Cricket

“Whether Gautam Gambhir Becomes Coach Or Ashish Nehra…”: Ex-India Star’s Clear Message

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

File photo of Gautam Gambhir© AFP There has been a lot of speculation over the selection of Indian cricket team’s new head coach. Rahul Dravid’s tenure as coach will come to an end after the T20 World Cup 2024 and the BCCI have already started discussions with some potential candidates. Reports suggested that Gautam Gambhir was the front-runner for the job with Ashish Nehra also in the fray. As of now, it seems like the BCCI are keen of appointing an Indian coach and reports claimed that not many foreign coaches have applied for the position. Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that whoever becomes the next coach should work on bringing “everyone together” in the side. “If I say it properly, it is a speculation, which is doing rounds…the biggest thing a coach can do is to bring everyone together, so that team plays together. So, whether Gautam becomes coach or Ashish Nehra, or whosoever gets the opportunity, hope they do better than what others before them did,” he told PTI. Harbhajan ruled himself out of the head coach race stating that he has a young family and the appointment will be a huge commitment for him. “I don’t think I will be able to give that much time. At this stage of my life I have a young family and I need to be around them and look after them. Yes, when the right time comes, I will put my foot forward and say I am ready for it,” he said. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh opened up about missing out on T20 World Cup 2024 selection. “Yes, anyone feels a little bad if he is not selected despite good performance. However, this time I could not get selected due to the team combination. It is okay, one should not think too much about things that are not in one’s hands. Yes, I was a little upset in the beginning. Whatever happened is fine. Whatever happens happens for good. Rohit Bhaiya did not say anything special. He only said that just keep working hard. There is a World Cup again after two years. There is no need to worry too much. This is what he said to me,” Rinku said in an interview with Dainik Jagran. Topics mentioned in this article

Norway Chess: R Vaishali Outwits Pia Cramling, R Praggnanandhaa Loses To Hikaru Nakamura

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali continued her dream run to defeat veteran GM Pia Cramling of Sweden, while her brother R Praggnanandhaa went down fighting against Hikaru Nakamura of USA in the fourth round of the Norway chess tournament in Stavanger. Vaishali stretched her lead to 2.5 points following her second win under classical time control. The Indian now has 8.5 points in her kitty and is followed by women’s world champion Wenjun Ju of China and Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine. Muzychuk defeated Koneru Humpy for her first win in the tournament while Wenjun got through her compatriot Tingjie Lei in the Armageddon. With six rounds still remaining in the six-player double round-robin tournament, Lei stands fourth on five points, two points clear of Humpy and Cramling. In the men’s section, world number one Magnus Carlsen grinded down arch-rival Fabiano Caruana of United States on a day that witnessed all decisive games under classical time control. In the other game of the day, Firouzja Alireza of France put it across reigning world champion Ding Liren of China. The USD 1,61,000 prize money tournament has many more critical games to come but at the end of fourth round Nakamura has nosed ahead on seven points, enjoying a half point lead over Alireza. Carlsen is third with six points to his credit while Praggnanandhaa slipped to fourth position on 5.5 points. Caruana is a close fifth at this stage with five points while Liren is a distant last on just 2.5 points thus far. Vaishali won thanks to her perseverance out of a drawn rook and pawns endgame. Playing the black side of a Grunfeld defense, the Chennai-based GM had little trouble equalising and the players arrived at a heavy piece endgame in almost no time. Cramling had to solve her pawn structure problem a bit and this is where Vaishali thought she had a chance. The game was still within the boundaries of a draw when Cramling blundered and found herself staring at a lost rook and pawns endgame. The game lasted 54 moves. Humpy lost to Muzychuk in what was a similar story. The rook and pawns endgame should have been a draw but a blunder by Humpy towards the end sealed the fate of the game in Muzychuk’s favour. This was Muzychuk’s first victory in Classical chess in almost seven months. In the men’s section, Nakamura capitalised on some unforced errors from Praggnanandhaa. The Nimzo Indian defense by the Indian resulted in a dynamic balance but Praggnanandhaa got too optimistic in the resulting middle game and sacrificed a knight. The compensation, however, was not enough and Nakamura converted his extra material into a full point after 86 moves. Carlsen defeated Caruana out of a Queen and pawns endgame. Outplaying his opponent from a balanced position has long been a hallmark of Carlsen and this day was no different as he won thanks to a blunder by Caruana in the final part of the game. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Ireland vs Sri Lanka Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds

Vann Hiso5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Get to Know Who will win IRE vs SL, T20 World Cup Warm Up match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, CBTFJSK Tips, Pitch Report Prediction, Betting Rates, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Ireland vs Sri Lanka𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : May 31, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 20:00 IST / 14:30 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Central Broward Stadium – Lauderhill, United States 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : T20 World Cup 2024 Ireland vs Sri Lanka Betting Tips The top batter for Ireland will be Andrew Balbirne who has a strike rate of 124 and he has accumulated 2370 runs in international T20s. In bowling, top bowler for Ireland will be pacer Mark Adair who has taken 119 wickets at an impressive strike rate of 14.96.In the Sri Lankan side, the top batter will be Kusal Mendis who has more than 1500 runs in the T20Is at a strike rate of 135. And in the bowling we back Dilshan Madushanka to be the top bowler. The left arm pacer has 14 wickets in 14 matches at a strike rate of 19.Kusal Mendis is about to reach 4000 runs in the T20s and he is a good batter in the white-ball matches. Kusal Mendis will score over 31 runs in this match. Ireland vs Sri Lanka TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. Ireland vs Sri Lanka Match Prediction & Betting Tips, T20 World Cup Warm Up 2024The 13th warm up match of the T20 World Cup 2024 will take place between Ireland and Sri Lanka. The match is scheduled to take place at Central Broward Park Stadium in Florida on 31st May 2024, starting at 8:00 PM IST. Sri Lanka lost their first warm up match against Netherlands by just 20 runs and they need to win this game to bring back the confidence. Ireland, on the other hand, will be playing its first warm up game of this World Cup. Wanindu Hasaranga is leading the Sri Lankan side and Ireland will be led by Paul Stirling. Take a look at the detailed predictions for the 13th warm up match between Ireland and Sri Lanka. Ireland vs Sri Lanka, Central Broward Stadium, Florida Pitch ReportIn the first match here we saw a good amount of runs from Netherlands but as the game proceeded the dutch spinners went heavy on the Sri Lankan batting line-up. The average innings score will be around 168 and the toss winner is likely to bat first as the ball grips more in the second half. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Ireland vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup Warm Up Match 2024

Scotland vs Afghanistan Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds

Vann Hiso5 months ago5 months ago05 mins

Get to Know Who will win SCO vs AFG, T20 World Cup Warm Up match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, CBTFJSK Tips, Pitch Report Prediction, Betting Rates, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Scotland vs Afghanistan𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : May 31, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 20:00 IST / 14:30 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Queens Park Oval – Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : T20 World Cup 2024 Scotland vs Afghanistan Betting Tips The top batter from Scotland will be George Munsey who has an impressive strike rate of 143.66 in the T20 internationals. For bowling, we back Jack Jarvis to be the top bowler. He picked 2 wickets in the last game and has a strike rate of 9.43.For Afghanistan, the top batter will be Ibrahim Zadran. He has an average of 29.13 in the T20Is and was Afghanistan’s top batter in the ODI World Cup as well. In bowling, we back Rashid Khan to pick wickets in this match. He went wicket-less in the last match but on this track he can make a difference.Rashid Khan has been a terrific spinner in the past few years and the team will ride on his talent in this T20 World Cup as well. We back him to take over 2.5 wickets in this match. Scotland vs Afghanistan TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. Scotland vs Afghanistan Match Prediction & Betting Tips, T20 World Cup Warm Up 2024Scotland and Afghanistan will go head to head in the 14th warm up match of the T20 World Cup 2024. The match is set to take place at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad on 31st May, starting at 8:00 PM IST. Both the teams will be playing their second warm-up and both of the previous matches ended in no-result. Scotland will be led by Richie Berrington and star spin bowler Rashid Khan will captain the Afghanistan side. Scotland was able to display their brilliant bowling attack against Uganda before rain disrupted the game. Take a look at the detailed predictions of the 14th warm up match between Scotland and Afghanistan. Scotland vs Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad Pitch ReportIn the last game at this venue, we saw 250+ score by West Indies which shows there is some good assistance for the batters. We can expect plenty of runs in the next match as well. In bowling, both pacers and spinners are able to pick wickets but at the cost of high economy. The average innings score is around 180 and the toss winner is likely to bat first. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Scotland vs Afghanistan, T20 World Cup Warm Up Match 2024

T20 World Cup 2024: Where to Watch India vs Bangladesh warm-up Match

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

India and Bangladesh will lock horns with each other in the warm-up game of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Saturday, June 1 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York. The game will serve as the preparation for the T20 extravaganza for both teams who will look to get used to the conditions before the main event begins. India arrived in the USA on May 26 and got engaged in a few practice sessions ahead of the encounter to get themselves ready for the competition. All the members of the Indian squad have arrived in the country barring star batter Virat Kohli who will link up with the team soon ahead of the fixture. However, his participation in the game is still under question. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s first warm-up game against the US got washed out. However, they haven’t had a memorable time heading into the event having faced an embarrassing 1-2 loss in the T20I series against the US who beat a full-member nation for the first time in their cricketing history. Despite the game being a warm-up fixture, the contest promises to be a mouth-watering affair given the recent battles between the two sides. Notably, India and Bangladesh share a great rivalry in the cricketing world having contested in some of the memorable encounters over the years. The Men in Blue have an upper hand over the Bangla Tigers, having beaten them on 12 occasions out of the 13 matches played between the two teams. Despite the results ending heavily in favour of India historically, the two teams have been in involved in numerous close encounters in recent times. The most memorable one being the 2016 T20 World Cup fixture where India beat Bangladesh by one run in a thrilling finish. The previous edition of the tournament also witnessed a thrilling game between the two teams as India narrowly managed to beat Bangladesh in a rain-marred encounter. Hence, fans will be eagerly anticipating another close fixture between the two sides to prepare them well for the World Cup. Hence, fans are expected to stay glued to their television or other devices to witness the epic encounter. When to watch live streaming of ICC T20 World Cup 2024 matches? The India vs Bangladesh warm-up game of the T20 World Cup 2024 will begin at 8:00 PM (IST) on Saturday, June 1. Where to watch live streaming of India vs Bangladesh warm-up match? Star Sports Network has the telecasting rights for the entire T20 World Cup 2024 and hence will be telecasting the game. On the other hand, live streaming of the match will be available on Disney+Hotstar. Published By: Rishabh Beniwal Published On: May 31, 2024

WI vs Aus T20 World Cup warm-up: Pooran, Powell make fifties as WEst Indies hammer nine-man Australia

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

West Indian players celebrate after winning the warm-up match against Australia in Port of Spain. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Fifties by Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell helped West Indies outpunch a nine-man Australia by 35 runs in their warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup in Port of Spain. As it happened in their first training match against Namibia, the Aussies fielded only nine players against the Windies. Selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald filled the remaining two spots while fielding. Batting first, West Indies rode on fifties by Pooran (75, 25b, 5×4, 8×6), skipper Powell (52, 25b, 4×4, 4×6) and an unbeaten 47 off 18 balls by Sherfane Rutherford (4×4, 4×6) to raise 257 for 4 in 20 overs. In reply, Josh Inglis (55, 30b, 3×4, 4×6) led Australia’s reply and there were a 39 (22b, 4×4, 2×6) by Ellis and numerous 20s as Australia finished at 222 for seven. Earlier, Australia had Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis and Ashton Agar as bowlers, and all went for plenty. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh, recuperating from an injury, refrained from bowling, though he later batted. West Indies innings was built around fine partnerships between Pooran and Johnson Charles (40), who milked 90 runs for the second wicket and a 63 for the unbroken fifth wicket between Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer (18). The absence of skipper Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green and Travis Head was felt as they are yet to join the squad. They are spending a few extra days at home after a taxing campaign in the recently concluded IPL. Namibia beat PNG Namibia defeated Papua New Guinea by three runs under the DLS method. Batting first, PNG were restricted to 109 for seven in 20 overs, and Namibia were 93 for six in 16.5 overs when the skies opened up in Tarouba. But they were three runs ahead in the DLS calculations at that stage. At Dallas, the match between the Netherlands and Canada was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Brief scores West Indies: 257/4 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 75, Rovman Powell 52; Sherfane Rutherford 47 not out; Adam Zampa 2/62) beat Australia: 222/7 in 20 overs (Josh Inglis 55, Nathan Ellis 39; Gudakesh Motie 2/31) by 35 runs. Papua New Guinea: 109/7 in 20 overs (See Bau 29; David Wiese 2/8, Ruben Trumplemann 2/15) lost to Namibia: 93/6 in 16.5 overs (Jan Frylinck 36, JP Kotze 30; Alei Nao 2/9, Assad Vala 2/14) by 3 runs (DLS).

Legends of T20 World Cup: Leading Wicket-takers, six-hitters and keepers with most dismissals

Danijones5 months ago07 mins

Known for his lightning-fast glovework and sharp cricketing mind, M.S. Dhoni holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20 World Cups. The legendary former India skipper effected 32 dismissals, which included 21 catches and 11 stumpings in 33 appearances. | Photo Credit: Reuters With the T20 World Cup entering its ninth edition, PTI gives a rundown on the top wicket-takers, batsmen with the most sixes and wicket-keepers with the most dismissals. Batters with most sixes 1. Chris Gayle: 63 The ‘Universe Boss’ is known for his raw power, which allows him to hit massive sixes effortlessly. With the help of his immense strength, the flamboyant Jamaican sent the ball sailing deep into the stands 63 times in the T20 World Cups. He also holds the record for hitting the most sixes in an innings — 11 against England in Mumbai. 2. Rohit Sharma: 35 The ‘Hitman’ is one of the most prolific six-hitters in T20 cricket, and his performance in T20 World Cups is a testament to his batting prowess. The Indian skipper, who has featured in all eight editions of the tournament, has launched the ball over the boundary rope 35 times in 36 innings. 3. Jos Buttler: 33 Buttler’s ability to clear the boundary has been a crucial aspect of his game and has played a significant role in England’s T20 World Cup campaigns. In 27 matches, he has cleared the boundary rope 33 times. 4. Yuvraj Singh: 33 A discussion about sixes in a T20 World Cup can never be complete without bringing up Yuvraj. He produced one of the most memorable moments in the history of the tournament when he smacked Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over to set Durban on fire in the first-ever T20 World Cup. Across the six editions of the tournament, Yuvraj tonked 33 maximums. 5. Shane Watson: 31 Australian all-rounder Watson was a dangerous striker of the ball, especially in T20s. He hit 31 maximums across six editions of the marquee event. Leading wicket-takers 1. Shakib Al Hasan: 47 wickets A versatile all-rounder and Bangladesh’s most successful bowler in T20 World Cups, Shakib has played all eight editions of the tournament, claiming 47 scalps in 35 innings with his left-arm spin. 2.Shahid Afridi: 39 wickets Known for his aggressive leg-spin and match-winning performances, Afridi had a knack for taking crucial wickets. The Pakistan all-rounder has taken 39 wickets across 34 T20 WC matches. 3. Lasith Malinga: 38 wickets Malinga has been a formidable force in T20 World Cups, known for his unique sling action and deadly yorkers. The Sri Lankan, who had the ability to deliver under pressure, snared 38 wickets in 31 games. 4. Saeed Ajmal: 36 wickets Ajmal’s mastery of spin, especially his doosra, troubled many top batters in T20 World Cups. His impressive tally of 36 wickets in 23 matches has been crucial for Pakistan’s success in the tournament. 5. Ajantha Mendis: 35 wickets Mendis, with his mystery spin, has been a significant wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in T20 WCs. His ability to dominate batters made him one of the standout bowlers in the tournament’s history. He picked up 35 wickets in 21 games. Most dismissals by wicket-keepers 1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni: 32 Known for his lightning-fast glovework and sharp cricketing mind, Dhoni holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20 World Cups. The legendary former India skipper effected 32 dismissals, which included 21 catches and 11 stumpings in 33 appearances. 2. Kamran Akmal: 30 Akmal, with his agility and quick reflexes, has been a key wicketkeeper for Pakistan. He has an impressive tally of 18 stumpings and 12 catches in 30 matches. 3. Denesh Ramdin: 27 Ramdin’s contributions were significant in supporting the West Indies’ bowling attack, particularly with his quick stumpings off the spinners. In 29 appearances, he has 18 catches and 9 stumpings for a tally of 27 dismissals. 4. Kumar Sangakkara: 26 Sangakkara was exceptional behind the wicket. His ability to effect stumpings and catches with ease made him a significant asset for Sri Lanka. He had 12 catches and 14 stumpings in 31 games. 5. Quinton de Kock: 22 With 22 dismissals from 18 games (17 catches and 5 stumpings), De Kock rounds up the top five. A seasoned wicketkeeper, the South African’s quick stumpings and reliable catching have often provided vital breakthroughs for the Proteas.

R Praggnanandhaa: R Praggnanandhaa loses to Hikaru Nakamura after defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, R Vaishali leads in Norway Chess tournament | Chess News

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: The Norway chess tournament witnessed significant shifts in standings after the fourth round, with Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali continuing her impressive run and her brother R Praggnanandhaa facing a setback.Vaishali extended her lead in the tournament, reaching 8.5 points after defeating veteran Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling. This victory, her second consecutive win in classical time control, solidifies her position at the top of the leaderboard.Trailing Vaishali are Women’s World Champion Wenjun Ju of China and Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine, both with 6.5 points. Muzychuk secured her first victory of the tournament against Koneru Humpy, while Wenjun emerged victorious against her compatriot Tingjie Lei after a tiebreak.In the men’s section, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen secured a crucial victory against his long-time rival Fabiano Caruana. French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja also scored a significant win against reigning World Champion Ding Liren. Hikaru Nakamura of the USA currently leads the men’s section with 7 points, followed by Alireza with 6.5 points. Carlsen sits in third place with 6 points, while Praggnanandhaa, after his loss to Nakamura, holds the fourth position with 5.5 points. Vaishali’s victory was a testament to her resilience. Despite a drawn rook and pawns endgame, she capitalized on a critical blunder by Cramling to secure the win. Similarly, Muzychuk’s victory over Humpy also stemmed from a decisive error by Humpy in a drawn rook and pawns endgame.Praggnanandhaa’s loss to Nakamura was characterized by a series of unforced errors. Despite achieving a dynamic balance in the middle game, Praggnanandhaa’s over-optimistic knight sacrifice backfired, allowing Nakamura to capitalize on his material advantage and secure the win.The tournament, with a prize purse of USD 1,61,000, is far from over, with six rounds remaining in the double round-robin format. The upcoming rounds promise to be crucial for all players as they vie for the top spot.Men: Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 7) beat R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 5.5) 3-0; Fabiano Caruana (USA, 5) lost to Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 6) 0-3; Firouzja Alireza (Fra, 6.5) beat Ding Liren (Chn, 2.5) 3-0.Women: Pia Cramling (Swe, 3) lost to R Vaishali (Ind, 8.5); Tingjie Lei (Chn, 5) lost to Wenjun Ju (Chn, 6); Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 6) beat Koneru Humpy (Ind, 3).(Inputs from PTI)

Watch: Who could end up as the leading run-getter and wicket-taker in T20 World Cup – experts reveal their picks | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

The ninth edition of the men’s T20 World Cup is less than 48 hours away and as the excitement around the tournament approaches crescendo, experts and former cricketers have been making their predictions.In a video posted by Star Sports today, the team of commentators on the panel of tournament’s official broadcaster revealed their picks for the player most likely to end up as the tournament’s top run-getter and top wicket-taker. ALSO SEE: T20 World Cup Schedule While Virat Kohli emerged as the popular choice to score the most runs, the former India captain’s teammate Jasprit Bumrah was predicted to take most wickets. WATCH VIDEO EXPERTS’ CHOICE FOR TOP RUN-SCORERSunil Gavaskar: Travis Head (Australia)Brian Lara: Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)Matthew Hayden: Virat Kohli (India)Ambati Rayudu: Rohit Sharma (India)Paul Collingwood: Jos Buttler (England)Chris Morris: Quinton de Kock (South Africa)Aaron Finch: David Warner (Australia)Mohammad Kaif: Virat Kohli (India)S Sreesanth: Virat Kohli or Yashasvi Jaiswal (India) EXPERTS’ CHOICE FOR TOP WICKET-TAKERPaul Collingwood: Jasprit Bumrah (India)S Sreesanth: Yuzvendra Chahal (India) Matthew Hayden: Kuldeep Yadav (India)Aaron Finch: Mitchell Starc (Australia)Mohammad Kaif: Jasprit Bumrah (India)The T20 World Cup begins on June 2 with the match between co-hosts USA and their neighbours Canada. The final will be played on June 29 in Barbados, as the Caribbean islands join the US in hosting the tournament. India will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York, followed by the big game against archrivals Pakistan at the same venue on June 9. Canada and USA are the other two teams in India’s group.

Brutal! Mark Wood’s mean, unplayable bouncer to Azam Khan leaves interet wowed. Watch | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: England speedster Mark Wood produced an absolute snorter to leave clueless Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan taking evasive action during the fourth T20I at the Oval on Thursday.Wood’s 88.4mph rocket stunned Azam along with the commentators and the fans as the dream ball from the paceman left the batter ducking for cover.The jaffa from Wood came in the 11th over of the Pakistan innings as it caught Azam totally by surprise. As Wood dug in a quick, mean bouncer, angled in from back of length, it rose sharply and hurried onto the batter. Azam, who was on zero, could do nothing and tried to get out of the way of the ball coming straight at his face. In doing so, Azam found himself all over the place as the ball kissed his glove and then looped off the shoulder straight to England ‘keeper Jos Buttler. The unplayable delivery from Wood sent Azam packing for a five-ball duck. In the match, after restricting Pakistan to 157 all out, England powered to the target with 27 balls remaining as Buttler & Co head into the defense of its T20 World Cup title on the back of a 2-0 series victory over Pakistan.