Suryakumar Yadav had a heartfelt chat with Sri Lanka's young spinner Dunith Wellalage who lost his father on September 18.
India's players celebrated with empty hands, making cricket history for all the wrong reasons.
Shubman Gill's fate wasn't actually sealed on Saturday when BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the squad for the T20 World Cup but when the fourth T20 International was called off on Wednesday due to thick smog.
Following India's emphatic eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third T20I, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi said he focused on bowling in the right areas and worked extensively on his lengths after enduring a difficult Indian Premier League (IPL) season last year. Bishnoi delivered an impressive spell of 2/18 in four overs, playing a key role in restricting New Zealand to 153/9 in 20 overs. His disciplined bowling effort laid the foundation for India's dominant win in Guwahati. Speaking during the post-match press conference, Bishnoi said he worked closely with his coaches at home in Jodhpur after being left out of the Indian T20I side. The leg-spinner added that playing matches in the Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq and Ranji Trophy tournaments has helped him to make a comeback. "It's always difficult when you are away from the side. You feel like you should be there, but you aren't. I had time to work on my own bowling. I worked a lot. I worked with my coaches at home in Jodhpur. Then I played domestic matches again. I played a few matches in the Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq and Ranji Trophy tournaments. All those things helped me a lot to come back," Bishnoi said. The 24-year-old further stated that he consciously tried to bowl in the right areas and adapt his rhythm according to match conditions. "I was trying to bowl in the right areas. It depends on my rhythm on the given day. I have worked on my lengths. I didn't have a good IPL last season. I was a bit nervous and excited," he added. On Abhishek Sharma's blistering batting performance, Bishnoi said, "The way Abhishek is batting, India needs this. He practices a lot. Hope he continues this form for a long time." Sharma made an outstanding unbeaten 68 runs in just 20 balls, including seven fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 340. Abhishek Sharma's fifty, paired with Suryakumar Yadav's blistering unbeaten 57 off 26 balls, propelled India to a convincing eight-wicket win, chasing down 154 runs in just 10 overs. With this victory, India also took the five-match T20I series, winning all three T20Is.
The Indian cricket fraternity shared their views on India's T20I World Cup squad, which threw up several surprises with the return of Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while Jitesh Sharma missed out and Shubman Gill was dropped.
Jasprit Bumrah's landmark 100th T20I wicket arrived under a cloud of controversy after replays suggested he may have overstepped during Dewald Brevis' dismissal in the first T20I in Cuttack on Monday night.
The 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka could be the last for several senior stars. From Glenn Maxwell to Mohammad Nabi, here are veterans who may be playing their final T20 WC.
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.
In this rivalry, numbers fade and national pride takes centre stage.
The Namibia match could be a God-sent opportunity for an out-of-form Sanju Samson to get into run-scoring mode after a string of failures that saw him lose his place to Ishan Kishan, who is going through a purple patch.
Sarfaraz's fastest fifty in vain as Punjab pip Mumbai by one run, finish top of Group C.
India will look to overcome batting inconsistencies and finish the tour of Australia with authority when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Brisbane on Saturday.
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
Opener Sanju Samson once again failed to get back among the runs, as he was dismissed for 24 from 15 balls in the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad backed Suryakumar Yadav's men to dominate once again against Pakistan on Sunday.
This is going to be much-needed rejuvenation for captain Surya, ahead of the all-important Asia Cup assignment commencing from September 9 to September 28.
'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?'
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
Tilak Varma says out-of-form India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav 'needs just one innings' to rediscover the mojo with which he once dominated bowlers like a marauder.
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.
Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav on Sunday acknowledged the shortage of runs from him but India's T20I skipper did not count it as lack of form, saying that runs will come sooner than later.
Hardik Pandya is only the fourth Indian to complete a century of sixes in T20 Internationals.
IMAGES from the ICC 2026 T20 World Cup match played between England and Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday
SKY also clicked photos with the Oman team, highlighting the camaraderie and respect he has for opponents who put up a strong fight.
Eventually, the speculations cleared up after it was confirmed by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. He disclosed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy during the presentation ceremony from ACC Chairman Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister.
After the match, Yuvraj was quick to add a touch of humour, playfully reminding his protege of the gold standard.
Indian cricket is entering the T20 World Cup inspired not just by its legends, but by a fearless new generation that is already winning World Cups.
One marvelled at the freedom with which the Nepal batters played. They trusted their strokes, ran hard between the wickets, and refused to be overawed.
Players of both India A and Pakistan Shaheens teams on Sunday avoided handshakes before the start of their match in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament here, continuing the trend started by the senior side during the Asia Cup in September.
Gill, who was vice-captain of the T20I side, was the most high-profile absentee when the national selectors named a 15-member squad for the global showpiece in India and Sri Lanka starting February 7.
Walking in with the run rate climbing, Shivam Dube launched a stunning counterattack that briefly swung the momentum in India's favour.
Shreyas Iyer marked his return from injury in style, smashing a fluent 82 off 53 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day match in Jaipur on Tuesday.
India's World Cup winning captains -- Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepika T C and Rohit Sharma -- were honoured by the Reliance Foundation in Mumbai on Monday.
T20 WC: Mumbai-born USA pacer Netravalkar awaits emotional reconnect with Wankhede
"Jaiswal, Dube and even Rahane will not be a part of the Mumbai squad for at least first two matches as the selection panel is going ahead with a young squad," Mumbai chief selector Sanjay Patil had earlier told PTI.
Abhishek Sharma stressed the importance of adapting to conditions after playing a decisive role in India's opening T20I win against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday.
India begin their Super 8 journey against South Africa at the Narendra Modi stadium in a thrilling clash where a single mistake could change the course of the semifinals.
India crushed Namibia by 93 runs in the T20 World Cup, powered by Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, but concerns remain ahead of the Pakistan clash.
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