Pakistan’s participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has been thrown into doubt following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament, with the Pakistan Cricket Board issuing a strong warning that it could pull out in protest. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that the final decision would rest with the government, adding that clarity on the matter was expected either by Friday or early next week. The threat, however, has been met with scepticism from outside Pakistan, including from former India captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Reacting to the possibility of a boycott on a Cricbuzz show, Rahane dismissed the idea outright. “I don’t think they can do that, I don’t think they have, am I allowed to say guts? Yeah, I don’t think they can do that,” Rahane said, before adding bluntly: “They are going to come.” The backdrop to the controversy is Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament. The Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to play its matches in India and pushed for the venue to be shifted to Sri Lanka. The ICC rejected that request, after which Bangladesh maintained its stance and was subsequently replaced by Scotland. Pakistan have positioned their boycott threat as a stand against Bangladesh’s removal, but such a move could come at a heavy cost. According to a report by Cricbuzz, the ICC has already warned the PCB that failing to honour its participation agreement could trigger serious disciplinary measures. These potential consequences reportedly include sanctions, suspension from international and regional competitions, and even the withdrawal of No-Objection Certificates for overseas players participating in the Pakistan Super League. The report further noted that the PCB has no legitimate basis to boycott either the T20 World Cup or the marquee India vs Pakistan clash scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka on February 15, 2026.

NEW DELHI: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has made a strong case for a selection shake-up ahead of the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand, urging the team management to back Ishan Kishan over Sanju Samson as preparations intensify for the T20 World Cup.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Samson’s struggles continued in the ongoing series, with another modest return in the fourth T20I adding to a run of low scores. In contrast, Kishan has impressed on his return to international cricket after nearly two-and-a-half years, prompting Patel to call for a decisive move.

“If I was part of Team India’s think tank, I would play Ishan Kishan over Sanju Samson for the last match of the series,” Patel said on JioHotstar. “I would make Sanju sit out and go with Ishan as the wicketkeeper-batter.”Patel stressed that if Kishan is being viewed as India’s primary wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup, he should be handed responsibility immediately. “If I want Ishan as my main keeper for the T20 World Cup, I would give him the keeping gloves in the fifth T20I and the warm-up against South Africa too,” he said.Highlighting squad balance, Patel added that Tilak Varma’s expected return from injury could further complicate selection calls. “It is likely that Tilak Varma will be fit before the World Cup, and reports suggest he will be. If he is fully fit, you have to keep a spot for him. So, if that decision is coming, why wait? Play Ishan Kishan now over Sanju Samson in the final match.”

Kishan has looked in ominous touch, scoring 112 runs in three matches, after a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign where he led Jharkhand to their maiden title. Samson, meanwhile, has managed just 40 runs across four innings, including a 24 in the fourth T20I that failed to rescue India in a 216-run chase.Despite Kishan’s form, he was benched in the fourth match, a decision that has drawn scrutiny with the World Cup fast approaching. “Ishan is coming back after two years and has batted well. He will need to keep wickets in the T20 World Cup as well, so why not start now?” Patel said.India face New Zealand in the series finale on Saturday in Thiruvananthapuram, having already sealed the five-match series 3-1.

Shivam Dube produced a blazing half-century of rare quality, but it wasn’t enough to save India from a 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. Dube’s explosive 65 off 23 balls (3×4, 7×6) stood out in India’s daunting chase of 216, yet the hosts were eventually bowled out for 165 as the Kiwis pulled the series back to 3-1.With Ishan Kishan sidelined due to injury, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were tasked with setting up the chase. Instead, Abhishek departed first ball, slicing Matt Henry to Devon Conway at deep point. Suryakumar followed soon after, his gentle push brilliantly snaffled by Jacob Duffy in his follow-through, leaving India reeling at 9 for two.

Rinku Singh (39) and Sanju Samson (24) attempted to stabilise the innings but struggled to accelerate, both in the Powerplay and beyond. Rinku was trapped lbw by Zak Foulkes, while Samson — who had earlier produced a sumptuous flicked six off Duffy — was beaten by Mitchell Santner’s straight one and bowled.Hardik Pandya also failed to make an impact, and India slid to 82 for five in the 11th over, leaving Dube to shoulder the responsibility alongside Harshit Rana (9).Unfazed by the soaring asking rate, which hovered around 14, Dube batted with freedom and intent. Given a reprieve on 46 via DRS, he reignited Indian hopes by plundering 29 runs off Ish Sodhi’s third over, smashing a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 6, 6. He raced to his fifty in just 15 balls with a six over square leg off Duffy.The sixth-wicket stand added 63 runs, though Rana’s contribution amounted to just four. Dube’s remarkable innings ended in cruel fashion when Rana’s straight drive deflected off Matt Henry’s hand and crashed into the non-striker’s stumps, catching Dube well short. That moment effectively ended India’s chase.Earlier, New Zealand’s innings was anchored by Tim Seifert’s scintillating half-century. Seifert struck 62 off 36 balls (7×4, 3×6) and was the standout performer, though he lacked sustained support after India tightened the screws through the middle overs.Fresh from the Big Bash League, Seifert began aggressively, carving Arshdeep Singh for three consecutive fours — two off edges — before launching Harshit Rana for a towering six over long-on. He continued his assault in Rana’s next over with a six and four, and then sent Jasprit Bumrah to the sight-screen for another maximum.New Zealand raced to 50 in the fourth over and reached 71 without loss in the Powerplay. Seifert’s tempo allowed Devon Conway (44) to settle before accelerating. After crawling to 9 off 9 balls, Conway found his range, taking Ravi Bishnoi for two fours and a six, and then added 35 runs from his next 13 deliveries.However, Conway perished trying to clear deep cover off Kuldeep Yadav, ending a 100-run opening partnership. Seifert soon completed a 25-ball fifty, but India clawed back with four wickets for 37 runs, reducing New Zealand to 137 for four in 13.4 overs.While there was no single magical spell, India benefited from the visitors’ eagerness to sustain the early run rate of 12 an over. That over-ambition triggered a mini-collapse. Daryl Mitchell (39 not out off 18 balls) provided late impetus with some clean striking, lifting New Zealand beyond the 200 mark.

NEW DELHI: Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav spoke openly after his team suffered a 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth T20 International on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Suryakumar said the match was part of a bigger plan as the team looked to test itself in pressure situations ahead of the World Cup.India chose to chase after winning the toss, even though they have enjoyed success while batting first in recent matches.

Suryakumar explained that the decision was taken to push the batters and make them take responsibility while chasing big totals.“I feel we purposely played six batters today. We wanted to have five perfect bowlers and wanted to challenge ourselves. Like for example, if we’re chasing 200 or 180, and we wanted to see if we were two down or three down, how does it look? But then it’s fine at the end of the day. And we wanted to play all the players who are part of the World Cup squad. Otherwise, we would have played other ones,” he said in the post-match presentation.He added that the team wanted to test its ability while batting second. “We’ve been batting really well when we’ve batted first. So I wanted the guys to take that responsibility if we’re chasing 180 or 200, and two wickets or three wickets are down and see how we bat. So it’s a good challenge. Hopefully if we get an opportunity again, we might chase again. But at the end of the day, good learning,” Suryakumar added.New Zealand made full use of the batting conditions and posted 215 for seven. Tim Seifert scored a quick 62, and Devon Conway added 44 as the visitors raced to 100 in just over eight overs. India fought back later as Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each. Daryl Mitchell then gave New Zealand a late boost with an unbeaten 39 off 18 balls.India’s chase never fully settled despite a strong counterattack. Shivam Dube smashed 65 off 23 balls, while Rinku Singh made 39. However, wickets kept falling, and India were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 3 for 26.

Coco Gauff’s raw post-match frustration at the Australian Open has sparked a wider, unified pushback from players against what they describe as an increasing invasion of privacy during tournaments, with some of the sport’s biggest names speaking in one voice.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The issue came into sharp focus after third seed Gauff was caught on camera smashing her racquet deep inside Melbourne Park following her quarter-final defeat on Tuesday. The footage quickly went viral, prompting the American to speak out.“I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did,” Gauff said. “So maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”

A day later, she reinforced the point on social media, writing: “I’m a real person with real feelings. I care a lot & I’m trying my best. Thank you to those who understand that.”Gauff found strong backing across the locker room. Serena Williams came to her defence, posting on X: “Passion. Caring. Matters. Nothing wrong with hating to lose.”World No.2 Iga Swiatek, who was also eliminated at the quarter-final stage, said off-court cameras had gone too far, likening the experience to constant surveillance.

“The question is, are we tennis players, or are we animals in the zoo?” Swiatek said. “It would be nice to have some privacy… some space where you can do that without the whole world watching.”Swiatek pointed to her own recent experience, when footage of her being denied access to an area at Melbourne Park for not wearing accreditation spread rapidly online.“We’re meant to be watched on the court and in the press. That’s our job,” she said. “It’s not our job to be a meme.”Sixth seed Jessica Pegula echoed those concerns after reaching the semi-finals.“Coco wasn’t wrong when she said the only place that is private is the locker room, which is crazy,” Pegula said. “People were zooming in on players’ phones. That’s so unnecessary. It’s really an invasion of privacy.”Amanda Anisimova admitted she tries to ignore the scrutiny but agreed Gauff’s moment should never have been made public.“She didn’t have a say in that,” Anisimova said. “That’s the tough part.”

NEW DELHI: KL Rahul has revealed that retirement has crossed his mind, though he insists it is still “some time away” and promises he won’t prolong the decision when the moment arrives. In a candid chat with former England captain Kevin Pietersen on his YouTube channel, Rahul said stepping away from cricket would not be a tough choice, noting that life continues beyond the sport.“I’ve (thought about it). I don’t think it’s (retirement) gonna be that difficult,” the 33-year-old told Pietersen.

“If you’re honest with yourself, when it’s time, it’s time. And there’s no point dragging it. Obviously, I’m some time away.”Rahul’s impressive international record includes 4,053 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 35.8, 3,360 runs in 94 ODIs at 50.9, and 2,265 runs in 72 T20Is at 37.75, with a strike rate of 139.He also reflected on his perspective regarding fame and importance, explaining that seeing himself as just another player helps make the retirement decision easier. “Just quit. Just enjoy the stuff that you’ve got and you have your family and just do that. That’s the hardest battle. So I try and tell myself that I’m not that important. Cricket in our country will carry on. Cricket in the world will carry on. There are more important things in life and I think this mindset I’ve always had, but ever since I’ve had my first baby, it’s just like, the way you look at life is completely different,” he said.Rahul further discussed the “hardest battle” of dealing with recurring injuries, which forced him to question his ability to continue at the top level. “There have been times when I’m injured and I’ve been injured so many times and that’s the hardest battle that you have to face. It’s not the pain that the physio puts you through or the surgeon puts you through. It’s the mental battle where your mind just gives up. When it happens so many times, your mind is just like, you’ve done enough. You’ve been lucky enough that cricket’s given you enough money. You can survive for the next how many ever years.”Looking ahead, Rahul is set to represent Karnataka in a crucial Ranji Trophy clash against Punjab in Mohali on Thursday.

England stalwart Jos Buttler added another landmark to his glittering career on Tuesday, becoming only the second player from his country to feature in 400 international matches. The milestone came during the third ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. At 35, Buttler now sits just behind legendary fast bowler James Anderson on England’s all-time appearances list. Anderson remains the most-capped England cricketer across formats with 401 international games and an extraordinary haul of 991 wickets.

Buttler’s contribution has come with the bat. Across formats, the wicketkeeper-batter has piled up 12,291 international runs, including 14 centuries, establishing himself as one of England’s most influential white-ball players of his generation. In Tests, Buttler has scored 2,907 runs from 57 matches and 100 innings, averaging 31.94. His red-ball record includes two hundreds and 18 half-centuries. In the 50-over format, he has accumulated 5,515 runs in 198 ODIs at an average of 39.11, striking 11 centuries and 29 fifties. T20Is remain Buttler’s strongest suit. In 144 matches, he has amassed 3,869 runs at an average of 35.49, with one century and 28 half-centuries to his name. A two-time ICC white-ball title winner, Buttler is set to feature in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. England have already named their squad for the tournament, with Harry Brook taking over the captaincy. The Three Lions will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Nepal on February 8, with Buttler expected to play a key role once again.

Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score, U19 World Cup 2026: Farhan Yousaf, leading the Pakistan U19 team, won the toss and elected to field first in their ICC Under-19 World Cup Super Six match against New Zealand at Harare Sports Club.

Teams:

New Zealand U19 (Playing XI): Marco Alpe(w), Hugo Bogue, Tom Jones(c), Snehith Reddy, Jacob Cotter, Brandon Matzopoulos, Jaskaran Sandhu, Callum Samson, Mason Clarke, Hunter Shore, Luke Harrison

Pakistan U19 (Playing XI): Sameer Minhas, Hamza Zahoor(w), Usman Khan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf(c), Huzaifa Ahsan, Mohammad Shayan, Abdul Subhan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Ali Raza

Moments after India completed a 10-over chase of 154 in Guwahati, New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell walked up to Suryakumar Yadav and examined his bat, smiling as he did so.Suryakumar had just struck 57 off 26 balls, following up his 37-ball 82 in Raipur in the previous match. It was his second fifty in as many games in the series.Two matches, two fifties, and suddenly the questions that had followed him for months were quieter. Perhaps Mitchell wanted to know what kind of willow could do that. Or perhaps it was simply recognition of a batter who, when timing and intent align, can make the field feel too small.For the Indian team management, however, the feeling was less about admiration and more about reassurance. With the T20 World Cup less than a month away, the return of form of the captain is a key development.Until January 23, the picture had been different. Suryakumar had gone 23 innings without a fifty, with his last half-century coming on October 12, 2024. In that period, he managed only one score in excess of 40 and one above 30.There was also a pattern that raised concern. During that stretch, he was dismissed by fast bowlers 15 times within the first 10 balls of his innings.The second T20I at Raipur proved to be a turning point, aided by an unexpected match situation. The early dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, both back in the pavilion within 1.1 overs, forced Suryakumar into a role that required patience rather than instant acceleration.With the openers gone early, there was no demand on him to match a fast start. He had the chance to steady the innings and assess conditions.He began cautiously, scoring 10 runs from his first 10 balls. That strike-rate of 100 was unusual for him, but it allowed him to read the pitch and bowlers.Once settled, Suryakumar shifted gears. He scored 72 runs off his next 27 deliveries, targeting the fast bowlers who had troubled him in recent months.Zak Foulkes conceded 41 runs from 12 balls. Matt Henry went for 14 off six, while Jacob Duffy was taken for 16 off 11. Foulkes, in particular, bore the brunt, with boundaries behind fine leg, over long-on, through point and deep third man, and straight down the ground.It marked the return of the 360-degree strokeplay that defines Suryakumar’s batting.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the importance of that innings during the broadcast.“The knock gave him exactly the confidence he needed. He hasn’t been short of form; he’s been short of runs. He has been batting very well in the nets. He’s not struggling there, he’s hitting the ball cleanly and all around the ground.“It just wasn’t working for him in matches. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of luck to get going. This time, he didn’t even need luck. That innings was exactly what he needed. His confidence is back,” Gavaskar said.The impact of that confidence was visible in the third T20I at the Baraspara Stadium on Sunday.This time, Suryakumar walked in under different circumstances. India were 53 for two in 3.2 overs while chasing 154. With more than 100 runs required and plenty of overs left, there was time to build an innings.He again started cautiously, scoring eight runs from his first eight balls, while Abhishek Sharma continued scoring freely at the other end.Suryakumar did not try to match his younger partner’s pace, even as Abhishek scored at a strike-rate of 345. Instead, the 35-year-old chose his match-ups carefully, focusing on the spinners.Glenn Phillips went for 15 runs off five balls. Ish Sodhi conceded 14 from eight, while Mitchell Santner was taken for 18 off eight. Many of the runs came through the sweep and slog-sweep.The innings underlined that Suryakumar has settled into his role at No. 4, giving India a safety net if the openers fail.Former India opener Aakash Chopra shared a similar view during a chat show.“He seemed to have realised that he needs to spend some time (in the middle). You have to accept that you need runs. Therefore a lot of strokes (to be played) along the ground, and not taking too many chances.“More importantly, he never allowed his ego to come in when Ishan Kishan was going hammer and tongs at one end. These are important things as you are not thinking only about this bilateral series, as this is a preparation for the World Cup,” Chopra said.