Shivam Dube (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: After India won the 2026 T20 World Cup, most people would expect players to travel home on chartered flights. But all-rounder Shivam Dube had a very different journey back to Mumbai from Ahmedabad. With flights fully booked, he ended up travelling by train with his wife and a friend, taking a 3rd AC ticket like a regular passenger.Dube said he first tried to get flight tickets for himself and his family but couldn’t find any seats. Driving back was an option, but he felt the train would be quicker. “There were no flights available, so I decided to take an early morning train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. We could have gone by road, but the train was quicker,” he told The Indian Express.

Because he had just won the World Cup with India, Dube worried about being recognised by fans at the station or inside the train. His family and friends were also concerned. Dube added, “Everyone we spoke to-family and friends-was worried. They kept asking, ‘What if someone recognises you at the station or on the train?’”To avoid attention, Dube tried to keep a low profile. He wore a cap, a mask and a long-sleeved T-shirt, and chose a 5:10 am train, hoping the station would be less crowded. He even waited inside the car until the last few minutes before boarding. During the trip, he stayed mostly on the top berth to remain unnoticed. At one point, the ticket checker nearly revealed his identity while checking tickets. “Shivam Dube? Woh kaun hai, cricketer?” he asked. Dube’s wife quickly replied, “No, no. Woh kahan se aayega (where will he come from)?”, and the checker moved on.Despite the risk of being recognised, the journey went smoothly. Dube eventually reached Mumbai safely, with police helping manage his exit from the station. His unusual trip showed that even a World Cup winner sometimes has to travel like any other passenger.

NEW DELHI: India legend Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on vice-captain Axar Patel for his breathtaking fielding display in India’s nerve-wracking T20 World Cup semifinal win over England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Gavaskar even compared Axar’s impact in the field to that of Ravindra Jadeja, saying the all-rounder has stepped up to fill the void left by one of India’s greatest fielders.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India had earlier piled up a mammoth 253/7, powered by a blistering knock from Sanju Samson. England’s chase, however, threatened to derail India’s hopes as Jacob Bethell produced a sensational century to keep his side firmly in the contest.

But Axar’s brilliance in the field repeatedly halted England’s momentum.The first moment of magic came early in the chase when Jasprit Bumrah deceived Harry Brook with a slower delivery. Brook miscued the shot high over cover, and Axar sprinted back nearly 24 metres before diving forward to complete a stunning catch inches above the turf.ALSO READ: Axar Patel picks tougher of his two ‘out of this world’ catches — Watch & choose yours“Axar Patel’s catch to dismiss Harry Brook was unbelievable. Brook can take the game away and you have to grab every chance to get his wicket and Axar did that,” Gavaskar said while speaking on JioHotstar.“He ran 24 meters away from his fielding spot, kept his eyes on the ball, balanced himself and took the catch. Unbelievable stuff.”Axar wasn’t done yet. Later in the innings, when Will Jacks threatened to push England closer to the daunting target alongside Bethell, Axar produced another moment of brilliance. Chasing a sliced shot toward deep point, he ran hard across the turf, grabbed the ball while losing balance near the boundary rope and cleverly relayed it to Shivam Dube, who completed the catch.“He also played a key role in Will Jacks’ dismissal. The Bethell-Jacks partnership was taking the game away. But Axar ran to his left, grabbed the ball and smartly passed it to Shivam Dube,” Gavaskar added.Gavaskar believes Axar’s rise as a complete cricketer mirrors the impact Jadeja once had for India.“With his batting and bowling, Axar is going to be one of India’s great players. We had Ravindra Jadeja before him and Axar is filling that void well,” he said.

Abhishek Sharma and Sahibzada Farhan (Agency Image)

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has edged closer to the summit of the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, tightening the race with India’s Abhishek Sharma after the latest weekly update released on Wednesday.

T20I Batting Rankings

Farhan climbed to second place following a historic outing at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The right-hander became the first cricketer to score two centuries in a single edition of the tournament, bringing up his second hundred against Sri Lanka in Pallekele during the final Super 8s fixture for both sides. The knock not only lifted him one spot in the rankings but also earned him a new career-best rating.

Abhishek Sharma continues to occupy the No. 1 position, maintaining a 26-point cushion over Farhan. The Pakistan batter now sits on 848 rating points after overtaking England’s Phil Salt, having piled up 383 runs during the World Cup to significantly narrow the gap at the top. The end of the Super 8s stage has triggered several other movements in the batting charts. India’s Ishan Kishan advanced to fourth place with 783 rating points, while Tilak Varma moved up to sixth with 749 points as both broke into the top 10. South Africa’s Dewald Brevis also gained a position to settle in eighth. Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett enjoyed one of the biggest jumps, soaring six places to 11th after collecting 292 runs in the competition. South African duo Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram also progressed, rising to 13th and 16th respectively.

T20I bowling rankings

In the T20I bowling rankings, India spinner Varun Chakravarthy remains at the top, though his lead has been trimmed to just 18 points as the tournament heads into the knockout rounds. Chakravarthy has taken 12 wickets so far, but Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed is closing in after moving up two spots to third overall. Among other bowlers, India’s Jasprit Bumrah climbed to seventh, while Arshdeep Singh made a six-place leap to 13th. England’s Liam Dawson surged nine positions to share 14th place, and South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi advanced six spots to 20th. The all-rounder rankings continue to be led by Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. India’s Hardik Pandya is now his closest challenger after moving up one place to second, displacing Pakistan’s Saim Ayub. West Indies veteran Jason Holder was another major gainer, jumping eight positions to 11th following a strong World Cup showing with both bat and ball.

India vs South Africa (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

NEW DELHI: South Africa hammered India by 76 runs in their opening Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup, handing the hosts a reality check and exposing serious flaws in their batting at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Chasing 188, India collapsed to 111 in 18.5 overs on a tricky surface, with the Proteas bowlers dominating throughout. Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Corbin Bosch led a collective bowling effort, while Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant spell earlier in the game went in vain. For South Africa, David Miller, Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs played crucial roles in lifting the total to 187/7 after an early wobble.

After the match, South Africa captain Aiden Markram praised his team for reading the conditions well and executing their plans. “Great performance. Very different type of wicket to what we’ve had here, so great to see the boys assess that pretty early and adapt their skills to execute their plans,” he said at the post-match presentation. Markram highlighted the importance of the Miller-Brevis partnership, adding, “I think first and foremost was the partnership. (Miller and Brevis) The guys were great, put that together for us, steadied the ship and kept us in the game.”He explained how the team adjusted its approach in the latter half of the innings, noting, “so it was about finding space where we could run hard, drop the ego and take as much as we could at the back end.” Markram also praised his bowling group, calling their performance a big boost after a slow start to the tournament. “We’re going to make mistakes, we don’t mind that as a group, so we’ll brush those aside. We feel like Lungi is a threat whenever he bowls and that he can take wickets for us in that middle phase. It depends on conditions,” he added.Looking ahead, he warned against complacency, describing West Indies as “a dangerous T20 side” and stressing the need to stay sharp for the upcoming clash.India, meanwhile, endured a disastrous batting display. Early wickets put them on the back foot, and none of the top-order batters managed to build a meaningful innings on a surface where the ball gripped, and timing was difficult. Even Suryakumar Yadav struggled to find fluency, while the middle order could not recover from the early collapse. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube tried to rebuild, but South Africa’s disciplined bowling plans shut down any late fightback.

India’s Varun Chakravarthy (AP Photo)

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has backed Varun Chakravarthy as India’s most dangerous weapon at the moment, even suggesting that the mystery spinner is proving more lethal than Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Srikkanth also expressed surprise that Varun is not receiving the recognition he deserves.Varun has been in exceptional form, claiming nine wickets in four matches at an average of 6.88 and an economy rate of 5.16. In India’s game against the Netherlands, he returned outstanding figures of three for 14 from three overs.

Interestingly, in the 21 matches where Varun and Bumrah have featured together, the spinner leads the wicket tally 30-22. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said that batters are still unable to decipher Varun’s variations.“Look at the pitch maps — most of his deliveries are around off-stump and middle-stump. Against right-handers, the ball just angles in slightly and then turns. His googly comes in sharply. Most of his wickets are from good length or just short of good length. Not even full deliveries. Even his so-called short balls are deceptive.”“People don’t know what he’s bowling. Is it a googly? Is it the straight one? Is it slower? Is it quicker? No one knows. Suddenly he bowls one faster. Then he changes speed again. Multiple speeds. Long run-up, relaxed action — but incredibly deceptive.”“Frankly speaking, he doesn’t get enough credit. Bumrah is fantastic. You won’t easily find a bowler like Bumrah,” said Srikkanth.Although Shivam Dube was named Player of the Match against the Netherlands, Srikkanth felt Varun was equally deserving.“Today, yes, Shivam Dube played a blinder and deserved Man of the Match. I’m not denying that. But if you look at Varun’s figures — three wickets for very few runs, all top-order wickets — why wasn’t he even considered a contender for Man of the Match? No one even thought about it,” he said.Since making a comeback after an underwhelming start to his international career, Varun has taken 47 wickets in 27 matches across 2024 and 2025. In 2026 alone, he already has 13 wickets from seven games. Srikkanth believes that if India lift the trophy, Varun could well be Player of the Tournament.“Hundred percent (he can be the Player Of The Tournament). Because of consistency. In every match he plays, even on a bad day, he gives away only 34 or 35 runs. For a spinner, four overs for 36 runs is absolutely acceptable in T20 cricket. But within that, he still takes one or two wickets.”“He’s casually delivering match-winning performances. But he’s not celebrated enough,” said Srikkanth.The former chief selector went a step further, calling Varun a modern-day great in the format and comparing his current impact to what Bumrah delivered in T20Is a few years ago.“Varun, you are a modern-day great. I’m telling you honestly from my heart — not because you’re Tamil, not because you’re from Tamil Nadu or Chennai. No. Purely because of ability. Every batter is struggling. They don’t know how to face him. They don’t know whether to defend. They don’t know whether to attack. They don’t know what to do against him.”“That’s exactly what Bumrah used to be a couple of years ago. Bumrah is still doing brilliantly,” said Srikkanth.Varun will next feature in India’s Super 8 encounter against South Africa on Sunday, February 22.