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  Images: Debasis Sen Subhayan Chakraborty, Eden Gardens Half-centuries from Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler went in vain as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their mathematical hopes alive in the IPL play-off race by defeating the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 29 runs at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Batting first, KKR posted a mammoth 247/2 in 20 overs, thanks to a thunderous 93 from Finn Allen and half-centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green. While GT suffered a major setback with Sai Sudharsan walking off injured early on, Gill and Buttler’s fireworks ultimately were not enough, as the Titans’ five-match winning run came to an end. Finn Allen at His Destructive Best Allen was at his absolute best, going hammer and tongs from the outset and sparing none of the GT bowlers at Eden Gardens. He went ballistic, smashing 10 sixes and four boundaries during his 93-run stay at the crease. After targeting Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj in the powerplay, the KKR opener hammered ...

CSK. PC – BCCI On a given day in Lucknow, Anshul Kamboj’s chances of defeating Mitchell Marsh were in a contest outside of cricket. Truth be told, all those fours and sixes felt like knockout punches from Marsh to not just Kamboj but also Chennai Super Kings’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Now, it may come down to CSK winning both their last two games, alongside improving their net run-rate. So, what went wrong for CSK in the ‘Golden City of the East’? Perhaps we have to zoom in on their bowling effort. On a track that offered enough pace and bounce, the likes of Kamboj and Gurjapneet Singh mostly got the ball to kiss the surface. In such conditions, and against a 6’5″ batter who has played enough of his cricket at the WACA, it was never going to work. When Kamboj tried to pull the length back, he couldn’t get the ball to climb higher on the bat. No wonder Marsh played a volley of pull shots. Meanwhile, Gurjapneet is well over ...

  Virat Kohli (PC: IPL/BCCI) “Playing a World Cup for India is amazing.” “Why would I leave my home, get my stuff over, and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want’?” “If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space.” “I work as hard, if not harder, than anyone else.” “I prepare for the fact that I will field 50 overs, every ball like it’s the last ball I’m going to play in my career.” “Either tell me on day one I’m not good enough or I’m not needed.” “If you’ve said I’m good enough… then be quiet.” “People say we believe in your abilities, and then a week later they start questioning the way you operate.” “No one can guarantee performance in any space.” Each of the above are quotes from the Virat Kohli interview on the RCB podcast. Three things stand out for me in these statements. First and foremost is the hunger. For any sportsperson, it is about hunger. For someone who has achieved everything there is to achieve, it is even mor...

Mitchell Marsh (PC-BCCI) Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings. After an early collapse, Kartik Sharma and Shivam Dube rescued CSK and guided them to 187. Already eliminated, LSG still produced a strong chase and won with 20 balls remaining. The loss will hurt CSK’s playoff hopes, as they now must win their remaining two matches and hope Punjab Kings lose to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the upcoming game. Kartik Sharma revives CSK after top-order collapse CSK were under pressure after early wickets, with Sanju Samson scoring 20 off 20, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad managing 13, and Urvil Patel falling early, leaving the side reeling at 53/3 when Kartik arrived at the crease. After a cautious start against Mayank Yadav, Kartik shifted momentum with fearless stroke play, attacking Shahbaz Ahmed and Prince Yadav with powerful boundaries and bringing up his fifty with a huge six off Mohammed Shami. Alongside Dube’s quick 32 off 16, Kartik re...

Overton has returned home after sustaining an injury. (PC: BCCI) Around this time last year, with Chennai Super Kings not doing well, one player who came under criticism was Jamie Overton. As a bowling all-rounder, he failed to take a single wicket. He bowled six overs and conceded 83 runs. The sample size was small, but it was enough for fans to have a go at him. Some even went on to say that he did not belong in the setup. However, the team management kept faith in him and retained him ahead of the ongoing season. While there was uncertainty over whether he would start or not, injuries to Nathan Ellis and Dewald Brevis allowed CSK to slot Overton into the playing XI. In the first game, he top scored for CSK in a low-scoring affair against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he again scored important runs, picked up the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal, but leaked runs at the death. Once again, questions were raised about his place in the team. Despite the c...

Bumrah elated after taking first wicket of the IPL 2026 season. (PC: BCCI) Jasprit Bumrah had a beaming smile after Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. Truth be told, it was an inconsequential game for MI, having already bowed out of the tournament. But hidden beneath it was a significant moment for Bumrah: he was captaining MI for the first time. As it worked out, Bumrah ended up leading the Indian team before donning the captaincy hat for MI. Ever since he dismissed Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair in an IPL game in 2013, Bumrah has been an integral part of the set-up through thick and thin. MI too have taken great care of their crowning jewel, especially when the pace bowler suffered a left knee injury back in 2014. Unfortunately for MI, the champion fast bowler has been going through a barren patch in IPL 2026: just three wickets in 12 matches and at a strike rate of 128. So what could be the issue? He is probably exhausted...