<h1 id="main-heading-article" class="native_story_title">Virat Kohli is the true king not Babar Azam Mohammad Hafeez</h1>
<h2 class="synopsis">Mohammad Hafeez says Babar Azam has yet to play a match-winning knock in SENA countries.</h2>
<p>Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez made a scathing attack on Babar Azam for his another disappointing performance against India.&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/shoaib-akhtar-would-you-rate-babar-azam-to-virat-kohli-9853121/">India defeated Pakistan by six wickets</a>&nbsp;in Dubai on Sunday.</p>
<p>Babar Azam is not the true king. It is&nbsp;<a class="keywordtourl" href="https://indianexpress.com/about/virat-kohli/" rel="noamphtml">Virat Kohli</a>. Look at his performances. He has dominated all over the world. Get out of your PR machinery. We need a performer,&rdquo; Mohammad Hafeez said on the show &ldquo;Game On Hai.</p>
<p>Pakistan did get off to a comfortable start with Babar Azam scoring five boundaries in 23 off 26 balls. He was then caught behind off Pandya in the ninth over.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Babar Azam is a good product. You tell me his one player of the match performance against India,&rdquo; Mohammad Hafeez said on the show &ldquo;Game On Hai.</p>
<p>Why do we always remember Shoaib Akhtar&rsquo;s performances against India. Why Younis Khan is a big name when we talk about India-Pakistan match. Shoaib Malik has big performances against India.</p>
<p>Tell me Babar Azam, the best Pakistani product that has come in the past 10 years. Tell me his one good performance against India.</p>
<p><img src="https://backend.primetimesnews.com/storage/news/BOcwfzy6vxq49IFi9WVHVyTM7g90Zf7IUh4xnR5w.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="281"></p>
<p>&ldquo;Babar Azam is not Inzamam-ul-Haq.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Inzi bhai used to win matches for Pakistan in difficult conditions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Babar Azam has not won a single match against India to date.</p>
<p>He is playing for the past 10 years and has never become a player of the series in SENA countries. In Australia or England he has never led Pakistan to victory.</p>
<p><img src="https://backend.primetimesnews.com/storage/news/SAJa32UFyaol4Ridinezczsb7wLQiVduWdFGULkc.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="281"></p>
<p>We need to show them the mirror. We need to realise that those who we are banking on are not performing and we should move on from them.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Give the opportunity to them who are waiting in the system.&rdquo;</p>
<p>India tops the group with four points and has virtually secured its semifinal place. It will play New Zealand in its final league game in Dubai on March 2.</p>
<p>Pakistan flies back to take on Bangladesh on Thursday, with a painful exit looming from its home tournament.</p>
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Explore the debate between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, where Virat Kohli is hailed as the true king of cricket.

Virat Kohli is the true king not Babar Azam

<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">India&rsquo;s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill entered his name in the history books on Tuesday (October 13) by becoming the first player in the world to win the ICC Player of the Month award five times.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">The right-handed batter from Punjab played two ODIs for India last month (in September) against the West Indies and scored 110 and 223 runs in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, respectively.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Gill defeated the likes of India&rsquo;s Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Sikandar Raza to win the top prize.</p>
<p class="continue-read-break" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Abhishek played three T20Is for India in New Delhi against Afghanistan and one against Japan in Sano last month. He scored 82, 39 and 108 in three matches against the Ibrahim Zadran-led side but was dismissed for a golden duck in the first-ever T20I between India and Japan. On the other hand, Raza played three ODIs against Australia in September and scored 57, 45 and 81*. In addition to that, he also picked up three wickets.</p>
<p class="" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">The award on Tuesday is Gill&rsquo;s fifth ICC Men&rsquo;s Player of the Month award. He previously won the ICC Player of the Month awards in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025 and July 2025.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">The last Indian to win the ICC Player of the Month award before Gill was Sanju Samson. Samson bagged the honour in March for his knocks of 97*, 89 and 89 in T20 World Cup 2026 matches against the West Indies, England and New Zealand.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">&ldquo;It feels fantastic to win my fifth ICC Player of the Month award, and I am grateful to the panel for this honour,&rdquo; Gill said in an ICC release.</p>
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<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">&ldquo;It was immensely satisfying to score those runs, and it was even more special to be part of successful run chases in front of our home fans, whose support always gives us an extra boost,&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">The Indian captain also addressed the changing nature of the game and how important it is to adapt to it.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">&ldquo;The pace of ODI cricket has gone up significantly, and you must think on your feet, assess the conditions quickly and adapt to the demands of the pitch,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">&ldquo;With the ICC Men&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup in southern Africa next year, we are determined to keep raising our standards and build a strong, well-rounded team capable of rising to the challenges ahead,&rdquo; he added.</p>

Shubman Gill creates history, becomes first player in the world to...

<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Abhishek Sharma once again proved to be a nightmare for Afghanistan bowlers, this time also breaking multiple records in the process. In the inconsequential third T20I between India and Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, the southpaw smashed a 30-ball ton.</p>
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<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">The effort saw him go past senior pro Rohit Sharma, who no longer plays T20Is. Abhishek's scintillating effort saw him smash the fastest ton in T20I among Indians. The previous record was held by Rohit, who had smashed a 35-ball ton against Sri Lanka in Indore back in 2017.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">In fact, Abhishek now holds the quickest ton by any player from a Test-playing nation.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Fastest T20I hundreds (Test playing nation)</p>
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<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">30 - Abhishek Sharma (India) vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">33 - Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs Gambia, Nairobi (Ruaraka), 2024</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">33 - Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">35 - David Miller (South Africa) vs Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">35 - Rohit Sharma (India) vs Sri Lanka, Indore, 2017</li>
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<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">However, the quickest century in T20Is was smashed by Sahil Chauhan, who achieved the feat playing for Estonia against Cyprus in 2004. Abhishek's feat is in fact the third quickest, with Muhammad Fahad of Turkey ranked second with a 29-ball 100 against Bulgaria in 2025.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Abhishek, who was also the first Indian wicket to fall in the innings, was caught-behind for 108 (34) against spin wizard Rashid Khan. The left-handed batter smashed nine fours and a staggering eleven sixes during the course of his knock.</p>
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<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">If the innings was not entertaining enough, Abhishek also grabbed attention for his ice-cold celebration after achieving the feat. He walked towards the side pitch and sat in a position, which people normally do while meditating. Soon after doing it he was congratulated by Sanju Samson, his opening partner.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Meanwhile, this was also his third century in T20Is.<br><br>Source:- Moneycontrol Sports Desk&nbsp;</p>

Abhishek Sharma shatters Rohit Sharma's record, breaks internet with ice-cold celebration after 30-ball century

<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Glasgow: India enjoyed another productive day at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Wednesday, adding three medals -- including a gold and two silvers -- to its tally, while six boxers stormed into the semifinals to guarantee at least six more podium finishes.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">The day's biggest highlight came in the men's T47 100m, where India scripted a memorable one-two finish. Dilip Mahadu Gavit powered to the gold medal in a Commonwealth Games record time of 10.71 seconds, producing a blistering finish over the final 30 metres, according to ESPN.</p>
<p class="continue-read-break" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Fellow Indian Mohammed Basil Morssinganakth clinched the silver in 10.83 seconds, edging England's Kevin Santos (10.85s) to complete a historic Indian sweep of the podium.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Athletics also delivered another medal as long jumper Murali Sreeshankar claimed his second successive Commonwealth Games silver. The 27-year-old registered a best leap of 8.09m to finish behind Jamaica's Tajay Gayle (8.15m), while Scotland's Stephen Mackenzie took bronze with 8.08m. Sreeshankar also became the first Indian men's long jumper to win two Commonwealth Games medals.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Indian boxing enjoyed a flawless day with six pugilists advancing to the semifinals, ensuring at least one bronze medal. Sakshi Choudhary (women's 51kg), Jaismine Lamboria (women's 57kg), Arundhati Choudhary (women's 70kg), Sachin Siwach (men's 60kg), Ankush Panghal (men's 80kg) and Narender Berwal (men's 90+kg) all won their quarterfinal bouts to keep India's hopes of multiple boxing gold medals alive.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Elsewhere in athletics, Manpreet Kaur narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the women's shot put with a best throw of 17.49m. National record holder Parul Choudhary placed fifth in the women's 3000m steeplechase final after losing contact with the leading pack in the latter stages.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">India also received encouraging results in the track events. Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan qualified for the men's 400m hurdles final, while Animesh Kujur progressed to the semifinals of the men's 200m. In the men's shot put, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill advanced to the final.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">In lawn bowls, Dinesh Kumar and Navneet Singh defeated Namibia 2-0 in the men's pairs sectional play, while Nayanmoni Saikia bounced back from her opening defeat to beat Caroline Whitehead of the Isle of Man 2-0 in the women's singles, keeping her semifinal hopes alive.</p>
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<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">India endured mixed fortunes in the pool. Aryan Nehra finished sixth in the men's 1500m freestyle final, while Sajan Prakash and Aneesh S. Gowda failed to qualify for the men's 200m freestyle final. In the para- swimming, Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Chaitanya Vishwas Kulkarni reached the men's 50m freestyle S7 final before finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">In para athletics, Sagar Thayat finished sixth with a season-best throw of 51.79m, while Devender Kumar placed seventh with 48.20m in the men's discus throw F42-44/F61-64 final.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">At the end of Day 7, India had collected 15 medals in Glasgow--three gold, nine silver, and three bronze.</p>
<p data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">India's medallists so far are:</p>
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<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women's shot put F57)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Dilip Mahadu Gavit (gold, men's T47 100m)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Mohammed Basil Morssinganakth (silver, men's T47 100m)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Murali Sreeshankar (silver, men's long jump)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men's high jump)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Gulveer Singh (silver, men's 10,000m)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Harjinder Kaur (silver, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">BindyarDevi (bronze, weightlifting)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, women's shot put F57)</li>
<li data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}">Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting)</li>
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CWG 2026: Gavit strikes gold as India add three medals on day 7, six boxers assure podium finishes

Commonwealth Games 2026 athletics schedule: India's full fixtures, timings and stars to watch

<p>Lionel Messi kicked off Argentina's World Cup defense with a historic masterclass, netting an incredible hat-trick to pilot La Albiceleste to a comfortable 3-0 win over Algeria in their Group J opener at Arrowhead Stadium.</p>
<p>The night truly belonged to the Argentine captain, who shook off recent hamstring concerns to put on a clinical display. In doing so, Messi hit a monumental milestone, drawing level with Germany's iconic striker Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest goalscorer in World Cup history with 16 tournament goals.</p>
<h2><strong>How Masterclass Unfolded</strong></h2>
<p>Argentina asserted their dominance early, but it was the 17th minute that ignited the Kansas City crowd:</p>
<p>The Opener (17'): Receiving a precise ball from Rodrigo De Paul roughly 40 yards out, Messi spun his defender, took three sharp touches toward the box, and unleashed a ferocious strike from the edge of the area that beat Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane.</p>
<p>The Second (60'): Alexis Mac Allister unleashed a stinging 30-yard drive that Zidane could only parry right into the path of an alert Messi, who coolly tapped it home from close range.</p>
<p>The Record-Equaler (76'): Argentina surged forward on a devastating counter-attack. Messi played the ball wide to the left, moved intelligently into space, and swept a vintage side-footed finish through a cluster of defenders to complete his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.</p>
<p>Shortly after matching Klose's legendary tally, Lionel Messi was substituted to a thunderous standing ovation from the crowd, making way for young forward Nico Paz.</p>
<h2><strong>Rewriting History Books</strong></h2>
<p>Beyond matching Klose at the top of the all-time scoring list, this match marked the 200th international cap of Messi's illustrious career - coming exactly 20 years to the day after his World Cup debut back in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro.</p>
<p>Furthermore, by stepping onto the pitch, the 38-year-old icon officially became the first player in football history to feature across six different World Cup tournaments.</p>
<p>With three points safely in the bag, the defending champions will look ahead to Monday's second Group J match against Austria in Arlington, Texas, where Messi will stand on the precipice of taking the all-time goalscoring record entirely for himself.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Source:- ABP - Live</strong></p>

FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi magic continues with hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win

<p>On any other day, the conversation would have centred around Oh Hyeon-gyu&rsquo;s winner for South Korea against Czechia or even the World Cup&rsquo;s opening goal by Juli&aacute;n Quinones for Mexico which had the majority of the Azteca stadium in raptures. It is the start of the World Cup &mdash; everyone wants a celebration of goals and lovely little touches. It just makes for a great atmosphere.</p>
<p>But by the time the Mexico vs South Africa game ended with the hosts winning 2-0, the focus was on the red cards. South Africa&rsquo;s Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off, and then Mexico&rsquo;s Cesar Montes was dismissed in stoppage time.</p>
<p>Referee Wilton Sampaio&rsquo;s performance in the game has become a global talking point. Reason? This was the first red card brandished in a World Cup opening match since Marco Etcheverry for Bolivia against Germany in 1994 and it had been 20 years since three players were sent off in one match.</p>
<p>Since then the referees have been stricter or maybe the players have perhaps been a little kinder. Both the World Cups in Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) saw just four red cards in the whole tournament. The 2026 tournament has nearly matched that already.</p>
<p>Sithole card in the 49th minute was for a clear foul. He was sent off for bringing down Brian Guti&eacute;rrez as the Mexican was racing through on goal.</p>
<p>The second red wasn&rsquo;t as clear a decision. Themba Zwane was sent off following a VAR review just 23 minutes after coming on as a substitute for violent conduct.</p>
<p>It was the first time a team has received two red cards in a World Cup match since Portugal and Netherlands both had two players dismissed in a 2006 round-of-16 meeting</p>
<p>Referee Sampaio&rsquo;s final red card, which he issued after deeming C&eacute;sar Montes&rsquo; challenge on Khuliso Mudau a last-man tackle, was arguably harsh, brandishing a third card in added time.</p>
<p>Pierluigi Collina has been at the helm as FIFA&rsquo;s Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee for nearly a decade and in his time, there has been a crack down on foul play in a bid to protect players from injury.</p>
<p>Ahead of the Qatar World Cup, the Italian had spoken about the approach he wanted the referees to take.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The World Cup is the most important tournament on earth in our sport with the best players in the world,&rdquo; Collina said. &ldquo;It would be a shame if some of these players wouldn&rsquo;t be able to play due to an injury caused by an opponent. So the first message to our referees is to protect the players safety,&rdquo; the Italian had said</p>
<p>He had added: &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to have some challenges that may really endanger the safety of the player. Whenever there is something that may endanger the safety of players, coaches should expect the strongest disciplinary sanction which is a red card.&rdquo;</p>
<p><br>Perhaps, these were just first game nerves. South Africa, wanting to make an impression in their first game, pushed too hard. There were a few reckless challenges before the first red card too. But the reaction of the referee should put other teams on alert too.</p>
<p>A line has been drawn &mdash; one that teams have now been warned not to cross. This crachdown by the referees came after a whopping 28 red cards at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. A total of 17 red cards were shown at the 2010 finals in South Africa and 10 at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.</p>
<p>With 48 teams participating in the World Cup, the net has been cast wider than ever. There will be a gap in class that has not always been on display before and that may lead to some desperate tackles too.</p>
<p>Leagues in South America are generally known to be a little crazier than those in Europe. The highest reported number of players sent off in a single football match is 36 in the Argentine Primera D (fifth tier) game between Club Atl&eacute;tico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas on 27 February 2011. All 18 players on each side (11 on-field players and seven substitutes) were sent off following a no-holds-barred brawl.</p>
<p>And then there was an incident in Brazil in March 2026, where a mass brawl led to red cards for 23 players from Cruzeiro and their fierce local rivals Atl&eacute;tico Mineiro after clashes at the Campeonato Mineiro final.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s regrettable, I have never seen violence like that in any football game,&rdquo; Atl&eacute;tico&rsquo;s former Brazil forward Hulk had then said. &ldquo;We cannot set that example because it ends up having repercussions all around the world. We have a responsibility to safeguard our image and the image of the institution.&rdquo;</p>
<p>So maybe the three red cards are not a bad thing. The ground rules have been established and it hopefully sets the tone for a tournament where the only winner will be football.</p>
<p>Source:- Hindustantimes</p>

A ‘red’ start to the FIFA World Cup

It was the first time a team has received two red cards in a World Cup match since Portugal and Netherlands both had two players dismissed in a 2006 round-of-16 meeting.