West Indies, who crushed debutants Italy at the Eden Gardens on Thursday for a clean sweep of their group matches, are consciously giving up flamboyance for efficiency as they chase success at this T20 World Cup — one game at a time. “It's more about the role that I've been given and about how we want to play as a team,” skipper Shai Hope said after the 42-run victory. “You would like to go out and strike at 250, 300 but on days the conditions may [compel us] to be a little more gritty,” he added after a 46-ball 75, pointing out that his role in the team is to hold one end up so that the others can play aggressor at the other end. “I too can hit the big sixes but, then, it’s more about doing what’s required for the team in that particular moment. That's how I pride myself as a cricketer. Effectiveness and efficiency are more important,” explained Hope. The influence of head coach Daren Sammy is big in the line-up. Sammy led the Windies to title triumphs in 2012 and 2016. The Caribbeans haven’t won an ICC trophy since. Clarity has been the password. “It was one of the biggest things that we focused on in preparation and making sure every single player, whether in the 11 or on the bench [knows it],” Hope said, adding that a big occasion like the World Cup had them grasping the importance of it better. Matthew Forde, who picked three wickets here, spoke of Sammy’s frequents chats with the team members to ensure everyone was on the same page at all times. “He has created history by winning two World Cups, but he keeps telling us to create our own history,” said the 23-year-old pacer who is on his first visit to India.
19 February,2026 08:56 PM IST | Kolkata | Arup ChatterjeeIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe emerged victorious by six wickets at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. During the match, Brian Bennett played an unbeaten knock of 63 runs off just 48 deliveries, and was laced with eight boundaries. Shouldering him was skipper Sikandar Raza, who was dismissed on 45 runs. Facing 26 balls, Raza also smashed two boundaries and four maximums. Speaking about his explosive knock, Raza admitted that he did not begin fluently and was trying to calculate the required runs. "After the first eight balls, I only had 4-5 runs, but I was seeing the ball well, and if I time it well, it can go the distance. Was trying to calculate. Needed a 20-run over," he said. "Ideally wanted to finish the game, but we took it. Kept on saying to Bennett that he batted through," added Raza. Raza then felt he had put extra pressure on his partner due to his slow start. "I told him I had let him down and to just hang in because I was starting to time it well. Credit to him, he keeps doing that every game and cannot wait to see him get better," said the skipper. Having qualified for the "Super 8" stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, Zimbabwe's skipper said that he has already started thinking about the next clash. "I am pretty excited with how we have gone about our business. We are unbeaten so far, but it is only the next game that comes into my head. Nice position to be in as a captain, but I will try to enjoy at least tonight," said the 39-year-old cricketer. T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: Group 1 teams Zimbabwe is placed in Group 1 of the Super 8 stage along with teams India, South Africa, and the West Indies. They will play their first Super 8 match against the West Indies on February 23 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The title clash of the marquee event is scheduled to be played on March 8, with the venue yet to be decided. (With ANI Inputs)
19 February,2026 08:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe secured a stunning victory by six wickets at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Having put to chase a target of 179 runs, Zimbabwe scored 182 runs for the loss of four wickets in 19.3 overs. Opening batsman Brian Bennett played an unbeaten knock of 63 runs off 48 deliveries, which was laced with eight boundaries. Fellow opening batsman Tadiwanashe Marumani scored 34 runs in 26 balls, with the help of five boundaries and a maximum. Ryan Burl returned to the pavilion after scoring 23 runs in 12 balls, including two boundaries and a maximum. Captain Sikandar Raza garnered 45 runs in 26 balls, and also smashed two boundaries and four maximums. Tashinga Musekiwa departed on one run in two balls. Tony Munyonga stayed unbeaten on eight runs in three balls, which also included a maximum. Dushan Hemantha returned with the figures of two wickets for 36 runs in four overs. Skipper Dasun Shanaka and Dunith Wellalage registered one wicket each to their names. Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, and Maheesh Theekshana went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Zimbabwe. Earlier having opted to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a total of 178 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Opening batsman Pathum Nissanka scored 62 runs in 41 balls, with the help of eight boundaries. Kusal Perera scored 22 runs off 14 balls, including four boundaries. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis managed to score 14 runs in 20 balls. Pavan Rathnayake smashed 44 runs off 25 deliveries, laced with three boundaries and two maximums. Kamindu Mendis and skipper Dasun Shanaka departed on seven and six runs. Kamindu smashed a boundary in his five-ball knock, and Shanaka's innings ended in seven balls. Dushan Hemantha was dismissed on a one-ball duck. Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana stayed unbeaten. Facing eight balls, Wellalage scored 15 runs, with the help of three boundaries, and Theekshana did not face any balls. Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, and Graeme Cremer bagged two wickets each. Ryan Burl also chipped in with one wicket. Captain Sikandar Raza and Wellington Masakadza went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Sri Lanka.
19 February,2026 07:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Italy, the West Indies emerged victorious by 42 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. During the match, the West Indies' skipper Shai Hope played a knock of 75 runs off just 46 deliveries, which was laced with six boundaries and four maximums. Speaking about his knock, the skipper said that he looks to make as many contributions to the team. "With the way I see it, I always think about myself trying to contribute as much as I can. As long as I'm scoring runs, I've contributed to the team in some way. Today, I thought we were good. I just wanted to balance it a bit more, give the team a bit more in the second half of the game," he said. Later, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, and Matthew Forde also displayed decent knocks. With this, the side posted a total of 165 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Italy's Benjamin Manenti and Crishan Kalugamage claimed two wickets each. Ali Hasan and Thomas Draca also bagged one wicket each. JJ Smuts and Grant Stewart went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Caribbean. In an attempt to chase a target of 166 runs, the Italians were bowled out for 123 runs in 18 overs. Benjamin emerged as the top scorer for the side as he scored 26 runs off 21 balls, including two boundaries and a maximum. Smuts also accumulated 24 runs in 27 balls, with the help of three boundaries. West Indies' Shamar Joseph returned with the figures of four wickets for 30 runs in four overs. Matthew Forde also claimed three wickets by conceding 19 runs in his spell of four overs. Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein picked up two and one wickets, respectively. Jason Holder went wicketless in the T20 World Cup2026 match against Italy. T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: Group 1 teams Having qualified for the "Super 8" stage of the global showpiece, the West Indies have been placed in Group 1 along with teams India, South Africa and Zimbabwe. They will face Zimbabwe on February 23 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (With ANI Inputs)
19 February,2026 06:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India secured a dominating victory by 17 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. During the match, Team India's burly all-rounder Shivam Dube played a stunning knock of 66 runs off just 31 deliveries. His knock also included four boundaries and six maximums. Speaking about his knock, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on the left-handed batsman. He also said that once Dube works on his inside-out shot, he will become a "really scary batsman". "Shivam Dube is very difficult to bowl to because he has a wide range of shots. You can bowl outside off stump, but he still has the power to hit over long on. He is not just looking to hit over mid-wicket and square-leg. He can clear long off as well. If he works hard on developing the inside-out shot over extra cover, he will become a really scary batter. Then he can hit the ball to any part of the ground. The way Shivam Dube is maturing with every innings is very good news for India," he said. Later in the second essay, mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy bagged three wickets for the "Men in Blue". Bowling three overs, he conceded 14 runs. The former cricketer feels Team India can depend on the tweaker and is excited to see how the opposition teams play against Chakaravarthy. "Varun Chakaravarthy's figures of three for 14 in four overs are amazing. When you take wickets, you also take away runs from the opposition. Clearly, Varun is going to be your key bowler. India will depend a great deal on Varun's four overs. How the opposition tries to counter him in the Super 8 stage will be very interesting to see," said Gavaskar. The "Men in Blue" will now clash against South Africa in the "Super 8" match. The clash will be played on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 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. (With ANI Inputs)
19 February,2026 06:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia all-rounder Shivam Dube credited former skipper MS Dhoni for bringing clarity to his batting approach after he played a match-winning 67-run knock against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. Dube admitted that he initially struggled against pace bowling during the early phase of his career, but Dhoni's advice about strike rotation and smart intent has significantly improved his game in pressure situations. “When I first came into the IPL, I struggled against fast bowlers and wasn’t striking the ball cleanly. I realised that if I want to dominate at this level and I have the power, I needed to work on that aspect. I put in significant effort during the off-season. Mahi bhai told me that it’s not necessary to hit sixes every time. Boundaries and strike rotation are equally important. "That clarity has helped me. If I get a good ball, I look for a boundary or rotate strike. In the death overs, I will naturally go harder, but early in the innings, my focus is on smart intent,” Dube told Jio Hotstar. Speaking about handling high-pressure moments, Dube emphasised the importance of batting deep and playing according to the team’s requirements. “I don’t feel pressure; I focus on the situation. If wickets fall, my responsibility is to bat deep. If I stay till the end, I know I can add 10–15 crucial runs in the final over. I avoid taking unnecessary risks in the middle overs. If the situation demands stability, I rotate strike. If the platform is set, I’m ready to attack from the first ball,” he said. Dube came to bat at a tough time during India's innings when the team was reeling at 69-3 after nine overs. He then rescued the side with a 66-run knock, which came off just 31 balls. He was also clinical with the ball, as the medium pacer took two wickets by conceding 35 runs in three overs. Courtesy of his all-around performance, he was awarded the player of the match. 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.
19 February,2026 04:27 PM IST | Ahmedabad | IANSGujarat Titans batter B Sai Sudharsan, who faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining a right rib fracture during Tamil Nadu's Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in Ahmedabad last December, has started his preparations for the IPL 2026 alongside skipper Shubman Gill. GT have begun their IPL 2026 preparations in full swing with a pre-season camp led by head coach Ashish Nehra and assistant coach Parthiv Patel at Miraj International Cricket Stadium in Nathdwara. Sudharsan, who has played six Tests and three ODIs for India, has fractured the ‘anterior cortex of the seventh right rib’ while diving to complete a run in the match. The southpaw then checked in at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he underwent rehab. The left-hander has formed a successful opening partnership for Gujarat Titans alongside captain Gill, making his availability crucial to the franchise's plans, especially considering he was the leading run-getter in IPL 2025. Titans had retained as many as 20 players, including Gill and Sudharsan, who played pivotal roles in guiding the team to the IPL Playoffs last season. Apart from Gill and Sudharsan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Kishore, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan and Nishant Sindhu will once again don the Titans’ jersey. Among our overseas contingent, England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, Afghanistan spin maestro Rashid Khan, South Africa’s premier pacer Kagiso Rabada and New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips have all been retained for the IPL 2026 season. The 2022 champions strengthened their squad with five new additions as they roped in West Indies’ all-rounder Jason Holder, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton, talented Indian fast bowler Ashok Sharma, England left-arm pacer Luke Wood and uncapped Indian speedster Prithvi Raj during the mini auction held last December. 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.
19 February,2026 03:49 PM IST | New Delhi [India] | IANSIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands, Team India emerged victorious by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. During the match, Team India's swashbuckling opening batsman Abhishek Sharma departed on a three-ball duck. This also marked his third duck in the ongoing global showpiece. Speaking about him, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that the left-handed batsman is under pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batsman. He also said that Abhishek should not try to smash a maximum or a boundary on the very first ball of his innings. "Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against USA, it would have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is showing. With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six on the first ball of his innings. If the big shots come, fine. But he shouldn't force himself to play the big shots across the line," he said on Star Sports. The former cricketer also said that Abhishek should take an over or two to settle at the crease and then showcase his natural game. "Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don't matter. He can make up for them later. He needs to play smart at the start. Spend an over or two settling in, then play his natural game. First, just get off the mark. Every batter wants that first run. Once he gets it, everything will fall into place," said Gavaskar. The "Men in Blue" will now lock horns with South Africa in the "Super 8" stage of the tournament. The match is scheduled to be played on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 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. (With PTI Inputs)
19 February,2026 03:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSkipper Shai Hope struck a fluent 75 but first-timers Italy pulled things back superbly with a disciplined bowling effort to restrict two-time champions West Indies to 165 for six in their final group league fixture of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday. On a batting-friendly surface where England's 200-plus total was nearly chased down in the previous game, the target of 166 looked underwhelming at the innings break as Italy's spinners led by Ben Manenti (2/37) and Crishan Kalugamage (2/25) choked the run flow in the back end. It would have been worse for the Windies had Grant Stewart not leaked 19 runs in the penultimate over, with Sherfane Rutherford (24 not out from 15 balls) and Matthew Forde (16 not out; 8b) propping up the total. Hope batted effortlessly, bringing up a 28-ball fifty while striking four sixes and six fours in a 46-ball knock, but Roston Chase's sluggish 24 off 25 balls (2x4) hurt the momentum. It dragged the Windies innings down, and even as Hope got boundaries at will, Chase looked tentative, and struggled to rotate the strike before holing out to deep forward square. The pressure mounted with two quick wickets -- Chase and Rovman Powell (9) -- as experienced off-spinner Manenti and Sri Lanka-origin leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage turned the tide in Italy's favour. Manenti struck in successive overs, including taking the key wicket of Powell, while Kalugamage delivered the decisive blow by cleaning up Hope with a delivery that was sliding in, even as the batter left his stumps exposed. The leg-spinner also removed Jason Holder (9) to tighten Italy's grip. JJ Smuts was tidy with the new ball, conceding just 27 runs in his four overs without success, as Italy's disciplined attack denied West Indies their customary late surge. Despite Hope's brilliance and a 64-run stand with Chase, West Indies faltered in the final 10 overs. Opting to bowl, Italy struck with left-arm seamer Ali Hasan removing Brandon King (4) with his first ball. But Hope, fresh from an unbeaten 61 against Nepal, counterattacked in style drilling a wide half-volley from fast bowler Thomas Draca through extra-cover. Hasan then erred in line as Hope crashed two more fours through the off side before pulling him for a six over square leg in a 14-run over. However, Draca hit back to remove the in-form Shimron Hetmyer (1). The pacer drew an outside edge as Hetmyer sliced a catch to short third -- his first single-digit score of the tournament -- after knocks of 64, 23 and 46 not out. 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.
19 February,2026 01:46 PM IST | Kolkata | PTIAt just 14, prolific batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a household name in Indian cricket. So anything he does, or for that matter, doesn’t do, becomes news. Lately, Sooryavanshi was in the news in the build-up to the Class 10 CBSE examinations which he was supposed to appear for. However, in a bold move, the young top-order batter, has now decided to skip the exams this year to focus on his cricketing journey. Rajasthan Royals’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the IPL match vs Gujarat Titans in Jaipur last year. Pic/AFP According to his father, Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, Vaibhav, who smashed a match-winning 175 off 80 balls in the U-19 World Cup final against England at Harare earlier this month, guiding India to a sixth title, will appear for the exams next year instead. “My son is practising in Nagpur with the Rajasthan Royals IPL team members. There was a lot of hype around his exams this year, so he has decided to skip them and will appear next year,” Sooryavanshi Sr told mid-day from his hometown, Samastipur, in Bihar. Sanjeev Sooryavanshi Sooryavanshi amassed 252 runs in seven IPL games, including a century, at an impressive strike-rate of 206.55 in his debut season for RR last year. It is no wonder then that his hometown is flooded with as many as 500 visitors arriving daily to catch a glimpse of him. And Sanjeev said that although there was proper security and a police escort had been offered, managing the situation alongside the exams would’ve been tough on the youngster. “Had he appeared for the exams, he would not have been able to concentrate,” said the concerned father, admitting that had the boy fared badly, it could have led to “negative publicity,” which they wanted to avoid. Sanjeev however, emphasised that his son is a brilliant student. “Vaibhav was good in studies when he was regular at school. He used to get above 90 per cent in all subjects, but now his priority is cricket,” concluded Sanjeev. 175Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s score in the U-19 World Cup final 01No. of centuries scored by Sooryavanshi in IPL 2025 252No. of runs for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in seven IPL 2025 matches
19 February,2026 09:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin DaniIndia batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has revealed that former Australia skipper Greg Chappell initiated the letter of appeal for ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan which was eventually signed by 14 former national team skippers. “It’s an initiative from Greg Chappell,” Gavaskar, 76, told mid-day on Wednesday, adding, “He drafted the letter, sent it to us and few of us spoke and decided to sign it. I discussed it with Kapil and we felt we should be supporting the move.” The letter urges the government of Pakistan to look into the condition of the 1992 World Cup-winning captain currently languishing in a jail. Elaborating on the concept of the letter, Kapil Dev said that it’s a plea which keeps politics aside and purely aimed at helping a colleague. “Let law take its own way, but Imran should get the best of treatment. We played together, so we have to be with him, no politics here. It’s an open letter, just to bring it to the notice of the janta [public]. Open letters need not be addressed to any individual,” Kapil Dev told mid-day.
19 February,2026 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Debasish DattaADVERTISEMENT
