While English fans were few at the Wankhede on Sunday, Nepal enjoyed massive support. Chetan Kesi, part of a group of 20 Nepal fans, especially flew down from Kathmandu. “We’re here to support Nepal. Our players are working hard and in future we will be an important team in the World Cup. There are around 3000 to 4000 fans here,” Kesi told mid-day. Meanwhile, English couple Garry and Clare Pheasey from Manchester are enjoying the cricket as well as looking forward to celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on February 10 here. “I remember, immediately after our wedding in 2021, we went to Sri Lanka to watch England play cricket and now we’re here to see England again,” said Clare.
09 February,2026 10:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureNepal almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets against England at this T20 World Cup at Wankhede on Sunday before the two-time champions managed to eke out a close four-run win. The Rohit Paudel-led Nepal side put up a strong fight, chasing 184-7. With 46 needed off the last 18 balls, No. 6 batter Lokesh Bam (39 not out off 20 balls) smashed pacer Jofra Archer (1-42) for two consecutive sixes in a 22-run over. With 24 required off the last 12 balls, left-arm pacer Luck Wood (1-31) conceded 14 runs off the 19th over, leaving Nepal needing 10 off the last six balls. Left-arm pacer Sam Curran (1-27), however, used all his experience, bowling some perfect yorkers to concede just five runs. Will Jacks All-rounder Will Jacks, who scored 39 not out off 18 balls and claimed 1-17 with his off-spin, admitted the win was a huge relief. “Relief and happiness. We came into this game to win, and we did. Job done. But it’s also part of preparation for what’s to come because we know we’ll be in similar situations again,” Jacks said at the post-match press conference. When asked to assess the contest, Jacks said, “Full credit to Nepal. They were outstanding in the field and their running between the wickets was excellent — they just kept coming.” There was a 17,000-strong crowd at the Wankhede and majority were cheering for Nepal. Nepal pacer Nandan Yadav, who claimed 2-25, said, “Matches like this are good for us and for the crowd as well. It shows that our standard is going up.” Dipendra Singh Airee (44 off 29 balls), captain Rohit Paudel (39) were Nepal’s other key contributors. Earlier, England posted 184-7, thanks to half-tons by Jacob Bethell (55) and skipper Harry Brook (53).
09 February,2026 10:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureOne of the easiest, and laziest, explanations for Saturday’s escape to victory is complacency and arrogance. It’s tempting to attribute India’s spectacular collapse to a feeling of superiority against an honest but not-too-threatening United States attack, but that can’t be farther from the truth. As Axar Patel, the vice-captain, acknowledged more than once after the 29-run victory in their World Cup opener, this wasn’t the usual Wankhede Stadium strip, benign but true and of even bounce. Right from the first over from Saurabh Netravalkar, it was apparent that there was reasonable juice in the form of considerable lateral movement, but that wasn’t the only threat to batters. The ball often sat in the pitch, making hitting through the line fraught with danger. There was grip and turn for the spinners. For batters accustomed to shirtfronts, these were different but not insurmountable challenges. India didn’t try to brazen or muscle their way out of trouble. They scaled down their expectations of the par score very early in the piece, and largely played the ball on its merit in the Powerplay, until Shadley van Schalkwyk picked up three wickets in five deliveries in the sixth over with different kinds of balls. These things can happen when one hasn’t encountered such tracks too often. India were quick to understand what was happening but too slow to adapt. Fortunately for them, Suryakumar Yadav was around, using his legendary calm and poise to resuscitate a gasping, floundering innings from 77-6. Having bossed over South Africa and New Zealand in the last two months, this was a wake-up call of sorts. India will be thankful, having bagged the two points, that it came this early on in the tournament; it should facilitate being quicker on their mental feet so that there is no encore, which will be punished by a more established and experienced outfit. Boss Gambhir hails Surya’s masterclass India head coach Gautam Gambhir hailed Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning knock of an unbeaten 84 against the USA as a “masterclass”, calling it one of the finest T20I innings played under pressure. SixNo of wickets India lost for just 77 runs — their third-lowest score at the fall of the sixth wicket in T20 World Cups, after an identical 42-6 against Australia in 2010 and New Zealand in 2016
09 February,2026 10:05 AM IST | Mumbai | R KaushikSport and celebration came together as Bombay Gymkhana (BG) felicitated legendary sportspersons, who were or are members at the club’s family day on Friday. There were 65 sportspersons honoured, with some, who could not collect their award in person, having representatives collect it on their behalf. Some of those honoured were Indian cricket opener Sunil Gavaskar, Nari Contractor, former India hockey captain MM Somaya and snooker champ Yasin Merchant. Posthumous honours were also conferred on former Test cricketers Dilip Sardesai and Ajit Wadekar among others. Media baron, writer Khalid Ansari who has reported on nine Olympic Games, was also part of the recipient list. “This is one of my most cherished moments as this is the club. Recognising those, who are not with us anymore, is truly a sign of what Bombay Gymkhana stands for — always classy,” said Gavaskar. The sportspersons received plaques.
09 February,2026 09:59 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentOpener Tim Seifert struck a blistering 65 off 42 balls to lead New Zealand’s highest-ever run chase in a T20 World Cup as they beat Afghanistan by five wickets on Sunday. After Afghanistan made 182-6, NZ were driven by Seifert’s 42-ball knock and 42 by Glenn Phillips to achieve their target with 13 balls to spare in Chennai. NZ’s previous best chase in the T20 World Cup was their 167 against England in the 2021 semi-final. 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
09 February,2026 09:56 AM IST | Chennai | AgenciesThe Mumbai vs Karnataka Ranji Trophy quarter-final is evenly poised after three days at the MCA-BKC ground on Sunday. Mumbai, fighting tooth and nail, clawed back into the game through a brilliant 89-run partnership for the ninth wicket between No. 9 Tanush Kotian (48 not out, 73b, 5x4, 1x6) and No. 10 Tushar Deshpande (47, 40b, 7x4, 2x6). The partnership came off just 82. Karnataka had Mumbai at 287-8 with the hosts leading by 234, but Deshpande counter-attacked and found solid support from Kotian, who was at the firing end of some short-pitched missiles. Now, Karnataka, facing a target of 325, are 113-2, having lost opener Mayank Agarwal (3) and captain Devdutt Padikkal (39), but still have the well-settled KL Rahul (60 batting) and Karun Nair (9 batting) for company. When play resumes on Monday, Karnataka need another 212 to win and Mumbai, eight wickets. With the pitch already beginning to assist spinners given how off-spinner Tanush Kotian claimed the prized scalp of Padikkal, courtesy a brilliant left-handed catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal at slips, Karnataka won’t have it easy. “We know we are one wicket away from causing a collapse. That’s how the surface behaves at BKC. Given the turn Tanush is getting, we’d like to think we are on top now,” said Mumbai’s second innings top-scorer and wicketkeeper Akash Anand (70). Brief scoresMumbai 120 & 377 (A Anand 70; S Shetty 3-45) vs Karnataka 173 & 113-2 (KL Rahul 60*, D Padikkal 39)
09 February,2026 08:41 AM IST | Mumbai | G KrishnanIn Italy, famous for its four FIFA World Cup titles — second only to Brazil’s five — cricket has been struggling to find a foothold for quite some time now. The debutants at the 2026 T20 World Cup hope to do enough during the month-long tournament to make the leap and have more people, particularly those from their country, take notice. “With all the buzz around it and the [huge] television coverage, we have an opportunity to make an impact,” skipper Wayne Madsen, on Sunday, the eve of their opener against Scotland at the Eden Gardens here. Madsen, 42, who has played hockey for South Africa before seeking cricket pastures in the United Kingdom, and coach John Davison, a former skipper of Canada, spoke of the journey ahead, Simone Gambino was around to reveal how far they had come. “There was a time when most in Italy thought the batsman and the bowler were on the same side while the fielders were the opponents; the 1992 World Cup saw coloured jerseys being introduced and it made explaining a lot easier,” quipped Gambino, now the Honourary Life President of the Italian board. “The ICC has pumped in money trying to spread the game, but it’s about establishing the [cricket] culture, and that has to be done by the country,” added Gambino, who has been making trips to major cricket-playing countries for a few decades to explain the game better to his countrymen. For a country, where Kabir Bedi is the most well-known Indian, and “hardly anyone has heard of Sachin Tendulkar”, the Italians are hoping this tournament will change all that.
08 February,2026 08:53 PM IST | Kolkata | Arup ChatterjeeSuryakumar Yadav’s first World Cup outing as India’s captain was rapidly turning pear-shaped when the skipper decided to take things into his own hands on Saturday night. An extraordinary top-order collapse, resulting from disciplined bowling from United States, a tacky surface and injudicious shot-selection, had the hosts reeling at 77 for six on being put in. A packed gathering at the Wankhede Stadium went completely silent, fearing the worst. Suryakumar (84 not out off 49 balls) has grown up playing most of his cricket at this venue. Drawing on familiarity, showing great restraint and unwilling to get sucked into a battle of egos, he bided his time. Mohammed Siraj (centre) celebrates after taking the wicket of USA opener Andries Gous Shadley van Schalkwyk had done the bulk of the damage with three wickets in his first over, the last of the Powerplay, after Abhishek Sharma had fallen for a golden duck, and as the middle order caved in meekly, the 35-year-old realised that he had no option but to play through the innings. Crucial 41-run stand In an essay of two distinct halves, Suryakumar was content to rotate the strike for the first part, steadying the ship with Axar Patel during a seventh-wicket stand of 41. Put down by Shubham Ranjane on his follow-through when only 15, Suryakumar was 47 off 35 at Axar’s fall. Then came a series of audacious shots, several of which involved walking across his stumps, fetching the ball from well outside off and scooping it over or behind square on the on-side while finding himself on his backside at the completion of the stroke. Having reached his half-century off 36 balls, Suryakumar delivered a brutal final kick as the last five overs produced 67. As many as 21 of those came in the final over from Saurabh Netravalkar and Suryakumar walked off to a standing ovation, having hauled his side to 161-9. US lose quick wickets United States’s cause wasn’t helped by several dropped catches early on, and an untimely groin injury to Ali Khan, their death-overs specialist, who couldn’t bowl his last two overs. They needed to bat out of their skins even though India were without the unwell Jasprit Bumrah, but lost three wickets in the first four overs and were never in contention. Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi flourished briefly and Ranjane lashed out towards the end but US could only manage 132 for eight, leaving India victors by 29 runs. Not convincing, but points on the board and an early wake-up call. 1074No. of runs scored by Suryakumar Yadav as T20I skipper; the fourth Indian captain after MS Dhoni (1112), Virat Kohli (1570), and Rohit Sharma (1905) to go past the 1000-run mark 84*No. of runs scored by Suryakumar on Saturday — the second-highest score in debut innings as T20 World Cup captain after WI’s Chris Gayle’s 88 vs Australia in 2009 ThreeNo of golden ducks for Abhishek Sharma in his last five T20Is 0-65Pacer Saurabh Netravalkar’s figures against India — the most expensive ever in a T20 World Cup, surpassing SL’s Sanath Jayasuriya’s 0-64 against Pakistan in 2007. It is also the worst figures by a USA bowler in T20Is
08 February,2026 08:56 AM IST | Mumbai | R KaushikIt’s often said fast bowlers hunt in pairs. This was evident in the morning session of Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final at the MCA-BKC ground on Saturday when Mumbai pacers Mohit Avasthi (4-27) and Tushar Deshpande (4-33) restricted Karnataka to 173, a first innings lead of just 53. Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal (92) did the bulk of the scoring for the visitors. Mumbai had folded for just 120 in their first innings the previous day. Avasthi and Deshpande made good use of the helpful morning conditions as moisture on the surface made scoring difficult. Deshpande picked up all four wickets in a spell of 6-1-20-4, including the prized scalp of Agarwal, edged to second slip Siddhesh Lad. Avasthi, fresh from a five-wicket haul against Delhi last week, polished off the opposition, dismissing Shikhar Shetty, clean bowled, before lunch. Tushar Deshpande Mumbai put up a better batting show in their second essay. Akash Anand (53 not out), promoted to No. 3, and Musheer Khan (49 not out) shared an unbroken 112-run partnership for the third wicket to take the hosts to 189-2 in their second innings, enjoying a lead of 136. “On Friday, when I came to bowl [46-1 in 8 overs], they already had a flying start. My role was to keep them quiet. On Saturday, when we had them three down in the morning, that was a chance for me to get through their batting line-up. It’s all about bowling in partnerships. Going from here, the game is open,” said Deshpande, 30, who was pleased to contain Karnataka’s lead to just 53. “We spoke in the huddle about belief. As the pitch was helping seam bowlers, it was important to bowl in the right areas and with the mindset of attacking the batters,” he said. Mumbai openers Akhil Herwadkar and Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to provide a big opening stand. After posting 77, both fell within six deliveries of each other. Herwadkar (33) was run out by Vidwat Kaverappa’s direct throw from fine leg while Jaiswal stepped out to leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal and was stumped for 36. Brief scoresMumbai 120 & 189-2 (A Anand 53*, M Khan 49*, Y Jaiswal 36, A Herwadkar 33) vs Karnataka 173 (M Agarwal 92; M Avasthi 4-27, T Deshpande 4-33)
08 February,2026 08:50 AM IST | Mumbai | G KrishnanThe ICC has sought an explanation from Pakistan on how the ‘Force Majeure’ clause can be invoked to justify the team’s refusal to play the T20 World Cup match against India after the PCB tried to wriggle out of the situation by putting the onus on its government. But there is a glimmer of hope now as PCB has approached the ICC for deliberations, as per an ICC Director, who feels that the marquee clash slated on February 15 will eventually take place. “The talks have started,” he said. The ICC has asked Pakistan Cricket Board to justify pulling out of one match while playing the remaining tournament on government instructions. Having received the world body’s formal communication, the PCB initiated further discussions. 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
08 February,2026 08:45 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIAll-rounder Faheem Ashraf admitted his heart rate was fluctuating during the fag end of Pakistan’s nervy yet successful run chase against the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup opener here on Saturday, but said he was confident he “could take down whatever runs in one over”. Ashraf emerged as Pakistan’s hero, hammering an unbeaten 29 off just 11 balls in a stunning late assault that sealed a dramatic three-wicket victory. Chasing 148, Pakistan were 90-2 at the halfway stage, but lost wickets in a heap as they were 114-7 in 16.1 overs. Needing 29 runs from the last two overs, Ashraf hit three sixes and one four off Logan van Beek and finished off the match with a four in the final over as Pakistan reached 148-7 in 19.3 overs. “We have been playing this brand of cricket for the past year. Heart rates go up and down, it’s happened so many times before, we’re used to it,” the 32-year-old bowling all-rounder said. “Shaheen [Afridi] and I were talking about saving wickets, knew we could take down whatever in one over,” he added. Brief scoresNetherlands 147 all out in 19.5 overs (S Edwards 37, B Leede 30; S Mirza 3-24, A Ahmed 2-23, M Nawaz 2-38) lost to Pakistan 148-7 in 19.3 overs (S Farhan 47, F Ashraf 29*, P Meekeren 2-20, A Dutt 2-33) by three wickets 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
08 February,2026 08:42 AM IST | Colombo | PTIADVERTISEMENT
