Sports
Hasaranga and Asalanka named in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup team
ICC T20 World Cup Tournament’s highest wicket taker Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka have been named in the official ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Most Valuable Team of the Tournament.
While Babar Azam has been named captain of the team, players from six countries have been named in the team.
Stars from champions Australia, runners-up New Zealand, semi-finalists England and Pakistan as well as Sri Lanka and South Africa feature in the star-studded line up.
Opening batter David Warner, leg-spinner Adam Zampa and seamer Josh Hazlewood all make the cut for Australia after helping steer their side to their first ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title.
There are also spots for England ace Jos Buttler as wicketkeeper, Pakistan’s Babar Azam as captain, New Zealand left-armer Trent Boult and Sri Lanka star Wanindu Hasaranga – the tournament’s leading wicket-taker – in the line-up.
The side was pulled together by a selection panel featuring commentators, former international players and journalists Ian Bishop (Convenor), Natalie Germanos, Shane Watson, Lawrence Booth – of Wisden, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday – and Shahid Hashmi of Agence France Presse and ARY Channel.
Ian Bishop said: “As with any team selection there will be varying opinions, and robust discussion on the final composition of the squad. The panel respects that, and we encourage the strong debate that will ensue. This team was incredibly difficult to select over such a highly competitive tournament. Selections were based predominantly on the Super 12 onward to the final.”
The team of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 (in batting order) is:
David Warner (Australia) – 289 runs at 48.16
Jos Buttler (wk) (England) – 269 runs at 89.66, five dismissals
Babar Azam (Captain, Pakistan) – 303 runs at 60.60
Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka) – 231 runs at 46.20
Aiden Markram (South Africa) – 162 runs at 54.00
Moeen Ali (England) – 92 runs at strike rate of 131.42, seven wickets at 11
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) – 16 wickets at 9.75
Adam Zampa (Australia) – 13 wickets at 12.07
Josh Hazlewood (Australia) – 11 wickets at 15.90
Trent Boult (New Zealand) – 13 wickets at 13.30
Anrich Nortje (South Africa) – nine wickets at 11.55
12th: Shaheen Afridi – seven wickets at 24.14
Warner came into the tournament in uncharacteristically patchy form but laid those demons to rest in style with a power-packed set of performances.
The left-handed Australian opener racked up a tally of 289 runs – the second most of the tournament – at a healthy average of 48.16 to help propel his team to victory in Sunday’s Dubai final.
Warner struck 65 against Sri Lanka in the Super 12 stages, before a breath-taking 89 not out against the West Indies and then 49 against Pakistan in the semi-finals placed his team on the cusp of global glory.
And his 53 in the final provided the perfect support act for Mitchell Marsh – 77 not out – as Australia chased down a total of 173 to clinch their maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup crown.
England star Buttler was in similarly blistering form throughout, scoring just 20 runs fewer than Warner at a brilliant average of almost 90.
He cracked a perfectly-paced century against Sri Lanka – off just 67 balls – when his team needed him most, while his brutal knock of 71 not out against Australia helped fire England to an emphatic eight-wicket victory against the eventual champions.
Captaining the side at No.3 is Pakistan skipper Babar, who was the only batter to break the 300-run barrier throughout the duration of the competition.
His 68 not out against old rivals India powered Pakistan to a memorable 10-wicket victory, while three further half-centuries in the Super 12 stages helped book his team’s slot in the semi-final against Australia.
And while they were unable to battle past Aaron Finch’s outfit, Babar helped himself to 39 in the first innings to finish his campaign in typically consistent fashion.
Asalanka slots in at No.4 after his match-winning innings against Bangladesh in the Super 12s.
With his team in pursuit of 172 to win, Asalanka cracked a scintillating 80 not out off just 49 balls to guide Sri Lanka over the line and solidify his reputation as one of his country’s brightest talents.
A further innings of 68 against the West Indies soon followed as Asalanka scored 231 runs at an average of 46.20 throughout the course of the tournament.
South African Markram and England all-rounder Moeen occupy the No.5 and 6 positions, with Markram’s quickfire 52 not out against England helping down Eoin Morgan’s team in Sharjah.
Another half-century against the West Indies helped him reach a total of 162 runs at an average of 54 while for Ali, a haul of 92 – at a strike rate of 131.42 – provided a valuable contribution for England.
His economical off-spin also went for just 5.50 per over as his seven wickets at 11 saw him function as a crucial string to England’s T20I bow.
Completing the middle order is Hasaranga, who stands tall as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with a stunning 16 from his eight matches.
The skilful leg-spinner bagged a brilliant hat-trick against South Africa as he dismissed Temba Bavuma, Markram and Dwaine Pretorius – across two separate spells – to etch his name into ICC Men’s T20 World Cup folklore.
And a further three wickets against England, bolstered by two against Australia, saw him emerge as the most prolific bowler of the tournament and firmly deserving of his place in the Team of the Tournament.
Australian pairing Zampa and Hazlewood line up at No.8 and 9, with fellow leg-spinner Zampa lying closely behind Hasaranga in the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.
Conceding an average of his 5.81 runs an over, the Australian ace removed 13 victims across his seven matches – including a memorable five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the Super 12s.
Zampa ended with figures of 5 for 19 off his four overs and after Australia navigated their way to the final, teammate Hazlewood followed in his footsteps with a record-equalling three for 16 against the Black Caps.
Hazlewood dismissed Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in Dubai and his figures represented the joint-best of any seamer in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final alongside Indian Irfan Pathan in the 2007 showpiece.
And that helped cap a haul of 11 total wickets as the skilful right-armer proved a crucial weapon in guiding Justin Langer’s team to their maiden tournament title.
Rounding off the side at No.10 and 11 are fellow pace bowlers Trent Boult and Anrich Nortje, who both took 13 and nine wickets respectively for New Zealand and South Africa.
Left-armer Boult took three-fers against both India and Afghanistan, while grabbing both of his team’s wickets in the final helped him finish the tournament with an average of 13.30.
Nortje’s express pace sees him slot into the team at No.11, with his nine wickets at 11.55 featuring a barnstorming performance that blew away Bangladesh.
He took three for eight off his 3.2 overs to help bowl the Tigers out for just 84 and further enhance his reputation as one of the short format’s most blockbuster bowlers.
Taking his place as 12th man is Pakistan prodigy Shaheen Afridi, who started his tournament in style with a blistering new ball spell against old foes India.
Afridi, 21, removed the talismanic top three trio of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and captain Virat Kohli to end with figures of three for 31 and lay the foundations for a memorable victory.
The left-arm pacer finished the tournament with seven wickets at 24.14 and will no doubt continue to star at multiple more ICC World Cup events throughout an exciting future career.
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Mr. S. K. Sangakkara, Attorney-at-Law. He was the loving husband of Kumarie, beloved father to Thusharie, Vemindra, Saranga, and Kumar, loved father-in-law to Sanjay, Nipuni, Ru, and Yehali, adored grand father to Thehan, Methvan, Nethya, Vinaya, Kaya, Seth, Kavith and Swyree.
His remains will lie at his residence in Kandy for relatives and friends to pay their last respects. We also ask that the privacy of the family be respected.
The funeral will take place on the 4th of March 2026 at 6.00 p.m. at the Mahaiyawa Cemetery, Kandy. The cortège will leave the residence at 4.30 p.m.
He will be dearly missed by his loving family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew him.
Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden triumph in India’s premier domestic championship last week is more than a sporting milestone – it is one of the most stirring stories in the country’s cricket.
The Ranji Trophy, one of the oldest first-class competitions in the sport, sits at the heart of the game in the world’s most powerful cricketing nation.
To win it is to claim a place in the country’s cricketing mainstream; for Jammu and Kashmir, it marks a breakthrough that was decades in the making.
Cricket in the disputed region dates back to the colonial era, when the Kashmir Willow – prized for its strength and resilience – helped craft bats that powered the sport across India.
For decades, the region was scarred by insurgency, political turmoil and a deep sense of alienation – tensions that culminated in 2019 when Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and split the state into two new federally-administered territories.
Yet, even through these upheavals, passion for cricket ran deep. Success, however, proved elusive.
That changed over a remarkable fortnight.
In a season overshadowed by the ongoing high-voltage T20 World Cup, where India are defending champions, it was this unfancied northern side that quietly commanded attention.
After defeating seven-time champions Delhi to enter the knockouts, Jammu and Kashmir gathered momentum.
Former champions Madhya Pradesh fell in the quarter-finals. Bengal were subdued in the semi-finals. In the final, stood eight-time winners Karnataka, boasting four current internationals – KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair and Prasidh Krishna – and overwhelming experience.
Jammu and Kashmir were the underdogs and most expected them to falter. Instead, they produced cricket of composure, skill and steel, outplaying their decorated opponents to claim India’s premier first-class title.
The breakthrough did not come out of nowhere.
Over the past decade, the team has flirted with history, reaching the quarter-finals three times and missing last year’s semi-final by the slimmest of margins – a one-run first-innings deficit against Kerala.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association was formed in 1959-60. It has taken nearly 67 years – marked by political upheaval, institutional neglect and chronic underinvestment – for the region to complete the circle and reach the summit of Indian domestic cricket.
For decades, cricket’s real power centres lay elsewhere: Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. Proximity to these hubs – of money, infrastructure and influence – often determined how quickly cricket flourished in a state.
Jammu and Kashmir, geographically and politically distant from these nerve centres, remained on the margins – a cricketing outpost far removed from the game’s corridors of power.
A lack of basic infrastructure, scant coaching facilities and self-serving administration stunted cricket’s growth for decades. That Jammu and Kashmir won their first Ranji match only in 1982-83 – more than 20 years after gaining state association status – underlines how halting that progress was.
In 1983, during a match in Srinagar city against Clive Lloyd’s touring West Indies, Indian players were booed and jeered – a spectacle that prompted authorities to sideline the state from hosting major fixtures.
The hostility reflected a deepening political alienation in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir region, where resentment against Delhi over autonomy and governance was already simmering. Though a full-blown insurgency against Indian rule would erupt only in 1989, the faultlines were visible.
In 1986, Allan Border’s Australians played what would prove to be the last international match in Kashmir. Four decades on, top-level cricket has yet to return.
Cricket in Jammu and Kashmir began to turn a corner over the past 15 years as militancy ebbed and political volatility eased. With greater stability came long-missing attention to development and structure.
Three clear inflection points underpin the team’s rise.
The first came between 2011 and 2013, when former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi took charge as coach. He transformed a side burdened by diffidence into one that believed it belonged – urging players long overawed by reputation to compete as equals on the national stage.
Pervez Rasool, the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play for India, was among the chief beneficiaries of Bedi’s confidence-building approach – a debt he has acknowledged in recent years.
The second inflection point came in 2018-19, when the state association brought in former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan as player-cum-mentor. During his two seasons with the side, Pathan said his central message was simple: shed regional faultlines and play as one team.
That phase unearthed notable talent, including batsman Abdul Samad and the explosive fast bowler Umran Malik – only the second cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India.
The third inflection point came about five years ago, when the state association was replaced by an Apex Council to oversee the game. It was headed by Mithun Manhas, a former Delhi stalwart born in Jammu who had also played a season for J&K – blending administrative authority with local roots and top-tier experience.
Manhas, now the head of the Indian cricket board, professionalised the set-up, appointing his former Delhi teammate Ajay Sharma as coach and tightening structures around the team.
Top-tier infrastructure followed, along with modern coaching methods – scientific fitness, nutrition planning and structured mental conditioning – bringing the set-up in line with national standards.
Paras Dogra, a seasoned and prolific domestic batsman, was drafted in as captain to anchor the rebuild. Selectors then cast the net wide, scouting both established and emerging talent.
At 41, Dogra proved a natural leader – delivering his own best while elevating those around him, a journey that culminated in this year’s coveted title.
Several batsmen and bowlers stood out, but the spearhead was fast bowler Aquib Nabi, who finished the season with 60 wickets. He had claimed 44 the previous year, earning an IPL contract with the Delhi Daredevils.
Many observers believe he is ready for the highest level – the national team. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was among those who publicly endorsed him, saying Nabi has the tools to play Test cricket for India.
Whether, and how soon, that leap to the international stage comes remains uncertain.
What is beyond doubt is the significance of Jammu and Kashmir’s surge as a cricketing force – a rise that, in its improbable sweep, recalls Afghanistan’s ascent in the global game.
For India, it matters in at least two profound ways.
First, it underscores how deeply and widely cricket’s footprint now runs across the country – a key reason India stands as the pre-eminent force in the global game.
Second, this triumph offers the beleaguered federally-administered territory and its people something long yearned for: a meaningful stake in the national mainstream through shared pride and sporting excellence.
[BBC]
Zimbabwe have become the first team at the T20 World Cup to be affected by the closure of air spaces in West Asia, and will remain in India for the foreseeable future after their final match against South Africa on Sunday.
West Indies have also been forced to delay their departure from India*, due to “security threats posed by military action in the Gulf region”, CWI announced on Monday.
“CWI is working closely with the ICC, relevant governmental authorities and airline partners to secure the earliest possible safe travel arrangements for the squad and support staff,” the board said in a release. “The safety and wellbeing of our players, coaches, and officials remain our highest priority.
“The team is currently accommodated in India and remains safe and well. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as confirmed travel arrangements are finalised.”
Tournament organisers have been exploring alternative routes to get teams home as they finish their campaigns at the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. ESPNcricinfo understands that the Zimbabwe contingent was due to return home in batches, with some leaving as early as 4.30am on Monday morning and the rest to follow later in the day. They were booked on Emirates flights, which would take them from Delhi to Dubai and then on to Harare.
While it is understood that other airlines and routes are being considered, Zimbabwe are booked to stay at their Delhi hotel until March 4.
“No, not that I’ve heard of,” Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons said when asked if there was clarity over the team’s travel plans. “When we started the game there wasn’t anything. And now we’ve just been focused on the game, so I’ve not heard anything since.”
Pakistan, who played their final Super Eight game on Saturday and were knocked out of the tournament, have returned to Lahore from Colombo via a Sri Lankan airlines flight.
On Saturday morning, the USA and Israel exchanged missile strikes with Iran, leading to the closure of airspace over several countries in West Asia, disrupting air travel to the region and also internationally, with several airlines having to cancel flights or change routes.
The ICC, in a statement on Saturday, said it had been monitoring the evolving situation and had “activated comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics and well-being of all stakeholders” at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
“While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel – including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff – rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event,” the ICC said in a statement.
“The ICC Travel and Logistics team is actively working with major international carriers to identify and secure alternative routing options, including connections through European, South Asian and South-East Asian hubs. The ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and will provide real-time advisories as the situation develops. A dedicated ICC Travel Support Desk has also been activated.”
[Cricinfo]
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