Taking responsibility for the West Indies' elimination from the T20 World Cup, skipper Shai Hope said he should have batted faster at the top to post a more challenging target for India in their must-win Super Eight game here. Defending champions India chased down a fairly stiff 196-run target to knock the former winners out of the tournament at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. The visitors appeared at least 20 runs short as Hope ate up 33 balls for his 32, striking at just over 96, including 17 dot balls that probably cost them heavily in a high-scoring contest. "Yes, I'll take the blame. I should have batted a lot faster -- if that's what you want me to say," said Hope in the post-match media interaction without dodging any tough question, here on Sunday. "When you're leading, you want to put your hand up and set the tone at the top. It didn't happen for me today. I just didn't get going today," he conceded. "But in situations like this, when you're struggling, everyone struggle
For Gautam Gambhir, the essence of team sport is acknowledgement of every contribution big or small, which according to him was missing in Indian cricket for long. Had Shivam Dube not smashed a couple of boundaries in the penultimate over, no one would have spoken about Sanju Samson's match-winning 97 against West Indies on Sunday, said the Indian head coach. Gambhir asserted that till he is the coach, every contributions will get an honourable mention. "Glad you're talking about every contribution because for many years, we've only spoken about certain contributions. This is a team sport, and this will always remain a team sport," Gambhir said, speaking in his inimitable style although without referring to certain contributions. "For me, Shivam's two boundaries are as important as Sanju's 97 because if he hadn't hit those two boundaries, you won't even spoken about it (97-run knock). "The big contribution makes headlines. The small contribution, the contribution that can help the
The one-off Test in June will be only the second between India and Afghanistan
Gambhir pointed out that with bowlers like Arshdeep Singh, Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy expected to complete their full quota of overs, the team had the flexibility to deploy Bumrah strategically
The India coach also pointed out that playing conditions during the tournament were different from what teams often experience in bilateral contests
Facing a challenging target of 196, Samson's innings was a masterclass in composure and controlled aggression, featuring 12 fours and four sixes, and carried India to 199/5 in 19.2 overs.
India semifinal match date and time: In the second semifinal of T20 World Cup 2026, England will face Suryakumar Yadav's Team India on March 5 (Thursday) at 7 PM IST.
The Proteas chased down 154 in 17.5 overs to carry their unbeaten run into the semifinal against New Zealand in Kolkata.
When asked about clarity over travel plans, Zimbabwe coach Justin Sammons said: "No, not that I've heard of. When we started the game there wasn't anything."
For the two-time champions WI, this contest is nothing short of do-or-die, as a loss would end their campaign in the tournament.
Hetmyer broke the record of Pakistan's Shahbazada Farhan, who reached the 18-sixes mark earlier on Saturday
With a semifinal berth at stake, the clash is finely balanced. West Indies bring explosive firepower, while India look in form and will seek to exploit batting-friendly conditions at Eden Gardens.
The tournament has witnessed four centuries so far, which is the highest in any single edition of the tournament
ICC T20 World Cup HIGHLIGHTS: South Africa will now face New Zealand in the semifinal 1 match in Kolkata on March 4
Both India and West Indies have two points from two matches, and the winning side will become the fourth and final team to qualify for the semifinals
India will look to keep their title defence alive by qualifying for the semifinals with a win over the West Indies
While the former Aussie skipper has now played her last game in 50-over cricket, she will be donning the Australian jersey one last time in the Test match against India, starting March 6 in Perth
South Africa will look to extend their unbeaten streak with a win over Zimbabwe in Delhi
India vs West Indies: Finger spin challenges India, wrist spin troubles WI in race for final semifinal berth; will Varun Chakaravarthy's form shape India's fate?
The Chennai-based franchise shared a promotional video on their official Instagram handle to reveal the jersey