West Indies (WI) captain Shai Hope reckoned Sherfane Rutherford as a special batsman. Rutherford’s 42-ball 76 not out helped WI outclassed England by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Rutherford has scored just five half-centuries in 48 T20Is with an average of 22.14. However, Hope insists not to go only by Rutherford’s stats as the left-hander is an ‘impact player.’ WI skipper Shai Hope “You just watch him [Rutherford] and see how special he is. We have to throw stats out the window every now and again. You can just look at a player and see what impact he has on a team. If you ask any bowler in world cricket, if they see Sherfane at the next end, they’re going to always feel they’re under pressure,” Hope said during the post-match press conference on Wednesday. All-rounder Roston Chase (34 runs and 2-29) was not part of the WI playing XI in the previous game against Scotland, which they won by 35 runs. However, the off-spinner played a crucial role against England. Hope said: “It was a tactical change. He’s [Chase] one of those players who can come in at any moment in time. We saw he was very crucial with the bat as well. He gave us some stability.” Hope admitted that playing at Wankhede Stadium gives a different energy to his team. In the 2016 T20 World Cup, current WI head coach Daren Sammy’s WI team beat England by six wickets at the same ground. “It’s one of those grounds that when you come here you just feel like playing cricket. I can say the same for most of the venues in India, but something about Wankhede, it just brings a different vibe, different energy,” Hope remarked. Meanwhile, England’s inability to counter spin was exposed again as they lost six batters to WI’s spinners — Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (3-33), Chase (2-29) and Akeal Hosein (1-32). 2016The year West Indies last faced England in a T20 World Cup match at Wankhede. The Caribbeans won by six wickets OneWI’s position in Group C after their win over England 5No. of half-centuries for WI’s Sherfane Rutherford across 48 T20Is 180.95Sherfane Rutherford’s strike-rate against England on Wednesday
13 February,2026 08:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureBlazing fifties by Pavan Rathnayake and skipper Dasun Shanaka along with Kusal Mendis' assured half-century helped Sri Lanka register a statement 105-run win over Oman in their T20 World Cup Group B clash, here on Thursday. Rathnayake (60 from 28 balls) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (50; 20b) returned to form, while Kusal (61; 45b) anchored the innings with successive World Cup half-century as Sri Lanka piled up 225/5 -- their second highest in T20 World Cup and the highest score of this tournament so far -- after Oman opted to bowl. Oman's chase never quite recovered from early setbacks as they wilted under scoreboard pressure to be restricted to 120/9. Skipper Jatinder Singh was cleaned up by Dushmantha Chameera in the first over, and Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza soon followed with single-digit scores as Oman slipped to 36/3 inside the power play. Chameera (2/19) struck twice with the new ball, while spinner Maheesh Theekshana was tidy and incisive, returning figures of 2/11 from his full quota of four overs. There was brief entertainment when Wasim Ali counter-attacked Dushan Hemantha, clubbing the leg-spinner for two sixes in a row -- one over deep midwicket and another forward square leg -- lifting Oman to 75/3 in 11 overs. But the recovery was short-lived as they crashed to 91/6, losing three wickets in six balls. Theekshana triggered the collapse by dismissing the fluent looking Wasim for 27 (20 balls; 3x6), caught by Kusal. A direct hit from Kamil Mishara at deep point ran out Vinayak Shukla the very next ball, and Jiten Ramanandi was brilliantly stumped by Kusal for a golden duck. Mohammad Nadeem, back after missing the opener, waged a lone battle with a valiant fifty, as the 43-year-old hit his third T20I fifty in 71 appearances. The 2014 champions now have two wins from as many matches, topping Group B, ahead of Australia and Zimbabwe, who have one win each. After a poor World Cup debut against Ireland where he fell for sloppy upper cut for 5, Rathnayake made amends in style smashing eight fours and one six en route to his maiden fifty that came off just 24 balls. In the process he overtook his previous best of 40 at this venue earlier this month. The 23-year-old charged pacer Ramanandi for the innings' first six in the 12th over and hammered Sufyan Mehmood for three successive fours to reach the milestone. Rathnayake and the experienced Kusal added 94 runs off just 52 balls, maintaining a run-rate in excess of nine through the middle overs. They rotated strike smartly as 40 of Sri Lanka's 96 runs at the halfway mark came in singles and twos. Kusal, playing the senior partner's role to perfection, capitalised on width from the Oman spinners and struck seven fours in his 61 off 45 balls, his second successive fifty and 19th overall. He was run out in the penultimate over. Shanaka, who had endured a lean build-up to the tournament with scores of 1, 4 and 0, exploded at the death with a 19-ball fifty -- the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the T20 World Cup. He took on Nadeem Khan with a boundary and back-to-back sixes, and then smashed Sufyan Mehmood for successive sixes to reach the landmark. Shanaka and Mendis fell off consecutive deliveries in the 19th over, briefly slowing the charge. But Kamindu Mendis (19 not out; 7 balls) ended with a flourish, hitting Shah Faisal for two sixes in a row as the co-hosts scored 65 runs in the last four overs to post the highest total of this edition so far. 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
13 February,2026 08:22 AM IST | Pallekele | PTIItaly batted, bowled and fielded brilliantly, outclassing Nepal in every department, to register their first-ever T20 World Cup win, a 10-wicket victory with 44 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. They first put Nepal in and dismissed them for just 123 in 19.3 overs, thanks mainly to leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage (3-18) and off-spinner Ben Manenti (2-9). A couple of sharp throws from the Italians also resulted in two run outs. Harry Manenti Then, Italy’s opening pair, the Mosca brothers — Justin, 31, and Anthony, 34, — played vital roles in the chase, which was achieved with 44 balls to spare. Left-hander Justin (44-ball 60 not out) and right-hander Anthony (32-ball 62 not out) never looked in trouble as they rotated the strike well and also went for the big hits. Italy’s stand-in skipper Harry Manenti revealed that his team was always confident of doing well. “When we qualified, that was obviously a special moment, but our goal was always to compete at this level and compete in this top competition, and we showed that today. We showed the world what we’ve got,” said Manenti. Italy head coach John Davison, who represented Canada in 32 ODIs and five T20Is, said: “This will be front-page news in a lot of countries and a lot of publications in Italy. We’ll probably knock the Winter Olympics [currently on in Milano-Cortina, Italy] coverage to the back pages.” 124No. of runs put on by Justin Mosca and Anthony Mosca — the highest partnership for any wicket by a pair of brothers in a T20 World Cup Brief scoresNepal 123 all out in 19.3 overs (A Sheikh 27; C Kalugamage 3-18, B Manenti 2-9) lost to Italy 124-0 in 12.4 overs (A Mosca 62*, J Mosca 60*) by 10 wickets
13 February,2026 08:22 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureWithout being anywhere near their absolute best, India packed far too many guns for Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday night. A strange batting display headlined by bruising half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya helped tide over two collapses at different stages of the innings, the first triggered by Gerhard Erasmus, the captain who had invited India to make first use of an initially tacky surface. Despite also losing five for four in 11 deliveries at the very end, India put up 209-9 when so much more appeared on the cards following Kishan’s pyrotechnics which brought up the team hundred in a mere 6.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah predictably took his place in the side at the expense of Mohammed Siraj, but Suryakumar Yadav opted to open the defence of that total through Pandya and Arshdeep Singh. Openers Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck chanced their arm, and Erasmus backed up career-best figures of four for 20 with successive sixes off Axar Patel, but Namibia ran out of steam once Varun Chakravarthy was introduced in the eighth over. Varun Chakravarthy (below) celebrates with wicket of Namibia’s JJ Smit. Pic/AFP Handily placed at 67-1 after seven overs, Namibia unravelled spectacularly after the leg-spinner cleaned up Steenkamp with a googly first up. Chakravarthy broke the Namibian chase with 3-7 in two overs.. India surged to their second successive win in the T20 World Cup, by 93 runs after Namibia were shot out for 116, setting the stage for a blockbuster Sunday showdown in Colombo with Pakistan. Earlier, Kishan watched Sanju Samson tee off with three sixes in the second over from Ben Shikongo before being dismissed off the final ball. 86-1No. of runs scored by India in the first six overs — their highest-ever Powerplay score in a T20 World Cup 6.5No. of overs taken by India to reach 100 — their fastest team century in a T20 World Cup 93India’s victory margin against Namibia in New Delhi on Thursday — their biggest (by runs) in T20 World Cup
13 February,2026 08:21 AM IST | New Delhi | R KaushikNamibia captain Gerhard Erasmus on Wednesday took a slight dig at the organisers for not scheduling their training sessions in the night ahead of their T20 World Cup game against India under lights. Namibia had played a day game against Netherlands on Monday and both their training sessions on the following two days were held in daylight. India, on the other hand, trained in the night twice in the lead up to the game. Considering Namibia don't have the infrastructure for day night games back home, they would have welcomed some time under lights ahead of the India match on Thursday. "Yeah, we haven't been given a night training (session) before this game, I don't know why. I think India has two night training (sessions) and I see outside that Canada will have a night training now, so make of that what you want, but we'll just rock up and do our Namibian way, which is to fight," Erasmus said. Canada, who take on the UAE in an afternoon game here on Friday, trained alongside the Indian team at the Feroz Shah Kotla. That was not lost on Erasmus."We haven't got any (flood)lights in Namibia... the day/night games. Infrastructure wise it's probably the challenge for us, so yeah it's not a casual thing for guys that don't have (experience)... "I think barring the guys who played in the Nepal Premier League and the ILT20 and the World Cups that we've played, you don't really get accustomed to lights and training under it very often," said Erasmus. Namibia lost their opening game against the Netherlands and face USA and Pakistan in their remaining league fixtures. Both those games are scheduled to start at 3pm. 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
13 February,2026 02:41 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Namibia, Team India emerged victorious by 93 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Having put to chase a target of 210 runs, Namibia was bowled out for 116 runs in 18.2 overs. Opening the innings, Louren Steenkamp was dismissed for 29 runs in 20 balls, including three boundaries and a maximum. Fellow opening batsman Jan Frylinck scored 22 runs after facing 15 balls, and also smashed three boundaries and a maximum. Nicol Loftie-Eaton managed to score 13 runs in 13 balls, with the help of a boundary. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus departed on 18 runs in 11 balls, including two boundaries. JJ Smit was dismissed on a two-ball duck. Wicketkeeper-batsman Zane Green returned to the pavilion after scoring 11 runs in 19 balls. Malan Kruger also scored five runs in 10 balls, including a boundary. Ruben Trumpelmann and Bernard Scholtz also registered six and four runs, respectively. Trumpelmann's knock ended in 16 balls, whereas Scholtz's knock of four balls included a boundary. Ben Shikongo was also dismissed on a one-ball duck. Max Heingo stayed unbeaten after facing two balls. Team India's Varun Chakaravarthy returned with the figures of three wickets for seven runs in two overs. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya bagged two wickets each. Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, and Jasprit Bumrah also registered one wicket each. Earlier, having put to bat first, Team India's opening batsman Sanju Samson departed on 22 runs. His knock came in eight balls, including a boundary and three maximums. Fellow opening batsman Ishan Kishan displayed a blistering knock of 61 runs off just 24 deliveries, laced with six boundaries and five maximums. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav departed after scoring 12 runs in 13 balls. His knock also included a maximum. Tilak Varma also accumulated 25 runs in 21 balls, with the help of three boundaries. Later, premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya delivered a stunning knock of 52 runs off just 28 deliveries, which was laced with four boundaries and the same number of maximums. Shouldering him was Shivam Dube, who scored 23 runs in 16 balls, with the help of a boundary and a maximum. With this, the "Men in Blue" posted a total of 209 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus claimed four wickets by conceding 20 runs in his spell of four overs. Ben Shikongo, JJ Smit, and Bernard Scholtz also chipped in with one wicket each. Ruben Trumpelmann and Max Heingo went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Team India.
12 February,2026 11:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Team India, Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Ben Shikongo will replace Willem Myburgh for the clash against the "Men in Blue". After winning the toss, Namibia skipper Erasmus said, "We’ve chosen to bowl first because the surface looks flat and true, ideal for setting things up with the ball. With dew likely to settle later, it makes sense to take advantage of early conditions. For us, it’s about sharpening our skills and building stronger partnerships when our turn to bat comes. The wicket looks excellent, and we’re here to play positive cricket and entertain the crowd. It’s always a privilege to play in India, where the atmosphere is fantastic. We’ve made two changes, bringing in an extra seamer—Ben Shikongo replaces Willem Myburgh". Abhishek Sharma, who was earlier hospitalised due to a stomach infection, will miss out on the clash. Sanju Samson will come in his place for tonight's clash. On the other hand, Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav said, "We were planning to bat first anyway, so the toss didn’t really affect us—winning games matters more than winning tosses. Defending a total is great preparation, especially in a long tournament where dew can significantly influence the second innings. Putting up a score and then backing our bowlers builds confidence and helps us understand different match scenarios. The pitch looks excellent, and I hope the batters enjoy themselves with such a lively crowd. Abhishek is still recovering and might need another game or two; Sanju replaces him, offering a similar explosive option. Bumrah also returns in place of Siraj, and with the fans cheering loudly, we’re eager to give them a memorable night—and personally, I’m loving my rhythm right now". T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs NAM: Confirmed Playing XI India: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah. Namibia: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (C), JJ Smit, Zane Green (WK), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Max Heingo.
12 February,2026 06:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Nepal, Italy emerged victorious by 10 wickets at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Having put to chase a target of 124 runs, the Italian men posted 124 runs without losing any wickets in 12.4 overs. Opening duo Justin Mosca and Anthony Mosca showcased exceptional skills with the willow. Facing 44 balls, Justin garnered an unbeaten 60 runs, laced with five boundaries and three maximums, whereas Anthony played an unbeaten knock of 62 runs, which came in 32 balls, and included three boundaries and six maximums. Nepal's Karan KC, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nandan Yadav, and Kusal Bhurtel went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Italy. Earlier, having put to bat first, Nepal's opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel managed to score five runs in 10 balls, including a boundary. Fellow opening batsman Aasif Sheikh scored 20 runs off 20 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Skipper Rohit Paudel garnered 23 runs off 14 balls, including two maximums. Dipendra Singh Airee accumulated 17 runs after facing 18 balls. Facing 24 balls, Aarif Sheikh scored 27 runs, including three boundaries. Lokesh Bam was dismissed for three runs in five balls, followed by Gulsan Jha, who returned to the pavilion on three runs off four balls. Nandan Yadav departed on a two-ball duck. Sandeep Lamichhane scored five runs in seven balls. Lalit Rajbanshi was dismissed on a two-ball duck. Karan KC stayed unbeaten on 18 runs in 11 balls, and also smashed a boundary and a maximum. Italy's Crishan Kalugamage returned with three wickets for 18 runs in four overs. Benjamin Maneti also bagged two wickets for nine runs in four overs. Ali Hasan, JJ Smuts, and Jaspreet Singh claimed one wicket each. Grant Stewart went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Nepal. T20 World Cup 2026: Group C standings The win has helped Italy secure third place in Group C. Having played two matches, the side secured one win and has a net run rate (NRR) of -0.352 and two points. On the other hand, Nepal is at the bottom of Group C with a net run rate (NRR) of -1.854. So far, they have played two matches and have suffered defeats in as many games.
12 February,2026 06:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNamibia is all set to lock horns with Team India in the T20 World Cup 2026 match, which is scheduled to be played on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Ahead of the game, Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus expressed disappointment for not getting a night training session before the India clash. He also said that, except for the players who have played in leagues such as the Nepal Premier League and ILT20, the players don't get the chance to train under the lights very often. "We haven't got any lights in Namibia. Infrastructure-wise, it's probably the challenge for us. So yeah, it's not a casual thing. Barring the guys who have played in the Nepal Premier League, ILT20 and the World Cups we have played, you don't get accustomed to lights and train under it very often," he said. Despite missing out on the night session, the skipper expressed confidence by saying that his team will do things in their "Namibian" way. "Yeah, we haven't been given night training before this game. I don't know why. I think India have two night trainings and I see outside that Canada are going to have a night training now. So make of that what you want, but we'll just rock up and do our Namibian way, which is to fight," said Erasmus. Currently, the "Men in Blue" are placed in the second position in Group A with a net run rate (NRR) of +1.450 and two points. On the other hand, Namibia is in fourth place with a net run rate (NRR) of -1.033. It will be interesting to see if Team India's Abhishek Sharma manages to make his appearance in the match. Earlier, he was hospitalised due to a stomach infection. T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs NAM: Full squads India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma. Namibia: Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jan Frylinck, JJ Smit, Gerhard Erasmus, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, Zane Green (WK), Ruben Trumpelmann, Louren Steenkamp, Ben Shikongo, Jan Balt, Dylan Leicher, Jack Brassell, Mac Heingo, Willem Pieter Myburgh. (With ANI Inputs)
12 February,2026 05:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Italy, Nepal was bowled out for 123 in 19.3 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Having put to bat first, Nepal's opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel managed to score five runs in 10 balls, including a boundary. Fellow opening batsman Aasif Sheikh scored 20 runs off 20 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Skipper Rohit Paudel garnered 23 runs off 14 balls, including two maximums. Dipendra Singh Airee accumulated 17 runs after facing 18 balls. Facing 24 balls, Aarif Sheikh scored 27 runs, including three boundaries. Lokesh Bam was dismissed for three runs in five balls, followed by Gulsan Jha, who returned to the pavilion on three runs off four balls. Nandan Yadav departed on a two-ball duck. Sandeep Lamichhane scored five runs in seven balls. Lalit Rajbanshi was dismissed on a two-ball duck. Karan KC stayed unbeaten on 18 runs in 11 balls, and also smashed a boundary and a maximum. Italy's Crishan Kalugamage returned with three wickets for 18 runs in four overs. Benjamin Maneti also bagged two wickets for nine runs in four overs. Ali Hasan, JJ Smuts, and Jaspreet Singh claimed one wicket each. Grant Stewart went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Nepal. Earlier, before the start of the match, Nepal cricket team's fans were seen expressing excitement outside the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They were also hopeful of their national team securing its first win in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. VIDEO | Mumbai: Nepal Fans turn up in huge numbers, hopeful of securing their first T20 World Cup win against Italy.(Full video available on PTI Videos- https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/FtZ2kPEPXJ — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 12, 2026 Italy will heavily rely on Benjamin Manenti to replicate his performance from the previous clash. In Italy's previous match against Scotland, Manenti had scored 52 runs off 31 deliveries, with the help of five boundaries and a maximum. T20 World Cup 2026: Group C standings Currently, Nepal has played one match and suffered a loss in it. The side will be eager to register its first victory in the tournament. They are placed in fourth position in Group C with a net run rate (NRR) of -0.200. On the other hand, Italy is placed at the bottom of the table with a net run rate (NRR) of -3.650.
12 February,2026 04:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the West Indies, England suffered a loss by 30 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Speaking about the loss, England skipper Harry Brook said that the side was expecting the Wankhede pitch to improve, but it did not. He also said that the "Three Lions" were being very careful while chasing a target of 197 runs. "One thing I would say is we were probably a little bit careful. Chasing nearly 200 is always a big ask and like I said we didn't think - we thought the pitch would get a little bit better and it'd slide onto the bat a bit more and that didn't happen, but yeah - like I said we were probably a little bit careful, myself included," he said. Further speaking, he also admitted that England didn't execute their plans well with the ball. Despite the loss, he labelled the West Indies team as a powerful side. "We probably didn't execute as well as we usually can. We didn't quite execute well enough with the ball and they probably got 15, 20 too many. We thought it was chasable, definitely. We obviously planned for dew and it didn't quite get as dew as we thought, and it didn't quite slide onto the bat as much as we were expecting. But yeah, T20 cricket's such a fickle game and the West Indians are such a powerful side," said Brook. West Indies' Sherfane Rutherford was named as the "Player of the Match" for his explosive knock. Facing just 42 deliveries, he smashed an unbeaten 76 runs, including two boundaries and seven maximums. Gudakesh Motie also returned with the figures of three wickets for 33 runs in four overs. Roston Chase bagged two wickets by conceding 29 runs in four overs. Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd also chipped in with one wicket each. The victory also helped the side to secure the top spot in Group C with a net run rate (NRR) of +1.625 and four points. T20 World Cup 2026: West Indies' upcoming fixture West Indies will now lock horns with Nepal on February 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (With ANI Inputs)
12 February,2026 04:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
