Ricky Ponting (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has praised the India national cricket team after their dominant victory in the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the current Indian side one of the strongest T20 teams ever. India secured their third T20 World Cup title with a convincing 96-run win over the New Zealand national cricket team in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The win also made India the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup.

Ponting praises India’s depth and consistency

Ponting highlighted India’s impressive performances in recent ICC tournaments and their strong record in white-ball cricket. According to him, the team’s combination of talent, experience and depth makes them extremely difficult to beat.“It’s really hard to argue a point against that. If you look at this, not just the T20I team but their white-ball record in ICC events over the last five or six years, it’s quite remarkable,” Ponting said on International Cricket Council’s The ICC Review.“A lot of people probably identified before this tournament started the depth and the strength that this current Indian team had, and also the experience that they have.“This is a very, very strong Indian white-ball team, not just a T20 team. Back-to-back World Cups, hats off to them.”

Experience and IPL influence

The former Australian captain believes the players’ experience from both international cricket and the Indian Premier League has helped them handle pressure situations better.“The one thing that’s probably overlooked with this current team is the amount of experience and the amount of cricket a lot of these guys have played, whether it’s international cricket or even just the IPL,” said Ponting, who is also head coach of Punjab Kings.“The IPL games are every bit as big as international games anyway, so this Indian team came in well primed with great balance and a great squad.”

Learning from a rare defeat

India had suffered a defeat against the South Africa national cricket team during the Super Eight stage, but Ponting felt the loss actually helped the team refocus.“You win 12 matches on the trot, there’s bound to be an off day. And I am glad it’s come early. It might just be the shake-up India needed,” he said. “They would have learned from that experience and won’t take things for granted.”After that loss, India bounced back strongly with powerful batting displays, scoring over 250 runs in three matches, including the semifinal and the final.“Maybe it just allowed them to regroup, get together and talk about the things that are important to them as a team,” Ponting added. “They solidified what they felt was their strongest playing XI and didn’t make many changes at the back end of the tournament.”

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has strongly criticised Pakistan’s cricket selectors after the national team lost the ODI series 2–1 to Bangladesh national cricket team. The defeat came shortly after Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, increasing pressure on the team’s management and decision-makers.Bangladesh sealed the series with an 11-run win in the deciding match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Afridi publicly blames Pakistan selection committee

Following the defeat, Afridi publicly blamed the selection committee for the team’s struggles. Speaking in a video shared on social media, he questioned their decisions and leadership.

“You saw the performances in the 2026 T20 World Cup, and after that we also lost the Bangladesh series 2–1. In my opinion, the selection committee deserves criticism. All of you in the committee have played so much cricket, yet you still don’t seem to have the idea of who should be the captain for which format,” Afridi said.He also criticised what he called excessive experimentation with young players. “You keep making too many decisions in the name of ‘surgery’. What you are doing is picking youngsters and players who have barely played a few first class matches. Your domestic cricket is not even of that standard that it can consistently produce players ready to secure a place in the Pakistan team,” he added.Afridi further claimed that experienced players with good ODI records had been unfairly pushed aside. While he has not mentioned any names, it is somewhat clear that he was hinting at players like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, who were dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the Bangladesh series. “The senior players who actually deserved their place even if they didn’t have strong T20 performances had very good records in ODIs. But in the name of ‘surgery’, you sidelined those experienced players despite their solid ODI performances,” he stated.He concluded by arguing that the selectors’ strategy lacks direction and could destabilise the team. “Instead, you brought in youngsters who have only played a few domestic and first-class matches. The standard of domestic cricket is not high enough, and those players are not ready to come straight into the Pakistan team and cement their place. You keep handing out Pakistan caps again and again, this is not surgery. If anything, the real surgery should be done on the selection committee,” he said.

Bangladesh beat Pakistan to win three-match series 2-1

Batting first, Bangladesh put up a solid total of 290 for 5 in 50 overs. The innings began strongly with an opening stand between Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan. While Saif scored 36 runs, Tanzid delivered a standout performance with his maiden ODI century, scoring 107 runs with six fours and seven sixes. Later contributions from Litton Das (41) and an unbeaten 48 from Towhid Hridoy helped Bangladesh reach a competitive total.Pakistan’s chase began poorly as both openers were dismissed within the first two overs, leaving the team at 2 for 2. Despite the early setback, Salman Ali Agha fought back with an impressive century, scoring 106 from 98 balls to keep Pakistan in the contest. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added 37 runs, while debutants Saad Masood (38) and Ghazi Ghori (29) showed some promise. Abdul Samad also chipped in with 34, but Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 279, falling short of the target.Bangladesh’s bowling played a key role in sealing the victory. Taskin Ahmed led the attack with four wickets, while Mustafizur Rahman took three. Earlier in the match, Pakistan bowler Haris Rauf had been the most successful for his side, claiming three wickets.

The 2026 BCCI Naman Awards in New Delhi was more than just a formal gala; it was a celebration of a new era in Indian cricket. While the evening honoured the finest talents in the domestic and international circuit, the spotlight remained firmly fixed on the heroes of India’s recent T20 World Cup triumph.

KL Rahul and Sanju Samson share heartfelt moment at BCCI Naman Awards

Amidst the glitz and glamour, one particular moment went viral, capturing the true essence of camaraderie within the Indian dressing room, a heartwarming embrace between Sanju Samson and KL Rahul.

As the T20 World Cup-winning squad was summoned to the stage for a special tribute, the cameras caught a candid interaction. Rahul, who has shared many battles on the field with Samson, called out to the wicketkeeper-batter with a beaming smile. Samson, ever the unassuming star, immediately turned back to share a long, soulful hug with Rahul. The gesture resonated deeply with all cricket fans, serving as a reminder that despite the intense competition for spots in the playing XI, the bond between these athletes remains unbreakable.

Here’s the video:

KL calling Sanju for a hug as he goes to collect his award, is giving us the feels tonight 🥹🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/rBLvzSUDrS

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 15, 2026

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Samson’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 campaign

For Samson, the 2026 T20 World Cup was the culmination of years of ‘toiling in the shadows.’ Named the Player of the Tournament, Samson’s statistics read like a dream: 321 runs in just five innings, maintaining a staggering strike rate of nearly 200. However, the numbers only tell half the story.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Samson admitted that the gravity of the achievement is still sinking in. “When I get up in the morning, I’m like, ‘has it really happened?‘” Samson remarked. He likened his journey to a movie script, one where he was initially sidelined, only to be brought back when the team needed a miracle.

His performance under pressure was the backbone of India’s title run. Samson delivered three consecutive 80-plus scores in the highest-stakes matches: the must-win Super Eight clash against the West Indies, the semi-final against England, and the grand finale against New Zealand.

“I wanted to win a World Cup for my country, but it had its own plan, its own script. In the World Cup, the focus was all about the team. The shift happened when I realized the team truly needed me,” Samson added.

Looking ahead, Samson expressed immense confidence in the pipeline of Indian talent. He dismissed the idea that this victory was a one-off event, citing the sheer quality of players emerging from the domestic structure. According to the Kerala star, the “quality of players we have” ensures that India will be lifting trophies more frequently in the coming years.

Also READ: Captain Shubman Gill reveals Team India’s ultimate goal

The 2026 Academy Awards brought many huge moments, but one of the surprising points of discussion was about a creator who never even stepped foot on the red carpet. Markiplier, one of the most popular YouTubers, brought about a lot of attention when fans realized that he did not appear on the red carpet at the 98th Academy Awards. The YouTuber attended the ceremony as a guest following the growing success of his horror project Iron Lung. However, his absence from the red carpet quickly became a major topic online.Later, Markiplier explained that the situation was simply a mix-up that happened behind the scenes. According to the creator, he was accidentally guided away from the carpet by VIP staff before he understood where he was being taken. By the time he realized what had happened, he had already missed the red carpet walk entirely. The story quickly spread across social media after he shared a lighthearted explanation and a backstage photo from the Oscars venue.

Markiplier explains how a VIP mix-up led him away from the Oscars red carpet

Markiplier later addressed the situation in a short post shared through his Instagram Story. In the image, he stood backstage near one of the famous Oscar statues with his wife, Amy Nelson. The post confirmed that he was indeed present at the ceremony, even though viewers never saw him arrive on the red carpet.In the post, Markiplier explained that the situation happened because he followed staff members who appeared to be guiding VIP guests inside the venue. “I’m here at the Oscars I swear,” he wrote over the photo. “Funny story about why I wasn’t on the red carpet. I was somehow too VIP and they whisked me away. I didn’t know better not to go with them. I swear I just went the wrong way. The whole carpet is red, they don’t tell you that on TV.”The YouTuber’s explanation showed that the situation was more confusing than dramatic. Large events like the Oscars involve many staff members, security teams, and different entrances. It is easy for guests to be directed through different paths inside the venue, especially if they are new to the event.Markiplier’s presence at the Oscars was still meaningful because it highlighted how creators from the internet are slowly becoming part of the film industry. With more than 36 million subscribers on YouTube, he has built a massive audience over the years. His projects have also expanded beyond gaming videos into larger storytelling work, including the horror film project Iron Lung.Although he missed the red carpet event, Markiplier still managed to attend the ceremony and share the experience with his fans. Eventually, what started as a small incident backstage became one of the most discussed events surrounding the 2026 Oscars.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on Monday notified changes in the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to permit overseas companies with Chinese shareholding of up to 10 per cent to invest in India through the automatic route, subject to sectoral limits and conditions, PTI reported.However, the relaxation will not apply to entities incorporated in China, Hong Kong or other countries sharing land borders with India. Earlier, foreign firms with even a single shareholding link to such nations were required to seek mandatory government approval for investments across sectors.A DPIIT notification said, “The expression ‘beneficial owner’ of an investment in India will mean the beneficial owner of the investor entity incorporated or registered in a country other than a country which shares a land border with India”.The term will carry the same meaning as defined under Section 2(1)(fa) of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Under PMLA rules, controlling ownership interest refers to entitlement to more than 10 per cent of shares, capital or profits in a company.The revised rules also mandate that investments from entities having any direct or indirect ownership link with citizens or firms from land-bordering nations — and not requiring prior approval — will have to follow additional reporting requirements under the standard operating procedure prescribed by DPIIT.The decision to ease the norms was cleared by the Union Cabinet last week. The government had earlier tightened the FDI policy through Press Note 3 (2020) on April 17, 2020, to prevent opportunistic takeovers of Indian companies during the Covid-19 pandemic.Under that framework, investments from entities in countries sharing land borders with India, or where the beneficial owner was situated in such nations, required prior government approval. This was seen as affecting investment flows, particularly from global private equity and venture capital funds with minority Chinese or Hong Kong shareholding.DPIIT has also indicated that proposals for FDI from these countries in specified sectors will be considered under an expedited approval mechanism with a 60-day timeline.Countries sharing land borders with India include China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Afghanistan.China currently ranks 23rd in FDI equity inflows into India, accounting for 0.32 per cent share, or USD 2.51 billion, between April 2000 and December 2025.

NEW DELHI: Team India’s left-handed batter Ishan Kishan is the frontrunner to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming IPL 2026 season, as there is yet no clarity on when Pat Cummins will link up with the squad. TimesofIndia.com reliably understands that the SRH management has had a discussion in this regard, and Kishan has been identified as the most suitable candidate to have the armband in the Australian fast bowler’s absence.

Ishan’s stocks are on a bull run at the moment. The 27-year-old has had a brilliant T20 World Cup campaign, where he became the toast of the nation for his performances, initially as a top-order batter and then at No. 3 when Sanju Samson returned to the Playing XI.

Ishan Kishan’s performance in last IPL

Kishan has established himself as one of the most explosive wicketkeeper-batters in the IPL. Across 119 matches in the tournament, playing for three franchises including Sunrisers Hyderabad, he has scored 2,998 runs from 112 innings at an average of 29.10 and a strike rate of 137.64. His tally includes one century, 17 half-centuries, 288 fours and 134 sixes, underlining his aggressive batting style. Behind the stumps, Kishan has also contributed with 59 catches and five stumpings. In the 2025 season, his first after being picked for Rs 11.25 crore in the auction, he scored 354 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 152.58, including a century and a fifty.

Kishan’s heroics in T20 World Cup 2026

Kishan played a key role for the India national cricket team during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, finishing as India’s second-highest run-scorer with 317 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.22 and a strike rate above 193. His campaign included three half-centuries, including one in the final, helping India clinch the title. Speaking after the victory, he said, “Our team won, obviously, it is a very good thing, not only for us, but for the whole nation. We hope to continue playing cricket like this and keep winning.” He added, “It feels great because I believe the better I perform, the more motivation it will be for the young kids here who want to grow. I always try to ensure as many players as possible emerge from every corner. Now that we’ve played the World Cup, it shows that with hard work, you can succeed from anywhere.” On his future goals, Kishan said, “Nothing much, just keep scoring runs, keep playing, and keep winning.”

For more than a decade, Pakistan players have remained absent from the Indian Premier League (IPL). The last cricketer from Pakistan to feature in the tournament was allrounder Azhar Mahmood, who played in the league between 2012 and 2015, although he did so after entering the auction as an English player. His appearance came years after the participation of Pakistan cricketers ended in the IPL following the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.The discussion around Pakistan players and franchise leagues returned recently after mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed was picked by Sunrisers Leeds during the player auction of The Hundred. The franchise, owned by the Chennai-based Sun Group, paid GBP 190000 (Rs 2.34 crore approximately) after a bidding contest with Trent Rockets. With that move, Ahmed became the first Pakistani player to be signed by an Indian-owned franchise in the tournament.His signing also ended speculation that Indian-owned teams in The Hundred would avoid Pakistan players, similar to what has happened in the IPL since 2009 due to strained diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

Pakistan players in IPL

The first season of the IPL in 2008 included several Pakistani cricketers, including Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, and Sohail Tanvir. The tournament saw players from both countries share dressing rooms and compete in the new T20 league.Shahid Afridi played for Deccan Chargers, while fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Misbah-ul-Haq was part of the squad of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).Among them, it was fast bowler Sohail Tanvir who left the biggest mark. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR), who won the league in 2008, Tanvir finished the season with 22 wickets and claimed the Purple Cap for the highest number of wickets in the tournament. His best performance came against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) when he returned figures of 6/14.However, the situation changed after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Following the attacks, political ties between India and Pakistan were suspended. Later, Pakistan also barred its players from travelling to India for the IPL, citing security concerns.At the time, several franchises expressed disappointment over the absence of Pakistani players from the league.Joy Bhattacharya, who was the then team leader of the KKR, said the team would miss the players from Pakistan. Akhtar, Umar Gul, Salman Butt and Mohammad Hafeez had all represented the franchise in 2008.“We were like a family. Shoaib and Umar are not only good cricketers but popular among their team-mates as well at the Knight Riders. We will surely miss them a lot,” he had said.Similar views were shared by Amrit Mathur, who was then the chief executive of Delhi Daredevils.“We are going to miss the Pakistani players because they were key members of our team,” Mathur had said.What was initially expected to be a temporary break turned into a long absence. Over time, obtaining No-Objection Certificates from the Pakistan Cricket Board became difficult. At the same time, IPL franchises were hesitant to bid for players who might not receive visas to travel to India.

Azhar Mahmood: Last Pakistan player in IPL

While Pakistan players have largely stayed away from the IPL since 2009, Azhar Mahmood did appear in the league for three seasons between 2012 and 2015.Mahmood played for Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and later represented KKR in the 2015 season.However, Mahmood did not enter the league as a Pakistani player. After moving to the United Kingdom and obtaining a British passport, he registered for the IPL auction as an English player.A right-arm fast-bowling allrounder, Mahmood played 23 IPL matches across three seasons. He took 29 wickets while conceding runs at an economy rate of 7.82. With the bat, he scored 388 runs at a strike rate of 128.05.Mahmood remains the last Pakistan-born cricketer to feature in the IPL, even though he did so as a British citizen.In 2010, there was a brief moment when Pakistan players returned to the IPL auction list. Several leading players from the country were included in the auction pool. However, no franchise placed a bid on any of them. The episode later came to be described as a “silent snub” and it effectively confirmed that the IPL had moved on from signing Pakistan cricketers.Since then, the absence of Pakistan players from the IPL has continued. Mahmood’s appearance in the tournament remains the final instance of a Pakistan-born cricketer taking the field in the league, marking the end of a short chapter that began in the first season of the IPL in 2008.