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India Eye Strong Women’s T20 World Cup Push Amid Rising Expectations

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Image: Indian Women’s cricket team, Instagram It is exactly 50 days to go until the Women’s T20 World Cup in June in the UK. India may not have had the best of starts in their final preparations in South Africa, but nonetheless there is every reason to believe they can mount a strong campaign when the showpiece begins. Very bluntly, two out of India, Australia and South Africa will make the semi-finals. While Pakistan, Bangladesh and a qualifier are also in the group, chances are the semi-final spots will be decided between these three sides. Why do I think India have a chance? Why would I say they can indeed beat South Africa and Australia and make the top four? Is it mere hope, or are there sound reasons behind the assessment? First, India now know how to win on the big stage. They also understand that a World Cup is about winning four matches. In the 50-over World Cup at home, India lost three consecutive matches but then won the games that mattered and were crowned world champ...
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SA-W vs IND-W, 3rd T20I: Laura Wolvaardt’s Blistering 115 Seals 3-0 Series Win for South Africa Women

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Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus against India (PC: Proteas Women) A thumping nine-wicket win for South Africa Women in the third T20I in Johannesburg as they sealed the five-match series with two matches to spare. Despite India Women posting a competitive 192/4 and setting a 193-run target, the bowlers were taken apart by the South African openers, skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus. Wolvaardt’s 115 and Luus’ unbeaten 64 ensured a dominant win for the home side, leaving the visitors clueless. India made three changes, bringing back Renuka Singh Thakur and Kashvee Gautam while dropping N. Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud. They also left out Anushka Sharma to include Bharti Fulmali, who, however, did not get a chance to bat. India’s 192/4 was a much-improved batting effort compared to the first two games. Shafali Verma registered back-to-back fifties, and her 68-run stand with Smriti Mandhana set the tone. However, left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba struck twice in consecutive deliver...
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Gritty Rajasthan Royals pip Lucknow Super Giants

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Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial hand. PC – BCCI. A fine all-round show propelled Rajasthan Royals to a 40-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL game played in Lucknow. In a chase of 160, LSG could muster a mere 119. RR now have 5 wins in 7 games and sit second on the table. LSG’s batting crumbles again  Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant and Aiden Markram, batting at 2, 3 and 4 respectively, couldn’t open their account. Nicholas Pooran did accumulate 22 runs while Himmat Singh scored 15. However, it wasn’t enough. Eventually, only Mitchell Marsh crossed the 50-run mark but his knock went in vain. RR’s lower-middle-order comes to the fore At one point of time, RR too were struggling at 77 for 5. However, the experienced Ravindra Jadeja (29-ball unbeaten 43), Donovan Ferreira (20 runs) and Shubham Dubey (19 not out) took RR to a competitive score on a pitch that assisted the fast bowlers right through the match. RR’s clinical effort with the ball  Jofra Archer...
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LSG vs RR: Markram lauds X-factor Mayank, says he gives LSG a selection headache

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Mayank is yet to play a single game this season. (PC: BCCI) Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Aiden Markram has labelled Mayank Yadav as an X-factor and asserted that the fast bowler is giving the team selection headaches ahead of their game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday. Mayank’s career has been marred by multiple injury setbacks, primarily a severe lower-back stress fracture, which sidelined him for most of last year’s IPL. Mayank is now fit and has been bowling in the nets. However, despite this, he is not getting opportunities. “The last I heard is he’s fit and firing,” Markram told reporters ahead of their clash against RR in Lucknow on the eve of the match. “A fit and firing Mayank Yadav creates significant selection headaches for any team he is in. He’s an X-factor bowler.” Earlier in the season, LSG Director of Cricket Tom Moody also confirmed that Mayank has been fit this season, but the franchise wanted him to build up his workload. LSG have mostly gone wi...
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“Priyansh loves playing and watching cricket, nothing else distracts him”: Sanjay Bhardwaj

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    Image :Sanjay Bharadwaj Debasis Sen  Punjab Kings’ left-hand opener Priyansh Arya has carried his red-hot form from last IPL season into the current one. The 24-year-old batter from Delhi has already piled up 211 runs in just five matches in the ongoing season, striking at an incredible strike rate of nearly 248.23. He first grabbed attention in IPL 2025 with an impressive 475-run debut season. According to his childhood coach Sanjay Bhardwaj, Priyansh’s rise is driven by strong mental resilience and a constant eagerness to improve. This season, he has backed up the hype with match-winning knocks, including blistering innings of 39 off 11 balls, 57 off 20, and a dominant 93 off 37, effectively silencing any doubts about his consistency. “For Priyansh, discipline is everything. He started training with me at the LB Shastri cricket academy when he was 9 or 10 years old. Over the years, he has stayed grounded—listening to his parents, coaches, and mentors. He has...
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SRH vs DC: Malinga and Sakib power Hyderabad to their third consecutive win

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Eshan Malinga (PC: IPL/BCCI) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer duo Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain delivered impactful performances to help their side seal a convincing 47-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in a high-scoring encounter in Hyderabad on April 21. Malinga led the pace attack brilliantly, picking up four crucial wickets that broke Delhi’s momentum at key stages of their innings. He used his variations smartly, especially his slower deliveries, to trouble the batters. The 25-year-old conceded 32 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 8.00. Malinga was well supported by Sakib , who chipped in with one wicket while conceding only 29 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 7.25. Malinga has been one of SRH’s most consistent performers this season. He is Hyderabad’s leading wicket-taker, having picked up 13 wickets from seven matches at an average of 18.08 and an economy rate of 9.43. His ability to deliver in crucial moments has made him one of the most reliabl...
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GT vs MI: Gill points to middle-overs lapse after heavy defeat in Ahmedabad

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GT suffered their first loss at home aganst MI. (PC: BCCI) Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill cited poor bowling in the middle overs, where his team conceded too many runs, as one of the reasons behind the loss to Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After winning the toss, GT started with a bang, taking three wickets to dismantle MI’s top order. However, MI made a comeback during the middle overs. Between overs 7 and 17, they scored 95 runs. In the last three overs, MI accumulated 58 runs to reach 199, which was an above-par total on a tricky pitch. “Honestly, I think we gave away too many runs in the middle overs,” said Gill in the post-match presentation. “On a wicket like that, I think 160–170 was a par score. But I think there are a lot of learnings for us from this game.” There were signs of variable bounce, especially during the second innings. Gill was unhappy with the lengths his bowlers bowled during the first innings. “I think the wicket was...
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