Pakistan

“You Fooled Public, Got Friends Into The Team”: Ahmed Shehzad Blasts Babar Azam In Fiery Rant

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is critics’ favourite target at the moment. With his team losing the first two matches of the T20 World Cup 2024, to the USA and India respectively, Babar’s been the focal point of criticism coming from former cricketers, fans, and pundits. Even Ahmed Shehzad, an active Pakistani cricketer, tore into Babar and shredded his reputation on a television channel in Pakistan. Shehzad shed light on Babar’s poor statistics in big competitions and suggested that the Pakistan skipper averages only 27 in T20I cricket when it comes to big events. In a fiery rant on live television, Shehzad said that Pakistan have been losing to mediocre sides under Babar’s captaincy, and even also been losing to top teams’ B, C and D squads. “Jab se Babar Azam captain hain, hum bohot mediocre, sorry for using this word, teams se haar rahe hain (ever since Babar became captain, we have been losing to mediocre teams),” said. Ahmed Shehzad, “Jab ap har jaye to Babar Azam bed se chalang marne lage the, Shadab ne 4 din se roti nhi khayi. pic.twitter.com/bcCAi5LCDH — (@CallMeSheri1) June 10, 2024 Ahmed Shehzad on a TV show, in a video that has gone viral. “The kind of progress that was going on, these things were on the cards and bound to happen some day.” Shehzad feels Pakistan’s veteran players should’ve stepped up and taken responsibility of the team’s chase of 120 runs against India but they failed to do so. “There are players who are taking care of the team for the last 4-5 years, who take all the decisions. So wasn’t it their duty to take the responsibility of ensuring that the team chases down 120 to win such an important match against India?” Shehzad asked. “Aapne B, C, D teams ke khilaaf perform kar ke logon ko hallucinate kiya hai aur pagal banaya hai (you guys have performed against B, C, D teams and fooled the people),” Shehzad accused the team and further said: “Your salaries were hiked, PCB paid you to evolve yourself and your cricket…” Ahmed Shehzad, “King ka mai kya kro jisne mujhe match hi jeetwa ke nhi dena.” pic.twitter.com/kEYeuH8Nhj — (@CallMeSheri1) June 10, 2024 The discarded Pakistani batter claimed that 1400 of Babar’s runs in T20Is have come in the losing cause, which puts him at No. 3 spot in such a list. “Your (Babar) scores in big competitions…your average is 27 and strike rate is 112. And 1400 of your runs have come in a losing cause, which is at No. 3 in the world in that list. So these stats are of which king, tell me that? What should I do with this king who can’t win us the match?” said Shehzad. To conclude, Shehzad alleged that Babar got his friends into the team and fooled the entire public. “You have fooled the entire public. Aap apne dosto ke saath team bana rahe hain, dosto ko team ke andar rakh rahe hain (you are making a team with your friends, keeping your friends in the team),” said Shehzad. Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan ‘Horrible’: Waqar Younis Rips Into Team After Letting Off India To Lose In T20 World Cup Thriller

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Indian bowlers, led by an outstanding Jasprit Bumrah, snatched victory from the jaw of defeat against Pakistan. Chasing 120, Pakistan were 57/1 at the halfway stage before managing only 113/7 in 20 overs. Pakistan, who can oscillate between the sublime and ridiculous, seemed to have the game in the bag needing 48 runs off as many balls with eight wickets in hand. However, the pace combination of the ever-effective Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) brought India back from the dead with incisive spells that saw Pakistan lose wickets in a heap to end at 113 for seven in 20 overs. Pakistan great Waqar Younis blasted his team after the loss. “India is such a good balanced side. If they don’t bat well, they know they have got Bumrah, they have got Siraj, they have got Jadeja. They have got their bowling also really really covered and fielding also. They are a super team. And Pakistan if you can’t win this game, then what should I say? This was in the plate given to you and you really spilled it,” Waqar Younis said on Star Sports. “It was a horrible performance from the Pakistani batters. There were few partnerships in the beginning, but could not really finish the game. The had the game was in the hand. It was run-a-ball. That shot from Rizwan was a very ordinary shot. And when his wicket went down, I knew it. I knew something very special gonna happen because we know capabilities of Bumrah and Siraj. And Hardik Pandya also bowled really good deliveries. It was more brilliance of India’s bowling than Pakistan’s poor batting.” Jasprit Bumrah showed why he’s one of the best bowlers in the world through his sensational spell of 3-14, including 15 dot balls, as India successfully defended 119 to beat Pakistan by six runs in a highly-anticipated Men’s T20 World Cup match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. After fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf took identical figures of 3-21 as Pakistan bowled out India for just 119 in 19 overs, with Rishabh Pant top-scoring via 42 off 31 balls, India clawed their way back in, thanks to Bumrah’s heroic spell, starting from him taking out Mohammad Rizwan. He also got excellent support from Hardik Pandya, who took 2-6 from two overs after conceding 18 in his first two overs. Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took a wicket each to ensure Pakistan, who were 80/3 at one point, were restricted to 113/7, as India successfully defended their lowest total ever in T20Is in a remarkable low-scoring heist. With IANS and PTI inputs Topics mentioned in this article

“India Did Us A Favour”: Ex-PCB Chief’s Tears Into Pakistan, Says ‘Why Did You Let It Slip’

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

Pakistan squandered a golden opportunity to boost their T20 World Cup Super 8 chances, going down at the expense of arch-rivals India last week in New York. After bowling India out for a paltry total of 119, the Babar Azam-led side failed to take advantage of it. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya shared five wickets between them to restrict Pakistan to 113/6 in 20 overs, helping India put one foot in the next round of the tournament. While analysing the match, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja said India did Babar and co. “a favour by playing poorly”. Ramiz expressed his frustration over the fact that Pakistan failed to chase down a small total. “India did them a favour by playing poorly. Actually because they were playing like mavericks, otherwise they would have easily gotten to 140-150, which would have been beyond Pakistan. But because of their faulty shot-making and some good bowling, Pakistan came back into the game,” Ramiz told Cricbuzz in an interview. Ramiz also criticised wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for throwing away his wicket at a crucial juncture, especially when Pakistan were in control of the chase. For the record, Bumrah went through his defense after Rizwan tried to play a non-chalant pull over midwicket. Ramiz felt that Rizwan could’ve easily seen the game off and said that there was no need for him to play that shot. “Because Rizwan was the last man standing for Pakistan. You see, the thing that frustrates me is that when you’re chasing 120, even on a tricky pitch, even against a good bowling attack like India’s, all you need is one solid partnership. That’s it. No heroics were needed, no fours or sixes. You were going at six an over. Why did you let it slip? That’s got to do with temperament,” he added. Pakistan now face a must-win situation in their next game against Ireland as a defeat would put an end to their campaign in the group stage. India, on the other hand, need a win against USA to secure their passage into the next round. Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan vs Canada Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds – T20 World Cup 2024

Vann Hiso8 months ago8 months ago04 mins

Get to Know Who will win PAK vs CAN T20 World Cup 2024 match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, CBTFJSK Tips, Betting Rates, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Pakistan vs Canada𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : Jun 11, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 20:00 IST / 14:30 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Nassau County Int. Stadium – East Meadow, United States 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : T20 World Cup 2024 Pakistan vs Canada Betting Tips The top batter from Pakistan will be Mohammad Rizwan who scored 31 runs on a difficult pitch in the last match where other batters could not cross over 15. In bowling, the top player will be Haris Rauf. He has picked 4 wickets at strike rate of just 10.5.For Canada, the top batter will be Nicholas Kirton who has reached 100 runs in 2 matches at a strike rate of 150+. Dillon Heyliger will be the top bowler as he has taken 3 wickets at an average of just 12.33.We back Rizwan to play another mature knock on this pitch. Rizwan will score over 24.5 runs in this match. Pakistan vs Canada 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. PAK vs CAN Match Prediction & Betting Tips, T20 World Cup 2024 After 2 back to back disappointing defeats, Pakistan will take on Canada in the 22nd match of the T20 World Cup 2024. The match is scheduled to take place at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on 11th June 2024, starting at 8:00 PM IST. Pakistan are struggling at the 4th position on the Group A table with 2 losses. Canada, on the other hand, are at the 3rd spot with 1 win in 2 fixtures which came against Ireland in the last match. PAK and CAN will be facing each for the first time after 2008. Take a look at the detailed predictions for the PAK vs CAN match of the T20 World Cup 2024. PAK vs CAN Match Toss PredictionMost captains have opted for bowling first on this track as getting a total in mind works well for the chasing team on this difficult pitch. The toss winner is likely to choose to bowl first. PAK vs CAN Pitch ReportThe pitch at Nassau County Ground offers a bowling track with a lot of help for the pacers as there is a good amount of seam and swing movement which becomes a nightmare for the batters. The average innings score is around 110. New York Weather ReportThe weather report shows partly cloudy weather in New York on Tuesday. The temperature will hover around 19-22°C and there will be slight chances of showers. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Pakistan vs Canada, T20 World Cup 2024

IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2024: Jasprit Bumrah Shines As India Pip Pakistan In Low-Scoring Thriller

Danijones8 months ago08 mins

The latest chapter of the “greatest rivalry” wasn’t high on quality but still provided edge of the seat action as a gritty India, guided by the redoubtable Jasprit Bumrah, went past an imploding Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring T20 World Cup contest in New York on Sunday. The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a mid-innings collapse on a two-paced track to be all out for an underwhelming 119 in 19 overs despite a gutsy effort from Rishabh Pant (42 off 31 balls) after being put in to bat under overcast conditions. Pakistan, who can oscillate between the sublime and ridiculous, seemed to have the game in the bag needing 48 runs off as many balls with eight wickets in hand. However, the pace combination of the ever-effective Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) brought India back from the dead with incisive spells that saw Pakistan lose wickets in a heap to end at 113 for seven in 20 overs. The equation came down to 18 off the last six balls and Arshdeep Singh held his nerve to defend it and ensure another famous win for India over Pakistan on the world stage. While Hardik used the short ball well, Bumrah got rid of a well-set Rizwan in the 15th over before dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed in the 19th over that went for just three runs. Having said that, India made plenty of errors in the game including the dropped catches of Rizwan (31 off 34) and Babar Azam (13 off 10) early in the Pakistan chase. It was India’s second win in as many games while Pakistan succumbed to another loss after a shock defeat against the USA in their opener. Earlier, India’s new number three Pant rode his luck en route a chancy knock but other batters in the star-studded line-up could not apply themselves on a challenging surface. Pakistan dismissed India with an over to spare courtesy an all-round bowling effort with Naseem Shah (3/21) and Mohammed Amir (2/23) being the most impressive. India lost seven wickets for just 28 runs after being 89 for three in the 12th over. Intermittent rain delayed the toss and subsequently the start of the game by 50 minutes. Under overcast skies, Babar expectedly put the opposition India in to bat. After the opening over from Shaheen Afrdi, in which Rohit played a sublime pick up shot for six over deep square leg, rain returned to halt the game gain by roughly 30 minutes. Virat Kohli (4 off 3), who has an exemplary record against Pakistan, hit a glorious cover drive off Naseem Shah on the first ball of his innings post the resumption before getting caught at point off a wide and short ball two balls later. Pakistan had India under the pump when Rohit (13 off 12) departed in the following over by Afridi. The India captain went for another pick up shot but this time mistimed it to be holed out at deep square leg. The drop-in pitch, which made headlines for the wrong reasons prior to the game, had enough for pacers as well as the spinners but there was not as much uneven bounce as seen in the previous games. With India feeling the heat at 19 for two, they decided to promote Axar Patel (20 off 18) to number four to shield Suryakumar Yadav, a surprising move considering India bat deep. However, to Axar’s credit, the southpaw did play some bold strokes, including a six over third man off Afridi, in his brief stay. New number three Pant and Axar shared a 39-run stand off 30 balls to ensure the runs kept coming after the loss of openers. Pant, who got two streaky fours off Mohammad Amir at the start of his innings, rode his luck to a play pivotal knock. The gutsy left-hander was also dropped on eight before he gained in confidence to come up with a series of fearless fours. Three of them came in the opening over from Haris Rauf before he unleashed the reverse slap off spinner Imad Wasim. A 31-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav (7 off 8) took India to a promising 81 for three in the 10 overs. However, Pakistan fought back between overs 11-15 with as many as four wickets while conceding only 15 runs to leave India struggling at 96 for seven. Dube’s was a rather soft dismissal as he hit one straight back to Shah while Suryakumar tried to dispatch Rauf through the line but was caught at mid-off. Seeing the wickets fall at the other end, Pant did not hold back and went for a straight aerial drive to give Amir his first wicket. He got rid of Ravindra Jadeja the next ball through a regulation catch at cover. Hardik (7 off 12) had to bat around the tail but he did not last long. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

India vs Pakistan Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds – T20 World Cup 2024

Vann Hiso8 months ago8 months ago06 mins

Get to Know Who will win IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2024 match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, CBTFJSK Tips, Dream11 Prediction, Betting Rates, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : India vs Pakistan𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : Jun 09, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 20:00 IST / 14:30 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Nassau County Int. Stadium – East Meadow, United States 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : T20 World Cup 2024 India vs Pakistan Betting Tips Virat Kohli has a great record against Pakistan and he is the team’s best bet to score runs on a tough pitch. Back him as India top batter. Jasprit Bumrah is a world class bowler and is likely to create a lot of problems for the Pakistan batters. Back him as top bowler.Babar Azam needs to stand up for Pakistan in the big challenge against India. He is the team’s captain and best batter and a lot rests on him. Back him as top batter. With the ball, Shaheen Afridi could create a lot of problems for the Indian batters and he is our top choice for the best bowler.The wicket will be helpful for bowlers and we feel that plenty of wickets will fall on the day. Back Pakistan to lose more than 6.5 wickets in their innings. India vs Pakistan 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. India vs Pakistan Match Prediction & Betting Tips, T20 World Cup 2024 India will take on Pakistan in the 19th game of the T20 World Cup 2024. The game will be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York and will start at 8:00 PM IST on June 9. India will be confident heading into the blockbuster match against Pakistan after a comprehensive win over Ireland in their tournament opener. Indian bowlers had a brilliant outing against Ireland and bowled them out for a mere 96. Later, a 52* by Rohit Sharma ensured an easy win for the team. Pakistan on the other hand suffered a shambolic defeat to USA in the last game. Despite going into the game as heavy favourites, Pakistan failed to play their best cricket. Pakistan batting crumbled against USA and the team could only score 159 in 20 overs, courtesy of Shadab Khan’s 40, however, the bowlers failed to defend the target. USA pushed the match in the Super Over where Pakistan conceded a defeat. The game against India now becomes a must win for Pakistan in terms of Super 8 qualification. The Men in Green will somehow have to beat India to keep realistic hopes of reaching the next round. India vs Pakistan Match Toss PredictionCaptain winning the toss should bowl first as there will be help on offer for the bowlers and there is a chance of team getting shot down for low score. India vs Pakistan Pitch ReportThis is not an easy wicket to bat. The conditions are expected to be better than what we have seen in previous games, however, it will still pose a challenge to the batters if the bowlers pitch the ball in right area. New York Weather ReportThere is a 50 percent chance of rain on the match day. It will be overcast and the temperature will range around the 20 degree mark. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for India vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup 2024

T20 World Cup: Pakistan didn’t play well in all three departments, says Babar Azam | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago06 mins

NEW DELHI: In their T20 World Cup opening match in Dallas on Thursday, Pakistan lost to the USA in the Super Over. Captain Babar Azam later acknowledged that his team did not play at its best in all three areas of the game.Pakistan had a difficult start, losing three wickets in the powerplay to finish at 30 for 3. The innings was then stabilized by a 72-run partnership off 48 balls between Babar Azam and Shadab Khan.In spite of their best efforts, the USA held Pakistan to 159/7 before matching the total and winning the Super Over to cause a significant upset.T20 WORLD CUP: SCHEDULE | POINTS TABLEBabar said that Pakistan was unsatisfactory with their batting towards the end of the match, having failed miserably in the Powerplay and bowling slowly in the middle overs. Then, in the middle overs, they failed to take wickets with spin because they did not carry out their early plans to bowl quickly.“To be honest, whenever you lose a game, you are always upset. We did not play well in all three departments. For six overs, I think we did not capitalise properly, but later on, after the 10th over we got momentum, but again we lost too many wickets and then your momentum is gone. So, I think as a batting unit we need to step it up in the middle and in the end,” Babar said after the match.After losing three wickets in the Powerplay, Babar helped his team recover by scoring 44 from 43 balls. He acknowledged that the game changed when Pakistan lost consecutive wickets.“The first six overs, the ball was holding and was swinging. But later on, I didn’t feel it was a different wicket. It settled down a bit. Because of the early start – the matches are starting at 10.30 am – the fast bowlers will get a little help. There was some juice in the pitch early morning. So, they utilised that and executed their plan. It was difficult in the beginning, but we covered it.“I think when we lost the wickets back-to-back, that was the turning point. But as a professional, you have to step up against such a team in the batting… in the middle order. This condition is not an excuse…they played well, but I think we played badly,” he added.Mohammad Amir conceded eighteen runs in the Super Over, which the USA won with a boundary off the last ball of the normal overs. Pakistan lost several unnecessary extras due to wides and a series of overthrows.The Pakistan captain credited USA’s batters Aaron Jones and Harmeet Singh for their aggressive running between the wickets. “He (Amir) is an experienced bowler, he knows how to bowl and we are just trying to field the ball. But I think the US batsmen were a bit smart, when the ball was coming to the keeper he was running. So, I think that was a plus point for the batters in the Super Over.”Pakistan will next take on bitter rivals India on Sunday in New York. Babar also stated that even though they lost to the United States, they would not be changing their ball-based death-over tactics for that crucial encounter.“The plan is simple: We try to hit yorkers and we are not changing any plans because the ball is reversing and our bowlers are very accurate, so our play will not be any different,” he concluded.(With IANS inputs)

UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds – T20 World Cup 2024

Vann Hiso8 months ago8 months ago06 mins

Get to Know Who will win USA vs PAK T20 World Cup 2024 match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, CBTFJSK Tips, Dream11 Prediction, Betting Rates, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : Jun 06, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 21:00 IST / 15:30 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Grand Prairie Stadium – Dallas, United States 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : T20 World Cup 2024 UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN Betting Tips Babar Azam is the best bet to be the top scorer for Pakistan in the game. He is a class batter and the one who can be backed to score runs even in tough batting conditions. Shaheen Afridi could create a lot of problems as there could be some swing on offer. Back him as top bowler.Aaron Jones had a great game against Canada and scored 94 runs. He can be backed as the top batter for USA. Saurabh Netravalkar has been a consistent performer for USA and would be eyeing a decent show against Pakistan. Back him as top bowler.Pakistan are likely to open with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and both form a stable opening partnership. There is a great chance that Pakistan will end up as the team with a better opening stand. UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN 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. UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN Match Prediction & Betting Tips, T20 World Cup 2024 USA will take on Pakistan in the 11th game of the T20 World Cup 2024. The game will be played at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas and will start at 8:00 PM IST on June 6 For the first time in T20 World Cup history, Pakistan cricket team is coming into the tournament with not many expectations. The team has not been in great form recently. They lost two games to New Zealand’s second string team at home and also lost to Ireland in one of the T20I games. They also suffered a 2-0 defeat to England in the series before the world cup. Also, the form of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan – the two main batters of the side has not been great. The bowling looks good on paper; however, the players have looked off colour in recent series. Meanwhile, USA come into the game after a stunning win over Canada. The team comfortably chased the target of 195, courtesy of Aaron Jones and Andries Gous. USA have a good team at disposal and very capable to pull off a big upset. UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN Match Toss PredictionCaptains will be keen to chase. USA chased 195 in the first game played here so the teams would be happy if they get a chance to bat second. UNITED STATES vs PAKISTAN Pitch ReportThis pitch at the Grand Prairie could be tricky. Over 200 runs were scored in the game but we are not sure how the pitch will behave if the match is played on a different strip. So far, pitches have behaved differently in different matches and mostly they have been bowling friendly. Dallas Weather ReportIt will be a clear day with temperature around 24 degrees. The humidity will be 49 percent while wind speed will be 11 km/h. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for USA vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup 2024

“Things Change During World Cup”: Ex-India Star Aheaad Of Pakistan Clash

Danijones8 months ago05 mins

Former India pacer RP Singh believes there will be a lot of pressure on the players during the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The marquee event is set to kick off on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies. One of the greatest rivalries in the history of cricket, India and Pakistan, will write a new chapter in their story on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York. While India’s World Cup-bound players were engaged in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season to prepare for the tournament, Pakistan played the T20I bilateral series against New Zealand, Ireland, and England. They drew the five-match T20I series against New Zealand (2-2), won the three-match series against Ireland (2-1), and lost the four-match series against England by 2-0. Despite Pakistan’s dwindling form, RP Singh believes that things change during the World Cup and the level of pressure will be different on the players. “Pakistan is also a good team. They played against Ireland and suffered a defeat. Things change during the World Cup. The match is always high-voltage so there is a lot of pressure on the players. Indians’ performance in the World Cup has always been good. We just lost one match last time, and were dominant throughout,” RP Singh told the media during the jersey launch of the World Championship of Legends team India Champions. The level of pressure on the players and the emotional connection of the fans were visible during their last encounter in the World Cup. In 2022, the Men in Green were far ahead in the game against India. The Men in Blue needed 28 runs off a mere 8 deliveries to walk away with a victory. With Virat Kohli on strike against Haris Rauf, the stalwart batter took a step back and struck a towering six right over the head of the Pakistan speedster. In an emotion-packed game, commentator Gerard Whateley delivered the iconic “That is a shot of an emperor” line to describe Kohli’s masterclass. He tonked another maximum on the next ball, which laid the foundation for a successful 160-run chase for India. The match lived up to its hype, and the fans will be expecting another cracker of a match. Before the epic clash between the two cricketing giants, India will take on Ireland in their tournament opener on June 5. Pakistan will meet the USA in their opening clash on June 6. The fans will be expecting a similarly intense clash between the two Asian Giants that keeps them on the edge of their seats. India T20 WC Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. Pakistan T20 WC Squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

T20 World Cup Group D Preview: Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Battle Resumes, South Africa Aim To Impress

Danijones8 months ago015 mins

Dubai : Former ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions Sri Lanka find themselves in Group D alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal for the upcoming tournament. This group promises thrilling matches with rivals Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, South Africa and Netherlands pitted against one another. While Nepal gears up for their second appearance in the marquee event, the group boasts no clear-cut favourite with history bearing witness that each team carries the potential to beat the other. Let’s run through the teams in this group and what we can expect from them. Bangladesh: Bangladesh enters the T20 World Cup with a bit of uncertainty as they continue to look for their strongest XI. Experienced opener Litton Das has been out of form of late with an average of 13.16 this year in six matches. Although teammate Tawhid Hridoy is confident that Das will make a strong comeback in the tournament. Another concern is the injury to vice-captain Taskin Ahmed and his fitness will be monitored prior to Bangladesh’s first contest against Sri Lanka on 7 June after he suffered a side strain before the final match of the recent series against Zimbabwe. The Tigers have backed experience. Other than Das, they have former Bangladesh skippers Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan who can provide Najmul Hossain Shanto much-needed support as he undertakes his first ICC tournament as the new captain. Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed (Vice Captain), Litton Kumer Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Travelling reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud Fixtures: 7 June: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Dallas 10 June: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent Players to watch out for: In conditions that are expected to be slow with some assistance from spinners, Mustafizur Rahman’s skill set including deceptive off-cutters can turn out to be useful. Mustafizur has time and again proven to be a match-winner for Bangladesh. His control in the middle overs and effectiveness in the final overs with a recovering Taskin Ahmed make him a priceless inclusion. Nepal: Nepal will feature a young side at the T20 World Cup, with 21-year-old Rohit Paudel leading the team as captain. Paudel’s recent form against West Indies A in the lead up to the tournament is a big positive with scores of 112, 71*, and 82 in the series. Gulshan Jha, who appeared at the U19 World Cup earlier in the year, along with 19-year-old Pratis GC are the other young stars expected to bring fireworks. Sompal Kami, the fast bowling all-rounder, is the sole player from Nepal’s inaugural 2014 squad to feature in the 2024 edition, with veteran Karan KC joining him as the team’s senior member. This will mark Nepal’s second appearance in the tournament making them the least experienced side in the group. Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee Fixtures: 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas 11 June: Sri Lanka vs Nepal, Florida 14 June: South Africa vs Nepal, St. Vincent 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent Players to watch out for: The latest entrant in the six sixes club, Dipendra Singh Airee, comes in with a hard-hitting reputation. Dipendra bludgeoned six sixes in the ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup clash against Qatar becoming only the third men’s player to do so in T20Is after Yuvraj Singh (2007) and Keiron Pollard (2021). He also is the current record holder of the fastest T20I fifty. The right-handed batter achieved this feat in nine balls, breaking Yuvraj’s record of 12 deliveries. The 24-year-old’s contribution in the middle overs can help Nepal put up a strong challenge in the group. Netherlands: The Netherlands have often brought the element of surprise in an ICC tournament. They have the edge over Proteas, beating them in the last two ICC Men’s tournaments – in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup. They will face South Africa again on 8 June in New York with the aim to complete a hat-trick of wins. 20-year-old Michael Levitt has found a place in the absence of Colin Ackermann after an impressive hundred against Namibia earlier this year. The Dutch have restored their core players for this edition with captain Scott Edwards, Bas de Leede, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Vikram Singh and Wesley Barresi bringing the experience. Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Reserve: Kyle Klein Fixtures: 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas 8 June: Netherlands vs South Africa, New York 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent 16 June: Sri Lanka vs Netherlands, St. Lucia Players to watch out for: Bas de Leede has been instrumental for the Netherlands with both bat and ball. For his impressive performance last year, de Leede was awarded with the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. However, the 24-year-old all-rounder has played little T20I cricket of late, with his recent appearances in the tri-series with Scotland and Ireland being his first matches in the shortest format since 2022 at the most recent edition of the T20 World Cup. De Leede was one of the Netherlands’ best at the event where he finished as their leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps. South Africa: Perhaps the strongest side in this group and the tournament, South Africa have put together a strong squad. The batting line-up consists of experienced Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Reeza Hendricks who can bludgeon bowling attacks with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs…