Page 35 - Cricket News

Umpire line-ups announced for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals clash

With South Africa taking on New Zealand in Kolkata and India facing England in Mumbai, the ICC has appointed a mix of seasoned international umpires and match referees to oversee the proceedings.

Experience in India will surely help New Zealand: Mitchell on T20 WC SF

New Zealand don't make things bigger than they are, said Daryl Mitchell on Monday, adding that the Kiwis will rely on their recent experience of playing in India for the T20 World Cup semifinal. New Zealand will take on the last edition's runners-up South Africa in the first semifinal to be played at the Eden Gardens here on Wednesday, and Mitchell said the Kiwis have complete clarity over how they want to operate. "We're pretty clear how we want to operate as Black Caps and that's both on and off the field. We don't make things bigger than what they are, but we're also very excited to be in this position and know how lucky we are to be here in a semifinal," Mitchell told New Zealand Cricket. "Just looking forward to getting stuck into the contest, trying to win little moments is something that we constantly speak about and hopefully that means we're heading off to a final in a few days' time," Mitchell said. New Zealand have been in India since the start of the year having played

Virat Kohli will forever be the icon and hero of RCB: Director Mo Bobat

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's director of cricket Mo Bobat expressed his awe at Virat Kohli's "ridiculous" record over 18 years, stating that providing a championship-winning side was the least the think tank could do for the superstar who has given his youth and prime to the IPL team. RCB will enter the upcoming IPL as defending champions, having won their maiden title last season after a long wait of 18 years. Speaking about Kohli's stature within the franchise, Bobat said on RCB Podcast, "Virat Kohli, obviously, I think he'll forever be the icon and the hero of this team. I don't think that's going to go away, and he deserves that. His track record is incredible." "I remember at one point last season seeing his stats when he got to however many runs it was -- close to 9,000 runs -- 18 years wearing just one shirt. That's 500 runs a season. "It's actually ridiculous. For seven years or something like that, some players would be happy with a 500-run season. He averages 500 runs a

Zaheer leads specialised red-ball camp at BCCI Centre of Excellence

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan on Monday conducted a specialised red-ball camp for the high-performance monitoring group at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) here. Aimed at honing skills for high-performance, involving pacers from India A and U-19 setups, the three-day camp also focussed on technical skill, mental resilience, and Test-format readiness. "The BCCI CoE had the privilege of extending the wisdom of one of the best fast bowlers Mr. Zaheer Khan to the pacers from the high performance monitoring group," the BCCI wrote on its X handle. "With this camp laying emphasis on red ball bowling, these players worked closely with the stalwart on technical skills and also heard first hand from him on developing other facets that are required to be successful in what is perhaps the most demanding discipline in cricket," the said of the camp. Initiated by CoE's Head of Cricket VVS Laxman, the camp is part of a broader strategy to involve legends in grooming "targeted players" -- ..

Liam Lawson says 2026 Formula 1 cars are not 'super fun' to drive

New Zealand driver Liam Lawson is looking forward to the start of the new Formula 1 season in Melbourne this weekend, although he says the new-era cars are not "super fun" to drive. Lawson is hoping to build on a troubled 2025 season in which he lasted only two races with Red Bull before being demoted to the sister Racing Bulls team. He had mixed results and was outshone by his teammate Isack Hadjar who has now joined Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Lawson was the last driver to have his place on the 2026 grid confirmed and has been joined at Racing Bulls by rookie Arvid Lindblad. In a New Zealand radio interview Tuesday, Lawson said new regulations which have brought in hybrid power units and different aero setups have been "challenging." "In some ways the car moves around quite a bit more and, it depends on how you look at it, that can be more enjoyable," he said. "But obviously we're trying to extract every bit of lap time out of the car and in some ways it feels like you can't atta

International airspace restrictions leave WI cricket team stuck in India

The West Indies cricket team's departure from India after its exit from the T20 World Cup has been delayed owing to international airspace restrictions triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Cricket West Indies said it is working closely with the ICC and relevant government authorities for ensure safe travel of the players. Flight operations in the Gulf region are currently suspended with damage also reported at the Dubai International Airport, which is one the busiest in the world. "Cricket West Indies (CWI) wishes to advise that the departure of the West Indies Senior Men's Team from India, following their exit from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, has been delayed due to international airspace restrictions," the board said in a statement. "These restrictions are a direct result of the security threats posed by military action in the Gulf Region, which has impacted several international flight routes and required airlines to adjust scheduled services for safety reasons." T

T20 WC 2026: Pakistan players fined by PCB after Super 8 exit - Report

The financial penalties were reportedly communicated to the players soon after Pakistan's group-stage loss to India

Samson's hard work paid off, India deserve semifinal spot: Suryakumar

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Sunday said opening batter Sanju Samson got the reward for his hard work with an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies, adding that India deserved to be in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup. India beat the West Indies by five wickets to set up a semifinal date with England, to be played at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on March 5. "Obviously it's a great feeling. It was like a quarterfinal game. The way the boys showed character, it was a great thing," Suryakumar told the broadcaster after the match. "I always say good things happen to good people who wait. It's all his hard work that he was doing when he wasn't playing and now he's got the fruit," he replied when asked about Samson's innings. "The way we played from the first game, I think we deserve to be there in Mumbai. But we won't think of it now. We will take the flight, get to Mumbai and see what to do. When there is no pressure, there is no pressure," he added. Suryakumar said India wanted to take t

Shai Hope takes blame after West Indies crash out of T20 World Cup 2026

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

Cricket is a team game, credit should not go to only few: Gautam Gambhir

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

Afghanistan set for India tour featuring one Test and three ODIs in June

The one-off Test in June will be only the second between India and Afghanistan

T20 WC: Why is Bumrah used differently in every game? Gambhir explains

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

T20 WC: World Cups and bilateral series are different, says Gambhir

The India coach also pointed out that playing conditions during the tournament were different from what teams often experience in bilateral contests

India vs West Indies HIGHLIGHTS T20 WC Super 8: IND beat WI by 5 wickets to book semis berth vs ENG

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.

T20 World Cup 2026 semis: Teams qualified, date, time, venue, reserve day

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.

Raza's lone brilliance not enough as South Africa head into semis unbeaten

The Proteas chased down 154 in 17.5 overs to carry their unbeaten run into the semifinal against New Zealand in Kolkata.

T20 WC: Airspace closure in West Asia delays Zimbabwe's return home

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."

IND vs WI live streaming: Where to watch today's T20 WC 2026 Super 8 match?

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 sets record for most sixes in a single T20 World Cup edition

Hetmyer broke the record of Pakistan's Shahbazada Farhan, who reached the 18-sixes mark earlier on Saturday

India vs West Indies win prediction: Who will win today's must-win clash?

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.