The T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is now just over a month away, with the tournament set to begin on February 7. As the tension mounts, several major cricket boards, including India and Australia, have already begun releasing their provisional squads, leaving fans to speculate on the final lineups for the remaining powerhouses.

For South Africa, the ongoing SA20 2026 league is serving as the ultimate audition ground, providing a high-stakes platform for veterans and rising stars alike to prove their worth. The competition for the final 15 spots is fiercer than ever, as the Proteas aim to finally secure the world title that narrowly eluded them in the previous edition.

Dale Steyn backs South African player white-ball statement despite no T20 World Cup 2026 hope

Legendary fast bowler Dale Steyn has emerged as a vocal advocate for Simon Harmer’s inclusion in the South African T20 World Cup squad, citing the off-spinner’s incredible recent form and big-game temperament. Harmer has been in sensational touch, most recently scripting history during the Test series in India in late 2025, where he took 17 wickets at a staggering average of 8.94, surpassing Steyn’s own long-standing record for the most wickets by a South African in a series on Indian soil.

While often viewed primarily as a red-ball specialist, Harmer has been making a loud statement in the shorter formats; in the current SA20 2025/26 season, he was called up by Durban’s Super Giants to replace the legendary Sunil Narine, immediately making an impact with his control and wicket-taking ability. His T20 stats over the last year show a significant evolution, with an improved economy rate of 6.17 in his early 2026 appearances and a knack for picking up crucial middle-over breakthroughs. Steyn argues that on the spinning tracks of India and Sri Lanka the very conditions where Harmer just dismantled the Indian Test lineup, his experience and 500+ first-class wickets become an invaluable asset.

Harmer’s ability to extract sharp bounce and turn, combined with his lower-order batting utility, makes him a unique tactical option that Steyn believes the Proteas cannot afford to ignore. Despite the selectors leaning toward Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, Steyn insists that Harmer effect provides the psychological edge and variety needed for a World Cup campaign.

“Simon Harmer won’t be selected for the Proteas World Cup team, but seriously, he’s making a valid white ball statement if I’ve ever seen one.” Steyn wrote on X.

Simon Harmer won’t be selected for the Proteas World Cup team, but seriously, he’s making a valid white ball statement if I’ve ever seen one.

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) December 30, 2025

Also READ: Lakshmipathy Balaji predicts the finalists of T20 World Cup 2026

South Africa’s heartbreaking journey so far in T20 World Cup history

South Africa’s journey through T20 World Cup history has been a saga of immense talent often met with heartbreaking conclusions. Since the inaugural tournament in 2007, which they hosted, the Proteas have participated in every edition but have frequently been haunted by narrow misses and net run-rate technicalities. Their most painful chapter came in the most recent T20 World Cup 2024, where they reached their first-ever final across all formats. Despite being in a winning position against India, they fell short by just seven runs, ending as runners-up.

Prior to that, they reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014, only to be thwarted by Pakistan and India respectively. For a team that has produced T20 legends like AB de Villiers (their leading run-scorer in the tournament with 717 runs) and Anrich Nortje (their highest wicket-taker with 35 scalps), the empty trophy cabinet remains a point of national obsession. As they head into 2026, the Proteas are desperate to shed the “underachiever” label and finally convert their consistent top-tier performances into a global title.

Also READ: Harbhajan Singh picks the semifinalists of T20 World Cup 2026

Global investment opportunities are set to widen meaningfully in 2026 as easing monetary policy, a weakening US dollar and profit growth outside the United States reshape capital flows, according to Franklin Templeton report.The asset manager report titled ‘Global Investment Outlook 2026 and Beyond’ said that lobal markets are entering a phase where returns are likely to “broaden” across regions and asset classes, moving away from the US-centric leadership seen in recent years, even as American equities — particularly technology stocks — remain resilient.”“In 2026, we foresee broadening opportunities across global capital markets, driven by attractive profits growth outside the United States and by global monetary policy easing,” the report said.Franklin Templeton identified three cyclical forces defining the near-term landscape — broadening, steepening and weakening. Broadening reflects expanding opportunities across geographies and asset classes; steepening points to yield curves as short-term rates fall faster than long-term yields; and weakening refers to the US dollar, which the firm expects to remain under pressure.Yield curves are likely to steepen as central banks cut policy rates, reducing the appeal of cash and pushing investors towards equities, credit and longer-duration fixed income. “Falling short-term interest rates will incentivise investors to move out of cash holdings and into risk assets,” the report said, adding that cyclically sensitive sectors such as financials, industrials and smaller companies could benefit.The US Federal Reserve resumed rate cuts in September 2025 after a nine-month pause and is expected to continue easing into the first half of 2026, even as inflation remains above target. Franklin Templeton said this policy backdrop reinforces its broadening thesis, encouraging investors to look beyond traditional safe assets.The US dollar has already fallen about 10% on a trade-weighted basis this year, and the report suggested the decline may not be over. “Weakening of the US dollar tends to reinforce a broadening of returns across capital markets, by region, sector, and asset class,” it said, highlighting positive implications for emerging market debt and equities.Looking beyond 2026, Franklin Templeton outlined three long-term themes likely to shape portfolios over the coming half-decade — the Age of Intelligence, the mainstreaming of private markets and an era of big government.Artificial intelligence remains central to the long-term investment case, but the report stressed that AI deployment is still in its early stages. “Its contribution to growth, social welfare, and investment returns is just beginning,” Franklin Templeton said, pointing to continued opportunities in data centres, advanced semiconductors and AI-enabling infrastructure.A key constraint — and opportunity — lies in energy. “One of the most compelling investment themes is the need to ‘feed the beast’ to sate AI’s vast energy appetite,” the report noted, flagging rising electricity demand and spillover benefits for engineering, industrial metals and power infrastructure.Private markets are also expected to play a larger role as investors search for income and diversification in a lower-rate environment. Franklin Templeton identified commercial real estate debt, infrastructure and secondary private equity offerings as preferred areas as cash yields decline.At the same time, the report struck a note of caution, warning that rising government intervention could dampen returns. “We have entered an era of big and intrusive government, which risks lowering returns and increasing risk across capital markets over the remainder of this decade,” it said.Franklin Templeton said investors will need to adapt portfolios to a world where leadership is more dispersed, policy uncertainty remains elevated and innovation — particularly in technology, private assets and digital finance — continues to be the dominant long-term driver of returns.

NEW DELHI: Year 2025 was the eighth warmest year on record in India whereas the 2016-25 period emerged as the warmest decade, the IMD said while releasing its annual climate summary on Thursday. Making a monthly forecast for the current month, it said most regions of the country are likely to experience “below normal” minimum temperatures – it means many parts, specifically the north (Uttar Pradesh), central (east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and north Maharashtra) and east India (Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand), may have colder nights in Jan.The similar pattern may, however, not be experienced in some parts of northwest (Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh) and northeast India, as well as southern Peninsular India, where both day (max.) and night (min.) temperatures are likely to be ‘above normal’ (warmer).Days may even be warmer in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal as well during Jan after the first few days of the month. Nights will, however, be colder in the entire region during the month, leading to fog formation on many days. IMD also predicted “normal to above normal” rainfall across “most parts” of the country, which is conducive for the standing Rabi (winter sown) crops. Though Punjab, Haryana and other parts of northwest India are likely to get ‘below normal’ showers, it won’t impact the farming operations there due to a fairly good irrigation network and water storage facilities in the region.Releasing the annual climate summary for 2025, director general of the IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, said the year with recording 0.28 degree Celsius higher than the long-term (1991-2020) average temperature turned out to be “eighth warmest year” since nationwide temperature records began in the country in 1901.“Notably, 10 of the 15 warmest years in India have occurred during the recent 15-year period (2011-25),” he said, underlining that the year 2024 was the warmest year on record with reporting 0.65 degree C above the long-term average temperature.Last year’s winter was not as severe as what may be experienced this year. It was clearly reflected from the temperature anomaly of Jan and Feb of 2025. Feb last year recorded the “highest monthly mean temperature ever” for the country whereas Jan marked the “second highest” on record since 1901.IMD data shows the extreme weather events led to 2,763 deaths in 2025 with Uttar Pradesh recording the highest such casualties followed by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Bihar. Floods and heavy rains took the highest toll of 1,372 followed by lightning & thunderstorms that took 1,317 lives.As far as the global average temperature in 2025 was concerned, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently noted that the year is set to be either the second or third warmest year on record. So far, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally followed by 2023, the previous warmest. Both these years along with 2025 may, therefore, now be the three warmest years on record.Mohapatra attributed a virtually dry Dec 2025 to the absence of western disturbances that bring rains and thunderstorms to the northwest and central India. “The western disturbances are either moving towards north or moving too fast,” he said, attributing the change in pattern to climate change.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli welcomed the New Year by sharing a special moment with his wife Anushka Sharma, posting a picture on social media that instantly caught the attention of fans. The photograph, shared on New Year’s Day, showed the couple in a glamorous setting, reflecting a warm and personal start to 2026. Kohli did not add a lengthy caption to the post, instead opting for a simple star emoji that spoke volumes.

Earlier, the former India captain had also shared another post offering a glimpse into his New Year celebrations with Anushka. In that image, both were seen wearing masks, with Kohli’s mask playfully resembling Spider-Man, adding a light-hearted touch to the moment. The post highlighted the couple’s understated yet intimate way of ringing in the New Year.Kohli later shared another photograph on Instagram, again featuring the couple wearing masks. Alongside the image, Kohli wrote, “Stepping into 2026 with the light of my life.” The post received an overwhelming response from fans and well-wishers, with the comments section flooded with messages wishing the couple happiness and success in the year ahead.

Away from social media, Kohli continues to enjoy a prolific phase on the cricket field, particularly in One-Day Internationals, following his retirement from T20 Internationals and Test cricket. Now 37, he recently made a return to India’s premier domestic one-day competition for the first time in 15 years and made an immediate impact. Kohli struck scores of 131 and 77 in successive innings, reaffirming his class and enduring hunger for runs.Those performances also saw him create history in List A cricket, as he became the fastest batter to reach 16,000 runs, eclipsing a long-standing record held by Sachin Tendulkar. His strong domestic showing followed a stellar ODI series against South Africa, where Kohli registered two centuries and a fifty to help India secure a 2-1 series victory.India’s squad is set to assemble in Vadodara on January 8 ahead of the home ODI series against New Zealand. The three-match series begins on January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series later in the month.

At least three people have died in the first reported fatalities after protests driven by Iran’s worsening economic conditions spread Thursday into rural provinces, said authorities.The unrest marks the largest wave of protests in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the current protests have not yet become countrywide and have been less intense than those sparked by Amini’s death, which followed her detention over not wearing her hijab to the satisfaction of authorities.

While demonstrations have slowed in Tehran, they have expanded to other parts of the country. The deaths — one on Wednesday and two on Thursday — occurred in two cities largely inhabited by Iran’s Lur ethnic group. The fatalities may indicate the start of a heavier-handed response by Iran’s theocracy.In Lordegan, a city in Iran’s Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, online videos showed demonstrators gathered in the street as gunfire could be heard. The footage matched known features of the city, located about 470 kilometers (290 miles) south of Tehran.The semiofficial Fars news agency, citing an anonymous official, reported that two people were killed during protests there on Thursday. The Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran also said two demonstrators were killed in Lordegan and shared a still image of what appeared to be an Iranian police officer wearing body armor and carrying a shotgun. Iran’s government media did not immediately report on the violence in the city.Separately, a demonstration Wednesday night resulted in the death of a 21-year-old volunteer with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force. State-run IRNA reported the Guard member’s death without providing details. The Student News Network, believed to be close to the Basij, blamed demonstrators, citing comments from Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Lorestan province.The Guard member “was martyred … at the hands of rioters during protests in this city in defense of public order,” Pourali reportedly said. He added that 13 Basij members and police officers were injured.“The protests that have occurred are due to economic pressures, inflation and currency fluctuations, and are an expression of livelihood concerns,” Pourali said. “The voices of citizens must be heard carefully and tactfully, but people must not allow their demands to be strained by profit-seeking individuals.”The protest took place in the city of Kouhdasht, more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tehran. Local prosecutor Kazem Nazari said 20 people were arrested and that calm had returned to the city, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.Iran’s civilian government, led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, has sought to signal a willingness to engage with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged he has limited options as the national currency continues to slide, with $1 now costing about 1.4 million rials.State television separately reported the arrest of seven people, including five it described as monarchists and two allegedly linked to European-based groups. It also said security forces seized 100 smuggled pistols during another operation, without providing further details.Authorities declared Wednesday a public holiday across much of the country, officially citing cold weather. The move appeared aimed at drawing people out of Tehran ahead of a long weekend. Iran’s weekend falls on Thursday and Friday, while Saturday marks Imam Ali’s birthday, another holiday for many.Though rooted in economic hardship, the protests have also included chants against Iran’s theocratic system. The unrest comes as the country’s leaders are still dealing with the aftermath of a 12-day war launched by Israel in June, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites.Iran has said it is no longer enriching uranium at any location in the country, signaling openness to negotiations with Western powers in hopes of easing sanctions. However, talks have yet to begin, as US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear program.

Florida Panthers at New York Rangers (Image Via Twitter)

A new year starts with the NHL Winter Classic. The hockey fans in all parts of the USA and Canada are waiting for this so much that they are actually writing the date of this famous outdoor event on their calendars. It is not only the location, but the teams taking part too, that make this year’s classic stand out. The Panthers and Rangers will fight each other, and the spectators will have a good time watching fast-paced action, certainly some unforgettable moments, and a total celebration of hockey tradition like no other. With such a unique and historical holding, this winter classic truly emerges as one of the most awaited games of the NHL season.January 2, Friday, 2026, 8 p.m. ET is the date and time for the NHL Winter Classic. It is going to happen at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, which is home to the Miami Marlins, a Major League Baseball team. The event will set the record for the southernmost outdoor game in NHL history, as well as being the very first one in Florida. Besides the Rangers and the Panthers, fans will get to see the whole fiasco happening under brightly lit stadiums, where the intensity of ice hockey comes to the most unusual but spectacular setting ever. The Sporting News indicates that the shift from the traditional New Year’s Day slot to that of the game’s day is a measure to ensure that maximum attention will be on the ice because the game will not conflict with the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

How to watch NHL Winter Classic: Florida Panthers vs. New York Rangers

The game will be broadcast live on TNT and truTV, and there is also a streaming option through DIRECTV. Besides, viewers can also follow the game via SiriusXM channel 220, where live commentary and analysis will be provided.The football- and baseball-type stadium setting of LoanDepot Park contributes to the magic, with the audience experiencing hockey in a new and historic environment. As the league moves its winter magic to Miami, the 2026 Winter Classic is going to be one of the most unforgettable moments for players and fans alike.The NHL Winter Classic 2026 is going to be a show event, mixing up the old with the new and playing the country-wide game that will be at the center of the spotlight for the entire hockey fandom.Also Read: Top NHL suspensions and fines of 2025: Mathew Barzal, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, and others disciplined

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Cricket presenter and content creator Grace Hayden has warned fans about fraudulent social media account impersonating her identity, urging users to remain vigilant and report the profiles immediately. The warning comes amid a growing trend of fake and AI-generated accounts targeting high-profile women in sport.

Hayden took to her verified accounts on Instagram and X to flag the issue publicly. She clarified that she does not operate any active Facebook account and that any profile claiming to be her on Facebook is fraudulent.

According to Grace, one of the most prominent fake profiles was operating on X under the handle @Graciehayden02. The account closely mimicked her name and public persona, leading followers to believe it was authentic. Hayden revealed that the account was suspected to be operated by an individual named Abdul, allegedly using a VPN to mask their location.

“These accounts are not me,” Grace stressed in her post, adding that she has no active presence on Facebook.

She encouraged followers to block and report any such profiles, emphasizing that engagement only increases the scam’s reach. Her swift action and transparency helped prevent further misuse of her identity.

Fans rally to get Grace’s fake account removed

The response from Hayden’s followers was immediate and supportive. Fans used platform tools such as community notes on X to flag the impersonator, helping other users quickly identify the account as fake. Within a short period, the account was removed, highlighting the effectiveness of collective reporting and platform moderation tools when used promptly.

This episode also demonstrated how public figures increasingly rely on their online communities to combat digital fraud. Hayden thanked supporters for acting quickly, noting that fan awareness plays a crucial role in limiting the damage caused by such scams.

Also READ: PHOTOS – Grace Hayden parties with father Matthew Hayden after returning from ILT20

Why Grace Hayden became the target of online scam?

Impersonators often exploit Hayden’s public profile as the daughter of former Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden, as well as her growing reputation as a cricket presenter and media voice.

Scammers typically use such identities to build trust with unsuspecting users, with the aim of phishing for personal information or soliciting money.

Cybersecurity experts note that impersonation scams frequently target women in sport, leveraging their visibility and follower base. Grace’s case is part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated incident.

Also READ: Ashes 2025/26 – Here’s why Grace Hayden thanked Joe Root for his hundred in Gabba Test