India’s Ishan Kishan (ANI Photo)

Ishan Kishan has emerged as India’s standout performer with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup, playing a pivotal role in the team’s smooth progression to the Super 8s. The left-hander has struck consecutive half-centuries, underlining a dramatic resurgence in his career. Just six months ago, he was out of the national reckoning and far from selection discussions. Since making his return, however, Kishan has made every opportunity count.His defining contribution came in the high-pressure clash against Pakistan. On a challenging surface where stroke-making was far from easy, Kishan delivered a commanding 77 off 40 balls, laced with 10 fours and three sixes. His innings proved decisive, allowing India to seize control at a crucial juncture of the tournament.

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar attributed the knock to Kishan’s fearless mindset and clearly defined role at the top of the order.“To bat like Ishan Kishan, the way he did against Pakistan, I believe there have to be a couple of factors that have to be your advantage. Number one, he is batting at the top of the order. He has the backing of the team to go out and play by taking a lot of risks, which, at the moment, are coming off,” Bangar said on Star Sports.Bangar emphasised that Kishan’s success is rooted in form and method rather than reckless strokeplay.“Number two, he is the man in form, and T20 cricket is basically for form players. So he is maximising whatever form that he has. There is a method in which he dominated. It isn’t that he was targeting each and every bowler,” Bangar observed.He further analysed the innings, noting how Kishan strategically attacked specific bowlers.“Even till the fourth over, he first attacked Shaheen Shah Afridi in the second over, then gave respect to the off-spinners, and when the leg-spinners came, he took them to the cleaners. So all in all, a very calculative innings. I must say that even though he was getting the majority of the strike, he was farming the strike pretty well and made those 77 possible out of the 88 runs that were there on the scoreboard,” he elaborated.

• Home advantage smaller than ever before, but still a factor
• Italian women playing a huge role in host’s success
• Familiarity with facilities the main reason for Italy’s strong display
• History shows negative spillover possible

From Francesca Lollobrigida setting an Olympic record in the women’s 3,000-meter speed skating for Italy’s first gold to alpine skier Federica Brignone winning her second gold medal in three days, this has been Italy’s Winter Olympics in more ways than one. Their haul of 24 medals* is their best ever at the Winter Olympics, with their previous best of 20 coming in Lillehammer over 30 years ago.

But how much of Italy’s success is because they are at home?

Both the US and Canada enjoyed very successful Games when they hosted in 2002 and 2010 respectively. South Korea and China won more medals as hosts than ever before, but historically speaking the concept of home advantage is more complicated.

Carl Singleton is a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Stirling, Scotland, and has written multiple papers analyzing the idea of home advantage at the Olympics. In 2021, he co-authored one looking at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games between 1896 and 2021 and his findings revealed that over the span of the Olympics, home advantage has gradually reduced.

This is logical given the diversity of sports and events has increased, as has competition and participation. There are over 90 countries competing in Italy this month, whereas there were just 16 at the first Winter Olympics back in 1924.

“If you just look at that long history of the Olympic Games, home advantage now is possibly as small as it’s ever been, even though it’s still obviously quite there and substantial,” Singleton told DW.

Women playing a major role

Italy collected 17 medals in total in Beijing, with two of those being gold. In 2026, on home snow and ice, the Games are not even finished and they have already won 24, including eight golds. The most striking part of their success is the major role played by women.

Singleton’s data shows that in the Winter Olympics, the home advantage between 1988 and 2016 was “around 50% larger in men’s events but non-existent in women’s events.”

Italy’s women have changed all that, both this year and last. They have already medaled, either as a single athlete or as part of a team, in 16 events this year (four more than at the last Games).

“Women’s sports have become much more competitive, more funding, more access,” Singleton said.

“So now you’re maybe seeing the home advantage amplified through the women’s sports matching the home advantage that you might have always or more commonly seen in men’s sports.”

Facility familiarity the major factor

Singleton’s research points to four major factors that influence home advantage – a supportive home crowd, no travel, familiarity with conditions/tracks and favorable refereeing/umpiring bias. And, in 2026, Italy’s marginal gains have most likely been found in their familiarity with the facilities.

Italy have added just two new venues for these Games, the sliding center and the much discussed Santagiulia ice arena.

“So they’ve got familiarity with everything else, which is great,” said Singleton, highlighting that Italians likely had a chance to practice at the other facilities before any other athletes.

Growing up on this snow combined with being some of the top athletes in the world has been the perfect nudge for these athletes to get onto the podium.

“They’ve maximized the familiarity factor at these Games,” Singleton said.

How long-lasting is this success?

While some things are meant to be enjoyed in the moment, there will always be questions asked about the longevity and legacy of such events, especially when such a large amount has been invested. In other words, will there be a spillover performance at the 2030 Winter Olympics in France?

Singleton’s data reveals significant evidence that in the Summer Games, spillovers are real but on average there wasn’t a spillover for the Winter Games.

In fact, looking at recent hosts more than anything, there appears to be a tendency towards a sharp decline. After China won 15 medals at home in 2022, they have won just five in Milan and Cortina. South Korea went from 17 at home in 2018 to nine in 2022, and have just six this time around. While medals are not necessarily a barometer of whether a country’s sporting development pathways are healthy, they clearly matter to hosts.

The hope is, as always with major sporting events, that both the act of hosting and the success of home athletes will inspire the next generation. However, Singleton believes there isn’t a lot of strong evidence that the Olympics lead to long-lasting participation changes. Indeed, the cost is a big problem for many. It can though, make a difference beyond the numbers.

“I’m a macro economist by trade, and I tell my students all the time, there are many things that we can’t quantify in GDP, that don’t show up in national accounts, and I think these things are valuable,” Singleton said.

“Maybe, you can’t say that it was worth the initial money because it’s hard to make that comparison, but the memories, the experiences and the sense of national pride are important things which don’t show up in a country’s balance sheet. And that’s, to some extent, a big factor as to why certain nations bid for these things as well, because there are intangible benefits of hosting these events,” Singleton said.

“I think if every country can lose itself for three weeks and sport can develop a shared memory, then that is what is important.”

Italy’s athletes at these Winter Olympics have shown that even if home advantage is smaller than ever, it can be turned into special and memorable performances.

* As of 16:45 CET on February 17, 2026
Edited by: Chuck Penfold

Former four-division world champion Mikey Garcia, who lost to Errol Spence Jr in 2019, has offered his thoughts on the American’s expected comeback fight against Tim Tszyu.

It was reported last week that, following a three-year layoff, Spence is set to return against former world champion Tszyu this summer.

The 35-year-old has not fought since his ninth-round stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford, who seized his WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight titles in dominant fashion.

Prior to that, many considered Spence to be the top dog at 147lbs, capable of becoming a two-division world champion at super-welterweight.

And while a lengthy hiatus has now diluted such comments, at least to a certain extent, ‘The Truth’ is nonetheless looking to reignite his career later this year.

Standing in his way of future multi-division glory, it seems, is sturdy contender Tszyu, whose performances have not quite looked the same since his split decision defeat to Sebastian Fundora in 2024.

After that particular night, where he showed tremendous grit to fight through a horrific gash on his forehead, the Australian found himself on the receiving end of a far more punishing third-round stoppage against Bakhram Murtazaliev.

Having since claimed two victories back home, while also losing his rematch with Fundora via a seventh-round finish, many are questioning what Tszyu has left to offer at world level.

But while the same, of course, could be said for Spence, former pound-for-pound star Garcia has effectively told ESNEWS that the Texan should enter their potential showdown as a clear favourite.

“That’s a good fight for Errol if it’s his comeback [fight]. Tim Tszyu is, I don’t think, a huge, huge threat.

“But it’s been a long time since Spence Jr [last fought], so I think it’s a good fight.”

Spence defeated Garcia, the naturally smaller man, with a wide unanimous decision at 147lbs, before defending his titles against the likes of Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia.

Consider the sandbagger. You’re familiar with the term and the type. Did you know, though, that neither got its start in golf?

In mid-19th-century England, “sandbagging” was punishable by imprisonment. But it didn’t describe an on-course crime. It referred to the work of common thugs who would knock their victims cold with sandbags and make off with their valuables.

That was a far cry from the word’s original meaning. In the early 1800s, to sandbag was to shore up or stabilize, often as a defense against flooding. But language, like trouble, has a way of spreading.

By the Roaring Twenties, sandbagging had taken metaphorical shape: bullying, coercion, intimidation. Its literal applications expanded, too. In poker, sandbagging became a kind of reverse bluff: playing possum with pocket aces to lure others into the pot.

How and when the term wandered onto the golf course is murkier. But by the 1940s, “sandbagging” had become shorthand in sports for a competitor who downplayed his advantage or deliberately underperformed.

Which brings us, inevitably, to that guy at your club.

By the early 1960s, characters like him were commonplace enough to inspire widespread complaint. The golf press addressed them with pious indignation. In one article from the Pensacola News Journal, the sandbagger was depicted as “an odious character indeed, for he perverts that purpose of the game.” No murkiness there. The sandbagger wasn’t merely gaming the system; he was committing a sin against golf itself.

The tone in those old references is steeped in moral outrage, as though sandbagging belonged alongside slow play, foot wedges and loud trousers as evidence of civilization’s decline. But it’s also telling. That the term was showing up so regularly in golf coverage suggested that it had already been circulating in locker rooms and betting games for some time.

In fact, evidence points to sandbagging gaining real traction in the 1950s, alongside the growing popularity of Calcuttas — handicapped matches with a gambling twist, their name borrowed from the Indian city where British colonists once wagered on horses. The format was tailor-made for the modern sandbagger: keep your handicap comfortably inflated, wait for the right moment, then “discover” your swing when money is on the line.

Today, the word has softened around the edges. “Sandbagger” can still be a harsh accusation, hissed in a stage whisper as the winner of a net event walks up to collect his prize. But it can also be tossed around as friendly ribbing, even a sideways compliment. It’s a golfer’s way of saying: Nice round. Now tell us what you really play to.

The USGA seems allergic to the term. You’d be hard-pressed to find “sandbagging” anywhere in its Rules of Golf or other official writing. Even hard and soft caps — measures that help safeguard against sandbagging — are presented instead in the diplomatic language of fairness, as tools to ensure a Handicap Index accurately reflects a player’s ability.

India will meet South Africa in their Super Eights clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 22 (Image credit: Agencies)

When India face South Africa in their Super Eights clash of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 22, few supporters will feel more divided than Mariana Morkel.From her home in Pretoria, Mariana will find herself torn. Her elder son, Albie Morkel, represented South Africa in one Test, 58 ODIs and 50 T20Is and is now serving as a consultant coach with the Proteas in the ongoing tournament. Her younger son, Morne Morkel, who played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20Is for South Africa, is India’s bowling coach.

Speaking ahead of South Africa’s Group D match against the UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Albie was asked if he had exchanged notes with Morne. “No, we don’t talk to each other. I think my mother, she’s more worried than us. She doesn’t know who to support, India or South Africa.”With the Proteas already through to the Super Eights, Albie stressed that the bigger challenge lies ahead.“I think the World Cup really starts now, even though we had a tough group. Now you face India, possibly Australia or Zimbabwe and the West Indies in our group. So it’s really tough. It’s going to be all good games. Yes, there will be more pressure on those games because as you move later towards the playoffs.“But I feel we’ve got a very experienced group of bowlers and batting is better so guys that have been exposed to that whether it’s an IPL or other leagues or in international cricket is a little bit different. But guys that can handle that pressure – they actually will thrive in those circumstances where there’s a bit more pressure on the games – so not too worried,” he added.Cautious about raising expectations after a runners-up finish in 2024, he said, “I don’t like to make statements about it. I think we were in a very tough group. That game against Afghanistan still gives me nightmares and it could have gone anyway.“So now I guess the first box is ticked – getting through to the next stage. To me, the World Cup starts now. Every game will be a tough game, and luckily we’ll be in Ahmedabad again where we sort of are used to the conditions now – so, let’s see.”Brought into the South African setup specifically for this tournament, Albie previously worked as Namibia’s assistant coach and as Bangladesh’s power-hitting coach. Reflecting on his current role, he said, “It’s been an interesting term, a specialist consultant. I had to figure it out myself a little bit. But I guess it’s anything it takes to help the team do well in the World Cup. So do a bit of both, batting, and fielding, mostly focus around the bowling for now and do some work with the lower order batters, around their swing and stuff like that.”Now viewing the game from the sidelines, he also spoke about shaping his coaching philosophy, influenced heavily by Stephen Fleming during his stint with Chennai Super Kings.“Initially when I started my coaching career, you still coach as a player. If you want to make a difference, but you can’t be on the field and you have to accept that fact and work out ways because players are under pressure anyway. If you as a coach want to make a difference in their games all the time, that doesn’t help anyway.“So it’s sort of finding that middle ground where you try to help, but you’re also not, as a coach, put pressure on players as they know what they’re doing. If it’s real technical things, then you can work at it, but not during tournament.“My philosophy is once you hit a World Cup like this and you start to tinker with technical stuff, that’s when you confuse players or players can get confused. So it’s more like how can I actually take pressure off guys, make them believe in themselves, and stuff like that? Stephen has been a big influence on that.“He’s one of the only coaches, or maybe the only coach in the world who’s been at a franchise for 17 years. That’s unheard of and it must mean he does something right. I’ll certainly learn a lot from him, yes,” he concluded.

Without wishing to get too ahead of himself, Ryan Garcia has named one matchup he would be ‘really interested’ in pursuing after his next fight.

The 27-year-old must first take care of business against Mario Barrios – which is no foregone conclusion – this Saturday, when the two welterweights collide at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Entering their showdown as the defending WBC world champion, Barrios comes off back-to-back draws – against Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao – while having previously lost to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.

His reign as a champion at 147lbs has therefore been somewhat underwhelming, with many even believing that Pacquiao, aged 46, deserved to edge their encounter in July.

But while he is yet to cement himself as the best in his division, who most would consider to be Devin Haney, Barrios is nonetheless an all-action volume puncher who typically fights at a ferocious pace.

Garcia, meanwhile, is also a man with a point to prove, especially after suffering a points defeat to Rolando Romero in May.

At the same time, though, the American appears eager to mix it with the very best in his sport, naming pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson as a potential opponent after his clash with Barrios.

Garcia expressed this desire during an interview with Nightcap, while also acknowledging that it would take a career-best performance to defeat Stevenson.

“I’m really interested in the Shakur fight – it gets me going – and those are the type of fights that [will bring] the best out of me.

“Definitely, he’s somebody I wanna look into after this fight [with Barrios].”

Stevenson became a four-division world champion after dethroning Teofimo Lopez last month and, since then, has insisted that any fighter wishing to face him at 147lbs would need to accept a rehydration clause. Garcia, however, claims he can make a catchweight of 144lbs, something that may have to be seen to be believed.