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‘Switch off your phones and sleep’, Indian skipper tells team before Pakistan clash

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‘Switch off your phones and sleep’, Indian skipper tells team before Pakistan clash


India’s Suryakumar Yadav during the warm up before the match against United Arab Emirates at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 10, 2025. — Reuters 

India’s players need to block out the noise as they prepare to again face rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup amid controversy over their previous clash, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Saturday.

The eight-team tournament has been dominated by headlines about Pakistan and India’s first meetings on the pitch since the military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May this year.

India prevailed in the politically-charged Group A match last week but their players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan opponents after the match.

Suryakumar dedicated India’s seven-wicket victory to their armed forces, while several of his teammates took to social media to express similar thoughts.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) called for match referee Andy Pycroft’s immediate removal for a code of conduct violation and considered withdrawing from the tournament before going ahead with UAE match after referee tendered apologies.

Naqvi, flanked by former chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi, told reporters at Gaddafi Stadium that Zimbabwe-based match referee Andy Pycroft had formally apologised to national captain Salman Ali Agha, the coach and the team manager, acknowledging the concerns raised by the side.

With the controversy likely to rumble on in the build-up to Sunday’s clash, Suryakumar offered some blunt advice for teammates struggling to cope with external pressure.

“Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep. I think that’s the best. It’s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult,” he told reporters. “It’s on you, what you want to listen to, what you want to have in your mind.

“I have been very clear with all the boys. I think it’s very important if you want to do well in this tournament and going forward. We will have to shut a lot of noise from outside and take what is good for you.”

Despite India’s triumph in their previous encounter, Suryakumar insisted past results would count for nothing when the rivals meet again in the Super Four match.

“I feel our preparation has been really good leading into the tournament. We have also had three good games, so we are actually focusing on what we can do best,” he added.

“We want to follow all the good habits that we have been doing from the last two or three games. We take it one game at a time. It doesn’t give us an edge that we have played them once, and we had a good game. We have to start from scratch.”

When asked about the historic rivalry — which was much more intense in 2000s, he said, “At that time, I don’t know. I have never played. So I can’t say,” he laughed.

“If we talk about rivalry, I don’t know what kind of rivalry you are talking about. After going on the ground, I feel that the stadium is full. And when the stadium is full, I tell my team and everyone that it is time for entertainment. So many people have come to watch the match, so you have to entertain everyone. Let’s play some good brand of cricket. And according to me, we don’t think much,” he added.

Another question asked Suryakumar about the ‘other things’ India did against Pakistan, without explicitly mentioning the handshakes, and he simply said: ‘By other things, you mean we bowled well, isn’t it?’





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Super Eights lineups confirmed for T20 World Cup 2026

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Super Eights lineups confirmed for T20 World Cup 2026


ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy on display during the official tour. — ICC

Pakistan became the final team to qualify for the Super Eight of the Twenty20 World Cup after Sahibzada Farhan’s maiden international century powered them to a thumping 102-run victory over Namibia in Colombo on Wednesday.

Farhan remained unbeaten on exactly 100 off 58 balls, reaching his landmark in the final over as Pakistan posted 199 in their must-win Group A encounter at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

Pakistan finished second in Group A standings with six points in four matches, and their qualification to the next stage marked the end of the United States of America’s (USA) T20 World Cup 2026 campaign as they slipped to third with four points.

The eight qualified teams are divided into two groups of four, with Group X featuring defending champions India, Australia, West Indies and South Africa, while England, New Zealand, Pakistan and co-hosts Sri Lanka are slotted in Group Y.

Each team will play a total of three matches in the upcoming stage, with the top two sides from each group following its conclusion will advance into the semi-finals, scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively.

The T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights will get underway on February 21, with Pakistan taking on New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium, and will conclude on March 1 with a double header between South Africa and Zimbabwe, followed by India versus West Indies.

Pakistan’s remaining two Super Eights matches are scheduled against England and Sri Lanka on February 24 and 28, respectively.

T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights schedule

  • February 21: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Colombo
  • February 22: Sri Lanka vs England – Kandy
  • February 22: India vs South Africa – Ahmedabad
  • February 23: West Indies vs Zimbabwe – Mumbai
  • February 24: England vs Pakistan – Kandy
  • February 25: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – Colombo
  • February 26: South Africa vs West Indies – Ahmedabad
  • February 26: India vs Zimbabwe – Chennai
  • February 27: England vs New Zealand – Colombo
  • February 28: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan – Colombo
  • March 1: South Africa vs Zimbabwe – Ahmedabad
  • March 1: India vs West Indies – Kolkata





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Indian university under fire for showcasing Chinese robot as its own

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Indian university under fire for showcasing Chinese robot as its own


Indian university under fire for showcasing Chinese robot as its own 

An Indian university is facing severe backlash after a professor presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as the university’s own creation at an AI summit in Delhi.

The controversy started when Neha Singh, a professor at Galgotias University, told state broadcaster DD News that a robot named “Orion” had been developed at the university’s Centre of Excellence.

Her interview gained attention when netizens identified the robot as the Go2 model developed by Unitree Robotics.

The robot used widely in research and education is commercially available for roughly $2,200. Social media users accused the university of passing off an imported product as indigenous innovation, sparking a wave of backlash during the high-profile gathering.

However, following the backlash, Galgotias University denied the claims of ownership of the robot’s hardware, saying the emphasis was on training students in artificial intelligence programming using globally available tools.

Later, the professor also clarified that her comments had been misunderstood, and she may not have communicated transparently.

The incident gained further attention after India’s IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, shared the video on his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account before deleting the post.

After the widespread backlash, the university was asked to vacate the exhibition stall, though faculty members said they had received no formal eviction notice.





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Brooklyn Beckham remains absent as Cruz celebrates milestone

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Brooklyn Beckham remains absent as Cruz celebrates milestone



Family tensions continue for the Beckhams as Brooklyn Beckham was notably absent from Cruz’s 21st birthday celebration, despite being offered an olive branch just last week.



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