T20 cricket | DD News

March 6, 2026 12:01 PM

T20 World Cup: Axar Patel’s semi-final masterclass helps India move past fielding woes

India put some forgettable fielding moments from this year's Twenty20 World Cup in the rear-view mirror during their semi-final win over England on Thursday, as Axar Patel's inspired display reminded his teammates of their quality. The defending champions had dropped 13 catches heading into the match at the Wankhede Stadium - the most by any side in this year's tournament - but Axar single-handedly raised the level and shifted the momentum in their seven-run win. Axar's first magical moment ca...

March 6, 2026 12:02 PM

Brendon McCullum keen to stay on as England coach despite challenges

England head coach Brendon McCullum said he intends to continue in the role despite his side’s exit from the Twenty20 World Cup following a seven‑run defeat to holders India in Mumbai on Thursday. McCullum, 44, took charge of England’s test setup in 2022 and added the white‑ball responsibilities in January 2025 under a contract running through 2027. His tenure has included a difficult stretch, notably a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia that prompted the England and Wales Cricket Board (EC...

March 6, 2026 9:42 AM

Sanju Samson credits years of hard work after powering India into T20 World Cup final

India opener Sanju Samson said his knock against England on Thursday was the product of years of quiet work and difficult stretches, adding that the job remained unfinished as India look to secure back-to-back Twenty20 World Cup titles. Samson's 89 anchored India's total of 253-7 and laid the foundation for a tense seven-run semi-final win at the Wankhede Stadium. England, carried by Jacob Bethell's outstanding hundred, fell just short in one of the closest matches of the tournament. "I have b...

March 6, 2026 9:41 AM

Afghanistan sack T20 captain Rashid Khan after World Cup exit

Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan was sacked as their Twenty20 captain on Thursday following their group-stage exit from the ongoing 20-overs World Cup. Under Rashid, Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2024 edition of the global showpiece but they could not make the Super-Eights stage at this year's World Cup. Opener Ibrahim Zadran will lead Afghanistan in their three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka beginning in Sharjah on March 13, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a st...

March 5, 2026 3:56 PM

South Africa won’t dwell on T20 World Cup exit: Skipper Aiden Markram

Given their form going into Wednesday's T20 World Cup semi-final, South Africa expected to compete better against New Zealand but are philosophical about their nine-wicket defeat in a format where momentum can swing quickly. South Africa had won all seven of their games going into the last-four clash, with five of those wins coming in Ahmedabad, but stumbled when faced with a different set of conditions in Kolkata, where the ball did not come onto the bat as smoothly. They set New Zealand a be...

March 5, 2026 10:04 AM

India need cool heads to cope with England power game in semi-final: Morne Morkel

India will need to play with clarity and calmness to combat England's deep and powerful batting line-up in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium, the hosts' bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Wednesday. India, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title, meet two-time champions England in the last four for the third straight tournament, with each team winning one of the previous games. "We haven't really spoken about the perfect game. The...

March 5, 2026 10:04 AM

T20 World Cup: England have belief and skills to take down India, says Harry Brook

England are drawing confidence from a run of tight victories ahead of their Twenty20 World Cup semi-final against India, captain Harry Brook said, adding that his team's resilience would be a key factor on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium. England's route to the last four has not all been smooth sailing, with the two-time champions advancing after wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand, against whom they needed 43 runs off the final 18 balls to get over the line. "We've won tight games,...

March 5, 2026 10:01 AM

New Zealand defeat was a ‘walloping’ not a ‘choke’: South Africa coach Shukri Conrad

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad denied they "choked" in their Twenty20 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, preferring to call their nine-wicket defeat a sound "walloping" at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The 2024 runners-up went into the match as the only unbeaten team in this year's tournament, whose seven wins in a row included a seven-wicket thrashing of New Zealand in a group match. New Zealand, however, turned the tables in spectacular fashion with Finn Allen smashing an unbeaten...

March 5, 2026 10:07 AM

Finn Allen hundred blitzes South Africa, fires NZ into T20 World Cup final

It needed something special to end South Africa's unbeaten run in the Twenty20 World Cup and New Zealand opener Finn Allen produced exactly that, the fastest hundred in the tournament's history, to propel his team into the final at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. South Africa strung together seven wins in a row to march into the semi-final against a New Zealand side they had blown away in a group stage match earlier in the tournament. The 2024 runners-up had snatched the favourite's tag from de...

March 3, 2026 11:37 AM

T20 World Cup 1st semifinal: South Africa juggernaut faces knockout test against New Zealand

South Africa have hardly put a foot wrong in their march to the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals, but complacency can have no place against a New Zealand side famed for punching above their weight when the teams meet at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The Proteas are the tournament's only unbeaten side and look a far more rounded T20 unit than the one that fell at the last hurdle in 2024. They beat New Zealand in the group stage and have earned the favourites' tag that rested with defending champions ...