Bridgetown, BARBADOS: India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat in the final of the T20 World Cup against South Africa at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.
The toss was held in bright sunshine and with a gusty wind blowing across the 28,000 capacity venue which is expected to be sold out for the game.
Rohit and his South African counterpart Aiden Markram both named unchanged line-ups from the teams which won their respective semifinals.
The possibility of stormy weather over the weekend, with some rain forecast for Saturday, had raised concerns among organizers but as early arrivals began taking their seats there was no sign of rain.
The final concludes a near month-long tournament, held in the USA and the Caribbean and features two teams who have yet to lose in the competition.
The event which has been a mixed bag in terms of quality, entertainment and attendances has certainly succeeded in setting up a final between the two best teams in the shortest format.
India crushed defending champions England by 68 runs in Guyana on Thursday, the day after South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad to end a long and agonizing wait for a title game.
Since their first appearance at a World Cup in 1992, following the end of apartheid, South Africa had lost seven semifinals in the two limited overs formats.
This will be South Africa’s first senior men’s final since the inaugural Champions Trophy in Bangladesh in 1998 when the Proteas beat the West Indies.
India experienced the double disappointment last year of defeat in the World Test Championship final and the 50-over World Cup — losing both to Australia.
The country which more than any other popularised the shortest form with the hugely successful Indian Premier League now stands on the brink of their second T20 World Cup title and first since the inaugural edition in 2007.
India win toss and bat in T20 World Cup final against South Africa
https://arab.news/5b82c
India win toss and bat in T20 World Cup final against South Africa
- India crushed defending champions England by 68 runs in Guyana on Thursday
- A day before that, South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad
Pakistan’s seafood exports to China rise 24% to $240 million in 2025
- The Chinese embassy cites strong growth in agricultural trade with Pakistan
- Islamabad aims to expand food exports amid effort to boost foreign reserves
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s seafood exports to China rose 24% year-on-year to $240 million in the first 11 months of 2025, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad said on Wednesday, highlighting growing agricultural trade between the two countries.
China is one of Pakistan’s largest seafood export markets, alongside destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam and countries in the Middle East. Pakistan exports fish, shrimp and other marine products sourced from coastal areas in Balochistan and Sindh, including Gwadar, Pasni and Karachi, with shipments typically consisting of frozen fish, frozen shrimp and a smaller volume of processed seafood.
The figure cited by the Chinese embassy fits into a longer upward trend, supported by rising Chinese demand, improvements in cold-chain logistics and market access approvals for Pakistani exporters.
“Pakistan’s seafood exports to China hit [nearly] $240 million from Jan-Nov 2025, soaring by 24% compared with the same period in 2024, which fully shows the strong vitality of the agricultural trade between China & Pakistan,” the embassy said. “[China looks] forward to more export of high-quality Pakistani products to China in the future.”
China is Pakistan’s closest regional ally and a key destination for its agricultural and food exports, which Islamabad has been seeking to expand to bolster foreign exchange earnings.
The two countries enjoy strong strategic and economic cooperation, with Chinese support seen as vital to Pakistan’s efforts to diversify its export base beyond textiles and reduce reliance on external financing.
Beijing and Islamabad are also working closely on energy and infrastructure projects as part of broader efforts to enhance regional connectivity and support industrial development in Pakistan.
