Cricket now

Sanju Samson with Ruturaj Gaikwad. (PC: CSK) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad recounted a conversation with Sanju Samson in England, during which he encouraged the latter to join CSK. Samson responded by saying he would be happy to join purely as a player and play under Gaikwad’s leadership. Speaking on the CSK podcast, Gaikwad said he urged Samson to consider joining the five-time champions, especially given his roots in southern India. “I remember we had a conversation around two or three years ago. I think we were in England. He was asking me what things are like at CSK, how it all works, and what the environment is like. I told him, ‘I feel, being a South Indian, you should explore this opportunity. You should be here’,” Gaikwad told Abhinav Mukund on the podcast. Samson was keen to understand how CSK function as a team and also made it clear that he would not join with the intention of leading the side. Instead, he said he would be more than happy to play un...

Virat Kohli (PC: IPL/BCCI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock in their opening match of IPL 2026. His innings helped RCB chase down 202 runs in just 15.4 overs and secure a dominant six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Kohli anchored the chase brilliantly and remained unbeaten on 69, which came off 38 balls. The RCB opener smashed five boundaries and five maximums at a strike rate of 181.57. His innings got a reprieve in the seventh over when Heinrich Klaassen dropped his catch at long-on off Harshal Patel’s delivery. The dropped catch proved costly, as RCB made full use of the opportunity. There was also a rare moment involving Kohli in the field. During SRH’s innings, he dropped a simple catch at long-on in the 18th over after Aniket Verma miscued his shot. The ball slipped from his hands, leaving him surprised. Despite the mistake, the veteran batter controlled ...

Left: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ( PC- official X hand;le), Right: Jacob Bethell ( PC-X) Every year, the IPL unveils exciting young talents. Some take the next step in their careers, while many struggle to sustain early promise. The league thrives on hype and hoopla, making it essential to separate potential from projection. With the 2026 edition upon us, a few emerging players carry genuine promise of making a lasting impact. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Will he take a giant leap or suffer second-season blues? The Rajasthan Royals teenager is arguably the most exciting young Indian prospect in white-ball cricket. He announced himself last season with a first-ball six, and the months that followed only strengthened his reputation. A stunning 175 in the U-19 World Cup final forced the cricketing world to sit up and take notice. However, he was a relatively unknown quantity last year. This season presents a different challenge. Opposition teams have analysed his game in detail, and bowlers will ...

  Outside Chinnaswamy Stadium. Image: Revsportz Lights. Camera. Action. Over the next couple of months, the grand colosseum of the IPL will once more entertain millions of fans across the length and breadth of India and beyond. As Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening game of the tournament, there is a connecting point to this year’s IPL — after a gap of nearly one year, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will host a game of cricket. It wouldn’t just be a day of celebrating the game of leather and willow; it is also a day of remembering the 11 fans who lost their lives in a tragic incident near the Chinnaswamy last year. The build-up to the game says something about the nervous energy not just among the fans but also the administrators. Security is quite strict in and around the ground. A couple of days before the start of the tournament, fire brigade services were out in full force. The gates have been renovated, and new ones have com...

IPL trophy. Images: IPL/BCCI As the IPL journey starts tonight, I have to say I was an IPL sceptic to begin with in 2008. I did not know how the fans would take to cricketers going under the hammer, and I wasn’t sure if people would come out in numbers to watch the tournament being played at 4pm India time. Needless to say, I was proved wrong. Afternoon games were played to packed stands, and it was unbelievable to see 50,000-plus people brave the 40-degree heat and turn up to watch every game. As we celebrate the $3.41 billion IPL team sales, we must also celebrate foresight – be it that of Lalit Modi, the team owners, or Shane Warne. The big learning for any entrepreneur is this ability to look ahead. No business can operate on the short term alone. While you can’t sustain losses for long, it is also essential to understand what the end point could be. It is a chess game. No player has ever won a chess tournament by playing move by move. You anticipate three or four moves ahead,...

Captain Gill in action for GT. (PC: BCCI) Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill has voiced his opinion on the much-debated Impact Player rule in the IPL, saying that it should not exist, as adding an extra player takes skill out of the game. Introduced in 2023, the Impact Player rule has been widely debated and has divided opinion. While there has been an increase in high-scoring matches—which most fans enjoy—Gill is not among the supporters of the rule and has openly expressed his opposition to it. “Personally, I don’t think there should be an Impact Player,” Gill said the pre-season GT press-conference. “I think cricket, in general, is an 11-player game. On the wickets and grounds we play on, adding an extra batsman takes the skill out of the game.” Explaining his point further, Gill stated: “There is a certain skill in the game that you need to have. When you know you have a certain number of batters, and if a couple of them get out, there is a level of skill required to k...