New Zealand’s Matt Henry , second from left, celebrates with teammates (AP/PTI)

Former South Africa national cricket team pace legend Dale Steyn has made a bold remark ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final, stating that New Zealand national cricket team could inherit the long-standing “chokers” label if they fail to overcome hosts India national cricket team in Sunday’s title clash in Ahmedabad.New Zealand secured their place in the final after defeating Steyn’s former side, the South Africa national cricket team, in the first semi-final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The victory helped the Black Caps reach the T20 World Cup final for the second time in their history.

India, meanwhile, advanced to the summit clash by edging past the England cricket team by seven runs in a thrilling high-scoring semi-final played in Mumbai on Thursday.Speaking on a YouTube discussion with former teammate AB de Villiers, Steyn suggested that New Zealand have reached several ICC finals in recent years and should be the ones facing scrutiny if they fall short again.“Let’s be honest here. Everyone likes to call South Africa chokers, but I am going to say it. New Zealand haven’t won many World Cups themselves, and they have been in more finals than we have. So, no offence, New Zealand, but please go on to win this,” said Steyn in a chat with AB de Villiers on the latter’s YouTube channel.“Otherwise, I am formally handing over that card to you; it’s yours. I love New Zealand, but they won’t beat India.”Steyn also highlighted the Black Caps’ repeated appearances in global finals in recent years. New Zealand reached the title match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, but ended up finishing runners-up on each occasion.The former fast bowler, who took more than 400 wickets in Test cricket, believes India hold the advantage heading into the final. According to Steyn, the hosts would need to suffer a dramatic collapse for New Zealand to emerge victorious.“It would require a monumental choke from India. I am calling it; it’s possible. I really want them (New Zealand) to win, but do I think they’ll beat India? No,” Steyn said.Overall, New Zealand have reached eight ICC tournament finals since winning the ICC KnockOut Trophy 2000, but have lifted just one trophy in that period — the 2021 ICC World Test Championship Final, where they defeated India.

NEW DELHI: Explosive opener Finn Allen credited New Zealand’s recent tour of India as a key factor behind their clinical run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after smashing a record-breaking century to power the Kiwis into the final.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Allen produced one of the most destructive knocks in World Cup history, blasting an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls as New Zealand chased down a tricky 170 against South Africa in only 12.5 overs at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The nine-wicket victory sealed New Zealand’s place in the final in emphatic fashion.

Speaking after the match, Allen highlighted how a five-match series against India before the tournament helped the visitors adapt to the demanding black-soil surfaces used during the World Cup.“It just shows the importance of that India series the boys played before the World Cup. Five games on black soil… you can’t replicate that kind of preparation,” Allen said. “We learnt a lot as a group. As a team, we get up for the fight. In those important games we’re prepared to scrap and stay in it till the end.”Allen also praised the New Zealand bowlers for setting up the victory after early breakthroughs dented South Africa’s momentum. “It was an extremely impressive start from our bowlers — they set the game up for us, for sure. On a surface like that, if you can take wickets up front and build pressure, it makes life a lot easier for the batters.”The right-hander added that the recent experience of playing in India gave him a better understanding of the conditions. “Having had that last game against India on black soil gave me a proper look at what to expect. That was really helpful coming into this one,” he said.Allen also reserved special praise for opening partner Tim Seifert, who hammered a 33-ball 58 in a blistering stand that effectively ended the contest inside the powerplay.“He just kept dealing in boundaries… he’s been doing that all tournament. He’s in incredible form. It’s good fun batting with Timmy when he’s in that mood,” Allen said.Looking ahead to the final, Allen urged fans back home to rally behind the team. “Finals are special… you don’t get too many chances at them. Hopefully everyone gets behind us for Sunday.”

Mohammad Amir makes fresh Abhishek Sharma admission

NEW DELHI: India suffered a big setback in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage after losing badly to South Africa. Even though India had gone through the group stage without losing, the heavy 76-run defeat has made their path to the semi-finals much tougher. One major concern for the team is the poor form of opener Abhishek Sharma, who scored just 15 runs in the match after getting out for three ducks in a row earlier in the tournament.

Abhishek’s repeated failures at the top have put extra pressure on India’s middle order. Players like Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, and Suryakumar Yadav had handled that pressure in earlier matches, but they struggled against South Africa’s strong bowling attack.Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has now given Abhishek some advice. Amir, who earlier called him a “slogger,” said Abhishek needs to play smarter and not attack blindly. “You must have seen that he scored 14 runs on the same side. All three of the boundaries he hit were off bad balls. He does have potential. He kept the same intent even after three ducks. But, as a senior player, my message to him would be that international cricket will expose your technique. If he brings a little patience and hits the ball where it is, it would be better. He has the skills; how he wants to utilise them is up to him,” Amir said on the show Haarna Mana Hai.Amir also said India are not as strong while chasing targets anymore. “India were exposed as they were chasing for the first time in this T20 World Cup. This isn’t a team that has Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. They handled the match as the situation demanded,” he said.He also criticised India’s team selection and strategy. “The biggest mistake India made was sending three left-handers at the top. Rinku doesn’t even get time to play. You benched Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel against batters who struggle against spinners. No matter how big a team you are, you won’t get results until you play the right combinations,” he asserted.

Kuldeep Yadav (R) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav. (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s heavy defeat to South Africa in the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has triggered a blunt reality check, with former batter Sanjay Manjrekar urging the side to “be humble” and quickly address key flaws to stay in title contention.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!A dominant South Africa piled up 187/7 before bundling India out for just 111. The crushing loss not only dented India’s momentum but also exposed glaring tactical and technical weaknesses.

Reflecting on the defeat, Manjrekar said on his Instagram post, “A big defeat to India against South Africa. So, the first strong team that India has played, and they have not really coped well against that team. But the good news is that India is not out of the tournament.”He added that the loss could serve as a blessing in disguise if India respond correctly.“So what South Africa have done – and we have to be humble and respect the opposition and in a way thank them – is that they have shown us three areas of improvement that we can still work on and end up getting into the final rounds and hopefully win the title,” he said.Manjrekar identified India’s struggles against spin as the most pressing concern and called for a batting order reshuffle.“The first area of concern is an obvious one: India is struggling against spin. So how do you solve that? Try to rearrange the batting order in a way that naturally good players of spin are batting up the order, and people like Tilak Varma, who is struggling a little bit, can come down the order,” he said. He also flagged the team’s vulnerability against pace-off deliveries, including from captain Suryakumar Yadav.“The other thing which was glaring in this game against South Africa was even the pace bowlers, when they take the pace off, Indian batters are struggling. The captain seemed like the one who struggled most now when the pace is taken off.”Manjrekar further stressed the need to strengthen the bowling attack rather than adding extra batting depth.“The third is an easily solvable problem. When the batting is uncertain, not firing, very often you try and get more batting depth. There’s another way to cover that weakness, and that is by having a stronger bowling attack. So get Kuldeep Yadav in.”“So yes, try and make a change that is possible and immediately effective, and then work on the more complex problems… If done quickly, India still have a great chance of getting into the final rounds,” he concluded.

Abhishek Sharma (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: As defending champions India prepare for a high-stakes Super 8 showdown against South Africa in Ahmedabad, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has pinpointed the technical and tactical adjustments Abhishek Sharma must make to overcome his alarming slump at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Abhishek, the world’s No. 1 T20I batter, has endured a nightmare run, registering a hat-trick of ducks and struggling particularly against off-spin. Pathan believes the root cause lies in the opener’s shot selection and approach rather than his natural technique.

“Abhishek Sharma is getting out to off-spinners. Against Pakistan and the Netherlands, off-spinners got him. The problem lies in his shot selection,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.Explaining the flaw, Pathan noted that Abhishek is trying to dominate too early instead of settling in.“His bat comes down from a high angle, and he is not looking to hit straight. He is trying to play across the wicket. That is getting him into trouble,” he said. “He moves his front foot away to create room, but bowlers are not giving him room. These are not drivable balls.”

However, Pathan warned against drastic changes, urging the youngster to trust his natural game while making smarter decisions.“His bat angle is coming across, which is natural to him. He does not need to change that. If he tries to change it now, it will be a mess,” he explained. “First things first, get a single, get off the mark. Expect the spinner to come in, get to the other end, and target the fast bowlers. He does not need to bludgeon from the first ball.”While Abhishek has struggled, Pathan reserved glowing praise for fellow opener Ishan Kishan, who has been one of the tournament’s standout performers.“Ishan Kishan is in the form of his life. He is playing the leg side really well. He targets square-leg and fine-leg,” Pathan said. “If you give him leg-side deliveries at the start, it’s trouble.”But he also issued a word of caution ahead of the South Africa test.“Against South Africa, I want to see what Kishan does when they bowl wide and make him play on the off-side early. He has improved a lot, but only after getting set,” he added.

Albie Morkel (L) with South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada during a training session at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Ahead of their final Group D encounter against the United Arab Emirates, South Africa’s specialist consultant Albie Morkel brought a touch of humour to the press conference. Asked if he exchanges coaching ideas with his younger brother and Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel, the 44-year-old initially put on a serious face before breaking into a grin and saying, “No, we don’t talk to each other (laughs). I think my mother is more worried than us. She doesn’t know who to support, India or South Africa.”With South Africa facing India in their first Super Eight contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, the “rivalry” between the Protea brothers will be something worth keeping an eye on.

Since Morne took over as India’s bowling coach as part of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s support staff, some of the team’s individual pace-bowling performances have noticeably improved. His behind-the-scenes work with players like Shivam Dube has refined the player’s role in the side.Albie, three years older than Morne, appears to be settling into his position as a specialist consultant with South Africa, which, according to the former fast-bowling all-rounder, is primarily bowling-oriented.“Yes, it has been an interesting term, specialist consultant. I had to figure it out myself a little bit. But of course, it’s anything that helps the team do well in the World Cup. I do a bit of both batting and fielding, mostly focused around the bowling for now. I do some work with our all-rounders, swingers, and stuff like that,” Albie, who was brought into the role just before the T20 World Cup, explained.His work with the pacers has paid dividends for the 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up, with fast bowlers accounting for most wickets, including two all-rounders.

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada bowls a delivery during the T20 World Cup cricket match between South Africa and United Arab Emirates in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Even as Kagiso Rabada (two wickets in four matches) has struggled for rhythm, Lungi Ngidi (8 wickets), Marco Jansen (7 wickets), and Corbin Bosch (5 wickets) have kept the pace attack formidable.“It’s a privilege to be with a team with such incredible fast bowlers. The standards between the entire bowling lineup is really, really high. And it’s something we feed off well off each other,” Bosch, the Player of the Match for his figures of 3/12 agaist the UAE, told reporters during the post-match press conference.“I think this is the first time we’ve all played as a collective, so it’s still getting to know how we operate as a unit. But we’ve done fantastically so far, and there’s no extra pressure.”

South Africa’s Corbin Bosch bowls a delivery during the T20 World Cup cricket match between South Africa and United Arab Emirates in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Listening to Bosch, there is a clear indication that Albie has already made an impact in this short time, and from Albie’s own words, it is evident he knows what he is doing off the field.“Look, I think we first have to start where our guys play their T20 cricket most in South Africa. And the wickets there, how do I put it nicely? It’s not the best suited for T20 cricket. So guys get away with a lot in South Africa,” he said.“When you get over here (in India), especially at this time of the year, where the wickets are still good before the summer, your variations, your slow balls and all those type of things, they don’t play such a big role.“So it’s really focusing on nailing your yorkers. And I feel that’s a skill that’s sort of disappeared, not only with us, but with most teams in the world. If I ask who’s the best death bowler in the world, you can probably name one, Jasprit Bumrah. He has got a very good yorker.”