An unwell Abhishek Sharma could pretty well make way for Sanju Samson in India’s playing XI in their next T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Namibia on Thursday. On the other hand, even though Pakistan have agreed to play against India on February 15, their demand for a handshake has been junked, with the trend of both captains just walking away after the toss set to continue. An UAE player has been sent back home amid the WC while rumours of CSK being on sale has been junked. On that note, take a look at top headlines from Tuesday.
No handshake policy to continue in IND vs PAK
Pakistan will play India at the T20 World Cup 2026 after days of brinkmanship, backchannel talks and political drama. But one thing is not changing. Unless there is an unlikely last-minute twist, there will be no handshakes between Indian and Pakistani players when the two teams meet in Colombo on February 15. Read more here.
Sanju Samson to replace Abhishek Sharma?
Sanju Samson could be set for a lucky break in the IND vs NAM game on Thursday. Abhishek Sharma is battling the flu and an upset stomach at the moment, forcing him to miss the training session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. In fact, he hasn’t even travelled to Delhi with the team. Read more here.
Pakistan beat USA
Pakistan warm up for the IND vs PAK clash with an easy 32-run win over USA in a Group A game. Shahibzada Farhan (73 off 41), Babar Azam (46 off 32) and Shadab Khan (30 off 12) helped Pakistan post 190/9. USA started on a good note with Shayan Jahangir (49 off 34) helping them post 50/1 in the powerplay. But with Shadab (2/26) and Usman Tariq (3/27) bowling exceptional spells, USA never stood a chance. In the end, USA survived 20 overs, scoring 158/8, thanks to Shubham Ranjane’s 51 off 30. Read more here.
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- Today’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule (February 11)
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CSK up for sale?
With RCB and RR both exploring full exits, it didn’t take long for speculation to breed over to other big IPL franchises. Over the past few days, social media was flooded with claims that CSK could be next in line, especially after UltraTech Cement acquired a controlling stake in India Cements last year. However, all rumours aren’t true and this was one of them. Read more here.
Pakistan save ICC from $174 million loss
Pakistan’s decision to play the IND vs PAK clash at the T20 World Cup 2026 has saved the ICC from incurring a loss of $174 million. After a meeting with the ICC, which also involved the BCB chairman, the Pakistan government on Monday directed its players to take the field against India on February 15 in Colombo. Pakistan had threatened to boycott the marquee clash while attempting to show solidarity with Bangladesh after the latter were replaced by Scotland in the WC over their unwillingness to travel to India. Read more here.
UAE player sent back home
Just hours before UAE were due to face New Zealand in Chennai, the Emirates squad was trimmed, with one player, Muhammad Zohaib, put on a flight home. It is something that the UAE would not have wanted. Read more here.
Cricket
Blow for India as Abhishek Sharma hospitalized before Namibia T20 World Cup clash
