Babar Azam Dropped, J&K Win And Sahibzada Record- February 28 Cricket Highlights

Babar Azam and Jammu & Kashmir team [Source: @CricCrazyJohns, @rvmoorthyhindu/x]

Babar Azam was dropped from the Pakistan playing XI for the match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman notched up a record-shattering partnership later in the same match. In other news, Jammu and Kashmir clinched the historic Ranji Trophy title after a high-scoring draw against Karnataka.

Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Saturday, February 28.

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Babar Azam dropped from Pakistan playing XI

In a fresh blow for Babar Azam, the legendary Pakistan batter was dropped from the team’s playing XI for their must-win Super 8 match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. On a trail of some underwhelming outings in the ongoing 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the 31-year-old was also demoted down the batting order earlier in the tournament, especially in the game against Namibia.

The seasoned pro has aggregated just 91 runs from four innings so far in the competition at a below par average of 22.75.

Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman plunder big records against Sri Lanka

Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman crafted a monumental 176-run partnership in just 15.5 overs against Sri Lanka in match 50 of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Their batting mayhem helped Pakistan set up a colossal 212-8 in 20 overs.

While the partnership marked the highest stand for any wicket in T20 World Cup history, Farhan also soared past Virat Kohli’s huge record of aggregating most runs in a single edition of the tournament. The Pakistan opener slapped a 60-ball century to extend his 2026 World Cup tally to 383 runs.

Rinku Singh re-joins India squad after father’s funeral

Rinku Singh has reached Kolkata to join the India national squad for their upcoming virtual quarter final match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against West Indies. Earlier this week, the hard-hitting middle-order batter left the Indian camp to join his grieving family after learning about the tragic passing of his father Khandchand Singh.

With a place in the semi-final on the line, Rinku will now be available to take on the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1.

Jammu and Kashmir clinch Ranji Trophy 2025-26 title

The Jammu and Kashmir team clinched the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy title in Hubli. Resuming their second innings at 186-4 on the final day, J&K batted out the entire curtailed-Day 5 to reach 342-4d in 113 overs. Both overnight batters, Qamran Iqbal (160*) and Sahil Lotra (101*) notched up majestic centuries as J&K won the high-octane final courtesy of their huge first innings lead over Karnataka.

The occasion marked a landmark one for the J&K side, considering the team lifted its first-ever Ranji Trophy title in history. Top-order batter Shubham Pundir won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for punching out an elegant 121 in the first innings.

Daren Sammy warns India ahead of virtual quarter-final

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has fired a warning shot to the Indian team ahead of their virtual quarter-final match in Kolkata. The former West Indies captain also urged his team to forget its recent Super 8 setback against South Africa in Ahmedabad.

Sammy said that all his players are “ready for the battle” against hosts and defending champions India, as the men from the Caribbean aim to replicate their decade-old T20 World Cup success in the subcontinent. The high-octane final between the two sides will be hosted by the Eden Gardens on Sunday, March 1 and the action will commence from 7:00 PM IST onwards.

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