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Australia will be keen to sign off on a positive note after a disappointing campaign that ended their Super Eights hopes
India's dominant performance also drove a 56% increase in digital reach compared to the India-Pakistan game in the 2024 edition.
Both Australia and Oman have been eliminated and will look to finish their campaign on a high
Ibrahim Zadran struck a fluent unbeaten 95 while Mohammed Nabi took four wickets for just seven runs as Afghanistan signed off from the T20 World Cup with a comprehensive 82-run victory over Canada, here Thursday. Canada signed off without a win from the tournament while Afghanistan had their second win. The Rashid-Khan led side was clearly the better team and had it won the cliffhanger against South Africa, the side would have avoided an early elimination. In a battle of pride between two already-eliminated sides, Afghanistan rode on a blazing unbeaten knock from Zadran to post a formidable 200 for four and then restricted Canada to 118 for 8 to seal an emphatic win. With both teams aiming to return home on a high, Afghanistan produced a commanding batting effort after being sent in to bat. Canada's chase never really gathered momentum after captain Dilpreet Bajwa's brief 13 off seven ended in the third over. They slipped to 33 for three inside six overs, with Mohammad Nabi strik
Zimbabwe assistant coach Dion Ebrahim said his side has ticked all the right boxes in preparation and is comfortable being labelled the underdogs ahead of their Super 8 clash against India, adding that the key would be to not get overwhelmed by the occasion. Zimbabwe defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets to top Group B. They will face reigning champions India, two-time champions West Indies and 2024 finalists South Africa in the Super 8. "I think rankings and every other measurement will state us as the underdogs which is perfectly fine. I think when we came into the World Cup this year, we were definitely the underdogs in the group and it's a place we like to operate in," Ebrahim said. "I think Sikandar touched on it a few days ago; that the benefit of being the underdogs is that we go into those games or that particular game with no pressure really because all the pressure sits with the India team in India in conditions which they are familiar with, a format which they have been ...
Both Afghanistan and Canada will look to finish their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a win today
Both teams will be looking to finish their group stages unbeaten with a win today in Colombo
While Afghanistan will aim to end on a confident note, Canada will look for an upset, making the Chepauk clash an intriguing contest for fans and neutrals alike.
West Indies will now face India, South Africa and England next in the Super 8 round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026
Afghanistan enter the match already eliminated from Super 8 contention, but they will be eager to salvage some pride after a challenging tournament.
A total of 12 teams have already booked their place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2028, leaving only eight spots left open
As the tournament moves into this crucial phase, the clash takes on extra significance. For Zimbabwe, it offers a stern test against a balanced and in-form Sri Lankan side.
Both Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have qualified for Super 8 and will now try to finish group stages unbeaten
Former champions Australia are set to conduct a "forensic review" of their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign after the injury-ravaged team crashed out in the group stage of the ongoing event being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The 2021 champions exited after losing to Sri Lanka and minnows Zimbabwe. They still have one match remaining against Oman in Pallekele on Friday, but that would be inconsequential. Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have progressed to the Super Eights as Australia failed to get past the group stage for the first time since 2009. Selector Tony Dodemaide said a full review of the performance would be done once the players are back home. "It's really disappointing the way the tournament has rolled out," Dodemaide was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "But we will need some time, and take some time, once we finish our last commitment it's important that we finish strongly on Friday against Oman then we'll get back and analyse it fully." The team was without its
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said his team has ticked almost all the boxes in the group stage, expressing satisfaction with the collective batting effort as it heads into the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup. India's top order found it tough against off-spinner Aryan Dutt before Shivam Dube struck a 31-ball 66 to power them to 193 for six. In reply, India restricted the Netherlands to 176 for seven in 20 overs to seal a 17-run win, their fourth successive victory in the tournament, and finish atop Group A. "We have ticked a lot of boxes. Even when you win, you learn a lot of things, and we did today," Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation. "We wanted to bat first, went on to score 190. There was a bit of dew, a little challenging for the bowlers but all in all, very happy." India were 69 for three in nine overs before Dube counter-attacked in the middle overs. Suryakumar said such contributions were crucial, especially if the team finds itself in similar situations la
Having already secured a qualification, the Caribbean side may view this clash as an opportunity to fine-tune their combinations while maintaining their unbeaten run
West Indies, meanwhile, have been dominant throughout. Victories over Scotland, England, and Nepal highlighted their depth and balance, with both batters and bowlers contributing consistently.
West Indies, who have already booked their place in the Super 8s, will aim to walk into the next stage unbeaten
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan paid a rich tribute to outgoing head coach Jonathan Trott, saying the former England batter has played a major role in putting the side on the right path and elevating the standards of Afghan cricket. Afghanistan will face Canada in their last match of the campaign, which will also bring the curtain down on Trott's stint. "We have a series against Sri Lanka straight after the World Cup and then the IPL. Tomorrow is Jonathan Trott's last game with us. We've had some unbelievable games and tours with him. He has been someone who has taken Afghanistan cricket to where it is now," Rashid said on the eve of their match against Canada. "I think he has worked so hard with every single one. Definitely everyone around will miss him so much. He played a main role in taking this team on the right way, right path." Looking ahead, Rashid stressed the need for constant improvement as teams begin to devise fresh plans against Afghanistan. "Now nothing is easy for
Players cannot take things to heart as everyone is trying to win matches for Pakistan, said all-rounder Shadab Khan after Babar Azam was not sent in to bat against Namibia and Shaheen Shah Afridi was dropped from the playing XI. Pakistan, who had suffered a crushing loss to India, qualified for the T20 World Cup Super Eights with a massive 102-run victory over Namibia here on Wednesday. "As a professional, you can't take these things to heart. The team's environment and messages are very clear, so it's not a problem for any player. Everyone is trying to help the team win," Shadab told reporters after the match. "The Super Eights will be tough. There will be pressure games. At the end of the day, you can only control certain things, so you should focus on controlling those." Prodded further on why Babar wasn't sent in to bat and if there was any issue with Pakistan's selection calls, Shadab said it wasn't the case of experimentation. "Do you really think Pakistan experiments that m