England skipper Harry Brook produced a breathtaking rescue act with a 100 off just 51 balls to steer his side to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in their Super 8 Group 2 clash at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Promoted to No. 3 for the first time in his T20I career, Brook smashed 10 fours and four sixes, scoring 41 of England’s 53 Powerplay runs and almost single-handedly keeping his side in the hunt. His innings also made him the first England captain to score a T20 World Cup century.“Whenever we lose, it feels like he’s the one making the difference. But credit where it’s due – he batted brilliantly today. Hopefully, he saves some runs for the game against New Zealand. Especially in that kind of form, he plays all around the ground – 360 degrees – which makes it very challenging to set fields and execute plans. They were smart. They didn’t attack too hard, they just rotated the strike well,” said Salman Agha, reflecting on Brook’s dominance.

The chase began with drama as Shaheen Afridi removed Phil Salt for a golden duck and Jos Buttler under-edged the next delivery for just 2. Shaheen accounted for Bethell as well, finishing with 3 wickets in the Powerplay. But Brook weathered the storm, punishing spin and pace alike. He launched Mohammad Nawaz for 4, 4, and 6 in a single over and smashed Shadab Khan for a 96-metre straight six, effectively turning the contest on its head.“Started well with the bat, but we couldn’t finish the way we wanted. At the end of the day, you have to give credit to the opposition. The way Harry Brook batted was outstanding – he completely took the game away from us,” Agha said after the match, underlining the impact of Brook’s innings.Brook’s century helped England reach 166-8 in 19.1 overs, with Will Jacks adding 28 crucial runs. Pakistan’s Usman Tariq fought valiantly with two key wickets, but Brook remained unflappable, guiding his side to victory with just five balls to spare and securing England’s fifth consecutive men’s T20 World Cup semifinal berth.“It was a mixed surface, but I thought we bowled really well up front. Then Harry came in and played an outstanding innings. We threw everything at him, but he was simply too good for us today,” added Agha, summing up England’s performance and Brook’s match-winning display.Pakistan now need to beat Sri Lanka and hope for favourable results.

Princy Parikh with South African batter David Miller (Screengrabs)

NEW DELHI: After India’s heavy loss to South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2026, a video posted by social media influencer RJ Princy Parikh with South African batter David Miller went viral. In the clip, Parikh was seen circling Miller, with the caption “David Miller! What a player” and the on-screen line “I thought we were friends, David.”

Soon after, Parikh claimed she started receiving serious online abuse, including rape threats and body-shaming comments. Because of this, she deleted the video from Facebook but kept it on Instagram, and said she plans to file a police complaint over the threats.

South Africa crushed India by 76 runs in their first Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, leaving India in a must-win situation for their remaining two games to reach the semifinals. Chasing 188, India were bowled out for just 111 in 18.5 overs, ending their 12-match T20 World Cup winning streak.India’s chase collapsed early, with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma falling cheaply. Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Sharma tried to rebuild, but Sharma was dismissed in the fifth over. Washington Sundar and Yadav also failed to build partnerships, and although Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube added 35 runs, regular wickets kept India under pressure. Dube’s dismissal for 42 sealed India’s fate.South Africa’s bowlers dominated, with Marco Jansen taking 4/22, Keshav Maharaj 3/24, and Lungi Ngidi conceding just 15 runs in four overs. Earlier, David Miller anchored South Africa’s innings with a match-winning 63 off 35 balls after they were 20/3, sharing a 97-run stand with Dewald Brevis (45 off 29). Tristan Stubbs added a quick 44* to help South Africa post 187/7. Jasprit Bumrah took 3/15.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi flaunts new Rs 22 lakh car

NEW DELHI: Fourteen-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to make headlines with his record-breaking performances and growing list of rewards. After a sensational IPL 2025 season, he was gifted a brand-new car for winning the “Striker of the Season” award. The top model of the car costs over Rs 22 lakh in Delhi.

Vaibhav has recently been honoured for his performances at the ICC U19 World Cup, where India became champions. He met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and received Rs 50 lakh as a special reward for his achievements. Meanwhile, the BCCI also announced a Rs 7.50 crore reward for the Indian Under-19 team after they won the 2026 U19 World Cup.In the World Cup final against England, Vaibhav played a match-winning knock of 175 runs off just 80 balls, helping India win their sixth U-19 World Cup title. Watch Sooryavanshi receiving the car: He hit 15 fours and 15 sixes and reached his century in just 55 balls, one of the fastest in tournament history. He finished the tournament with 439 runs and was named Player of the Match in the final and Player of the Tournament.He first grabbed global attention in IPL 2025 when he smashed a 35-ball century, the fastest by an Indian and the second-fastest in IPL history. He also became the youngest centurion and debutant in IPL history. Rajasthan Royals signed him for Rs 1.1 crore, making him the youngest player ever bought in the league.Vaibhav is already India’s leading U-19 ODI run-scorer and has broken several youth cricket records with his aggressive batting style. He is now preparing for the 2026 IPL season and is expected to be one of Rajasthan Royals’ key players.

Steve Bucknor and Sachin Tendulkar. (Pic Credit – X)

The younger generation may not fully grasp the impact West Indies umpire Steve Bucknor had on Indian cricket fans and Sachin Tendulkar. Now 79, Bucknor was one of the most respected umpires of his time, officiating over 120 Test matches and serving in multiple World Cups. However, he is still remembered for several controversial decisions against Tendulkar, often in the biggest matches.One of the most famous incidents was during the Brisbane Test between India and Australia in 2003–04. Tendulkar, at the peak of his career, was given out LBW by Bucknor after a loud appeal from Jason Gillespie, Adam Gilchrist, and the Australian team. Tendulkar was dismissed for just three runs in the first innings—a huge shock to fans.

Now, 22 years later, Bucknor has admitted he made a mistake. He said Tendulkar should not have been given out because the ball was clearly missing the stumps. This confession confirms what fans have long believed about one of cricket’s most controversial decisions.“Giving Sachin Tendulkar out leg before wicket, and it’s a matter of knowing that it was a mistake, but until this day, every day, people talk about it,” Bucknor said in an interview with the West Indies Cricket Umpires’ Association.“Why did I give him out? Was he out and so on? But then in life, mistakes happen. I have accepted that it was a mistake, and life goes on,” he added.How did the dismissal come about?During that dismissal, Sachin Tendulkar tried to leave the ball, but it struck his pads. Jason Gillespie and the Australian team appealed, and the experienced umpire Steve Bucknor gave him out. However, he clearly misjudged the ball’s height. Tendulkar had misread the delivery, leaving his arms across, as the ball pitched outside off and swung sharply back in line.When Bucknor raised his finger, Tendulkar looked shocked and couldn’t believe the decision. Commentator Tony Greig called it a “dreadful decision” live on air. Replays later showed the ball would have gone well above the stumps, proving Bucknor’s call was a major error that ended Tendulkar’s innings prematurely.“That is a dreadful decision. Have a look at this, look at the bounce and movement,” Greig had said then.

Shubham Pundir (PTI Photo)

HUBBALLI: For the first hour of the Ranji Trophy title contest here on Tuesday, the Karnataka pace trio of Prasidh Krishna, Vidhyadhar Patil and Vyshak Vijaykumar, tested the Jammu and Kashmir batters. They got movement off the seam and probed the openers who were beaten on several occasions.Qamran Iqbal (6) and Yawer Hassan (88) lived dangerously and the former— having come in as a replacement for Shubham Khajuria, who was ruled out after suffering a lower-back spasm — perished during that passage of play, when he edged a good length delivery which moved away to KL Rahul at second slip.Thereafter, J&K seized control. Riding on an unbeaten century from Shubham Pundir (117; 221b; 12×4; 2×6) and contributions from Hassan and the in-form Abdul Samad (52 batting), the visitors closed the opening day at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium on a commanding 284/2 in 87 overs.

Pundir joined Hassan in the 11th over and the pair stitched together a crucial 139-run partnership that shifted the momentum decisively.Hassan began cautiously before capitalising on loose deliveries. A couple of half volleys from Vyshak allowed him to break free with successive cover drives to the boundary. Pundir too counterattacked effectively, taking on Prasidh during his otherwise disciplined spells. Their strokeplay signalled a clear shift in approach as they moved from survival to dominance.Karnataka’s cause was further hurt by lapses in the field. The hosts burned a couple of unsuccessful reviews and spilled more than one chance at crucial moments. The introduction of spin brought little respite as Pundir swept leggie Shreyas Gopal off his first delivery.As the partnership flourished, Karnataka were pushed on to the defensive. Field placements spread out and the bowlers struggled to maintain consistent lengths, often offering the batters scoring opportunities. Hassan brought up his maiden first-class fifty in style, reaching the milestone off 77 balls with a late cut to the backward-point boundary. His innings included ten boundaries, many of them classical strokes.The post-lunch session underlined Karnataka’s inconsistency, especially with their lengths, while wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna missed a stumping chance off Pundir, adding to the mounting frustration in the home camp.Prasidh, the most effective among the bowlers, eventually broke the stand with a back of a length delivery that Hassan edged to Rahul in the slips.J&K skipper Paras Dogra endured a painful outing. He was struck on the neck by a Prasidh bouncer and continued after treatment but looked uncomfortable. Substitute fielder KV Aneesh later dropped him off Vyshak before Dogra was hit again, this time on the hand forcing him to retire hurt.From there on, Abdul Samad and Pundir accelerated. The pair punished the spinners in the final session, with Pundir bringing up his fourth first-class century in style by stepping out to loft Shikhar Shetty over deep midwicket for six.By stumps, J&K had seized the initiative, with Pundir and Samad promising more runs on a day that belonged to the visitors.While Karnataka went with an unchanged squad, J&K were forced to make two changes with Vanshaj Sharma joining Khajuria on the sidelines.SCOREBOARDJammu and Kashmir (I Innings): Qamran Iqbal c Rahul b Prasidh 6, Yawer Hassan c Rahul b Prasidh 88, Shubham Pundir (batting) 117, Paras Dogra (retd hurt) 9, Abdul Samad (batting) 52. Extras (W-2, B-2, LB-8) 12. Total: (2 wkts, 87 overs) 284. Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-157Bowling: Vidyadhar Patil 16-0-66-0, Vyshak Vijaykumar 18-6-25-0, Prasidh Krishna 16-5-36-2, Shreyas Gopal 17-1-79-0, Shikhar Shetty 20-0-68-0.

India vs Pakistan (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

NEW DELHI: Tickets for the T20 World Cup semi-finals and final went on sale on Tuesday, but the ICC announced special conditions that could affect the match venues depending on which teams qualify, especially Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Fans can purchase tickets for the first semi-final on March 4, the second semi-final on March 5, and the final on March 8.

The first semi-final has been kept as a “floating venue”, meaning it could be held either in Colombo or Kolkata. The final venue will depend on the teams that make it to the knockout stage. The second semi-final, however, is fixed and will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The final is currently scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad, but that could also change.If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play the first semi-final in Colombo on March 4. In that case, any tickets bought for the Kolkata match will be refunded. Similarly, if Sri Lanka qualify and are drawn to play a team other than India in the first semi-final, that match will also be moved to Colombo, and Kolkata ticket holders will get their money back. If neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka qualify for that slot, or if India are drawn against Sri Lanka, the first semi-final will go ahead in Kolkata as planned.For the final, Ahmedabad will host the match unless Pakistan reach the final. If Pakistan do qualify for the summit clash, the final will be shifted to Colombo, and fans who bought tickets for Ahmedabad will receive refunds.The ICC has assured fans that any tickets purchased for venues that do not end up hosting the matches will be fully refunded, ensuring buyers are not left at a loss due to venue changes.

England’s captain Harry Brook celebrates (AP Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in Kandy: Walking out to bat off just the second ball of England’s chase, after Shaheen Shah Afridi had removed Phil Salt first up, Harry Brook made a statement before he even took guard. Promoted to number three instead of being held back as a finisher, Brook seized control of a tricky chase at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and shaped it entirely on his terms. What followed was a captain’s innings of the highest order. Calm under early pressure after Shaheen struck three times in the Powerplay, Brook absorbed the heat, counter-attacked with breathtaking clarity, and unfurled a range of scintillating strokes without ever losing control of the chase.

His unbeaten century was not just about power, but about intent, tempo, and tireless running between the wickets that kept Pakistan constantly on the back foot. In standing tall when England briefly looked vulnerable, Brook became the immovable barrier between Pakistan and their fading semi-final hopes. England, with this two-wicket win, have all but cemented their place in the final four. For Pakistan, the door is now virtually shut.Brook scored a sublime 100 and not only registered his highest score in T20 cricket but also became the first captain to hit a century in the World Cup.On a tricky surface, Pakistan could not have asked for a better start. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck with the very first ball, finding just enough outswing for Phil Salt to feather an edge behind. Moments later, the decision by Harry Brook to promote himself to number three was put to the test. Brook began watchfully, working singles and missing a couple outside off, but never looked flustered by the early movement.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Shaheen soon delivered another major blow, removing Jos Buttler, whose difficult World Cup continued. Buttler slashed at an away-swinger and inside-edged it to the keeper, leaving England wobbling despite the positive start. Pakistan sensed an opening, but Brook had other ideas.With a flick of the wrists, Brook got off the mark with a boundary through square leg and quickly found his rhythm. He judged pace superbly, punishing anything short and using his feet confidently against spin. Pakistan were briefly gifted hope when Jacob Bethell survived a spilled chance off Usman Tariq, but the reprieve was short-lived as Shaheen returned to claim his third wicket, ending Bethell’s scratchy stay.Brook, meanwhile, kept the chase ticking at a brisk rate. He tore into Mohammad Nawaz for 17 in an over, sweeping, lofting, and muscling boundaries with effortless range. At the end of the Powerplay, England were 53 for 3, firmly back in control. Brook brought up a 28-ball fifty, fully justifying his tactical promotion and underlining his value as an innings shaper rather than a late-order hitter.Pakistan’s hopes briefly flickered when Tariq removed Sam Curran, breaking a 45-run stand, but Brook simply recalibrated. He absorbed pressure, ran relentlessly between the wickets, and then exploded again. His assault on Shadab Khan was decisive, highlighted by a clean strike straight back over the bowler’s head into the sightscreen and a boundary to finish a 17-run over.

England’s captain Harry Brook (AP Photo)

Brook saved his most emphatic statement for Shaheen’s final spell. Reading the slower balls early, he launched one over extra cover for six and then drilled another to bring up his maiden T20I hundred off just 50 balls. The innings was a masterclass in modern white-ball batting, blending power with intelligence and elite game awareness.Shaheen eventually castled Brook, who departed to a standing ovation after a knock studded with ten fours and four sixes. By then, the damage was irreparable. Although Nawaz later removed Will Jacks and Jamie Overton in quick succession to bring some spice to the chase, Brook’s brilliance had already sealed the contest.Earlier, Pakistan’s innings in Kandy unfolded in two sharply contrasting halves, with early promise and middle-overs momentum undone by a familiar collapse at the back end, leaving them with a scrappy but competitive 164 for 9 after captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bat.The tone was set early by Jofra Archer, whose extra pace and movement made batting an uneasy proposition. There was just enough nibble to keep Pakistan’s openers guessing, and while Saim Ayub never looked comfortable, the real resistance came from Sahibzada Farhan. Farhan rode his luck at times, surviving edges and mistimed pulls, but showed the clarity of intent that has marked his World Cup.Archer accounted for Ayub with a sharp short ball, while England rotated their bowlers smartly through the Powerplay. Pakistan reached 46 for 2, steady rather than explosive, before Farhan began to take control. He drove straight with authority, swept confidently against spin, and used the pace of the bowlers to good effect. His third fifty of the tournament came off just 37 balls, a fluent knock that underlined his growing importance in Pakistan’s batting order.

Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

If Farhan was Pakistan’s backbone, Liam Dawson was England’s quiet strangler. Bowling in all three phases, Dawson varied his pace intelligently, firing the ball in flat and quick when batters looked to line him up. His figures of four overs, 24 runs, and three wickets did not fully capture his impact. He removed Salman Ali Agha, dismissed Fakhar Zaman just as he threatened to accelerate, and later surprised Mohammad Nawaz with a darted-in delivery. Each strike stalled Pakistan’s momentum.The defining moment of the innings came with the dismissal of Babar Azam. Struggling to impose himself against spin, Babar’s attempted release shot against Jamie Overton ended in an ugly miscue that signalled the beginning of the slide. From 122 for 3 after 15.3 overs, Pakistan lost six wickets for 27 runs, their innings unravelling under pressure.Farhan was dismissed for a well-made 63 off 45 balls. Despite some late hitting from Shadab Khan, England’s bowlers, backed by Dawson’s control and Archer’s hostility, kept the damage in check.Brief Scores Pakistan: 164 for 9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 63, Fakhar Zaman 25; Liam Dawson 3/24, Jamie Overton 2/26, Jofra Archer 2/32) England: 166 for 8 in 20 overs (Harry Brook 100, Will Jacks 28; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4/30, Mohammad Nawaz 2/26, Usman Tariq 2/31)

Pakistan fan’s hilarious reaction after Saim Ayub dismissal goes viral

NEW DELHI: A hilarious moment from Pakistan’s match against England in the T20 World Cup went viral after a fan’s shocked reaction was caught on camera when opener Saim Ayub got out early at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Ayub was dismissed by Jofra Archer for just 7 runs, caught while trying to pull a fast short ball. Archer embraced the occasion with a unique celebration.

A few seconds later, the camera caught a Pakistani fan’s disappointed and stunned expression, which quickly became a hit on social media.Watch the fan’s reaction to the dismissal:In the match, Pakistan chose to bat first on a good pitch but struggled to score quickly as England kept taking wickets at regular intervals. Sahibzada Farhan was the standout batter, scoring 63 off 45 balls with several boundaries. He added a 46-run partnership with Babar Azam, but England’s bowlers kept things under control. Babar Azam had another slow innings, making 25 off 24 balls before being bowled by Jamie Overton. Spinner Liam Dawson was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 24 runs, while Archer and Overton also took two wickets each. Fakhar Zaman added a quick 25 off 16 balls, and Shadab Khan stayed unbeaten on 23, helping Pakistan reach 164/9 by the end of their innings. However, Pakistan never really accelerated, and England’s disciplined bowling kept them under pressure throughout.ALSO READ: Hilarious Babar Azam memes take over internet after another flop show in T20 World CupEngland had already beaten Sri Lanka earlier in the Super Eights, while Pakistan’s previous match against New Zealand was washed out, making this game important for both teams’ qualification hopes.