Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in their T20 World Cup 2026 match on Thursday. India have made two changes to their playing XI, with Sanju Samson replacing Abhishek Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah replacing Mohammed Siraj. This is the second time India and Namibia are facing each other in T20 World Cups.

As the Centre issued new guidelines making the playing of Vande Mataram compulsory at government programmes, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani called it an attack on religious freedom. He said certain lines in the song portray the motherland as God. “Remember! Muslims worship only Allah...We can tolerate everything, but we can never accept associating anyone with Allah,” he added.

Italy batters and siblings Anthony Mosca and Justin Mosca, who registered an unbeaten 124-run partnership against Nepal in the T20 World Cup, have lived in Sydney for three generations now. Justin, 31, is a physical education teacher, while his brother Anthony, 34, is a carpenter. Anthony and Justin have scored 554 and 441 runs in 21 and 22 T20Is, respectively.

Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has demanded the cancellation of the country’s latest national election. She described the election as "a sham election staged by the killer, fascist Muhammad Yunus" and called for his resignation. Hasina, who has been living in exile in India, alleged that the election disregarded "the people’s voting rights, democratic values, and spirit of the constitution".

Italy openers Anthony Mosca and Justin Mosca, who are brothers, shared an unbeaten partnership of 124 runs against Nepal in their T20 World Cup 2026 match. It is the first-ever century stand between siblings in T20 World Cup history. Anthony scored 62*(32) and Justin scored 60*(44) as Italy recorded their first-ever in T20 World Cup win.

Amid a row over his name being mentioned in files linked to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Union Minister Hardeep Puri said he was in touch with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, adding, "Does that make him a terrorist?" Puri stated that he had a dislike for Epstein. "First time I met him, I was part of a delegation," he further said.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed Centre's mandate of singing of all six stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' in schools and official functions "unconstitutional" and said it'll move court if the government doesn't withdraw the order. "Song contains references to...worship and veneration of Durga and other deities, which directly contradicts beliefs of Muslims," it said.

Rajpal Yadav’s elder brother, Shripal Yadav, said that the actor's family has not received any financial assistance despite social media claims, reported Moneycontrol. "If people have helped, please tell...where the money was given," he said. Reports had suggested that actors like Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn have extended support to Rajpal after the latter surrendered in a cheque-bounce case.

Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron will visit New Delhi to participate in the AI Summit which will be held from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam. President Silva will hold bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi and a Business Forum will be organised during the visit to enhance trade and commercial engagement between India and Brazil.

Pakistani fast bowler Naseem Shah on Wednesday became the most expensive buy in the first-ever Pakistan Super League (PSL) auction. He was sold for PKR 86.5 million (around ₹2.8 crore) to Rawalpindi team. With this, PSL auction's most expensive buy is ₹24.2 crore cheaper than IPL's most expensive buy (Rishabh Pant at ₹27 crore).