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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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Politics, Posturing and the Inevitable India–Pakistan Match

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Team India and Team Pakistan. Images X It was evident as early as yesterday morning that a Pakistan U-turn was on the cards. In the aftermath of the ICC meeting, it was only a matter of time before matters moved to a stage where the India–Pakistan match was officially back on schedule. But to get there, Pakistan needed a face-saver. Bangladesh, meanwhile, also needed something to placate fans back home and demonstrate that it had gained something in return. At 10pm, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) issued a press release that was a giveaway. It urged Pakistan to play the match against India. The statement was clear evidence that a deal had been struck and that Bangladesh was party to it. Imagine Pakistan wanting to boycott the game in solidarity with Bangladesh, only for the BCB to ask Pakistan to play and thank the ICC. Soon after, the ICC made it official that Bangladesh would not be penalised for its World Cup stance and would be granted the rights to host an ICC event betwee...
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Ellis bullish on Australia’s pace depth despite star losses

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Big responsibility on Ellis’ shoulders. (PC: Cricket Australia) Australia pacer Nathan Ellis has rued the absence of Josh Hazlewood, who has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup, but believes the team has the depth to go deep into the tournament. Ahead of the start of Australia’s campaign, they have been dealt a double blow, with both Hazlewood and Pat Cummins—part of the initial squad—ruled out due to fitness issues. Mitchell Starc retired last year, which means none of Australia’s big three will take part in the event. Speaking specifically about Hazlewood’s absence, Ellis said: “You lose a world-class player and one of the better white-ball bowlers in the world in Hoff [Hazlewood], so things are always going to have to change,” Ellis said. “It’s really unfortunate for our squad that Hoff is missing out, but also for him. I feel like the poor bugger has had a tough few months and hasn’t been able to get up. My role will be to try to be as adaptable as I can, but, yeah, missing J...
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The Proteas begin their campaign with a big win 

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Ngidi_took_four_wickets (PC: ICC/X) South Africa defeated Canada by 57 runs in the ninth match of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, thanks to a brilliant knock from captain Aiden Markram and a four-wicket haul from Lungi Ngidi. Canada won the toss and elected to field. South Africa got off to a strong start as Markram and Quinton de Kock added 70 runs off 41 balls for the first wicket. Markram then stitched together a 56-run partnership off 28 balls with Ryan Rickelton. These two partnerships laid the foundation for a competitive total. Tristan Stubbs and David Miller later added an unbeaten 75-run partnership off 37 balls down the order. Markram was the highest scorer with 59 off 32 balls, including ten fours and a six, at a strike rate of 184.38, while Miller and Stubbs contributed unbeaten 39 and 34 respectively. For Canada, Ansh Patel was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/31 from his four overs. Chasing a target of 214, Canada ...
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The method behind Sam Curran’s last-over heroics

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  N Sam Curran. PC – ICC epal need six off one delivery to upset the applecart and beat England at the T20 World Cup. Can Sam Curran once again execute the yorkers (or a low full toss) to chart a jailbreak for England? The answer to that question came down in the affirmative.  The sequence for the final offering went as follows – Lokesh Bham cleared the front leg in order to thump one over long-on or mid-wicket. Meanwhile, anticipating the move, Curran could have gone for a delivery wider of off. Instead, he bowled to a packed on-side field and nailed the picture-perfect yorker on a middle and off-stump line. Replays narrated a story in itself – The ball would have landed bang on the left foot of Bham, if he had not connected his shot and pinched a single. Curran had turned a seemingly lost game on its head with an amalgam of supreme skills, hard work, the left-arm angle and nerves of steel.  How does he do it? It is obvious that after partaking in many T20 leagues...
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Surya’s Defining Innings Could Shape India’s World Cup Destiny

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Suryakumar Yadav’s batting brilliance against the USA Image: Debasis Sen As the dust settles on Suryakumar Yadav’s batting masterclass against the USA, it is time to take a deeper look at what this innings could mean for India’s World Cup campaign. For a long time, the narrative has been clear: the captain needs to score. Anything less risks affecting not just results, but leadership. A lack of runs can weigh heavily, cloud judgement, and disrupt clarity. An in-form skipper, on the other hand, means better control and sharper decision-making. If anything, this single innings may well have helped shape India’s campaign, with the team only set to grow stronger from here. Context is everything. A home World Cup opener in Mumbai, with the politics around a Pakistan boycott looming in the background. The prospect of an upset, and a social media storm waiting to erupt. India were seven down for 120 and far from safe. Every recognised batter was back in the pavilion. With just three overs...
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