Cricket now

Josh Hazlewood. Image :X As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s players practiced at the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium, the eyes tried to zoom in on one player. Generally, it is about spotting Virat Kohli, the Pied Piper of RCB. As it happened, Kohli was thwacking some imperious shots down the ground in the centre net. But for once Kohli wasn’t the cynosure of the onlookers sitting in the P1 stand. Instead, it was Josh Hazlewood, the RCB spearhead, rehabilitating from an Achilles tendon injury. Despite Hazlewood being the centre of attraction, the eyes couldn’t spot Hazlewood practicing at the centre net. Yours truly still wondered – He must be somewhere around. Eventually, in a few minutes time, a tall fast bowler was seen ushering in a few deliveries at the side net. The fluid and long strides, the rhythmic approach and the tall frame – everything pointed to Hazlewood. Although the veteran pace bowler was bowling from just a few paces. At that moment, a thought flashed in the mind – P...

  Ajinkya Rahane at the Eden Gardens Image: Debasis Sen I am someone who is extremely fond of Ajinkya Rahane. I have always backed him as a player and believe he hasn’t been given his due as captain of the national team. The 2021 Test series win against Australia will forever rank as one of India’s finest, and Rahane, as skipper, deserves a great deal of credit. Unfortunately for him, that hasn’t been the case. Rahane’s Test record and contribution to Indian cricket are second to none. The fact that he is less flamboyant compared to some others has meant that ‘Brand Rahane’ hasn’t been as prominent as it should have been. But that takes nothing away from his contribution to the sport. All this, however, doesn’t deter one from asking questions about his strike-rate. As I said, I am hugely fond of Ajju , and there is no PR here – either for or against him. Rather, I have some very basic questions to ask. Rahane’s strike-rate in the first game was 167.5. KKR’s team total was 2...

Priyansh Arya (PC: IPL/BCCI) Punjab Kings (PBKS) young batter Priyansh Arya delivered a match-winning knock to guide his side to their second consecutive win in the IPL 2026. PBKS defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday. During the post match presentation, Arya opened up about his aggressive approach. “I am a little like this from when I was young, and because it benefits the team, I play in this fashion,” Arya told the host broadcasters. “There is a risk but I have belief in myself that I can hit the first ball.” Arya came in as the impact substitute and gave an explosive start to Punjab. The 24-year-old smashed 39 runs off 11 balls including three boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of 354.54.  He stitched a 61-run opening stand with Prabhsimran Singh (44). His impressive efforts at the top earned him the Player of the match award. Arya also shared his transition from domestic cricket to IPL. “There is a bit of dif...

Van der Dussen retires at the age of 37. (PC: ICC) South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen, at the age of 37, has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing the curtains down on a seven-and-a-half-year international career. His last appearance came against Australia in a T20I in August last year, where he was unbeaten on 38 off 26 balls. Throughout his international career, van der Dussen played 70 ODIs, 57 T20Is and 18 Tests, having made his international debut in 2018. The right-handed batter became a mainstay of the team, scoring 2,657 runs in 71 matches at an average of 50.13, including six centuries and 17 fifties. In T20Is, he scored 1,406 runs at a strike rate of 128.76. In Tests, he scored 905 runs, including six half-centuries, with a highest score of 98. He was also part of the World Cup squads in 2019, 2021 and 2023, as well as the 2025 Champions Trophy. “It is with a proud heart and a profound sense of gratitude that I announ...

LSG vs DC. Image: IPL/BCCI I was watching the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) versus Delhi Capitals (DC) match on television in Sri Lanka and found myself wondering why cricketers at this level still, at times, lack the most basic trait – common sense. How and why do they fail to exercise this basic faculty in critical situations? Shahbaz Ahmed, one of the more talented players on the domestic circuit and someone who had a decent season for Bengal, was batting with Anrich Nortje, with only Mohsin Khan to follow. There were still 12 balls left in the Lucknow innings, and a decent finish could have taken them to 160, which, in hindsight, could well have been a par score. Shahbaz was already set and had faced 15 balls. All he needed to do was go for the big shots and retain the strike as much as possible. Image :IPL/BCCI What he did, however, was take a single off the second ball of the 19th over. The last two wickets then fell in the next two deliveries, closing out the LSG innings fo...

Nitish Kumar Ready (PC: IPL/BCCI) Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered an all-round performance to help Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) register their first win of IPL 2026. SRH defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at their home ground- Eden Gardens by 65 runs on April 2. During the post-match presentation, Reddy reflected on his performance and said, “It’s the match-winning performance I had been waiting for for a long time. Thankfully, it came at the right time, and even my bowling has given me confidence. I’m just trying to stay positive.” Reddy made a solid contribution with the bat, adding 39 runs off 24 balls, including four boundaries and a six, at a strike rate of 162.50. He also built a crucial 82-run partnership with Heinrich Klaassen (52), which ensured SRH posted a massive total of 226/8. With the ball, the 22-year-old picked up two crucial wickets while conceding 17 runs in two overs. He first dismissed Anukul Roy for a duck and then removed KKR’s in-form vice-captain, Rinku Singh...