic triumph in the T20 World Cup 2026. He shared a post on his official social media handle with a caption, "Jai Mata di". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Abhishek Sharma (@abhisheksharma_4) In the picture, he is seen standing on the pilgrimage route with a tilak on his forehead. The cricketer also dressed in a white kurta-pyjama. In the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand, the left-handed batsman played a crucial role by smashing 52 runs in 21 balls. His knock also included six boundaries and three maximums. In the initial phase of the tournament, he struggled to find himself among the runs, but showcased his best knock in the title clash. Riding on his performance, Abhishek also retained his top ranking in the latest ICC Men's T20I batting rankings, which were updated by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The 25-year-old cricketer will now feature in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). So far, the schedule of only the first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. The cash-rich league is all set to kick off from March 28. The first match of the IPL 2026 is set to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Full Squads Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale. (With ANI Inputs)
13 March,2026 09:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn The Hundred player auction, the Sunrisers Leeds became the first Indian-owned franchise to pick Pakistan cricketer Abrar Ahmed. The franchise, which is owned by Chennai-based media conglomerate Sun Group, purchased his services for approximately Rs 2.34 crore. Speaking about the move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla stated that the board has nothing to do with the acquisition of the Pakistani player in other global leagues. "It doesn't concern us. It's not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other overseas leagues, we have nothing to do with it," he told PTI. The franchise also faced backlash following Abrar's signing, with the team's X account suspended briefly. It was suspended just hours after the team signed Abrar. The platform did not provide a precise explanation for it, but said "Account suspended" when trying to open it. After Usman Tariq, who was acquired by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000 (about Rs 1.72 crore), Abrar was the second Pakistani player sold at the auction. However, the Phoenix franchise is not connected to the IPL and has American owners. No franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has signed any Pakistani player since 2009 due to strained relations between India and Pakistan. Abrar's acquisition did not go down well with the fans, who reacted on the Sunrisers Leeds official X account. Several fans took to social media and criticised the Sunrisers franchise and the owner, Kavya Maran, for signing a Pakistani player amidst the ongoing tensions between the two nations. Sunrisers team owner, Kavya Maran, was present at the Hundred auction, accompanied by former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori. Before the auction, there were rumours about whether any Indian owned side would sign a Pakistani player, but Sunrisers Leeds' acquisition of Ahmed has added further fuel to the fire. IPL 2026: Tournament's opening match's date and venue On the other hand, the upcoming edition of IPL is all set to begin from March 28. So far, the schedule of only the first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. The first match of the IPL 2026 is set to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. (With PTI Inputs)
13 March,2026 09:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only the first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is all set to begin their campaign by playing a clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 30th at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. Speaking about Chennai, former Team India cricketer Piyush Chawla heaped praise on Sanju Samson by saying that he is a "match-winner". "Sanju Samson is a match-winner in himself. He proved his doubters wrong with three back-to-back impactful knocks against West Indies, England and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup," he said. He then feels that considering Samson's form just before the commencement of the cash-rich league will be great news for the Chennai-based franchise's fans. "CSK will be very happy with his form because Samson has peaked right before the start of the IPL. That is great news for their fans. Coming to Chennai, the way the wicket plays there will definitely suit his game. Opening the innings, his aggressive style will benefit CSK a lot," said Chawla. He then explained how Samson's inclusion will probably solve CSK's opening pair's problem. "Last season, they struggled to get quick starts. Only after Ayush Mhatre arrived did CSK start scoring runs in the Powerplay. Now, with Samson in, their opening problems will finally be solved. They need that experienced opener alongside Ayush Mhatre. Samson's trade move to CSK is going to be a blockbuster one," said the former cricketer. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side finished at the bottom of the points table last season after a paltry start to their campaign. But, they have formed a strong side in the mini-auction and are hopeful for a record sixth title this year. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings: Full squad Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar. (With ANI Inputs)
13 March,2026 06:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only the first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is all set to begin their campaign by playing a clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 30th at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. Speaking about CSK, former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan feels the team would be incomplete without the legendary MS Dhoni. He also stated that it would probably be the last time that fans may get to see Dhoni in the CSK's colours. "CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni. This season might be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey, and it's tough to imagine CSK and the IPL without him. This season, Dhoni will play an important role in bringing everyone together. I'm not sure how many games he will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot," he said. He then said that Sanju Samson's presence would benefit Chennai. The former cricketer also feels that the Chennai-based franchise will look to give Dhoni a perfect farewell by clinching their sixth title. "Sanju will benefit because he will be part of the leadership group as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the leader. But as a group, two or three guys are being groomed for the future. That is where MS Dhoni comes in. I hope he makes a difference. Questions about his fitness, batting position, and whether he will play all games will still come up. The CSK team management will take it step by step. They will definitely look to give him a perfect farewell by lifting their sixth IPL trophy," said Pathan. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings: Full squad Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar. (With ANI Inputs)
13 March,2026 05:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
