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
Islamabad says over 580 Afghan Taliban militants killed as Pakistan, Afghanistan fighting continues
- Clashes between the two countries began on Feb. 26 when Afghan forces launched an attack on Pakistani military installations
- Islamabad has since been pounding parts of Afghanistan where it says militant targets are present, Kabul denies the allegation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has killed 583 Afghan Taliban fighters, wounded more than 795 and struck 64 locations inside Afghanistan in air attacks, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday, as fighting between the two neighbors entered the second week.
Clashes between the two countries began on Feb. 26 when Afghan forces launched a surprise attack on Pakistani military installations along their shared border.
Afghanistan said the assault was in retaliation for Pakistan’s earlier airstrikes in February on what Islamabad described as militant camps inside Afghanistan.
“Summary of Afghan Taliban losses: 583 Killed, 795+ Injured, 242 Check posts destroyed, 38 Posts captured & destroyed, 213 tanks, armored vehicles, artillery guns destroyed,” Tarar said on X.
The statement came hours after Pakistan’s security forces successfully foiled an infiltration attempt by militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in the
Chaman sector, according to a security official. The group, estimated to comprise three to four militant formations, attempted to breach the border fence under the cover of darkness.
“Troops detected the movement in time and engaged the militants as they attempted to cut through the border fence,” said the security official, seeking anonymity. “During the exchange of fire, one foreign terrorist was killed while the remaining militants fled the area.”
Pakistan accuses Kabul of sheltering militant groups such as the TTP on its soil and facilitating attacks against Pakistan. Afghanistan denies the allegations and has urged Islamabad to address its security challenges without blaming Kabul.
Afghanistan has called for dialogue to resolve the conflict. Pakistan, however, has rejected talks with Kabul, saying its operation “Ghazab Lil Haq” — meaning Wrath for Truth — will continue until its objectives are achieved.
Since the conflict began, diplomatic efforts have intensified, with several countries and international bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations, urging restraint and calling for talks.
