Sports

Rivals promise blockbuster action as Proteas aim to impress

Published

2 years ago

2024/06/1

Group D preview:

South Africa and Sri Lanka are the two highest ranked teams in the group, but there is not much between all five sides.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 potential to beat the other.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh enter 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 before 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

vs Sri Lanka 7 June Dallas

vs South Africa 10 June New York

vs Netherlands 13 June St. Vincent

vs Nepal 16 June St. Vincent

Key player:Mustafizur Rahman

In conditions that are expected to be slow with some assistance for 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 makes 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

vs Netherlands 4 June Dallas

vs Sri Lanka 11 June Florida

vs South Africa 14 June St. Vincent

vs Bangladesh 16 June St. Vincent

Key player:Dipendra Singh Airee,

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 aiming 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

vs Nepal 4 June Dallas

vs South Africa 8 June New York

vs Bangladesh 13 June St. Vincent

vs Sri Lanka vs 16 June St. Lucia

Key player:Bas de Leede

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 promising to bring the spark of youth.

The fast-bowling department displays assurance with Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen and Ottniel Baartman. Meanwhile, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Bjorn Fortuin complete the spin department.

However, the Proteas side miss a genuine all-rounder in their line-up. Jansen has proven to be handy with the bat but primarily serves as their opening bowler.

The pressure will be on as Proteas hope to make their first appearance in a final of the Men’s T20 World Cup.

Squad

Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Fixtures

vs Sri Lanka 3 June. New York

vs Netherlands 8 June, New York

vs Bangladesh 10 June, New York

vs Nepal 14 June, St. Vincent

Key player:Heinrich Klaasen

The dangerous Heinrich Klaasen has been in top form since the start of this year. Across all T20 competitions, Klaasen has smashed 76 maximums in 30 matches.

Klaasen brings versatility. Not only can he keep wickets, but he also can attack against spin bowling with a strike rate of just below 160 against them in T20s. His performance in this year’s SA20 and the IPL has confirmed that he can perfectly play the explosive middle-order batter role.

Sri Lanka

Wanindu Hasaranga will undertake his first major assignment as the newly appointed Sri Lanka. The Lions have struck a balance with a unit that checks most of the boxes.

Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Dhananjaya De Silva compose a firm batting group. Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka bring experience as seam-bowling all-rounders with captain Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage as the spin-bowling all-rounders.

Maheesh Theekshana is expected to share spin duties with Hasaranga equally. Dilshan Madushanka’s bowling prowess in the Powerplay will be lethal to deal with Matheesha Pathirana to take care of the final overs with Dushmantha Chameera, and Nuwan Thushara completing the pace attack.

Squad

Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka. Traveling Reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Janith Liyanage

Fixtures

vs South Africa 3 June, New York

vs Bangladesh 7 June, Dallas

vs Nepal 11 June, Florida

vs Netherlands 16 June, St. Lucia

Key player:Matheesha Pathirana

A bowler who can deliver every ball at over 145 kmph with a lethal yorker in his arsenal – Matheesha Pathirana will prove a headache for most batters, especially in the death overs.

Pathirana’s recent exploits at the Indian Premier League (IPL) have added to his reputation as a dangerous pacer despite only having played six T20Is. In only six games for Chennai in IPL 2024, the death-specialist to 13 wickets with an economy rate of 7.68.

Although he returned midway through the IPL season with a hamstring injury, Pathirana has been named in the squad and is expected to be fit in time.

(ICC)

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Namibia look to make a splash with India battling injury and illness

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/12

Priyan

India will look to make a statement after surviving a banana-peel contest against USA [Cricinfo]

February is usually a wonderful time in Delhi, when winter starts giving way to spring, but people are already complaining of a missed spring with temperatures hitting the late 20s as early as the second week of February. Even amid the climate change of the last decade or so, there has been one pattern: a late hailstorm typically brings back another week of chilly weather. An Indian Winter, if you will, Delhi’s response to Indian Summer, which is the term the English give to a late spell of hot weather when it should be autumn.

The fans, who will sell out the Feroz Shah Kotla even with schools turning down offers for free tickets for students to non-India matches because of looming board exams, will hope for a similar storm of sixes after a dry run in India’s tournament-opener. The anticipation for 300 in the Indian media has come in for some mockery, with the pitches not turning out as flat as they are in bilaterals, but at a venue with small boundaries that has turned high-scoring in recent IPL seasons, India will hope to get back to big-scoring ways after navigating a banana peel against USA on a gripping Wankhede surface.

Against them are Namibia who managed just 156 in Delhi against Netherlands and lost quite comfortably. They might still sense a chance as India struggle with fitness and health issues around Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharama and Washington Sundar, and will themselves be gunning to go big with the bat in a World Cup. What an opportunity for Namibia to make a name for themselves by stretching the strongest-ever contenders for a T20 World Cup.

When India were struggling against USA in the unfamiliar conditions laid out by Mumbai, it was Suryakumar Yadav’s blinder that gave them a match-winning score. That wretched year of 2025, during which he didn’t score a single fifty, seems well and truly behind him now. Suryakumar now has more match awards for India than anyone, having gone past Virat Kohli’s 16.

Namibia, another Associate side that like to open the bowling with a spinner, will hope Bernard Scholtz can repeat what he did against Netherlands. In defence of a paltry 156, the left-arm spinner took out opener Max O’Dowd and conceded just 27 in his four overs.

Washington has joined the Indian squad, but they have other health troubles in the side. Bumrah missed their first match with illness, and while he seems to have recovered and bowled full-tilt at the nets on Tueday, Abhishek has been struggling with a stomach issue. He reportedly played in Mumbai with fever, and it turned worse by the time the team reached Delhi, where he was hospitalised. Tilak Varma said on Wednesday that he has been discharged, but India will take a call on his availability on the day of the match. India might want to take their time with the big names, and in the process give some game time to the reserves.

India (probable): Abhishek Sharma/Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah/ Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakravarthy.

Seventeen-year-old fast bowler Max Heingo bowled only two overs and went for 22 against Netherlands. Namibia could replace him with the more experienced Ben Shikongo.

Namibia (possible): Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (capt), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher, Willem Myburgh, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo.

[Cricinfo]

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Buoyed by strong support, Paudel’s Nepal search for two points against Italy

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/12

Priyan

Harry Manenti will lead Italy against Nepal [Cricinfo]

Nepal enter the contest against Italy, a team they have never faced before, on the back of falling short by just one big blow against England on Sunday. Nepal will look to bring that same brand of cricket in Mumbai again and will believe they hold the edge and momentum against their fellow Associates, who are playing their first big tournament.

Emerging from the shadows of the globetrotting legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane are batters Dipendra Singh Airee and Lokesh Bam, who all but took their side over the line in front of loud and energetic fans. But with the ball, Nepal conceded 33 runs in the last two overs of the first innings in that game, and that turned out to be the difference.

However, two points – and a possible big margin of victory – against Italy will open Nepal’s group up before they face West Indies; Nepal had betaen West Indies 2-1 last September.

Italy, meanwhile, had a tough initiation at the T20 World Cup with a 73-run defeat against Scotland. They also lost their captain Wayne Madsen to injury inside four overs of their T20 World Cup debut. He will not feature against Nepal either.

Italy coach John Davison said after the loss that the “occasion may have got big on us”. With nothing to lose and experience to gain, Italy have another chance to have fun and potentially upset some calculations, before facing stronger oppositions England and West Indies.

Batting at No. 5, Ben Maneti was one of the positives for Italy in their loss to Scotland. He started with only seven runs off seven balls, but went on to smash 52 in 31. The majority of his runs came against spinners (45 runs in 25 balls) with shots all around: behind square, through cover, and over the bowler’s head. Italy will hope Ben Manenti carries that confidence against Lamichhane and co.

Lokesh Bam threw everything he had at England when they needed 54 in 21 balls, but fell agonisingly short. Facing quality and experienced bowlers, he smacked back-to-back fours off Sam Curran and successive sixes off Jofra Archer as England searched for answers. Bam’s 39 not out was not enough on the day, but he gave solid proof of his big-hitting ability, something the format demands.

Madsen has been ruled out against Nepal, and in his absence, Harry Manenti, the younger of the two brothers, will be leading Italy. Middle-order batter Marcus Campopiano could replace Madsen in the side.

Italy (probable): Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Marcus Campopiano, Harry Manenti (capt), Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Thomas Draca, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan

Nepal might look to play the same team that ran England close at the same ground on Sunday.

Nepal (probable): Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nandan Yadav, Sher Malla

[Cricinfo]

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Sri Lanka, minus Hasaranga, take on Oman at bogey venue

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/12

Priyan

Dushan Hemantha, the leg-spinning allrounder, is on paper a like-for-like for Hasaranga

On most days Sri Lanka would enter Thursday’s clash in Kandy against Oman as heavy favourites. They’ve beaten Oman in their solitary meeting – an ODI in 2023 – and are generally formidable in home conditions. But the psychological and tactical knock-on effects of Wanidu Hasaranga being ruled out of the tournament provide an intriguing backdrop.

The star legspinner is a renowned bully of Associates and those lower down the T20 rungs, as highlighted by his match-turning 3 for 25 against Ireland, whose batters found him too much to handle even on one leg. His absence therefore leaves a massive hole in Sri Lanka’s middle-overs containment plan – one Oman will no doubt be looking to exploit – while his power-hitting will also be missed.

His replacement, legspinning allrounder Dushan Hemantha, is like-for-like cover on paper, but the only area in which Hemantha has regularly excelled in in his handful of international white-ball outings has been in the field. The pressure will squarely shift to Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage to spearhead the spin attack, with neither being as proficient a wicket-taker as Hasaranga.

Sri Lanka’s bowling had been their trump card coming into this tournament, but Hasaranga’s injury following that of Eshan Malinga’s days prior to the tournament have exposed yet another chink in their armour.

Sri Lanka’s batting concerns have also been exacerbated by Hasaranga’s absence. The middle order has struggled for consistency, particularly against spin – a challenge they’re likely to face in abundance against a spin-centric Omani attack – and now one of their better spin hitters is out.

Runs up the order from Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have been crucial to Sri Lanka’s recent successes, while a revelatory knock from Kamindu Mendis against Ireland has offered hope lower down. But you sense the key to an unlikely upset will be whether Oman can access Sri Lanka’s soft middle cheaply – do that and it’s anybody’s game.

For Oman, this is a quintessential do-or-die fixture. Currently at the bottom of Group B after a loss to Zimbabwe, they must secure a victory to keep their Super Eight hopes alive. They can draw confidence from their warm-up victory over a Sri Lanka A side earlier this month, where Aamir Kaleem’s blistering 80 and Vinayak Shukla’s finishing proved they can compete with the islanders’ second string. They will also need to find a way to contend with the express pair of Dushmantha Chameera and Matheesha Pathirana, having lost nine wickets to Zimbabwe’s seamers in their opener.

Kamindu Mendis wasn’t even supposed to be here. But Sri Lanka are grateful that he is. Picked, dropped, and picked again, Kamindu has never been sure of a place in Sri Lanka’s XI, but a Player-of-the-Match 44 off 19 against Ireland has removed the doubts. Sri Lanka had been crying out for his ability to bat anywhere in the middle order and provide impetus through the middle overs – particularly against spin.

Sri Lanka’s batters struggled to get away Ireland’s modest spin offering at the Khettarama. The pitch in Pallekele might not be as helpful, but recent history has shown that spinners will still play a role. As such, Sri Lanka will need to be particularly wary of Shakeel Ahmed‘s accuracy. He picked up 2 for 24 against the Sri Lanka A side, and if the Pallekele pitch offers any turn, he is the most likely candidate to exploit the co-hosts’ historical struggles against disciplined left-arm spin.

Hasaranga’s injury will test Sri Lanka’s resolve in whether they stick to a 6-5 combination. Hemantha could slot in for Hasaranga, or Sri Lanka might opt for an extra batter.

Sri Lanka (probable): Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana.

Oman have no injury concerns and are likely to name an unchanged XI.

Oman (probable): Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed.

[Cricinfo]