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England beat Pakistan by five wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday to win their second Twenty20 World Cup title and burnish their claim as the pre-eminent superpower in white ball cricket, Reuters reported. Thirty years after losing the 50-over World Cup final to Pakistan at the MCG, England turned the tables on the south Asians with brilliant death bowling and a Ben Stokes half-century that reeled in a modest victory target of 138. With all-rounder Sam Curran recording a miserly 3-12, Pakistan collapsed in the final overs to finish on 137 for eight after being sent in to bat by England captain Jos Buttler. The heavy rain forecast never hit the MCG as England, led by the unflappable Stokes, reeled in the total with six balls to spare. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid did the early damage for England with two wickets, including the key scalp of captain Babar Azam for 32, before Pakistan crumbled in the final overs, losing 4-10, according to Reuters. Sealing their second T20 World Cup, England are now the first nation to hold both global white-ball trophies, having won the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019.

Nepal will be co-hosting the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2027. With the International Cricket Council (ICC) accepting the proposal of Nepal and Bangladesh, it is certain that it will be held in South Asia. A committee headed by Martin Snedden recommended the hosts through a competitive bidding process. With this recommendation, Nepal got an opportunity to co-host the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Similarly, SriLanka will be hosting the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024. The next edition of the same tournament will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Likewise, the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 will be held in Malaysia and Thailand.

England thrashed India by 10 wickets to seal their spot in the final of 2022 men’s T20 World Cup final, The Indian Express Reported. Despite setting up a defendable total the England opening batters made quick work of the Indian bowlers winning the match by 10 wickets. The opening pair of Buttler of Hales stitches an incredible unbeaten stand of 170 to see England through to the final of the T20WorldCup to face Pakistan. Earlier, the fifties from Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya helped India recover from a wobbly start and post 168/5. Put in to bat, India had a slow start and lost opener KL Rahul (5) early but Kohli held the innings together to slam his fourth fifty of the tournament, according to The Indian Express. But it was Pandya’s blazing knock that propelled India’s total.

Pakistan will continue their rollercoaster ride at the Twenty20 World Cup into the final after beating New Zealand by seven wickets in front of a raucous crowd largely made up of their compatriots at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Paceman Shaheen Afridi led the way with 2-24 as the Black Caps were restricted to 152-4 before openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam finally found their scoring touch with half centuries in a 105-run stand to lay the foundation for victory.

Pakistan scraped into the last four only after the Netherlands had upset South Africa last Sunday but will now play India or England, who face off in the second semi-final in Adelaide on Thursday, in Sunday’s title decider in Melbourne.

“It means a lot (to reach the final),” said Pakistan captain Babar.

“We did not start the tournament well but after South Africa lost we took our opportunity and we are playing our best cricket and in the final.”

Riding the momentum of their great escape from the group stage, the 2009 champions lost the toss but still looked charged with confidence from the moment Afridi took the ball for the opening over.

New Zealand’s powerplay maestro Finn Allen cracked a four off the first delivery but had to be rescued from an lbw decision by DRS on the second before departing trapped in front on the third.

Devon Conway was run out by a direct hit from Shadab Khan for 21 on the final ball of the powerplay to leave New Zealand on 38-2 and another dangerman Glenn Phillips was meekly caught and bowled by spinner Mohammad Nawaz for six soon afterwards.

Skipper Kane Williamson steadied the ship with Daryl Mitchell but departed for 46 when he attempted to paddle a slower Afridi delivery which rattled into his unguarded stumps.

Mitchell, New Zealand’s batting hero on their run to last year’s final in Abu Dhabi, continued to an unbeaten 53 but his 35-ball innings featured only four boundaries as tight bowling and athletic fielding kept him shackled.

Babar and Rizwan had failed to deliver on their considerable reputations in the group stage but made up for it in some style with a blockbuster opening partnership.

The captain enjoyed a stroke of luck when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Conway off his first ball from Trent Boult but hammered 53 runs off the next 41 deliveries he faced before holing out in the deep, according to Reuters.

Mon of the match Rizwan reached the half century mark soon afterwards before also holing out for 57 but Mohammad Haris kept up the pace with a bright 30 and Shan Masood got them over the line at 153-3 with five balls to spare.