Cricket strewn with best of frenemies

The air crackled with anticipation before India's T20 World Cup match against South Africa in Ahmedabad. Then, something telling happened.

David Miller was visualizing in the middle, gloves on, bat in hand. He looked up to see Hardik Pandya approaching with a bright smile. Pandya extended his arms, and the two shared a long, warm embrace.

They looked like long-lost friends, not opponents in the tournament's biggest match. This scene would likely baffle past legends like Ian Botham and Ian Chappell, whose famous feud began in a brawl 49 years ago.

Miller and Pandya have shared a dressing room as key players for the Gujarat Titans in their 2022 and 2023 IPL campaigns. The modern era of global franchise tournaments has reshaped player relationships across national lines.

Further evidence came in South Africa's match against West Indies. While we don't know the personal dynamics, several players—Keshav Maharaj, Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, and Roston Chase—were teammates for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 just months prior. Gudakesh Motie and Sikandar Raza were in Miller's Paarl Royals squad.

For those concerned familiarity dulls competitiveness, the first over offered reassurance. Maharaj bowled to his Pretoria teammate, Hope, who promptly hammered him for two sixes and a four.

West Indies struggled to 83/7 before Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd added 89 runs, setting a target of 176/8. South Africa's chase was dominant. Openers Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock put on 95 off 48 balls. Markram then shared an unbroken 82-run stand with Ryan Rickelton, securing a nine-wicket victory with 23 balls to spare.

This win kept South Africa unbeaten and on the cusp of the semifinals, handing West Indies their first tournament loss. If India beat Zimbabwe, their match against West Indies on Sunday becomes a shootout for a final four spot.

Prefer aggression? The Ranji Trophy final in Hubballi saw Jammu & Kashmir captain Paras Dogra head-butt Karnataka's KV Aneesh, who was fielding at silly point. Both were wearing helmets.