New Zealand women cricket team celebrates with the trophy after their win in the Twenty20 World Cup 2024
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

On a surface expected to assist slow bowlers, both England and Pakistan will lean heavily on their spin resources in their Super Eights clash in the T20 World Cup in Pallekele on Tuesday (February 24, 2026).

England may not have hit top gear yet, but the two-time champions have found ways to win.

They kicked off their Super Eights campaign with a commanding 51-run victory over Sri Lanka, a result that significantly boosted their net run rate and took them to the top of the standings.

Defending a modest total against Sri Lanka, England played according to the conditions perfectly. Their spinners did the bulk of the work along with pacer Jofra Archer to trigger a dramatic Sri Lankan batting collapse.

The ever-reliable leg spinner Adil Rashid and left arm spinner Liam Dawson have combined well to get the wickets.

Meanwhile, Will Jacks has emerged as an unlikely match-winner. His off-spin has been handy, but it is his contributions with the bat, 39 against Nepal, 16 against Scotland and 53 versus Italy, that have repeatedly bailed England out of trouble.

Opener Phil Salt returned to form with a match-winning knock against Sri Lanka, as he batted beyond the powerplay for the first time in the tournament.

However, Jos Buttler’s form remains a concern. But the veteran batter has got the backing of his captain Harry Brook, who himself is yet to find runs.

England also hold the advantage of familiarity with the venue, having swept a three-match T20I series here 3-0 earlier this month and also winning the Super Eight game against Sri Lanka.

“We still haven’t had that perfect game with the bat. We haven’t managed to get the starts and the big scores that we’d like,” Brook said after the win against Sri Lanka.

“In my eyes I see that as something coming very soon and with the likes of Jos Buttler not coming off and Jacob Bethell, myself, Tom Banton not getting big scores and we still managed to get over the line and get the job done is awesome. Hopefully rewards can come a little bit later down the line for the lads with the bat.” Pakistan, in contrast, were left frustrated after their Super Eights opener against New Zealand was washed out, leaving them with just one point and little room for error.

The Men in Green will bank on their varied spin arsenal on a track that traditionally slows as the match progresses.

Alongside the mystery spin of Usman Tariq, Pakistan boast of depth in Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, a collective that could prove crucial in stifling England’s batting line-up.

However, Pakistan’s own batting inconsistency remains a concern, especially against quality spin.

While opener Sahibzada Farhan, who is the leading run scorer of the tournament with 220 runs from four innings, has done well, the likes of Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha, who is capable of both anchoring and accelerating, are yet to fire.

The Teams (from):

England: Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

Match starts 7 p.m. IST.

Published – February 23, 2026 12:18 pm IST

England’s players celebrate their win in the T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on February 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has come out in support of Pakistan hockey players amid the Australia tour fiasco and the suspension of captain Ammad Shakeel Butt. The whole controversy began with players lashing out at the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for “abandoning” them during the tour of Australia for the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025-26.

According to the players, they were forced to
spend hours on the streets in Australia as no hotel was booked for them. They were also forced to cook for themselves and clean the utensils during their stay in an Airbnb.

Amid the serious allegations, PHF president Tariq Bugti sent his resignation to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but he also suspended captain Ammad Shakeel Butt for two years.

PCB, Naqvi extend support to Pakistani hockey players

The hockey players, however, have found support in the country’s Interior Minister, Naqvi, who is also PCB’s boss. He said on Thursday that Pakistan cricket will try to “accommodate” hockey players in every possible way.

“We will accommodate hockey players in every possible way. We will extend complete cooperation to streamline hockey affairs,” Naqvi said.

“You should focus only on the game. Pakistan’s honour comes first. We will not allow the country’s dignity to be compromised under any circumstances,” Naqvi told the hockey players in a meeting.

Naqvi also clarified on X that he is not taking over the charge at the Pakistan Hockey Federation, but will assist the players.

“I am not becoming Hockey Federation President, but we will assist players till this turmoil ends,” Naqvi wrote on X.

A PCB statement has also revealed that the cricket board distributed Pakistani rupees 1,000,000 to each player of the national team, according to Dawn.

Butt revealed after meeting Naqvi that his suspension will be reversed and PCB will help arrange a camp in Lahore to prepare for the Hockey World Cup qualifiers.

Manchester United’s owners have reportedly mortgaged land around Old Trafford stadium as part of a deal to borrow money that may be used to bid for the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

A government filing from the UK shows that Manchester United Football Club Limited registered a charge (a type of mortgage or security) on property including land west of Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester on 10 February 2026. This charge lists Bank of America Europe DAC as the lender.

The filing is publicly available on the UK Companies House register, the official database for company documents. It shows a registration of charge #000954890018 was created on 10 February 2026.

🚨RCB SALE UPDATE🚨

– The Glazers have used Man United as collateral to buy a cricket team worth 1.8 billion pounds. pic.twitter.com/vlIM0Ju6tU

— RCBIANS OFFICIAL (@RcbianOfficial) February 15, 2026

The charge document says the company has granted a first legal mortgage over the property, which means the bank has a first claim on the land if the club were unable to meet its financial obligations. It also says that Manchester United cannot easily sell or transfer the land without lender approval.

However, it is not yet confirmed in public documents that the loan is being taken specifically to buy RCB. That part remains based on speculations because no public statement has come from the club or the bidders.

RCB sale process begins

The
sale process for the IPL franchise RCB officially started in January this year. The global drinks company Diageo is said to be selling the franchise, and a number of investors, including foreign sports owners are preparing bids.

There have been reports suggesting that the owners of Manchester United, the Glazer family,
could be one of the groups interested in buying RCB. The valuation is estimated to be in the billion-dollar range for the franchise.

ESPNcricinfo has reported that Lancer Capital owned by Avram Glazer is one of the bidders for RCB along with Ranjan Pai-owned Manipal Group, Adar Poonawalla, who owns Serum Institute of India, Times of India Group, EQT Private Capital, Capri Global, Sanjay Govil, the US-based businessman who owns Washington Freedom in MLC and Welsh Fire in The Hundred, and the private equity firm Premji Invest.

Team Australia (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continues to gather momentum, with three intriguing group-stage clashes scheduled for Friday, February 13, as teams look to strengthen their positions in a fiercely competitive tournament.The day begins with Australia vs Zimbabwe in Colombo at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Australia, who have started their campaign on a strong note, will aim to maintain their momentum and consolidate their position in Group B. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, have impressed with an early win and will be eager to challenge the five-time world champions, making this a potentially high-octane encounter between two attacking sides.The second match of the day will see Canada take on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Both associate nations are still searching for their first win in Group D, and this fixture could prove crucial for their World Cup aspirations. With both teams keen to break their winless run, the match promises a tight contest, with pride and points on the line.The final match on February 13 will feature the United States of America vs the Netherlands at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Netherlands have been competitive in Group A, while the USA will be desperate to bounce back after early losses. The Chepauk surface, known for assisting spinners, could play a key role in shaping the outcome of the contest.With the group stage heating up and teams battling for qualification spots, February 13 promises a packed day of action across three venues, featuring a mix of heavyweight clashes and crucial associate battles. As the race for the Super 8 stage intensifies, every match, point and net run rate could prove decisive in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar celebrates Italy’s 10-wicket win (Photos by PTI and AP)

NEW DELHI: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Italy after their historic first-ever T20 World Cup victory, celebrating how the game is spreading to new nations.“Congratulations to Italy on their first-ever T20 World Cup win, and in such commanding fashion! A proud footballing nation making its mark in cricket reminds us how beautifully the game is spreading across the globe,” Tendulkar wrote on X.

Italy, better known for football, stunned Nepal with a dominant 10-wicket win at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Making their World Cup debut, Italy bowled Nepal out for just 123 runs, thanks to brilliant spells from spinners Crishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti. The Italian openers, brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca, then chased down the target with ease, hitting boundaries at will and finishing the match with plenty of balls to spare.For Italy, this was a special moment after losing their first match to Scotland. Stand-in captain Harry Manenti called the win a dream come true. “It’s pretty extraordinary really. It’s something a lot of people in Italy, a lot of people in this group, have dreamed of,” he said. “We didn’t quite nail it the other day but we backed up today and showed the world what we’ve got.”Player of the match Kalugamage said the victory meant a lot to him and his teammates. “I always wanted to help the team to win a match and do my best for my nation, Italy — I’m happy,” he said. “These are my brothers. I’m really happy,” he added.Nepal captain Rohit Paudel admitted his team fell short but praised Italy’s performance. “We need to be more consistent and today was the day to prove that, but not taking away the credit from Italy,” he said. “They played really well today and credit must go to them,” he stated.The win pushed Italy up the group table and showed that even new cricket nations can make a big impact on the world stage.