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If it was about who deserves to make it to the final four this edition, none would have denied Afghanistan an entry. But cricket is a cruel game. It’s not always the deserving who gets the pass. And so, Afghanistan’s job is not done just yet. They have one final stepping stone to hop over before they can rest in the first-class train to the semi-final. Beating Bangladesh is not the only job, though. They will have to tread carefully lest they unleash the wrath of the wretched devil which shows no mercy while throwing teams out of contention: the…

Both sides have made it to the finals of two back-to-back ICC events in the past year, the first time at the Oval for the WTC Finals and more recently in Ahmedabad. On both occasions, the Kangaroos helmed toward the victory, elongating India’s wait for revenge. They meet again. This time at a relatively lesser stakes game. Losing isn’t necessarily a death sentence for any of the sides but whoever loses will face the unforgiving nature of this tournament more openly. Suppose Australia end up on the losing side or begrudgingly watching the rain wash away the match. In that…

The clock has struck midnight for the USA team. The magic has turned back to ordinary and the carriage back to the pumpkin. But the glass slipper remains shining on the stairs. And by a stroke of luck, the slipper can have the good fortune come knocking at their door. This likely-to-be last match in this edition of the World Cup is slated against the defending champions, England. While there is just an outside chance for an upset, the Americans don’t have any option but to hope that with all they can. Even if they fail to grab this opportunity,…

Albeit very closely, Bangladesh survived the group of death torture in the group stages. They defeated Nepal, Netherlands, and the favorites Sri Lanka to make it to the Super 8s second time. But none of that matters now. What matters is the ominous 1 in their defeats column and the fact that they have to face the high-flying India in their next game. India have a bowling lineup that’s more lethal than cyanide for the dearth of solid batting options in Bangladesh. But they can not afford to succumb to that. They can afford to see Bumrah making headlines once…

The co-hosts USA get hosted by the West Indian team in a game of survival. Both teams have tasted defeat in their respective first games of this stage. Though it was the first defeat for the Windies in this tournament, it still mongered worries for them. The greatest of all those worries is the injury of Brandon King. The West Indian opener suffered a side strain during the game against England a few days ago and had to leave the ground immediately. Although he was not blazing on all of the guns in the tournament, having scored an average of…

Its as simple as this. Win this game and get yourself a box seat for the semi-finals. Both teams have two points each. The winner will get another two making it four and even if that team lose their last game, the chances of them making it to the knockout stages would still be very high. But there is one thing that might make the teams wince and that is the good old Net Run Rate, which might become crucial in the next few games. Besides getting those two points, it’s necessary for the winning team to somehow get a…

The best have been strained and now is when those who have proven themselves get to put up a show. The USA have been the true underdog in the group stage. They have toppled teams, made history, and broken records – all this while on their leave from office. This may seem like they have made it to the next stage effortlessly, like doing a summer job. But in reality, it has taken them hard work and many years of it. Hard work is what will be required of them for the next stage too. Because what they are coming…

No host team has ever won a T20 World Cup and the West Indian team in this season is hell-bent on breaking this record. The Windies batters are, especially, enjoying churning runs on their home ground. During the fixture against Afghanistan as well, the Windies batters took the bowlers to the cleaners. Leading this blitz was none other than Nicholas Pooran who went all guns blazing from the word go. Winning the toss, Afghanistan asked the co-hosts to bat first, and boy did they do a good job. After Brandon King fell early, Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran took it…

Climate change is weird. There could be flash floods in Florida affecting people of Pakistan 8000 miles away. But nothing can be done now, the floods have unleashed how destructive they are. Houses, buildings, roads, and hopes – they take away with them everything. This is the worst Pakistan has performed in a T20 World Cup ever. Since 2007, the year of the first T20 World Cup, the men in green have always ensured to get through at least the group stages of the mega-event. There is a first time for everything they say. But no one explains how to…

Blood, toil, tears, and sweat are what it has taken Scotland to come to this point where they are threatening the defending champions. They face Australia in their last game of the group stage. Clashing with the pitiless Australia and with the ICC ensuring no behind-the-closed-door conspiracy to oust England should take place, Scotland are left with only two choices. One lies in their control but just as much out of control and it is beating Australia even by a single run (or, with apologies to New Zealand fans, boundary counts). The other is hoping for the grey clouds (which…