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Varun Chakaravarthy Drops Big Hint on Abhishek Sharma’s Comeback Before Pakistan Clash

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Abhishek Sharma in action. (PC: Debasis Sen) India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy shared a positive update regarding Abhishek Sharma, saying that he will play the next match of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled against Pakistan in Colombo on 15 February. Abhishek missed the second game against Namibia, which India won by a record margin of 93 runs. The left-handed batter was left out as he is recovering from a stomach-related illness. Although he did not play the game, Abhishek was seen on the field before the match and later in the dugout. “I think he will play the next match; I don’t know for sure. As far as I have spoken to him, he looks good and did some practice today as well. He said that he’s on the way,” Chakaravarthy said in the post-match interaction with the media. Earlier in the day, Suryakumar Yadav, at the toss, cast doubt over his availability for the game against Pakistan. The India captain said: “Abhishek is still not fine. He will miss a game or two. I don’t re...
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IND vs NAM: “We did start a little scratchy, but…” – Surya after India’s dominant show in Delhi 

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Hardik_Pandya (PC: ICC/X) Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised his team following their 93-run win over Namibia and said they are settling well after a scratchy start in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Surya said: “Pretty good game for everyone. I think it was not an easy wicket to bat on, but the way Ishan and Sanju started, it did look like it was an easy wicket. And then the partnership between Shivam and Hardik, the way they batted after losing two or three quick wickets, I think it was very commendable. So pretty happy with the way things have gone so far. Exactly what you’re looking for going ahead. Absolutely. I mean, every game is important. And yeah, we did start a little scratchy, but then I think we are on the road.” Namibia won the toss and elected to field first. Sanju Samson looked positive at the start but could not convert it into a big score. While the rest of the top order struggled, Ishan Kishan played a ...
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T20 World Cup 2026: Fans Left to Pay the Price for Political U-Turns

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  Cricket fans. Image :X Soon after the Pakistan Prime Minister announced that Pakistan would selectively boycott the India match, a number of friends contacted me asking whether they should cancel their flights and hotels to Sri Lanka. The truth is, I did not have an answer at that point, except to say that a U-turn could not be ruled out. Some had booked hotels with free cancellation, allowing them to cancel without charge up to a certain date – for three of them, that date was February 7. Each of them went ahead and cancelled, not wanting to lose the entire amount. It seemed reasonable: after all, the Prime Minister had made the statement. On February 9 came the U-turn and confirmation that Pakistan would indeed play against India. Now, the same hotels cost three times as much, or more. Rooms are scarce, and those still available are priced at a premium. Flight costs to Sri Lanka have soared. Each of these fans now stands to lose a significant sum. This is where the situa...
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ENG vs WI: “This result means a lot for us” – Rutherford after match-winning knock

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Sherfane Rutherford (PC: X) Sherfane Rutherford played a match-winning knock for West Indies as they secured a strong 30-run win over England on February 11 in Mumbai. He helped West Indies register their second consecutive win in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. After losing their opener early, Rutherford hammered an unbeaten 76 off 42 balls, including two fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of 180.95. His stunning knock guided West Indies to a strong total of 196. Rutherford was named the Player of the Match for his contribution. Reflecting on his performance during the post-match presentation, he said, “First of all, I want to thank God for this opportunity, you know, playing in the biggest stage. My finger is good, and hopefully I’ll be fit for the next game. I think one of the biggest challenges was Adil Rashid. In our meetings, we knew he was going to be the toughest bowler for us. So for me, it was important to try and keep him out of the game, keep rotating the stri...
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Bangladesh the Real Loser in the T20 World Cup Impasse

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  Bangladesh Team  (PC: BCB) In the entire India–Pakistan–Bangladesh impasse, now paused for the moment, who is the real loser? Which country has lost the most, and why? A rational deep dive, leaving aside emotion, suggests that the only real loser in all of this is the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Pakistan are playing the World Cup and will continue to do so. India–Pakistan matches are happening, and the ICC will ultimately lose nothing. The BCCI, by far the richest board in world cricket, does not even depend on ICC revenues and was never likely to be affected. The associate nations would have felt the tremors, which is why the Emirates Cricket Board wrote the letter it did. Dialogue followed, and the final outcome has been positive for most. Bangladesh, however, are not playing the World Cup. Their players have lost out and are sitting at home watching Scotland take their place. Aminul Islam  Bulbul rushed to Lahore to try and ensure that no further sanctions...
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A Babar-sized problem for Pakistan

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Image: ICC T20 World Cup In any other T20I team, and we are talking about elite outfits here, Babar Azam wouldn’t have been allowed to feature in a squad of 15. Luckily for him, Pakistan are still stuck to their 1992 World Cup-winning white-ball template, cutting across formats. The game has moved on to the extent of a 150 strike-rate being called so-so in the shortest format. Pakistan have remained a prisoner of the past in their thought process. Also, they have stopped producing world-class batting stars. There’s no shiny new batting prodigy in the locker. Babar is the biggest beneficiary of this, as he continues to play for Pakistan in T20Is. If cricket punditry could offer an equivalent of Alan Hansen, the catchphrase would have been – you win nothing with someone whose batting is monochromatic in the world of IMAX. The arid numbers would confront you, flashing Babar’s 46 off 32 balls. Scratch beneath the surface, and there is a story of the first 18 deliveries when intent was...
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What should be on the agenda for Team India’s practice session this evening?

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Team India. Image: Debasis Sen India took its first step in the ICC T20 World Cup, albeit with a wobble. As the team assembles in Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of their fixture against Namibia, the mood is likely to be calm rather than celebratory. A win against USA has given India the points and early momentum they needed in the tournament, but a checklist of areas to tighten remains before the true rhythm of the competition sets in. At the top of that list is adaptability with the bat. In the last game at the Wankhede Stadium, India were surprised by the movement on a two-paced wicket. The top order was slow to recalibrate and lost wickets in quick succession, until skipper Suryakumar Yadav steadied the ship. Deliberately holding back shots and adjusting the pace of the innings according to conditions will be one of the key areas India are likely to focus on. While Surya guided India to a safe total last time around, the side cannot afford to rely on repair jobs repeate...
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