Harshit Rana and Mustafizur Rahman (Agency Photo)

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders have run into multiple problems ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The team first lost Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked the franchise to release him from the squad.KKR had bought Mustafizur for Rs 9.20 crore during the auction after a bidding battle with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. The team had hoped the experienced left-arm pacer would strengthen their bowling attack.

However, the move sparked controversy amid political tensions, leading the BCCI to intervene.BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board had asked KKR to release the player because of the sensitive situation surrounding the signing.

Injury concerns for Harshit Rana

KKR then suffered another setback with young Indian pacer Harshit Rana. His participation in IPL 2026 is uncertain after he appeared on crutches during the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 in Mumbai.Rana was supposed to receive the Best International Debut (Men’s) award but could not walk to the stage due to his injury, prompting Arun Dhumal to step down and present the award to him.The fast bowler later underwent knee surgery on February 9 and is expected to need two to three months for recovery, which raises doubts about whether he will be fit for the upcoming IPL season. His possible absence could weaken KKR’s pace attack, where he has played an important role in recent years.

Possible boost with Matheesha Pathirana

Despite the setbacks, there may be some positive news for KKR. Player agent Amila Kalugalage recently posted a “person fencing” emoji on X, which many believe hints at good news regarding Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana.Matheesha Pathirana suffered an injury while playing for the Sri Lanka national cricket team during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, forcing him to miss the remainder of the tournament and raising doubts about his availability for the Indian Premier League 2026. The pacer had taken two wickets in three matches with an economy of 6.05 before being sidelined. The post, however, confirms that he may’ve fully recovered and is fit to play, and he is expected to play a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ pace attack.KKR have also added Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani as a backup option. Even so, replacing Rana’s role, especially in the crucial death overs, could still be a challenge for the team as they prepare for the new season.

India’s Sanju Samson (ANI Photo)

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson opened up about the special reception he experienced at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which has now become his home ground in the IPL following his move to Chennai Super Kings. The 29-year-old recently played at the venue during India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fixture against Zimbabwe and spoke about the strong emotional connect he felt with the Chennai crowd and the responsibility that comes with their backing.Samson revealed that the affection was visible from the moment he landed in the city, pointing to the cultural closeness between Chennai and his native Kerala.“After the trade, this is the first time I’m coming to Chennai. Right from the airport, I can feel the special love. Normally, we do come to Kerala and Chennai is very close, we do often come here, and I do feel that energy here. Fortunate to be a part of such a great and passionate fans here in Chennai,” Sanju said in a video shared by bcci.tv on Saturday.

Known for his stylish strokeplay, the right-hander admitted that performing in front of such an enthusiastic fanbase brings not only happiness but also a deeper sense of duty.“Really happy to go out there and entertain them in this way. I’m happy. More than just happiness, there’s also a little extra responsibility. When everyone comes to cheer for you, I think there’s an extra added responsibility to actually entertain them. So yeah, I’m very happy. Yes, we’ll meet soon,” he said in Tamil.On the field, Samson gave India early momentum against Zimbabwe with a quickfire 24 from 15 balls in the powerplay. Opening the batting, he set the tone with a straight six off Richard Ngarava and soon followed it with a pull shot for another maximum off Blessing Muzarabani.He also struck a fluent cut for four and rotated the strike smartly, helping India race to 46 without loss inside three overs. His cameo came to an end when he mistimed a slower short delivery from Muzarabani and was caught at deep mid-wicket, cutting short what looked like a promising innings.

India vs Zimbabwe (AP Photo)

CHENNAI: With India’s T20 World Cup semifinal hopes on the line, their fans will pray for a big win against Zimbabwe on Thursday and hope that Blessing Muzarabani stays at arm’s length. At 6ft 8in, Zimbabwe’s pace spearhead in this World Cup has been hard to miss. The 29-year-old leads Zimbabwe’s wicket column and is joint-second overall with 11 wickets, with an economy rate of 7.06.He also set up Zimbabwe’s win over Australia with a four-wicket burst. The lanky bowler has operated in the hardest phases of a T20 innings — taking the new ball up front and returning at the death — and has looked effective in both. His height gives him natural bounce but it is his discipline, backed by changes of pace, that has made it difficult for batters to line him up.

Zimbabwe head coach Justin Sammons and off-spinning allrounder Ryan Burl were quick to credit Muzarabani’s impact and resilience. He spent four to six months out before the tournament due to a back injury and Burl felt the bowler deserved more credit for how quickly he has found his rhythm again.“He had a lot of doubts coming in, with his own body and how he was feeling. 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 one of those bowlers that’s obviously very tall and does kind of come a little bit from beyond the perpendicular. So jagging the ball back into the righthanders and across the lefties with that steep bounce poses a challenge for the batters. I’m a lot happier knowing that he’s on my team and not on the opposition,” Burl said.For Sammons, what separates Muzarabani is not just his height but the consistency with which he hits his areas. “He’s been brilliant for us. It’s so good to see him come back and hit the ground running. He’s been really good in the control of his length and his line, so he’s not given the batters too many free, easy boundary balls.If they look for the boundary, there’s an element of risk that they’ve had to take,” the coach said.

India are up against an opposition – Zimbabwe – that already silenced a home crowd in the group stages when they beat Sri Lanka in Colombo, and Thursday presents them 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.

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.

Chennai: Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani during a training session ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)(PTI02_25_2026_000358A)

“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.

Chennai: Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza during a training session ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI )

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.

Chennai: Zimbabwe’s Tadiwanashe Marumani during a training session ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI)

“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

West Indies players in Mumbai. (AP Photo)

MUMBAI: “The team is in a good space,” a confident West Indies coach Daren Sammy said on the eve of their Super Eights Group 1 match against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sammy was in a happy mood on Sunday afternoon as his players trained in the nets for close to two-and-a-half hours. West Indies topped their group by winning all four matches, with different players contributing at key moments.

The Men-in-Maroon may have found the going tough in Tests and ODIs, but their calling is T20 cricket as their players are some of the hottest properties across major franchise leagues all over the world. They have won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016. But their form has dipped in the last two editions as they have managed to win only two matches in 2022 and 2024. Their build-up to the World Cup also included series defeats to New Zealand, Nepal,Afghanistan and South Africa.Back in India, where West Indies won their last title in 2016 with Sammy as captain, the team is in a happy space as their players are familiar with the conditions due to most of them playing in the IPL. The Windies have also shown the needed mental toughness to secure wins in a format where there is little to separate teams. The two-time champs have been content with the underdogs tag and have progressed smoothly through a tricky group in which every team has won at least one match.Their secret sauce has been different players putting in match-winning performances during the group stage. Shimron Hetmyer (64, 36b) and Romario Shepherd (5/20) helped them beat Scotland. Shepherd, who missed the last two games due to injury, was available for the Zimbabwe match. Sherfane Rutherford (76*, 42b) and a collective bowling effort led by Gudakesh Motie (3/33) helped them defeat England. Jason Holder (4/27) and Shai Hope (61*, 44b) starred in a win over Nepal, before Hope (74, 46b) and Shamar Joseph (4/30) helped them beat Italy.

Zimbabwe also enter the Super Eights in strong form after topping their group, including wins over Australia and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. They missed qualification for the last edition but have arrived in India with confidence. Zimbabwe, along with the showing of the emerging nations, have been the flavour of the tournament with the neutrals warming up to their exploits. Led by inspirational captain Sikandar Raza, they have found matchwinners like the young Brian Bennett, who is yet to be dismissed in the tournament and played crucial innings in the wins over Australia and Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe’s bowling has been a key strength too, with Blessing Muzarabani leading with nine wickets so far, supported by Graeme Cremer and Brad Evans.West Indies and Zimbabwe last played against each other in the 2022 edition in Australia, with West Indies winning by 31 runs. Zimbabwe’s challenge though will be adapting quickly to conditions at the Wankhede, which has offered assistance to the bowlers.

Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe celebrates the wicket of Tim David of Australia. (Getty Images)

Zimbabwe produced one of the biggest surprises of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, defeating injury-hit Australia by 23 runs in a gripping Group B clash on Friday. It marked only the second time the African side has toppled the former champions in this format, reviving memories of their famous 2007 triumph. Built on a calm batting effort and a ruthless bowling display, Zimbabwe’s collective performance outclassed a side that never truly recovered from an early collapse.SCORECARD: Australia vs Zimbabwe, T20 World CupAfter being asked to bat, Zimbabwe posted a competitive 169 for two on a sluggish surface, with opener Brian Bennett anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 64. Australia’s chase faltered almost immediately, and despite resistance from the middle order, they were bowled out for 146 in 19.3 overs, handing Zimbabwe a famous victory that has thrown Group B wide open.

The big talking points of the thrilling match at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo:Early collapse sets the toneAustralia’s pursuit of 170 turned disastrous within the Powerplay as four wickets fell for just 29 runs. The dismissals of Travis Head, Cameron Green and Tim David left the batting line-up under immense pressure, forcing them into a rebuilding mode on a pitch that offered assistance to disciplined bowling. Zimbabwe’s seamers kept things tight, refusing to allow boundaries during crucial phases and ensuring the asking rate climbed steadily.Bennett leads a smart batting blueprintZimbabwe’s innings was built on patience rather than brute force. Bennett’s composed knock, featuring seven boundaries, allowed partners to rotate strike and keep the scoreboard ticking. Tadiwanashe Marumani’s brisk 35 and a late flourish from skipper Sikandar Raza ensured the side crossed the 160-mark, which proved more than enough on a slow track. Even though the death overs were controlled well by Australia, Zimbabwe’s measured approach had already laid a winning platform.Muzarabani’s fiery spell breaks Australia’s backboneThe defining phase of the match came with the ball, as Blessing Muzarabani produced a sensational spell of pace and accuracy, returning figures of 4/17. Supported by Brad Evans and Wellington Masakadza, Zimbabwe maintained relentless pressure. Each breakthrough halted Australia’s momentum just as they threatened a comeback, turning the chase into a battle against both the scoreboard and disciplined bowling.Maxwell–Renshaw stand sparks hope, but Burl delivers the blowAustralia briefly revived their chances through a 77-run partnership between Matt Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell. Their stand steadied the innings and brought the equation down to a manageable rate before Ryan Burl struck a decisive blow, dismissing Maxwell and triggering another collapse. A stunning boundary catch from Bennett and sharp fielding in the closing overs sealed Zimbabwe’s dominance, with a dramatic run-out of Matthew Kuhnemann ending the contest.