Shubman Gill’s absence from India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 has surprised many. One of them is former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. The cricket great admitted he was stunned when he saw Gill’s name missing from the list. Ponting spoke about the decision on the ICC Review. He said the omission was hard to understand at first. According to him, Gill’s talent is unquestionable, even if his recent white-ball form has not been at its best.

“I couldn’t believe that,” Ponting said. “I know his recent form hasn’t been great in white-ball cricket, but the last time I really saw much of him play was the Test series against England in the UK, where he batted as well as I’ve ever seen anybody bat.” Ponting added that the decision shows how strong Indian cricket is right now. He said when a player of Gill’s quality cannot make a World Cup squad, it speaks volumes about the depth in the team. “If someone as good as Shubman Gill doesn’t get picked in a World Cup squad, it shows how many quality players they have.” Gill returned to India’s T20I side during the Asia Cup. Since then, he has played 15 innings in the format. He scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25. His strike rate was 137.26. However, he did not score a single fifty or hundred in that period. His highest score was 47, which came against Pakistan in Dubai in September last year. The selectors felt these numbers did not fully support Gill’s case. They believed that balance in the squad was more important than individual performances. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the decision during the press conference after the squad announcement. He made it clear that the selectors still rate Gill very highly. “There’s no doubt about Shubman’s quality,” Agarkar said. “He may not have scored as many runs recently, but that doesn’t change how highly we rate him.” Agarkar said the decision was mainly about team combination. He pointed out that the team wanted two wicketkeepers at the top of the order. “This is more about team balance than individual ability,” he said.

NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday decided that the Bangladesh team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The decision was taken at a board meeting held on Sunday afternoon.The matter was discussed following Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL). BCB directors had earlier held an online meeting on Saturday night to deliberate on the issue.

During that meeting, most directors supported avoiding any firm action. However, after input from the Bangladesh government, the board reconsidered its position and changed its decision.

What BCB said

“The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” BCB said in a statement.“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the statement added.BCB has also sought a change of venues for its matches. “In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India,” the board said.“The Board believes that such a step is necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment. The Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter,” the BCB statement read.The development followed Mustafizur Rahman being released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after directions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), amid diplomatic issues between India and Bangladesh.KKR had signed the 30-year-old left-arm pacer for Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL auction last month. His base price was Rs 2 crore, with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals also involved in the bidding.The BCCI said KKR would be allowed to name a replacement player if required for the tournament, which begins on March 26.India and Sri Lanka are joint hosts of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. According to the schedule announced so far, Bangladesh are set to play West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, the opening day of the tournament.Bangladesh’s other three group matches are also scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai.Earlier on Sunday, the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the World Cup, naming Liton Das as captain.

Desert Vipers defeated MI Emirates by 46 runs to win ILT20 season 4 (ILT20)

Dubai: Third time’s a charm. Third time lucky. These are two popular sayings in the English language. It’s as if the first two attempts were stumbling blocks, they were launchpads for something that was inevitable. For Desert Vipers, that was the ILT20 title on Sunday at the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Desert Vipers defeated MI Emirates (MIE) by 46 runs in a one-sided final in Dubai. They had been here, under the Ring of Fire, twice and tasted defeated both times.

This time, it felt different. Desert Vipers were cut above the rest all season. The Vipers scarcely put a foot wrong, losing just two of their ten matches. Vipers asserted their dominance over MI Emirates twice in in the knockouts, cruising to a 45-run win in Qualifier 1 before outclassing them yet again in the final.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!When they met MIE once again in the final, they were contesting against not just a team that has triumphed in every T20 league across the world, they were facing a side that was led by a perennial champion in the form of Kieron Pollard.The early signs were that things would go away from the Vipers’ grasp again.

Desert Vipers team celebrate after winning the title (ILT20)

Toss came out in favour of MI Emirates and they chose to field on a surface that has seen the team batting second triumph more often than the first.Andries Gous, the wicketkeeper-batter, who had scored an unbeaten 120 against MIE in the Qualifier, was out with a calf injury.Teams had on an average scored 154.66 runs when batting first at this venue this season. Dubai Capitals had produced the biggest total – 186 against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – and gone on to win by 83 runs.Clearly, score big and put things beyond MIE would have been the mantra for the Sam Curran-led Desert Vipers.

Sam Curran of Desert Vipers raises his bat after scoring a fifty during the final of the DP World International League T20 between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 4 January 2026. (ILT20)

Three boundaries in four balls in the third over showed that intent from Fakhar Zaman and Jason Roy in the third over. But a few balls later, both perished in the gap of four balls, falling to Fazalhaq Farooqi, and it brought out England’s Sam Curran to the middle.Curran, who had seen the team fall short last season, had picked up the leadership duties from Lockie Ferguson. Pollard spoke about Curran’s leadership in the chat before the final.“I was reading somewhere about Sam’s leadership, and that he is unbeaten as captain,” Pollard said. “Everything is leaning in his favour, which is a good thing – not just for Sam, but for future reference.”

Sam Curran plays a shot in the final. (ILT20)

Individually, Curran had been a top performer for his side. Having scored 323 runs from 11 matches, he needed to deliver in this pressure moment, with two wickets falling in quick succession.He took his time to get going. In the first five balls, he failed to get off the mark. And once he did, he blazed four consecutive boundaries. And then there was another lull. He went 13 balls without hitting a boundary, including six dot balls. Then came another four. In the next spell of 21 balls, he hit further three boundaries. Evidently, the objective was to bide time on the low-scoring track.Romario Shepherd’s errant deliveries – one full and wide, the other short on middle and off – allowed Curran to relax his arms and tonk two maximums.By the end of it all, Curran remained unbeaten on 74 from 51 balls – it wasn’t a gun blazing knock by any stretch of the imagination but it had done the job for the team. From reeling at 36 for 2 in the fourth over, they had reached 182m for 4, helped in part by MIE bowling 11 wides or nearly two more overs.

Desert Vipers players celebrates the wicket of Tom Banton of MI Emirates during the final of the DP World International League T20 between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 4 January 2026. (ILT20)

When he got the ball, Curran was smashed for 24 runs from two overs but his teammates had done the job for him. David Payne took 3 for 42, Naseem Shah picked 3 for 18 and Usman Tariq’s tricky bowling action and variety fetched him 2 for 20.Maybe this third time lucky, third time’s the charm was meant to be. MIE were chasing on the night for a sixth match in a row and had won four times. Both of the two defeats during this run came against Vipers.

Curran, deservedly, will take in the applause. As the last wicket fell, he raised his hands, clapped multiple times before embracing his team as the Player of the Match, winner of the Green Belt and Red Belt for second year running.Brief Scores Desert Vipers: 182 for 4 in 20 overs (Sam Curran 74 not out, Jason Holder 41; Fazallaq Farooqi 2/33) MI Emirates: 136 all out in 18.3 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 36; Naseem Shah 3/18, David Payne 3/42)

Meg Lanning (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

MUMBAI: Former Australian skipper Meg Lanning was on Sunday named the captain of UP Warriorz ahead of the Women’s Premier League beginning January 9.The legendary Australian was the captain of Delhi Capitals for the first three editions of the competition, having led them to each of the summit clashes but finished on the losing end.

“The Capri Sports-owned UP Warriorz announced the appointment of Australian legend Meg Lanning as captain of the franchise ahead of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season,” the franchise said in a statement.Lanning was signed by UP Warriorz for Rs 1.9 crore at the auction.As an Australian player, she is a seven-time World Cup winner which includes two ODI titles and five T20 titles.“As the UP Warriorz enters a new phase of their journey, Lanning’s appointment underscores the franchise’s focus on experience and composure at the leadership level,” the franchise said.UP Warriorz have undergone an overhaul ahead of this year’s WPL having finished third in the inaugural edition in 2023, fourth in 2024 and fifth in the 2025 iteration.“As the WPL enters its fourth season, it’s been incredible to see how the league has evolved, the quality of cricket, the competitiveness, and the emergence of exciting new talent continue to raise the standard each year,” Lanning said.“This is a talented group with a strong mix of international experience and Indian players, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead,” she added.Former India player and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who is now the head coach of UP Warriorz said, “Meg brings a rare combination of experience, clarity, and calmness that sets her apart as a leader.”The WPL will be held across two legs this year, with the first phase in Navi Mumbai from January 9-17 followed by the second at Vadodara from January 19 to February 5.

Boxing (Photo Credits: X)

GREATER NOIDA: The country’s senior boxers were left anxiously waiting for hours as chaos marred the opening day of the boxing National Championships, which was delayed by over four hours after the rings were not ready due to “logistical” issues here on Sunday.The prolonged delay forced organisers to reschedule 32 women’s bouts for Tuesday morning.

The tournament, meant to mark a landmark moment with the men’s and women’s national championships being staged together for the first time, was scheduled to begin at 2pm at the Gautam Buddha University.Instead, confusion and prolonged waiting defined the day.The competition rings, which are typically erected a day before the tournament, themselves were not ready. Three rings were scheduled to be in place, but only one was assembled by around 4pm and even that had to be reassembled due to a technical issue. In a bid to speed up the process, officials were seen working on building the ring themselves.The first of the 80 bouts — 38 women’s and 42 men’s — finally got underway at 6:30 pm with the men’s competition.While, the women pugilists were left waiting even longer as there was still no word till 8pm. Eventually only six women’s bouts were held.“The delay was because of certain logistical issues,” Boxing Federation of India secretary general Pramod Kumar told PTI.Sources familiar with the matter, however, said it was a due to payment related issues.“The vendor had not been paid. Work only began after the payment finally went through. There were no sponsors for the tournament either,” a source said.Reigning 48kg world champion Meenakshi Hooda, scheduled to fight in the opening bout in the women’s section, was seen curled up on a yoga mat inside the hall late afternoon, conserving energy while waiting for word on when she would fight.As the hours dragged on with no communication from organisers, she eventually left the stadium at 7 pm.Several other boxers tried to kill time, some plugged on their headphones, others paced the hall as hours ticked by with no announcement.“Pata nahi kab shuru hoga, kuch bata bhi nahi rahe hain (We don’t know when it will start, they aren’t telling us anything),” a boxer from Uttarakhand said.“Abhi toh bohot time lagega, ring bhi nahi set up hua hai (It will take a long time, the ring isn’t even set up yet),” another boxer added.Coaches warned that the prolonged delay could increase risk of injury as recovery would be hampered.“Some boxers haven’t eaten since breakfast because they were drawn for the early bouts. You can’t fight on a full stomach, but this kind of uncertainty affects recovery and increases the risk of injury,” a coach said.Even the technical officials were left clueless.“We are here since 12:30pm. We know nothing and we weren’t even give the option to go back an rest till everything was set up,” a technical official said.Amit Panghal, Sagar make winning startThe 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal of SSCB and Sagar of Haryana registered contrasting wins to advance in the competition.Amit, featuring in the bantamweight category, dominated Usman Mohd Sultan of Bihar to get an unanimous decision.In the heavyweight category, Sagar was made to work hard by Edwin of Kerala before managing to win by a split decision.Lalrambuat of Mizoram was the other boxer to win by unanimous decision in the bantamweight category, beating Santosh Kumar of Odisha.

Daniel Vettori assistant coach of Australia looks on during an Australian Test cricket squad training session at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 01, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo/Getty Images)

Australia’s assistant coach Daniel Vettori has backed the team’s call to go in with an all-seam attack for the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while making it clear that spin bowling still matters in Test cricket.With senior off-spinner Nathan Lyon ruled out because of a hamstring injury, Australia chose not to play a specialist spinner in Sydney. This marked the first time since 1888 that Australia fielded an all-pace attack at the SCG. It was also the third occasion in the ongoing Ashes series that Australia opted for only fast bowlers.

The SCG, once known for surfaces that helped spinners, has in recent years offered more help to seam bowlers.“That’s the thing. It’s history – it’s a long time ago,” Vettori said, referring to the ground’s past reputation. He pointed out that spinners have averaged 53 across the last three Tests at the venue, and close to 60 when Lyon’s figures are excluded.“You’ve seen over the last three years it’s been diminishing results for spin bowlers here, which is obviously not something that we’d like, but it’s the nature of the surface,” Vettori said.Australia’s position in the series supports the decision. They lead 3-1, and their loss in the two-day Test in Melbourne was not linked to the absence of a spinner.Vettori, who took 362 wickets in 113 Tests for New Zealand, said the recent trend does not mean spin bowling is being pushed aside in the longer format.Australia have gone with an all-seam attack in four of their last six Tests. Two of those matches were pink-ball games in which Lyon was available.“It’s probably just a point in time,” Vettori said. “I don’t think it’s going to be something that’s going to continue on for years on end.“I think spin bowling is incredibly important to Test match cricket. I think people love watching it when it’s at its absolute best and when conditions can assist the spin bowler.“But we’re just in the stage now where that’s not the case. I wouldn’t be surprised that it changed in the future.“I think at some stage it will get back to possibly how it was preceding these last couple of years.”

Alana King of Australia bowls during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 match between Australia and Bangladesh at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Visakhapatnam, India. (Photo/Getty Images)

NAVI MUMBAI: There are quite a few reasons for Alana King to fall in love with India. The Australian leg-spinner has Indian roots; her parents, Leroy and Sharon, are Anglo-Indians who migrated to Melbourne from Chennai in the 1980s. On October 25, 2025 during a Women’s ODI World Cup match in Indore, King delivered a stunning seven-over spell, taking seven for 18 to spin out South Africa for merely 97. These are the best figures in the history of the Women’s World Cup. Having gone unsold in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction in November, King found a way to play in the lucrative tournament, set to kick off from Jan 9, as the Delhi Capitals picked her up as a replacement for all-rounder Annabel Sutherland, who withdrew due to personal reasons.In an exclusive interview with TOI, King shared her thoughts on her Indian connection, playing under her DC captain Jemimah Rodrigues, who caused Australia’s stunning defeat to India in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup semis, and on many other things…

Excerpts…You trace your roots to Chennai — a city which your parents hail from. Do you speak Tamil at home? Do you relish South Indian cuisine? Have you been to, or do you plan to go to Chennai at some point in life?I don’t speak Tamil, unfortunately. My parents never taught my brother and me because we grew up in Australia and they didn’t think we needed to learn it. But growing up in an Indian household, Indian food was always around, and my dad’s cooking was incredible. I’m very well equipped with Indian food and I absolutely love it — the spice is in my blood. I’ve surprised a few of the girls here because I eat everything and don’t find it spicy at all, and then they automatically think I can speak the language, which I can’t. I’d love to learn a few phrases while I’m here. I haven’t been to Chennai in quite a few years, but I’d love to go back. Cricket brings me to India quite often and hopefully it takes me there again. There’s a multi-format series against India coming up (next year), and if there’s a game in Chennai, that would be really special.You’ve joined Delhi Capitals as a replacement player this season. How did the call come through and what was your first reaction when you heard it was DC?It was very exciting. I got the call on Boxing Day night, and I was actually at the Australia–England Test match. My manager rang me and said I was going to India and needed to get back to Perth. I was meant to be with my family for Christmas, and two days later I was on a flight. It was hectic and a bit chaotic getting everything sorted, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity. To be part of the DC family is really exciting, and I’m just happy to be here.”How good are DC’s chances of ending their trophy jinx and clinching their maiden WPL title this time?I hope it’s fourth time lucky (for DC). With every tournament, everyone starts on zero. It’s a new year, there are some fresh faces in the team including myself, and there’s a new captain in Jemimah (Rodrigues). There’s been a little bit of change, and sometimes change is a good thing because it can refresh the group. This team is hungry, excited to start the season, and ready to hit the ground running.You have played one WPL match for UP Warriorz last year. As someone who regularly plays in the Women’s Big Bash League, how excited are you about returning to the WPL?It’s something a lot of cricketers want to be part of. To get another opportunity to play in the WPL and to do it with DC is something I’m incredibly grateful for. There’s a great group of support staff and some excellent players. I get to play with internationals I haven’t played with before and also learn from the Indian players in their home conditions. I’m excited to be here and get started.How has the pre-season camp been so far in Goa, and we’re seeing a lot of fun content coming out of the DC camp—how’s the team atmosphere been?It’s been great. There’s a lot of fun in this team, and the support staff brings a lot of energy. The content team is also a lot of fun, and when the environment is like that, it gives you an extra pep in your step. The girls have been fantastic. I’m still learning everyone’s names, especially the domestic players, but it’s been a really welcoming group. I’m excited to work under Jonathan Batty (DC head coach) and enjoy being part of this setup.You will be playing for Delhi Capitals under Jemimah Rodrigues, who slammed that match-winning century against Australia. What would you say about that?She’s been a great player for a long time, and to do that on the biggest stage is something she and her country should be incredibly proud of. It’s nice to finally be on Jemimah’s team instead of being on the receiving end. We’ve played a lot against each other, including Shafali (Verma) as well, so to be on the same side and collaborate together is really refreshing.Does the World Cup semifinal defeat to India at the DY Patil Stadium still rankle?It was very disappointing as a group. Losing a semifinal always hurts, especially in a World Cup. One game doesn’t define a team, but those games are hard to take. Credit to India—they outplayed us in a really important match and deserved to go on to win the World Cup.Will Australia bounce back from that semifinal defeat?This team always reflects and reviews big tournaments, whether we win or lose. We haven’t come together as a group yet because we went straight into the WBBL, but when we do, we’ll look at what we can do better. We can’t dwell on what’s happened. We learn from it, take those learnings forward and focus on what’s ahead.Is Australia looking to avenge its World Cup semifinal defeat to India when Harmanpreet Kaur & Co tour Australia in Feb-March for a multi-format series?We’ll be playing the world champions, so it’s going to be a massive challenge. India are a huge threat across all formats. It’s an exciting series and one we’re really looking forward to.As a women’s cricketer, what does India’s maiden World Cup triumph mean for the women’s game?It’s massive. For India to win a World Cup will do a world of good for the women’s game, not just in India but around the world. Moments like that inspire young girls and help grow the game globally.Who is the best batter that you have ever bowled to?It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. In recent times, Smriti Mandhana and Nat Sciver-Brunt have probably been the hardest batters to bowl to.During the 2025 ODI Women’s World Cup, you took a historic seven-wicket haul (7/18) against South Africa. Is that the best you have ever bowled?It was pretty special to do it in a World Cup. Everything happened really quickly and I didn’t take it in at the time. I don’t look too much at personal accolades, but it’s something I’m very proud of. To do it on that stage, with my family there, and to put the team in a strong position made it a really special moment.Was Australian leg-spin legend Shane Warne your inspiration while growing up?Absolutely. Watching Warne at the MCG was the reason I picked up leg-spin. He made it fun and exciting. Once I understood leg-spin, I stuck with it. I learned a lot from him, especially later through his commentary, and he had a huge influence on my journey.”

NEW DELHI: World chess champion D Gukesh will not be playing in the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India tournament in Kolkata. The organisers confirmed the news on Friday. The tournament begins on January 7, and Gukesh will be replaced by fellow Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin.This event was expected to be Gukesh’s first tournament of the new year. Fans were excited to see the reigning world champion play in India once again.

His absence means they will now have to wait longer to watch him in action.Gukesh was last seen competing at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship. His sudden withdrawal has surprised many, especially because no detailed reason has been shared so far.The organisers said that Gukesh pulled out due to personal reasons.“Due to personal reasons, D. Gukesh will be unable to participate in Tata Steel Chess India this year,” tournament Director Dibyendu Barua said.Barua admitted that Gukesh’s decision is a major blow for the tournament. “This is definitely a big setback for the organisers and for the chess fans in Kolkata. All the chess lovers were eagerly waiting to watch Gukesh play in their city as a world champion for the first time,” Barua told The Indian Express.Tata Steel Chess India has been held every year since 2018. The tournament features rapid and blitz games and attracts top players from around the world. Magnus Carlsen is the defending champion, but he will not return this year to defend his title.Despite Gukesh’s absence, the tournament still boasts a strong line-up. Big names like Viswanathan Anand, Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Nihal Sarin will compete in the Open section. The Women’s event will feature top stars such as Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Divya Deshmukh, and R Vaishali.