All posts tagged: T20 World Cup 2026

Why does Ab de Villiers think Samson was closer to the ODI squad for ENG tour

Why does Ab de Villiers think Samson was closer to the ODI squad for ENG tour

Published by Webster

2 min readJun 25, 2026 04:02 PM IST Sanju Samson finished the T20 World Cup 2026, scoring three back-to-back half-centuries. During the Indian Premier League 2026 season, he was in sublime form for the Chennai Super Kings, scoring two centuries, including 477 runs at an average of 43.36. Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers opined that the call to omit Rishabh Pant was obvious, but he felt Samson was close to returning to the ODI format for the England series. “Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul the two top wicket-keepers. The big thing there is no Pant, no Samson. Samson must have been close, closer than Pant, as he had a really good IPL but also prior to that, showing signs of form. Not a lot of surprises there, but just for Samson, I feel he was close,” he said on his YouTube channel. De Villiers also mentioned the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a century in his previous game against Afghanistan. “Virat Kohli back. Little bit of a tough one on Jaiswal, who was …

Experts point to the overusage of slower balls from Jasprit Bumrah as the reason behind his poor form: ‘gone over the top’

Experts point to the overusage of slower balls from Jasprit Bumrah as the reason behind his poor form: ‘gone over the top’

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: May 2, 2026 11:29 AM IST It is an unusually poor season for Jasprit Bumrah for the Mumbai Indians. The wickets have not been coming as Bumrah is accustomed, and strangely enough, the Mumbai ace-pacer has taken a bit of tapping in recent games. Experts have observed that there is a dip in the pace of Bumrah, and he has also been over-reliant on the slower ones, which is a byproduct of playing on slightly sluggish surfaces at the backend of the T20 World Cup 2026 that is causing his downfall. “I think it was also influenced a little bit by the back end of T20 World Cup. Because of the nature of surfaces, lots of games taken place, the slower ball became so effective. I think at the start of this tournament, it was kind of a hangover of that one was effective, let’s stick with it,” former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock said on Cricbuzz. Reminding the strengths of Bumrah, Pollock said: “He still needs to understand that his speed …

‘In a zone of his own’

‘In a zone of his own’

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3 min readApr 20, 2026 02:07 PM IST Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Shreyas Iyer for his ability to chase down big scores, admitting that the right-hander was currently in a zone of his own and ahead of Rajat Patidar, as far as his spot in India’s T20I squad is concerned. Iyer has made a strong start to his IPL 2026 campaign, with 208 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 182.46. His captaincy has also helped the Punjab Kings stay the only unbeaten side of the season, so far. The 31-year-old was part of India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand before the T20 World Cup after Tilak Varma was injured, but was not included in the squad which went on to defend the title. “The audacity with which he is going about 200-220 chases is exceptional. At this point of time, if he’s not going to find higher honors, it’s not his loss anymore. It’s ours that we can’t see him performing for the Indian team …

ICC probes alleged fixing in Canada’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against New Zealand; governance lapses under scanner

ICC probes alleged fixing in Canada’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against New Zealand; governance lapses under scanner

Published by Webster

5 min readChennaiApr 17, 2026 11:20 PM IST The International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit is probing allegations of corruption in Cricket Canada, which includes an alleged spot-fixing episode in Canada’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against New Zealand. According to sources in the ICC, it is learnt that two investigations are running in parallel with regard to international and domestic fixtures. On Friday, The Fifth Estate aired a documentary titled ‘Corruption, Crime and Cricket’ on the public broadcaster CBC, where a wide-ranging set of accusations were made against Cricket Canada with regards to governance, team selection and match-related conduct at the international and domestic levels. In a stunning revelation, the documentary also claimed that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is involved in the activities. An anonymous individual – whose identity was protected for safety reasons – alleged that the gang threatened a prominent Canadian player and played a role in Cricket Canada naming the 22-year-old Dilpreet Bajwa as Canada’s captain in an eleventh-hour decision ahead of the T20 World Cup, which surprised the coach, the manager …

‘Hardik bhai was the first one who messaged me when I wasn’t picked for the World Cup’: Jitesh Sharma

‘Hardik bhai was the first one who messaged me when I wasn’t picked for the World Cup’: Jitesh Sharma

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 27, 2026 08:53 PM IST Jitesh Sharma lost his spot in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 very late. The Indian team has decided to go with Ishan Kishan as the wicket-keeper alongside Sanju Samson. Jitesh, recalling the difficult period, said Hardik Pandya was the first person to message him and also revealed how helpful Hardik is. “Hardik bhai was the first one who messaged me when I wasn’t picked for the World Cup,” Jitesh told on the YouTube channel in interaction with Ranveer Allahbadia. “He advised me to just keep growing as a person, as a cricketer. A lot of cricketers messaged me. Arshdeep (Singh), Avesh (Khan) – they are my good friends and they all messaged. Shivam (Dube) bhai too.” “Hardik Pandya is the most helpful guy I’ve met. I’ve not met anyone who gives more bats to kids than him, even without being asked. He even gave one to me once. Even Krunal bhai, you call him and he’s there to help you,” he said. “I also …

IPL: Why relay catches like Axar Patel-to-Shivam Dube no longer carry that surprise factor | Cricket News

IPL: Why relay catches like Axar Patel-to-Shivam Dube no longer carry that surprise factor | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readMar 27, 2026 09:42 AM IST The destination of the ICC T20 World Cup would probably have been different had it not been for the faultless execution of a facet of the game that’s almost taken for granted these days. A total of 253 was never meant to be threatened, but a combination of the flat Wankhede Stadium pitch, the small ground and Jacob Bethell announcing his arrival on the big stage, meant that England remained in the hunt in the semifinal despite their top order contributing next to nothing. A requirement of 82 in a little over six overs was a tall task, but the way Bethell and England’s man of the tournament Will Jacks were going in their 77-run stand in just over six overs, Suryakumar Yadav and his troops, as well as the packed Mumbai crowd, couldn’t rest easy. It was then that Axar Patel and the relay catch with Shivam Dube made the decisive intervention. Arshdeep Singh slanted one full and wide of Jacks’s off-stump. The batsman’s slice seemed …

Brendon McCullum set to remain England head coach after ECB Ashes review

Brendon McCullum set to remain England head coach after ECB Ashes review

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3 min readMar 22, 2026 10:51 AM IST Brendon McCullum is set to remain as England’s head coach following the Ashes review conducted by the England Cricket Board. According to a Sky Sports report, the ECB will confirm the development on Monday, with McCullum set to keep his post and expected to lead the Test team into the home Ashes in 2027. The New Zealander faced stern scrutiny over his position after a disastrous Ashes campaign in which England lost 4–1 to Australia. McCullum’s case was further undermined by reports of off-field incidents. Following the horrendous Ashes, the ECB launched a review process of the team. McCullum has expressed his desire to continue in his role, saying he “loves” his job and would want to carry on. After leading England to the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India, he told Sky Sports: “I love the job. It’s a great job. It doesn’t come without its challenges, of course, but that is the nature of it. I feel we have achieved some really …

Jos Buttler opens up on England future after T20 World Cup flop

Jos Buttler opens up on England future after T20 World Cup flop

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3 min readMar 19, 2026 09:01 AM IST After a horrendous campaign with the bat at the T20 World Cup 2026, former England captain and one of England’s finest white-ball batters, Jos Buttler, remains hopeful that he still has some spark left in him and that his international career is not yet over. Buttler was out of form during the entire tournament in India and Sri Lanka, managing just 87 runs in eight innings, which includes five single-digit scores. The wicket-keeper batter has only a single half-century to show from his last four ICC events. However, a bona fide match-winner for England, Buttler, still has another 1.5 years left to run on his ECB central contract. He stated that he still hopes to be in the thick of things when England face India in five T20Is and three ODIs during their home summer. “I hope so. I don’t know. Obviously, I had a poor tournament, which is disappointing, but I’ve been playing some of the best cricket of my career in recent years, so hopefully, …

‘If God has written something for you, you will get it’

‘If God has written something for you, you will get it’

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 12, 2026 08:00 AM IST The way the World Cup ended for Sanju Samson and the way the showpiece event started were quite contrasting. After a poor run of form in the series against New Zealand before the World Cup, Samson lost his spot in the playing XI to Ishan Kishan, who piled on runs in the same series. Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, speaking to The Indian Express, revealed the conversation between him and Samson when the 31-year-old was not part of the team. “Sanju came with a lot going for him — a keeper who can bat at the top. I remember he came to me once and asked: “Just tell me what you want from me in this team.” We said: we want the same Sanju Samson we’ve seen tear attacks apart. And then he told the whole team — we will keep playing what the team wants before what we want. Only then will we achieve something special,” Surya said to this publication. “When he was not playing I …

South Africa, West Indies teams leave India after T20 World Cup travel disruption | Cricket News

South Africa, West Indies teams leave India after T20 World Cup travel disruption | Cricket News

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2 min readMar 11, 2026 02:40 PM IST The International Cricket Council on Tuesday said members of the South Africa and West Indies cricket teams had begun departing India after travel disruptions following the T20 World Cup 2026 left players and staff stranded. In a statement, the ICC confirmed that some members of both teams have already boarded flights home, while the rest are scheduled to leave within the next 24 hours. “Since the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) earlier update, and to ensure continued transparency on the matter, here is further communication of the ongoing departures of South Africa and the West Indies following the conclusion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” the ICC said. According to the governing body, a section of the South African contingent has already begun its journey back. “Four South Africa players and five family members have boarded flights and are making their way home, with all 29 remaining members of their contingent scheduled to depart in the next 24 hours,” the ICC said. Members of the West …