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After a gap of five-and-a-half years, there's a T20 World Cup again. In the age of fast-food cricket, if IPL offered a serving of T20 bites, a frivolous snack if you will, the World Cup is the main course.

In this issue

13-11-202129 STORIES

Venkatesh Iyer recorded four fifties this season.

New stars to emerge from IPL 2021

Be it Jasprit Bumrah, Shaun Marsh or T. Natarajan, the IPL has served as the ultimate platform to promote hidden talent. Here is a look at six rising

Drinking in: Race winner Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey at Intercity Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey.

Flawless Bottas turns it around in Turkey

A year after his disastrous outing at Istanbul Park, Valtteri Bottas, now dropped by the Mercedes team for next year, produced one of the best perform

A star is born: A young Sachin Tendulkar in action during his debut series, against Pakistan in December 1989.

Of India-Pakistan cricket

Any tour of Pakistan will be remembered by Indians for the generosity of the ordinary people, and their obsession with the game.

Suresh Menon

A 3D illustration of microbiome. When the gut is good, injured athletes heal faster.

Food For Thought

Microbiome — the gut feeling in an athlete

The gut microbiome is of crucial interest for players as research shows that when added, certain foods can release molecules that harm or heal the bod

Ryan Fernando

Jos Buttler will have to play a key role if England wishes to add yet another trophy to its cabinet.

T20 World Cup: England team preview - Form, a concern

The wounds of the 2016 final — where it lost a thriller against the West Indies — are still fresh. Placed in the same group with the West Indies, Engl

Immensely talented: South Africa has the No. 1 ranked bowler in the format — the 31-year-old wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. He has been one of the leading wicket-takers for the Proteas and having featured in the IPL recently, he has a fair idea about the conditions.

T20 World Cup: South Africa team preview - Down but not out

Even though the U-19 team won a World Cup in 2014, an ICC title has eluded the senior side. While it reached the semifinals on several occasions, clea

Banking on experience: The West Indies selectors sprung a surprise by naming Ravi Rampaul in the squad. Even though he has been a regular in the CPL, Rampaul hasn’t played international cricket since 2015 and it would be interesting to see how the 36-year-old handles the pressure on his return to the international circuit.

T20 World Cup: West Indies team preview - Caribbean Calypso or a collapse?

The team has a perfect blend of experience and youth, and ahead of the tournament, the top guns have had a fair idea of the conditions in the United A

Defending champion: A side that features Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Dwayne Bravo has to be taken seriously, and with most of its players having competed in the Indian Premier League, in the United Arab Emirates, it will be a huge boost for the West Indies to get used to the conditions.

T20 World Cup: Intense competition in the offing in Group 1

While all eyes will be on the men from the Caribbean, Group 1 will witness intense battles, with England, Australia and South Africa in the fray.

Deadly combination: Fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc form a perfect pace trio. On any given day, the three can rip the opponent apart.

T20 World Cup: Australia team preview - Chasing a missing piece in its trophy cabinet

Ever since the inception of the tournament in 2007, Australia has reached the final only once, in 2010, but was beaten by England.

The T20 World Cup is being played in two rounds. The first round features eight teams, divided into two groups. Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Namibia are placed in Group A while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman.

T20 World Cup: Slam-bang cricket in desert heat

After a gap of five-and-a-half years, there’s a T20 World Cup again. In the age of fast-food cricket, if IPL offered a serving of T20 bites, a frivolo

Ayan Acharya

Star attraction: The bowling is largely dependent on leg-spinner Rashid Khan. The World No. 3 spinner has been unplayable in the T20 format. He is the face of Afghanistan cricket.

T20 World Cup: Afghanistan team preview - Never short of confidence

Despite no game time as a unit in these months, Afghanistan will bank on its T20 experts to lead the contingent.

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

With an array of unconventional shots that can fetch bonus runs in any situation, Rishabh Pant is a clear match-winner in the T20 format.

T20 World Cup: India team preview - A side in transition

The pace attack, comprising Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, is one of the best in the tournament. The duo can be lethal in the death overs, and the

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Big hitter: Glenn Phillips, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has emerged as the best six-hitter of 2021 with 89 under his belt, which includes the ones he smashed in The Hundred for Welsh Fire. He credited his gym workout for the aerial strikes.

T20 World Cup: New Zealand team preview - Setting short-term goals

Placed in a competitive group alongside India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kiwis will thrive on the leadership skills of Kane Williamson.

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez has been in stellar form since the start of 2020.

T20 World Cup: Pakistan team preview - Babar Azam's team familiar with the conditions

Babar is a T20 darling. The World No. 2 batter is ahead of Virat Kohli, who is ranked fourth in the list. He scored runs in Australia, England, South

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

New Zealand will be keen on crossing the line this time around in the United Arab Emirates, especially after failing to win the ODI World Cup by a whisker.

T20 World Cup: India vs Pakistan game hots up Group B

Despite the presence of the mighty arch-rivals, Indians and Pakistan, it would be difficult to look beyond the Kiwis as the favourites from the group.

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Spinning a web: India plays four of its five matches in Dubai, the largest of the three venues and the big boundaries should act as insurance to field a strong spin-led attack, featuring Ashwin.

Return of the Ash

During the time away from international cricket in the shorter formats, Ravichandran Ashwin did not stay still and developed newer variations. And his

Third 600-plus runs season in the last four IPL editions — the other seeing a tally of 593 runs — speaks volumes of K.L. Rahul’s prowess and form leading into the T20 World Cup.

IPL stars, over to the T20 World Cup

The form and performance of the players in the eight-team league dare us to draw a list of players from top international teams whose form in the IPL’

West Indies batsmen Marlon Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite celebrate their team's victory over England in the ICC World Cup Twenty20 cricket championship final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

T20 World Cup 2016: Second crown for Windies

With 19 required in the last over in the final, Carlos Brathwaite stole the thunder with four sixes in four balls off an inconsolable Ben Stokes as th

Hero’s welcome: Sri Lanka's captain Lasith Malinga acknowledge fans as they travel on an open top bus outside the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake after winning their maiden World Twenty20 title.

T20 World Cup 2014: The Islanders come to the party

A consistent performer at the World T20, Sri Lanka finally got its due in the shortest format of the game in the 2014 edition in Bangladesh after fall

Happy hunting: In the last T20I series that Virat Kohli was part of — against England — he scored three half-centuries, including an 80 while opening the innings.

ICC Mens T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup 2021: Let Captain Kohli lead from the front

The debate is should Virat Kohli open for Team India? K. L. Rahul and Rohit Sharma have settled into the role of openers, but Kohli should take charge

Vijay Lokapally

Unbridled joy: England’s Kevin Pietersen celebrates with his Player of the Tournament award in the dressing room after his team’s victory against Australia in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

T20 World Cup 2010: England wins its first major ICC trophy

Marshalled by a 33-year-old Paul Collingwood, England won by seven wickets in the final against Australia.

Caribbean night: West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle dances with his teammates to celebrate their win over Sri Lanka in the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

T20 World Cup 2012: Franchise cricket superstars win it for Windies

Once written off as franchise cricket superstars, the West Indies players united to help the team clinch its first major title since Clive Lloyd’s 197

Sounding board: With M. S. Dhoni as the mentor, the expectations from Virat Kohli-led Team India at the World T20 have gone even higher.

On The Write Line

Sunil Gavaskar: 'MSD’s trust in his instincts sets him apart'

M. S. Dhoni just makes the players want to try something extra for him which very few captains in the history of the game have been able to get out of

Sunil Gavaskar

CSK skipper MS Dhoni after leading his side to a fourth IPL title.

Captain forever: Dhoni's envious T20 record

Dhoni has captained 86% of the T20 matches he has played since his debut in this format in the Johannesburg T20 international on December 1, 2006.

Champion stuff: Chennai Super Kings players pose with the IPL trophy after winning the final at the Dubai International Stadium, UAE.

IPL 2021: Leadership, key to CSK’s success

The franchise from Chennai and M. S. Dhoni know the magic formula of getting the best out of their men.

Pakistan player run to the pitch to celebrate with batsmen Shahid Afridi (2nd R) after winning the final of the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, in London.

T20 World Cup 2009: Pakistan stamps its authority in the shortest format

In the final against Sri Lanka, Pakistan sailed home by eight wickets with eight balls to spare in a run-chase sketched to perfection.

World at their feet: Indian players celebrate after winning the World Twenty20 title at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

T20 World Cup 2007: India’s moment of reckoning

With the equation down to six runs off four balls, Misbah-ul-Haq played the infamous scoop straight to S. Sreesanth at short fine-leg, handing India a

Star in the making: Ruturaj Gaikwad of Chennai Super Kings after the final.

Ruturaj Gaikwad - Unassuming youngster, making waves

Chennai Super Kings' Ruturaj Gaikwad is the first to achieve the double of being the Orange Cap holder and the Emerging Player in the same IPL edition

Glenn Maxwell of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a switch shot during the IPL against Delhi Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. His strike-rate of 144.10 is the best among the top six run-getters. All six of his half-centuries resulted in wins for his team.

IPL 2021: The highs and lows

As always, numerous Indian and foreign players made a name for themselves for their contributions with bat and ball. CSK stood out in the end, but all

Abhishek Mukherjee

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