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Rampaging Hetmyer, spinners seal West Indies’ massive win over Zimbabwe

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Shimron Hetmyer took 19 balls to reach his fifty [Cricinfo]

West Indies went on an unfettered big-hitting spree at the Wankhede Stadium, crushing Zimbabwe by 107 runs and sounding out a warning to other title-contenders in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Led by turbo-charged fifties from Shimron Hetmyer and Rowman Powell, West Indies racked up 254 for 6 – the second highest total at a men’s T20 World Cup – including 19 sixes. No team has hit more sixes in an innings in the history of the competition.

In response, Zimbabwe were all out for only 147, suffering their first loss in this tournament after topping Group B in the lead-up to the Super Eight.

It was Hetmyer, who started the carnage with a 19-ball half-century before former captain Powell and the rest of the middle order joined the six-hitting party. Hetmyer, Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder all kept launching the ball into the night sky and made it look ridiculously easy, like West Indies’ hitters did in 2012 and 2016.

After missing Zimbabwe’s group-stage fixtures against Australia and Sri Lanka with injury, left-arm quick Richard Ngarava marked his return by having Brandon King holing out to long leg for 9 off 12 balls with a 101kph slower ball. Then, in the final over of the powerplay, Craig Evans dug an offcutter into the pitch and had Shai Hope caught spectacularly by Brian Bennett in the outfield for 14 off 12 balls.

Despite losing two wickets, West Indies scored 55 runs in their first six overs, with Hetmyer responsible for 20 of those. Hetmyer was just getting started at No. 3, a new(ish) role for him in this T20 World Cup after spending the previous edition on the bench.

Identified by coach Daren Sammy as a batter who could perform Nicholas Pooran’s role, Hetmyer aced it on Monday. He was particularly severe on spin, cracking Graeme Cremer and Sikandar Raza for 56 off 17 balls, with all seven of his sixes coming against spin. Hetmyer’s strike rate of 329.41 is the second-highest among batters to have scored 50-plus runs against spinners in a men’s T20I, where ball-by-ball data is available.

Along the way, Hetmyer charged to a 19-ball half-century, toppling his own record for West Indies’ fastest fifty at a men’s T20 World Cup. Earlier in this tournament, Hetmyer had clubbed a 22-ball fifty against Scotland  in Kolkata.

Hetmyer was also aided by Zimbabwe’s fielding lapses. Tashinga Musekiwa dropped Hetmyer on 9 and then again on 70. Hetmyer added 15 to his tally after the second reprieve before Bennett eventually held onto a chance in the deep.

But the momentum seamlessly switched from one West Indies batter to another. Powell, who was on 15 off 17 balls at one point, teed off when he imperiously whipped Evans over midwicket. He hit three more sixes, including a 106-metre monster over extra-cover off part-time seamer Dion Myers in the 13th over. He pressed on to bring up a 29-ball fifty.

In the next over, Powell drilled one back so fiercely that the ball burst through the hands of Raza and left him needing attention from the physio. Raza even had to spend some time off the field, with Ngarava, the Test captain, standing in for him in the closing stages of the first innings.

Though Powell departed for 59, with Musekiwa getting third-time lucky and clinging onto a catch, electric cameos from Rutherford, Shepherd and Holder powered West Indies past 250.

Zimbabwe need a strong start to stay in the game. However, that was not to be and by the end of three overs, they were three down. Gudakesh Motie then precipitated Zimbabwe’s collapse with his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 28.

Having hurt his finger in the first innings, Raza (27 off 20 balls) came out to bat but only flickered briefly before Motie castled him with a delightful delivery that pitched on middle and ripped away to hit off.

Akeal Hosein’s dismissal of Bennett with his stock ball that drifted in towards middle and leg and turned away to hit off was another contender for the ball of the day.

The end was nigh for Zimbabwe when they slumped to 103 for 9 in the 15th over, but Evans delayed it with a 21-ball 43. Forde wrapped up the win – West Indies’ second biggest in terms of runs – when he had Evans top-edging a catch to short third in the 18th over.

Brief scores:
West Indies 254 for 6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 14, Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59, Sherfane Rutherford 31, Romario Shepherd 21, Jason Holder 13; Richard Ngarava 2-47, Blessing  Muzarabani 2-42, Brad Evans 1-46, Graeme Cremer 1-38) beat Zimbabwe 147 in 17.4 overs (Tadiwanashe Marumani 14, Brad Evans 43, Dion Myers 28, Sikandar Raza 27, Tony Munyonga 14;  Gudakesh Motie 4-28, Akeal Hosein 3-28, Matthew Forde 2-27, Jason Holder 1-25)  by 107 runs

[Cricinfo]



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Heat Index at ‘Caution Level’ in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 30 March 2026, valid for 31 March 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.


Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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Electricity tariffs to be increased from 1st April

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The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has granted approval to increase electricity tariffs with effect from 1st  April .

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) requested a 13.56% electricity tariff revision  for the second quarter of this year.

The revision announced by the PUCSL for  domestic consumers:

0–30 units category, electricity tariffs will rise by 4.3%, 

31–60 units category, tariffs will rise by 6.9%, 

61–90 units category, tariffs will rise by 6.9%, 

91–120 units category, tariffs will rise by 7.2%, 

Above 180 units, electricity tariffs will rise by  25.3% 

The PUCSL has decided not to increase electricity tariffs for religious and charitable institutions that consume below 180 units monthly and a  9.6% increase for institutions that consume above 180 units.

Ectricity tariffs for the general and household consumer categories has been increased by 8%, while the electricity tariff increase for the industrial sector is 8.7%,  the increase in tariff for government institutions is 14.4%.

 

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Rickelton, Rohit, Shardul break Mumbai’s first-game jinx

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Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma added 148 for the first wicket [Cricinfo]

Before Sunday, Mumbai Indians had never chased down a 220-plus target in their previous seven attempts. MI had never won their opening game of the IPL since 2012. On day two of IPL 2026,  MI broke two jinxes as they chased down 221 in 19.1 overs to begin their season with a comfortable six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Rohit Sharma  wound back the clock, smashing 78 off 38 balls, while Ryan Rickelton thumped 81 off 43, the duo adding 148 runs for the opening wicket off 71 balls.

That KKR were coming into this opening game severely depleted on the bowling front was known. The extent of it was visible on Sunday night with Vaibhav Arora and Blessing Muzarabani toothless, Varun Chakravarthy ineffective and Sunil Narine a shadow of his former self.

At the halfway mark, KKR might have been happy reaching 220 for 4, their second-highest score against MI in the IPL. Ajinkya Rahane,  who at the toss said that he had “never seen so much of grass at Wankhede”, scored 67 off 40 balls while Angkrish Raghuvanshi, another Mumbai lad, made 51 off 29 as KKR breached the 220 mark. But against a KKR unit missing several of their frontline seamers, MI barely had any hiccups, completing the highest-successful IPL chase at the Wankhede with five balls to spare.

It was a typical Rohit innings that Wankhede has witnessed so many times, laced with some of the most pristine shots. He was on 12 off eight at one stage, but once in, he lit up Mumbai like only he can. Coming into the game, he had a strike rate of less than 100 against Varun in T20s. So, what did he do? He lofted the spinner inside-out over covers first ball and then lifted him for six the next ball. By the time the powerplay was done, Rohit had raced to a 23-ball fifty, his fastest in the IPL and MI’s chase was on course.

They raced to 80 in the first six, past 100 in 8.1 overs and by the time Rohit fell, thanks to a lovely catch by Anukul Roy running back from mid-off, MI’s required rate had gone below nine, which at the start of the innings was above 11 an over.

There were a few raised eyebrows when Rickelton was picked over the more experienced Quinton de Kock , but the former justified his selection. Rickelton needed just the first couple of overs to get a hang of the surface and once he did, there was no stopping him. He deposited Arora for back-to-back sixes, one over extra cover and then over deep midwicket, and that kickstarted a brutal takedown of the KKR bowlers.

While he saw Rohit do his thing in the powerplay, Rickelton took on Narine after the six-over mark. He slog swept him over deep midwicket in his first over and then launched him over the ropes twice in three balls in the next to raise a 24-ball fifty.

He didn’t stop there and only fell courtesy a stunning direct hit from the deep by Anukul. Suryakumar Yadav, the Impact Sub, came and went, but Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma took MI closer. Hardik finished on an unbeaten 18 off 11 balls, while Naman Dhir hit the winning runs off Anukul as MI started their IPL 2026 in style.

Finn Allen brought his stellar form international cricket to the IPL. After facing five dot balls against Hardik, he went after MI debutant AM Ghazanfar, pumping him to the deep square fence and then spanking him for an 86-metre six over wide long-on. Another six capped off Ghazanfar’s opening over. Rahane then went after Hardik, thumping him for back-to-back sixes and Allen then got on strike and went 4, 4, 4. A monster 26-run over against Hardik helped KKR race past fifty in 3.5 overs, their fastest against MI in the IPL.

Shardul Thqkur, on MI debut, then brought his experience into play and sent back Allen who shoveled a slower length ball to long-off but Rahane carried on. He struck two fours off Thakur as KKR finished on 78 for 1 in six overs.

Two Mumbai boys on opposite ends were critical to their team’s cause. After removing Allen, Thakur sent back Cameron Green, whose innings lasted just ten balls and he then dismissed Rahane with a hard length delivery outside off that was mistimed to extra cover. At this point, KKR were still going at over ten an over but had lost steam, thanks to some terrific bowling from Bumrah, Trent Boult and Thakur.

Enter the other Mumbai boy, Raghuvanshi. He was on 17 off 14 at one stage but found a new lease of life after being dropped by Rohit at long-on. He closed out the 15th over with a four and six against Ghazanfar and then launched Thakur over long-on. Raghuvanshi added 60 off 30 balls with Rinku Singh for the fourth wicket, reaching his fifty off 28 balls as KKR raced past 200 in the 19th over.

Rinku struck unbeaten on 33 off 21 as KKR finished on 220 for 4 but it wasn’t enough.

Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 221 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Ryan Rickelton 81, Rohit Sharma 78, Suryakumar Yadav 16, Tilak Varma 20, HardikPandya 18*; Vaibhav Arora 1-52, Kartik Tyagi 1-43, Sunil Narine 1-30) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 220 for 4 in 20 overs  (Ajinkya Rahane 67, Finn Allen 37, Cameron Green 18, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 51, Rinku Singh 33*; Hardik Pandya 1-39, Shardul Thakur 3-39)  by six wickets

[Cricinfo]

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