All posts tagged: t20 world cup

India beat Bangladesh but concerns remain ahead of must-win game vs Australia

India beat Bangladesh but concerns remain ahead of must-win game vs Australia

Published by Webster

Nigar Sultana Joty’s heart must have known what the repercussions would be. Bangladesh’s captain had just given Shafali Verma a life on the fourth ball of Marufa Akter’s first over, failing to hold on to a diving catch that could have set the tone for Bangladesh’s defence of their modest total of 136. Instead, she watched from behind the stumps as the right-hander made her side pay for the reprieve. Shafali blazed her way to 53 off 34 balls, taking the attack to Bangladesh and ensuring India never allowed the required rate to climb. Her innings laid the foundation for a nervy five-wicket victory in Manchester that kept India’s semifinal hopes alive ahead of Sunday’s must-win clash with Australia at Lord’s. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team is in second place on the group table, with six points and a net run rate of +2.268.Shafali signalled her intent almost immediately, thumping Marufa over extra cover for four before clearing her front leg to launch Shanjida Akter Meghla over long-on for a 75-metre six. Boundaries through the offside followed …

Virat Kohli reveals he listens to one particular Karan Aujla song before going to play matches

Virat Kohli reveals he listens to one particular Karan Aujla song before going to play matches

Published by Parlour News

Some songs stay with us forever. We often go back to them because they remind us of our own journeys, our own stories. Cricketer Virat Kohli also has one special song that he often goes back to, because he resonates with it on a personal level. At the One8 global premiere, Virat shared about the one song by musician Karan Aujla that he is his favourite. Virat Kohli has picked one Karan Aujla song he often listens to. What Virat Kohli said As per a video shared by news agency PTI, Virat praised the Punjabi singer, saying he relates deeply to the latter’s song Winning Speech. “You write songs from the heart. The one I resonate with most is ‘Winning Speech’ because it probably captures the journey you’ve gone through. I can see similarities with my own journey as well. I lost my dad when I was pretty young too, so that song is quite special for me. I’ve often listened to it before going out to play matches,” Kohli said. More details At the …

India’s best at No.3, Jemimah Rodrigues, needs an impactful innings

India’s best at No.3, Jemimah Rodrigues, needs an impactful innings

Published by Webster

Everything has clicked for India so far at the T20 World Cup. Two wins from two games, a commanding net run-rate and several players already finding top gear have made for an ideal start to their campaign. Smriti Mandhana has been India’s most reliable batter, Deepti Sharma their most influential bowler, while Richa Ghosh and Sree Charani have excelled in supporting roles.But beneath the positive results lies a subplot India will be eager to resolve. Their No.3, Jemimah Rodrigues, is yet to leave her mark on the tournament. The right-hander, who has been reinstated to No.3 after being pushed down during the England series, has had a quiet start to the World Cup. While she played a brisk knock of 19 against the Netherlands after the openers had put on 115 runs, it was her stay against Pakistan that raised a few questions. Shafali’s early dismissal meant India needed some rebuilding, with caution and aggression in equal measure. Mandhana, with her strong off-side play, was expected to provide the aggression, while Rodrigues had to rotate …

Why Shreyanka Patil’s injury creates a big hole for India in T20 World Cup

Why Shreyanka Patil’s injury creates a big hole for India in T20 World Cup

Published by Webster

There was little for Harmanpreet Kaur to complain about after India’s commanding 95-run win over the Netherlands. Her side answered her pre-match call to improve in the powerplay with both bat and ball, piled up 209 and then bundled the Dutch out to make it two wins from two at the T20 World Cup. Yet, as she led her side back towards the dressing room at Headingley on Wednesday, one moment would have lingered longer than the result itself. Just one delivery into her spell in the sixth over, Shreyanka Patil chased the ball in her follow-through before twisting her right ankle. Unable to put any weight on the leg, she received lengthy treatment before being stretchered off in a buggy. Having only recently returned from a long injury layoff, it was an unsettling sight.The extent of the injury remains unclear, but it has already complicated India’s planning ahead of Sunday’s meeting with South Africa at Old Trafford. Unlike the Netherlands, South Africa possess the batting depth to expose even minor weaknesses in an attack. …

Shafali Verma’s all-round show, Smriti Mandhana’s 74 and Shree Charani 4/19 give India big win

Shafali Verma’s all-round show, Smriti Mandhana’s 74 and Shree Charani 4/19 give India big win

Published by Webster

India made it two wins from two at the 2026 T20 World Cup with a comfortable 95-run victory over the Netherlands at Headingley on Wednesday. But the win was overshadowed a bit by an injury to off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, who twisted her right ankle after delivering the first ball of her spell in the sixth over. Unable to put weight on the leg, she received lengthy treatment before being stretchered off in a buggy. Before the setback, though, Harmanpreet Kaur had said her side had to improve their powerplay performances with both bat and ball. The team responded emphatically. The opening duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma answered the call by putting on a 115-run opening stand. Mandhana set the tone from the outset, producing a series of trademark cover drives whenever the Dutch seamers overpitched. Heather Siegers, Iris Zwilling and Isabel van der Woning all struggled to find consistent lengths. The left-hander capitalised on the loose deliveries. Shafali initially played second fiddle before finding her rhythm. Once she settled, the right-hander punished anything …

‘Boys will respond to your ideas’

‘Boys will respond to your ideas’

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jun 7, 2026 10:39 AM IST Suryakumar Yadav may lost captaincy of the Indian T20I team, and possibly his place in it as well, on Saturday but seemed to have no qualms in congratulating Shreyas Iyer, with whom he has shared dressing rooms in domestic cricket for many a year, and wishing 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi well ahead of India’s tours of Ireland and England. Suryakumar’s time as India captain came to an end on Friday with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announcing Iyer as the new incumbent in a role. “Very happy that a Mumbaikar is going to lead in T20I. Wishing you all the luck. Boys are super amazing. They will definitely respond well to your ideas,” said Suryakumar in a post on his Instagram stories along with a pic of him hugging Iyer. “Be yourself. I am watching you closely,” he cheekily concluded. Suryakumar earlier also wished the Indian team that was announced all the best and reserved special words of praise for Sooryavanshi, who …

‘In best interest of the team’

‘In best interest of the team’

Published by Webster

3 min readJun 6, 2026 04:40 PM IST Suryakumar Yadav’s time as India’s T20I captain has officially come to an end with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar announcing Shreyas Iyer as the new skipper in the format. Just as significantly, Suryakumar has been excluded from the squads that were announced on Saturday for India’s upcoming tours of Ireland and England and the 2026 Asian Games later this year. The selectors insisted the decision was not taken lightly, especially given that he had led India to a T20 World Cup title only a few months ago. The move appears to have been driven by a combination of long-term planning and the desire to begin a fresh cycle under a new captain. Agarkar acknowledged that removing a World Cup-winning skipper was a tough decision, but they had to make the call keeping the future in mind. ALSO READ | Suryakumar Yadav: Batsman who pushed boundaries, captain who crossed a few of them “With regards to Surya, obviously it’s a tough one having just won the World Cup. …

The Captain India kept waiting

The Captain India kept waiting

Published by Webster

5 min readJun 6, 2026 01:29 PM IST India have won two T20 World Cups since Shreyas Iyer last played a T20 international. He watched both from outside, not in disgrace, not after a public falling out, but in a kind of administrative limbo that Indian cricket occasionally inflicts on players it cannot quite place. Now, in a sudden turn of events, Iyer has not just been recalled to the side but also named T20 captain, replacing the World T20 winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav. In those two and a half years, Iyer built what may be the strongest leadership CV in Indian T20 cricket. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in 2024, finishing top of the table and winning the final by eight wickets. “I personally felt I didn’t get the recognition I wanted after winning the IPL,” he said. “But at the end of the day, as long as you have self-integrity and you keep doing the right things when no one is watching, that is more important.” He didn’t …

Suryakumar should remain T20I captain, says ex-selector

Suryakumar should remain T20I captain, says ex-selector

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 25, 2026 12:47 PM IST Suryakumar Yadav has endured a prolonged run of poor T20I form over the last two years, with his aggregates also plummeting in the IPL 2026 season. While he finished his season with a half-century against the Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on Sunday, Suryakumar only amassed 270 runs in 13 innings, averaging 20.76 this season. Even as he powered India to their third T20 World Cup title as captain in March, Suryakumar the batter has copped intense scrutiny, with calls for his removal as skipper gaining pace through the IPL. However, former chief national selector MSK Prasad cautioned against a hasty decision in axing Suryakumar. Prasad backed the 35-year-old to rediscover his touch, while also hailing him as the most versatile T20I batter India has produced. “In modern T20 cricket, matches are not won only through technique – they are won through intent, innovation, fearlessness, and the ability to change games within a few overs. That is exactly why Suryakumar Yadav remains one of the most valuable players …