Ricky Ponting (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has praised the India national cricket team after their dominant victory in the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the current Indian side one of the strongest T20 teams ever. India secured their third T20 World Cup title with a convincing 96-run win over the New Zealand national cricket team in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The win also made India the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup.

Ponting praises India’s depth and consistency

Ponting highlighted India’s impressive performances in recent ICC tournaments and their strong record in white-ball cricket. According to him, the team’s combination of talent, experience and depth makes them extremely difficult to beat.“It’s really hard to argue a point against that. If you look at this, not just the T20I team but their white-ball record in ICC events over the last five or six years, it’s quite remarkable,” Ponting said on International Cricket Council’s The ICC Review.“A lot of people probably identified before this tournament started the depth and the strength that this current Indian team had, and also the experience that they have.“This is a very, very strong Indian white-ball team, not just a T20 team. Back-to-back World Cups, hats off to them.”

Experience and IPL influence

The former Australian captain believes the players’ experience from both international cricket and the Indian Premier League has helped them handle pressure situations better.“The one thing that’s probably overlooked with this current team is the amount of experience and the amount of cricket a lot of these guys have played, whether it’s international cricket or even just the IPL,” said Ponting, who is also head coach of Punjab Kings.“The IPL games are every bit as big as international games anyway, so this Indian team came in well primed with great balance and a great squad.”

Learning from a rare defeat

India had suffered a defeat against the South Africa national cricket team during the Super Eight stage, but Ponting felt the loss actually helped the team refocus.“You win 12 matches on the trot, there’s bound to be an off day. And I am glad it’s come early. It might just be the shake-up India needed,” he said. “They would have learned from that experience and won’t take things for granted.”After that loss, India bounced back strongly with powerful batting displays, scoring over 250 runs in three matches, including the semifinal and the final.“Maybe it just allowed them to regroup, get together and talk about the things that are important to them as a team,” Ponting added. “They solidified what they felt was their strongest playing XI and didn’t make many changes at the back end of the tournament.”

AHMEDABAD: There have been subtle changes for the better in Sanju Samson’s game. The T20 World Cup’s player of the tournament now has a remarkable steadiness when he plays his shots or is charging the bowler. The fidgety, twitchy version of Samson we saw earlier is gone.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The changes can be attributed to the lean run prior to the World Cup in the T20I series against New Zealand, which led to his omission from the squad and prompted serious introspection.With opposition teams targeting India with off-spin early in the Powerplay to neutralise left-hander Abhishek Sharma’s power hitting, and with Rinku Singh being under-utilised down the order, India rejigged their lineup and brought in Sanju.

Suddenly, the pieces seemed to fit and India had the perfect batting order for the occasion. Samson smashed three crucial, consecutive half-centuries, was India’s leading scorer with 321 runs from five innings and has probably hit upon the kind of consistency which eluded him for long periods of his career.Now, Samson is also the leading Indian run-scorer in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.ALSO READ: Team India Report Card: Perfect finish to a not-so-perfect T20 World Cup campaign“As soon as we brought him (back), the game changed completely (for us),” captain Suryakumar Yadav said.“He started batting differently. That was a positive call for him. I saw him working very hard. When someone doesn’t play, what he does (outside the playing field) is more important. He did everything he could for the team when he was not playing. The last three to four innings he has batted for the team, it is a result of all the hard work he has put in,” said Surya, highlighting the hard yards in the nets by the opener.One of Samson’s earliest coaches, Biju George, told TOI, “Every batsman over a long tournament brings in minute adjustments. He just kept faith in his ability and backed himself. He kept hitting straight and strong.”Sanju’s batting now has the distinct clarity it lacked earlier. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said Samson had changed his approach from the bilateral series earlier.“Unfortunate for us, he was saving his runs for the World Cup. In a few of those games, he looked like he was trying to hit from ball one. Now, he gave himself a chance, gave himself a few balls. On these wickets, when you’re in, you can really cash in,” Santner said.

A day before the T20 World Cup final, the usual tension and mind games between teams have already started. India and New Zealand are set to clash for the title, and both captains had a few things to say during their pre-match press conferences.India head into the final with strong momentum after smashing 253/7 against England in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium. But New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner believes the key for his team is to stop India from posting another huge total.

Speaking ahead of the match, he said, “And at the end of the day, if it’s going to be flat like it was the other night, trying to restrict India to 220 instead of 250 might give us a good chance.”When India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about Santner’s comment, he responded with a smile and a bit of banter. “Jhooth bol raha hai (he’s lying). We will try to bat well. If we score 225 or 250, it will be good. But sometimes the wicket is different, and we have to play differently. We don’t predict from the dressing room that we have to score so much. Whatever the pitch demands, we have to play that way,” he said.Santner also spoke about the pressure India might feel while playing a final at home in front of a packed crowd. “That’s the goal – to silence the crowd – but there are a lot of challenges in cricket, and they are variable. I think there is a lot of pressure on India to win at home,” he said. At the same time, the Kiwi captain sounded confident about his team. “I am pretty excited. We have played here before. There are no secrets to it. The boys are buzzing for tomorrow. It is a one-game shootout. The boys are excited.”Santner’s remark reminded many of Pat Cummins’ famous comment before the 2023 ODI World Cup final about silencing the crowd. Suryakumar couldn’t resist poking fun at that as well, saying: “Sab hi same line chipka rahe hai. Kuch toh naya bolo (Everyone is now saying the same thing. Come up with something new).”

South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

South Africa captain Aiden Markram admitted it was simply a night where very little went his side’s way as a rampant New Zealand national cricket team stormed into the T20 World Cup final with a crushing nine-wicket win at Eden Gardens.New Zealand’s charge was led by a breathtaking 33-ball century from Finn Allen, the fastest hundred in T20 World Cup history, as they chased down 170 in just 12.5 overs. For Markram, the damage was done early.

“I think you look at conditions early and they bowled really well up front. Ball didn’t quite feel like coming on, some were just stopping on the wicket and some were hitting quite low on the bat and they made scoring really tough and through that pressure builds and you lose wickets unfortunately,” Markram said.He credited the Kiwi bowling unit for squeezing his side during the powerplay, where scoring never quite flowed. “So give credit to their bowling unit and obviously with the bat, someone plays an innings like that, don’t think you will come out on the right side of the result many times as a fielding team.”South Africa eventually posted 169 for 8, thanks largely to Marco Jansen’s unbeaten 54 off 30 balls and a crucial stand with Tristan Stubbs after they had slumped to 77 for 5. Markram felt there was still hope at the break.“To get to 170 was a great effort to be fair. At the halfway point we really felt like we had a sniff,” he said.That optimism quickly faded as Allen and Tim Seifert tore into the bowling. “But then, as it goes in T20 cricket.. (in) the powerplay (they) got off to a flyer and can’t protect every boundary unfortunately, and yeah they got away and then from there it was really hard to pull it back.”Markram reserved special praise for the openers who killed the contest inside the first six overs. “So we give massive credit to Finn Allen’s knock, Tim Seifert’s knock to kill the game as early as they did, and yeah unfortunately, it was just that bad night for us tonight.”Reflecting on what could have been done differently, the skipper suggested a quicker tactical adjustment with the bat might have helped.“It’s hard to say right now. We’ll reflect as the group. I think we expected the wicket to play really well. It looked pretty good to the eye, so potentially just adapt a bit quicker with the bats and go back to maybe a bit more old school approach, set it up and try to scrape your way to 190, and maybe you’ll be in the game from there.”Despite the disappointment of falling short of another final, Markram stood firmly behind his squad. “So yeah, we’ll reflect as a group. Obviously disappointed with the result, but very proud of this group of guys who have played some really good cricket throughout this comp, and it’s just an unfortunate evening really.”

Sri Lanka cricket team (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former captain Kumar Sangakkara did not hide his anguish after Sri Lanka crashed out of the T20 World Cup, admitting there was “a lot of hurt all round” and warning that the nation risks falling behind if urgent changes are not made. Sri Lanka’s campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion with a heavy 61-run defeat to New Zealand in Colombo, leaving fans stunned and the cricket fraternity searching for answers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Taking to social media after the elimination, Sangakkara captured the emotional devastation gripping the country and the dressing room.

“There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, and angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy,” he wrote. He reminded players of the responsibility that comes with national duty, adding, “This responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people.”Sri Lanka’s exit was particularly painful as it came at home, where hopes were high of a deep run. After reducing New Zealand to 84/6, the hosts lost control as Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie revived the innings before their batting collapsed under pressure during the chase. The defeat sealed consecutive Super Eight losses and ended their semifinal hopes.However, Sangakkara stressed that the problems run deeper than one defeat. In a strongly worded warning, he said Sri Lanka must evolve with the changing demands of modern cricket. “There is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can’t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly,” he wrote.His most striking line reflected his biggest fear for the future. “We haven’t adapted, and the danger is irrelevance.”

Groundsmen cover the field in Colombo (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

NEW DELHI: Rain became the biggest talking point around the Pakistan vs New Zealand Super 8 match in Colombo on Saturday, and a complete washout means it will shake up the race for the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals. With both teams seen as strong contenders, fans are wondering who benefits and who could be in trouble if no ball is bowled.

As the match is washed out, Pakistan and New Zealand will get one point each. On paper, that sounds fair, but it actually makes the group more complicated. Both teams would then have only two matches left to secure a top-two finish.For Pakistan, the equation is simple but tough. They still have to play England and Sri Lanka. If they win both games, they will reach five points, which should almost guarantee a semi-final spot. But if they lose even one match, things get risky. One win and one loss would leave them on three points, and then they would need other results to go their way. If they lose both games, Pakistan will be out of the tournament.New Zealand face a similar situation. A washout gives them a point, but they will also need wins in their remaining matches to stay in control. If they slip up, they too could be dragged into a tight points race.So who benefits from a washout? Teams like England and Sri Lanka could quietly benefit because it keeps the group open. If Pakistan and New Zealand drop points due to rain, other teams can catch up with wins and put pressure on the favourites.Who is in danger? Both Pakistan and New Zealand lose a chance to get ahead early. In short tournaments like the Super 8s, every point matters, and rain can change everything.

New Zealand’s captain Mitchel Santner (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: New Zealand were dealt an unexpected blow ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup clash against Canada after skipper Mitchell Santner was ruled out due to illness caused by what stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell described as a “dodgy burger.” With a Super 8 berth within touching distance, New Zealand were forced into a late reshuffle at the toss as Canada elected to bat first on Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Mitch had a bit of a dodgy burger last night and he’s not feeling too great today, so hopefully he’s good to go in 24 hours,” Mitchell said, underlining the suddenness of the setback. All-rounder Cole McConchie was drafted in as a like-for-like replacement, with Mitchell adding, “Cole comes in for Santner as well, so again it’s a very similar role. He’ll be excited to get the opportunity.”Live Score: New Zealand vs CanadaThe Black Caps were already managing another enforced absence, with pace spearhead Lockie Ferguson returning home for the birth of his first child. His replacement, Kyle Jamieson, was welcomed back into the XI. “Firstly excited for Lockie to have his first baby and he’ll be back soon, but Kyle Jamieson comes in for him, so it’s a like for like replacement, which is good,” Mitchell said.Despite the disruptions, the stakes remain clear. A third win in Group D would seal New Zealand’s place in the Super 8s, keeping their campaign firmly on track after earlier victories over Afghanistan and the UAE and a setback against South Africa. Mitchell expressed confidence in the team’s ability to adapt.“It brings different challenges. A number of us have played quite a few games here… so we understand the conditions. We’ll assess the surface quickly and adapt as the game unfolds,” he said.