Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
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.
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.
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.
India cricketers, along with coach Gautam Gambhir, visited Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings ahead of the first T2OI of the five-match series against South Africa, set to be played on the same day at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium.
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.
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.
Sanju Samson marked his selection for the T20 World Cup with a quiet but powerful statement, underlining his belief and pride after retaining his place in India's squad.
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Spin great Harbhajan Singh said the selectors were right in appointing Shubman Gill as India's ODI captain last year, stating that the youngster is ready for "big challenges".
After the match, Yuvraj was quick to add a touch of humour, playfully reminding his protege of the gold standard.
Pakistan have agreed to play India in the T20 World Cup match in Sri Lanka after diplomatic outreach and ICC-led talks ended the boycott standoff.
Walking in with the run rate climbing, Shivam Dube launched a stunning counterattack that briefly swung the momentum in India's favour.
Months after the Asia Cup final ended in an unprecedented trophy snub, the controversy has resurfaced -- this time through a pointed comment from former Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi that has sparked sharp reactions across social media.
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.
Pakistan on Sunday announced a boycott of its high-profile men's T20 World Cup group league match against India, a move that is likely to have repercussions, even as the government cleared the national team's participation in the rest of the global event, starting February 7.
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.
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USA all-rounder Harmeet Singh doesn't want his side to put any team "on a pedestal", urging them to showcase same brand of cricket that they displayed two years ago in the T20 World Cup.
'I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well.'
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Pakistan are avoiding playing against India because they are aware they can't win against them, said 1983 World Cup winning all-rounder Kirti Azad.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill's injury during the South Africa T20I series earlier this month was the moment when India's World Cup opening combination became clear.
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.
In the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram, Ishan Kishan produced an innings that may well have changed the course of his career.
A mouth-watering India-South Africa warm-up at the D Y Patil stadium did exactly that, igniting anticipation and hopes among fans.
Rohit Sharma offered a hilarious piece of advice to spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the T20 World Cup this year from February 7.
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.
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.
While he didn't offer quick solutions, he extended an open invitation to SKY for a deeper discussion on the subject, even hinting at Test cricket being part of that conversation.
IMAGES from the ICC 2026 T20 World Cup match played between England and Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday
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The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
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Abhishek Sharma has been outstanding with the bat in T20 Internationals, having smashed two centuries and seven fifties to amass 1199 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 190.92.
