Ranji Trophy finals are often marathon affairs, and the ongoing summit clash between Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka is following that script. After J&K posted a commanding 584 in their first innings, Karnataka reached 35 for one at lunch on Day 3 but slipped to 98 for four in the second session.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!With plenty of time left but a large deficit to overcome, a draw remains a possibility. Unlike league matches, however, the Ranji Trophy final must produce a winner. Thankfully, one key rule provides clarity: the first-innings lead determines the champion if no outright result emerges.

Essentially, if neither side can bowl the other out twice or chase the target, the team with the higher first-innings total claims the trophy. This ensures that sustained performance over the longer format is rewarded, particularly in multi-day matches where weather or pitch conditions can prevent a definitive finish.Here’s how the current final could play out:Scenario 1 – Karnataka take the first-innings lead:If Karnataka surpass J&K’s 584 by scoring 585 or more, they will gain the crucial first-innings advantage. Even if the match ends in a draw afterward, Karnataka will be crowned Ranji Trophy champions. This is the simplest path to the title for the southern side, though it demands overcoming a massive deficit.Scenario 2 – Jammu & Kashmir retain their lead:Should Karnataka fall short of 584, J&K will maintain the first-innings advantage. In that case, irrespective of remaining time or a drawn result, Jammu and Kashmir will be declared champions. Their strong batting performance and early bowling control currently put them in a commanding position.Scenario 3 – External interruptions:In the unlikely event of rain or other factors preventing Karnataka from completing their innings and no first-innings lead is established, tournament rules can default to group-stage points or prior performance. Nonetheless, the first-innings lead is typically decisive in finals.Jammu and Kashmir’s 584 was built through disciplined partnerships and lower-order resistance, giving them a strong platform. Their bowlers have also applied early pressure in Karnataka’s reply, removing key batsmen KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Smaran Ravichandran, and Karun Nair.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag shared an interesting statistic after India lost to South Africa in their first Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.India gave away 187 runs after being asked to bowl first and were later bowled out for just 111 runs, losing the match by 76 runs. This heavy defeat could hurt their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

Sehwag pointed out that India have never won a World Cup match while chasing more than 160 runs. He said that when the team had a chance to play like Kohli in pressure situations, players like Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya could not step up.“India have won chasing 160 only when Virat Kohli made runs. Otherwise, India have never won chasing more than 160 in a World Cup. And in most cases, he used to stay unbeaten. Be it 80, 60, or 50 not out, Kohli used to finish the match. Which player finished the match yesterday (vs SA)? In this World Cup, which batsman has finished the match? Yesterday, many players had the opportunity to become Virat Kohli,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.From Sehwag’s view, Suryakumar Yadav was not at his best against South Africa. He felt that Suryakumar looked under pressure while trying to save the match, and this stopped him from playing his natural game. Sehwag said that playing with fear does not help a team win big matches. He believes that if India want to do well in the World Cup, they must play fearless cricket and stay confident in tough situations.“Be it Surya Kumar Yadav. He doesn’t play like he played against South Africa… It felt like Surya Kumar Yadav was playing under pressure. He is playing to save. If you play like that, it is difficult to win. India will have to play fearless cricket,” he further added.Speaking about India’s strong batting line-up, Virender Sehwag said the players need to learn from Virat Kohli. He explained that while strike rate is important in T20 cricket, it does not matter much during a run chase if a batter can stay till the end and finish the match for the team. Sehwag added that Indian batters must take more responsibility in pressure situations and focus on winning games rather than just scoring quickly.“Tilak Verma had a chance. Surya Kumar Yadav had a chance. Shivam Dube had a chance. Hardik Pandey had a chance. Someone has to become Virat Kohli. Someone has to finish the match. Someone has to learn. How did Virat Kohli finish games? We talk about strike rate. Ok, I agree that strike rate matters. But when you chase, you can see the scoreboard. Then you can play as you wish and win the game. Then strike rate doesn’t matter. So, I think the players will have to take the responsibility,” he added.

NEW DELHI: Former captain Kumar Sangakkara did not hide his anguish after Sri Lanka crashed out of the T20 World Cup, admitting there was “a lot of hurt all round” and warning that the nation risks falling behind if urgent changes are not made. Sri Lanka’s campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion with a heavy 61-run defeat to New Zealand in Colombo, leaving fans stunned and the cricket fraternity searching for answers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Taking to social media after the elimination, Sangakkara captured the emotional devastation gripping the country and the dressing room.

“There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, and angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy,” he wrote. He reminded players of the responsibility that comes with national duty, adding, “This responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people.”Sri Lanka’s exit was particularly painful as it came at home, where hopes were high of a deep run. After reducing New Zealand to 84/6, the hosts lost control as Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie revived the innings before their batting collapsed under pressure during the chase. The defeat sealed consecutive Super Eight losses and ended their semifinal hopes.However, Sangakkara stressed that the problems run deeper than one defeat. In a strongly worded warning, he said Sri Lanka must evolve with the changing demands of modern cricket. “There is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can’t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly,” he wrote.His most striking line reflected his biggest fear for the future. “We haven’t adapted, and the danger is irrelevance.”

South Africa vs West Indies Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Two of the most in-form teams in the tournament, South Africa and West Indies, will face off in a crucial Super 8 encounter with a semifinal spot firmly in sight. Both teams have been dominant so far, with South Africa registering an emphatic 76-run win over India in Ahmedabad and West Indies crushing Zimbabwe by 107 runs in their previous outing.

T20 World Cup: Schedule | Points Table

West Indies’ batting has been their biggest weapon, with multiple power-hitters capable of accelerating at any stage. Their aggressive approach has overwhelmed opponents, but the Proteas present a different challenge with a disciplined and varied bowling attack. Rabada’s pace, Jansen’s bounce, Ngidi’s variations and Maharaj’s control have combined effectively to trouble even the strongest line-ups.

South Africa’s batting has also delivered when needed, particularly through David Miller, whose composure under pressure helped rescue the team after early setbacks against India. His experience will be crucial again, especially against West Indies’ spin options such as Akeal Hosein.

The afternoon timing of the match may create balanced conditions, with no dew factor and a surface expected to slow down as the game progresses. This could bring spinners more into play and force batters to adapt rather than rely purely on power.

Having played extensively at the venue, South Africa will feel confident about their understanding of the conditions. The match also carries major implications for India, as a West Indies win would tighten the group and leave the hosts needing big victories in their remaining matches to stay in contention for the semifinals.

SQUADS

West Indies: Shai Hope (c), Johnson Charles, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, and Jayden Seales.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickleton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka, George Linde, Jason Smith.

A heart-broken Dasun Shanaka issued a heartfelt apology to fans after Sri Lanka crashed out of the T20 World Cup, admitting failures, fitness concerns and missed opportunities contributed to another painful exit.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Co-hosts Sri Lanka were eliminated in the Super Eight stage following a crushing 61-run defeat to New Zealand, days after suffering a 51-run loss to England. The twin defeats left their final match against Pakistan inconsequential, extending a barren run in global tournaments since their 2014 triumph.

“We feel very sorry about this,” Shanaka said in an emotional post-match press conference. “For the spectators, I don’t have anything to tell. We have not given them any win that they can be happy about.”The captain admitted Sri Lanka had squandered crucial moments, especially against England. “England match was also a match that we could have won. If we were more sensible, we could have won that. This match was a one-sided game,” he said.

Shanaka also pointed to unexpected playing conditions, saying the pitches did not behave as anticipated despite the squad being built around proven domestic performers. “Before the start of the tournament, I mentioned I expected good wickets. The best batsmen in Sri Lanka are here. No one goes out there to fail; everyone goes to win for the country,” he said. “Unfortunately, sometimes we lose games from small changes we don’t even think of. So honestly, we are very sorry.”Fitness and injuries emerged as a major concern, with Shanaka admitting Sri Lanka were lagging behind global standards. “I don’t think the physical fitness is up to the maximum level. We had about four to five injuries, and our best players are out. When considering fitness levels, other teams are way ahead of us,” he said.He stressed that fitness must become “non-negotiable”, highlighting the absence of key players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana as a huge setback, while insisting he was not using injuries as an excuse.Shanaka also acknowledged Sri Lanka’s lack of power-hitters and called for long-term planning, while remaining uncertain about his own captaincy future. “As a captain, I have no idea how long I will be the captain. It’s decided by selectors. I have made good decisions and mistakes as well, but I’m happy I had this opportunity.”Despite the disappointment, Shanaka urged his side to finish strongly against Pakistan. “No matter the problems, we have to go positively. It’s very important to finish the World Cup well because it gives momentum for the next tournament,” he said.

CHENNAI: When was the last time Indian players have been forced to keep an eye on another game before taking the field? It’s difficult to remember but that’s exactly the position they find themselves in right now in the T20 World Cup. Before India take on Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, Suryakumar Yadav & Co. will hope South Africa beat West Indies in Ahmedabad. If it goes the other way, it may well take things beyond their control, with Zimbabwe also needing to beat South Africa. While India’s resounding defeat against South Africa, which left them with a net run rate (NRR) of -3.8 has put them in this pickle, it wasn’t exactly a bolt from the blue.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Right from the first game against the USA, the Indian batting lineup was found wanting, but there seemed to be a strange reluctance to accept the shortcomings. Captain Suryakumar Yadav virtually laughed off a journalist’s query about probable changes in the batting order before the South Africa game but the humbling loss to them has changed every equation. Changes are now being mulled and there’s a strong possibility that Sanju Samson will be drafted in to open the batting. “There can be changes, yes. There are three left-handers up top and we have lost a wicket in the first over in the last three games. I personally don’t think that there is much problem, but we will see how it can be dealt with,” batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Wednesday.

Wednesday was a hot day in Chennai, with summer setting in, and only two players — C Varun and Tilak Varma — turned up for the optional training session. On Tuesday evening, though, the team had a four-hour session, where every batter looked to go for their shots right from the word go. Surya and Tilak, who may well be coming one slot down if Sanju plays, looked the most intent on hitting every ball out of the park. Both have struggled with their strike rate and they know that at No. 4 and 5, there won’t be too much time to settle in.Kotak, though, wasn’t ready to buy the idea that the duo have been struggling for form. “The South Africa game was really bad but that’s done. But against Pakistan we knew what we wanted and 175 was above par. Tilak and Surya were playing according to the situation,” the batting coach said.While regaining batting momentum is prime on India’s agenda, there’s also a strong likelihood that Axar Patel will be back in place of Rinku Singh, who has gone home to look after his ailing father.

“At No. 8, an allrounder is what we are probably looking at,” Kotak said, in an answer to a different query. But it left enough indication that Axar, whose exclusion in Ahmedabad raised eyebrows, will be back.The Chepauk pitch is likely to be a belter — a 200-plus score shouldn’t be a problem if India bat first and don’t lose wickets in a heap. That can put Zimbabwe, a competent side without much firepower, completely out of the game. Ryan Burt, one of Zimbabwe’s top allrounders, feels India will also carry excess baggage. “It’s as much a must-win game for us as it is for India. They lost pretty badly in the first game and so did we. There were, of course, learnings, and we want to take that forward,” Burt said.The Zimbabwe team had travelled on Tuesday and Wednesday’s training session was their first at the Chepauk. The conditions at the venue are quite different to what they have experienced in Sri Lanka, where they beat Australia and Sri Lanka. Burt agreed that’s going to be a challenge.There was one piece of good news for Zimbabwe, with their captain Sikandar Raza — who was struck in his bowling hand while playing against West Indies — regaining fitness.

CHENNAI: The legendary Wasim Akram, during a chat with a few journalists in September last year, had said that Abhishek Sharma was one batsman who would have given him a tough time. At that point, Abhishek was belting good bowlers for fun. In the leadup to the T20 World Cup, it was the incredible firepower of Abhishek and Ishan Kishan that made India big favourites.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Two-and-a-half weeks into the tournament, it’s the lacklustre performance of the same opening pair that has left the defending champions in a tricky position. The opening pair’s average is a dismal 6.8, the lowest in the tournament. Above them is already-eliminated Oman, who averaged 10.

And this entire debacle is centred around the poor form of Abhishek. After three consecutive ducks, he scored a 12-ball 15 in Ahmedabad but it wasn’t a fluent knock as he struggled against the South African attack. The young batter, though, had a long batting session on Tuesday evening and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak feels “he is just one good hit away”.“His health had taken a beating before the tournament. After that, he didn’t have much momentum. I don’t think it makes any sense over-thinking about one individual and he will bounce back,” Kotak said on Wednesday.It’s an open secret now that India’s openers — both lefthanders — have struggled against the off-spinners. While Abhishek got out to Salman Ali Agha and Aryan Dutt, Ishan Kishan gave his wicket away to Aiden Markram on Sunday. That’s not all. The middle order, too, has struggled to get going against off-spin, having faced 102 balls of off-spin and scoring at a rate of only 6.23 per over.

“We know Zimbabwe will try to exploit that and we are working on it,” Kotak said. Steps to that direction were taken when five Tamil Nadu age-group off-spinners were called in the nets on Tuesday evening as Abhishek and Co. looked to take them apart. But the problem doesn’t end with Abhishek. Tilak Varma, too, hasn’t been at his best.Batting at No. 3, Tilak has managed only 107, but what’s disappointing is the strike-rate of 118.9, way lower than his career strike rate of 141.8. Tilak has struggled to rotate strike and that has sometimes led to rash shots. The southpaw had a very long session on Tuesday night and on Wednesday too, he was back for some more knocking at the nets.Kotak felt that Tilak batting at run-a-ball shouldn’t be seen out of context. “It is a matter of two boundaries and a 26-ball 28 can become a 28-ball 38. He is under no instruction to play run-a-ball cricket, he is just playing the situation, as was the case in Colombo (against Pakistan), where it was about partnerships,” Kotak said.But then, he acknowledged that Sanju Samson is also in the mix for selection, which tells a lot about the struggles of the top order. For now, all that the batting coach is hoping for is “Abhishek hitting a few balls at the start of his innings” with Tilak and Surya carrying on the momentum. “We came here on top from the bilaterals but a couple of dismissals had changed things a little. But I am confident we will be fine,” Kotak said.

TimesofIndia.com in Chennai: has put India in a position where they can’t afford to slip up. Their net run rate (NRR) is the second worst in the Super Eight stage. To keep their last-four hopes alive, the Men in Blue need to win convincingly against Zimbabwe and the West Indies. Win is the keyword as anything less would keep the permutations alive but effectively end their campaign. Even a win requires an assist from South Africa, but this scenario should place them in better territory. Now, in the form of Zimbabwe, India are up against an opposition that has already silenced a home crowd in the group stages when they beat Sri Lanka in Colombo. Thursday presents them with another opportunity to replicate that success at the noisy Chepauk. Both teams find themselves in a must-win situation and Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl didn’t venture into the “dangerous” territory of silencing India in India. The 31-year-old prefers to focus on his side’s process and sticking to what worked for them vs Sri Lanka, in Sri Lanka.

“It will be quite dangerous to answer how I am going to silence India in India. No, I mean obviously playing against Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka with home ground advantage is very difficult. But ultimately how we approach tomorrow’s game is going to be no different to how we’ve approached the games before in the sense that we have our processes, we’ve got our game plan, yes it does change here and there according to the conditions and your opponents but ultimately we want to play the game that we know how to play and we have found a lot of success doing it that way. So we would obviously want to focus on as much as what our strengths are but taking into account the challenges that the opposition does present,” said Burl.However, the pressure seems greater in the Indian camp as the runaway favourites find themselves in a position to keep their campaign alive. A side which dominated the bilateral circuit for close to two years finds itself in a delicate position with players running low on confidence. Even during Tuesday’s training at Chepauk, the batters, who were short on runs, took a little while to regain the dominating flow which helped them set the stage on fire in recent months. Some World Cup debutants are probably coming to terms with the pressure of the multi-nation tournament, compounded by the added pressure of it being at home.

“World Cup in India, there will be pressure. I am a big believer that any international game you play, even I have played some ordinary district game, when you go to bat, you will feel pressure. If you do not feel that anxiety, it means you are not playing cricket. So that anxiety you learn to deal with it from the start of your career. And this is a big pressure game obviously when you are representing a country and a World Cup in India and a lot of expectation. “But I honestly believe that for a professional that is part of his life and we should deal with that in a positive manner. Just because we lost one game and we did not have good partnership and all, people talk more about it. But I honestly think they all are good enough to handle that pressure. If we want to win the World Cup, we have to handle that pressure. If we can’t, then it’s tough. And I don’t believe that there is anything this team cannot handle. So it’s just, I’m personally looking for that momentum. Once we start getting that momentum again, if we do it from tomorrow, I think they will be picking up at the right time. So I am looking at it that way,” said India batting coach Kotak.India are yet to play a perfect game in the tournament and the famed batting, billed as the real deal in the build-up, is yet to fire on all cylinders. Amongst the teams that qualified for the Super 8 stage, India’s collective batting is the worst at around 20 and they have recorded as many as 11 ducks so far, again the most. Not a number to be proud of but it isn’t something which the think tank is losing sleep over. According to Kotak, the team focuses on collective success or failure; individual setbacks do not weigh them down in the business end of the tournament.

In Zimbabwe, India again faces an opponent aware of its shortcomings and possessing enough variety in its attack to test the best. Blessing Muzarabani has been a real threat, already picking up 11 wickets in the tournament. However, the 6’9″ bowler isn’t the only weapon in their arsenal; they also boast effective spin and seam options. “We’ve obviously got a lot of options and that’s probably one of the advantages of the Zimbabwe lineup is we’ve got left arm seamer, right arm seamer, we’ve got couple leg spinners, we’ve got an off spinner, we’ve got a left arm offie. So we do have quite a lot of depth and I think it will probably just come down to what are the match-ups depending on the batters that are out there at the time and obviously the combinations that we do look to go for,” explained Burl.The lanky Blessing stood out during the nets; it was difficult to miss the intimidating frame. Against India, he will definitely bring something different to the table and Burl emphasised that he hasn’t received the credit he deserves for his performances in the tournament.

“I mean being 6 foot 9 does help. I have to give a lot more credit to Blessing than he has received, because he’s been out for about four to six months prior to this tournament. And he obviously had a lot of doubts coming in with his own body and how he was feeling and stuff like that. The success that he has had with the ball has been amazing. It’s not something that has only just come about now. “He has been doing this in international cricket previously. He’s obviously someone that we really do, we’re really happy having in our squad. He’s one of those bowlers that’s obviously 6’9″, and he does kind of come a little bit from beyond the perpendicular. So jagging the ball back into the righties and across the lefties with that steep bounce does propose quite a lot of a challenge for the batters. So I’m a lot happier knowing that he’s on my team and not on the opposition,” added Burl.In a few hours, India’s campaign will gain much more clarity, starting with the game between South Africa and West Indies. The result of that game will have a major bearing on India’s campaign as after the Ahmedabad blip, the control has slipped

Veteran Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza stands on the brink of history as he closes in on a major personal milestone in T20I cricket. The Zimbabwe captain needs just 15 more runs to become the first player from his country to reach 3000 runs in the shortest international format.Raza is expected to target the landmark in Zimbabwe’s must-win Super Eight clash against defending champions India national cricket team at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

So far, Raza has accumulated 2985 runs in 131 matches and 126 innings, averaging 26.18. His record in T20Is includes 16 half-centuries and one century.If he achieves the feat, Raza will become the 14th batter overall to cross the 3000-run mark in T20Is, joining an elite list featuring Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, Paul Stirling, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Waseem, David Warner, Suryakumar Yadav, Virandeep Singh, Aaron Finch and Quinton de Kock.Meanwhile, Zimbabwe all-rounder Ryan Burl underlined the importance of the upcoming fixture. Zimbabwe were heavily beaten by the West Indies cricket team in their first Super Eight match at the Wankhede Stadium, losing by 107 runs while chasing a daunting 255.With both Zimbabwe and India desperate to keep their semi-final hopes alive, Burl acknowledged the magnitude of the contest.“It is a must-win match for us; it’s also a must-win game for India. There’s obviously a lot at stake here, being a World Cup game, and if we are to progress to the semi-finals, we both want to look at winning tomorrow’s game. So I think we are both excited. Obviously, we don’t get to play India a lot, so it’s something that we really have been looking forward to, and we will grab the opportunity with both hands,” Burl said during the pre-match press conference.