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Ferguson Set to Miss IPL Start to Spend Time with Newborn Son

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Ferguson will miss the start of the IPL 2026 due to be with his son. (PC: IPL) New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson will miss the initial phase of the IPL 2026 to spend time with his newborn son and wife at home before joining the Punjab Kings. Ahead of the third T20I against South Africa, Ferguson revealed his plans for the next few weeks and explained that he had decided to take a short break following the ongoing series. “Just had a wee son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help my wife out,” Ferguson said in Auckland. “I’ll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter.” The right-arm quick was granted paternity leave by New Zealand Cricket during the World Cup. However, due to the scheduling, he only had four days with his family before joining the team, which ended the tournament as runners-up. No longer part of the central contract list, Ferguson has no immediate plans to retire from intern...
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Injury storm hits IPL with Ellis, Curran and Edwards set to miss out

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Ellis won’t be able to take part in the upcoming season of the IPL. (PC: X.com) In a massive blow to the Chennai Super Kings, Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury, the franchise CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed on Thursday. An important part of CSK’s plans for the upcoming season, Ellis has been playing regularly since the BBL last year. After the BBL, he played against Pakistan and then in the World Cup before returning home to play domestic matches. Ellis’ injury will leave CSK with many questions, especially in the death overs, as the five-time winners do not have enough options there. “It is a big blow for us,” said CSK CEO K.S. Viswanathan to Sportstar on Thursday during an event to announce Kauvery Hospitals as an official partner of the team. “Ellis is a crucial bowler, especially in the death overs. We are looking at replacements.” Ellis was retained for INR 2 crore ahead of Matheesha Pathirana, who has been CSK’s trusted option i...
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Chahal makes bold sacrifice to extend career and inspire youngsters

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Chahal will be in action for PBKS in the IPL 2026. (PC: BCCI) In a candid chat with former teammate AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal disclosed that he quit alcohol six months ago in order to focus on his ageing body and inspire the younger players in the squad. At 35, Chahal realised that to remain fit and play for longer, he needed to give up alcohol. One of the most successful players in the IPL, Chahal wants to be a role model for younger players. “I’ve stopped drinking alcohol, and it’s been more than six months,” Chahal said during a podcast with AB de Villiers. “I am now 35, so I want to be more active and give 150% for my team. As a senior player, I want people in the IPL to learn something from me.” After battling rib and knuckle injuries last season, Chahal is now looking to prioritise his body. “I was a bit disappointed with myself. After the KKR game, I had a rib fracture, and later my knuckle got fractured. So, in the semi-final and final, I wasn’t able to bowl my pr...
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IPL 2026: “They’ve lost that face” – Faf du Plessis on Samson leaving Rajasthan Royals

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Sanju Samson (PC: IPL/X) Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis feels that Rajasthan Royals (RR) losing Sanju Samson is a big setback for the franchise going into the IPL 2026. Du Plessis believes Samson was not just a player but the face of the team for 11 years, and his absence will hurt both the franchise and the fans. While reflecting on his absence on JioHotstar, du Plessis said, “If I look at the IPL and the teams, the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common, someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. And Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at Rajasthan Royals.” Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He first joined RR in 2013 and played until 2015. He then played for Delhi Capitals(DC) for two seasons (2016, 2017). In 2018, RR bought him back, and in total, he scored 4,027 runs in 149 matches for the fr...
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Rohit Sharma at the Centre of MI’s New Plan for IPL 2026

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Rohit is likely to have a bigger role in comparison to last year. (PC: BCCI) Rohit Sharma will not be used as an Impact Player like last season, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed ahead of the start of IPL 2026. Last year, in most matches, Rohit was used as an Impact Player and was primarily utilised as a batter. His limited involvement became a hot topic of discussion within the side led by Hardik Pandya. Jayawardene revealed that the former MI captain had been struggling with injury concerns. The Sri Lankan went on to say that he would like to see more of Rohit on the field this year. “Rohit, the way we managed him last year, had a few niggles, so we just needed to manage that. The thing is, he’s still making a huge impact on the team whether he’s on the field or not. But, definitely, this year, I want to keep him on the field as much as I can,” Jayawardene said. Jayawardene also weighed in on the team combination. “If you look at it, most of our players ar...
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IPL 2026: “Just go out there and enjoy” – AB de Villiers’ advice to Virat Kohli

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AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli (PC: BCCI/IPL) Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricketer, AB de Villiers has expressed his full support for Virat Kohli ahead of the IPL 2026. He believes the Indian star batter will return sharper than ever despite a break from cricket since January. Speaking on JioStar, de Villiers emphasised Kohli’s unmatched discipline and preparation, dismissing concerns about rustiness heading into the tournament. “First of all, he has the best work ethic I have ever seen in my life. So, he will not come into the tournament undercooked. If he doesn’t play well, it will purely be down to form or maybe a technical error. I am expecting a great season from him. I can only imagine how hyped he must be after getting quite a bit of rest.” The former RCB stalwart also highlighted the mindset within the squad, suggesting the team could be entering a dominant phase in the competition. Having won the title last year, they would want to continue that momentum. H...
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Cummins to miss start of season as Ishan named captain and Abhishek deputy

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Ishan Kishan (L) with Abhishek Sharma (R). (PC: SRH) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be without their captain, Ishan Kishan, for the opening few matches of IPL 2026. Kishan will serve as the stand-in captain in his absence, with Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain. The 2016 winners confirmed the development on March 18. Cummins has not played any cricket since the end of the 2025–26 Ashes. The Australian pacer is still recovering from the back injury he sustained during the five-match series. Because of the same injury, he missed the Pakistan tour and the World Cup, where Australia failed to qualify for the Super Eight. While there is no confirmed timeframe for his return to the field, the 32-year-old is likely to join the squad on 23 March. SRH had the option of handing the captaincy to Travis Head, who has led Australia, or to Heinrich Klaasen or even Nitish Kumar Reddy, but they have opted for Kishan. Last year, the wicketkeeper-batter led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali ...
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