'Isn't it silly to call India-Pakistan cricket's greatest rivalry when Pakistan has won only once out of the last eight T20 World Cup encounters?'
A shortened game will be like a sprint where the risk element will be high. Who will win when emotion meets execution remains to be seen. K R Nayar reports from Colombo.
India put on a commanding performance to beat South Africa by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up clash at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Ishan Kishan's thrill-a-second maiden T20I hundred compensated for Sanju Samson's familiar failure, and the knock in conjunction with Arshdeep Singh's fifer scripted India's 46-run romp over New Zealand in the fifth and final match in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
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India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
With Abhishek Sharma hospitalised with a stomach bug, Sanju Samson is set to get another opportunity at the top of the order.
USA spinner Harmeet Singh compared Suryakumar Yadav's calm under pressure to Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the Indian captain's match-winning 84 in the T20 World Cup opener.
Mitchell Santner explains his defensive T20I blueprint after a match-winning 3/26 against India in Visakhapatnam, detailing how pressure, match-ups and key wickets powered New Zealand's 50-run win.
Shivam Dube flickered brightly with a fifty of exceptional quality but it was insufficient to prevent India's 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth T20 International.
While wickets fell in a steady procession at the other end, captain Suryakumar Yadav took it upon himself to anchor and attack and almost single-handedly hauled his side to a competitive total on a sluggish pitch.
Ishan Kishan smashed a 42-ball hundred as India showcased their batting firepower ahead of next month's Twenty20 World Cup, beating New Zealand by 46 runs in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to seal a 4-1 series win.
Hardik Pandya could become the first Indian and overall the third player in the history of T20 Internationals to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets.
The eight players who featured in India's World Cup triumph in 2024 will aim to repeat their magic from two years ago.
Hardik Pandya and girlfriend Mahieka Sharma made for a picture-perfect pair at a friend's wedding, both donning matching red outfits as they celebrated the festive occasion together.
In this rivalry, numbers fade and national pride takes centre stage.
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Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20, Guwahati: Abhishek blitz hands India series win
The No 3 batter will rejoin India squad ahead of T20 WC warm-up game in Mumbai.
Sanju Samson seeks revival with home support as India manage injuries and combinations against New Zealand in the final T20I before the World Cup.
S Badrinath reacts after Pakistan boycott India clash at T20 World Cup, joking it may be fear of India's explosive batting line-up.
Abhishek Sharma's pyrotechnics followed a now familiar script with India out-batting New Zealand by 48 runs in the opening T20 International in Nagpur on Wednesday.
UAE batter Alishan Sharafu hailed the quality of India's players ahead of their Asia Cup opening match in Dubai on Wednesday.
Suryakumar Yadav becomes fourth player to play 100 T20Is for India, achieves feat during 1st T20I against New Zealand
Rinku Singh made a roaring return with a match-tilting 44 not out off 20 balls against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
Jitendra Singh stood with the Pandya brothers through it all. When they couldn't afford kits, he found a way. When others doubted their potential, he pushed them harder. When life knocked them down, he picked them back up.
India will be hoping for a positive turn in their spinners' performance while attempting to extend the total domination over New Zealand to the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan face a key test as India take on New Zealand in the second T20I at Raipur, eyeing World Cup momentum.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav dazzled with a vital half-century as defending champions India registered a scratchy 29-run win against the United States of America despite a stunning top-order collapse.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
The Indian trio of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and aggressive opener Abhishek Sharma retained their respective top positions in the ICC T20 rankings.
A seemingly unstoppable force in the shortest format, the current India squad has an aura of invincibility around it unlike the one that ended the cricketing powerhouse's long wait for an ICC title in Barbados 19 months ago.
A mouth-watering India-South Africa warm-up at the D Y Patil stadium did exactly that, igniting anticipation and hopes among fans.
As India start their T20 World Cup title defence in less than 72 hours, one is tempted to look at Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir's working relationship which has been fantastic, at least so going by the results -- a whopping 31 wins in 39 games with a winning percentage of 79.48.
'Even if Reddy fails, the management should persist with him, and India will eventually get a good all-rounder.'
India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday climbed five places to seventh in the ICC men's T20I rankings
This is the most open T20 World Cup in history. The traditional powers are compromised. The new powers have gained strength, observes Faisal Shariff.
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