65-0 in 5 overs from Pakistan and target seemed easy but guess they ended up losing by 22 run after scoring 158-5 and the reason they lost was not the Kiwi attack but their own batsmen. It was absolute cinema to watch Sharjeel Khan produce a primary masterclass of 47 from 25 balls only for the rest of the lineup to provide a mystery of slow batting that has now been cited as a legendary choke. While the world witness the openers flying at a rate that made the 181 target look clinical the middle order of Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal combined for a high voltage lack of intent by scoring only 54 runs off 58 balls. This individual failure meant that even with Shahid Afridi hitting a quick 19 the heartbeat of the chase was lost during the middle overs in Mohali. The reality is that the Kiwis maintained an untouchable aura through Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi who tied down the Pakistani unit with a level of tactical depth that forced the required rate into the universe. Seeing a team that was cruising at 13 runs per over suddenly stumble and fall 22 runs short highlight a cold blooded downfall that was entirely self inflicted by poor strike rotation and dot balls. This performance remains a primary reminder for fans that pure athleticism in the powerplay is useless if the senior batters cannot anchor the finish with clinical precision. Every observer in the stadium witness a night where the individual brilliance of Martin Guptill had earlier set a legendary total of 180 that proved just out of reach for a struggling green shirts side. Moving forward this match will be remembered as the night where Pakistan essentially gifted New Zealand a spot in the semi finals while slaying their own dreams of glory in the 2016 edition.
Where are you hiding now mr excel sheet??
Strange how in this tournament no one's really talking about the strike rate of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma or anyone else in the middle order. The conversation has mostly been about team balance, match situations and results. But when it was Virat Kohli, every innings came with a strike-rate debate attached to it even in tournaments where he ended up winning two Player of the Tournament awards and even a Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup final.
That's what makes cricket discussions fascinating. The same format, the same conditions, the same pressure but very different standards depending on the name on the jersey.
Kohli's knocks were often about anchoring, absorbing pressure, batting through difficult phases and finishing game in high-stakes matches. Yet the focus frequently shifted to numbers instead of impact. In every ICC tournament, whether it's the T20 World Cup or ODI World Cup, conversations around strike rate, intent, match tempo and modern T20 approach become trending topics. But impact in knockout games, consistency across tournaments, and performances under pressure matter just as much. Cricket fans will always debate that's part of the game. But sometimes it's worth asking: are we measuring everyone with the same scale?
Hardik Pandya is India’s explosive all-rounder, famous for big sixes, clutch finishing, and sharp death bowling. He led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022, fought back from injuries, and brings fearless swagger and X-factor energy that makes him one of T20 cricket’s most dynamic and talked-about stars.
Sanju Samson is likely to return for India's Super 8 clash vs South Africa on Feb 22. He had an extended net session in Ahmedabad, with coach hinting at his inclusion to fix spin issues—possibly replacing Tilak Varma at No. 3.
Hardik Pandya stands alone as the only Indian cricketer to achieve the rare double of 6000 runs and 200 wickets in T20 cricket. 🇮🇳
Absolute MVP material for Team India!
These are the visuals of Indian team practicing in nets. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan were practicing together in the central pitch, Tilak Varma was seen practicing against off spin. Abhishek Sharma wasn't even practicing today. Sanju, Ishan, Tilak combo in super 8?
#T20WorldCup
🚨 MASSIVE STATEMENT 🚨
USMAN TARIQ ON SRI LANKAN POLICE 🚨
We are not upset that we lost to India. What hurts is that the Sri Lankan police did not check the Indian player's bags, Whereas everyone of our players including the team staff had their bags checked twice. Why this partiality against us❓