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  Mohsin Khan for LSG. Images :X Sanjiv Goenka has been subject to a lot of trolling in recent times. If I were in his position, I’d actually use it. He is being talked about, and it will help his team on social media. These trolls don’t matter, so Dr Goenka can start to look at it as publicity. Be the leader in the troll universe and gain considerable traction. But that’s not the point here. The point is that Dr Goenka and his team, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), have given Indian cricket Mohsin Khan back. He is the only bowler to have bowled two maiden overs this IPL, one of them against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Mohsin has been sensational and can certainly push Arshdeep Singh if he can stay fit and hold things together. A lot of work is done behind the scenes. This was one such case. Mohsin was brilliant in 2022 and was later badly impacted by multiple injuries. He had to undergo surgery and went off the radar. In a ruthlessly competitive world, LSG could easily have let him...

Heinrich Klaasen with Salil Arora (PC: IPL/BCCI) Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen delivered a match-winning performance to help his side register a dominant six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on April 30. While chasing a massive target of 244 runs, Klaasen hammered a stunning unbeaten 65 off just 30 balls. Coming in after SRH lost two consecutive wickets, he built the innings with seven boundaries and four maximums at a strike rate of 216.66. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Klaasen reflected on his approach during the chase. “Big gap at cow corner so had to take a risk early,” he said. “Wicket was good. They had a quality bowling attack, so had to take a chance and see if we could make light work of it. The left shoulder gave me some issues, so I am not as strong over cow corner. Slinger is feeding me a lot of balls, so it is going nicely. (On if he is feeling invincible) N...

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma ( PC: X) Until the ninth over of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings, it felt like the visitors would win this game in a canter. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head were making short work of a victory target of 244. Then, Allah Ghazanfar struck, first by dismissing Abhishek and breaking a 129-run (8.4 overs) opening partnership, and accounting for Ishan Kishan for a golden duck the next ball. In the following over, Hardik Pandya removed Head, who perished for a 30-ball 76. The spectators at the Wankhede Stadium found their voice and the game was suddenly wide open. Mumbai Indians still had to remove Heinrich Klaasen. The 12th over, bowled by Ashwani Kumar, yielded 18 runs and the equation came down to 76 off 48 balls. Hardik took responsibility and bowled an economical 13th over. Only eight runs were scored, but the asking rate was still under 10. Klaasen had a slow start to this IPL, but as the tournament approaches the business end, he is proving his Rs 23-...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PC:IPL/BCCI) ‘ ‘One more 200-plus total bites the dust in the 2026 IPL.’ This could very well turn out to be a catchy headline in the backdrop of Rajasthan Royals chasing down a target of 223 against Punjab Kings. Just a few days ago, PBKS themselves overhauled a record-breaking target of 265, while RR were at the receiving end of Sunrisers Hyderabad hunting down a substantial total. Just sift through more numbers and you can paint the big picture. Over 15 long IPL seasons, there were 133 instances of 200-plus scores. Between 2023 and 2026, however, there have been 163 examples of teams surpassing the 200-run mark. Interestingly, in the ongoing IPL, teams have broken the 200-run mark a whopping 33 times. The numbers continue to set a narrative. We are living in times where a team can end up with 18–20 sixes in a game. We also live in times where the total number of sixes hit could be more than the number of boundaries. To illustrate the point, in a PBKS–LSG e...

Kohli delivered a speech during the event. (PC: Screengrab) India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli has advised the younger generation to pursue their dreams with full commitment and honesty. Kohli shared words of wisdom with children during the inauguration of a new branch of the West Delhi Cricket Academy. The talismanic batter underlined the importance of schooling and how it helps shape careers. “I’m not used to speaking in schools, so this is going to be a bit awkward for me because I moved away from the school setup long ago for cricket, and that’s what I’m going to talk about,” Kohli said during the opening address. “I understand the school environment. I’ve been through the same process and stage that all you kids are a part of right now. And I can just share from my own experience how my focus and priorities changed very early in my life.” “What I want to say is that school is a place where you come to learn, you come to grow, and you become better...

Donovan Ferreira with Shubham Dubey (PC: IPL/BCCI) Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Donovan Ferreira delivered a match-winning performance as his unbeaten half-century guided his side to a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on April 28, which ended their unbeaten streak. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Ferreira stressed the importance of keeping his mind clear. “It was a good innings—keeping my mind nice and clear, like when I was a kid playing with a toy truck,” Ferreira said. “We need to keep showing intent and not be predictable. So, let’s be calculative and play our shots. Important to take it ball by ball. Kept reminding myself it was only 11s and 12s. Luckily for me, Shubham took the pressure off me.” Chasing a massive target of 223, Ferreira finished the game unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls. His knock was laced with six fours and three maximums at a strike rate of 200. At the other end, Shubham Dubey provided crucial support with a quick 31*...