Team India suffered a loss by 76 runs against South Africa in the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026. During the match, Team India's vice-captain Axar Patel did not take the field as Washington Sundar made his appearance in the playing XI. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned the decision to snub Patel, saying he should not have been appointed Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy if he was meant to sit out. "Where were we left behind? The first thing that comes to my mind is, what team are we playing? You have appointed Axar Patel the vice-captain. If he is your team's vice-captain, why isn't he a part of the team? You needn't have made him the vice-captain," he said. The decision to pick Sundar in the previous clash against the Netherlands was fine, but the former cricketer feels India made him sit out against the Proteas just because they have right-handers on their side. "You made him sit out in the last match. Never mind, as Washi hadn't played for such a long time, and you played him since you were playing against the Netherlands, but you made him sit out against South Africa. You said it's becoming a negative match-up as there are three left-handers in the opposition," said Chopra. He also pointed out that South Africa made their key left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj feature in the playing XI, and on the other hand, the "Men in Blue" dropped their vice-captain for the clash. "Two of the three left-handers bat in the top three, and both were out in two overs. We have six left-handers among our eight batters, and South Africa said they would play Keshav Maharaj because he is their main bowler. They said they won't make Keshav sit out because he is important. For you, your vice-captain is not important. How is that okay?," said Chopra. T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: Team India's upcoming fixture Team India's loss of 76 runs against South Africa has tightened their qualification scenarios for the semi-finals of the global showpiece. The "Men in Blue" will have to win the remaining two games with a good net run rate to keep their hopes of defending the T20 World Cup alive. They will now lock horns with Zimbabwe on February 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (With ANI Inputs)
23 February,2026 05:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa, Team India suffered a loss by 76 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following the loss, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticised Team India players by saying that they came out with overconfidence. He stated that Dewald Brevis and David Miller built a crucial partnership for South Africa, and the "Men in Blue" were supposed to adapt to a similar approach. "When you look at how Dewald Brevis and David Miller repaired the South African innings, they played shots more in the V. When the bouncers were bowled, they countered them intelligently because they realised that the ball was not coming onto the bat quickly. Having seen how Brevis and Miller built their partnership, that was the approach needed from the Indian batters," he said on JioStar. The former cricketer then said that Team India players should get rid of their ego and adapt according to the conditions. "But India did not take notes from South Africa's innings. They came out and threw their bat at every delivery, hoping for a boundary. That is not how you play T20 cricket. You have to learn from the opposition. If they have scored well on a tricky surface like this, you have to get rid of your ego, observe and adjust. The Indian batters did not do that. They came out with overconfidence, threw their bat at everything and lost wickets. South Africa clearly outsmarted India, and it was a well-deserved win for them," said Gavaskar. In an attempt to chase a target of 188 runs, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India was bowled out for 111 runs in 18.5 overs. T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: Team India's upcoming fixture Team India's loss of 76 runs against South Africa has tightened their qualification scenarios for the semi-finals of the global showpiece. The "Men in Blue" will have to win the remaining two games with a good net run rate to keep their hopes of defending the T20 World Cup alive. They will now lock horns with Zimbabwe on February 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (With ANI Inputs)
23 February,2026 04:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter India slumped to a crushing 76-run defeat against South Africa in their Super Eights clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, former India great Sunil Gavaskar highlighted a clear difference in strategy. Gavaskar, while slamming the Indian cricket team’s strategy, noted that the Proteas demonstrated adaptability that India could not showcase. David Miller’s quickfire 63 turned the game for the Proteas Riding on David Miller's 63 off 35 balls and Dewald Brevis’ 45, South Africa recovered from 20/3 to post 187/7 before bundling India out for 111 in 18.5 overs in front of 90,954 fans at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Furthermore, Marco Jansen's 4-22 and Keshav Maharaj’s 3-24 dismantled India’s chase, which never gathered momentum after slipping to 51/5 inside 10 overs. Sunil Gavaskar hails Miller and Brevis Reflecting on the game, Sunil Gavaskar underlined how Miller and Brevis rebuilt the innings on a sluggish black soil pitch where the ball held up and stroke-making was far from straightforward. While speaking at a post-match show, Sunil Gavaskar said, “If you look at the way Dewald Brevis and David Miller rebuilt the South African innings, they played a lot more shots in the ‘V’, especially when the short ball was used. They adjusted really well. They realised the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat as quickly as expected; it was holding up slightly in the surface. Having seen how they constructed their innings and built that partnership, that was the kind of approach that was needed, rather than simply throwing the bat at just about everything,” as per IANS. Gavaskar’s remarks came in the backdrop of India’s hurried batting display, where several top-order batters perished attempting expansive strokes instead of consolidating after early setbacks. Careless batting approach by Indian batsmen Ishan Kishan fell to a wild slog, Tilak Varma was undone by extra bounce, and Abhishek Sharma’s brief counterattack ended via a top edge, as South Africa’s bowlers exploited conditions smartly. On the other hand, David Miller, who has extensive experience at the venue from his IPL stint with the Gujarat Titans, paced his innings expertly, finding boundaries through orthodox strokeplay before accelerating. Alongside Miller, middle-order batsman Dewald Brevis complemented him with calculated aggression, as their 97-run partnership steadied the innings after the early blows inflicted by Jasprit Bumrah (3-15) and Arshdeep Singh (2-28). India’s defeat ended their 12-match winning streak in T20 World Cups and marked their first loss in an ICC World Cup game since the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the same venue. (With inputs from IANS)
23 February,2026 12:36 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentFormer Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend, Sophie Shine. Confirming the news through social media posts on Saturday, Shikhar Dhawan’s wedding reportedly took place in the Delhi-NCR region. Indian batting star Shikhar and Sophie Shine have been in a relationship for almost a year. Dhawan confirmed their relationship in May 2025 and a few months back. However, later around January 2026, the couple announced their engagement on the social media platform Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial) While taking it to Instagram, Dhawan also expressed that their wedding outfit was designed by famous designer Manish Malhotra. "Mr and Mrs Dhawan. Outfit – @manishmalhotra05," said Dhawan in his post. Yuzvendra Chahal gives a sneak-peek into Shikhar Dhawan’s wedding Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal gave fans a peek into Shikhar and Sophie Shine's wedding celebrations by sharing pictures from the ceremony on Saturday. The wedding that reportedly took place in the Delhi NCR region was attended by close friends and family members, including former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. Chahal, while taking it to social media, posted cheerful moments from the celebrations, including a picture of Dhawan dressed in traditional groom’s attire alongside Sophie. Yuzvendra Chahal, while posting the photo of the newlywed couple, wrote, “Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai,” expressing his excitement for his former teammate’s big day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal23) Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan had also shared pictures from his sangeet ceremony on Instagram. “Sangeet Night, almost the Dhawans,” he wrote in his post. Sophie, too, had offered fans a glimpse of the pre-wedding festivities by sharing photos from her haldi ceremony. Dhawan and Sophie’s love story began in Dubai Their love story reportedly began several years ago in Dubai, and since then, Sophie has been a constant presence in Dhawan’s life, reported IANS. Since then, the couple has built a strong following on social media, where their light-hearted and humorous reels are widely appreciated by fans. This is Dhawan’s second marriage. His first marriage to Ayesha Mukherjee ended in 2021. Dhawan officially retired from all forms of international and domestic cricket on August 24, 2024. During his international career, Indian batting star Shikhar Dhawan established himself as one of India’s most dependable openers, especially in limited-overs cricket. Dhawan was known for his performances in major ICC tournaments; he earned the nickname 'Mr ICC' for his consistency on the global stage. Across 269 international matches, Dhawan scored 10,867 runs and registered 24 centuries, leaving behind a significant legacy in Indian cricket. (With inputs from IANS)
23 February,2026 12:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer India opener Shikhar Dhawan got married to Irish businesswoman Sophie Shine in a glamorous private ceremony on Saturday. On Sunday, Dhawan uploaded a picture with Sophie, where he’s sporting an all-black suit while she’s in a silver dress, and captioned it: “Mere dil vich hai Hum-Tum.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial)
23 February,2026 09:13 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentHardik Pandya is not just making headlines on the field while playing for India at the ongoing T20 World Cup, but is also doing so off it. The India all-rounder has gifted ex-wife Natasa Stankovic and son Agastya, a brand new SUV, valued at a whopping Rs 4 crore. In a video uploaded on Land Rover’s Instagram account, Natasa and Agastya are seen standing alongside the SUV, accepting the keys to the vehicle. The caption accompanying the post reveals that the car chosen by Pandya has been “presented to Agastya and Ms Stankovic.” Natasa Stankovic. Pic/Natasa's Instagram Next to the mother and child is a signboard that reads ‘From Papa to Agastya’. Pandya’s act has been praised by some of his fans as a sign of mature co-parenting, given the couple parted ways in July 2024. “Such a good father,” commented one Instagram user on the post.
23 February,2026 09:11 AM IST | New Delhi | A CorrespondentIndian women's team wants to consistently stay at the top and dominate world cricket, said vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Riding high on their maiden 50-over World Cup triumph, the Women in Blue have now set their sights on winning the T20 World Cup later this year. They began the year with a T20 series win against Australia, their first series triumph over the formidable rivals in a decade. "This Indian team is something which we have spoken about is trying to be consistent. Don't think about opposition or what's happened in the past. So we've beaten this, we've beaten that. I feel that's not very important now," Mandhana said on BCCI.tv "I think we are on the verge of a transition where we want to dominate world cricket. And whoever we beat, wherever we beat, that doesn't matter. We just want to be consistent in beating them and being at the top," she added. In the series-deciding third T20, Mandhana played a match-setting 82 and, alongside Jemimah who contributed 59, forged a 121-run partnership that propelled India to 176 for 6 before the bowlers stifled Australia for 159 for 9. "I mean, I really loved Adelaide as a city, even before playing here. And yeah, it's just very peaceful, nice. I mean, a few Aussies will be very happy when I say that it's the best city in Australia, and actually, I find it the best city in Australia." The women's T20 World Cup is slated to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. "This year is a T20 year. Last year was a one-day year where we played a lot of one-day cricket. "So coming into this year, for sure, I feel like we are a well-settled ODI squad, but we are still working on our T20 game and also what's our best XI and what's our best 15 in terms of T20s. For sure, WPL has played a huge role for us to get better at T20s," she 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
23 February,2026 08:48 AM IST | Adelaide | PTITejal Hasanbis made an impactful 51 not out off 34 balls on a slow turner before leg-spinner Prema Rawat made the ball talk as India A outplayed Bangladesh A by a whopping 46 runs in a low-scoring final to defend the ACC Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars here on Sunday. At 44 for four, India were in trouble but Hasanbis, who has played ODIs for India, and captain Radha Yadav, another international, (36 off 30) shared an 89-run stand for the fifth wicket to lift their team to 134 for seven in 20 overs. Considering conditions and strength of Indian bowling attack, the Radha-led side comfortably defended by bowling out Bangladesh for 88 in 19.1 overs. The star with the ball was Prema (3/12 in four overs), who was part of RCB's triumphant campaign in the recently played WPL. She gave the ball plenty of flight and got enough purchase off the surface. Bangladesh were never in the run chase having lost their first wicket for 12 runs in the third over. The procession started when Ishma Tanjim was caught off pacer Saima Thakor after unsuccessfully charging down the pitch. India A players celebrate a Bangladesh A wicket in Bangkok. Pics/BCCI Prema got her wicket with a classical leg-break that bounced a tad extra to take the outside edge of Shamima Sultana. Even in the inaugural final of the tournament in 2023, India A had got the better of Bangladesh A. Batting first, India A felt the pressure on a trick surface but Hasanbis showed plenty of skill and character to bail her team out of trouble. She batted at a strike rate of 150.00, much higher than the rest of the batters in the game to make a decisive difference. While the top four hardly contributed for India A, Hasanbis was able to clear the ropes twice with Radha providing much needed support at the end. 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
23 February,2026 08:45 AM IST | Bangkok | PTIThe perennial question around MS Dhoni's future resurfaced once again as the Indian Premier League caravan readies for the 2026 season - will the iconic former skipper feature in all matches for Chennai Super Kings this year? Dhoni, who will turn 45 later this year, will be available for CSK for the upcoming IPL season, a top franchise source confirmed. However, with CSK's prize transfer Sanju Samson now in the ranks, it is unlikely that the legendary former India captain would play all the league games. "We can confirm this much that he is coming to Chennai and had confirmed his availability for the season," a top CSK source told PTI on condition of anonymity. "Whether he will play all games or not is something we can't say at the moment," the source added. In any case, with the Impact Player rule in place, Dhoni the batter has not been required extensively over the past two editions. His role has largely been situational, often limited to late-order cameos. This season, CSK have three wicketkeeper-batters in their line-up. Samson is certain to don the gloves in games where Dhoni does not feature. There is also Urvil Patel in the squad, besides Rs 14.20 crore recruit rookie Kartik Sharma, who will be groomed as a finisher alongside Shivam Dube. Over the years, Dhoni has managed issues related to his knee and back, and the physical demands of keeping wickets with limited turnaround time between matches can take a toll at this stage of his career. What appears certain, though, is that Dhoni will play most of CSK's home games in Chennai, where his mere walk into the Chepauk arena sends the crowd into a frenzy, underlining his enduring bond with the franchise and its faithful supporters. 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
23 February,2026 08:15 AM IST | Ahmedabad | PTIEngland skipper Harry Brook revealed that all-rounder Will Jacks’s dismissal had a role to play in his match-defining spell of 3-22, which helped the two-time champions secure a 51-run win over Sri Lanka in their Super Eights match here on Sunday. The tournament co-hosts restricted England to an underwhelming 146-9 but then succumbed to 95, their lowest total of the tournament. For Brook, who turned 27, it was a perfect birthday gift. “Beautiful birthday present, an awesome effort to bowl them out for 100 (95),” Brook said at the presentation. England’s familiarity with conditions also helped as they have played their build-up series in Sri Lanka before the T20 World Cup, sweeping the T20Is 3-0 and winning the ODIs 2-1. “We’ve played a lot here and we knew that [spin] would play a part. He [Jacks] was annoyed with how he got out [edged one to be caught in the deep] and he said he bowls better when he’s angry. Don’t need to vary lines, more about pace. We got rewarded for that with caught-and-bowled, and a few caught on the boundary,” Brook added. 7No. of wickets claimed by England spinners — their highest in a World Cup match 12No. of consecutive T20Is England have won against Sri Lanka 95No. of runs scored by Sri Lanka — their third lowest total in T20 World Cups 51No. of runs by which England beat Sri Lanka on Sunday — their second highest in T20 World Cups after the 116-run win over Afghanistan in 2012 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
23 February,2026 08:12 AM IST | Pallekele | AgenciesWest Indies’s two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain Daren Sammy is known for his ever-smiling and positive attitude. Adding to his joy will be the fact that the Shai Hope-led WI have won all four of their Group C matches, including two at Wankhede, against England and Nepal. However, despite their Wankhede success and the fact that their Super Eights match on Monday is against Group B leaders Zimbabwe, who have played all their matches in Colombo, Sammy, 42, insisted that the Mumbai venue holds no advantage to the Windies. “I don’t see an advantage. What we did against Nepal and against England here bears no bearing on the game tomorrow [Monday]. It’s a new opposition on a different day. We just have to assess again, decide what’s required and hopefully deliver well. At a World Cup, you’ve got to respect every opposition, but believe in yourself. That’s what I encourage my guys to do,” Sammy said in reply to a question by mid-day at the match-eve press conference here. Meanwhile, though the Sikandar Raza-led Zimbabwe will be playing in India for the first time in a decade, and left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza is the only other member from that 2016 squad, the Zimbabwe skipper sounded confident. “Not many of you would have picked Zimbabwe to be a semi-finalist, so maybe we haven’t done enough yet. This motivates us. These are the challenges we look forward to. I don’t know if we’ll make it or not, but one thing I can assure you from a Zimbabwe captain and a team point of view, we’ll give it our best shot,” said Raza. 2016The year Zimbabwe last played a T20I on Indian soil
23 February,2026 08:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureADVERTISEMENT
