India captain Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that his team will fly to Colombo for their ICC T20 World Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 15, despite the latter deciding to boycott the fixture. “Hamari toh flight booked hai Colombo ki, aur ham toh jaa rahe hain... aur baaki udhar dekh lenge [our flight is booked for Colombo and we are going. Rest we will see there]. The discussion within the team is also clear. First, we will play the match on [February] 7 [vs USA]. Then we will go to New Delhi [for the match against Namibia on February 12], and after that we will go to Colombo,” Suryakumar said during the captains’ press conference at the BCCI headquarters at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Defending champions India are placed in Group A alongside USA, Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands, and will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the Monank Patel-led USA at Wankhede on Saturday. Continuing to speak on the Indo-Pak match boycott row, Suryakumar added: “Our mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no [to playing Pakistan]. They have. The ICC has given the fixture. Our flight is booked and we are going there [to Colombo].” After Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland for refusing to play in India citing security concerns, the Pakistan team received instructions from their government to skip the match against India. “It was their [Pakistan] decision, it’s not in my control. I wish I could take their decisions, but it’s their call. We have been told that we have to play a game there [in Colombo] on [February] 15. We played them three times in the Asia Cup [recently], we played some good cricket and won [all the matches]. Similarly, if we get an opportunity in Colombo, we will definitely play,” Suryakumar added. Pak PM: Decision to boycott India game appropriate, we are with Bangladesh Calling Pakistan’s boycott of their T20 World Cup match against India an “appropriate decision”, the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that it was a “considered stance” to support Bangladesh. Shehbaz Sharif Pakistan’s cricket team has been told by the government to skip the February 15 game in Colombo after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland for refusing to play its games in India on account of “security concerns”. “We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field,” Sharif stated after a government meeting here. “We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision. We are with Bangladesh,” he added. In response, Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul posted “Thank You, Pakistan” on his official Facebook page, while quoting Sharif’s statement.
06 February,2026 12:40 PM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureIn pursuit of a record-extending sixth title, the Indian U-19 team will bank on its swashbuckling batting line-up when it takes on a gritty England in what promises to be an evenly-matched summit clash of the ICC U-19 World Cup here on Friday. India’s successful chase of a massive total to humble Afghanistan in the semi-final where skipper Ayush Mhatre and opener Aaron George finally produced innings of substance, augurs well for the five-time champions. They now face another unbeaten team in England. India will be aware that England have reached this far after knocking out defending champions Australia and will be high on confidence. To pull off the win, India will need a collective performance befitting the quality in their line-up, studded with batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose firestorm approach has left opposition teams struggling for answers. The return to form of Mhatre has given India plenty to cheer about. Additionally, India’s pace attack of Deepesh Devendran, Henil Patel and RS Ambrish has stood up well so far, but the challenge could be sterner against an England side that thrives on pace bowling and will lean heavily on their prolific run-getter Ben Mayes, who is the second-highest run-scorer this tournament (399 runs). India’s road to the final >> vs USA: Won by 6 wickets>> vs Bangladesh: Won by 18 runs (DLS method)>> vs NZ: Won by 7 wickets (DLS method)>> vs Zimbabwe: Won by 204 runs>> vs Pakistan: Won by 58 runs>> vs Afghanistan: Won by seven wickets
06 February,2026 10:17 AM IST | Harare | PTISri Ma Vidyalaya (Thane) secured a hard-fought six-wicket win over St Joseph’s Convent High School (Bandra) to book their spot in the semi-finals of the girls U-16 Mumbai School Sports Association Manormaben Apte cricket tournament at Jolly Gymkhana (Vidyavihar) on Thursday. After electing to bat first, St Joseph’s found runs difficult to come by against a disciplined Sri Ma bowling unit and finished on 51-4 in their quota of 10 overs. Tanvita Yuvraja top scored with 25 off 21 balls. Kavya Bhagwat (1-22) and Vallari Deshmukh (1-24) were the pick of the bowlers for the Thane outfit. In reply, Sri Ma chased down the target for the loss of four wickets in 7.1 overs thanks to Deshmukh (22 off 34). IlIyana Lopez (2-22) and Rutuja Wande (2-28) were the standout bowlers for St Joseph’s.
06 February,2026 10:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamSuryakumar Yadav’s Men in Blue are favourites for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which begins in India and Sri Lanka on Saturday. And if the hosts manage to live up to expectations, Mumbai’s attacking batter will be the third Indian leader, after 2007 T20 World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni and reigning champion skipper Rohit Sharma, to win the T20 showpiece. Though India are the team in form, Suryakumar believes his side will need to bring their A game in every match of the tournament. “The way we have been playing, it looks like that [India are favourites to win the title], but on any given day, when you play a game, you have to bring your A game. You have to play good cricket. There are 19 other good teams in the competition too, and I’m sure every game will be fun,” Suryakumar said during the captains’ press conference at the BCCI headquarters at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. When told about Ricky Ponting’s team being known to play with an Australian mentality, and asked what his team’s mentality will be, Suryakumar replied: “Indian mentality. The kind of cricket we’ve been playing across the last year, we will try to play the same way. And if we play well, the result will also be on our side.” Besides India, two-time champions England are also among the favourites to clinch the coveted trophy, but skipper Harry Brook insists his team will take things one game at a time. “We have said from the start that we just want to take it game by game, stay in the moment as much as possible and see where we land in a couple of weeks. We are confident. We want to try and go all the way, obviously. We just have to stick to our guns and play the way we play. Stick to the process and hopefully, we will be there or thereabout,” Brook said.
06 February,2026 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureMumbai vs Karnataka in a Ranji Trophy match. It doesn’t get any better than this. And, if it’s in the knock-out stage, the stakes are even higher. Karnataka, who once stopped Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy title-winning streak at 15 in the 1970s, are determined to win their ninth title. It has been 11 seasons since Karnataka last won (in Mumbai when they defeated Tamil Nadu in the 2014-15 final). Karnataka haven’t made it to the final since. New skipper Padikkal Having made it to the quarter-final this season on the back of their newly-appointed captain Devdutt Padikkal’s breezy 120 not out against Punjab in their last league match when they were faced with a must-win situation, and boasting of a strong batting line-up, Karnataka will pose a major challenge to the home side that enjoys playing at the MCA-BKC ground. Mumbai have had outright wins more often than not here. Shardul Thakur Mumbai’s captain Shardul Thakur, back in the Ranji squad after missing the last two league matches due to a calf injury, is confident of his players rising up to the challenge posed by Karnataka’s line-up that boasts of Test batters KL Rahul, Karun Nair, and former Test opener Mayank Agarwal. “Two domestic giants playing each other will provide a good, competitive game. We want to challenge ourselves. We want to play good cricket, whichever team comes. Karnataka are a balanced team. They have won a lot of tournaments in the past few years. Their players are fairly experienced and know how to go about in the knockout games. So are our boys too. It’s going to be a tough game,” Thakur said on Thursday. Mumbai has been hit by injuries to key players this season. Only Siddhesh Lad, who is the fifth highest run-getter in this season (737 runs at 92.12), Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, gloveman Akash Anand and pacer Tushar Deshpande, have featured in all the seven games. Mumbai’s think-tank is hoping Sarfaraz is fit to play on Friday as he is down with ‘viral fever’. He has been unwell and hospitalised. A team official has said his test reports are negative and he is being monitored closely by doctors. Thakur added: “On Wednesday and Thursday, a few of the team members visited the hospital to see him. We’re hoping he will play.” Mumbai hold the edge Mumbai will believe they have the edge in familiar conditions, but they are also aware of the threat posed by Karnataka’s batters, besides their bowlers which include Test quick Prasidh Krishna, who enjoys the bounce of the BKC ground, and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, who has taken 37 wickets this season.
06 February,2026 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | G KrishnanA late withdrawal, an even later one-match boycott with potentially far-reaching ramifications and an air of unease, if not apprehension, is exactly the kind of build-up the latest edition of the T20 World Cup could have done without. Any World Cup is the flagship event of its discipline with the best in the world squaring off for top-dog status. But it is also meant to be a celebration of sporting excellence and of settling matters on the field. Unfortunately, that’s not the case ahead of the 10th edition of a tournament that has grown significantly since a modest beginning in South Africa in 2007. Bangladesh’s tit-for-tat at Kolkata Knight Riders withdrawing Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026, unquestionably under instructions, has triggered a standoff that has done no one any credit. Relations between India and Bangladesh have hit a new low in the last year and a half; once Mustafizur was dropped, Bangladesh demanded that their matches be moved out of India to Sri Lanka, the co-hosts, flagging security concerns. ICC’s conundrum The ICC, caught between a rock and a hard place, understandably turned down Bangladesh’s demand once it ascertained that those concerns were without basis, which led to Bangladesh pulling out and being replaced by Scotland. Pakistan, the other stormy petrel in this story, decided at a governmental level that while the team would travel to Colombo and play all other matches in its group, it would boycott the February 15 marquee showdown against India. It’s disappointing that these developments have dominated the narrative just two days out of the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday. Defending champions and firm favourites India will play the final game on the opening day, against the USA, at the Wankhede Stadium, where they lifted the 2011 World Cup. No host has won the T20 World Cup, nor has any side defended its crown. India, under Suryakumar Yadav, have scaled unprecedented heights in the last year and a half and will be hoping to buck the trend while becoming the first nation to annex the trophy for a third time. But they know that despite their powerful batting line-up and a versatile bowling unit spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, their task won’t be straightforward. Among those who will fancy their chances are two-time champions England, coming off a heartening rout of Sri Lanka in the latter’s backyard, and South Africa, last edition’s finalists. Of course, perennially in the mix will be the Antipodeans, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka will seek to maximise their familiarity with conditions. WI could spring a surprise West Indies have the resources to emulate their title-wins in 2012 and 2016, and Afghanistan have the quality and belief that they can go one better than in 2024, when they made the semis. All in all, so much to look forward to on the field. Hopefully, that’s where the focus will remain trained.
06 February,2026 09:57 AM IST | Mumbai | R KaushikIn the WPL 2026 final against Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru emerged victorious by six wickets at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. While chasing a target of 204 runs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru scored 204 runs for the loss of four wickets in 19.4 overs. Opening the innings for RCB, Grace Harris departed after scoring nine runs in seven balls, including two boundaries. Skipper Smriti Mandhana delivered a knock of 87 runs off 41 deliveries, which was laced with 12 boundaries and three maximums. Shouldering her was Georgia Voll, who smashed 79 runs after facing 54 balls. Her knock included 14 boundaries. Richa Ghosh was dismissed for six runs in six balls, including a boundary. Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav stayed unbeaten for seven and 12 runs, respectively. Facing five balls, de Klerk smashed a boundary, whereas Yadav also smashed two boundaries in her five-ball knock. Chinelle Henry bagged two wickets for Delhi Capitals. She bowled four overs and conceded 34 runs. Nandni Sharma and Shafali Verma also chipped in with one wicket each. Earlier, having put to bat first, Delhi Capitals' opening batswoman Lizelle Lee scored 37 runs in 30 balls, including three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Fellow opening batswoman Shafali Verma smashed 20 runs in 13 balls, which also included three boundaries. Skipper Jemimah Rodrigues played a knock of 57 runs off 37 balls, which was laced with eight boundaries. Later, Laura Wolvaardt delivered a knock of 44 runs in 25 balls, with the help of three boundaries and two maximums. Shouldering her was Chinelle Henry, who smashed 35 runs off just 15 deliveries. Her knock also included four boundaries and two maximums. With this, Delhi Capitals posted a total of 203 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. RCB's Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy, and Nadine de Klerk bagged one wicket each. Having completed four overs each, Satghare conceded 46 runs, and Reddy was smashed for 40 runs. Nadine also gave away 48 runs in her spell of four overs. Lauren Bell, Shreyanka Patil, and Radha Yadav went wicketless in the WPL 2026 final against DC.
05 February,2026 11:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the T20 World Cup 2026, former England cricketer Nasser Hussain highlighted the importance of Mitchell Marsh as the captain of Australia. Speaking about him, the former cricketer said that the entire cricketing world likes Marsh, and his form at the top order has been superb. "You need a good captain. Mitchell Marsh is a good captain just by his personality. He is someone you warm up to. I think the whole cricketing world likes Mitchell Marsh. And when you like your captain, you want to play for him. I would want to play for Mitchell Marsh. He seems a very genuine person. If he says, 'Come on, lads, let's do this,' you would want to do it," he said. "He leads by example. His form at the top of the order has been superb. In T20 cricket, you need a good captain, and he is that. You need a guy who provides explosive starts to your innings, Marsh provides that," added Hussain. Further speaking, the former England cricketer labelled Tim David as a "good finisher". He also feels that a team need a spinner like Adam Zampa, especially in the Indian conditions. "You need a good finisher, and Tim David is there for that role. He has been brilliant at finishing innings over the last year. And you need a very fine spinner to get quick breakthroughs, especially in India, which is Adam Zampa. So with new players coming through, Australia still has that core spine of highly skilled players. Leadership has given Mitchell Marsh a new dimension. He is revelling in it, especially with his batting," said the 57-year-old former cricketer. The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to kick off from February 7, and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Australia is placed in Group B of the tournament along with teams such as Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. The Aussies will begin their campaign by playing a clash against Ireland on February 11 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. T20 World Cup 2026: Australia's squad Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh (C), Adam Zampa, Travis Head, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Matt Renshaw, Josh Inglis (WK), Xavier Bartlett, Cameron Green, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cooper Conolly. (With ANI Inputs)
05 February,2026 08:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha said that the fate of the high-voltage clash against arch-rivals, India, is not in their hands. He also said that the Pakistani team will follow their government's decision. "Yeah, the India game, it's not in our control. It's a government decision, and we respect that. Whatever they are going to say, we do that," he said. The high-octane T20 World Cup 2026 clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Further speaking, the Pakistani skipper said that they will also play against three other teams. He also pointed out that in the previous edition, the "Green Shirts" suffered a defeat against the United States of America (USA), but said the new Pakistani team is ready to face them. "We're also playing three other games, and we are very excited about that. Yeah, we lost to the USA in the last World Cup, but that's history now. It's a new World Cup, a new team, and a new combination. And we are very excited for that," said Agha. While uncertainty remains over whether the match will take place against India, the Pakistan captain stressed that the team is fully focused on the rest of the World Cup group stage matches. "There are three other games. They can come and watch that game, and I'm sure they will be excited as well. Don't worry". The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to kick off from February 7. 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). The "Green Shirts" will play their first match against the Netherlands on February 7 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. On the other hand, the Suryakumar Yadav-led men will face the USA in their first match on the same date at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs PAK: Full squads India: Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Harshit Rana. Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan (WK), 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)
05 February,2026 07:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the WPL 2026 final against Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. After winning the toss, RCB skipper Mandhana said that she would like to bowl first, considering that it's good to know what target a team is going to chase. She also said that the atmosphere in the team has been brilliant and stated that the players had good sessions in the previous two to three days. The skipper then stated that there has been no change in terms of preparations and is focused on keeping things simple. She concluded by saying the excitement levels among the players are very high and will be looking to bring their 'A-game' tonight. On the other hand, Delhi Capitals' captain Jemimah Rodrigues said that at times it is better to lose the toss. She also said that had they won the toss, the side would have opted to bowl first as well. Rodrigues then said that keeping things simple and sticking to their plans throughout the tournament has worked for the Capitals. She signed off by saying that playing on the same pitch is going to be an advantage, considering that the players on her team know what to expect and how the wicket is likely to play. Both teams will enter the title clash of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 with the unchanged playing XI. It will be interesting to see if RCB manage to win its second title, or DC scripts history by clinching its first trophy. Additionally, Bengaluru skipper Mandhana is just 53 runs shy of receiving the "Orange Cap" in the marquee event. So far, Mumbai Indians' captain Harmanpreet Kaur is enjoying the top spot on the leading run-scorers list with 342 runs in eight matches. Mandhana is placed third with 290 runs in eight games, followed by MI's Nat Sciver-Brunt with 321 runs in seven appearances. WPL 2026 final, RCB vs DC: Confirmed Playing XI Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (WK), Radha Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar, Nadine De Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell. Delhi Capitals: Lizelle Lee (WK), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (C), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma.
05 February,2026 07:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. During the match, Tilak Varma was one of the top performers for the "Men in Blue". Facing just 19 deliveries, he smashed 45 runs, which was laced with three boundaries and three maximums. Recently, he suffered a testicular injury and underwent successful surgery, and was recovering at BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE). On his return, the left-handed batsman said he didn't expect the crowd to cheer his name, and also said that it is his biggest dream to feature in the global showpiece. "I did not expect to be back on the field this early. Really thankful for CoE and BCCI. I always said that my biggest dream is to play the World Cup. The way I entered the rope, everyone was shouting my name. I did not expect that, so it felt really nice and gave me a boost as I was going in," he said. The 23-year-old cricketer also said that, looking at the approach of Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma, he also decided to display aggressive batting. He also expressed confidence by saying that the Indian team is ready for the much-anticipated tournament. "The way Ishan and Abhishek were batting, I decided to play aggressively. I did not expect a full crowd. It's just a warm-up game, but the craze is amazing and really thanks to everyone. The vibe was terrific today, and Tilak and Indian team is ready for the World Cup," said Varma. The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to begin from February 7, and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Ahead of the tournament, Team India is placed in Group A along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America (USA). The "Men in Blue" will begin their campaign by playing a clash against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. T20 World Cup 2026: India's squad Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Harshit Rana. (With ANI Inputs)
05 February,2026 05:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
