Sports

India head into ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with high hopes of claiming second title

Published

3 years ago

2022/10/23

India head into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with high hopes of ending their 15-year drought and claiming their second title thanks to a side packed with talent with both bat and ball. They’ll be looking to reach the semi-finals for the fourth time at their eighth appearance at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup before powering on to victory in Australia. But do India have what it takes to claim their second crown? We take a look at them in focus.

2022 Prospects

There is only one aim for India in World Cups, to win, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is no different. Failure to qualify for the semi-finals at the 2021 edition, including a ten-wicket defeat to rivals Pakistan, still stings and serves as motivation to go at least one better this time around – not that any more will be needed.

They face Bangladesh, South Africa, and Pakistan in Group 2 of the Super 12, alongside Netherlands and the winner from Group B from the First Round. Much will likely be decided by the opening match, where India play Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

A win there would at once banish the demons of 12 months ago and produce plenty of momentum for Rohit Sharma’s men. Should they get in their stride, they will be a formidable force for any team as they look to clinch their first title since the inaugural edition in 2007.

T20 World Cup History

India’s T20 World Cup history has been one of frustration since claiming the first-ever title in 2007. Irfan Pathan was the hero 15 years ago, as he took three for 16 as India edged Pakistan by five runs in Johannesburg. It was a crown that was hard-earned, with wins over England and South Africa in the group stage setting up a semi-final with Australia, where Yuvraj Singh hit 70 off 30 to power India through to the final.

But that was as good as it would get for India, with a Super 8s exit in the next three World Cups. Yet India have been edging closer in more recent editions, finishing as runners-up to Sri Lanka in 2014 before a semi-final defeat in 2016 to West Indies. A Super 12s exit in 2021 denied them a third consecutive semi-final appearance, and they will be raring to put that right this time around.

Current Form

There are very few nations whose cricketers play as much T20 cricket as India thanks to the success of the IPL and depth of homegrown talent at its disposal. And while some sides have played little white-ball cricket in recent months, India have got a number of series under their belts to make sure they are in the best possible form heading to Australia.

A tour of England in July saw an impressive 2-1 series victory, including a comprehensive 50-run victory over the hosts in Southampton before following that up with a 49-run win in Birmingham. A 4-1 series win over West Indies then came a few weeks later before a 2-1 home series win over Australia kept up the side’s good form heading into the World Cup. Defeat by four wickets in the opening match was responded to with consecutive six-wicket victories as Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav starred with the bat for the hosts. Another home series victory came against South Africa, this time KL Rahul the standout, before a warm-up series with hosts Australia seeing the tourists win by six runs in the first match.

Best Batters

India have a wealth of options with the bat, the task will be to get selection right and ensure those trusted perform at the crease. Captain Rohit will almost certainly open alongside Rahul, where they will be one of the most fearsome partnerships should they put together lengthy stands.

Should they fall, all eyes will be on the talismanic Kohli at number three. One of the best batters in the world on his day, India will be hoping he will be firing on all cylinders in Australia. And at number four, India have the world number two men’s T20 batter, Yadav. He has more than 1,000 runs in 32 T20I innings and showed everyone just how good he can be with a knock of 117 off 55 balls against England this summer. Should India require it, the middle order is brimming with hard-hitters such as Hardik Pandya, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, and all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin to power them to a big total.

Best Bowlers

The injury of star bowler Jasprit Bumrah is a blow, but they will take solace in having the outstanding Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead the bowling attack. Bhuvneshwar is one of the most electric pace bowlers on his day, with the ability to swing the ball both ways a potentially key skill Down Under.

He will be joined by 23-year-old Arshdeep Singh, who will be hoping to announce himself on the international stage with his death bowling. Bringing the spin will be Yuzvendra Chahal, who took the most wickets in the IPL this year, plus Axar Patel and Ashwin, arguably one of the world’s best all-rounders, giving India a wide range of options with ball in hand.

(ICC)

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Sports

Ganuka accomplishes rare feat

Published

3 hours ago

2025/12/10

Thilina Walpola

Ganuka Fernando accomplished a rare feat reaching the final of the Nepal J30 ITF tournament in Pokohora. He became the first Sri Lankan male player in more than a decade to reach an overseas final at the tournament held in Nepal.

‎The St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya player finished as the runner up.

‎He is the first to reach an overseas ITF final after Sharmal Dissanayake accomplished the feat in 2013.

‎Sharmal has the credit of winning ITF tournaments in India and in Brunei. He also reached another final in India.

Sports

Unbeaten Seylan Bank retain basketball title

Published

3 hours ago

2025/12/10

Thilina Walpola

After nearly three months of competition, the 33rd Mercantile Services Basketball League concluded with Seylan Bank being crowned as undisputed champions. The defending champions showcased their dominance with an unbeaten record cruising past all their opponents.

Seylan Bank started off the campaign by beating Hatton National Bank in a three point thriller with the final score being 58-55. They overcame Commercial Credit 59-47 and had a big win over David Pieris Motor Company 73-59.

In the semi-final, Seylan Bank overcame Commercial Credit by 13 points while the final was a rematch against David Pieris Motor Company and won comfortably by Seylan.

Epciba Washington Clay of Seylan was named the Most Valuable Player.

The Seylan Bank side comprised; Kamalene Mills, Kunchana Wijesiriwardena, Kindu Jayaliya, Benika Thalagala, Epciba Washington Clay, Hansini Maleesha, Nihari Perera, Sanduni Bollegala, Maleka Rafaideen, Bethani Liyanage and Malavika Ariyaratne.

The Seylan Bank team was coached by Chathura Rodrigo.

Latest News

Henry, Santner, Nathan Smith ruled out of rest of West Indies Test series

Published

2 days ago

2025/12/8

Priyan

Matt Henry is nursing a calf injury [Cricinfo]

New Zealand’s bowling spearhead Matt Henry (calf strain), seam-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith (side strain) and spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner (groin injury) have all been ruled out of the rest of the home Test series against West Indies.

Glenn Phillips, who joined the squad in Christchurch early as a substitute fielder, has officially been added to the Test squad for the remainder of the series, New Zealand Cricket confirmed. This after he proved his match fitness in the Plunket Shield before joining the squad for the first Test, and he could be in contention to be selected in the XI for the second Test.

In another bit of good news for New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell, who put in a long shift as a substitute fielder in the first Test, is set to be available for the second and slot back in as their middle-order mainstay.

Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell had already been sidelined from the second Test in Wellington after suffering a hamstring injury while batting on day one in Christchurch. Mitchell Hay has been added to the squad and could make his Test debut.

Also, a day after uncapped seamer Michael Rae was called up to the Test squad, Kristan Clarke, a seam-bowling allrounder from Northern Districts, was added to it. With Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke managing “return to play” protocols, New Zealand were left scrambling for last-minute replacements, with the Wellington Test set to begin on November 10.

Both Rae and Clarke were pulled out of the third round of the Plunket Shield. Clarke didn’t bowl for ND in the final innings against Otago in Hamilton, with rookie James Naylor stepping in as his replacement.

Clarke, 24, is uncapped in Test cricket, but was recently part of the ODI series against England as a replacement player after Henry had suffered a separate calf injury. He has now earned his maiden Test call-up as a like-for-like replacement for Smith.

“On the cricket field, I’m a bowling allrounder, you know, and I pride myself on trying to offer as much as I can in the game,” Clarke said in October after breaking into the ODI side. “I just want to be a good person around the group also and just offer as much as I can.”

Clarke has played 27 first-class games so far, taking 77 wickets at an average of 33 and scoring 893 runs at an average of 23.50. He was also part of a New Zealand A tour to Bangladesh during the winter. Though bowling is his primary skill, Kristian is also a capable batter and had notched up his maiden century in senior cricket, against Central Districts in the one-day Ford Trophy, in October.

Clarke hails from Te Awamutu, a small town in the Waikato region and played for Waikato Valley in the Hawke Cup before rising up the ranks in New Zealand cricket. His brother Matti Clarke has also played for Waikato Valley in the Hawke Cup.

“Yeah, so [I was] born and raised in Te Awamutu, [and I] still live in Te Awamutu, still at home,” Clarke said. “I hold Te Amuru very dear to my heart – it’s a cool little town and yeah, quiet little place. Just sort of grew up through the cricket system there and then yeah, sort of just went from there.”

While Blair Tickner, who was the reserve seamer at Hagley Oval, comes into the selection frame for Wellington, there might be a toss-up between Rae and Clarke for a potential Test debut at Basin Reserve.

The first Test was drawn after West Indies, faced with a 530-run deficit in the fourth innings, held on for 163.3 overs to pull off a draw, with Justin Greaves (202 not out) and Shai Hope (140) their main men with the bat

New Zealand squad for second Test vs West Indies :
Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell, Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Michael Rae, Kristian Clarke

[Cricinfo]