An 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 DaniPakistan head coach Mike Hesson said "fearless" Ishan Kishan's marauding fifty was the difference between his side and India, and urged his players to rally after the heavy defeat in the marquee clash of the T20 World Cup here. Led by Kishan's aggressive 77 off 40 balls, India trumped Pakistan by 61 runs in a Group A match here Sunday night to seal a Super Eight berth. "I think he's fearless. He's able to score on both sides of the ground. So, he's not just committed to the leg side. We know he's incredibly strong there, but he can reverse. So, if you've got spin, especially in the power play, it can be a challenge," Hesson said in the post-match press conference. True to Hesson's words, Kishan scored 66 runs off 37 balls against Pakistan slow bowlers, spoiling their spin-heavy strategy on a slow Premadasa pitch. Hesson admitted that Kishan's approach unsettled his spinners. "I think the fact that he's in a rare vein of form, applied a lot of pressure to our spinners and probably took them away from the basics, which the pitch was actually doing a lot when we bowled nice and slow and into it, but outside of that, no one really scored better than a run a ball. "Other than him, Dubey was slightly better, but it was tough. And that (Kishan's innings) certainly was a standout amongst the whole match, really. The way Kishan played took the game away from us," he added. The New Zealand-born coach conceded that the massive defeat has left the team disappointed, and the challenge is to come back and play to their potential in the ICC showpiece. Pakistan failed to put up even a token fight in the chase of 176, getting trounced for 114. The result has pushed Pakistan (4 points) to the third spot in Group A, behind leaders India and the USA, who also have four points, but enjoy a better net run rate of 0.788 as compared to -4.03 of Pakistan. Now, Pakistan need to beat Namibia in their last league match to enter the Super Eights. "We know that it's a huge event - Pakistan against India. We've won five (T20I) games on the bounce, we're confident, but today we got outplayed. There's a pretty disappointed dressing room in there at the moment, because they know how much it means to Pakistan," Hesson said. "We didn't play as well as we could have, but we know in tournaments like this it's not always going to go your way. So, our job is to pick ourselves up and make sure that we're very good in two or three days," he added. Hesson also asked Pakistan players, especially batters, to trust their decision-making process for a better result while playing under pressure situations. "Look it's very much when a guy's putting you under pressure - are you going to stick to your basics or are you going to go away from that? And I think that's going to be a real challenge because as the tournament progresses, we'll be put under pressure again. "And it's how we respond when we're under the pump. All these guys are international players, they're all good players, but when the pressure comes on, are they going to trust the decision making or are they going to probably go outside that? That's something we're going to have to get better at," he added. 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 08:15 AM IST | Colombo | PTIIndia vice-captain Axar Patel credited Ishan Kishan for his side's 61-run rout of Pakistan on Sunday, saying the opening batsman's performance on a tricky turning wicket in Colombo had been "one of the gear knocks". Kishan hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 40-ball 77, the mainstay of India's 175-7 at the R. Premadasa stadium. "The way he batted was sensational," Axar told reporters. "It is one of the great knocks as it wasn't easy. The ball was spinning and some were going straight under the lights. It was a challenge." Following the crushing win in the most high profile game in the competition, India are through to the second round with a game remaining. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kishan has scored two half-centuries in three games in the competition. He was recalled after being in the wilderness for more than two years and made a statement against New Zealand with a hundred in a T20 international a fortnight ago. "His form was sensational in domestic cricket and he carried that into the New Zealand series and then to the World Cup." said Axar. "There's a lot of confidence and obviously he has got skill too. He has not hit all his shots in one place as he can score all around the ground." India bowled out Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs. The wickets were shared among the bowlers and Axar claimed two wickets including top-scorer Usman Khan. 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 08:14 AM IST | Colombo | AFPIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Team India, Pakistan suffered a loss by 61 runs at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. During the match, Pakistan stalwart Babar Azam yet again failed to deliver a big knock. Facing seven balls, he was dismissed on just five runs. Following the loss, former Pakistan cricketers have criticised players such as Babar, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab Khan. Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi said that he would have never picked that trio in Pakistan's T20 team. "If It was in my hands, I would not pick Babar, Shadab and Shaheen again in the T20 team. They have had plenty of chances to come through for Pakistan but failed again yesterday," he said. Batting great Javed Miandad stated that Pakistani players failed to show character in a big match. "Bhai bade matches main hi players ko character dikhana padta hai, woh hamare players nahi dekha paye (In big matches, players have to show character. Unfortunately our players didn't show that character)," said the 68-year-old former cricketer. "Time's up for Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab, Pakistan's T20 squad needs new performers, not empty wins against weaker sides," Mohammad Yousuf posted on his official social media handle. Legendary Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar said that the national team's fans have made Babar a superstar, who fails to help his side win the matches. "You have made a superstar out of a player (Babar Azam) who cannot win you a game. For the last 15-20 years, there has been no investment. The sad reality of the situation is that while we fought with India on the ground at one point, today we can't even dream of beating them," he said. Currently, the "Green Shirts" have slipped to the third position in Group A. Having played three matches, the side has won two games and suffered a loss in one clash. Salman Ali Agha-led team has a net run rate (NRR) of -0.403 and four points. Pakistan's next clash is scheduled to be played against Namibia on February 18 Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. (With PTI Inputs)
16 February,2026 08:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against arch-rivals Pakistan, Team India emerged victorious by 61 runs at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. During the match, Team India's opening batsman Ishan Kishan played a blistering knock of 77 runs off 40 deliveries. His knock also included 10 boundaries and three maximums. Shouldering Kishan from the other end was Tilak Varma. He departed after scoring 25 runs in 24 balls, with the help of two boundaries and a maximum. Speaking about Kishan's knock, Varma said that it felt like he was batting on a different pitch. He also revealed that after getting a strong start, the duo was aiming to reach 200 instead of settling for 175 runs. "There was a bit of nervousness in this game. But at the same time, I was focusing on one ball at a time. The wicket was slightly tricky, but the way Ishan Kishan batted was terrific. It was brilliant to watch. The way he played his shots, it looked like he was batting on a different pitch. I told him to keep batting the same way, and that if a wicket fell, I would handle it at the other end and rotate the strike. To be frank, once we got the start, we were thinking of getting to 200 instead of settling at 175," he said. Coming to the match, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. After Abhishek was out for a duck, Ishan's 77 and Tilak Varma's 25 kept India stable, but the Men in Blue sank to 126/4, losing their set batters and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (0). However, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh finished the innings well, pacing their knocks perfectly in tough conditions. India scored 175/7, with Saim Ayub (3/25) being the top bowler for Pakistan. In the run-chase, Pakistan were reduced to 34/4 courtesy early strikes from Hardik, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel. Usman Khan (44 in 34 balls, with six fours and a six) was the only one who showed up for the fight, as Team India packed Pakistan for just 114 runs in 18 overs, progressing to the Super 8 stage with their third successive win. Axar Patel (2/29 in four overs) was the pick of the bowlers for India, with Hardik (2/16 in three overs), Bumrah (2/17 in two overs), and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17 in three overs) also being amongst the wickets. The victory also helped the "Men in Blue" to qualify for the "Super 8" stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. So far in the tournament, they have played three matches and have secured wins in as many games. Team India is enjoying the top spot in Group A with a net run rate (NRR) of +3.050 and six points. T20 World Cup 2026: Team India's upcoming fixture Suryakumar Yadav-led men will now lock horns with the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (With ANI Inputs)
16 February,2026 08:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the high-octane T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan, Team India emerged victorious by 61 runs at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. During the match, Team India's opening batsman, Ishan Kishan, played a knock of 77 runs off just 40 deliveries, which was laced with 10 boundaries and three maximums. Reflecting on his knock, Ravi Shastri heaped praise by saying he is batting like a dream at the moment. "He's batting like a dream at the moment. Striking on that track (Colombo pitch) at close to 200 is unreal. Every batter didn't find it easy, whether it was Indian or Pakistani, because the ball was stopping and for him to strike the way he did, and what I liked was how quickly he assessed the conditions," he said. Coming to the India vs Pakistan match, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. After Abhishek was out for a duck, Ishan's 77 and Tilak Varma's 25 kept India stable, but the Men in Blue sank to 126/4, losing their set batters and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (0). However, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh finished the innings well, pacing their knocks perfectly in tough conditions. India scored 175/7, with Saim Ayub (3/25) being the top bowler for Pakistan. In the run-chase, Pakistan were reduced to 34/4 courtesy early strikes from Hardik, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel. Usman Khan (44 in 34 balls, with six fours and a six) was the only one who showed up for the fight, as Team India packed Pakistan for just 114 runs in 18 overs, progressing to the Super 8 stage with their third successive win. Axar Patel (2/29 in four overs) was the pick of the bowlers for India, with Hardik (2/16 in three overs), Bumrah (2/17 in two overs), and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17 in three overs) also being amongst the wickets. The victory also helped the "Men in Blue" to qualify for the "Super 8" stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. So far in the tournament, they have played three matches and have secured wins in as many games. Team India is enjoying the top spot in Group A with a net run rate (NRR) of +3.050 and six points. T20 World Cup 2026: Team India's upcoming fixture Suryakumar Yadav-led men will now lock horns with the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (With ANI Inputs)
16 February,2026 08:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Italy, England emerged victorious by 24 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In an attempt to chase a target of 203 runs, Italy was bowled out for 178 runs in 20 overs. Opening the innings, Justin Mosca scored 43 runs in 34 balls, with the help of seven boundaries. Fellow opening batsman Anthony Mosca departed on a one-ball duck. JJ Smith was also dismissed on a four-ball duck. Skipper Harry Manenti scored 12 runs in 11 balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Benjamin Manenti played a knock of 60 runs off just 25 deliveries, which was laced with four boundaries and six maximums. Grant Stewart accumulated 45 runs in 23 balls, and also smashed two boundaries and five maximums. Marcus Campopiano was dismissed for two runs in six balls, followed by wicketkeeper-batsman Gian-Piero Meade for a one-ball duck. Jaspreet Singh scored 12 runs after facing 10 balls, and also included a maximum. Ali Hasan was also dismissed on a four-ball duck. Crishan Kalugamage stayed unbeaten on zero runs after facing one ball. England's Jamie Overton and Sam Curran claimed three wickets each. Jofra Archer also bagged two wickets. Will Jacks and Adil Rashid registered one wicket each to their names. Liam Dawson went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Italian men. Earlier, having opted to bat first, the "Three Lions" posted a total of 202 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Opening batsman Phil Salt garnered 28 runs in 15 balls, including two boundaries and the same number of maximums. Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler scored three runs in four balls. Jacob Bethell scored 23 runs in 20 balls, with the help of two boundaries and a maximum. Facing 21 balls, Tom Bathon scored 30 runs, including three boundaries and a maximum. Skipper Harry Brook returned to the pavilion after scoring 14 runs in nine balls, laced with a boundary and a maximum. Sam Curran accumulated 25 runs in 19 balls, including two maximums. Jamie Overton was dismissed for 15 runs in nine balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Will Jacks and Jofra Archer stayed unbeaten. Jacks smashed 53 runs in just 22 balls, and also registered three boundaries and four maximums, whereas Archer's innings included one run in one ball. Italy's Grant Stewart and Crishan Kalugamage bagged two wickets each. JJ Smit, Ali Hasan, and Benjamin Manenti chipped in with one wicket each. Jaspreet Singh went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against England.
16 February,2026 06:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan, Team India registered a stunning victory by 61 runs at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Having put to bat first, the "Men in Blue" posted a total of 175 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. However, in an attempt to chase the target, the "Green Shirts" were bowled out for 114 runs in 18 overs. Speaking after the loss, former Pakistan cricketer Waqar Younis said that his national team lost the match in the first innings. He also stated that the total of 175 runs was out of reach of Pakistan's batting lineup. "Pakistan lost the game in the first innings. Once India reached 175, the game was out of Pakistan's reach. The ball was spinning, and Suryakumar Yadav was smart with his bowling changes," he said. "We always knew Pakistan's batting is not great. But if India had scored 140 or 150 instead of 175, things might have been different," added Younis. The former cricketer then heaped praise on Team India players for their performances, but also expressed disappointment over Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha's decision to introduce Usman Tariq late in the match. "He (Suryakumar) gave the new ball to Hardik Pandya up front. Jasprit Bumrah was outstanding as always, attacking the stumps, swinging and seaming the ball. It was very difficult for Pakistan after that. Salman Ali Agha allowed that to happen by not introducing Usman Tariq early," he said. "Tariq was superb, taking a wicket and conceding just 24 runs. We have been talking about him for weeks. But he was held back for too long. By the time he got the ball, Ishan Kishan had already done the damage. That is where the match was lost," explained the 54-year-old former cricketer. The victory also helped the "Men in Blue" to qualify for the "Super 8" stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. So far in the tournament, they have played three matches and have secured wins in as many games. Team India is enjoying the top spot in Group A with a net run rate (NRR) of +3.050 and six points. T20 World Cup 2026: Team India's upcoming fixture Suryakumar Yadav-led men will now lock horns with the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (With PTI Inputs)
16 February,2026 05:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
