On a bright evening at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday, Scotland took the field against the West Indies to begin their campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup -- a stage that was originally meant for Bangladesh, not the Scots.

James Neesham, during his recent stint with the Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League, spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan about New Zealand’s chances in the tournament, the team’s past World Cup heartbreaks, and the belief that still drives the side forward.

Aside from replicating -- or even bettering -- their run from the previous edition, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan will also be eyeing a unique individual milestone as he leads his side in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener against New Zealand in Chennai today.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav led by example as the tournament co-hosts began their Twenty20 World Cup title defence with a 29-run victory against the United States in a group A contest on Saturday.

Durbar will now face Dhumketu XI in Monday’s final at the same venue. Dhumketu had earlier beaten Duronto by six wickets before suffering a narrow two-wicket defeat to Durbar.

The Pakistan Cricket Board reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket's world body, a source close to the developments told AFP.

Shepherd grabbed four wickets in five balls in the 17th over to put an end to Scotland's hopes of chasing their target of 183.

Faheem Ashraf smashed an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls as Pakistan scrambled past the Netherlands by three wickets to avoid a massive shock in the curtain-raiser of the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday confirmed pacer Pramod Madushan as the replacement for Sri Lanka quick Eshan Malinga, who was ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup on home soil after dislocating his shoulder against England last week.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has long been a proving ground for associate nations, a place where emerging teams test their growth against the game’s elite.

The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup begins today in India and Sri Lanka. Ahead of the marquee T20 event, here we look at some interesting facts:

The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup begins today in Sri Lanka and India. Although the tournament build-up has been dominated by chaotic off-field developments -- with Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland following a row with the ICC and Pakistan boycotting their high-stakes group-stage clash against India in solidarity with Bangladesh -- here is a snapshot of the 20 teams participating in the marquee event.

In a format decided by narrow margins, execution under pressure has mattered as much as conditions.

International cricket tournaments have often been disrupted by political tensions and security fears, leading teams to refuse travel to host nations. From 1996 ICC World Cup to 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, many teams have refused to travel to host countries, citing different reasons that resulted in walkovers and replacements. There is also an instance of introducing a hybrid model when India refused to travel to Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy. The instances are given below:

Politics has always been an inseparable part of cricket. It has been so since the days of the Imperial Cricket Council – the previous name of the International Cricket Council – when being a member of the Commonwealth was one of the prerequisites for becoming a Test nation.

The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins today in India and Sri Lanka against the backdrop of a chaotic build-up dominated by political turmoil, which eventually saw Bangladesh replaced by Scotland and Pakistan boycotting their high-stakes group-stage fixture against arch-rivals India in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Nurul Hasan Sohan struck a match-winning 76 off 44 balls to guide Durbar to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Dhumketu in the second match of the Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday.

Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi conjured up a storm in the ICC U-19 World Cup final in Harare, smashing a thunderous 80-ball 175 to power his side to a 100-run win over England and a record-extending sixth title on Friday.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted Friday "there will be nerves" when India open their T20 World Cup campaign in front of more than 30,000 fanatical home supporters in Mumbai, but vowed to give them "entertainment".

Indian 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi unleashed a ferocious batting masterclass in the Under-19 World Cup final against England, smashing a record-breaking 175 off just 80 balls at Harare Sports Club on Friday.