Team India's premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya reflected on the defining moments of his career. He stated that the T20 World Cup 2016 match against Bangladesh shaped his career. Back then, Hardik managed to defend 11 runs in the final over, which helped him to gain the spotlight. A decade later, he is a part of the Indian squad as a senior player. "I think all these moments made me the kind of person I am. There were early challenges in my international career where I had to hold my ground and back myself. It was important to have belief. In cricket, even if there is just a 1% chance, the game is not over until the last ball of the match is bowled. That Bangladesh match was a classic example of that. One ball before the wicket, the batter had started celebrating as if the game was over. He was celebrating right in front of me, and it was all happening before my eyes," he said on JioStar. "When things turn around like that, they create wonderful memories. Every time I see it, I think about how, in the early days, that was one of the challenges in my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have had many more moments like this, but my journey started with that one," added Pandya. Further speaking, the cricketer feels that he has just displayed 40 per cent of his batting skills by far and is keen on playing to his full potential. "I think the child in me, the cricket geek, who is always there, was focusing more on my skill set as a bowler. I have always had a lot of confidence in my bowling, but batting was very close to my heart. After the last IPL, I realised that I really wanted to play to Hardik's full potential. I think until now, I haven't utilised more than 40 per cent of my batting potential, and that is genuinely honest feedback. What I know as a cricketer, what I imagine, what I manifest, and how I practice, have not translated into performance by more than 40 per cent," said the 32-year-old cricketer. He also credited his rumoured girlfriend and Indian model, Mahieka Sharma, for helping him rediscover the excitement for the sport. Pandya then spoke about the days when he used to train for several hours at the NCA. "I took some time in my life to figure out how to bring that out. That's when Mahieka came into my life. We started talking about the sport and how to bring that child back. She helped me rediscover that excitement for the game that I always had. I went behind the scenes, worked really hard, and had a good amount of batting sessions. There were days when I was on the ground for six to seven hours. When I went to the NCA, I would go at 3:30 in the afternoon and finish at 12:30 at night. I was usually the last person to leave and shut the lights off," he said. T20 World Cup 2026: Team India's upcoming fixture Currently, Pandya is busy representing Team India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. So far in the tournament, the "Men in Blue" have played three matches and have secured wins in as many games. They have also qualified for the "Super 8" stage of the global showpiece. Team India is set to conclude their group stage matches by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (With ANI Inputs)
17 February,2026 05:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentLegendary Team India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, along with 12 other former captains, have expressed concerns about jailed cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's health. The former cricketers have urged the Pakistan government to provide Imran adequate medical attention and dignified conditions in line with international standards. There have been reports suggesting that the 1992 World Cup-winning skipper, Imran, has lost approximately 85 per cent of vision in his right eye due to medical neglect while in custody at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. All 14 former skippers wrote a letter to the Pakistan government, asking for fair treatment for Imran. "We, the undersigned former captains of our national cricket teams, write with deep concern regarding the reported treatment and incarceration conditions of Imran Khan, the distinguished former Captain of Pakistan and a legendary figure in world cricket," the letter stated. "Recent reports concerning his health - particularly the alarming deterioration of his vision while in custody - and the conditions of his imprisonment over the past two and a half years have caused us profound concern. As fellow cricketers who understand the values of fair play, honour, and respect that transcend the boundary rope, we believe that a person of Imran Khan's stature deserves to be treated with the dignity and basic human consideration befitting a former national leader and a global sporting icon," it added. The letter is signed by Michael Atherton, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Clive Lloyd, Steve Waugh and John Wright. Earlier in 2023, the former Pakistan cricketer was sentenced to 14 years in prison regarding a corruption case. "We respectfully urge the Government of Pakistan to ensure that Imran Khan receives: Immediate, adequate and ongoing medical attention from qualified specialists of his choosing to address his reported health issues. Humane and dignified conditions of detention in line with international standards, Including regular visits by close family members. Fair and transparent access to legal processes without undue delay or hindrance," the letter further read. "Cricket has long been a bridge between nations. Our shared history on the field reminds us that rivalry ends when the stumps are drawn-and respect endures. Imran Khan embodied that spirit throughout his career. This appeal is made in the spirit of sportsmanship and common humanity, without prejudice to any legal proceedings," it added. It also highlighted the contributions of the 73-year-old former cricketer to the sport, stating that his leadership qualities and sportsmanship have inspired generations across borders. "Imran Khan's contributions to the game are universally admired. As captain, he led Pakistan to their historic 1992 Cricket World Cup victory a triumph built on skill, resilience, leadership, and sportsmanship that inspired generations across borders. Many of us competed against him, shared the field with him, or grew up idolizing his all-round brilliance, charisma, and competitive spirit. He remains one of the finest all-rounders and captains the sport has ever seen, earning respect from players, fans, and administrators alike. Beyond cricket, Imran Khan served as Prime Minister of Pakistan, leading his nation during a challenging period. Regardless of political perspectives, he holds the honour of having been democratically elected to the highest office in his country," it read. (With PTI Inputs)
17 February,2026 04:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCo-hosts, Sri Lanka, may suffer a huge blow as their pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana limped off without completing his first over during the match against Australia held at Pallekele International Stadium in Sri Lanka, according to the ICC. Pathirana's suspected hamstring injury during the match on Monday may have left the former champions without their fastest bowler for the rest of the tournament. However, no official confirmation has come yet from the Sri Lankan cricket board on Pathirana's injury. The co-hosts are already without Wanindu Hasaranga, who was ruled out earlier in the tournament due to injury. The 23-year-old pulled up in his follow-through while delivering the fourth ball of his opening over and immediately clutched his left leg before going to ground. After on-field treatment, he was helped off the field. Captain Dasun Shanaka finished the over. Coming to the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first. An 104-run stand between a returning skipper, Mitchell Marsh (54 in 27 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) started off things for Australia, but Aussies could not make the most of this perfect headstart as they were skittled out for 181 runs in 20 overs, with Josh Inglis (27 in 22 balls, with three fours) and Glenn Maxwell (22 in 15 balls, with a four and a six) being the only ones to touch the 20-run mark later. Dushan Hemantha (3/37 in four overs) and Dushmantha Chameera (2/36 in four overs) were the top bowlers for Sri Lanka. In the run-chase, Perera fell early, but Nissanka (100* in 52 balls, with 10 fours and five sixes), Kusal Mendis (51 in 38 balls, with six fours and a six), and Pavan Rathnayake (28* in 15 balls, with six fours) took Sri Lanka to the target with eight wickets and two overs left. Australia are third in the group with one win and two losses, behind table-toppers SL and Zimbabwe, who have won both their matches. If Zimbabwe win their clash against Ireland on Tuesday, the Aussies will be out of the tournament. 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.
17 February,2026 03:35 PM IST | Pallekele (Sri Lanka) | ANICanada won the toss and elected to bat against New Zealand in their Group D match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. The Kiwis made two changes to their playing XI from the previous game, with regular skipper Mitchell Santner unwell and rested, and Lockie Ferguson having left the side for the birth of his first child. Winning the toss, Canada skipper Dilpreet Bajwa said, “It looks like a good surface to start on, and later in the game there might be some assistance for the spinners. So it’s better to put runs on the board and defend a target. We’ve had a couple of night games recently, so a day game is a nice change. I think it suits us, especially with our spinners - the conditions should help them later on. One change- Kaleem Sana is out due to injury, and Shivam Sharma comes in.” Meanwhile, New Zealand’s stand-in captain Michael Bracewell said, “Mitch (Santner) not feeling too great today, so hopefully he’ll be good to go in 24 hours. Firstly, we’re really excited for Lockie with the birth of his first baby — that’s special news — and he’ll be back soon. In terms of the team, Kyle Jamieson comes in for him, so it’s a like-for-like replacement, which is good for us. Cole (McConchie) comes in for Santner as well, so again it’s a very similar role. He’ll be excited to get the opportunity. It brings different challenges. "A number of us have played quite a few games here in Chennai over the last few years, so we understand the conditions. We’ll assess the surface quickly and adapt as the game unfolds." Playing XIs: New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (c), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (w), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Shivam Sharma, Ansh Patel 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.
17 February,2026 12:51 PM IST | Chennai | IANSThere was a forecast for rain at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday night. Instead, it was a hurricane called Ishan Kishan that wreaked havoc, sweeping Pakistan aside with one of the more brutally beautiful innings of this T20 World Cup. Pakistan packed their XI with five specialist spinners and opened the bowling with a sixth. When Salman Agha sent Abhishek Sharma packing for a blob, predictions of this being a contest between India’s batters and Pakistan’s tweakers seemed justified till Kishan stepped up.
17 February,2026 09:52 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) plans to begin the inaugural edition of the T20 Mumbai Women’s League on June 1, with three teams set to compete in the tournament. “We are planning to start the T20 Mumbai Women’s League on 1st June,” MCA President Ajinkya Naik told mid-day on Monday. “It is a great opportunity for our women’s cricketers to showcase their talent and performance, which will ultimately strengthen and benefit Mumbai cricket,” Naik added. On Monday, through their website, MCA began inviting bids from interested parties, who wish to operate the three teams in the competition.
17 February,2026 09:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureOut of nine Associate Nations playing in the ongoing T20 World Cup, none have made it to the Super Eights. And Scotland all-rounder Tom Bruce believes unless these teams get exposure against top-ranked sides, little will change. “There’s been talk of it [associates playing top teams], but ultimately until we see action, nothing’s going to happen. We’d love to see more cricket between Associate Nations and Tier One nations,” said Bruce giving the example of Nepal, who fought brilliantly against England, and Italy who also ran England close in the tournament, to suggest the potential of the lesser established teams. “You see the success stories of Nepal and Italy here. You want to see more nations playing cricket and you want to see them playing against the best nations. Obviously, that decision is far above my pay grade, but when you look at the World Cup as a whole, it’s exciting watching Associate Nations play against Tier One nations, pushing them all the way,” added Bruce at the press conference on the eve of their match against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Scotland, who replaced Bangladesh only a few days before the start of the World Cup, have won a solitary game so far, beating Italy by 73 runs. When asked about the contest versus Nepal, Bruce said: “We’re hoping to see them [Nepal] at their best again tomorrow [Tuesday] so we can put on a good entertainment and good show for the crowd that’s going to come in.” Meanwhile, former South African cricketer and Nepal’s current consultant coach Nic Pothas felt his team “was not learning fast enough as a group,” and hoped his players “do not repeat their errors against Scotland.”
17 February,2026 09:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAn unbeaten 52-ball 100 by Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis’s 51 ensured Sri Lanka beat Australia by eight wickets here on Monday. The Lankans comfortably chased down the Australians’s 181 all out with 12 balls and eight wickets in hand. Earlier, coming back into the playing XI after missing the team’s first two matches of the tournament due to an injury, Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh got into the act straightaway, clobbering 54 in 27 balls. Head was equally brutal during his 29-ball 56, as the opening duo added 104 runs in less than nine overs to set Australia up for a 200-plus total. Leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha took 3-37 for the Lankans. 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
17 February,2026 08:44 AM IST | Pallekele | AgenciesSkipper Devdutt Padikkal led from the front with a maiden double hundred in first-class cricket as a dominant Karnataka posted an imposing 689 for six, compounding Uttarakhand's misery in their Ranji Trophy semifinal here on Monday. On another fruitful day for the Karnataka batters, Ravichandran Smaran too helped himself to a fluent century, scoring an unbeaten 121 off 191 balls with the help of 11 boundaries. Padikkal made a monumental 232 off 330 balls, striking 29 fours and three sixes during his long vigil at the crease. Resuming at their overnight total of 355 for two, Karnataka started the second's play from where it had left on first evening, with the duo of Padikkal and Karun Nair (60 off 105 balls) stitching together a partnership of 129 runs for the third wicket to continue their team's domination. Uttarakhand tasted the day's first success when medium pacer Abhay Negi dismissed Karun with a back of a length delivery that angled away, and the nick was taken by wicketkeeper Saurabh Rawat. Padikkal, who began the day at 148 not out, continued to play confidently and reached his first-ever double century in 288 balls, with Smaran too looking good at the other end. However, having added 59 runs with Smaran, Padikkal tried to work a turning Lakshya Raichandani delivery towards fine-leg but only ended up edging it to Rawat behind the stumps, bringing to an end his long stay in the middle amid a round of applause and acknowledgement. Shreyas Gopal was on his way back for a duck after facing just six, bowled by Aditya Rawat as Uttarakhand seemed to have finally found an opening to get to the Karnataka lower-order at 485 for five. However, after his captain's dismissal, Smaran found an able ally in wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna, with whom the the 22-year-old explosive batter added 123 runs for the sixth wicket to further frustrate Uttarakhand. Krishna's contribution in the stand was a handsome 60 off 103 balls, and his knock was laced with six fours and a six at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Off-spinner Avneesh Sudha broke the stand when the ball took a deflection off Krishna's bat to crash on to his stumps after the batter tries to defend it. Uttarakhand's agony did not end there though, as seamer Vidyadhar Patil (35 batting off 103 balls) too chipped in with the bat, while adding 81 runs in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership with Smaran. On the first day, India's Test and ODI specialist KL Rahul (141), in the company of Padikkal, set the tone for Karnataka with a magnificent hundred. 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
17 February,2026 08:20 AM IST | Lucknow | PTIThere was a forecast for rain at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday night. Instead, it was a hurricane called Ishan Kishan that wreaked havoc, sweeping Pakistan aside with one of the more brutally beautiful innings of this T20 World Cup. Six spinners for Pakistan Pakistan packed their XI with five specialist spinners and opened the bowling with a sixth. When Pakistan skipper Salman Agha sent Abhishek Sharma packing in the first over for a blob, predictions of this being a contest between India’s batters and Pakistan’s tweakers seemed justified until Kishan stepped up to deliver the goods. There is much to admire about the 27-year-old, whose leadership and batting carried Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title this season. At the time, Kishan was nowhere near the T20I side. But once the stars aligned to not just earn him a dramatic recall after two years but also establish him as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter and Abhishek’s opening partner, Kishan has been unstoppable. Skipper Agha’s strike buoyed Pakistan but Kishan burst the bubble in the next over with a six and an inside-edged four off Shaheen Shah Afridi. With the left-arm quick bashed out of the attack, Kishan trained his attention on the spinners. After hammering 61 off 24 against Namibia on Thursday, Kishan acknowledged that he had grown as a person in his enforced exile from the national team. “I don’t joke around 24x7 anymore, it’s only 3-4 hours a day,” he guffawed. Strike rate of nearly 200 Kishan’s 77 came off 40 deliveries, at a strike rate of nearly 200. He was the thoroughbred in a group of show ponies, a sleek sports car breezing past aged, ageing cabs weighed down by baggage and the unwillingness/inability to take calculated risks on a less-than-ideal batting surface. Kishan is in the middle of a stunning, striking purple patch. Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir will be hoping the patch mushrooms into something a lot bigger over the next three weeks so that India’s tilt at history is a successful, fulfilling exercise. 158No. of runs scored by Ishan Kishan in three matches at the ongoing T20 World Cup — the second most after NZ’s Tim Seifert (167 runs) 66No. of runs smashed by Ishan Kishan against Pakistan’s spinners off 37 balls. The other India batters scored a combined 78 off 71 balls vs spin 10No. of sixes struck by Ishan Kishan at the ongoing T20 World Cup — joint-highest alongside WI’s Shimron Hetmyer 192.5Ishan Kishan’s strike rate during his 40-ball 77 — the highest for a 40-plus ball innings at Colombo
17 February,2026 08:19 AM IST | Colombo | R KaushikCricket is often called a game of glorious uncertainties, and for young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, 25, those words rang painfully true in Colombo. Just a week after his golden duck against the USA in India’s opening match of the T20 World Cup, his family — father Rajkumar Sharma, mother Manju Devi, sister Komal, and her husband Navish Kumar — flew to Colombo for the Indo-Pak clash, but only ended up seeing him get another duck. India players celebrate their win against Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday. Pic/PTI Abhishek fell in the very first over and his family’s dream of witnessing his redemption remained unfulfilled. Yet, they remained positive. “Yes, we were disappointed, but have no regrets about coming here. It’s a game where any batter can become a hero from zero,” dad Rajkumar told mid-day on Monday, his voice reflecting the resilience that cricket families often embody. “This glorious game of cricket is full of chances and uncertainties. After all, it’s the result that matters. The Indian team won, and that’s more important than my son’s score. This Indian team, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir, is doing exceedingly well,” he added. Despite their presence in Colombo, the family however, could not meet Abhishek as Team India are housed under high security in a separate hotel. “But we will catch him in Ahmedabad [for India’s next game against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium],” said Rajkumar, adding that the Indian team were to leave for Ahmedabad on Monday via a chartered flight. “We could not get tickets for Monday, so we are returning to India on Tuesday,” he said.
17 February,2026 08:17 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin DaniADVERTISEMENT
