T20 World Cup | DD News

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 ...

March 3, 2026 11:35 AM

West Indies, Zimbabwe unable to return from India due to Middle East airspace closures

The West Indies and Zimbabwe teams said on Monday they have delayed their return from India after their exit from the Twenty20 World Cup due to international airspace closures amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. West Indies failed to reach the semi-finals after Sunday's five-wicket loss to hosts India, while Zimbabwe were eliminated after losing all three of their Super Eights matches. However, neither team could travel back as thousands of flights were cancelled in countries across the ...

March 3, 2026 11:33 AM

Team India coach Gautam Gambhir hails Sanju Samson’s match-winning knock

Sanju Samson delivered under pressure when it mattered most, coach Gautam Gambhir said, praising the wicket-keeper batter for his pivotal role in securing India's semi-final spot in the Twenty20 World Cup. Samson's unbeaten knock of 97 guided India to a crucial chase of 196 against the West Indies, sealing victory with four balls to spare in a must-win game on Sunday. "He's a world-class player, we all know how good a player Sanju is," Gambhir told reporters after the game. "It was all about ...