No team has redefined the way T20 cricket is played in recent times more than Team India, and their fearless approach has been spearheaded from the top by swashbuckling openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. After the twin retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the shortest format, Samson and Abhishek have formed India’s first-choice T20I opening pair most of the time. The duo played a crucial role in helping India win the T20 World Cup 2026, and Samson revealed the secret to success behind their partnership.

“We are not fire and ice, we are fire and fire. Sometimes he fires, sometimes I do. We have that kind of combination going. We have done this since 2024; we have a Kerala-Punjabi friendship in the middle,” Samson said, speaking at the India Today Conclave.

Samson revealed that he and Abhishek do not complicate matters when out in the middle, keeping their communication simple.

“Everything comes pretty naturally to us, so we do not complicate it. He asks me, ‘How is the ball coming?’ I tell him that the ball is coming normally, hit it for a six. It is really simple with him.

“Abhishek is very brave and collected. I love his character. I really love the partnership with him on and off the field,” Samson said.

Both Samson and Abhishek overcame their own difficulties en route to winning the T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson found himself out of the playing XI heading into the tournament after a poor run of form. However, the 31-year-old re-entered the team in the Super 8 stage and went on to slam incredible scores of 97*, 89 and 89 in India’s final three matches. He ended up winning the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.

Abhishek – the world’s No. 1-ranked T20I batter – kicked off the tournament with three consecutive ducks. The left-hander, however, was backed by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir throughout, and ultimately repaid the trust by hammering a 21-ball 52 in the final against New Zealand.

Bangladesh vs Pakistan (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

The Pakistan national cricket team have reportedly filed a complaint with match referee Neeyamur Rashid following a controversial Decision Review System (DRS) incident during the final over of the third ODI against the Bangladesh national cricket team. The dramatic moment occurred during the closing stages of the match, which Bangladesh eventually won by 11 runs to clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1.

Controversy over late Bangladesh review

Pakistan’s complaint revolves around a decision made by on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena, who allowed Bangladesh to take a review on the penultimate delivery of the match.According to reports by Cricbuzz, the Pakistan team management believes Bangladesh opted for the review after watching a replay on the stadium’s big screen, which they feel goes against the standard DRS protocol.“The Pakistan team management believe Bangladesh took the review after a replay of the delivery flashed up on the big screen and raised the issue with the match referee after the game,” a source said.Pakistan also felt the review was taken outside the 15-second window permitted for teams to signal a DRS challenge.

Coach Mike Hesson meets match referee

Following the match, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson met with match referee Neeyamur Rashid to formally register the team’s concerns regarding the incident. While the exact outcome Pakistan are seeking from the complaint remains unclear, sources suggest the referee spoke with Hesson and attempted to clarify the situation, indicating that the Bangladesh team did not gain any unfair advantage.What happened in the final over The incident unfolded when Pakistan were chasing 291 runs and required 12 runs from the final two balls with captain Shaheen Shah Afridi at the crease. Bangladesh spinner Rishad Hossain bowled a delivery down the leg side, which Dharmasena initially called a wide. Bangladesh then appealed for LBW, prompting the decision to be reviewed. Although teams cannot directly review a wide call, the LBW review allowed the third umpire to re-examine the delivery.Replays showed a spike on UltraEdge, indicating contact between bat and ball. As a result, the original wide call was overturned. Although Bangladesh ultimately lost the review, the overturned wide significantly reduced Pakistan’s chances of completing the chase.

Bangladesh seal historic series win

On the final delivery, Shaheen Afridi was stumped, confirming Bangladesh’s 11-run victory and sealing a 2–1 ODI series win. The triumph marked Bangladesh’s first ODI series victory over Pakistan in 11 years.

Ready to fill out your bracket for March Madness?

The Men’s College basketball tournament has been set kicking off a week of office brackets and excitement for the annual event. Duke received the top overall seed for March Madness on Sunday, followed by Arizona, Michigan and Florida, each of whom would love a repeat of last season when all four No. 1s made it all the way to the Final Four.

The top line was the most predictable thing to come out of Selection Sunday, with Michigan’s drop of one spot to the overall No. 3 the result of the Wolverines’ loss to Purdue moments before the brackets were revealed, according to tournament selection chair Keith Gill.

In the day’s biggest nail-biter, Miami (Ohio) made the field as a No. 11 seed, but just barely. The RedHawks, with a 31-1 record but the 339th-ranked strength of schedule, were one of the last teams in the field and they face a First Four game Wednesday against SMU in Dayton, Ohio, not terribly far from home.

The tournament starts Tuesday with other play-in games, including one pitting bubble teams and No. 11 seeds Texas and North Carolina State. The national champion will be crowned at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 6.

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Among those left out were San Diego State, Indiana, Oklahoma and Auburn.

The Tigers had 16 losses but the third-best strength of schedule. The snub drew predictable blowback from Bruce Pearl, their former coach and father of their current coach, who was working for CBS and said “they played the toughest schedule in the country and I don’t know if they were rewarded for it.”

Even with those snubs, the Southeastern Conference led the way by placing 10 teams in the field of 68, four short of its record from last year.

The Big Ten followed with nine, the ACC and Big 12 with eight apiece — an unsurprising result in an era of massive conference expansion and NIL compensation drawing top players to the biggest spenders.

The Gators (26-7) are the defending champion, trying to repeat their back-to-back titles from 2006-07. Last season, Florida was part of an all-No. 1 Final Four — the first time that had happened in 17 seasons.

Chairman says Miami (Ohio) was not the last team in

Gill confusingly said Miami (Ohio) was not the last at-large team in the bracket, even though it was ranked in the 1-68 lineup behind bubble teams North Carolina State, Texas and SMU. Those three teams also rated above Miami in some of the key metrics.

The 31 wins must have meant something.

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Injuries, player availability play a role in seeding

Gill said the committee looked hard at how injuries would impact teams.

No team suffered more, both on the bracket and the court, than North Carolina, which is a No. 6 seed after losing Caleb Wilson to a broken right thumb. JT Toppin’s season-ending knee injury was also a factor in Texas Tech’s No. 5 seeding.

Committee looked at seeding principles in some instances, not in others

Asked how the NCAA’s seeding principles played a role in moving teams around in the bracket, Gill pointed to the First Four meeting between NC State and Texas the committee would have liked to avoid because it is a rematch of a game they played in the Maui Invitational in November.

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He said nothing about placing No. 2 seed Houston in the South, where it could play the regional final in its hometown — normally something the NCAA shies away from. The game could be against Florida in what would be a rematch of last year’s national championship game.

Some conference finals matter more than others. Ask St. John’s

The committee weighed the Big Ten final in moving Michigan down one notch and moving Purdue from a 3 to a 2 seed, but didn’t seem to pay as much attention to the action in the Big East.

St. John’s beat UConn by 20 in that conference final but remained where most bracketologists had them, at No. 5, and with a cross-country trip this week to San Diego to play Northern Iowa. UConn stayed at No. 2 where it had been predicted all along.

Team USA is headed back to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, as they toppled the Dominican Republic, 2-1, in a thriller in Miami on Sunday night. 

The U.S., who fell to Japan in the WBC final in 2023, will look for redemption against either Venezuela or Italy, who play their semifinal matchup on Monday night.

The hype and hysteria coming into this contest between two world baseball powerhouses lived up to it all despite what the box score said. Both teams came in clutch during key moments, while matching the raucous energy of the crowd. 

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Roman Anthony of Team United States runs around the bases after hitting a solo home run against Team Dominican Republic during the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Of course, the Dominican Republic dugout and faithful went ballistic when Junior Caminero, the 22-year-old Tampa Bay Rays rising star, belted a hanging breaking ball from Skenes in the bottom of the second inning with two strikes. The ball was pelted to left field at over 400 feet, and their patented celebration ensued. 

The D.R. got the first strike off Skenes, who had been looking forward to this start against a lineup littered with some of the best baseball players in MLB. But two innings later, it was Team USA’s own young stars who turned the game around in their favor. 

Gunnar Henderson, who manager Mark DeRosa chose to play at third base, his secondary position as a shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, over Alex Bregman, one of the best defensive players at the hot corner in MLB, due to how well he hit Luis Severino. The veteran right-hander was amped for his start for the D.R., and his emotion showed it. 

JAPAN SUFFERS SHOCKING COLLAPSE TO VENEZUELA IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

However, DeRosa’s decision came down to how much success Henderson had against Severino. The decision paid off, as Henderson hit a moon shot over the right-center field fence to tie the game at one apiece. 

Severino was pulled after one more batter for Gregory Soto, who was facing Boston Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony, the 21-year-old who has had a great first appearance in the WBC. After running the count full, Anthony took advantage of a fastball right down the middle, launching it over the center field wall to take a 2-1 lead. 

Paul Skenes of Team United States reacts after giving up a home run to Junior Caminero #13 (not pictured) of Team Dominican Republic during the second inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The entire American dugout was on the field, as Anthony motioned across his chest, showing off his pride as he celebrated with teammates. 

It was just what Team USA needed in the top of the fourth inning, especially after having runners at second and third with one out in the previous frame and not being able to get runs across. Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber both struck out to end the inning, which fired up Severino who screamed toward Team USA’s dugout. 

But Judge clearly let that go from his head, as he had a crucial defensive play in the bottom of the third inning when he gunned down Fernando Tatis Jr. trying to go from first base to third. Tatis, who is a fast runner, was out by a mile, with Judge proving his elbow, which caused issues in 2025, is more than fine heading into the 2026 season. 

The Dominicans ultimately chased Skenes from the game after 4.1 innings, as his final line read six hits, one earned run on the Caminero homer and two strikeouts. Severino lasted 3.1 innings, giving up five hits while striking out six Team USA hitters in an impressive outing that saw triple-digit fastballs on the radar gun. 

Luis Severino of Team Dominican Republic reacts after striking out Kyle Schwarber #12 (not pictured) of Team United States to end the third inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The U.S. knew a 2-1 lead was not enough, but as the Dominican bullpen continued to stifle their bats, and Julio Rodriguez appeared to rob a home run from Judge, they needed their own relievers to come through. After Tyler Rogers and Griffin Jax did their jobs, David Bednar found himself in some trouble with runners on second and third with one out – the same situation Judge and Schwarber found themselves in – in the bottom of the seventh. 

But Bednar, who escaped a similar situation against Canada in the quarterfinals, struck out Tatis and Ketel Marte to get out of the jam and keep the score the same. 

Garrett Whitlock was solid in the eighth inning to keep the one-run lead alive, which led for the easiest decision for DeRosa on the night: Mason Miller to pitch the ninth. 

The San Diego Padres All-Star closer got a strikeout to start the inning, but things got interesting when he walked Rodriguez and Will Smith couldn’t handle a pitch from Miller that allowed a free pass to second base. 

Gunnar Henderson of Team USA rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)

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Oneil Cruz moved Rodriguez to third on a groundnut to Bobby Witt Jr., leaving Geraldo Perdomo as the D.R.’s last hope. He had a clutch at-bat earlier in the game, one that could’ve tied it up if Wells read the line drive to center field better from second base. 

But Miller got Perdomo looking on a 3-2 slider at the bottom of the zone to secure Team USA’s spot in the WBC final.

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Bayern Munich came from behind and finished the match with nine players in a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, allowing Borussia Dortmund to close to within nine points of the Bundesliga leader.

Luis Diaz, who scored the equalizer following Aleix Garcia’s opener, was sent off in the 84th minute for a second yellow card. Nicolas Jackson had received a red card in the 42nd minute.

Leverkusen took the lead in the sixth minute after Montrell Culbreath stole the ball off Diaz and fed it to Patrik Schick, who set up Garcia on the edge of the box. The midfielder slotted home with a deflected shot.

The hosts defended well to contain Bayern’s attempts to come back, and frustration showed when Jackson was sent off before halftime for a late challenge on Martin Terrier. 

Bayern played with third-choice goalkeeper Sven Ulreich because Manuel Neuer has a calf issue and backup Jonas Urbig was concussed in the 6-1 win over Atalanta midweek in the Champions League. Ulreich denied an effort from Schick in a one-on-one situation at the hour mark just before Harry Kane came on.

Back from a calf injury, Kane played for the first time since Feb. 28 after scoring eight goals in his past four Bundesliga games. He fired the ball into an empty net in the 62nd minute but it was disallowed for blocking the goalkeeper’s clearance with a hand in the buildup.

Diaz leveled in the 69th with a low shot from Michael Olise’s precise setup. The Colombia winger later received a second yellow card for diving and Bayern was down to nine men with six minutes left to play. The hosts could not snatch the win despite pushing hard until the end as Jonas Hofmann had a goal ruled out deep in stoppage time.

Bayern hasn’t won at Leverkusen in the league since October 2021.

Dortmund beats Augsburg 
Dortmund was in total control throughout the first half and Augsburg was lucky to trail by just one goal at halftime. Karim Adeyemi broke the deadlock in the 13th and had several other chances, hitting the woodwork twice. Luca Reggiani made it 2-0 in the 59th.

Hoffenheim, aiming to qualify for Champions League for first time since the 2018-19 season, stayed third – 17 points behind Bayern – after a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Wolfsburg. Eintracht Frankfurt beat Heidenheim 1-0 with a goal from Arnaud Kalimuendo.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee got a lot right in how it picked, seeded and bracketed the 2026 Big Dance. It’s a grueling process layered in complexity, and there is no such thing as a “perfect” bracket.

It’s through that lens of grace that we now bust out the microscope to dig on grading its work. With the First Four games set to begin Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, the page will soon flip from processing the bracket to forgetting the debates which surround its complexion.

So let’s dive in on what the group got right and what it got wrong. What did the NCAA selection committee get right? A lot.

But the discussion on what it got wrong must begin with Vanderbilt, which landed as a No. 5 seed in the bracket, despite every metric the committee uses suggesting the Commodores deserved better. It was a huge miss that mirrors its laughable miss on Louisville last year.

The Cardinals’ results-based metrics suggested they deserved a No. 4 seed in 2025, and their predictive metrics suggested they deserved no worse than a No. 6. Inexplicably, they landed as a No. 8 seed.

The Commodores are this year’s version of the Cardinals.

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Miss: Vanderbilt gets the shaft

Even after losing to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament title game on Sunday, the Commodores’ results-based metrics put them squarely on the line between a No. 2 seed and No. 3 seed. They will be No. 9 in the final Wins Above Bubble (WAB) ranking and are No. 9 in the Kevin Pauga Index (KPI). Those are the two most significant results-based metrics used by the committee.

From a predictive metrics standpoint, the Commodores are entering the NCAA Tournament No. 12 at KenPom and No. 10 at Torvik, which suggests the absolute worst-case scenario should have been Vanderbilt landing as the best No. 4 seed. There is no metrics-based defense for placing the Commodores as a No. 5 seed.

The committee looks even wilder for its Vanderbilt decision because of where the Commodores slotted in the March Madness Bracket Preview on Feb. 21. Back then, the committee believed the Commodores were a No. 4 seed.

All Vanderbilt did from there was add four more wins over NCAA Tournament teams, including a whopping three “Quad 1A” victories in the nine days leading up to Selection Sunday.

The selection committee wants us to believe that what happens during conference tournament week counts. They are holding up Purdue’s spot as a No. 2 seed following its Big Ten Tournament title as an example of that.

But it looks like they threw in the towel on trying to process the gravity of what Vanderbilt accomplished in a 91-74 SEC Tournament semifinal beatdown of Florida on Saturday. The Gators, who are a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, entered with the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 12 games, and the Commodores beat the reigning national champions 91-74. It brought a surge in the metrics that the committee claims to look at.

Vanderbilt may have been better off staying at home and preparing for the Big Dance than expending the energy required to play Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas over a three-day span, because it seems like the committee had already locked the Commodores in before they ever showed up to Bridgestone Arena.

Kansas was a No. 3 seed in the Feb. 21 bracket preview and went 3-4 from there with a stretch that included losses to non-tournament teams Cincinnati and Arizona State by a combined 26 points. On Selection Sunday, Vanderbilt ranked ahead of Kansas in literally every metric the committee “uses” and significantly ahead of KU in many of them. Yet Kansas ended up with a No. 4 seed.

Michigan State was also a No. 4 seed in the bracket preview and went 4-2 from there with one additional Quad 1A win. Yet, the Spartans rose a seed line to a No. 3 in the real bracket while the Commodores — with three such gold-plated victories — fell a spot. That’s inexplicable and indefensible.

Nebraska took losses against UCLA and Purdue by a combined 36 points after landing as a No. 3 seed in the bracket preview, and its best victory following the preview was at home in overtime against an Iowa team that landed as a No. 9 seed.

Vanderbilt slayed dragons after the preview while Nebraska held on for dear life. Yet, the Commodores landed behind the Cornhuskers. As for that comparison, Vandy could get a chance to settle in on the court against the Cornhuskers in the second round.

There weren’t a ton of egregious misses from the committee. But this was a big one.

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Hit: The Miami (Ohio) decision

The fact that the selection committee had the courage to send Miami (Ohio) to a First Four game was commendable. During last month’s mock selection in Indianapolis, NCAA officials and committee leaders emphasized that selection and seeding are two different processes. Selection is more about results-based metrics, and seeding is where predictive metrics factor in. 

Against that backdrop, Miami made it into the field of 68 with room to spare because of a top-40 resume. But it was sent to a First Four game because of predictive metrics that average out around 90th. This decision was based in sound logic and aligned with our CBS Sports Bracketology interpretation of how one of the most vexing at-large candidates in NCAA Tournament history should be handled.

Hit: Leaving Auburn out

There would have been at least some metrics-backed defense for putting Auburn in the field with a 17-16 record. But the committee applied common sense — and a proper read of SMU — by putting the Mustangs in over Auburn (and Oklahoma).

While Auburn arrived at Selection Sunday ranking one spot better in the all-important WAB metric than SMU, the Mustangs were more deserving of a spot in the field. Committee chair Keith Gill noted that the absence of SMU guard B.J. Edwards down the stretch impacted the Mustangs, who are expected to have Edwards back for the NCAA Tournament.

SMU went 1-5 without Edwards after starting 19-9 with him. Edwards rates as the Mustangs’ second-best player in evanmiya.com‘s player efficiency tool, and his expected return for the Big Dance will dramatically improve the defense of a team that struggled down the stretch.

Generally speaking, the committee handled the bubble well. 

Miss: Gonzaga as a No. 3 seed

One year after seeding Gonzaga as a No. 8 based on its results-based metrics and seemingly ignoring the Zags’ great predictive metrics, the committee overcorrected and leaned way too hard into predictive metrics with the Zags this year. With a No. 17 WAB ranking and No. 17 standing in KPI — two vital results-based metrics — Gonzaga was probably closer to a No. 5 seed than a No. 3 seed. But let’s split the difference and agree the Zags should have been a No. 4 seed.

Here’s something else the committee may not have weighed properly when rewarding Gonzaga with a better seeding than it deserved: its best victories — Alabama, Kentucky and UCLA — all came when star forward Braden Huff was still playing.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that Huff remains doubtful for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament as he continues recuperating from a significant knee injury. Even if Huff returns for a theoretical Sweet 16 game, what can Gonzaga realistically expect from him after more than two months away?

This Zags team is still good without Huff, but it doesn’t have the ceiling that its No. 3 seed would suggest. During Huff’s absence, the Zags took an inexplicable loss at Portland and also dropped a game against Saint Mary’s, which cost them an outright title.

Perhaps the committee could claim that it rewarded Gonzaga with a No. 3 seed for being a “double champion” of the WCC (although the Bulldogs shared the conference crown with Saint Mary’s). If that’s the logic, then St. John’s deserved better than a No. 5 seed after being an outright double champion of a better league.

In fact, the Red Storm arrived at Selection Sunday with a better standing than the Bulldogs in results-based metrics and five more victories across Quad 1 and Quad 2. These teams should not be separated by two seed lines.

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Hit: NC State sent to Dayton

I did not vociferously advocate for NC State to be slotted in a First Four game during our internal Bracketology “committee” meeting late Saturday night as we prepared to unveil our final projection. Why? Because I didn’t think the committee would peel back the layers on NC State’s flimsy body of work.

But give the committee a ton of credit for looking under the hood on the Wolfpack and sending them to Dayton, Ohio, as one of the “Last Four In.” 

The Wolfpack’s best road wins over Clemson and SMU depreciated in value over the season’s final month, and a 24-point beatdown of North Carolina came with an asterisk since UNC was missing stars Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar. A tally of 11 Quad 1/2 victories was great, but there were zero victories against teams ranked in the top 30 of the NET.

This team dropped seven of its final nine games. That stretch included losses to non-tournament teams Notre Dame and Stanford. All of that messiness showed up NC State’s No. 43 WAB ranking, which is a ranking that suggests NC State got exactly what it deserved.

Bruno Fernandes gave his thoughts on Man Utd’s comfortable win against Aston Villa at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes played down reaching 100 assists for the club against Aston Villa, saying he is more pleased that the record means he has helped his teammates to score.

Casemiro opened the scoring at the start of the second half against Villa but Ross Barkley got his side back into the match when he found the bottom left corner in the 64th minute.

The game was level for just six minutes, though. Matheus Cunha calmly slotted home at the Stretford End to restore the advantage, and Benjamin Sesko scored from the bench to wrap up the victory.

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Fernandes provided the delivery into the box from a corner for Casemiro’s headed goal, and he assisted Cunha with an outstanding pass. The Portugal international has 16 assists in the Premier League this season, meaning he is just four shy of the assist record (20) shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Speaking about his 100th assist for United, Fernandes said: “I am more pleased because I did it serving my teammates. That is even better, giving joy to the others is very good.

“I am very happy I can help them to score and be happy. It’s a huge achievement for me. Main achievement will be in the top spots at the end of the season.”

A delighted Fernandes reflected on the victory, adding: “It was very important against a direct opponent. We had the same points, so getting this advantage from them is always good. We needed to win the game after the last game. Today we did the job, I still think we can do much better.

“In the Premier League every game is difficult. Villa are very well organised and know what they have to do. The plan against us is always very good.

“They have individual players that can make such a difference. It was about following our plan, we did it very well. We knew they had a high line and had to make sure our runs were on point. It looks easy, but it is more difficult. If the timing is not perfect its very difficult. We did it today and we won the game.”

The win was a huge boost for United’s hopes of securing Champions League football, putting them six points clear of Chelsea in fifth.

Villa were ahead of United in the table for the first half of the season, but the Reds leapfrogged Unai Emery’s team after beating Crystal Palace at the beginning of the month.

United are just seven points adrift of Manchester City in second position.

A funny interaction between India all-rounder Shivam Dube and paparazzi outside a building is going viral on social media. In the surfaced video, the paparazzi surprised the player with their presence. “How have you guys come here?” asked Dube. The paparazzi revealed they had spotted him. They shot his video and also praised his performance. “Meri biwi aa rahi hai, uske saath bana lena (My wife is coming. You can make a video of her),” said the all-rounder, who was part of the T20 World Cup 2026-winning Indian team. The chat turned even funnier as Dube later requested the paparazzi to delete the video.

Watch it all here:

Shivam Dube was waiting for his wife outside a building and someone started recording his video.

Instead of getting angry, he was politely requesting the guy to delete the video.

Bro plays international cricket for India and is still so humble and innocent. pic.twitter.com/QML3S3Xy9d

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— (@varunx18) March 15, 2026

Dube played an instrumental role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph, especially in the final against New Zealand, where he smashed 26 runs off just eight balls. Throughout the tournament, he contributed with both bat and ball, playing an important part in the dominant campaign of the Suryakumar Yadav-led side. After the historic victory, Dube returned to Mumbai with his wife to celebrate the moment with his family.

On Instagram, Dube posted a series of pictures and a video showing him pass the winner’s medal to his father. Wearing the Indian jersey, Dube’s father looked visibly proud as he held the medal with honour.

“The real hero of my life,” he captioned the post.

Dube quietly travelled by train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, railway officials told PTI last Wednesday. A senior railway official said they learnt from media reports that, with all flights to Mumbai fully booked, Dube chose to travel by train so he could reach the city as early as possible to be with his two young children, despite the risk of being mobbed by cricket fans.

The star all-rounder boarded the Mumbai-bound Sayaji Nagari Express from Ahmedabad in the early hours of Monday, along with his wife Anjum and a friend, hours after he and his teammates lifted the World Cup, he said.

The official said that after noticing his name on the train reservation chart, a ticket checker wondered if he was the cricketer Dube. However, his wife deftly handled the situation, asking why the cricketer would travel by train.

To avoid being recognised by co-passengers, Dube reportedly wore a cap, mask, and a full-sleeved T-shirt as he boarded the train at 5.10 am and climbed onto his upper berth after entering an AC three-tier coach, the official said.

The train journey takes at least eight hours, and he was resting on the berth after the hectic tournament and celebrations, the official said, adding that Dube was more concerned about getting down at Mumbai’s Borivali station in daylight (after 1 pm), fearing fans might recognise him.

A Government Railway Police official said that before the train reached Borivali, Dube sought police assistance to ensure his exit was as discreet as it had been in Ahmedabad.

Policemen in plain clothes were sent to escort the cricketer to his vehicle outside the station to avoid drawing public attention, the official added.

(With PTI inputs)

Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, has consistently avoided discussing politics publicly. However, a recent visit to the White House sparked debate in his home country of Argentina, despite Messi himself remaining silent.

Last week, Messi attended a reception at the White House celebrating his U.S.-based team, Inter Miami, winning the 2025 MLS Cup. The event, meant to honor the club’s achievement, quickly became politically charged when former President Donald Trump used the occasion to discuss controversial topics, including regime changes in Cuba and Iran. 
While Messi smiled politely during the proceedings, many interpreted his presence as implicit support, igniting a heated conversation back in Argentina.

Reactions from Argentina and beyond

Messi has carefully maintained this stance for much of his career. Over two decades on the pitch, he has largely focused on football and philanthropy, deliberately steering clear of political controversies. Even during high-profile events like this White House visit, he refrains from commenting, leaving him vulnerable to interpretations by others.

Navigating politics as a sports icon

The controversy highlights the delicate position athletes often find themselves in when politics intersect with sports. Many U.S.-based teams and players have opted to skip White House visits entirely to avoid political scrutiny or the perception of endorsing a particular leader. Messi’s situation underscores how global stars can become unwitting symbols in debates they never intended to join.

Messi maintains focus on football

Despite the backlash, Messi continues to concentrate on his club and personal achievements. Representatives from Inter Miami did not comment on the White House incident, emphasizing that Messi’s priority remains his sport. For fans and analysts alike, the focus remains on Messi’s contributions on the field rather than off it.

In a world where sports and politics frequently collide, Messi’s experience serves as a reminder that even the most apolitical athletes can be drawn into controversies simply by appearing in high-profile events.