Iran’s powerful Assembly of Experts has elected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as his successor under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported Iran International, citing informed sources.However, according to the New York Times, senior clerics responsible for choosing the next supreme leader were still deliberating on Tuesday, with Mojtaba emerging as the clear front-runner but no formal announcement made yet.

Assembly of experts meets amid crisis

The New York Times reported, citing three Iranian officials familiar with the discussions, that the 88-member Assembly of Experts held two virtual meetings on Tuesday, one in the morning and one in the evening, to deliberate on the succession.The clerics were considering announcing Mojtaba Khamenei as early as Wednesday morning, but some members expressed reservations, fearing such a move could make him a target for the United States and Israel, the officials said on condition of anonymity.Israel struck a building in Qum, one of Shiite Islam’s main religious centres, where the assembly had been scheduled to meet. However, the building was empty at the time, according to Iran’s Fars News agency.The Assembly of Experts is constitutionally mandated to appoint, supervise and, if necessary, dismiss the supreme leader. This marks only the second time in the Islamic Republic’s 47-year history that the body will select a leader. In 1989, it chose Ali Khamenei following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini.

IRGC backing and hard-line signals

According to the New York Times, the IRGC pushed for Mojtaba’s appointment, arguing that he possesses the qualifications needed to guide Iran through the current crisis following the US-Israeli strikes that killed his father.“Mojtaba is the wisest pick right now because he is intimately familiar with running and coordinating security and military apparatuses,” Tehran-based analyst Mehdi Rahmati told the newspaper. “He was in charge of this already.”Also read | Flames, black smoke rise near US Consulate in Dubai after drone strike, no injuries reportedVali Nasr, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University, described Mojtaba as a surprising yet telling choice.“He was slated to become the successor for a long time,” Nasr said. “But for the past two years, it seemed to have dropped off from the radar. If he is elected, it suggests it is a much more hard-line Revolutionary Guard side of the regime that is now in charge.”Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is known for his close ties to the IRGC and has long operated behind the scenes within the Office of the Supreme Leader.

Public backlash and reformist concerns

Rahmati warned that Mojtaba’s elevation could spark domestic backlash.“A portion of the public will react negatively and forcefully to this decision, and it will have a backlash,” he predicted.Supporters of the government may view him as a continuation of a leader they regard as martyred, while critics could see his succession as entrenching a system accused of violently suppressing protests in recent months.Other reported finalists include Ali Reza Arafi, a member of the three-person transition council, and Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Both are viewed as relatively moderate figures, with Hassan Khomeini seen as close to Iran’s sidelined reformist faction, according to the New York Times.Abdolreza Davari, a politician close to Mojtaba Khamenei, told the New York Times that if he succeeds his father, he could adopt a reformist posture similar to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman.“He is extremely progressive and will move to sideline the hard-liners,” Davari said in a text message before the war. “See his appointment as a shedding of skin.”

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in Mashhad and came of age during the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He later studied in Tehran and Qom under conservative clerics, including Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi.Follow live updates | Israel strikes building in east Lebanon, several killedThough a mid-ranking cleric and not an ayatollah, Mojtaba has been widely regarded as one of the most influential figures within Iran’s power structure. Analysts have compared his role to that played by Ahmad Khomeini, who acted as a gatekeeper to his father during the early years of the Islamic Republic.Mojtaba’s influence is closely tied to his longstanding relationships within the IRGC. He served in the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War and cultivated ties with security and intelligence officials who later rose to prominence.He was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 under an executive order targeting individuals linked to the Supreme Leader. The US Treasury at the time said Ali Khamenei had delegated aspects of his authority to his son, despite Mojtaba holding no elected office.

Constitutional hurdles and interim mechanism

Under Iran’s constitution, the supreme leader must be a senior cleric with recognised religious authority and political competence. Mojtaba does not currently hold the rank of ayatollah, and hereditary succession is sensitive in a system born out of opposition to monarchy.Following Ali Khamenei’s death, senior official Ali Larijani indicated that an interim leadership council — comprising the president, the judiciary chief and a jurist from the Guardian Council — would ensure continuity until a new leader is formally selected.Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, speaking in Washington, said many figures previously seen as potential Iranian leaders had been killed in recent strikes.“Pretty soon we’re not going to know anybody,” he said. Asked about a worst-case scenario, Trump added: “I guess the worst case would be we do this and somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person. Right, that could happen. We don’t want that to happen.”

MUMBAI: Airlines have stepped up evacuation efforts with more special flights as the crisis in the Middle East continued to disrupt air travel for the fourth day in a row on Wednesday.Up to Tuesday, 1,221 international flights by Indian carriers and 388 by foreign carriers were cancelled, the civil aviation ministry said. It said Indian carriers had planned 58 flights to be operated on Wednesday, which included 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. IndiGo has been among the worst-affected carriers, cancelling over 500 flights since Feb 28, according to a disclosure it made to the stock exchange on Wednesday. Amid surging passenger demand, Air India announced it is increasing capacity on key long-haul routes, including services to Toronto, Frankfurt and Paris.The airline said the extra flights are intended to offer flyers greater flexibility and smoother connections through Delhi to destinations across its domestic and SE Asian network.Air Canada has scheduled an additional frequency between Toronto and Delhi between March 7 and March 21. The Canadian carrier will also deploy a larger aircraft on its Toronto-London-Mumbai route to accommodate higher passenger loads.Indian airlines continue select services to West AsiaOther Indian airlines, including Akasa Air, SpiceJet and IndiGo, are continuing to operate select services to destinations across West Asia.Airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are currently managing only limited repatriation flights. Meanwhile, passenger services at Bahrain, Doha and Kuwait airports remain suspended.Emirates and Air Arabia confirmed on Wednesday that all regularly scheduled flights to and from Dubai will stay suspended until midnight Saturday. Emirates posted on X that passengers affected by recent cancellations could send them a direct message on X, phone the airline only if they are in need of urgent assistance and when they do so, expect a wait on hold for up to 2-3 hours. Passengers can request a refund for their booking if it is on or before March 12 without contacting the airline, it said.On February 28, day one of the disruption, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued an advisory to all Indian carriers asking them to avoid airspace in high-risk zones including Tehran, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Jeddah, Bahrain, Muscat, Baghdad, Amman, Kuwait and Doha.

South Africa was the favorite to win the first semi-final match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 over New Zealand. In reality, the New Zealand cricket team not only registered a win, but they also crushed the Proteas to storm into the Final.

After the match, Aiden Markram, for the first time in the tournament, joined the post-match presentation ceremony as a losing side captain. Behind the heartbreaking defeat, he did not blame any of his players, but talked mostly about the pitch.

The losing side’s skipper blamed the pitch

Aiden Markram claimed that the pitch at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, was not ideal for batting swiftly in the first innings of the match. The bounce was uneven, and the ball came slowly on some occasions as well, as experienced by the South Africa captain.

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South Africa went to bat first, after losing the toss, and scored 169 for 8 in 20 overs. Markram credited the New Zealand bowlers for their tremendous efforts throughout the innings. The skipper believes that with the bat, they did a decent job, and the target of 170 on the pitch like this was not bad enough.

So give credit to their bowling unit- Aiden Markram

“I think you look at conditions early and they bowled really well up front. Ball didn’t quite feel like coming on, some were just stopping on the wicket and some were hitting quite low on the bat and they made scoring really tough, and through that pressure builds and you lose wickets unfortunately”, the South Africa captain Aiden Markram described their moments with the bat.

“So give credit to their bowling unit and obviously with the bat, someone plays an innings like that, don’t think you will come out on the right side of the result many times as a fielding team. To get to 170 was a great effort to be fair”, he added.

Aiden Markram heaps praises for the New Zealand opener Finn Allen

New Zealand defeated the Proteas by 9 runs, a huge margin to register a win in the semifinals of a World Cup. Finn Allen was the brightest star of the night. The Kiwi opener remained unbeaten for 100 off 33, smashing ten 4s and eight 6s. The other opener, Tim Seifert, scored 58 off 33. Kagiso Rabada was the bowler who picked up the one wicket the Kiwis lost.

“And, I think, that opening partnership you get through a power play, no doubt, it puts you in a pretty good position. And then obviously, Finny (Allen) just carried on and, I mean, 33 balls for 100, it’s not bad. Not bad at all”, Aiden Markram acknowledged.

In the semifinals, New Zealand outplayed South Africa in all departments of the match. They came into the ground with good homework and executed it as well. In the summit clash, the Kiwis will be up against either Team India or England.

Read More: Record-Breaking Carnage! Finn Allen’s blistering ton powers New Zealand to a 9-wicket demolition of South Africa

NEW DELHI/PATNA: Less than four months after Nitish Kumar, along with PM Modi, led NDA to a landslide win in the Bihar assembly elections in Nov and took oath as chief minister for a record 10th time, ‘sushashan babu’, who turned 75 recently, is set to move to the Rajya Sabha – paving the way for BJP to have its own CM in the state for the first time, and extending its jurisdictional imprint across almost all of north and central India. His son Nishant is set to enter politics by joining the government; while speculation abounds that he might be named deputy CM, there is as yet little clarity on his position or portfolio.People in the know said Nitish will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha in Patna Thursday in the presence of key NDA members, including Union home minister Amit Shah. Four other NDA nominees, including BJP president Nitin Nabin and Union minister Ram Nath Thakur, and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party leader Upendr Kushwaha will also be filing their nominations.

BJP has played second fiddle to Nitish since joining hands with him for the first time in 1996. It chose to allow him to claim the top post despite having more MLAs than JD(U) in 2020 and 2025 in view of his seniority.Amid concerns over his health, it was always a question of when and not if Nitish would step down, and while the transition has come earlier than generally expected, the timing was considered within NDA as appropriate as it will give the new team time to settle in. Nishant’s entry is aimed at enthusing JD(U)’s rank-and-file amid these uncertain times, and at retaining its base among critical sections of backwards and Dalits.Those clued into the recent developments said the JD(U) brass has acquiesced to its junior status in govt as acknowledgement about a likely change of guard had been growing in the party, indication of which was apparent when for the first time Nitish ceded the home portfolio to one of his two BJP deputies, Samrat Choudhary.However, they added that Nitish will not be replaced immediately as his RS tenure will kick in when he takes oath after April 9, the date of retirement of the outgoing members.Samrat, who hails from Kushwaha caste, the second largest OBC community after Yadavs, is seen as an obvious front-runner following his rapid ascent in BJP. He was its state unit president before being picked by the party brass as one of its two Dy CMs along with Vijay Kumar Sinha. He is considered a notch above his peer, which was evident in BJP’s decision to give him charge of home. His social profile coupled with political acumen are also helpful.Another contender is Nityanand Rai, one of Shah’s deputies in the Union home ministry, a seasoned organisational man unlike Chaudhary, who cycled through various parties before joining BJP.BJP to head governments in entire Hindi belt except Jharkhand, Himachal PradeshA Yadav, Rai’s elevation would give BJP an opportunity to make a fresh outreach to the influential caste which has been loyal to Lalu Yadav’s RJD. With Bihar set to join the states with its CM, BJP will now be heading govts in the entire Hindi-speaking belt except Himachal Pradesh.Nitish has been at the helm since 2005 except for a brief period after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when he passed the baton to Jitan Ram Manjhi after his party’s poor show.In the meantime, he switched alliances and embraced RJD twice only to go back to BJP but ensuring that he remained the swing factor in the state’s fractured politics despite his party’s decline in the recent years. As talk of Nitish going to RS started doing the rounds, is party said in a post, “Nitish Kumar Ji is the most accepted leader of Bihar. His popularity is clearly evident today in every sector. It is this affection and immense support from the people that is his true identity.”Sources said a section of party is strongly opposed to Nitish shifting to national politics. “If Nitish goes to Delhi, this will convey a message that he was removed as Bihar CM. And, if BJP appoints its own CM, message will only be confirmed,” a JD(U) member said.

A diplomatic row has emerged between the United States and Spain after the White House claimed Madrid had agreed to cooperate with American military operations against Iran, a statement swiftly rejected by Spain’s foreign minister.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Spain had agreed to assist the US military effort, without giving details about the nature of that cooperation.“It’s my understanding, over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the US military,” Leavitt told reporters.However, Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares strongly denied the claim, saying Madrid had not altered its position on the conflict or on the use of Spanish bases for US military operations.“I categorically deny any change… our position on the use of the bases, on the war in the Middle East, on the bombardment of Iran, has not changed at all,” Albares told Cadena SER radio.

Spain had earlier refused US base access

The conflicting statements come days after Spain publicly refused to allow the United States to use jointly operated military bases on its territory for strikes against Iran.The Spanish government declined permission for US forces to operate from the naval base at Rota and the air base at Morón, both of which are jointly run under long-standing defence agreements between Madrid and Washington.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised the US-Israel campaign against Iran, describing it as “unilateral military action” and warning it risked creating “a more hostile and uncertain international order”.Foreign minister Albares had also stated earlier that Spain would not authorise any activities beyond existing bilateral agreements or outside international law.“The bases are not being used – nor will they be used – for anything that is not in the agreement, nor for anything that isn’t covered by the UN charter,” he said.

Trump criticises Spain’s stance

The disagreement has also drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump, who openly criticised Spain’s refusal to support the military campaign.“Some of the European nations have been helpful, and some haven’t–and I’m very surprised. Germany’s been great… Spain has been terrible. In fact, I told Scott to cut off all dealings with Spain,” Trump said.He added, “By the way, I’m not happy with the UK either.”Trump has defended the US strikes on Iran, arguing that Washington acted to prevent a potential Iranian attack and stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.“No, Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think [Iran] was going to attack first, and I didn’t want that to happen, so if anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand,” he said.

Iran thanks Spain for stance

Spain’s opposition to the campaign has drawn praise from Tehran, which thanked Madrid for what it described as responsible conduct.Iranian officials said Spain’s refusal to allow its bases to be used for attacks demonstrated a commitment to international law and restraint as the conflict widened across the Middle East.The diplomatic dispute comes as the US-Israel military campaign against Iran intensifies.Washington and Tel Aviv launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military facilities, missile sites and naval assets, while Tehran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting US allies and bases across the Gulf region.Oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz have also come under threat, pushing global energy prices higher and disrupting international travel.Trump has indicated the campaign could continue for several weeks, saying US forces aim to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, cripple its navy and prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

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File photo: General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Iran is launching significantly fewer missiles and drones than it did at the start of the war on Saturday, the United States’ top military officer said on Wednesday, even as Washington signalled an expansion of its offensive deeper into Iranian territory.“We will now begin to expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory, and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.

Sharp drop in Iranian firepower

Caine said the number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran had dropped by 86% from Saturday’s levels, with a 23% decline in launches over the past 24 hours. One-way attack drone launches were also down 73% from the opening days of the conflict, he added, according to news agency AP.However, some experts believe that Iran may be conserving weapons to prolong the conflict.The escalating war has already killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, over 50 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries.

US ‘winning the war’: Hegseth

US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States was prevailing in the conflict, even as he confirmed that six American troops had been killed so far.“The United States will outlast Iran,” Hegseth said, as quoted by Reuters.He also confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, describing it as the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War Two.“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” Hegseth said.Caine later specified that the US Navy fast-attack submarine used a single Mark 48 torpedo in the strike. A US official confirmed the vessel was the Iranian warship Dena.

War expands beyond Iran

The conflict has widened across the region. Israel struck targets in Tehran and hit the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, while Iran fired missiles at Bahrain, Kuwait and Israel.Turkey said Nato defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkish airspace. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a Malta-flagged merchant ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, with Oman’s navy rescuing the crew.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran had pursued diplomacy but was forced into self-defence following US and Israeli attacks.“We respect your sovereignty,” Pezeshkian said on X in a message to neighbouring countries, adding that regional stability must come through collective efforts.

Civilian toll and economic shockwaves

The war has triggered mass displacement in Lebanon, with more than 83,000 people uprooted, and nearly 60,000 displaced in the last 24 hours alone, including about 18,000 children, Lebanese authorities and UNICEF said.In Tehran, residents described emptier streets, heavy smoke and intermittent anti-aircraft fire as strikes intensified,.Oil prices have surged following Iranian attacks on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and global stock markets have been rattled amid fears that rising energy costs could slow the global economy.Despite the mounting violence, the White House said there are currently no plans to deploy US ground troops into Iran. “It’s not part of the current plan, but I’m not going to remove an option for the president that is on the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India are heading into their sixth T20 World Cup semi-final in 10 editions and will take on England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, hoping to defend their title.Their journey in this tournament goes back to 2007, when they reached the semis in the very first edition. India beat Australia in Durban and then defeated Pakistan in the final in Johannesburg to win their first T20 World Cup.

Gautam Gambhir scored 75 in the final, while bowlers like RP Singh and Irfan Pathan played key roles under captain MS Dhoni.After that high, India failed to make the semis in 2009, 2010 and 2012. They returned to the last four in 2014, beating South Africa thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 72. However, despite Kohli’s 77 in the final, Sri Lanka chased down 131 to deny India the trophy.In 2016, at home, India again reached the semis but lost to eventual champions West Indies in Mumbai.A big moment came in 2022 when India faced England in a knockout for the first time. India made 168/6, with Kohli and Hardik Pandya scoring fifties, but England’s openers chased it down without losing a wicket, winning by 10 wickets before lifting the title.The rivalry continued in 2024. India batted first and scored 171, led by Rohit Sharma’s 57. This time, England collapsed for 103, and India won by 68 runs. They went on to beat South Africa in the final and claim their second T20 World Cup title.Now, India and England are set to meet in the semi-final for the third straight edition. And it is expected to add another chapter to their growing World Cup rivalry.

India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede stadium. (AP)

Suryakumar Yadav Captain of India and Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India during an India ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 net session at Eden Gardens on February 28, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede stadium. (AP)

Suryakumar Yadav Captain of India and Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India during an India ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 net session at Eden Gardens on February 28, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede stadium. (AP)

TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: West Indies were going along nicely at the halfway mark of their virtual quarter-final clash against India at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.At 82/1, West Indies had a set batter in Roston Chase, an in-form Shimron Hetmyer at the other end, and plenty of firepower waiting their turn in the dugout. While some fielding lapses prevented India from adding to the wickets column, they managed to keep a close grip on proceedings with a tactical masterclass.

Both Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy had bowled only one over each, and Axar Patel had bowled three when the two right-handed openers were still at the crease.Captain Suryakumar Yadav brought the left-arm spinner into the attack early due to the better matchup, and Varun Chakravarthy’s delayed entry gave the spinner a better chance to take wickets against the fiery middle order that followed. The hosts controlled most of the innings not just through how they managed the overs, but also by paying attention to favourable matchups.

Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates the wicket of Roston Chase of West Indies during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Super 8 match between India and West Indies at Eden Gardens on March 01, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

From Bumrah’s introduction against Hetmyer to the angled plan for Sherfane Rutherford, India were a step ahead with their planning and have only gotten better with every game in the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup. At the end of the 14th over, when drinks were called, West Indies were 119/3, with the dangerous pair of Rutherford and Rovman Powell at the crease. During the break, coach Gautam Gambhir went straight to Hardik Pandya and raised his arms to point towards the third-man region. Pandya was set to bowl the next over from the High Court End, and Gambhir wanted him to angle it away from the left-hander, probably making him play towards the region between third man and point.Pandya stuck to the plan and angled an off-cutter away from the batter, who could only edge it to Sanju Samson behind the stumps. The bowler was delighted and raised his arms towards the dressing room while Rutherford took the long walk back. There have been plenty of such small moments where India have exhibited tactical brilliance, and their handling of Bumrah, in particular, has been very match- and matchup-specific so far.Surya continued to use him in different phases. He was unleashed for two overs in the games against South Africa, Pakistan and the Netherlands, but bowled only one over each against Zimbabwe and the West Indies during the powerplay. Against Namibia, he bowled all his overs after the powerplay. Gambhir explained that the calls were very opposition-specific and were taken to give other bowlers some cushion during difficult periods of play.

Suryakumar Yadav Captain of India and Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India during an India ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 net session at Eden Gardens on February 28, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

“I think it’s more to do with the opposition, where their firepower lies. Especially we knew that West Indies has got a lot of firepower in the middle, with Hetmyer, Rovman and Sherfane. And we know that those guys are quality players, those guys can take the game away from us. So we always knew that we needed someone like Bumrah in the middle to bowl at them. And I thought Hardik did a really good job because sometimes bowling against these guys on this kind of a wicket, your fifth bowler, actually can always be under pressure. Hardik and Axar, I thought, controlled the game for us because those eight overs were very crucial. “We knew that Arsh, Bumrah and Varun were always about to bowl their four overs. So I thought that for me today I think the most important thing was how Hardik and how Axar bowled. Yes, we can keep talking about other three bowlers but that’s the reason why we felt that Bumrah was important in the middle. So every time we have a big over, we can go back to Bumrah and try and control the game. Because you don’t want in a T20 game two back-to-back big overs as well. That can take the game away from you. So for me, I think Bumrah is a banker and we’ll continue to use him in different ways,” said Gambhir while explaining the bowling strategy for the Eden Gardens fixture.Since Gambhir took over as head coach, especially in the shortest format, the dugout is always buzzing with activity. The former India cricketer is either in discussions with the support staff or relaying some messages to Surya via the players on the bench. The messengers dash to the middle with the important information, helping Surya make the tactical calls on the fly in a tense situation. Unlike most coaches, Gambhir doesn’t scribble on a notepad; he is either glued to live action or the replays which follow on the monitor/giant screen. Does he rely on data before taking calls or supporting Surya? No, came the response as instinct remains the keyword for Gambhir.

Gautam Gambhir, Head Coach of India looks on during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Super 8 match between India and West Indies at Eden Gardens on March 01, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

“I don’t believe in data, honestly. I’ve never seen the data. I don’t even know what data is all about. I absolutely do not believe in it, because I feel it’s more about instinct. T20 cricket is about instinct and backing your instinct as well. Whatever knowledge I have about the game and T20 format, I try and probably give it to the captain, try and help him out as much as I can. But ultimately it’s the captain that takes the final call. But data and all, I don’t believe honestly, because it’s very overrated,” said Gambhir.Midway through the tournament, India were tactically forced to change its top order because the two left-handers, and Tilak Varma to follow at No.3, made it very predictable for the oppositions. Restoring the left-right alignment at the top forced batters out of their usual positions. However, Gambhir sees it as a luxury to have players who can be used anywhere, and in any situation of the match.“From the batting point of view, you’ve got power. I think that is something which is very important. When you’ve got power, you’re never away from the chase. You’re never away out of the game as well. You’ve got people like Tilak, who’s batted really well in both the innings. He’s batted out of his position. He’s batted at number three initially. But now when we pushed him at number five six see how he’s batted.

“So you’ve got that talent you need to have that talent where you can bat out of positions and more importantly – positions again are overrated I feel that it’s about going out there and doing the job for the team and that is what team sport is all about and that will continue to be our philosophy going forward,” explained Gambhir.The clash against England on Thursday will require the thinktank to be on top of its tactical game. Wankhede can be an unforgiving venue and has often been a banana peel for the Indian cricket team. With the pitch expected to favour batting, dew likely to play some role and the nice sea breeze offering early help for the bowlers, the match is set up nicely. The team that wins the small contests will board the flight to Ahmedabad.

Mitchell Santner, the captain of the New Zealand cricket team, is arguably the most satisfying person on the planet as his team storms into the final by defeating South Africa by 9 wickets. After the semifinal clash, Santner revealed how they invented the formula to outclass South Africa, the team that was undefeated before tonight’s (March 4) clash.

The New Zealand skipper said that they gathered some precious knowledge from their previous encounter with the same opponent. In the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa defeated New Zealand by miles. Tonight, it is the Blackcaps’ turn to show what they can do.

Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand learnt from the past

Praising South Africa, Mitchell Santner said during the post-match presentation ceremony that it was a satisfying moment for them. The defeat against the Proteas in Ahmedabad was a learning opportunity for them. Even the team can take some learning from a win as well.

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“It was nice. I think we knew obviously how good South Africa is, and they’ve shown that throughout the tournament. So, to put on a performance like that in a crunch game is obviously pretty pleasing. I guess every time, you get shown up or you lose a game, you’re learning from it. I guess you learn when you win as well”, Santner said.

Mitchell Santner reveals his tactical masterstroke vs South Africa

New Zealand went to bowl first in the first innings and introduced a spinner early to trick the top order of the South African batting unit. When they were in Ahmedabad a few days back, Santner went with the pacers, which did not work. Taking lessons from the past, he bought the spin attack early in the contest.

“We obviously threw a little bit more spin at the start, which we didn’t do at Ahmedabad. But I think, if you can take wickets throughout, it’s obviously a challenge to keep going with the bat. There was always a plan for the first two overs (talking about the bowling tactics) and then it’s kind of free fall after that”, the Kiwi skipper explained.

At the end of the day, it was the swashbuckling opener Finn Allen who took the game completely away from South Africa. Santner is hoping to see a similar type of performance in the final as well. In the summit clash, they will face either India or England.

Mitchell Santner praises Finn Allen for the match-winning ton

Mitchell Santner also added that they played on different grounds and on different soils, which made the tasks more challenging. As the team passed today’s Tests with dominance, it is now all good for them.

“And then obviously, Finny (Allen) just carried on and, I mean, 33 balls for 100, it’s not bad. Not bad at all. It’d be nice if we could (repeat this in the final). But again, it’s a different ground. We’ve been there before, obviously. I think depending on where you are, it’s red soil, black soil. You know, so there’s a lot of different factors that go in, different-sized rounds. So I think we’ll obviously be pretty happy tonight with the win”, Mitchell Santner concluded, saying.

Read More: Aiden Markram highlights the KILLER moment behind South Africa’s loss vs New Zealand