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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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GT vs MI: Pandya explains decision to give Bumrah the new ball in Ahmedabad

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Bumrah elated after taking first wicket of the IPL 2026 season. (PC: BCCI) Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya opened up on the idea of giving the new ball to Jasprit Bumrah, who broke his wicketless run against Gujarat Titans in his team’s 99-run win in Ahmedabad on Monday. Bumrah failed to pick up a single wicket in the first five matches — the longest dry spell of his career. Pandya was blamed by many for not using the MI bowling spearhead in the powerplay. Against GT, he handed the ball to Bumrah, and with his first delivery, the right-arm pacer removed Sai Sudharsan. “Yeah, it’s quite fascinating. I’ve seen a lot of people say, ‘Why has Jassie never bowled…?’ But if you see, it’s been 138 [151] appearances, and I think 8 or 9 times Jasprit has bowled the first over,” Pandya said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “So I don’t think it’s a Hardik Pandya problem. It’s just that Jasprit Bumrah is so special that you use him wherever it’s required for the team, not nec...
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“The Boat Was Sinking”: Matthew Hayden Rues Middle-Order Collapse in “Terrible” Performance Against MI

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Matthew Hayden (Image: GT) Mumbai Indians (MI) snapped their four-match losing streak with a thumping 99-run victory over the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The architect with the bat was Tilak Varma, whose blistering 101 not out off 45 balls catapulted MI to a competitive 199/5. With the ball, the night belonged to Ashwani Kumar, who ripped through the GT lineup with figures of 4/24, bundling them out for a paltry 100 in just 15.5 overs. MI’s innings was a game of two halves. Reeling at 103 for 4 after 14 overs, they found their hero in Tilak. The final four overs yielded a staggering 73 runs against GT’s pace attack, a phase GT Assistant Coach Matthew Hayden frankly described as “unacceptable.” “I feel like ‘one-dimensional’ is very unfair on a world-class bowling attack, but I will take on board it was a poorly executed bowling effort this evening,” Hayden admitted in the post-match press conference.  “When you look back at those last four overs, that wa...
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GT vs MI: “First 100 will be always special” – Tilak Varma after match-winning century

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Tilak Varma (PC: IPL/ BCCI) Mumbai Indians (MI) star batter Tilak Varma’s maiden unbeaten century made headlines as Hardik Pandya’s side registered a dominant 99-run win against Gujarat Titans (GT) in their IPL 2026 clash in Ahmedabad on April 20. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Tilak spoke about his approach and the significance of his maiden century. “Of course, first 100 will be always special,” Tilak said. “It was very important for us. We don’t have much time from here. Every game is important for us. Last five games ihaven’t had much time in the middle. So this game I wanted to spend time in the middle.” After losing three early wickets, Tilak anchored Mumbai’s innings. He scored unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes, at a strike rate of 224.44. He was initially on 19 off 22 balls but then smashed 82 runs off the next 23 balls to shift the momentum of the game. This innings was also crucial for the 23-year-old, as he wa...
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