Defending champions India national cricket team are weighing changes to their struggling opening partnership ahead of a must-win Super Eights encounter against Zimbabwe national cricket team in Chennai on Thursday. With semi-final qualification hanging in the balance, India are considering wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson as a possible option at the top of the order in their second Super Eights fixture.

Opener Abhishek Sharma has endured a lean run, including three successive ducks, compounding India’s problems. The defending champions began the Super Eights with a heavy 76-run loss to South Africa national cricket team, leaving them with little room for error. The qualification equation is now simple. Win the remaining two matches and progression remains largely in India’s control. Slip up, and they could be forced to rely on other results. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that combinations are being debated internally. “There can be changes, yes,” Kotak told reporters. “And obviously, it goes without saying that we discuss, because there are two leftie openers, number three is left-handed.” Although he played down concerns over the left-heavy top order, Kotak admitted that repeated early dismissals had prompted reflection. “I personally don’t think that there is any problem there but because we lost a wicket in the first over in three games, obviously, any team would think,” he said. India’s batting core is dominated by left-handers, a pattern opponents have exploited. Sides such as Pakistan national cricket team, Netherlands national cricket team and South Africa have opened with off-spin, dismissing one of the openers in the very first over. In the defeat to South Africa, Ishan Kishan fell for a fourth-ball duck after captain Aiden Markram began with off-spin. Samson, a right-hander who featured earlier in the tournament against Namibia when Abhishek was unwell, could offer balance at the top.

TimesofIndia.com in Kandy: As Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign teetered on the edge, one moment captured both the pain of defeat and the spirit of the game. When Shaheen Shah Afridi finally dismissed Harry Brook for a sublime century, the Pakistan fast bowler walked across, shook hands with the England captain, and offered a gesture of genuine respect.“He deserved it because he had the world class innings in his life,” Shaheen said later. “I think it’s the best innings. Anyone who plays like that, you should appreciate it.”“Harry and me had a very good friendship,” he said. “We played together in PSL. Anyone who plays an innings like that, you should appreciate it,” he added.

Brook’s hundred at Pallekele was not merely a match-winning knock. It was a captain’s innings played under pressure on a difficult surface, and it came at the direct expense of Pakistan’s semi-final ambitions. England’s victory has sealed their place in the last-four, while Pakistan now need results elsewhere to keep their campaign alive.“These things happen in cricket,” Shaheen said, who picked up 4 for 30 against England. “But we are still in the tournament, anything can happen. We are thinking that we get this one opportunity. Firstly, we should win this match. I hope New Zealand loses their match.”The reality, however, is harsh. Pakistan’s margin for error has evaporated, and Shaheen acknowledged that their own shortcomings played a role in the defeat, particularly with the bat.

“I feel on a wicket like this you need a partnership and you need somebody like a set batsman who can bat through the middle overs,” he said. “But unfortunately we lost wickets back to back, which is why we did not go for that 180 to 190 score.”That contrast was evident in Brook’s innings. While Pakistan struggled to stitch partnerships together, Brook anchored England’s chase with clarity and control.“If you see one side, Harry Brook, the way he went, wickets were falling, but he was still in the crease,” Shaheen said. “He was rotating the strike and building the partnership. I think we missed that opportunity.”Shaheen reserved special praise for Brook’s preparation and shot selection, noting that the England captain succeeded where others struggled.

“I never see a batsman (batter) like him,” he said. “Today he was properly ready for every ball to hit it. He was well prepared for us.”The admiration was not born overnight. Shaheen and Brook share a bond forged during their time together in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with the Lahore Qalandars. Shaheen recalled watching Brook long before he became a mainstay for England.“When we picked him in PSL Lahore, I don’t think he played for England at that time,” Shaheen said. “He was just playing county cricket. But he played on Asian wickets and improved a lot. Today he came at number three. You need a leader who can take responsibility in big games.”Brook’s promotion up the order did not surprise Shaheen, but the manner in which he embraced the responsibility stood out.“Not surprised actually, but the way he took that responsibility as a captain, that was the best innings he played,” Shaheen said. “It was a captain’s innings.”

For Shaheen himself, the match was also personal. After being left out of two games earlier in the tournament, he returned with a fiery opening spell that gave Pakistan early hope.“Yes, you said I was dropped,” Shaheen said. “But my focus was to work on my bowling, how to come back, and maintain my normal things so that I can give good results.”He dismissed any talk of having something to prove.“I don’t need to prove to anyone,” he said. “My job is whenever I have an opportunity, I will go and give 100 percent for my team.”Shaheen hits out at Hesson

Shaheen, who is Pakistan’s ODI captain also took a jibe at coach Mike Hesson’s obsession with having more all-rounders in the team. “Look, he has a mindset, he is a head coach. I think he knows better than us how to run a team. And he is responsible for that,” he said.Shaheen explained that his emphasis on bowling a consistent length was a conscious decision based on conditions.“If the wicket depends on length, why not go for length balls?” he said. “They were struggling and I was just trying to bowl the same length.”His early success, including a first-over wicket, helped him settle quickly. “Whenever I play, my job is to take wickets early,” he said. “That’s why I bowl the first over. Today I was just planning how I can take wickets.”Despite Shaheen’s burst and Pakistan’s promising start, Brook ensured that the game drifted away. His innings exposed the fine margins that now define Pakistan’s campaign. Missed partnerships, soft dismissals, and an inability to control the middle overs have left them relying on permutations rather than performances.Pakistan’s World Cup fate now rests partly in others’ hands. For England, and for Harry Brook, the night at Pallekele may be remembered as the moment a leader truly announced himself, even to those he left behind.

Forced into a must-win situation following the big loss to South Africa, India will be looking for a quick reboot in the game against Zimbabwe at the Chepauk on Thursday…CHENNAI: The real World Cup starts now. India’s humbling loss to South Africa has ensured that the cloak of invincibility has been stripped away. The defeat has forced the hosts into ‘knockout’ mode, starting with the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Thursday. It’s essentially a round-of-16 match followed by a ‘virtual quarterfinal’ against West Indies in Kolkata on March 1. However, there’s a catch — if West Indies beat South Africa on Thursday afternoon and South Africa beat Zimbabwe, then even two wins may not be enough for India to make the semifinals.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!West Indies’ 107-run win against Zimbabwe, coupled with India’s 76-run loss to South Africa, has left a massive gulf in the net run rate (NRR) which even two big wins may not be able to bridge. While West Indies have +5.35, India have -3.8. Even before they take the field against Zimbabwe on Thursday, Suryakumar Yadav will pray that South Africa keep their part of the bargain and beat the Windies in the day game.

However, those are factors India cannot control. What India can do, however, is beat Zimbabwe handsomely to boost their morale, which has taken a sound beating. Nothing worked for them against South Africa, but then that was not an aberration. Abhishek Sharma is carrying the burden of four failures, Tilak Varma has looked a shadow of the batter who won India the Asia Cup final in September last year and Surya hasn’t fired on all cylinders since the USA game. When three of the top four are struggling for form, it’s a losing battle at this level.The problem with this Indian team is that the quality of the backups isn’t great either. Sanju Samson, if pushed in ahead of Tilak and Ishan is asked to bat at No. 3, will be a forced selection. Sanju has done nothing extraordinary with the bat in the chances that he has got so far, including the one in the World Cup. His inclusion will just be a desperate ploy to plug a hole.While that’s one part of the story, the obvious course correction that India will do at Chepauk is to bring back Axar Patel in place of Washington Sundar. Making Axar sit out against SA didn’t make tactical sense and backfired badly.

The one relief for India going into Thursday’s game will be the situation Zimbabwe are in. They made the Super 8s at the expense of Australia and on the back of some extremely spunky performances in Sri Lanka. But the conditions in Sri Lanka, which favour their kind of slower bowlers who love taking pace off the ball, are significantly different from conditions in India.Zimbabwe found this out the hard way against the West Indies at the Wankhede and the conditions at the Chepauk are likely to be similar. If two of India’s big hitters click on the unusually batting-friendly pitch here, the game should be over as Zimbabwe don’t seem to have the firepower to chase, say, a 200-plus total.Zimbabwe coach Justin Sammons explained how the inexperience of playing in India can be a major impediment for his team. “There’s probably only three in our starting XI that have played in India before. So, for eight players it’s the first time. These are completely different conditions (to Lanka), grounds are smaller, so there’s massive learning that the group will take. We’ll park the disappointment and move on (from the West Indies game),” Sammons said.The coach knows how hungry India will be to turn things around after what happened in Ahmedabad. Their approach will be pretty much similar to West Indies’, whereby Abhishek & Co. will look to demolish Zimbabwe by the sheer weight of runs. What gives Samons a little hope is the fact that the Chepauk playing area is slightly bigger than the Wankhede, which should give their bowlers some sort of respite.“India are not going to hold back. So we have to stay calm and think on our feet and try to change things up a little to disrupt the rhythm of their batters. Chennai will be a bit bigger and it probably will make things a little easier,” Samons said.For Zimbabwe to make a match of it, a lot of things have to fall in place, with the form of mystery spinner Sikandar Raza and paceman Blessing Muzarabani being on top of the list. The duo leaked 94 off seven overs in Mumbai and it’s on Indian power hitters to make it a repeat show and keep the hopes alive.

The debate around Babar Azam refuses to fade at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Once hailed as Pakistan’s next great batting superstar, Babar has tried multiple roles in this edition, opening the innings, batting in the top order and even shifting to the middle order. So far, none of the moves have delivered the desired results.On February 24, during Pakistan’s defeat to England national cricket team, Babar once again struggled for fluency, scoring at barely above a run-a-ball. His form and role have sparked fresh scrutiny.

Before that game, former England captain Michael Vaughan praised head coach Mike Hesson for navigating what he described as the complex politics of Pakistan cricket. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Vaughan said:“I admire overseas coaches that go and coach in Pakistan because I can only imagine what’s going on,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.“But Babar Azam himself, I think Mike Hesson has dealt with it brilliantly because he clearly has to play Babar Azam, and he’s using him as an insurance policy. You lose two wickets; he’s your insurance. He comes in at number four, and he can just play.”Vaughan believes Babar’s method, even if considered outdated in the modern T20 game, still has value in Sri Lankan conditions. He suggested that other batters should adopt a more aggressive approach around him, allowing Babar to anchor the innings.“In Sri Lanka, I think he’s absolutely perfect for those wickets because Sri Lanka so far has been 150-180, and I think Babar’s in that range. I think he’ll get Pakistan to a 160-170 score,” the Manchester-born cricketer said.“I do admire the way that Mike Hesson has probably played the politics well, and it probably doesn’t give you the best chance of winning the World Cup. But I do feel on a pitch like we’ll find in Pallekele, I would want a Babar Azam in my team. Absolutely, because I want someone solid who can knock the spinners around. If he strikes at 125-130, that’s absolutely fine. You’ll need a cameo or two from two or three of the players around you, but I would want that consistent player in the middle of the innings. I think they’ve dealt with it right,” he added.Vaughan also disclosed that he had spoken extensively with former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie, his Ashes rival, about the challenges of working within Pakistan cricket. Gillespie had earlier alleged excessive interference during his tenure. Vaughan admitted he would not consider taking up such a role himself.“I personally would never want to go and be an overseas coach in Pakistan. I’ve spoken so much to Jason Gillespie when I went over there. So, it’s difficult. I just think Hesson and the team and the management – I think they’ve dealt with it perfectly. Absolutely perfect in what they’ve done,” he further added.Statistically, Babar’s campaign has underwhelmed. In the 2026 tournament, he has scored 91 runs from four innings at an average of 22.75 and a strike rate of 112.34. Among batters with 90 or more runs in the competition, none has a lower strike rate. Only UAE’s Alishan Sharafu, striking at 112.40, comes close.Across his T20 World Cup career, Babar has featured in 23 matches, scoring 640 runs from 21 innings at an average of 33.68 and a strike rate of 111.49. No player with 500 or more runs in the tournament’s history has recorded a lower strike rate than the former Pakistan captain.

TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: New Zealand kept their T20 World Cup campaign alive with a commanding 61-run win over Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, a result shaped by composure under pressure with the bat, clinical precision with the ball, and an atmosphere driven relentlessly by Sri Lankan fans who refused to drift away even as the contest slipped beyond their team.Long after the outcome appeared inevitable, the stands remained full, the drums kept beating and the trumpets echoed through the Colombo night. Every boundary was still applauded, every piece of good fielding acknowledged. Wins or losses have never defined Sri Lankan fandom, and even as their World Cup campaign came to an end, the loyalty did not waver. Covering a Sri Lanka match is rarely just about cricket. It feels like a festival, and on this night, the celebration continued despite the pain.

Santner, McConchie turn the innings

Earlier, put in to bat on a surface that offered grip and variable bounce, the visitors began with intent. Finn Allen counterpunched sharply against Dilshan Madushanka, taking on the movement with instinctive aggression. But as quickly as the tempo rose, it dipped. Allen’s dismissal triggered a brief wobble, Tim Seifert followed soon after, and Sri Lanka sensed an opening.Rachin Ravindra brought fluency through the middle overs, rotating strike and finding the occasional boundary, but the introduction of spin shifted the balance decisively. Maheesh Theekshana, operating with subtle changes of pace and trajectory, strangled New Zealand’s scoring options. Ravindra fell attempting a cut hit too flat, Mark Chapman was undone by turn and bounce, and Daryl Mitchell was beaten by skid rather than spin. From a position of comfort at 75 for 2, New Zealand slid to 84 for 6 in the space of nine deliveries.It was here that Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie stepped in to rescue the innings. The approach was uncomplicated and clear-headed. Survival came first. Boundaries were not chased, singles were valued and dot balls were absorbed without panic. McConchie, playing his first major role of the tournament, broke a 33-ball boundary drought late in the 16th over with a crisp strike through the infield. The release was immediate. Santner followed by reading length early and targeting the shorter leg side boundary with authority. The momentum swing was sudden and decisive. Santner went after Theekshana, who had been Sri Lanka’s most economical bowler until then, muscling slog sweeps and punishing full tosses. McConchie matched him stroke for stroke, using clever bat angles and strong bottom-hand hits to exploit gaps behind square.What had begun as a recovery turned into a late surge. In the final four overs, the seventh-wicket pair plundered 70 runs, transforming New Zealand’s total from fragile to formidable. Santner’s 47 from 26 balls anchored the charge, while McConchie’s unbeaten 31 ensured there was no late collapse. Together, they added 84 in 47 deliveries and lifted New Zealand to a competitive 168 for 7.

Henry sets up the defence

In reply, Sri Lanka’s chase never truly found its feet and was disrupted from the first ball. Matt Henry bowled Pathum Nissanka with a delivery that jagged back to hit middle stump. It was a classic seam bowler’s dismissal and a psychological blow that stunned a full house.Henry followed it up with a wicket maiden and then struck again with the first ball of his second over, removing Charith Asalanka. Two overs, two wickets and just three runs conceded summed up his impact. Sri Lanka limped to 20 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, their lowest such total in the tournament, and the uphill climb became steeper with every over.The squeeze never eased. Lockie Ferguson’s pace added urgency without sacrificing control, while Santner and Ish Sodhi closed down scoring options from either end. The fielding mirrored the bowling intensity, with sharp catching and athletic work inside the ring ensuring Sri Lanka were forced to take risks rather than accumulate.The decisive blow came through Rachin Ravindra, whose left-arm spin turned pressure into collapse. Varying his pace and width cleverly, Ravindra lured batters out of their crease and allowed Tim Seifert to shine behind the stumps. Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake were both stumped, beaten by flight, drift and turn. Ravindra struck again when Dasun Shanaka top-edged a cut, and completed his four-wicket haul by dismissing Dushan Hemantha. His figures of 4 for 27 reflected not just wickets, but an ability to sense panic and exploit it ruthlessly.Kamindu Mendis offered brief resistance, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell ensured chances were taken, Santner chipped in to close out the innings and Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 107.For New Zealand, the victory does more than end Sri Lanka’s campaign. It keeps their own semifinal hopes alive in a tightly contested Super Eight phase. Their blueprint is now clear. Strike early with the new ball, suffocate through the middle overs and trust the depth in their batting to recover from adversity.For Sri Lanka, the tournament ends with disappointment, but also with a reminder of what remains unbreakable. Even as the final wickets fell, the crowd stayed. The band played on, the trumpets rang out and the applause continued. The result belonged to New Zealand, but the night, as always in Colombo, belonged to the fans.Brief Scores New Zealand: 168/7 in 20 overs (Mitchell Santner 47, Cole McConchie 31 not out; Maheesh Theekshana 3/30, Dushmantha Chameera 3/38)Sri Lanka: 107/8 in 20 overs (Kamindu Mendis 31; Rachin Ravindra 4/27, Matt Henry 2/14)

Dubai: The lines are blurring for today’s top tennis pros, chalk markings smudging the clean cuts of the fashion world.Arthur Fils, the 21-year-old ranked No. 34 on the ATP Tour, was recently signed by luxury fashion house Balenciaga. The talented Frenchman, who pulled out of the Dubai Duty Free tennis tournament with a strained hip, spends up to 15 minutes in front of his wardrobe deciding what to wear for dinner.“I take this, this and this and the mix always works. I’m pretty simple. I don’t go with crazy things,” he told TOI in an exclusive chat about his choices, which aren’t very different from what he does on the court. “Tennis is much more open now. More new brands are coming into the sport, we’re also signing with luxury brands. We are invited to a lot of events and there’s much more media now.”In the Carlos Alcaraz–Jannik Sinner era, forehands meet fashion collaborations, global luxury powerhouses walk alongside sports brands expanding into athleisure. The game’s new icons are not just chasing trophies; they are setting the tone for a generation that treats tennis as a vibe and lifestyle as much as grind and legacy.If the Roger Federer–Rafael Nadal–Novak Djokovic years were defined by sculpted perfection, the Alcaraz–Sinner era is about expression.Alexander Bublik, the second seed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, points to age. He is 16 years younger than Federer and more than a decade younger than Nadal and Djokovic. Bublik, 28, ranked No. 10, was already on Tour when Alcaraz, 22, and Sinner, 24, emerged.“For me it was about looking up to them,” Bublik said of the golden generation. “We’re not friends; we are not going to be friends. With Carlos and Jannik it is a friendly relationship. Carlos is a funny guy, very, very loud. He wears crazy gear and Jannik is more style and elegance, an ice-cold approach on the court.”Bublik, who noted that these were much cooler times, as against the result-oriented stretch of the game’s golden era, said that back home in Kazakhstan or Russia, he even had movie offers.Andrey Rublev, whose unruly mop mirrors his temperament, calls it “a generational thing”.“Each generation had to contend with something,” he said. “Before Roger and Rafa, it was Sampras and Agassi; before that it was McEnroe and Borg. That was a different time, with no social media. They were doing many more things outside the court. In the time of Roger and Rafa, social media started and tennis also became more professional. Players were more kind of locked down, super professional.”“Now there’s a new generation, like the TikTok generation, so it’s just different,” the 28-year-old Russian said.Fils, for his part, admires the unapologetically expressive style of Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.“There’s a lot of character in Lewis Hamilton’s style. When he goes anywhere, everyone looks at him because of what he’s wearing; it looks great on him. I like fashion and now I can wear a lot of cool stuff that I really like. So every time I’m going out to dinner or whatever, I try to put on something cool.”In a sport once defined by whites and restraint, self-expression is no longer a sideshow; it is part of the main event. The new generation is as comfortable fronting fashion campaigns as it is trading blows from the baseline, unafraid to let personality sit alongside performance.For the likes of Fils and his peers, style is not a distraction but a declaration. The forehand still does the talking, but increasingly, so does the fit.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Ryan Burl said his team is aware of the task ahead against India but believes the pressure of a must-win T20 World Cup match could affect the hosts when the two sides meet on Thursday.The Group 1 Super Eights clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is crucial for both teams after India lost to South Africa and Zimbabwe went down to the West Indies.“Yeah, it is a must-win match for us, but 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 semifinals, we both want to look at winning tomorrow’s game,” Burl said at the pre-match press conference.“Obviously, we don’t get to play India a lot, so it’s something that we really have been looking forward to. Playing India in India is a challenge in itself. They obviously got a home ground advantage, but the added pressure of both teams needing to win tomorrow’s game.“Pressure does funny things to teams. And obviously it being a World Cup, there’s that added pressure as well. We hope to execute our process tomorrow,” he added.Burl said Zimbabwe’s bowling options could help them counter India’s batting.“We’re doing a lot of our homework. Obviously, India’s got that firepower where they obviously go really hard in the power play and if they don’t lose wickets, they’ve got guys that can go hard throughout. We’ve obviously got a lot of options (in bowling) and that’s probably one of the advantages of the Zimbabwe lineup.”“We’ve got left-arm seamer, right-arm seamer, we’ve got a couple of 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 and, obviously, the combinations that we do look to go for,” he added.The all-rounder said the team has moved on from the loss to the West Indies.“To be honest, I think we can only take positives from that defeat. It sounds weird, but we hadn’t really had a bad game until then. So there is massive learning in that.“And in saying that, India obviously also had their bad game against South Africa. So we’re both looking to bounce back, and no better place than to do that tomorrow,” he said.Burl also confirmed that captain Sikandar Raza is fit despite taking a blow in the previous match against West Indies.“Sikandar Raza is 100% playing. Good luck telling him that he’s not going to play against India. Yeah, he’s going to be playing,” he added.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Sri Lanka must address their struggle against spin bowlers when they face New Zealand in a must-win Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday.

T20 World Cup: Schedule | Points table

The hosts failed to chase 147 against England on a slow surface in Pallekele. Batting conditions in Sri Lanka have been more demanding compared to co-hosts India, and the pattern is expected to continue at the Premadasa Stadium, where larger boundaries limit six-hitting.

Shot selection came under focus after the loss in the Super Eight opener, and Sri Lanka will look to correct those errors.

“It’s a T20 game, so obviously you come into a game, so you are looking to score as many runs as you can. So when the ball is not coming on to the bat, it’s easier said than done,” Sri Lanka’s batting coach Vikram Rathour reflected on the side’s poor poor performance.

“Are there better options? Yes, definitely could have been taken. I thought on a wicket where the ball is stopping, so pushing is not a great idea. A couple of our wickets lost out on guys pushing for a single. I don’t think that was a great option in these conditions,” he added.

Pathum Nissanka has led the batting effort so far, while left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage has performed with the ball. The fast bowlers have also delivered in the tournament.

New Zealand shared a point with Pakistan after their match at Premadasa was washed out. They have spin options, including captain Mitchell Santner.

With no rain forecast, both teams will aim for their first win in the Super Eight stage.

New Zealand openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were in form during the league phase and will look to continue that run.

Rachin Ravindra is also expected to contribute after scoring a fifty in his previous innings against Canada.