West Indies head into Sunday’s T20 World Cup 2026 encounter at the Wankhede Stadium full of confidence, looking to continue their winning streak against a struggling Nepal side. The Caribbean team has won both its matches so far and sits comfortably on top of Group C thanks to a superior Net Run Rate. Another victory would tighten their grip on the summit and keep qualification momentum firmly in their favour.

Nepal may not have enjoyed the best campaign, yet the Associate nation has shown fighting spirit in patches and remains capable of springing a surprise. They will be eager to bounce back from their defeats at the hands of England and Italy, drawing confidence from their 2-1 T20I series win over the Windies last September.

WI vs NEP, T20 World Cup 2026: Match Details

• Date and Time: February 15; 11:00 am IST / 5:30 am GMT
• Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

WI vs NEP, Head-to-Head Record

Matches played: 3 | West Indies won: 1 | Nepal won: 2

Wankhede Stadium Pitch Report

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is famous for its lively surface, offering an entertaining contest between bat and ball. Early in the innings, the slight grass cover and natural bounce help fast bowlers generate movement with the new ball, making the opening overs especially important for both sides.

As the game moves on, the pitch usually settles and becomes far friendlier for batters. The even bounce and relatively short boundaries encourage stroke-play, often resulting in high-scoring matches where timing the ball feels comfortable. Teams chasing have traditionally enjoyed an advantage here, which makes the toss significant and captains often choose to field first. However, in recent games the surface has shown a more balanced nature, with spinners also getting some assistance later on as the ball begins to grip slightly.

Squads

Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Basir Ahamad, Sundeep Jora, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami

West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Jayden Seales, Quentin Sampson

Also WATCH: New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and his wife experience Ahmedabad’s night life in an ‘Auto’

WI vs NEP, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• West Indies wins the toss and bowls first
• Nepal’s powerplay score: 30-40
• Nepal’s total score: 150-160

Case 2:

• Nepal wins the toss and bowls first
• West Indies’ powerplay score: 40-50
• West Indies total score: 170-180

Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest.

Also READ: From Mayanti Langer, Laura McGoldrick to Grace Hayden: Complete list of presenters for T20 World Cup 2026

BNP chairman Tarique Rahman (AP)

Bangladesh is set for a change in leadership as the newly elected government of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by chairperson Tarique Rahman, prepares to take oath on Tuesday.Ahead of the swearing-in, chief adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus has invited leaders from 13 countries to attend the ceremony, reported ANI, citing Prothom Alo.

The invited countries, as per the report, include India, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.The ceremony will be held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament following the party’s landslide victory in the 2026 general election.Earlier, BNP leader ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan on Saturday expressed hope that PM Modi would be invited to the upcoming ceremony, while underscoring the party’s inclusive foreign policy vision “friends to all, malice to none”.Addressing reporters in Dhaka, Milan remarked on the question of inviting South Asian leaders to the event, “I don’t know exactly what they’re doing, but hopefully they’ll invite everyone. I don’t know exactly, but he (PM Modi) should be invited. It’s general courtesy. The organisers will do it. I hope the whole world will be with us.”BNP also thanked PM Modi for his congratulatory message following the party’s victory. In a post on X, it said, “Thank you very much, Honourable @narendramodi. We greatly appreciate your kind acknowledgment of Tarique Rahman’s leadership in securing the BNP’s decisive win in the national elections.”Highlighting the importance of bilateral ties, the BNP signalled its intent to work closely with New Delhi in the coming years. “We look forward to engaging constructively with India to advance our multifaceted relationship, guided by mutual respect, sensitivity to each other’s concerns, and a shared commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in our region.”The 2026 Bangladeshi general election, held on 12 February, was the first election after the 2024 mass protests that ousted long-time leader Sheikh Hasina. The BNP secured well over the 151 seats needed to form a government in the 300-seat parliament, positioning Rahman as prime minister-designate, while the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami alliance emerged as the main opposition. Voter turnout was around 59%, and a constitutional referendum on governance reforms also passed.

Ever since Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar hit theatres, the film has been the talk of the town. While Akshaye Khanna turned into an overnight internet sensation with his menacing act as Rehman Dakait, recent rumours claimed that the role was initially offered to Nagarjuna — and that the South superstar had turned it down.Now, Nagarjuna has set the record straight.

In a recent interaction with Bollywood Hungama, the actor dismissed the speculation, clarifying that he was never approached for the part that eventually went to Akshaye Khanna.“Absolutely not. I was not offered the role, though I wish I was… Dhurandhar is a superb film… Really incredible direction by Aditya Dhar. I loved his earlier film Uri also! Superb acting by everybody in the film, and Akshaye Khanna was terrific… Looking forward to the sequel! Wishing them another blockbuster,” Nagarjuna said.

‘Audiences demand international standards of storytelling’

Currently shooting for his 100th film, Nagarjuna also spoke about taking his time with the milestone project.“We are not rushing anything. There is no hurry to complete the film. We want it to be very special. After Dhurandhar, it is clear that the audiences demand international standards of storytelling,” he shared.

What lies ahead

Nagarjuna was last seen in Bollywood in Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), where he played Anish Shetty, the wielder of the Nandi Āstra, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. His next film is slated for a January 15 release during Sankranthi. Meanwhile, Akshaye Khanna is expected to return as Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which is scheduled to release on March 19. After Dhurandhar 2, the actor also has Mahakali and Ikka lined up.

The stage is set for the mother of all battles as arch-rivals India and Pakistan prepare to face off in a high-stakes Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

On Sunday, February 15, the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will be the epicenter of the cricketing world.With both teams entering the contest unbeaten, this match isn’t just about bragging rights; it’s a direct fight for the top spot in the group and a guaranteed ticket to the Super 8s.

India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Record in T20 World Cups

History heavily favours the Men in Blue. Out of the 7 encounters between these two sides in T20 World Cup history, India have emerged victorious 7 times, while Pakistan has secured only 1 win (back in 2021). One match famously ended in a tie in 2007, which India eventually won via a bowl-out.

In the broader T20I context, India leads the head-to-head record 13-3, maintaining a psychological edge over their neighbors.

Key player battles to watch

Suryakumar Yadav vs Shaheen Afridi: India’s captain and 360-degree specialist will face his ultimate test against Shaheen’s lethal incoming deliveries during the powerplay.

Babar Azam vs Kuldeep Yadav: Babar has historically struggled against left-arm wrist spin. Kuldeep’s variations will be vital in the middle overs to keep the Pakistani batting line-up in check.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Sahibzada Farhan: Farhan has been in sublime form this tournament, but facing the world’s best death bowler, Bumrah, under lights is a different challenge altogether.

Also READ: From Mayanti Langer, Laura McGoldrick to Grace Hayden – Complete list of presenters for T20 World Cup 2026

Broadcast and Live Streaming details 

NEW DELHI: For decades, the SC has lamented the erosion of public faith in judiciary because of the slow pace of justice delivery, especially for common citizens. This week, it closed a corruption case that had dragged on for nearly 32 years – six years in trial court, 14 years in HC and 11 years in SC, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra. The case related to the alleged siphoning of 400 cement bags meant for the public works division at Aurangabad on March 24, 1994. The trial court convicted the accused six years later on Apr 3, 2000. To concur with the trial court’s decision, the Bombay HC took more than 14 years.On appeal, the case remained pending for a decade in the SC before getting listed for final hearing before a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan, which reserved the verdict on Aug 21 last year. On Friday, after nearly six months, Justice Mahadevan pronounced the judgment acquitting the accused.Justice Mahadevan said, “Both the trial court and the high court held that the appellants (accused) failed to furnish any satisfactory explanation or documentary justification for such possession (of cement bags). These findings are essentially factual and are supported by the evidence on record.” Despite the evidence against the accused, the bench of Justices Nagarathna and Mahadevan acquitted the accused saying the prosecution charged them under provisions of Essential Commodities Act when on the date of siphoning off cement, it was not a commodity covered under that law.“That said, this was a case where the investigating agency ought to have invoked appropriate provisions of the Indian Penal Code, having regard to the nature of the allegations and the evidence collected,” it said and acquitted the accused saying, “The lapse, therefore, lies squarely at the door of the investigating agency.”

Suryakumar Yadav mimics Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq’s bowling action

NEW DELHI: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav recently copied Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq’s unusual bowling style during practice ahead of the big India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday. A video of Suryakumar mimicking Tariq’s action, including his signature pause before releasing the ball, went viral on social media. Watch:On Friday, the practice session was partly affected by light rain, so the Indian team had to train indoors in Colombo.

Tariq has become a big talking point because of his rare bowling style, which uses a sidearm action and a delayed release that makes it hard for batters to judge the ball. He has played only four T20 matches for Pakistan but has attracted attention since being selected for the World Cup. Although his action was reported twice in the past, the ICC later cleared him. Because of physical issues with his elbows, he cannot bowl with a fully straight arm like normal spinners.Speaking before the match, Suryakumar compared Tariq to a tricky exam question, saying, “See, sometimes there is a question in the exam as well which is out of syllabus. So, we can’t leave that question.” He added that India won’t give up and will prepare their own way to handle him: “To tackle that, you have to adopt your own way. Yes, he is a different character when he comes to bowl. But at the same time, we can’t just surrender. We practise with similar types of bowlers and similar actions. We will try to execute what we are practising in the net sessions.”