Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane has sent out an early statement ahead of IPL 2026, showcasing his intent with a blistering knock in a practice game. The veteran batter smashed 58 off just 25 balls, bringing up his half-century in only 20 deliveries before voluntarily walking off to allow other players time in the middle.Despite a disappointing 2025 campaign, where KKR finished eighth with just five wins in 14 matches, the franchise has continued to back Rahane as skipper. The 37-year-old had been their leading run-scorer last season with 390 runs in 13 matches at an average of 35.45 and a strike rate of 147. 73, even as the team struggled to defend their title.Heading into the new season, Rahane made it clear that he is embracing the responsibility with a calm and optimistic outlook. “Every year, there are different challenges as a player and also as a captain. What I learned throughout my journey is be positive each and every time, whatever challenges are there,” he said during the team’s first media interaction.“I’ve been leading the team since last year and really grateful to the franchise that they gave me this responsibility to lead the team. Taking everything in my stride, taking everything in a positive way. There are always opportunities, there are challenges, you always see opportunities.“My mindset has always been like that throughout my career, that if I see any challenges or particular, if something difficult is, I look at it in a positive way and try to give my best as a player and also as a captain,” he added.With the lessons from last season in mind, Rahane stressed the importance of a strong start while maintaining consistency across the tournament. “As a team, we would like to start really well this season,” he said.“It’s a long tournament and you don’t want to peak too early. As a team, and also the expectations from the boys, basically, you don’t actually looking for a perfect game. There are going to be errors throughout the tournament.“But as a unit, what we would like to do is we play positive brand of cricket. So as a unit, as a team management, we are really confident about the side that will do really well this season.”KKR enter IPL 2026 with a revamped squad, particularly in the batting department. The franchise parted ways with experienced players like Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer, while making significant investments at the auction, including a record Rs 25.20 crore signing of Cameron Green.The new-look squad features aggressive options such as Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, alongside Sunil Narine and Rahane at the top of the order.Despite the depth in batting, Rahane chose not to reveal the team’s combinations. “The batting group which we have this year is amazing. I mean, most of the batters, they’re in good form. Guys from overseas also in good, very good nick. Had a very good World Cup as well.“See, frankly, I’m not going to tell you the lineup, what lineup we are going to go with, but as I said, all the batters who are here at the moment are very good in nick, very good in nick, and we just started our camp with this before, so really excited for the season,” he said.

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.”

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.”

Openers Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan put Pakistan in control with a record opening stand against Sri Lanka in a must-win Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup at Pallekele International Stadium on Saturday.Batting first, Pakistan built a 176-run partnership for the opening wicket, their highest stand for any wicket in T20 World Cup history. It is also the third-highest partnership for Pakistan in all T20Is.Sri Lanka did not help their cause in the field. Dunith Wellalage dropped Farhan when he was on 75. Kamindu Mendis Liyanage appeared to have caught him on 76 but stepped on the boundary cushion.The breakthrough came through Dushmantha Chameera. He bowled wide outside off to Fakhar, who had been moving across the crease through the innings. This time, Fakhar got an inside edge that deflected onto the stumps.The opening stand of 176 is now a T20 World Cup record, going past the unbroken 175-run stand between Finn Allen and Tim Seifert against UAE earlier in the tournament.Highest partnerships in T20 World Cup (any wicket)176 – Sahibzada Farhan & Fakhar Zaman (PAK) vs SL, Pallekele, 2026*175* – Tim Seifert & Finn Allen (NZ) vs UAE, Chennai, 2026170* – Jos Buttler & Alex Hales (ENG) vs IND, Adelaide, 2022168 – Quinton de Kock & Rilee Rossouw (SA) vs BAN, Sydney, 2022166 – Mahela Jayawardene & Kumar Sangakkara (SL) vs WI, Barbados, 2010154 – Ibrahim Zadran & Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) vs UGA, Providence, 2024

Pakistan post 212

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman powered Pakistan to 212 in the first innings. Pakistan bowlers need to stop Sri Lanka at 147 or less to to go past New Zealand on net run rate and qualify for the semi-finals.Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl in their final Super 8 match at Pallekele in Kandy.Pakistan made changes to their playing XI. Former captain Babar Azam was left out after a run of low scores. Saim Ayub was also not included.Pakistan entered the match after a narrow loss to two-time champions England on Tuesday. Sri Lanka were already out of the tournament following defeats to England and New Zealand in their first two Super 8 matches.

England’s Will Jacks, left, and Rehan Ahmed (Photo by AP)

England pull off an exciting four-wicket win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup Super Eights, thanks to a brilliant late fightback by Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed. The victory keeps Pakistan’s semifinal hopes alive, while England finish top of Group 2 with three wins from three matches.

England pulled off an exciting four-wicket win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup Super Eights, thanks to a brilliant late fightback by Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed. The victory kept Pakistan’s semifinal hopes alive, while England finished top of Group 2 with three wins from three matches. New Zealand batted first and posted 159 for seven in 20 overs. Their batters got good starts but failed to convert them into big scores. Glenn Phillips scored 39, Tim Seifert made 35, and Finn Allen added 29. England’s spinners played a key role in controlling the innings, with Jacks, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed picking up two wickets each to slow the scoring in the middle overs. England’s chase began poorly as they lost two early wickets and struggled at 58 for four. Harry Brook attempted to steady the innings, but New Zealand kept striking at regular intervals. Tom Banton and Sam Curran added valuable runs, yet England slipped to 117 for six in 17 overs, still needing 43 runs from 18 balls. At that stage, New Zealand appeared firmly in control. However, Jacks and Rehan had other plans. They attacked Glenn Phillips in the 18th over, smashing 22 runs to shift the momentum. The duo then collected 16 runs off Mitchell Santner in the next over, putting England on course for victory. With confidence high, they calmly guided the team home with three balls to spare. Earlier, there had been a brief moment of drama when Seifert was wrongly given out, only for TV replays to overturn the decision. In the end, England held their nerve to complete a thrilling comeback win.