T20 World Cup | Pakistan

India clung on to beat England by seven runs in a thrilling T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday, despite Jacob Bethell’s superb 105. After Sanju Samson’s scintillating 89 laid the platform for India to pile up a massive 253-7, England fell just short in what would have been a record chase, finishing on 246-7. Phil Salt (5), Harry Brook (7) and Jos Buttler (25) fell early, but Bethell, aided by Will Jacks (35) kept England in the hunt. The left-hander hit seven sixes and eight fours in his 48-ball thrash before his run out in the final over finally allowed India to celebrate in front of 35,000 jubilant fans in Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. India will face New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad as they attempt to become the first team to retain the trophy and the first to win it on home soil. The hosts, having been asked to bat by Brook, earlier flayed England’s attack to all parts of the ground, hitting 19 sixes and 18 fours. Samson signalled his intent with a four and six off Jofra Archer’s first ...

Semi-final hero Finn Allen said New Zealand’s thumping demi-final win over South Africa was a “huge confidence booster” ahead of going for their maiden T20 World Cup title in Sunday’s final. Opener Allen hit the fastest-ever T20 World Cup century, off 33 balls, to give his side a crushing nine-wicket win over South Africa and set up a final against India or England in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Allen blasted 10 fours and eight sixes as New Zealand raced to their victory target of 170 with 7.1 overs to spare at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. It was a bruising defeat for 2024 runners-up South Africa, who had been unbeaten in the tournament. “They fight hard, they come hard at us, they’ve got good tall, fast bowlers and it makes it challenging for us,” Allen said of Aiden Markram’s South Africa. “Their boys hit the ball hard, so to get one over them is a huge confidence booster for us going into Sunday. They’ve been the in-form team the whole tournament.” The Auckland-born Allen rose to the occasion in the knockout match aft...

New Zealand’s Finn Allen blasted the fastest century in T20 World Cup history in Kolkata on Wednesday as his side hammered South Africa by nine wickets to reach the final. Chasing 170 to win the first semi-final, Allen hit an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls, to obliterate the previous mark of 47 balls by Chris Gayle, as New Zealand raced home with 7.1 overs to spare. Allen went on a rampage as he finished with two fours, two sixes and a four off successive balls to hit the winning runs and reach his hundred with a roar of delight at Eden Gardens. Tim Seifert hit 58 in a 117-run opening stand with Allen off just 9.1 overs to set up the victory romp. Seifert hit two sixes and seven fours while Allen bludgeoned eight sixes and 10 fours in a brutal display of controlled power hitting. “Obviously, we wanted to start looking straight and obviously try and put them on the back foot early,” said Allen. “I think it’s easy for me when Timmy’s (Seifert) going like that, I can kind of just watch and then hit it when it’s ...

Sanju Samson’s sparkling unbeaten 97 kept alive India’s dream of retaining the T20 World Cup at home as they knocked out the West Indies with a five-wicket win in Kolkata on Sunday to set up a semi-final against England. Samson hit 12 fours and four sixes in his superb 50-ball knock in the winner-takes-all final Super Eights match to thrill a capacity 67,000 fans at a pulsating Eden Gardens. After the West Indies smacked 70 off the last five overs to score 195-4 after being asked to bat, India lost two early wickets but were always up with the required rate. Samson, opening for the second match in succession, led the way. When India slipped to 41-2, he was joined by captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) and the pair added 58 for the third wicket. Tilak Varma was next to join Samson and scored 27 off 15 before departing in the 15th over with the score 141-4 and India still needing 55. Samson stood firm and though Hardik Pandya fell for 17, India reached the target with four balls to spare to spark celebrations and fir...

A disappointed Salman Agha said his team had “underperformed” after they exited the T20 World Cup on Saturday, but held back from making an “emotional” decision on his future as Pakistan captain. Pakistan were knocked out on net run rate despite beating Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match in Kandy on Saturday. “We have underperformed in the whole tournament,” Agha told reporters. “We are out of the semis due to our failure in decision-making in pressure situations.” Opener Sahibzada Farhan became the only player to score two hundreds in the same T20 World Cup as Pakistan posted 212-8. But they failed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 and New Zealand went through to the semi-finals. “Farhan was outstanding in the tournament but none of the other batters could come up to expectations,” said Agha, who only managed 60 runs in seven tournament matches. Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka hit 76 not out off 31 balls with eight sixes as Sri Lanka scored 207-6 to lose by five runs. A rained-off Super Eights opener ag...

Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win in Colombo that denied New Zealand a guaranteed place in the semi-finals but kept Pakistan’s slender hopes alive. New Zealand would have joined England in the knockouts with a win in their final Super Eights match and they scored 159-6 after opting to bat. England lost wickets early and looked like they would be squeezed out at 117-6, needing 43 from the last three overs. But Ahmed and Jacks took 22 off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to turn the match on its head. Ahmed blasted 19 off seven balls in his first T20 World Cup match alongside Jacks, who made an unbeaten 32 off 18, to see England to 161-6 with three balls to spare. England will move on to a semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday against either India or the West Indies, who clash on Sunday to decide the final semi-final berth. New Zealand now have to wait on the outcome of Saturday’s clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Kandy to know if t...

India revived their T20 World Cup campaign with their “fearless” brand of cricket ahead of a winner-takes-all decider against the West Indies for the last semi-final berth. Hot favourites to defend their title on home soil, India thrashed Zimbabwe by 72 runs in Chennai on Thursday to bounce back from their heavy defeat against South Africa in their Super Eights opener. India’s batting, led by opener Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 55 and an unbeaten 50 by Hardik Pandya, piled up 256-4, the second-highest total in the history of the tournament. In a brutal show of power hitting, the Indian batters demolished the opposition bowling with 17 sixes and 17 fours at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. India face the West Indies, who went down to South Africa by nine wickets, in Kolkata on Sunday to decide the second semi-finalist from Group 1. “We want to play fearless cricket, the brand of cricket we played today and we played since last year,” batter Tilak Varma said. “The same intent we want to keep in the next game as we...

South Africa captain Aiden Markram led from the front with an unbeaten 82 as South Africa all but secured a T20 World Cup semi-final berth with a brutal nine-wicket thrashing of the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday. After the West Indies fought back from deep trouble at 83-7 to post 176-8, Markram and Quinton de Kock put on 95 for the first wicket to set the platform for a thumping victory. South Africa raced to their target with 23 balls to spare, scoring 177-1. Ryan Rickleton was not out on 45 at the end. They are the only unbeaten side in the tournament, having also dismantled pre-tournament favourite India by 76 runs in the Super Eights. An India win against Zimbabwe in Chennai later on Thursday will guarantee South Africa’s progress to the last four. It will also make India’s clash against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday a winner-takes-all decider for the final semi-final berth. Markram reached fifty off 27 balls and hit four sixes and seven fours. De Kock scored 47 off 24 balls, with four sixes...

New Zealand’s “street-smart” cricketers can find a way to beat England and guarantee their semi-final place at the T20 World Cup, coach Rob Walters said on Thursday. A win for New Zealand in Friday’s Super Eights clash in Colombo will see them top Group 2 and join the already-qualified England in the final four. A defeat would leave the door ajar for Pakistan to beat eliminated Sri Lanka on Saturday with the second semi-final berth then being decided on net run rate. Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand were in trouble at 84-6 against Sri Lanka on Wednesday before the captain steered them to 168-7 and a thumping 61-run win which knocked out the co-hosts. “I think if you look historically at the Black Caps, you would probably say that they’re a team that have been great problem solvers,” Walters told reporters. “They are street smart; they find a way to understand the conditions quickly. “It’s certainly something that we pride ourselves on. We can adapt to conditions quickly and find a method.” England are the only ...

New Zealand knocked co-hosts Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday with a 61-run win in Colombo that boosted their semi-final hopes. Sri Lanka needed an emphatic win to stay alive but instead exited with a whimper, limping to 107-8 chasing New Zealand’s 168-7. A win for New Zealand against England on Friday at the same R. Premadasa stadium would see them top the Super Eights group and qualify for the semi-finals along with Harry Brook’s side. A defeat would open the door for Pakistan, who would probably need a big win against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Saturday to sneak through on net run rate. Sri Lanka were never in the chase as Matt Henry dismissed their leading batsman Pathum Nissanka with the first ball of the innings. Henry also removed Chairth Asalanka with the first ball of his second over to leave Sri Lanka in trouble at 6-2. Sri Lanka crawled to 20-2 at the end of the six-over power play, the lowest in the competition and Sri Lanka’s second lowest ever in T20 internationals. Part-time spinner R...

The West Indies blew away T20 World Cup surprise package Zimbabwe by a colossal 107 runs in Mumbai on Monday as Shai Hope’s team opened their Super Eights campaign with a dominant victory. Shimron Hetmyer blasted 85 off 34 balls as the West Indies piled up 254-6, the second-highest total in the history of the tournament. Zimbabwe, who stunned Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super Eights, got off to an awful start chasing a monumental 255. They were reduced to 20-3 in the third over when two wickets fell to Akeal Hosein’s left-arm spin and never threatened to get close. They were all out for 147 in 17.4 overs with Brad Evans hitting some lusty late blows before being last man out for 43 off 21 balls with five sixes. Left-armer Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 4-28 as he found some sharp turn. Hosein took 3-28. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl, then saw his bowlers flogged to all parts of the Wankhede stadium. Only Sri Lanka, who made 260-6 against Ke...

Defending T20 World Cup champions India need “two big performances” to reach the semi-finals after Sunday’s huge defeat to South Africa, said their assistant coach. India came into the T20 World Cup as hot favourites on home soil but were thrashed by 76 runs in the Super Eights as 80,000 fans at the massive Narendra Modi stadium were stunned into silence. In their first chase of the tournament, India’s batting came up woefully short in the face of some disciplined South Africa bowling. India collapsed to 111 all out in 18.5 overs in response to South Africa’s 187-7 as their 12-match win streak in the T20 World Cup came to a crashing end. The magnitude of the defeat has left India with a desperate net run-rate of -3.8 and likely needing to win their last two Super Eight matches convincingly to make it to the semi-finals. Anything less and India will need to rely on a combination of other results going their way. “Very disappointed in the performance,” said Ryan ten Doeschate. “When you set out to win a World C...

South Africa ended India’s 12-match winning streak at the T20 World Cup with a crushing 76-run win in Ahmedabad on Sunday in the opening Group 1 Super Eights match. After a counter-attacking 63 by David Miller and some late hitting from Tristan Stubbs took South Africa to 187-7, the defending champions were all out for 111 in 18.5 overs, failing badly in their first chase of the tournament. Left-arm quick Marco Jansen finished with 4-22, while left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took 3-24 as the South African bowlers exposed India’s fragile batting line-up. “Great performance. Very different type of wicket to what we’ve had here, so great to see the boys assess that pretty early and adapt their skills to execute their plans,” said South Africa captain Aiden Markram. “We’re really pumped for the bowling group. They’ve been working hard, started the comp a bit tough, but the way they rocked up tonight was a great effort.” Hot favourites to defend their crown on home soil, India will need to win their two remaining ...

Batting great Babar Azam was moved down the batting order for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly, said head coach Mike Hesson on Friday. Azam, who is the highest run-scorer in T20 international history with 4,571 runs, was moved down the order for the must-win game against Namibia as Pakistan racked up 199-3 and secured a place in the Super Eights by 102 runs. The 2009 champions face New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday in the opening match of the second phase. “I think Babar is well aware that his strike rate in the power play in the World Cup is less than 100 and that’s clearly not the role we think we need,” Hesson told reporters after Pakistan’s final practice session on Friday was washed out by rain. Pakistan left out Azam for the same reason at last year’s Asia Cup and even after a dismal showing in the Big Bash League, he was still selected for the T20 World Cup. “We brought Babar back in for a specific role post the Asia Cup,” said Hesson. “We’ve got plenty ...

Dipendra Singh Airee hit an unbeaten 50 as Nepal saved their best for last to end their T20 World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket win over Scotland on Tuesday. Chasing 171 for victory, Nepal looked in trouble at 98-3 in the 14th over before Airee took the initiative in his 23-ball knock as his team achieved the target with four balls to spare in Mumbai. Airee put on 73 runs with Gulsan Jha, who made 24 not out, as Nepal earned their first win after three losses in Group C. Nepal’s fans erupted with joy at the Wankhede Stadium after seeing their team win for the first time in the tournament since 2014. “I want to thank the fans who came from Nepal and supported us, that gives a lot of motivation to all of us,” said player of the match Airee. “And in the last World Cup, we didn’t win a single match. So that’s why this win is very important for us.” It was Nepal’s first victory in the T20 World Cup since they beat Hong Kong and Afghanistan in the opening stage 12 years ago. Nepal had given England a mighty scar...

The 2021 champions Australia were knocked out of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, with Zimbabwe qualifying for the Super Eights after their match against Ireland was washed out without a ball being bowled in Kandy. Zimbabwe joined Sri Lanka as qualifiers from Group B and will move on to face the West Indies, India and South Africa in the next phase. Ireland were also eliminated. Persistent drizzle all day at the Pallekelle stadium kept the covers on and the umpires finally called it off at 5:30pm local time (1200 GMT) with no prospect of beginning the minimum five-over match before the 6:10pm cut-off time. Australia, who had been beaten by Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, needed an Ireland victory to keep their hopes alive. Zimbabwe are now on an unassailable five points with a game to still to come, while Ireland are third on three points. Australia, on two points, have one game remaining against Oman on Friday, but cannot overtake Zimbabwe. Australia had a shambolic build-up to the tournament They lost leading pace bow...

Spinner Usman Tariq said on Tuesday he was confident that Pakistan can bounce back from their T20 World Cup drubbing against India and seal qualification for the next round. India’s 61-run romp means Pakistan must beat Namibia in their final match in Colombo on Wednesday to qualify for the Super Eights. A defeat would eliminate Pakistan, who are third behind the USA on net run rate in Group A. It would also leave an outside chance for the Netherlands to qualify, but they would need a big win over co-hosts India in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. “Lifting the team is only difficult when you don’t work on your mistakes committed in the last game,” Tariq told reporters. “We have worked on our mistakes, so I think it will not be a tough task. “We have a resolve not to commit the same mistakes again.” Pakistan were criticised for asking India to bat then folding meekly for 114 in 18 overs chasing a stiff 176 target. “We can feel their (fans’) disappointment because the match is watched by the whole nation,” Tariq said. “S...

India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted on Saturday that no matter how much his team tried to prepare for Sunday’s T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan as “just another game”, it would be much more than that. “It’s a big platform, obviously,” Suryakumar told reporters in Colombo, venue for Sunday’s massive Group A showdown. “No matter how much you say that it’s just another game, it is a big game.” The biggest and most lucrative clash in world cricket has sold out the 35,000-capacity R Premadasa stadium with hundreds of millions more expected to watch on television. The game was only confirmed as going ahead late on Monday night after the government reversed its decision to boycott the blockbuster Group A game. “We don’t play them often, don’t even play them regularly,” said the Indian skipper. “But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple and try to execute our best game. “There is pressure, but there is a big opportunity,” said Suryakumar. “According to me, when you play an India-Pakistan game, i...

Prolific India opener Abhishek Sharma was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after being treated for an upset stomach, teammate Tilak Varma told reporters. The explosive left-hander is an integral part of India’s T20 World Cup title defence and is doubtful for the Group A fixture against Namibia on Thursday in New Delhi. “He has been discharged today and he is doing well,” Varma, an attacking batter, told reporters on the eve of the match at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. “We have got one more day for the game. Hopefully, we decide by tomorrow on how he feels and we’ll go with it.” The 25-year-old was admitted to a Delhi hospital on Tuesday with a stomach issue he had carried since their opening win on Saturday, an official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Abhishek was out for a duck in India’s win over the United States. India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is expected to return for the second group match after he missed the opener due to having a fever, Varma said. India will move on after the Namib...

South Africa prevailed in a double Super Over thriller as Afghanistan came up agonisingly short of a famous victory after their T20 World Cup clash ended in a tie on Wednesday. Afghanistan were 187 all out after South Africa scored 187-6 in Ahmedabad. The teams were tied again after a breathless first Super Over saw them both score 17, before South Africa won off the final ball of a heart-thumping second sudden-death showdown. After South Africa bludgeoned 23 from their second super over and Afghanistan lost a wicket off the second ball of theirs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was left needing four sixes off four balls for an unlikely victory. Gurbaz sensationally launched Keshav Maharaj into the crowd three times with some huge blows. A wide off the fifth ball meant Afghanistan still needed six to win but now a four would send it, incredibly, to a third Super Over. With nerves jangling and pulses racing, the left-arm spinner held his nerve to bowl a wide yorker that saw Gurbaz smack into the grateful hands of Davis Mil...