South Africa's wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock said that the pressure of playing the World Cups in India is high, considering the large crowds and noise at the venues. He also stated that the World Cup matches are different from the rest of the world of cricket. Captaining Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in the ongoing SA20 League 2025-26 season, the left-handed batsman is currently the leading run-scorer with 205 runs in five matches. He also has two half-centuries to his name with a strike rate of 173.73. "Honestly, it makes no difference. I've seen guys throughout my whole career. Guys with no form rock up at World Cups and score the most runs. I've seen guys with form come to World Cups and score no runs. It honestly means nothing. World Cups are a different fish. The pressures are way different, especially when you're going to be in India, the crowds are going to be big, noisy. So it's totally different. World Cups are a different game from the rest of the world of cricket," he told reporters. He further stated that he will share his knowledge with youngsters who haven't played in specific grounds in India. "Honestly, for me, it doesn't matter where I've toured; it's the same now as it was just before or two years ago. I've come to India multiple times. And honestly, if I don't know the conditions by now, then I haven't been doing something right. The only thing I can really do is go into the World Cup and share my knowledge of India with youngsters who haven't played in specific grounds," said the 33-year-old cricketer. South Africa is placed in Group D of the T20 World Cup 2026 along with Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. Semi-finals 1 and 2 of the tournament have been scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively. The fans will witness the title clash of the global showpiece on March 8. South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Smith. (With ANI Inputs)
06 January,2026 08:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer pacer Dale Steyn has questioned the exclusion of Ottniel Baartman from South Africa's T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Baartman is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing SA20 League 2025-26. So far in the four matches for Paarl Royals, he returned with 11 wickets with an economy rate of 9.20. He was also part of South Africa's squad which lost against Team India in the title clash of the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Since then, he has featured in just 11 of South Africa's 29 matches and finds himself on the outside as the side hopes to go one better next month. Ahead of the upcoming global showpiece, Baartman failed to make the cut in the South African squad as its consists of the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka, and Anrich Nortje. Speaking about him, the former pacer said that Baartman is one of the Proteas' best white-ball bowlers. Despite winning the SA20 twice in his career, the pacer will not make his appearance in South Africa's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. "We really need to start looking at Baartman as one of SA's best white ball bowlers. He's the highest wicket taker in SA20, won the league twice and made a final, let me remind you, that's a comp that has 4 INTERNATIONAL players (often batters) plus all the PROTEAS! He's number 1. Thats TOP quality, but he'll be sitting home for this years 20/20 WC," Steyn wrote on X. Baartman made his T20I debut against the West Indies at Kingston in May 2024. Since then, he has played 17 T20Is and picked up 22 wickets at an average of 21.59. The 32-year-old has an economy of 8.21, including two four-wicket hauls. South Africa is placed in Group D of the T20 World Cup 2026 along with Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. They will open their campaign against Canada on February 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The semi-finals 1 and 2 of the tournament have been scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively. The fans will witness the title clash of the global showpiece on March 8. (With ANI Inputs)
06 January,2026 08:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentVeteran wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow is optimistic about England's chances in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The "Three Lions" have announced their squad for the marquee event, and surprisingly, have included pacer Josh Tongue, who has not played a single limited-overs match for the side. Harry Brook has been named as the captain of England's squad for the mega tournament. The squad also consists of the likes of Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid, and Jofra Archer. Bairstow, who is currently playing for Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in the ongoing SA20 League, was asked about England's performance in the subcontinent and chances in the T20 World Cup. In response, the wicketkeeper-batter said that the side has got a lot of experience and they have been playing in the subcontinent for some time. While speaking about the squad, he said that Buttler has done well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and his knowledge will be helpful for the players, who haven't had much experience. "Look, they've got a lot of experience, haven't they? People have been playing over there, such as Jos Buttler, who is doing exceptionally well in the Indian Premier League. So, he'll be passing on knowledge to guys who haven't got quite as much. And we'll wait and see," the 36-year-old cricketer told reporters. England will play three ODIs and T20Is each on their Sri Lanka tour, starting January 22. They have been placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup 2026 along with Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. The Harry Brook-led England will kick off their campaign by playing a clash against Nepal on February 8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The semi-finals 1 and 2 of the tournament have been scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively. Fans will witness the title clash of the global showpiece on March 8. England squad for T20I World Cup 2026: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood. (With ANI Inputs)
06 January,2026 06:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentGearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India, explosive New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips believes his increasingly refined left-handed batting offers a glimpse of the future, particularly as a weapon against left-arm spin. Known for his out-of-the-box approach, Phillips turned heads during a New Zealand Super Smash clash against Central Districts last Tuesday, smashing an unbeaten 90 for Otago. What stunned spectators and the opponents alike was not just the innings, but the manner in which he dismantled left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox -- batting left-handed, including a six over extra cover that would have sailed over midwicket had he stood in his usual right-handed stance. "I do enjoy my left-handed batting training," Phillips was quoted saying in ESPNCricinfo. "Obviously, I do it for multiple reasons. One, just to keep both hands and both sides of the brain working, but also just for the opportunity to, I guess, take down left-arm spin at some stage." In modern day cricket, the ball turning away from the batter is considered a favourable match-up, prompting teams to prioritise left-arm orthodox spinners given the predominance of right-handed batters. Explaining his innovation to New Zealand Cricket, Phillips said it has been "a couple of years" in the making. "It's more of a future thing," he said. "But for the opportunity to come in a game where there's going to be a lot of left-arm off-spin bowling, I guess it sort of made sense to give it a go and bring it back to the forefront of the training leading into that game. And the fact that the opportunity came during the game to use it was quite good." Phillips admitted that several factors need to align before he fully unleashes his inner left-hander in competitive cricket. "It's just trusting the training and understanding that I've just got to watch the ball as much as possible and I guess know that I've done the work and I've done the preparation and so there's no reason it shouldn't work," he said. "But also, I guess, I generally have used it in the situation where there's nothing left to lose. There's a couple overs left and it's now time for a bit of fun, I guess, really." New Zealand's white-ball tour of India begins with an ODI in Vadodara on Sunday. After the three-match ODI series, the teams will compete in a five-match T20I series, serving as the final build-up to the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7 and will be held simultaneously in India and Sri Lanka. "The preparation is going to be perfect," Phillips said. "Obviously, the conditions may be a little bit different to what we'll actually get in the World Cup. "You never quite know what sort of pitches that people will produce, especially if we're playing subcontinent teams. "They tend to try and produce something that's a little bit more spin-friendly. But when we're on this T20 and ODI tour, they tend to produce pitches that are really quite good," he concluded. 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.
06 January,2026 06:12 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIFormer Team India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan is all set to tie the knot with Sophie Shine, an Irish national, as reported by Hindustan Times. According to reports, the celebration will be held in the third week of February in Delhi-NCR. The bigwigs from cricket and Bollywood are expected to attend the marriage. The news came after months of speculation surrounding the couple's relationship. The rumours started piling up when Dhawan was seen in the stands along with Shine during the Champions Trophy 2025. Later, the social media posts shared by the two only fuelled curiosity. Over the years, the former left-handed batsman was known for forming one of the most successful opening pairs along with Rohit Sharma. Having played 34 Test matches, Dhawan garnered 2315 runs, including seven boundaries and five half-centuries. He also made 167 ODI appearances for the "Men in Blue" and smashed 6793 runs, with the help of 17 boundaries and 39 half-centuries. In T20Is, the former left-handed batsman accumulated 1759 runs. The 40-year-old former opening batsman also has 11 half-centuries registered under his name in the format. Dhawan has also been one of the big names in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In his career, he has represented franchises such as Punjab Kings, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. By far, the former left-handed batsman is the third-highest run-scorer in the history of the cash-rich league. In 222 IPL matches, he had smashed 6769 runs, including two tons and 51 half-centuries. The top two on the list are Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli and Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma. Earlier, Dhawan had launched his memoir 'The One: Cricket, My Life and More'. Not just a book, but years of experiences put together. Really thankful to everyone who supported me through this journey 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HRNP9IK1vC — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) December 15, 2025 The former cricketer is also known for being vocal about his thoughts on social media regarding social issues or paying tributes to the big names of different fields. Apart from this, Dhawan also entertains his followers by sharing videos of him mimicking different audios across social media platforms.
06 January,2026 01:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood actor Soha Ali Khan visited the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday to pay a heartfelt tribute to her late father and former India cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi on his 84th birth anniversary. Pataudi, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 70, shared a special connection with the ground, and Soha Instagrammed a video of herself visiting the empty stadium to honour her father’s cricketing journey. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) In the video, Soha, 47, is seen walking around the iconic stadium, with background footage of the famous 1974 Test match against the West Indies — widely regarded as one of India’s most memorable victories — in which Pataudi led India across the line despite having to retire hurt after fracturing his cheekbone. Soha wrote an emotional note: “On your birthday, Abba, I wanted to stand where the game remembers you. Eden Gardens may be empty today, but it is never silent for you. A ground you loved to play on.”
06 January,2026 11:58 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIt's been 10 years since Kalyan-based teenaged wicketkeeper-batter Pranav Dhanawade scored a world record unbeaten 1009 in an U-16 Bhandari Trophy inter-school match at the Wayale Nagar ground in Kalyan on January 5, 2016. However, when mid-day called him on Monday to recall his achievement, Dhanawade, now 25, admitted that he had forgotten the special anniversary of his biggest achievement. Dhanawade’s 327-ball innings, which was laced with 129 fours and 59 sixes, helped KC Gandhi English School (Kalyan) outclass Arya Gurukul (Kalyan) by an innings and 1382 runs. ‘An unbelievable day’ When asked to recall the day that gave him instant fame, Dhanawade said: “That day was unbelievable. I remember everyone, including my parents, friends and relatives were congratulating me. It was like a festival; everyone was coming to my home to celebrate. Initially, I didn’t understand the significance of what I had done. My dad [Prashant, an auto rickshaw driver] was continuously getting calls from friends and journalists who wanted to interview me. I hardly slept that night because of all the celebration and media frenzy. I was a bit irritated, but later, as I realised what I had done, I felt proud,” Dhanawade told mid-day on Monday. Sidcup Sports Club skipper Pranav Dhanawade in Kent, UK, recently. PIC/Dhanawade’s personal collection With the applause came criticism too as some felt Dhanawade had excelled against a young, inexperienced opposition. “I got to know about the criticism later from my dad when he told me that someone had written about it in a newspaper. It was unexpected, but I did not take it negatively. I did not react to it either because I knew that I had achieved something that not many can aspire to do. Yes, the opposing team had some young players in the U-14 age group, but you can’t score 1000 runs even in gully cricket,” added Dhanawade in the midst of a gym session on the eve of his Times Shield Division ‘B’ match for Dharamsi Morarji Chemical Co against Mumbai Police ‘B’ team. “I’m determined to play first-class cricket, and I’m working hard for it,” added Dhanawade, who scored 700-plus runs while leading Sidcup Sports Club in Kent (United Kingdom) recently. Coach Mobin’s advice Meanwhile, Dhanawade’s coach Mobin Shaikh has advised him to concentrate on one format. “I think Pranav is a more focused cricketer now and gives equal importance to fitness and cricketing skills. He’s just 25, so age is on his side. I feel he should concentrate only on white-ball cricket, especially the T20 format. He will do well,” Mobin told mid-day.
06 January,2026 08:57 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAn imperious Joe Root hit a magnificent 160 to drive England to 384 in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Monday before Travis Head let rip to haul Australia back into the contest with a rapid-fire unbeaten 91. Root’s superb innings, his 41st ton to match Ricky Ponting, was only ended courtesy of a brilliant caught-and-bowled by Michael Neser, who finished with 4-60. Australia were left to negotiate the final session of Day Two, which they did for the loss of Jake Weatherald (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (48). By stumps, the hosts had raced to 166-2 with nightwatchman Neser on one alongside Head. Travis Head in full flow against England on Monday Earlier, England resumed at 211-3, but lost Harry Brook (84), Stokes (0) and Jamie Smith (46) before lunch. The day belonged to Root, who started on 72 and reached an almost chanceless century off 146 balls to reaffirm his status as an all-time great. Root said he would love to return for another Ashes tour of Australia. Root will be 39 when England next tour Australia and pundits believed this was likely his final farewell, with a salute to all corners of the ground when he walked off reinforcing the impression. But Root suggested that may not be the case. “I think you might be looking into it a little bit too much,” he said when asked if it was a final goodbye to Australia. “I just felt like we’ve had some amazing support throughout this series, and we’ve not been able to achieve what we set out to as a group. “But at no point has that [support] ever wavered, and that’s never wavered whenever I’ve come out here on tour, it’s been exceptional. And it’s a way of saying thank you, really.” Asked directly if he would be back in four years, Root replied: “Who knows? We’ll see. I’d love to, but we’ll see how things unfold in time.” 2No. of centuries by Joe Root Down Under, he is the only Englishman to score a ton in the ongoing Ashes 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
06 January,2026 08:56 AM IST | Sydney | AFPHalf-centuries from Akshat Joshi and Shivam Yadav helped Little Star English High School (Worli) post a competitive total against Anjuman-I-Islam Allana English School (Fort) in the boys’ U-14 Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Giles Shield Round Three league match at Cross Maidan on Monday. The two-day match, delayed by damp conditions, began at 10.50 am instead of the scheduled 9.45 am start. Batting first, Little Star were bowled out for 196 in 66.2 overs on Day One. Akshat top-scored with a composed 53 off 85 balls, while Shivam struck 51 off 87 deliveries. Chandrakishan Bind chipped in with 30 off 71 balls. Anjuman-I-Islam’s bowlers maintained discipline throughout. Anuj Singh led the attack with 4 for 50 from 16.2 overs, while Mohammad Shaikh impressed with figures of 4 for 24 from 14 overs. Aditya Pandey (1 for 26) and Mohit Chaudhary (1 for 19) bowled tight spells to restrict the scoring. Anuj Singh (4-50) and Mohammad Shaikh (4-24) claimed four wickets each for Anjuman-I-Islam. With only seven minutes of play left, stumps were called at 4.08 pm.
06 January,2026 08:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus Vedanayagam41No. of Test centuries for Joe Root, putting him alongside Ricky Ponting and behind only Jacques Kallis (45) and Sachin Tendulkar (51) 17No. of 150-plus scores for Root in Tests — the most by an England player and the fifth-highest overall 24No. of Test tons by Root since 2021, way ahead of Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Shubman Gill and Harry Brook, who have all scored 10 each 60No. of international tons for Root (41 in Tests and 19 in ODIs). He is only the sixth player to reach this milestone FiveConsecutive number of times Root has converted his 50-plus scores into centuries — the first such instance in his career 1985No. of runs required by Root (13,937) to go past Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test record of 15,921 FourJoe Root is the fourth Englishman to score multiple centuries in a single away Ashes tour in Australia
06 January,2026 08:39 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentFrustrated Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg vowed on Monday to take up “archaic” bad light rules with the sport’s governing body after a third of the opening day at the fifth Ashes Test was lost. Play was halted 15 minutes before the scheduled tea break on Sunday due to fading light, gentle rain and lightning protocols. There was no more action, with stumps called an hour before schedule at 5 pm. “There’s a lot of things that I get frustrated with in cricket but bad light’s one of them,” Greenberg told SEN radio. ICC rules dictate that play cannot resume if the on-field umpires agree the light conditions are “dangerous or unreasonable”. 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
06 January,2026 08:35 AM IST | Sydney | AFPADVERTISEMENT
