Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ability to absorb pressure will come in handy for India at the World T20, said Sachin Tendulkar. © AFP New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar says the ‘sound’ that came off India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bat during the Asia Cup was a reflection of his positive mindset and it was a good news for the already ‘favourites’ India in the World T20. (ICC World Twenty20: Mahendra Singh Dhoni…
ICC World Twenty20: Pakistan, Not Australia, Among Dean Jones' List of Semifinalists
Pakistan’s bowling attack makes them one of the top-four team to reach the ICC World Twenty20 semis. © AP Sunil Gavaskar has gone by “current form”. Dean Jones has taken “bowling attack” into account. In their respective list of ICC World Twenty20 semifinalists, only two teams are common – India and South Africa. Interestingly, Jones has not picked his home country, Australia and backed Pakistan instead. (Odds Favour India Against…
New Zealand look to shake off World T20 hoodoo in new era
Big picture At the 50-over World Cup, New Zealand are often a bridesmaid, never the bride. Seven times they have reached the semi-finals, though not until last year did they win one and gain maid-of-honour status. But at the World T20, not since the first tournament back in 2007 have they so much as passed the group stage. Forget being a bridesmaid, New Zealand go home before the speeches even…
Favourites India have most bases covered
Play 07:49 Manjrekar: India’s bowlers adding as much value as batsmen Big Picture Since the start of 2016, India have played 11 T20Is. They have won ten of them, and the one loss came on a monstrous green-top in Pune. They have crushed their opponents with a sense of inevitability, and while doing so seem to have found solutions to a couple of long-standing issues that had hindered their limited-overs…
Pakistan further dent holders' preparations
Sri Lanka, England’s last group opponents, lost their final ICC World Twenty20 warm-up by 15 runs to tournament late-arrivals Pakistan. Pakistan, having chosen to bat first, posted 157 for five thanks chiefly to number three Mohammad Hafeez’s unbeaten 70 at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. Four wickets for Pakistan left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, including Dinesh Chandimal for 30 and Sri Lanka top-scorer Lahiru Thirimanne for 45, undermined a reply that ended on 142…
Roy ready for intense final warm-up match
Jason Roy is expecting an intense final ICC World Twenty20 warm-up match when England’s players square off against each other in Mumbai tomorrow. England, who defeated New Zealand in a practice match yesterday, finalise their preparations for Wednesday’s opening Group 1 game versus West Indies by taking on a local side at the Brabourne Stadium. That team will be made up of local-based players plus four England internationals who fail…
Tamim ton secures Bangladesh's berth
Bangladesh 180 for 2 (Tamim 103*) beat Oman 65 for 9 (Shakib 4-15) by 54 runs (D/L method)Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Tamim Iqbal creamed the Oman bowlers to score Bangladesh’s maiden T20 international century and secure his team’s berth in the main draw of the tournament. His hundred set up a total of 180 for 2, which Shakib Al Hasan defended by razing the middle order on a rainy night…
Tamim ton powers Bangladesh into World T20 Super 10s
Dharamsala (India) – Tamim Iqbal’s maiden Twenty20 century helped Bangladesh storm into the World T20 Super 10s with a resounding 54-run win against Oman via the Duckworth/Lewis method in the last qualifier in Dharamsala Sunday. Bangladesh’s Tammim Iqbal Khan reacts after scoring a century during the qualifying match for the World T20 cricket tournament between Bangladesh and Oman at The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 13,…
Dolphins nearly hunt down 354, but bad light leads to draw
Andile Phehlukwayo’s power-packed 40 nearly helped Dolphins overhaul a fourth-innings chase of 354 © BCCI Bad light curtailed a thrilling chase at Kingsmead, where Dolphins fell 18 runs short of a mammoth target of 354. The evening’s events seemed highly unlikely when they were reduced to 2 for 1 at lunch, but out came Vaughn van Jaarsveld and took control with a measured century. He took the side to tea…
'I have got to realise, I'm not a robot' – Roy
Jason Roy warmed up for the start of England’s World T20 campaign with a half-century against New Zealand © Getty Images Jason Roy is aiming to combine his free-spirited batting with “tactical nous” as he and England seek to put behind recent limited-overs defeats in South Africa going into the World T20. England went down 3-2 in the ODIs – after holding a 2-0 lead – and lost both their…