Cricket now

Ashwani won the Player of the match award on debut. (PC: X.com) A new star was born on one of the biggest stages in franchise cricket. Making his debut for Mumbai Indians, left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar ensured his first day at the office was nothing short of spectacular. The Punjab-born speedster made an immediate impact, dismissing Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane with his very first delivery. He didn’t stop there – his fiery spell saw him claim the wickets of Rinku Singh and Manish Pandey in his second over before sending the dangerous Andre Russell back in his third. Finishing with remarkable figures of 4/24 in just three overs, Ashwani played the all-important role in restricting KKR to a mere 116 runs, shattering records along the way. His stellar performance earned him the Player of the Match award, and he was visibly elated after the game. Want to make it count: Ashwani “It’s a huge moment for me to receive this opportunity and be named Man of the Match. I com...

Sunil Narine and Andre Russell’s dismissals against Mumbai Indians. Images: IPL Surely, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) aren’t this bad. To be routed in under 30 overs and pummelled by eight wickets. It was a no-contest that even the most ardent Mumbai Indians (MI) supporter found difficult to believe. Understandably, the fans are angry. In fact, fans often overreact and that’s always been the story of fandom. But, to a degree, they are entitled. In my book, the two most important constituents of the IPL are the players and the fans. Unless the fans watch it, there is no IPL. They help the broadcaster make money, encourage the advertisers to spend and make the tournament what it is. They make heroes of the players and create brands of them. The best example was when the KKR won the tournament in 2012. Over 80,000 fans made it to the Eden Gardens on a scorching summer day to be a part of the celebrations on the team’s return. If we don’t call that an overreaction and hail the gesture...

Hasaranga’s four-fer derailed CSK’s run-chase. (PC: IPL) Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a close encounter by six runs at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on March 30. Top 3 Moments of the CSK vs RR Match: Nitish Rana’s Blistering Innings Rana, after not being retained by Kolkata Knight Riders, failed in the first two matches for his new franchise. However, today he showed his class by scoring 81 runs off just 36 balls at a strike rate of 225.00. His innings included 10 fours and five sixes, helping RR post a total of 182-9. Nitish was adjudged the Player of the Match. Wanindu Hasaranga’s four-fer Hasaranga delivered a match-winning spell against CSK. He ran through the CSK batting order, dismissing Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Vijay Shankar. Among them, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s wicket was the most crucial, as he was batting on 63 and looked in great touch before Hasaranga dismissed him. Hasaranga finished with figures of ...

‘Royal Wildfire’ Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates after getting a wicket against CSK (PC: IPL) Rajasthan Royals finally got their campaign up and running in this season’s Indian Premier League, but their victory came at the expense of countless broken hearts in yellow. While Wanindu Hasaranga and Nitish Rana starred on the scoresheet, the real party-crashers were Sandeep Sharma and Shimron Hetmyer. Their late-game heroics ensured that CSK fans in Guwahati were denied the fairytale finish they had all hoped for — one more match-winning moment from their beloved Thala. Nevertheless, RR clinched victory by the barest of margins, winning by just six runs. Hasaranga claimed a four-fer, while Rana smashed a blazing half-century. The pitch at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati resembled the surface from the first match held there, with spin playing a crucial role. CSK, boasting the formidable trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad, opted to bowl first after winning the toss. ...

Left: Dinesh Lad, Rohit Sharma’s childhood coach. Right: Rohit Sharma, Image: BCCI -Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai Rohit Sharma will be in focus when Mumbai Indians face Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede Stadium on Monday. This will be the first home game for the five-time IPL winners in the ongoing Indian Premier League. While Rohit has had a poor start to the campaign, scoring a duck and eight against Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans respectively, his childhood coach Dinesh Lad reckons the ‘Hitman’ will be back among runs soon, adding that the IPL form shouldn’t be a benchmark for selection in Test cricket. In the bigger picture, Rohit’s batting form is under the scanner considering India will play a crucial five-Test series in England just after the IPL. Notably, Rohit had stood himself down in the final Test against Australia in Sydney after a poor run of form with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which India lost 1-3. With many experts and fans on social media sa...

GT vs MI, IPL 2025 (PC: IPL) Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 36 runs in their home match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 29. With this win, GT opened their account for this season, but for MI, it is now two losses in two games. Here are the top three highlights from today’s GT vs MI game in the IPL 2025 GT Struggled to Finish Strong After a Good Start GT started their innings commandingly, with their openers adding 78 runs for the first wicket. At the end of 15 overs, their score was 140-2, with Shahrukh Khan and Sai Sudharsan at the crease, while Sherfane Rutherford was yet to come. They were expected to finish strong, but MI’s bowlers restricted them to under 200. The same issue occurred in their previous match against Punjab Kings, where GT were 174-2 after 15 overs, with Jos Buttler and Rutherford at the crease. Despite being in a commanding position, they lost that match by 11 runs. GT’s Bowling Brilliance GT’s bowling attack is amon...

Nicholas Pooran’s carnage against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Image: IPL He has always had a calmness about him. A very West Indian relaxed kind of mindset and demeanour. And having seen adversity, he knows that one needs to celebrate and value the good that comes your way. The urge to keep getting better, and be the best version of oneself, is what defines the new Nicholas Pooran. That’s what came through in the candid conversations we had on the IPL and his own approach to batting. Not overawed by the 21-crore price tag or the weight of expectations, Pooran is simply going about his job. He knows he can hit the ball miles and is keeping it simple. Go and do what you do best for hours and hours at practice, and in doing so, help your team Lucknow Super Giants] demolish opponents. “The best part about this franchise is they have never put me under pressure,” he told me. “When you are paid a lot of money, there is always pressure. Not so much from outside but from within. You know you ne...

Patidar won the man of the match award. (PC: X.com) The Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their 17-year-long losing streak at Chepauk with a thumping 50-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL match on Friday. What initially seemed like an uphill battle turned into a dominant performance as RCB posted an impressive total of 196/7. Their bowlers then stepped up brilliantly to defend the target, with the pacers doing most of the damage through precise execution, rather than the spinners. When the required run rate was climbing to 15 runs per over, the CSK players tried to find gaps and rotate the strike. Even with MS Dhoni in the dug-out, the game was slipping away, and their approach felt like that the home team was looking to play out the overs and get as close to the target as possible without getting bowled out. Josh Hazlewood’s twin strikes in the second over pushed CSK on the back foot. Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad both fell to short-...

Image: IPL/BCCI Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally put an end to their long-standing losing streak at MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), securing a commanding 50-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This marks RCB’s first win at this venue since 2008 in IPL. With two wins in two matches, they now sit at the top of the points table. Top Three Highlights from today’s CSK vs RCB Clash MS Dhoni’s Stumping Brilliance & Noor Ahmad’s Spin Magic “A lion may grow old, but he’ll never forget how to hunt and roar.” MS Dhoni proved this phrase true once again, executing a lightning-fast stumping to dismiss the dangerous Philip Salt in just 0.10 seconds. At 43, his reflexes continue to amaze. On the bowling front, Noor Ahmad was RCB’s star spinner, delivering a match-winning spell. He dismissed key batters—Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, and Liam Livingstone—finishing with figures of 3/36 in his four-over quota. RCB Batters’ Blistering Finish RCB’s batters dominated the second hal...

CSK vs RCB, IPL 2025 (PC: RCB and CSK) As the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chepauk, all eyes will be on three key players who could play a decisive role in shaping the outcome of this highly anticipated clash. Virat Kohli – The Backbone of RCB’s Batting Lineup Virat Kohli remains the linchpin of RCB’s batting order. He began IPL 2025 with a match-winning 59 off 38 balls*, guiding his team to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His partnership with Phil Salt provided a strong foundation, underlining his form and leadership. Given his experience at Chepauk, Kohli’s ability to anchor the innings and tackle CSK’s spin attack will be crucial. Noor Ahmad – CSK’s Spin Wizard CSK’s rising Afghan star, Noor Ahmad, made an immediate impact this season, delivering a sensational 4-18 in CSK’s thrilling four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI). With Chepauk’s spin-friendly conditions favouring him, Noor will look to ...

Shardul now leads the bowling charts with six wickets to his name. (PC: BCCI) There is something more than just wickets and runs that define Shardul Thakur. As he charges to the crease, your mind ends up asking a question – How and why is it compelling to watch Shardul in full flight? It isn’t as if Shardul summons quick deliveries in the range of 95mph. It isn’t as if he leaves the batter stunned into silence by extracting steep bounce. And yet you want to watch him. Love his craft. The heart of a Shardul performance is his unshakable belief. With Shardul, every ball seems like the final delivery of a World Cup final. When he bats, every ball seems as if his life is dependent on the outcome of that particular offering. Somewhere, Shardul’s inner voice perhaps keeps telling him – nothing is impossible. On a balmy night in Hyderabad, we saw more evidence of Shardul’s tenacity. Shardul bagged a four-for against the marauding SRH side and proved to be the cornerstone of LSG’s victor...