India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, right, and Ishan Kishan celebrate against Pakistan (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

NEW DELHI: India crushed Pakistan by 61 runs to secure a place in the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup on Sunday. Ishan Kishan starred with a brilliant 77, helping India reach 175/7, before the bowlers dismissed Pakistan for just 114 in 18 overs.After qualifying, India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised his team and said, “I think this is for India,” adding, “Batting first was (the) better option on this wicket.”

He also praised Kishan’s knock, saying, “Ishan thought outside the box. After we were 0-1, someone had to take responsibility and the way he took it was amazing.”With the win, India have qualified for the Super 8s. Their schedule in the next round includes matches against South Africa, one of Zimbabwe or Australia, and West Indies, as they continue their title defence.India’s matches in Super 8s of T20 World Cup 2026

However, before beginning their journey in the Super 8s, Team India will play against Netherlands on Wednesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad On Sunday, Pakistan’s chase fell apart quickly. They lost three wickets in the first two overs, including captain Salman Agha and opener Sahibzada Farhan. When Babar Azam was bowled for five, Pakistan were in deep trouble. Usman Khan tried to fight back with 44, but once he was stumped, the rest of the batting collapsed.Earlier in the match, the two captains again avoided shaking hands at the toss, continuing a pattern seen in the Asia Cup last year. The match itself was confirmed only days earlier after political uncertainty about Pakistan’s participation.Kishan played fearlessly, scoring his fifty in just 27 balls and attacking the bowlers all around the ground. His innings gave India a strong base, and the bowlers made sure Pakistan never came close in the chase.

Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez has established himself back in the first-team at Old Trafford following a serious injury

You only need to cast your mind back to November to fully appreciate how impressive Lisandro Martinez’s return to football at Manchester United has been. After suffering an ACL injury against Crystal Palace back in February 2025, United fans feared they may have seen the last of Martinez’s best days at Old Trafford.

During his time at United, he has picked up serious injuries to his foot and metatarsal. After both of those injuries, he managed to bounce back but Erik ten Hag was no longer in the hot seat and he was returning to a squad which had changed significantly.

Ruben Amorim was still persisting with the 3-4-2-1 system but now Luke Shaw was available to fill in and was impressing at left centre-back. There was no way the United head coach was going to drop Shaw while his performances levels were so high. It was not as if he could be moved to wing-back to accommodate Martinez either.

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But since Boxing Day, the Argentine has started and played the full 90 minutes in every Premier League game. Leny Yoro’s initial drop in form helped Martinez to find a way back into the starting XI and since then, he has not looked back.

Once Amorim left following the draw with Leeds, Martinez was always going to be the favourite to keep his place in the team. Alongside Harry Maguire, United have found a solid defensive base which they have lacked for much of this season. As for Shaw, with both Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick preferring a four at the back system, he has been able to revert to left-back where he is comfortable.

Even when doubted, Martinez has managed to step up to the plate. He rightly called out Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt’s criticism of him and proved them wrong as he dealt with Erling Haaland to much acclaim.

But he has not let that be a one off. Martinez has continued performing solidly in the heart of the defence as United moved five games unbeaten last Tuesday.

All of this is standing him in good stead to remain at Old Trafford beyond 2027. The defender’s contract will expire at the end of next season and there was a school of thought, not too long ago, which suggested he could be let go.

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An ageing player, who has suffered multiple serious injuries did not exactly standout as an obvious candidate for a contract extension. And yet, despite his exit from United looking inevitable, he has now completely switched the narrative.

‘How can United afford to let him go?’ That is the question now being asked ahead of the summer which could see two experienced heads leave. Casemiro is already gone and Maguire’s future beyond this season is unclear with the Reds having not yet agreed a new deal for him.

Should he depart with the Brazil international, that would be two leaders in the dressing room out of the club. Losing Martinez as well just a year later now seems like a mistake which can be avoided.

Ask any match-going supporter and you would struggle to hear a bad word said about Martinez. He has the passion and leadership which United have cried out for during the dark times.

Now under Carrick’s watch, Martinez has become a player who can carry this defence and that looked unthinkable a matter of months ago. The 28-year-old is once again part of the furniture at Old Trafford and whoever is the permanent head coach going into next season would be daft not to consider him in their long-term plans.

The three-year-old colt Autumn Boy is expected to go without blinkers when he kicks off in the Hobartville Stakes, a view shared by star jockey James McDonald.

Saturday saw McDonald aboard for a 1000m solo gallop at Randwick between meetings, with Autumn Boy timing 1:08.25 and finishing with strong strides.

He lines up first-up in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) next Saturday at Rosehill, absent since his spring Caulfield Guineas (1600m) conquest.

Blinkers aided his Group 1 effort, yet after McDonald conferred post-gallop, Waller plans to strip them for the resumption.

“We’re probably going to leave the blinkers off,” Waller said.

“James doesn’t think he needs them. We just put them on in the Golden Rose and the [Caulfield] Guineas.

“He’s a very honest horse.”

Waller mentioned the horse’s physical progress during the break, highlighting his easygoing temperament as pivotal.

Boasting five races only, he has ‘learned to be a racehorse’ as his trainer describes, tackling same-age foes initially via the Hobartville Stakes and Randwick Guineas (1600m), with openness to veterans thereafter.

“There are some good races on offer, and he might get a sniff of racing against the older horses as well, so plenty of tests,” Waller said.

Waller’s Wodeton is nominated too for the Hobartville Stakes, decision pending later this week. Explore the racing betting markets ahead of the Hobartville Stakes.

The post Caulfield Guineas winner warms up for Hobartville Stakes return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

The Australian Open 2026 reached its conclusion today with in the marquee men’s singles final at the iconic Rod Laver Arena on Saturday Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 and 7-5 to win his maiden Australian open title. The season-opening Grand Slam has delivered high-quality tennis over the past fortnight, and the final promises a fitting finale between two of the sport’s biggest stars.

Here is a detailed look at the men’s singles prize money distribution for Australian Open 2026.

Australian Open 2026: Prize money for men’s singles winners

The winner of the men’s singles final Carlos Alcaraz will take home USD 2.79 million, reflecting the increased prize pool this year. The runner-up Novaj Djokovic will not leave empty-handed either, earning USD 1.45 million for finishing second after an impressive campaign at Melbourne Park.

Australian Open 2026: Prize money for men’s singles semi-finalists

The two players who bowed out at the semi-final stage — Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev — will each receive USD 840,000. Sinner pushed Djokovic in a five-set battle before losing, while Zverev fell short against Alcaraz in another hard-fought encounter.

Australian Open 2026: Prize money for men’s singles quarter-finalists

Reaching the last eight also comes with a substantial reward. Quarter-finalists Alex de Minaur, Learner Tien, Lorenzo Musetti, and Ben Shelton will each earn USD 500,000 for their efforts at the tournament.

Australian Open 2026: Prize money for men’s singles round 1 to round 4

Players eliminated in the fourth round will receive USD 322,000 for their campaigns. Those knocked out in the third round take home USD 220,000, while second-round exits earn USD 151,000. Even first-round losers are assured a healthy payout, with USD 101,000 awarded to all players who featured in the men’s singles main draw at Australian Open 2026.

Boxing fans regularly debate who they believe to be the greatest heavyweights of all time and now boxing legend Mike Tyson has weighed in himself with his own verdict.

Tyson is often mentioned in those debates, after establishing himself as ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’ during a ferocious run throughout the 1980s.

He became the youngest world heavyweight champion in history, and later secured undisputed status, claiming knockout wins over fighters such as Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks along the way.

A shock defeat to Buster Douglas ended his title reign, and while he would become champion again, further losses to the likes of Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis somewhat diminish Tyson’s claim to be one of the best ever.

It would appear that ‘Iron Mike’ disagrees though, as when asked on The Big Podcast With Shaq who he thinks are the two best ever, Tyson placed just one name above his own.

“Muhammad Ali then me.”

Tyson then insisted that the majority of the general public would agree with his placement.

“If you put up some stats or something, ask the world. Not one guy — 10 guys. Ask the world.”

It comes as no surprise to see Tyson rank Ali above himself as the number one heavyweight ever, with the Louisville-native living up to his iconic nickname of ‘The Greatest.’

He has a record which stacks up against any other heavyweight throughout history, earning wins over fellow greats such as George Foreman and Joe Frazier, and there would be very few boxing fans that would argue about Ali being viewed as the best of all time.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded Shivam Dube for his fine cameo in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan. The contest was played on Sunday, February 15, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Asked to bat first, India posted 175/7, with Ishan Kishan top-scoring with a brilliant 77 off 40 balls, while Shivam Dube contributed a valuable 27 off 17, including three fours and a six. In response, the Men in Green were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs, falling short by 61 runs.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel after the game, Pathan said that Dube often goes under the radar, having delivered under pressure in the past, including the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Asia Cup 2025 final. The 41-year-old also highlighted the southpaw’s exceptional hitting ability, saying:

“There is another batsman who played really well, someone who often goes under the radar and doesn’t get much attention. In the Asia Cup final, it was Shivam Dube; in the World Cup final, Shivam Dube; and here as well, against Pakistan, he came in towards the end and played a quick cameo.”

“It took him a little time, about 9-10 balls, to get set for the big shots, but after that, he played a quick, effective innings before getting run out. I think he often goes under the radar, but his hitting ability is absolutely tremendous. Overall, by the time the team reached 175, the match was essentially over because the Pakistani batting lineup didn’t have enough firepower,” he added.

Pathan also praised skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 32 off 29 balls, noting that he came in with a proper game plan against Usman Tariq and played a solid innings. Pathan said:

“Suryakumar Yadav’s batting also stood out because it seemed like he was taking a long pause against Tariq. Generally, he tends to show a bit of initial movement, like stepping forward slightly at the time of release, and then adjusting his front or back foot later to play the shot. But if you watch the highlights of Usman Tariq’s bowling, it was very clear.”

“While Suryakumar was batting, his feet hardly moved. Even after the pause, he was waiting patiently, and at the time of release, both his feet remained still. It was very clear that his planning worked perfectly. Suryakumar played a really good innings, especially the shots he played between long-on and mid-wicket. Top-quality batting. That kind of batting was exactly what was needed,” he added.

Meanwhile, the emphatic win ensured that India secured their place in the Super 8s.

“Our Indian team’s bowling is really strong” – Irfan Pathan heaps praise on the Men in Blue attack

In the same video, Irfan Pathan also asserted that India has a strong bowling attack, which was on full display against Pakistan. He highlighted Hardik Pandya dismissing Sahibzada Farhan in the first over, followed by Jasprit Bumrah removing Saim Ayub and Salman Agha in the next. While praising the Indian bowlers, Pathan also expressed puzzlement over Pakistan captain’s approach, saying:

“Our Indian team’s bowling is really strong, very sharp, and it was clearly visible when they came on to bowl. In the first over Hardik dismissed Sahibzada Farhan. He tried to play a cross-batted shot on a length ball, but the ball hung in the air. Then Jasprit Bumrah straight away, goes for the yorker, delivers a sharp in-swinging yorker, gets the LBW, and then comes Salman Ali Agha.”

“As a captain, I didn’t understand his approach. When two wickets have fallen, you need to consolidate a bit, but he went after Bumrah with big shots. And what happened? Within two overs, three wickets went down, including the captain, playing poor shots. This approach didn’t make sense. The score wasn’t even over 200,” he added.

India will now return to action on Wednesday, February 18, when they take on the Netherlands in their final Group A game in Ahmedabad.