India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

India’s opening night of the T20 World Cup had both chaos and class, and two standout numbers from the match told the story better than anything else. Saurabh Netravalkar finished with figures of 0 for 65, the most expensive spell ever recorded in T20 World Cup history. It surpassed Sanath Jayasuriya’s 0 for 64 against Pakistan in Johannesburg back in 2007. The numbers were harsh, but they also reflected the damage done at the death by an Indian captain who refused to let his team sink.

Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 84 off 49 balls was more than just a rescue act. It also placed him second on the list of highest scores in a debut innings as captain in T20 World Cups. Only Chris Gayle’s iconic 88 against Australia in 2009 stands above it. Highest score in debut innings as captain (T20 WC)88 Chris Gayle vs Aus The Oval 200984*Suryakumar Yadav vs USA Wankhede 202668*Babar Azam vs Ind Dubai 202165 Mahela Jayawardene vs Ken Joburg 200761 Mohd Ashraful vs WO Joburg 2007 India’s innings began on a nervous note after USA captain Monank Patel won the toss and chose to bowl. Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck off the very first ball he faced, setting the tone for a difficult powerplay. The pressure only intensified as wickets kept tumbling. Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan departed in quick succession, and Shadley van Schalkwyk ripped through the middle order. Although Suryakumar walked in earlier at number four, the situation worsened rapidly around him. India slid to 77 for 6, with Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh both caught in the deep. The Wankhede crowd, stunned into silence, watched their defending champions teeter on the brink.From that point on, Suryakumar took complete control. He paced the innings with remarkable calm, shepherded the tail, and then shifted gears decisively. The counterattack began in the 16th over when he exploded against Saurabh Netravalkar, hammering three fours and a towering six to swing momentum India’s way. His fifty came off 36 balls, and he was far from done. The final over summed up his authority, as Suryakumar smashed 21 runs off Netravalkar, including two more sixes, dragging India past the 160 mark and giving their bowlers something to work with. Van Schalkwyk finished with an impressive 4 for 25, but the night ultimately belonged to India’s captain. From 77 for 6 to 161 for 9, Suryakumar Yadav turned a collapse into a contest, and etched his name into T20 World Cup history in the process.

The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup kicked off with a breathtaking display of glitz and grit at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On the evening of February 7, 2026, the cricketing world turned its gaze toward the Group A clash between defending champions India and the United States of America. Before the first ball was even bowled, the atmosphere was electric, blending the high-octane energy of Bollywood with the rising stakes of international cricket.

Badshah and Nora Fatehi deliver power-packed performances at the T20 World Cup 2026 opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was nothing short of a visual masterpiece. The evening began with a soulful yet powerful neo-classical medley by sitar virtuoso Rishab Rikhiram Sharma and legendary percussionist Sivamani, bridging the gap between traditional Indian sounds and the modern T20 era. The spectacle reached its peak when the T20 World Cup trophy made a dramatic entry, carried onto the field by a jetpack performer, a moment that left the 60,000-strong crowd in awe.

Following the formal declaration of the tournament by ICC Chairman Jay Shah and brand ambassador Rohit Sharma, the stage was handed over to the hitmakers. Rapper Badshah set the stadium ablaze with a high-energy set of his chart-topping anthems, turning the Wankhede into a massive concert floor. The momentum only grew when Nora Fatehi took over, delivering a power-packed dance performance with her signature precision and flair. The duo eventually joined forces for a grand finale, leaving the audience primed for the sporting battle that was to follow.

Here’s the video:

nora fatehi performance at the Wankhade stadium for T20 World Cup opening ceremony. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DcCNUH5ins

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) February 7, 2026

Nora Fatehi set the stage on fire with her performance at the T20 World Cup opening ceremony.🔥🥵 pic.twitter.com/JqLggIocli

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) February 7, 2026

Rohit Sharma, the brand ambassador of the T20 World Cup, walking onto the ground at Wankhede Stadium carrying the trophy.🙌🔥 pic.twitter.com/9kAYjWb6mD

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) February 7, 2026

The stars lit up a dazzling evening at the Wankhede ahead of India’s #T20WorldCup opener against USA ⚡️

Follow the LIVE action from the tournament, broadcast details in our bio ➡️https://t.co/NPykWM7qqY pic.twitter.com/hZGvnLI3Cp

— ICC (@ICC) February 7, 2026

Also READ: IND vs USA, T20 World Cup 2026: Here’s why Jasprit Bumrah is not playing today’s match

Suryakumar Yadav’s captain’s knock rescues India after early collapse against USA

While the entertainment was seamless, India’s start on the pitch was anything but. After USA captain Monank Patel won the toss and elected to field, the Indian top order faced a nightmare start against a disciplined American bowling attack. Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck in the second over, and despite a brief, breezy 25 from Tilak Varma, the Men in Blue found themselves reeling at 46/4 by the end of the Powerplay.

The middle order offered little respite, as Shivam Dube fell for a duck and Hardik Pandya managed only 5, leaving India gasping at 77/6 in the 13th over. However, Mumbai’s own Suryakumar Yadav stood like a rock amidst the ruins.

The “SKY” show truly began in the death overs. Suryakumar hammered 84 off 49 balls, single-handedly propelling the score past the 150-mark. He was particularly ruthless against the USA’s premier pacer, Saurabh Netravalkar, who ended with expensive figures of 0/65. For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk was the hero with the ball, tearing through the lineup to claim 4/25. Despite the early jitters, India finished with a fighting total of 161/9, setting up a fascinating chase for the USA under the Mumbai lights.

Also READ: Fans erupt as Romario Shepherd’s hat-trick sparks West Indies’ commanding T20 World Cup triumph over Scotland

Mumbai: When an eight-year-old boy with a persistent cough for over 45 days was brought to the state-run JJ Hospital’s TB clinic on Saturday, routine history-taking by doctors threw up some strange points.The child, since birth, had suffered three to four major respiratory infections requiring hospitalisations every year. He also had discharge from his ears, and his fingers were clubbed, meaning the tips were enlarged and the nails curved downwards to give a spoon-like appearance. “We realised that even if he did have TB, he most possibly also had a rare respiratory disease called ciliary dyskinesia,” said paediatrician Dr Sushant Mane. Luckily for the child, the hospital’s paediatrics department, through govt funding and CSR donations, developed a paediatric pulmonary centre with high-tech equipment to help diagnose the condition. There is now no need to send him or others to an outstation research lab or an expensive private lab for tests. “Besides, our costs will be a fraction of those for advanced respiratory tests in the private sector,” said Dr Mane. In Worli, pharma company Cipla Ltd inaugurated a lung wellness centre offering only respiratory tests, some for the first time in India. “There is an unmet need in India for respiratory diagnostics. India has a high burden of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and asthma, but barely 1% of the patients get timely diagnosis,” said Cipla MD Achin Gupta. The idea of focusing on the lung is to reduce the delay of 6 months-2 years it now takes to correctly diagnose patients with a chronic respiratory disease, such as COPD. The patient pool of chronic respiratory diseases in India is huge. According to Global Burden of Diseases 2023, over 6.89 crore people in India lived with chronic respiratory diseases, driven by high rates of COPD and asthma, with air pollution and smoking as primary risks. It said 3.77 crore Indians lived with COPD and 3.23 crore with asthma. “Around 40% of the patients, both paediatric and adult, who come to the daily OPD at JJ Hospital have respiratory illness, ranging from cough, tonsillitis, lower respiratory tract infection to pneumonia. The disease burden is high, but chronic respiratory diseases never got the attention like, say, cardiac diseases,” said Dr Mane. Indeed, while there are multiple diagnostic labs offering multiple heart tests, most hospitals only offer basic lung tests. Due to poor access to specific lung function tests, children lived with a wrong diagnosis for up to four years before coming to the JJ paediatric department. This prompted the decision to carve out a sub-specialty of paediatric pulmonology. “We get cases from across Maharashtra and neighbouring states. We are in the process of developing other paediatric sub-specialties in pulmonology, nephrology and rheumatology,” said head of paediatrics Dr Chhaya Valvi. The hospital is going to start a fellowship in paediatric pulmonology soon. Pulmonologist Dr Sujeet K Rajan from Bhatia Hospital, Tardeo, believes growing awareness about respiratory diseases has resulted in more diagnostic infrastructure. “There is more awareness about lung problems now, with people downloading apps for air quality index,” he said. However, there is a need for more awareness and infrastructure, he added.

Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, left, is congratulated by Fermin Lopez, center, and Lamine Yamal (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona strengthened their grip on the La Liga title race with a commanding 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday, opening up a four-point lead at the top of the table. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal played a central role, responding to an earlier miss with a stunning long-range finish that underlined his growing influence. Robert Lewandowski set Barça on their way in the first half before 18-year-old academy graduate Marc Bernal wrapped up the points late on with the first goal of his senior career. The result gives Barcelona breathing space at the summit, although second-placed Real Madrid have the chance to cut the deficit to a single point when they travel to Valencia on Sunday. Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s initial effort down the left was blocked. The striker calmly brought the ball under control, shifted it away from a defender and finished with precision from close range. Rashford’s growing confidence was evident again just before the interval. His curling free kick in stoppage time forced an excellent save from Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman. The rebound dropped invitingly for Jules Koundé inside the area, but his mishit effort fell to Yamal, who surprisingly failed to convert from virtually on the goal line. Lewandowski, one of the game’s most prolific scorers with more than 650 club goals to his name, was quick to encourage the young winger after the miss. Yamal made amends in emphatic fashion in the 61st minute. Skipping past a defender on the edge of the box, he unleashed a fierce, dipping left-footed strike into the bottom corner, leaving Roman rooted to the spot. Both Yamal and Lewandowski were substituted later in the match and watched on approvingly as Bernal added the third in the 83rd minute. Barcelona cut through Mallorca’s midfield with a sharp passing move that released the teenager, who showed impressive composure to glide past a defender and slot the ball neatly inside the post. Elsewhere in La Liga, two fixtures were postponed. Rayo Vallecano’s home clash with Oviedo was called off due to safety concerns over the pitch at Vallecas Stadium, while Sevilla’s match against Girona was also postponed because of adverse weather. Oviedo said it understood the decision but criticised the late notice and confirmed it was considering legal action.

Mumbai: Observing that the prosecution had made out a strong prima facie case to frame charges, a special court on Saturday rejected the discharge pleas of Premier Port Links Pvt Ltd, owned by Salil Deshmukh, and two chartered accountants, allegedly involved in a money laundering case linked to former state home minister Anil Deshmukh. Salil is Anil Deshmukh’s son and also an accused in the case.“…It prima facie appears that the company is one of the entities controlled and managed by the co-accused, the then home minister Anil Deshmukh and his family, and was utilised as a part of the larger corporate structure created for layering and integration of tainted funds,” special judge Mahesh K Jadhav said in the order.The judge said it appeared that the company, in conspiracy with others, had acquired illegal loans of Rs 2.2 crore from Flourish Properties Pvt Ltd, in which Deshmukh’s family had infused funds through share capital. “Fifty percent share of the applicant company was allotted to Salil Deshmukh for a meagre amount of Rs 17.5 lakh when the company is having assets of Rs 5.4 crore.”ED had said during his stint as home minister, Anil Deshmukh received around Rs 4.7 crore, collected from owners and managers of orchestra bar for their smooth functioning during the pandemic. Deshmukh’s chartered accountant, Sudhir Baheti, had told the agency that he had introduced Delhi-based hawala operators to his son, Hrishikesh. Nearly Rs 4.2 crore, in various tranches, was received by the trust from the paper companies of the hawala operators under the garb of donation, ED said.In the first order on Premier Port Links, it was argued that its land transactions and loans were concluded years before the alleged scheduled offence and that the company, not being a legal person, could not possess criminal intent. However, the prosecution said the Deshmukh family exercised substantive control over the entity, using it to layer tainted funds.The judge observed, “The company has, thus, got directly indulged and is actually involved in the concealment, possession, acquisition and use of proceeds of crime.” The judge noted that the company acquired the proceeds of crime across several financial years, concealing them under the guise of loans to acquire land. Addressing the company’s defence regarding the timing of its transactions, the judge clarified the independent nature of the anti-money laundering law. “…money laundering is a continued offence. Therefore, the question about the acquisition of the said property does not come into play and cannot be considered as a ground to discharge the applicant company.” The court noted that the legal framework serves as a “crucial mechanism to ensure that the individuals involved in laundering the proceeds of crime are brought to justice and that economic offence does not go unpunished”.In separate orders, the court also refused to discharge chartered accountants Vinod Hassani and Vishal Khatwani. Both claimed they were merely providing professional services and had no knowledge of the source of funds.Hassani said he had resigned from his firm in 2017, long before the alleged generation of crime proceeds. The judge, however, pointed to statements suggesting he remained associated in an advisory capacity and was found in possession of share certificates in late 2020.The court noted that the accused were “instrumental in managing the financial affairs of a network of companies controlled by the co-accused Anil Deshmukh and his family”. It held that the chartered accountants played an active role that went beyond passive professional work.On the chartered accountants’ involvement with dummy directors and documentation, the judge said they misused their professional expertise and knowingly facilitated money laundering. The judge said they played a “conscious role in creating and maintaining a corporate veil for laundering operations which transcends passive routine professional work”.

Mumbai: When 30-year-old Fatima (name changed) was diagnosed with drug-resistant (DR) TB in Jan last year, her doctors were clear: Missing a dose or skimping on nutrition wasn’t an option. The Govandi resident handed over her bank details to health workers, trusting the central govt’s promise of Rs 1,000 per month for nutrition. It was soon broken.Apart from two transfers of Rs 3,000 each in March and June, Fatima was left to fight the disease on an empty stomach for half the year. Like her, 39,164 patients in Mumbai were left high and dry all through 2025—India’s promised deadline for TB elimination—as just 9,800 were paid their dues. A TB specialist from Govandi, who has worked with top officials on several policy initiatives, said, “We now tell patients in the early stages of treatment itself that the money will eventually reach them, but we clarify there is no telling when.” Launched in 2018, Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) was an acknowledgement that food intake is an essential part of TB treatment. At the time, Rs 500 per month was locked in as nutritional support; last year, this was increased to Rs 1,000. As per central TB division’s (CTD) latest data, 1.38 crore TB patients in the country have been paid Rs 4,453 crore since 2018. In the same period, 1.64 crore patients have been diagnosed, but over 26 lakh have been left out of the scheme. India reported as many fresh TB cases last year. CTD officials refused to comment. Soham (29) (name changed), a Thane resident, stopped receiving the sum long ago, after he asked for a change in his bank details. He was first diagnosed with multi-drug resistant TB in 2022 but missed his medication several times due to external circumstances. Standard drug-sensitive TB is treated for six months, while DR-TB treatment can last 18-24 months. Although the recently rolled out regimen shortens DR-TB treatment to just 6-9 months, it is yet to take over and cannot be given to extra-pulmonary TB cases. India reports around 1.3 lakh DR-TB cases annually and 15-20% of all TB cases are extra-pulmonary. By 2023, Soham had progressed to an extensively drug-resistant TB case. “I admitted myself to Sewri TB Hospital. The treatment and the food there helped. I was discharged last April at 56kg, but my lung was severely impacted.” The family’s finances took such a severe hit that Soham could not afford adequate food intake after discharge. By Oct, he suffered a reinfection. His weight dropped to 52kg; as of Saturday, it was 46kg. In Dec, his mother was diagnosed with DR-TB. Soham’s latest reports indicated he is now resistant to 13 vital drugs, including bedaquiline. Fatima has one toddler and a six-year-old to feed and just Rs 15,000 reaches home from her father’s tailoring job. Asked what she would have done with the monthly Rs 1,000, she said, “There is not much one can do with it, but I would have got at least some groceries, eggs and milk.” In her 200sqft inadequately ventilated home within Govandi’s slums, her mother pointed at her two children. “Any food she eats, the two nibble on it.” Fatima is immobile most days and can’t take the elder child to school. She worked at a school before TB struck. Public health specialist Chapal Mehra, convenor of Survivors Against TB, noted that the entire premise of NPY was to give patients access to these basic nutritional sources. “Loss of pay due to illness is common. It was straightforward: People should not be in a food crisis. Patients need items like eggs, milk, curd, and some fruits; they are widely available, easier to consume, and can aid in recovery.” Mehra and other experts had hoped for at least Rs 2,000 as monthly support. Dr Anurag Bhargava, whose landmark 2021 RATIONS trial was so influential in proving nutrition’s role in TB outcomes that WHO revised its global guidelines last year, noted that govt has provided no clear rationale for how it arrived at these figures. He questioned why the initial amount was set at Rs 500 and on what basis the increase to Rs 1,000 was considered sufficient. “India’s effort to provide such assistance to TB patients is likely the largest in the world. There are challenges in implementation which need to be addressed urgently. The timeliness, the amount that is disturbed needs a relook, which is likely happening at a national level,” he said. An ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology study of over 3,000 TB patients found that while most received NPY funds at least once, there were delays exceeding three months. Patients who didn’t receive support were more likely to suffer poor treatment outcomes, the study said. Fatima estimates she has spent upwards of Rs 50,000 on her illness; she was earlier misdiagnosed with typhoid. Her weight was 54kg when she started TB treatment. As of her last checkup in the middle of the year, her weight had dropped to 50kg. The question lingers: If India’s own target of elimination has passed, what does it mean for 2030, the target for TB elimination as per sustainable development goals? Pulmonologist Dr Lancelot Pinto from Hinduja Hospital said, “We are nowhere close to meeting those goals. As long as there is overcrowding, increasing pollution—newer evidence links poor air quality and TB—and issues such as medicine stockouts and lack of nutritional allowance persist, TB is here to stay.“