The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to explode across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, featuring 20 teams competing in 55 high-octane matches. The tournament spans eight iconic venues, including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai in India, alongside Colombo and Kandy in Sri Lanka. Defending champions India will kick off the spectacle on February 7 against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium, while the grand final is slated for the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

T20 World Cup 2026: Ricky Ponting’s ultimate prediction for both leading run-scorer and the Player of the Tournament

In a massive endorsement ahead of the tournament, legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has named opener Abhishek Sharma as his pick to be both the leading run-scorer and the Player of the Tournament. Ponting, who was Abhishek’s first IPL coach at Delhi, revealed he ‘pleaded’ with the franchise not to trade the youngster years ago, having recognized his superstar potential from his very first ball. The ICC Hall of Famer believes that Abhishek’s ‘lack of experience’ in major ICC events is a secret weapon, allowing him to play without mental baggage or fear.

“He’s a star. I think it’s (lack of experience) a real positive to be honest. He can be the leading run-scorer and potentially the Player of the Tournament. That’s how good I think he is. And if he does, that makes India even harder to beat. If he doesn’t, then they’re as vulnerable as anybody else. So that’s how important I think he is to this (T20) World Cup for India.” Ponting was quoted as saying by ICC.

Following a sensational series against New Zealand where he struck at an astounding average of 45.50 and a strike rate of 249.31, Abhishek is viewed by Ponting as the ‘X-factor’ who makes India nearly impossible to beat if he finds his rhythm early in the group stages.

“I was his first IPL coach. He debuted with me, I think as a 17-year-old at Delhi and made an immediate impact. I think he hit his first ball for four or six straight back over the bowler’s head with that classical sort of straight bat and held the pose. And you could just see then as a 17-year-old that there was something extra special. We ended up trading him away from Delhi, but I pleaded and pleaded and pleaded and said, please don’t do this. We’ve got to (keep him), there’s an absolute superstar in the making here. And that’s what it’s turned out to be. I’ve got really high hopes for him in this time.” Ponting concluded.

Also WATCH: Mitchell Marsh breaks silence on Pakistan’s boycott of India game and Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 withdrawal

India’s T20 World Cup title defense under Suryakumar Kumar

Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, the Men in Blue enter the 2026 edition as defending champions and the top-ranked T20I side in the world. India are placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA, with their opening fixture scheduled against the Americans at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7.

The squad boasts incredible depth, featuring a mix of seasoned veterans like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya alongside explosive ‘Gen-Next’ stars who have dominated the home series leading up to the Cup. With the tournament being co-hosted across India and Sri Lanka, the home advantage and familiarity with subcontinental tracks make India the overwhelming favorites to become the first team to win back-to-back Men’s T20 World Cup titles.

Also READ: ‘When you can’t beat them, boycott them’: Pakistan’s decision to decline India T20 World Cup 2026 match triggers fan reactions

China on Monday criticised the Grammy Award conferred on the Dalai Lama, stating that it “firmly opposes” the Tibetan spiritual leader using the international recognition to carry out what it described as “anti-China activities.”The reaction came after the Dalai Lama (also known as Tenzin Gyatso) won his first Grammy Award in the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category for his spoken-word album Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles.

Responding to a question on the award, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated Beijing’s long-standing position on the Tibetan leader, alleging that he engages in separatist activities under the guise of religion.“The Dalai Lama is not purely a religious person,” Lin told a media briefing. “He is a political exile committed to anti-Chinese separatist activity under the disguise of religion.”Lin added that Beijing “firmly opposes relevant sides using the award as a tool to carry out anti-China activities.”The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamsala, India, since fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his consistent, non-violent struggle for the freedom of Tibet, as described by the Nobel Committee.At the Grammys, the 90-year-old spiritual leader edged out other nominees including Kathy Garver for Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story, Trevor Noah for Into the Uncut Grass, Ketanji Brown Jackson for Lovely One: A Memoir, and Fab Morvan for You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.Reacting to the award, the Dalai Lama struck a reflective and understated tone, saying that he did not see the honour as a personal achievement.“I firmly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings. I am grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely,” he added.China considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and has repeatedly objected to foreign governments, institutions and platforms engaging with him, while the Tibetan leader maintains that he seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet and not independence.

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Gold price prediction: Technically, the trend still remains positive, however RMS selling and profit booking has changed the behaviour and structure of the chart. (AI image)

Gold price prediction today: Gold prices will continue to be volatile and range bound in the near future, says Manav Modi, Senior Analyst, Commodity Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. He shares his views and recommendations for gold investors and key levels to watch out for in the near term:Gold and silver ended the week on a sharply weaker footing after a violent correction from record highs, as a rebound in the US dollar and shifting expectations around US monetary leadership triggered heavy profit-taking.

Reports that the Trump administration nominating Kevin Warsh, forced markets to reprice rate cut expectations, along with ETF and speculative profit booking, weighing on prices.While the broader backdrop of fiscal stress, geopolitical uncertainty and long-term policy accommodation remains supportive for bullion, the scale of the recent rally left prices vulnerable to a brutal reset. Domestically, the Union Budget delivered no surprises for precious metals, keeping policy neutral. Attention now shifts to the RBI decision, US jobs data and PMI releases, which will be key in determining whether the correction stabilises or extends further.Technically, the trend still remains positive, however RMS selling and profit booking has changed the behaviour and structure of the chart.Prices are way out of the bollinger band and below the important support zones. Important indicators like, RSI are near the previous lows amid price fall, indicating that some rebound is likely. Major support zone is near Rs 1,25,000 while, the near term support is at Rs 132,000 on higher side; Rs 155,000 and Rs 160,000 proves to be an immediate resistance.Some caution needs to be maintained amidst further panic selling hence stance for this week will be range bound.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

File Pic: Josh Hazlewood (Getty Images)

Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will not travel with the national squad for the early part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with selectors opting to continue his rehabilitation program in Australia rather than rush him into competition in Sri Lanka. National selector Tony Dodemaide confirmed on Monday that Hazlewood will remain in Sydney as the tournament gets underway on February 7.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Australia begin their World Cup campaign on February 11 against Ireland and will play all four of their preliminary group matches in Colombo and Pallekele.

“We felt with Josh it was more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home in a familiar environment before travelling to Sri Lanka,” Dodemaide said, adding that no specific timeline had been set for Hazlewood’s availability later in the tournament.Hazlewood is recovering from a lingering Achilles issue that surfaced during his rehabilitation from a previous hamstring strain, an injury that also ruled him out of the 2025–26 Ashes series. Australia’s group-stage matches will conclude on February 20, with Oman, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe also in their group.In contrast, there was positive news on the availability front with Nathan Ellis, Tim David and Glenn Maxwell having arrived in Colombo. The trio will link up with the rest of the Australian squad on Tuesday after the team travels from Pakistan. “Nathan, Tim and Glenn have arrived in Colombo and we look forward to meeting up with them,” Dodemaide said.Sean Abbott has been added to the touring party as a travelling reserve, providing fast-bowling cover, particularly with Ellis also working his way back to full fitness. “Sean is an accomplished and versatile international player who has experienced numerous World Cup campaigns,” Dodemaide said. “It made sense for him to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour.”

Sanjay Raut (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday raised serious doubts over the sudden and “suspicious” death of NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, saying “something is dubious” and calling for a thorough investigation into the plane crash that killed the leader last week in Baramati.Drawing a parallel with the death of Justice Loya, Raut asked, “Did someone do something here?” while questioning the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Raut said questions were bound to arise given Ajit Pawar’s political stature. “The manner in which a leader like Ajit Pawar, a tall leader of Maharashtra, died in a plane crash and the facts which are coming to light – it should be investigated, I think there is something dubious here. These questions are being raised by Ajit dada’s party. His death is suspicious. Something did happen behind the curtains,” he said.Raut claimed that Ajit Pawar was keen to reunite the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party and had initiated talks with his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar in the final phase of his life. He alleged that some people were opposed to this reconciliation, as it would have “shut their shops”.The Sena (UBT) leader further alleged that Ajit Pawar had expressed his desire to “return home” politically and that this move had unsettled certain sections. Referring to past controversies, Raut claimed Pawar had faced pressure over the irrigation scam case days before his death.“Ajit dada had said that he wants to ‘return home’, after that the people of BJP threatened him with Sinchan Scam files. Ajit Pawar then responded to them over the same Sinchan Scam files. He died mysteriously within 10 days of that. What do we understand from this? This reminds us of Justice Loya. Did someone do something here?” Raut asked.However, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has urged people to not politicise the death of his nephew Ajit Pawar.Also read: Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar breaks down while holding father’s chair at NCP office in MumbaiAjit Pawar died when his aircraft crashed near Baramati last Wednesday. Days after the crash, the ruling Mahayuti alliance appointed his wife, Sunetra Pawar, as deputy chief minister. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also dismissed speculation about a possible NCP merger, saying, “Ajit dada would have told us about it.”