Cricket now

J&K Ranji Trophy winners(left) Image:Revsportz. Gautam Gambhir at Kalighat Temple Kolkata(right) Image: Debasis Sen I woke up to visuals of India head coach Gautam Gambhir visiting the Kalighat temple in Kolkata ahead of the India versus West Indies match at Eden Gardens. Later in the afternoon came the first visuals of Jammu and Kashmir’s historic Ranji Trophy triumph. Interestingly, the former garnered eight times the views of the latter. In fact, the Gambhir videos attracted more engagement than Indian team practice clips, the match preview and even updates from the Pakistan–Sri Lanka game. Isn’t that a little strange? Look a little deeper and you may attribute this to social media being identity-driven rather than information-driven. People do not merely watch; they feel they are experiencing and consuming. One could argue it was about national sentiment, India were in a key fixture and a temple visit symbolises tradition and seeking blessings. Yet, when India played South ...

  Its India–West Indies clash tonight in Kolkata. Images: Debasis Sen I don’t know what Abhishek Sharma or Ishan Kishan do just before going out to bat. Every batter has their own drill. Whatever it is, the essence is to stay calm. No chatter, no hype, no over-the-top preparation. Just remain composed and in the zone. Before going out to bat in the 2003 Centurion game against Pakistan, Tendulkar simply had a banana and a bowl of ice cream. He wouldn’t speak to anyone, and even the coach, John Wright, left him alone. In fact, the instruction was to inform him only when the umpires walked out to the middle to call play. Sachin scored 98 off 78 balls, and the rest is history. The India–West Indies match tonight in Kolkata is one such occasion. It is a platform to become a national hero and bring a smile to the faces of a billion Indians. It will be a spectacle in every sense, and cricketers play for moments like this. You need to embrace it, for such occasions do not come often. ...

Molineux is expected to be back for the West Indies tour. (PC: Cricket Australia) Australia will not take any chances with their injured captain, Sophie Molineux, ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is set to be played later this year. Chief selector Shawn Flegler is optimistic about Molineux’s availability for the West Indies tour, which begins later this month. On Friday, Molineux was ruled out of the multi-format series against India due to persistent lower back pain in the lead-up to the second ODI in Hobart. Her injury has cast doubt over her participation in Australia’s next assignment in the Caribbean. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year, Australia are unwilling to risk their captain. “Unfortunately Soph has developed a bit of lower back pain over the last few days, which means she’s going to miss the rest of the series,” Flegler told Channel Seven. “We’ll work towards Molineux being available for the West Indies series coming up. We don’t want to take any r...

Pakistan_defeated_Sri_Lanka (PC:ICC/X) Salman Ali Agha expressed disappointment after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Men in Green secured a narrow five-run win over Sri Lanka in the Super Eight stage on February 28 in Pallekele, but it was not enough to book a semi-final spot. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Agha pointed out that dew played a major role. He also admitted that apart from Sahibzada Farhan, the rest of the batters struggled, especially the middle order. He said: “But yeah, I think dew was a factor. I think we couldn’t bat well throughout the tournament. It was only Sahibzada Farhan, he batted exceptionally well. And during that period, if anyone could have helped him a bit more, could have been a different story. But yeah, the batting was always concerned throughout the tournament.” “Especially middle order. The middle order has been a problem for us for like a few years now. We need to sit down an...

Team India. Image: Debasis Sen Twenty-four hours to go until the virtual quarter-final between India and the West Indies. If you are in Kolkata, you will already sense that something special is brewing. Every second person you meet is asking for a ticket, and none are available on the official portal. The stadium is sold out, and India must use the sea of blue to their advantage. In high-pressure games like this, you have to harness the crowd. At the fall of a wicket, for instance, the noise can make life miserable for the new batter walking in. The Eden crowd is loud and in your face. It is not easy to focus amid that cauldron, and that is where India can cash in. Cast your mind back to 1991. During South Africa’s return to international cricket, Andrew Hudson was dismissed by Kapil Dev, seemingly unnerved by the atmosphere. Ali Bacher, who served as team manager, later recalled: “As he walked in, I realised he was not in his zone. Rather, he was completely overwhelmed by the cro...

Jacks remained unbeaten in the run-chase. (PC: ICC) England all-rounder Will Jacks ranked his match-winning all-round effort against New Zealand in the Super Eight clash in Pallekele as the best of all the performances he has delivered in the World Cup so far. A quickfire 32-run innings in a tight run chase, along with figures of 2/23 from four overs, ensured Jacks had a solid outing against the Kiwis as England remained unbeaten in the Super Eight stage. Jacks claimed his fourth Player of the Match award, becoming the player with the most awards in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. “I reckon this is the best (of my four Player of the Match awards),” Jacks said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “I’m absolutely buzzing with that. To be not out at the end in a tight finish, when I went out there it was on a bit of a knife-edge, I’m over the moon.” Six wickets down, England needed 42 off the final three overs to win the game. Rehan Ahmed, who made an unbeaten 19 in the r...

Henry likely to comeback if NZ qualifies for the semis. (PC: X/ICC) New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has granted Matt Henry paternity leave and he is set to return home to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. His parental leave was planned before the tournament and was confirmed when the squad was announced in January. New Zealand head coach Rob Walter confirmed the development ahead of the New Zealand v England game, which the Kiwis lost. “Firstly, we’re all very excited for Matt and Holly on the arrival of their second child,” Walter said in a statement. “It’s a very significant moment for their family and we’re wishing them all the best.” Walter is hopeful of Henry returning to the side, subject to New Zealand qualifying for the semi-finals. “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, but we’re hopeful that the stars align for the team and for Matt and that we’ll see him back competing in the final phases of the competition.” Before flying out, Henry was in act...

Harry_Brook (PC: ICC/X) England captain Harry Brook expressed confidence ahead of the semi-final clash, regardless of the opponent. Brook’s side defeated New Zealand by four wickets on February 27 in their last Super Eight clash in Colombo. With this win, they confirmed their place in the semi-final from Group B at the top spot in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Brook said: “We’re not bothered. We’re just going to go out there and whoever we’re facing, they’re going to be a tough opponent anyway. We’ve already played against West Indies in the warm-up game already, so a little bit of experience there. It’s nice to go back to a ground that we’ve already played on as well. So yeah, both sides are very strong, very powerful teams and we’ve just got to go out there and try and do the little things well again.” After winning the toss, New Zealand elected to bat. England’s spinners bowled beautifully as Adil Rashid, Will Jacks ...

Team India against Zimbabwe at Chepauk. Image: BCCI Finally, India got the combination right and it showed. Sikandar Raza couldn’t use himself against Sanju Samson and India, much like before the World Cup, were off to a flier. Samson did the job and when Ishan Kishan joined Abhishek Sharma, the early jitters had been dealt with. What followed was absolute carnage. Each batter played to perfection and India asserted themselves over Zimbabwe by the halfway stage. Tilak Varma too found his mojo and the finish was picture-perfect. This is the India that fans wanted to see and they finally got what they had asked for. That things were going well was evident when the cameras caught Gautam Gambhir laughing. Laughing, not smiling – and clearly, the pressure was finally off. India now have their fate in their own hands and the game against West Indies at the Eden Gardens is a straight shoot-out. South Africa vs West Indies. Image :X A word on South Africa is in order here. They played ...

Incredible batting display in the IND vs ZIM match ( PC- Indian Cricket Team, Instagram) Team India stepped into their second Super 8 game against Zimbabwe with a plethora of changes to their Playing XI. Sanju Samson returned to the side in place of Rinku Singh, Axar Patel replaced Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma dropped down to No. 5 in the batting order. On a fresh wicket, Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field. This was the first time in T20Is that India batted first at Chepauk and they put a mammoth 256 on the board, the highest total in the tournament. Unable to chase it down, Zimbabwe were handed a massive 76-run defeat. After posting 256, India took the field with confidence. Zimbabwe managed 44 runs in the powerplay, half of what India had scored, without losing a wicket. Following a dropped catch by Rinku, usually one of India’s safest fielders, Tadiwanashe Marumani fell to Axar Patel. India began with Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, who bowled two overs each in the ...

  Indian team players. Image: Debasis Sen Social media has been a case study since India lost to South Africa in Ahmedabad. Of course, it was a bad loss. India played poor cricket and the lack of application was glaring. But one bad game doesn’t make it a bad team. One bad night doesn’t make everyone a bad player. You read social media and you tend to think: how is it that any of these players got selected? It seems everyone outside the squad is actually better. Each player who isn’t part of the 15 is supposedly better than the ones picked. The entire discourse is like a conspiracy theory. Social media gives poison a platform and maybe that’s why it can’t be taken seriously. On my shows, the one recurring question is: will Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir be sacked if India doesn’t make the semi-final? It is as if the men and women asking this question want India to fail. It is as if they want Surya and Gautam to fail, and get sacked. There are still two games left and Indi...

Dogra fought valiantly for his team with a 70-run knock on day 2. (PC: BCCI screengrab) Jammu & Kashmir skipper Paras Dogra defused the tension that arose due to his physical altercation with Karnataka’s KV Aneesh during the second day of the Ranji Trophy final in Hubballi on Wednesday. Dogra made headlines after he headbutted Aneesh when the latter said a few words that triggered the veteran batter. The flashpoint came in the 14th over of the morning session, when Dogra edged a ball past gully while clumsily attempting to deal with a sharply directed bouncer from Prasidh Krishna, who has three wickets sk far in the game. Aneesh, who was standing at silly point as a substitute, appeared to have sledged Dogra, which prompted the 41-year-old to charge at the Karnataka player. Senior Karnataka players such as KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and captain Devdutt Padikkal intervened, as did the umpires. Upon realising his mistake, Dogra raised his hand in apology and also apologised to An...

Rachin Ravindra (PC: X) Rachin Ravindra delivered a match-winning all-round performance to guide New Zealand to a commanding 61-run victory over Sri Lanka in their Super Eight clash of the ICC T20 World Cup on February 25 in Colombo. During the post-match presentation, Ravindra reflected on the win and said, “It’s always pleasing to take a win like that. Amazing, specially at their home, awesome performance. I guess understanding that slower was better, and a few stats were put out there… Under 85ks. Santner is obviously a master at that craft, so we decided slower is the plan.” Ravindra made an impact throughout the game. With the bat, he scored 32 off 22 balls and helped stabilise the innings. With the ball, he was equally effective, picking up four crucial wickets in his four overs while conceding just 27 runs. His spell broke the back of Sri Lanka’s batting line-up and earned him the Player of the Match award. Speaking about playing in Sri Lanka, Ravindra said, “The Sri Lanka...

  Team India net session ahead of their second Super 8s clash against Zimbabwe. Image: Gargi Raut, Revsportz After the kind of defeat India suffered against South Africa, it would have been easy to panic and implement hurried tactical overhauls. But at Chepauk, ahead of their second Super 8s clash against Zimbabwe, India began their session with a light-hearted team activity. The practice reflected Suryakumar Yadav’s “We stay in the present” statement on the evening of the South Africa match. There was no visible agitation; the atmosphere surrounding the team was that of a side that believes in its process. Practice began as it usually does, with warm-ups and catching drills. This time, however, a light-hearted team activity was woven into the routine. It is a pattern that has become increasingly visible in India’s training sessions. After every significant loss or high-pressure encounter, the management makes it a point to reset the emotional temperature before anything else....

  Indian team during their practice session at Chepauk Stadium. Image: Gargi Raut, Revsportz Control the controllables. Don’t try to think about things that are not in your hands. Easier said than done, but that’s what India have to do. You can’t undo Ahmedabad. You can’t undo the negative net run rate. What you can do is win big and win every game from here on. Then let things pan out as they will. Trying to overthink or worry about other results won’t help; it will only impact India’s efforts against Zimbabwe and West Indies. Whoever watched the West Indies-Zimbabwe game will know how Shimron Hetmyer did not allow Sikandar Raza to settle. His first over went for 26, and that’s when the game was done. Yes, Hetmyer was dropped twice, and one of them was an easy chance. But he backed himself and did not go into a shell or try to anchor the innings. He chanced his arm, and it worked for him. We have heard a lot about fearless cricket. India need to play fearless cricket. Not ove...

Harry_Brook (PC: ICC/X) England captain Harry Brook expressed his delight at their narrow two-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Eight fixture, which secured them a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony after being adjudged Player of the Match, Brook said: “Very happy with the way we played there. It’s just nice to get through to the semi-finals now. We’ve got one more game against New Zealand and we’ll focus on that, but the bigger prize is on the other side. In T20 cricket, getting early wickets is crucial. Jofra Archer has been brilliant – I think he’s taken eight powerplay wickets now. He’s been doing that for years and it really puts the opposition on the back foot.” Batting first, Pakistan got off to a poor start as the England bowlers made two early breakthroughs within the fourth over. After that, Sahibzada Farhan stitched together a 46-run partnership with Babar Azam, which provided some stabi...

Auqib Nabi ( PC- X) It took about 22 years for Jammu and Kashmir to register their maiden Ranji Trophy win, with J&K defeating Services by four wickets in the 1982–83 season. A little more than four decades later, in the 2024–25 season, for a brief moment, one wondered whether it could be J&K’s annus mirabilis. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as they suffered heartbreak against Kerala, with the latter eking out a lead of just one run in the quarter-final to enter the semi-finals. The battle-hardened cricketers from J&K did not give up, though. The very next season, they have marched to the summit clash of the Ranji Trophy, where the Paras Dogra-led side will lock horns with Karnataka in Hubli today. Around four months ago, there did not seem to be any fairytale story in store for J&K as they had just lost to Mumbai in a see-saw battle. Instead of wallowing in a defeatist attitude, they went on to finish second in their group. That was followed by victories over fo...

Mitchell has been given a new role in the T20I team. (PC: BCCI) New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has shed light on his new role as a finisher in the team ahead of their Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka, scheduled for February 25. Mitchell has batted only twice in the tournament so far. On both occasions, he came in at number six, scoring 25 not out and 32. In the five-match series against India prior to the start of the World Cup, Mitchell played a similar role. Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman have been batting above him, with Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra forming the top order. “I have a finisher’s role from the 10-over mark onwards – trying to read and adapt to the situation of the game and help us win those moments at the back end of the innings,” Mitchell told Reuters. Allen and Seifert have done the bulk of the scoring for the Kiwis in the World Cup. Mitchell hopes the opening pair continue their strong form at the top, while also acknowledging the balance ...

Ryan ten Doeschate at the press conference. Source ( RevSportz) The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad witnessed a sobering reality check for the Men in Blue as South Africa handed them a crushing 76-run defeat in their opening Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup. What was anticipated to be a fierce contest quickly unravelled into a one-sided affair. The magnitude of the loss has not only severely dented India’s Net Run Rate (NRR), a factor that could prove decisive if multiple teams finish level on points, but has also turned their upcoming fixtures against Zimbabwe and the West Indies into high-stakes, must-win encounters. Following the collapse, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the media in a candid post-match press conference, shedding light on the tactical miscalculations, the fragility at the top of the order, and the significant challenge now confronting the coaching staff. One of the major talking points before the match was the omission of vice-captain...

India vs South Africa (PC: BCCI) Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav remained calm and aimed for improvement after South Africa defeated India by 76 runs in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on February 22 in Ahmedabad. The defeat broke India’s unbeaten streak in the tournament as they began the Super Eight stage with a loss. During the post-match presentation, Suryakumar addressed the result and said, “We were always in the game when we started. Bowled really well in the beginning. From 7-15, they batted really well and then we come back. Bowled really wellbut could have batted better. Sometimes, you have to think you cannot win the game in the powerplay but you can lose it. Did not have the partnerships we needed. Part of the game. We will learn from it. Sit back and bounce back.” Praising Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, he added, “Everyone knows their combination has been lethal. Both bowled eight overs, picked five wickets and gave up 45-50 runs. They bowl well in partnerships...

Babar_Azam (PC: ICC/X) Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has criticised head coach Mike Hesson for his recent remarks about Babar Azam’s role in the team. Ahead of Pakistan’s Super Eight match against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Hesson addressed the media and clarified Babar’s batting position. The Pakistan white-ball coach said that Babar is not opening the batting due to his low strike rate. Taking a jibe at the remarks, Hafeez said on the show Game On Hai: “He made a statement about Babar Azam that I didn’t understand. He said he’s not a powerplay batter because his strike rate is 100… I read this statement 15 times, but I still didn’t understand it, which is why I am asking you, as you are like an elder brother, maybe you’ll understand. He said that Babar can’t bat in the first six overs because his strike rate is quite low; he gave that stat, nor can he bat after the 10th over. Toh woh khel kyun raha hai? (Why is he playing?)” Hesson told r...

  During Team India’s practice session. Image: Debasis Sen Playing a World Cup at home is a privilege but it arrives gift-wrapped in high expectations. For Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian skipper who has been taking a backseat – not playing his natural cricket, and taking on a more conservative role – there is no attempt to disguise that reality. “It is very difficult to say that there is no pressure or it is easy to handle,” he admitted on the eve of the Super 8 stage. “When you are playing such a big event on your home soil, you definitely feel pressure. It is not that you can run away from it.” The pressure here is not abstract, it is tangible. It is felt when the team walks through a new hotel lobby, it is felt when the team bus drives through a throng of fans, and it is felt the most when a player  walks out on the field with thousands of fans expecting them to win the game. Fans constantly remind players of the shared goals. “Of course, there is pressure,” Suryakum...

  Gautam Gambhir with Abhishek Sharma during India’s practice session. Image :X The focus is singularly on Abhishek Sharma as India take on South Africa in Ahmedabad. Three consecutive ducks, and it could very well become a mental thing for the aggressive opener leading into the Super 8 stage. Each one of us is human and failure is bound to impact you mentally. That’s where self-doubt creeps in. You start to ask questions of yourself and begin overthinking. It is very natural for anyone to do so. Social media doesn’t help, for it gives poison a platform. People are always baying for your blood, and the negatives on social media far outweigh the positives. This is where Abhishek needs Gautam Gambhir the most. Gambhir went through a similar slump during the 2014 IPL as skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). By his own admission, it was one of the worst moments of his career and it also made him insecure. Sample this from him: “That’s when I felt pressure. When I was out for th...