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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has mulled expanding the T20 World Cup to 32 teams at the 2028 edition to be held in Australia and New Zealand. The proposal for the expansion of the event was discussed at the ICC’s all-powerful board meeting on Saturday in Singapore, as part of the governing body’s annual conference. The ICC has formed a six-member working committee led by New Zealand’s Roger Twose and comprising top officials from the power nations – India, Australia, and England – to look into the proposal.

One of their biggest responsibilities is to assess the expansion plan, along with reviewing other major competitions. Based on their recommendations, the ICC will decide whether to advance or stall the proposed expansion of the 2028 T20 World Cup. If approved, it will become not only the biggest T20 World Cup in terms of team participation but the biggest cricketing event ever.

The move comes in the backdrop of Italy’s qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. With cricket gaining traction in the US, thanks to the strong presence of Major League Cricket, the ICC is keen to open the door to more non-traditional cricket nations to realise the game’s true potential and make it a truly global sport.

The 2026 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams and consist of 55 matches. Like the 2024 tournament, the teams will be divided into four groups of five in the group stage, followed by the Super Eights, semifinals, and the final.

While the current system allows Associate Nations to participate in the mega event, the proposed expansion to 32 teams would allow Affiliate Nations to try their luck as well, making the growth of cricket more tangible.

However, hosting a 32-team T20 World Cup will require significant logistical planning from the ICC – including considerations around venues, hotel accommodations, and more. The dream needs careful evaluation and planning before it can become a reality.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Saturday lauded KL Rahul’s recent form in Test cricket, attributing the opener’s run-scoring streak to a subtle but vital technical adjustment.

Speaking to the ICC digital, Shastri said Rahul’s current form was a long time coming, considering his natural talent.

“I think there was not one person in the world who denied his potential and said that he was not talented,” Shastri stated.

“What annoyed people was, with that kind of talent, he was not delivering. And in this series, you’re seeing the best of Rahul.”

Shastri highlighted a technical tweak that has helped Rahul unlock his best in the red-ball format.

“What I am seeing is a slight adjustment he’s made with his front foot — in his stance and while defending,” Shastri explained. “It just opened up a bit, which allows his bat to come through cleanly. Even when he’s hitting it towards mid-wicket, it’s the full face of the blade.”

He elaborated that Rahul’s old habits such as closing the bat face and falling across, often led to dismissals via LBW or being bowled.

“Now, he doesn’t need to close the face of the blade and get into trouble like before. He looks much more balanced and technically sound.”

Shastri believed Rahul is now entering his prime and could dominate Test cricket over the next few years if he maintains this form. “He’s at his prime. He’s got to make these next three or four years count,” Shastri said. “I see him getting a lot of hundreds because he’s also playing a lot of cricket in India. Whatever his average is now, I think he should be close to 50 going forward,” he concluded.

BERN:

Spain reached the semi-finals of Women’s Euro 2025 on Friday after battling past Switzerland 2-0 as the world champions continued their bid for a first-ever European crown.

Athenea del Castillo and Claudia Pina scored the goals in the second half in Bern to give La Roja deserved passage to the last four where they will face either France or Germany on Wednesday.

But Montse Tome’s team didn’t have it all their own way as hosts Switzerland put up a brave fight in front of a passionate crowd at the Wankdorf Stadium.

The Swiss survived an early scare when Mariona Caldentey shot wide a ninth-minute penalty and from there did a great job in gumming up Spain’s usually free-flowing football.

“We expected something like this, we are in quarters with the host team and all the fans. They have been very competitive team, very intense,” said Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati.

“They defended deep and didn’t allow us to play our game, but in the end it turned out OK. Now we have some very difficult games ahead.

“We are used to winning from the start but football is not like that, you have to compete for 90 minutes. We did a good job, we were calm and confident in our abilities.”

Pia Sundhage’s players acquitted themselves brilliantly in their home tournament and were given a loud round of applause from the majority of the nearly 30,000 supporters who stayed behind for some time after the final whistle to show their appreciation to the team.

The Swiss, who finished the match with 10 women after Noelle Maritz was sent off in the final minute, had never progressed past the group stage of a Euros before and in the end Spain proved to be too much for the team ranked 23rd in the world.

“But at least we tried. I think that is the most important thing… And I’m also very, very, very proud of Switzerland, if you look at the people coming to the games, it’s been phenomenal,” Sundhage told reporters.

“It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, very emotional. They didn’t leave, they stayed and I think that’s a great sign. “It tells me that there are some people in Switzerland who think that women’s football is important. And I’m very, very grateful for that.”

Spain meanwhile overcame a serious test of patience before their superior quality eventually prevailed, with Alexia Putellas’ wasted penalty late on changing nothing.

An already raucous home crowd roared with delight when Caldentey scuffed wide her spot-kick after the Arsenal forward was brought down by Nadine Riesen.

But that didn’t discourage Spain who dealt well with the fervent atmosphere and some fierce tackling but struggled to find a way through the home team’s packed defence.