Sport
Bhogle has high hopes for India at knockout stage of World Cup
Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle believes India are in a better place to win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup title this year than they were in the previous two editions of the tournament.
India have won nine straight matches at this year’s event to enter the knockout stage of the World Cup on a high and in the box seat to add a third title to their collection after previous successes in 1983 and 2011.
But India will be wary of the fact they were also on an unbeaten run when entering the semi-finals in Australia in 2015 and had lost just once at the last edition of the World Cup in England and Wales, before being unceremoniously dumped from the event at the final four stage.
Bhogle discussed India’s progress at this World Cup with host Brian Murgatroyd on the latest episode of The ICC Review podcast and the respected commentator thinks the tournament hosts are in a strong position to defeat New Zealand in the semi-finals and go on and claim a third title.
“I wonder with a fair bit of cricket (at Wankhede Stadium) recently whether it will grip a bit and If it does then it is a big advantage for India,” Bhogle said.
“Funnily, at the Wankhede, the toss has become a big factor because under the lights in the first 10 overs the ball is doing alarming things.
“Seventeen wickets have fallen in four games in the first 10 overs.
“The ideal recipe there would be to bat first, make 330 or 340 and try and pick up two or three wickets in the first Powerplay.
“India should fancy their chances.”
It was New Zealand that proved India’s conquerors at the most recent edition of the World Cup in 2019 as the Black Caps clinched an 18-run victory at Old Trafford and Rohit Sharma’s side will be out for revenge on Wednesday when they host the Kiwis in a cut-throat match in Mumbai.
New Zealand looked like world beaters when they won their first four matches in India, but a quartet of consecutive losses and a host of injuries to key players meant they only qualified for the semi-finals with their victory over Sri Lanka in their final group game.
While Bhogle is a long-time admirer of the way New Zealand play their cricket, he wonders whether they will have enough firepower to upset India this time around.
“New Zealand have struggled a lot in this tournament and have not beaten a team that has qualified for the semi-final, but they hadn’t in 2019 either,” Bhogle said.
“They most of what they have is probably good enough to make the semi-finals and the final and then they need a dash of inspiration at some stage which maybe they have fallen short of over the years,” he said.
Bhogle is also concerned by the lack of depth in New Zealand’s bowling.
While Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson head up an impressive pace trio and Mitchell Santner is an accomplished spinner, Bhogle wonders whether the Kiwis can afford to try and obtain another 10 overs of bowling from the likes of all-rounders Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.
“Santner is bowling very well, but do they have a fifth bowler?” Bhogle pondered.
“That could be a weakness and there are a few holes in that side.
“So many things have gone wrong for New Zealand since they started the World Cup – especially to their endearing popular captain Kane Williamson – so maybe this is the day it will all come right, who knows.”
Sport
ILT20: Nissanka fires Gulf Giants to four-wicket win over Dubai Capitals
Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
Pathum Nissanka produced his second consecutive half-century of the season on Saturday to guide Gulf Giants to a convincing four-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals, taking them to the top of the DP World ILT20 Season 4 standings.
Nissanka smashed 67 off just 31 deliveries in a dominant display that included six fours and five sixes. His 97-run stand with James Vince (50* off 45) proved decisive in the Giants’ chase of 161, which they completed with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium.
Earlier, the Capitals posted 160/6 thanks to useful contributions from Sediqullah Atal (35), David Willey (29) and Jordan Cox (31). Captain Dasun Shanaka added late impetus with an unbeaten 23 off 9 balls, including two sixes in the final over.
But Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
The Giants’ reply wobbled briefly after the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9) but Nissanka took charge, hammering James Neesham for three sixes in the fourth over as the Giants cruised to 60/1 by the end of the powerplay. He reached his half-century in just 23 balls.
Mustafizur Rahman and Shanaka struck in back-to-back overs to remove Nissanka and Moeen Ali, but Vince held the chase together with a composed knock. Cameos from Omarzai (14 off 12) and Tom Moores (13 off 8) ensured the required rate never spiralled out of reach, and Vince sealed victory with a well-paced fifty.
In the first innings, after Omarzai removed Shayan Jahangir early, Atal and Willey stabilised the Capitals with a 61-run partnership. But the middle overs proved costly, producing only 18 runs between the 10th and 14th overs as wickets fell to Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson and Aayan Afzal Khan. Cox and Neesham revived the innings before Omarzai returned to snuff out the momentum by dismissing Cox and Rovman Powell in the 18th over.
Speaking after the match, Giants captain Moeen Ali praised his side’s all-round display: “Getting the points while knowing we can still play better is a good sign. We squeezed them well in the middle with the ball. Nissanka is a brilliant player, and Vince controlled the chase perfectly.”
Dubai Capitals skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted his team lost control through the middle overs: “Nissanka is in the form of his life — small guy, massive hitting. We lacked intent in the middle period. We waited too long to rotate strike. Powell and I probably should have gone earlier.”
Brief Scores:
Gulf Giants beat Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets
Dubai Capitals 160/6 (20 overs): Sediqullah Atal 35, Jordan Cox 31, David Willey 29, Dasun Shanaka 23*; Azmatullah Omarzai 3/46, Aayan Afzal Khan 1/3, Moeen Ali 1/23
Gulf Giants 161/6 (18.5 overs): Pathum Nissanka 67, James Vince 50*, Azmatullah Omarzai 14; Dasun Shanaka 2/16, Mustafizur Rahman 2/26
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka
In the 27th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Sorkh Poshan Khafi edged out Arman FC 1-0 in a tightly contested clash.
On Saturday, Sarafan Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq Khanzadah, keeping the league race intense and unpredictable.
Looking ahead to Monday, Sarsabz Yashlar will face Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 2:00 p.m., promising another thrilling showdown for fans.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, allowing football enthusiasts across Afghanistan to follow the action and enjoy the excitement of the Champions League season.
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
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