Harry Brook conceded on Wednesday that India were favourites to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, but warned them that England's "perfect performance" was "just around the corner".

While Shanto and others may be feeling the pangs of a lack of club cricket, no plans are yet in place to fill the vacuum in an important year for ODI challenges.

The squad includes six uncapped players: Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.

With defending champions India taking on England in Mumbai a day later, the tantalising prospect of a rematch of the 2024 final looms large.

Saif Hassan and Mohammad Naim notched a 164-run stand for the second wicket to help Central Zone to a dominating five-wicket win over North Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League final at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today.

Underdogs New Zealand back themselves against anyone in "one-off games", declared captain Mitchell Santner Tuesday on the eve of their T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to stage the four-day version of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) in mid-April as part of preparations for the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan.

England will go into their T20 World Cup semi-final against India with no fear, said all-rounder Sam Curran on Tuesday, adding that their first job would be to silence a raucous home crowd.

England will take on the favourites and hosts in front of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai on Thursday, with a place in the final against South Africa or New Zealand at stake.

Anamul Haque Bijoy on Tuesday demanded clarity from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), saying he wants his “respect back” after being left out of the final list of local players in last year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction following an investigation report.

The Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and Umpires for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been announced ahead of the knockout fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai.

For the third successive time, India will face England in a T20 World Cup semifinal as the two heavyweights meet at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

West Indies failed to reach the semi-finals after Sunday's five-wicket loss to hosts India, while Zimbabwe were eliminated after losing all three of their Super Eights matches.

Since her appointment as a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director in November last year, renowned corporate figure Rubaba Dowla has been actively involved in several key areas of women’s cricket. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan, Rubaba shared her experience at the BCB so far, her vision for women’s cricket and various challenges.

Bangladesh batter Saif Hassan wants to move on from the disappointment of missing out on the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup and focus on the upcoming ODI assignments, with qualification for the next year’s ICC ODI World Cup still on the line.

Bangladesh pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain have been shortlisted for The Hundred Auction 2026, scheduled to be held at the Piccadilly Lights in central London on March 11 and 12.

Earlier in the day, Mushfiqur himself had posted on his verified social media account that he had boarded a Biman Bangladesh flight and would land in Dhaka on Monday.

Pakistan are scheduled to arrive on March 9 to play three ODIs, beginning March 11 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Each player has been penalised PKR 5 million (approximately US$18,000), according to ESPNcricinfo.

The Afghanistan team used India as a cricketing base for several years because of political and security challenges at home before shifting to the United Arab Emirates.