India’s Tilak Varma, Australia’s Cooper Connolly, England’s Jacob Bethell, South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka, Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad looking to make their presence felt at the ICC showpiece

Pakistan faces a diplomatic and cricketing dilemma after Bangladesh was expelled from the T20 World Cup following Islamabad’s attempts to involve it against India. Despite threats to boycott, the Pakistan Cricket Board is preparing its players to compete in Sri Lanka, highlighting the complex politics affecting South Asian cricket.

Bangladesh has been excluded from the T20 World Cup beginning February 7 after the ICC rejected its request to shift matches out of India, a decision the World Cricket Association termed “a sad moment” for the sport, calling for reflection on cricket’s global governance.

Geopolitical tensions have reshaped cricket in the Indian sub-continent, with Bangladesh excluded from the upcoming T20 World Cup amid strained ties with India. The fallout highlights how diplomatic frictions now extend beyond the traditional India-Pakistan axis, leaving Bangladesh exposed without institutional safeguards.

Bangladesh’s appeal against the ICC’s decision to hold its T20 World Cup matches in India is unlikely to be heard, as the Dispute Resolution Committee lacks the authority to review decisions taken by the ICC Board.

Bangladesh named a 15-member T20 World Cup squad led by Litton Das even as the government asked the cricket board to seek shifting of league matches from India over safety concerns.

India, already 3-0 up, aim to extend their dominance against Sri Lanka in the fourth Women’s T20I at Thiruvananthapuram as the hosts continue to outclass the visitors.

The BCCI has convened an urgent meeting with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar ahead of the second ODI against South Africa, seeking clarity on team selection, long-term planning and recent inconsistencies that have raised concerns about communication within the Indian set-up.

Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has come under sharper scrutiny following the 0-2 home Test defeat to South Africa, with the BCCI reportedly displeased by his recent press conference remarks as questions mount over his tactics ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2026.

Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy retained their top spots in the ICC Men’s T20 rankings, with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan making significant gains ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has been permanently dropped from national selection after admitting to drug addiction during an internal inquiry, with the board confirming he has entered rehabilitation and will not be offered a new contract.

“We look forward to hosting Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for Pakistan's maiden T20 tri-series,” PCB chief operating officer Sumair Ahmed Syed said in a statement on Sunday.

Italy has sealed a historic maiden T20 World Cup qualification after edging out Jersey and Scotland on net run-rate. Netherlands also progressed after beating Italy at The Hague.