The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a cash reward of INR 131 crore for Team India following their triumphant campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

India lifted the prestigious trophy after defeating New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, successfully defending the title and becoming the first team in the history of the tournament to retain the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. 

With this victory, India also became the first team to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup three times, further cementing their place among the most successful teams in the history of the format.

“The Board congratulates the players, support staff and selectors once again on this historic achievement and wishes them continued success in the future,” the BCCI said in a statement. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police will implement a special security and traffic plan for the Sri Lanka–Zimbabwe T20 World Cup match at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo this afternoon (19).

The Group B match is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

Meanwhile Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police F. Wootler said that 350 Police personnel have been deployed on traffic duty, while more than 500 security personnel have been assigned on special security arrangements.

He said that some officers would be in civilian attire and that drone operations were also in place for monitoring.

He requested the public’s assistance during physical checks and reminded spectators that luggage, bags, electronic equipment and liquor would not be permitted inside the stadium.

Stadium gates will open at noon, and spectators are advised to arrive at that time to avoid delays.
Road restrictions will take effect from noon on the following roads:

Sangaraja Mawatha and Sumanadisi Mawatha

Vincent Perera Mawatha

Britto Babapulle Place, Temple Road and Khettarama Road

Sebastian Canal Road

100-Foot Road

Sri Bodhiraja Mawatha

Maligawatte Lane and Jumma Masjid Road

Pradeepa Mawatha and Saddharma Mawatha

Deputy Inspector General Senadheera said vehicular movement will also be restricted on roads leading to the stadium.

Police have designated six parking areas:Stadium car park: Capacity of 165 vehicles for VIP, VVIP pass holders and media

Sathosa grounds and railway yard: Capacity of 500 light vehicles, including three-wheelers, vans, motorcycles and cars

Sebastian Canal Road (between the first and second bridges): Capacity of 80 vehicles

Applewatte: Capacity of 150 vehicles

Kovil Road: Capacity of 200 vehicles

Both sides of Adi Seeya Road: Capacity of 150 vehicles

Police said spectators may seek assistance from officers on duty or contact 0112 433 333 for support. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has called up 23-year-old Pavan Rathnayake to the T20 squad as cover for captain Charith Asalanka, who is down with the flu ahead of the tri-series involving Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.

Rathnayake, who impressed on his ODI debut on Monday with a fighting 32 while batting with the tail, will now remain in Pakistan and will not return home as he joins the T20 group. His calm and composed innings under pressure have earned him this quick elevation.

Sri Lanka begins their tri-series campaign against Zimbabwe on Thursday. If Asalanka does not recover in time, vice-captain Dasun Shanaka is expected to lead the side. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that tickets for the T20I series opener between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium in Kandy, have been sold out.

Issuing a statement, the SLC requested the public not to arrive at the ticket counters in search of tickets for today’s game, as no further tickets will be available for sale.

Meanwhile, gates will open at 05.00 pm for ticket holders to enter the stadium, with the match scheduled to commence at 07.00 pm. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva has expressed surprise over some decisions made by the Sri Lanka team during the T20 World Cup.

Speaking at an event in Colombo, Silva addressed severe criticisms following the team’s early exit from the ongoing tournament in the United States.

“Our team didn’t qualify for the Super Eight, but we have provided them with facilities comparable to the best teams in the world,” Silva said.

Silva noted that he has faced intense criticism, almost as if he had participated in the tournament himself.

“If it were me playing, I wouldn’t have made certain decisions. Even we were surprised by some of those choices. However, those decisions were made by our cricketers and their management there,” he explained.

Silva also mentioned that despite the team’s defeat, some concerns about the tournament went unaddressed.

“Nobody understands the conditions of the pitches or the fact that some of the best teams were out of competition,” he remarked.

Highlighting the progress of SLC over the years, Silva said that the management is constantly looking at developing the sport.

“SLC was not financially strong in the past, but now, thanks to a proper committee and management, we are among the fourth or fifth highest-earning cricketing bodies. The committee always discusses using these earnings to develop cricket,” he said.

Despite the recent setbacks, Silva said he is hopeful about the team’s future performance, especially during the upcoming India, New Zealand, and the West Indies tours of Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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Pakistan have made a change to their accommodation in New York, switching to a hotel closer to the cricket ground in Nassau County, where they will play two T20 World Cup group games on June 9 and June 11.

Pakistan were originally booked to stay at a hotel about an hour and a half away from the venue. ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB took exception to the arrangement and arranged for the team to move to a hotel in Long Island, about a ten-minute drive from Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan arrive in New York from Dallas on June 7 and play India at the venue two days later. The Indian team has been accommodated at a hotel about ten minutes from the ground, and have been in New York for more than a week, having played their warm-up match against Bangladesh and their first group game against Ireland at the venue.

Generally at World Cups, hotel bookings are handled by the ICC working with the Local Organising Committee (LOC), a body that includes the host board. It is rare for teams to change hotels but given Sri Lanka’s experience during their stay in New York, arrangements have come under scrutiny.

Sri Lanka were staying in Brooklyn ahead of their game against South Africa, 90 minutes from the ground. The logistical complications resulted in them cancelling their training session on the eve of the game to prevent fatigue. Ahead of their morning match, Sri Lanka were forced to start their day at 7am and ultimately succumbed to a heavy defeat against South Africa. Bowler Maheesh Theekshana called the scheduling and logistics “unfair” and Sri Lanka’s manager Mahinda Halangoda told ESPNcricinfo they had lodged an official complaint about their travel arrangements in this tournament.

The PCB decided not to wait and raised concerns about their hotel being too far from the ground, insisting on a change in accommodation. The ICC eventually acquiesced to the request. Pakistan play India on Sunday 9 June, and Canada two days later in New York. (ESPNcricinfo)

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Sri Lanka is among several countries facing issues in the USA during the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, Sports Minister Harin Fernando said on Friday.

Addressing the Parliament today, Minister Harin Fernando said that through Sri Lanka’s Director General of Sports, a written inquiry has been made from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the various issues being faced by the Sri Lanka national team at the World Cup.

He further said that an official had been appointed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to inquire into the issues faced by the team, adding that the official was in the US to help resolve the issues.

The Sports Minister also responded to the various concerns raised regarding the national team at the ongoing international cricket tournament.

Addressing the 7-hour delay at a US airport, the Sports Minister said Sri Lanka was not the only nation that had faced this situation and that the Ireland and South African teams too experienced flight delays.

“All three cricket teams faced a delay due to technical difficulties caused by the flight. This resulted in the teams being stranded at the Florida airport for 07- hours,” he said. 

Minister Fernando said that the SLC has launched an inquiry into the matter and has also lodged a complaint with the ICC in this regard.

The Sports Minister also revealed that several cricket teams received preferential treatment in the USA.

“It has been found that Bangladesh is the team that has the most distance to travel from its accommodation to the stadium. Sri Lanka comes in next. Two other teams are placed at the same hotel as Sri Lanka and are facing similar issues,” he said. 

Stating that USA Cricket is currently banned by the ICC, Minister Harin Fernando said that the World Cup is being conducted by the ICC in the US amidst several issues.

Responding to the Sports Minister’s clarification, Opposition leader MP Sajith Premadasa raised a question on the unsuitable pitches offered in New York, which was acknowledged by the ICC in a recent statement.

Sports Minister Harin Fernando explained that the said pitches cannot be rated as they will be removed after the conclusion of the World Cup, as they are a temporary set-up.

Revealing that he had travelled to the US ahead of the tournament to oversee preparations, Minister Fernando said that during Sri Lanka’s practice match, it was evident that the pitches in New York were not up to standard.

On the Opposition Leader’s question regarding the distance from the accommodation to the stadium, the Sports Minister explained that the travel time of the team has been affected due to the traffic in New York City. 

Minister Harin Fernando assured that the Sports Ministry will conduct a probe into the failure to resolve the issues faced by the Sri Lankan cricket team in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in the USA. (Newswire)

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New York will boost security for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup in June, the city’s governor said on Wednesday, after reports of threats especially related to the India-Pakistan match.

“In preparation for the @cricketworldcup, my team has been working with federal & local law enforcement to keep attendees safe,” Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X, adding there was “no credible threat at this time”.

ABC News cited a New York City Police Department bulletin saying the tournament and its related events in New York City could be viewed by extremists as an opportunity to commit acts of violence or disruption.

“Recent pro-ISIS propaganda which specifically referenced the upcoming India-Pakistan match at this major event … raises concerns and reinforces the need for heightened vigilance” among security partners, the bulletin is quoted as saying by ABC News.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the World Cup received an ISIS-K-linked threat in April and more specific threats over the India versus Pakistan match.

World Cup matches between India and Pakistan, which have not played a bilateral series in several years due to tense political relations, are among the most viewed sporting events in the world.

Hochul said in a statement New York State Police had been directed to increase enforcement presence, surveillance and screening processes for the tournament.

Cricket has three formats – Tests, One Day Internationals and T20s, with T20s being the newest. The ninth T20 World Cup is will run from June 1-29, with matches at nine stadiums – six in the West Indies and three in the United States.

The India-Pakistan June 9 contest will take place in at the Eisenhower Park stadium in Nassau County, New York. (Reuters)

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The biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in history will include more teams and more matches than ever before.

For the first time, 20 nations will take to the stage and battle for world glory in the United States and West Indies across 55 matches and four weeks of thrilling action.

You may be familiar with the teams but here is a refresher on how they got here.

The hosts

West Indies and USA earned automatic entry as the host nations, with the latter set to play in the tournament for the first time.

Two-time winners West Indies will host the competition for the second time after staging the 2010 showpiece which saw England beat Australia in the final.

Just as in 2010, the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, will host this year’s final.

Top eight from 2022

The top eight teams from the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup all ensured automatic qualification to the tournament’s ninth edition.

In Australia, England recorded their second triumph as Ben Stokes steered his side to victory with the bat after Player of the Tournament Sam Curran helped restrict runners-up Pakistan to 137 in the final.

Beaten semi-finalists India and New Zealand also secured entry for 2024. India will be looking to build on their 50-over triumph last year while the Black Caps will be hoping to add their name to the trophy for the first time.

The sides which finished third and fourth in the Super 12 groups also achieved qualification. Those four teams are former winners Australia and Sri Lanka, two-time semi-finalists South Africa, and Netherlands, who achieved their best T20 World Cup finish last time round.

Team rankings

Afghanistan and Bangladesh are included due to their status as the next two highest teams in the T20I rankings.

The Tigers came close to a couple of shock victories last time out and will be hoping to build on that, while the likes of Rashid Khan and Qais Ahmad will be tapping into their experiences in the US franchise tournament, Major League Cricket, to aid their team’s cause.

The qualifiers

The remaining eight spots were determined by regional qualifiers with Ireland and Scotland coming through the European section.

Scotland hosted the regional finals in July 2023 and powered through the group stages unbeaten, joined by Ireland thanks in no small part to a crucial seven run victory over Italy.

The East Asia-Pacific qualifiers took place at the same time and Papua New Guinea also recorded a perfect run to reach their second T20 World Cup.

Canada emerged from the Americas qualifier, sneaking past Bermuda on net run rate to reach the main event for the first time.

Nepal and Oman qualified in Asia, defeating UAE and Bahrain respectively in the last four before sharing a thrilling final which Oman claimed after a Super Over.

The final country to secure their place in the 20-team line-up was Uganda. The Cricket Cranes usurped regional powerhouse Zimbabwe for their first-ever T20I win over a full-member team en route to their first T20 World Cup.

Namibia were the other side to qualify from the Africa Qualifier, having previously played in the 2021 and 2022 editions. (ICC)

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The first guests took their seats at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York with ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt joined by cricket legends, Team USA and New York sports stars to usher in a world-first for cricket.

The first look of the view from some of the best seats in the house officially started the final countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fixture in New York, featuring 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa on 3 June.

Bolt got the first glimpse of the new stadium along with USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monank Patel as well as West Indies legend Sir Curtly Ambrose, 2009 T20 World Cup winner Shoaib Malik from Pakistan and England’s Liam Plunkett. To celebrate World Cup cricket coming to the USA for the first time, they were also joined in the stands by Team USA and New York sports stars John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA). To commemorate the milestone, all the special guests signed a giant cricket bat, which will remain at the venue for the eight matches being hosted at the event from 3-12 June.

Limited general admission tickets remain available for the opening match in New York, and tickets inclusive of food and beverage are also available for all games in Nassau County, including India against Pakistan. Fans should not miss out on a chance to be a part of history with the first ICC World Cup matches being played in New York. Visit tickets.t20worldcup.com for details or email hospitality@t20worldcup.com.

Today’s event is the latest milestone for the Nassau County venue where construction began in January and is set to host eight World Cup matches in June. The world class 34,000-seater temporary stadium is the first-of-its-kind for international cricket and believed to be the largest ever constructed in the United States.

In addition to the east and west general admission stands which rise to more than 20 metres, and include views of the Manhattan skyline, extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends of the venue have been constructed and were featured in the unveiling. The latest addition are the Cabana seats in the north pavilion along with the Corner Club seats with a private party area displaying a truly American experience, including elevated food and beverage and some of the some of the best views of the grounds.

The venue also features a world-class playing surface, the outfield surrounds four drop-in pitches cultivated with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, nurtured in Florida by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and US-based sports turf experts LandTek Group. The pitches recently made the 1000-mile journey to New York, were installed by crane into the venue, and are being prepared ahead of the event.

Two other venues will host matches in the United States, with the opening fixture of the T20 World Cup to be played between USA and Canada on 1 June at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. Broward County International Stadium will host its first encounter between Sri Lanka and Nepal on 11 June.

The USA are co-hosts for the event with West Indies, with 39 matches to also be played across six Caribbean venues. The Final will be held on 29 June in Barbados.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt said: “Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, I’m very excited to be part of the T20 World Cup coming to the USA for the first time, co-hosting with the West Indies. Getting one of the sport’s biggest events into the USA is a big milestone and can provide a launching pad leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028.

“The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. It’s very enclosed and you feel very close to the action. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month.”

T20 USA, Inc. CEO Brett Jones said: “Today was a fantastic celebration, showcasing a truly out of this world stadium. Having Usain and a host of New York sports stars and Olympic legends to experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA.

“Having Curtley Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson and Monank Patel here and seeing their response to the stadium and the playing surface was also pretty special. It gives us a real sense of what the fans can expect next month.” (ICC)

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Sri Lanka’s top-order batsman Pathum Nissanka has broken into the top 10 of the latest ODI Rankings. 

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Pathum Nissanka entered the top 10 at eighth following a three-place rise.

The jump in position in the latest ODI rankings for batters follows Sri Lanka’s series against Bangladesh.

Pathum Nissanka totalled 151 runs from the series that Bangladesh claimed 2-1.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s middle order batsman Charith Asalanka has improved two spots to 14th in the latest ODI Rankings.

Asalanka has jumped two spots in the rankings following his 146 runs from three innings.

In the ICC’s latest T20I rankings, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are among the top five.

All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga is placed second in the T20I rankings with 687 ranking points.

Spinner Maheesh Theekshana has secured the fifth spot with 659 ranking points. (NewsWire)

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In its ongoing efforts to speed up the pace of play in international cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced a stop clock, on a trial basis, in Full Member Men’s ODI and T20I matches (approximately 59 fixtures) between December 2023 and April 2024.

The trial will start with the first T20I match between the West Indies and England on 12 December in Barbados.

The stop clock will restrict the amount of time taken between overs, meaning that the bowling team will need to be ready to bowl the first ball of their next over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed. Failure to do so for the third time in an innings (following two warnings) will result in a five-run penalty being imposed against the fielding team.

Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket said: “We are continually looking at ways to speed up the pace of play across international cricket.

“The stop clock trial in white ball international cricket follows the introduction of a successful new playing condition in 2022, which resulted in the fielding team only being allowed four fielders outside of the inner circle if they were not in a position to bowl the first ball of their final over in the stipulated time.

“The outcomes of the stop clock trial will be assessed at the end of the trial period.” (ICC)   

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The Sri Lanka women’s team has failed to secure direct qualification for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), although Sri Lanka won two games in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, they failed to secure a direct qualification for next year’s tournament.

Even though Sri Lanka was on par with New Zealand, they were unable to qualify due to a poor net run rate.  

The ICC said in a statement that the automatic qualifiers for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 have been identified after the end of the eighth edition of the tournament that saw Australia win their sixth title at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday (26).

As per the qualification process, the top three teams from each group earn direct qualification along with the hosts and the highest-ranked team outside of the six direct qualifiers from the 10-team tournament.

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are the teams to earn direct qualification as the top three teams of Group 1 in the league stage while England, India and the West Indies similarly make it from Group 2.

Bangladesh qualify as hosts of the ninth edition of the tournament while Pakistan makes it by virtue of being the next highest-ranked team in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings as of 27 February 2023.

The remaining two spots will be identified through a Global Qualifier to be held in early 2024. The dates and venues of this tournament will be announced in due course.

From the teams who played in this year’s tournament, Sri Lanka and Ireland are the teams failing to get a direct qualification. Sri Lanka is currently ranked eighth in the rankings while Ireland is 10th. (ICC)

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