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Gill celebrating with Holder and Rabada. (PC: BCCI) Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill praised his teammates for their improved fielding compared with earlier games, as well as the side’s all-round effort in handing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) a four-wicket defeat in Ahmedabad. GT’s bowlers performed exceedingly well to restrict a strong RCB batting line-up to under 160, a total that was chased down by the home side despite a few hiccups in the middle. When Gill was asked about the reason behind the team’s win, the 26-year-old said: “I think our fielding was one of the key factors. At times, we haven’t fielded that well in previous games, but today was one of those days when everyone came together. The energy in the field was very, very good, especially after the second over when Virat bhai hit us for some runs, and the way we all came back together was crucial for us. Rahul Tewatia made an unbeaten 27 in the run chase, his first match winning contribution this season. A...

GT vs RCB (PC: BCCI) A clinical all-round show propelled Gujarat Titans to a resounding four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium. GT hunted down the modest target in the 16th over. GT have five wins in nine games, with RCB winning six in as many matches. The bowlers lay the platform Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Jason Holder and Rashid Khan shared the wickets for the home side. Rabada and Arshad took the key scalps of Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar. Meanwhile, Rashid took the prized scalps of Tim David and Devdutt Padikkal. Rashid flummoxing Devdutt with the leg-break was the highlight of his spell. In other words, the left-handed batter was expecting Rashid to bowl his trademark googly. Arshad ended up with three wickets, while Rashid returned with impressive figures of 2 for 19 from four overs. The Kohli vs Rabada battle The GT-RCB contest would be fondly recalled for the rip-roaring battle between Kohli and Rabada. Kohli smac...

Bumrah. (PC: BCCI) Jasprit Bumrah. The name itself is enough to conjure up fond memories of a bowler who has touched fast-bowling nirvana. Lest we forget that just one month ago, Bumrah was the toast of an entire nation after his game-breaking performances in the semifinal and final of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Somehow, in a matter of just over a month, a different version of Bumrah seems to be operating in the world of the IPL. Over eight matches, Bumrah has taken only two wickets at an eye-watering average of 132. Even in the just-concluded Mumbai Indians versus Sunrisers Hyderabad game, the ace fast bowler looked well below his best, ending up with figures of none for 54 in four overs.  Just consider this: in his third over, Bumrah attempted as many as five slower ones.  Subsequently, in his final over, he once again tried a variety of slower deliveries. In the past, Bumrah has befuddled opponents with his slower-ball mastery. But he usually employed his bagful of tricks ...

  Mohsin Khan for LSG. Images :X Sanjiv Goenka has been subject to a lot of trolling in recent times. If I were in his position, I’d actually use it. He is being talked about, and it will help his team on social media. These trolls don’t matter, so Dr Goenka can start to look at it as publicity. Be the leader in the troll universe and gain considerable traction. But that’s not the point here. The point is that Dr Goenka and his team, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), have given Indian cricket Mohsin Khan back. He is the only bowler to have bowled two maiden overs this IPL, one of them against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Mohsin has been sensational and can certainly push Arshdeep Singh if he can stay fit and hold things together. A lot of work is done behind the scenes. This was one such case. Mohsin was brilliant in 2022 and was later badly impacted by multiple injuries. He had to undergo surgery and went off the radar. In a ruthlessly competitive world, LSG could easily have let him...

Heinrich Klaasen with Salil Arora (PC: IPL/BCCI) Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen delivered a match-winning performance to help his side register a dominant six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on April 30. While chasing a massive target of 244 runs, Klaasen hammered a stunning unbeaten 65 off just 30 balls. Coming in after SRH lost two consecutive wickets, he built the innings with seven boundaries and four maximums at a strike rate of 216.66. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Klaasen reflected on his approach during the chase. “Big gap at cow corner so had to take a risk early,” he said. “Wicket was good. They had a quality bowling attack, so had to take a chance and see if we could make light work of it. The left shoulder gave me some issues, so I am not as strong over cow corner. Slinger is feeding me a lot of balls, so it is going nicely. (On if he is feeling invincible) N...

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma ( PC: X) Until the ninth over of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings, it felt like the visitors would win this game in a canter. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head were making short work of a victory target of 244. Then, Allah Ghazanfar struck, first by dismissing Abhishek and breaking a 129-run (8.4 overs) opening partnership, and accounting for Ishan Kishan for a golden duck the next ball. In the following over, Hardik Pandya removed Head, who perished for a 30-ball 76. The spectators at the Wankhede Stadium found their voice and the game was suddenly wide open. Mumbai Indians still had to remove Heinrich Klaasen. The 12th over, bowled by Ashwani Kumar, yielded 18 runs and the equation came down to 76 off 48 balls. Hardik took responsibility and bowled an economical 13th over. Only eight runs were scored, but the asking rate was still under 10. Klaasen had a slow start to this IPL, but as the tournament approaches the business end, he is proving his Rs 23-...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PC:IPL/BCCI) ‘ ‘One more 200-plus total bites the dust in the 2026 IPL.’ This could very well turn out to be a catchy headline in the backdrop of Rajasthan Royals chasing down a target of 223 against Punjab Kings. Just a few days ago, PBKS themselves overhauled a record-breaking target of 265, while RR were at the receiving end of Sunrisers Hyderabad hunting down a substantial total. Just sift through more numbers and you can paint the big picture. Over 15 long IPL seasons, there were 133 instances of 200-plus scores. Between 2023 and 2026, however, there have been 163 examples of teams surpassing the 200-run mark. Interestingly, in the ongoing IPL, teams have broken the 200-run mark a whopping 33 times. The numbers continue to set a narrative. We are living in times where a team can end up with 18–20 sixes in a game. We also live in times where the total number of sixes hit could be more than the number of boundaries. To illustrate the point, in a PBKS–LSG e...

Kohli delivered a speech during the event. (PC: Screengrab) India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli has advised the younger generation to pursue their dreams with full commitment and honesty. Kohli shared words of wisdom with children during the inauguration of a new branch of the West Delhi Cricket Academy. The talismanic batter underlined the importance of schooling and how it helps shape careers. “I’m not used to speaking in schools, so this is going to be a bit awkward for me because I moved away from the school setup long ago for cricket, and that’s what I’m going to talk about,” Kohli said during the opening address. “I understand the school environment. I’ve been through the same process and stage that all you kids are a part of right now. And I can just share from my own experience how my focus and priorities changed very early in my life.” “What I want to say is that school is a place where you come to learn, you come to grow, and you become better...

Donovan Ferreira with Shubham Dubey (PC: IPL/BCCI) Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Donovan Ferreira delivered a match-winning performance as his unbeaten half-century guided his side to a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on April 28, which ended their unbeaten streak. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Ferreira stressed the importance of keeping his mind clear. “It was a good innings—keeping my mind nice and clear, like when I was a kid playing with a toy truck,” Ferreira said. “We need to keep showing intent and not be predictable. So, let’s be calculative and play our shots. Important to take it ball by ball. Kept reminding myself it was only 11s and 12s. Luckily for me, Shubham took the pressure off me.” Chasing a massive target of 223, Ferreira finished the game unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls. His knock was laced with six fours and three maximums at a strike rate of 200. At the other end, Shubham Dubey provided crucial support with a quick 31*...

Umesh Yadav in IPL (PC: Umesh Yadav Insta) Team India pacer Umesh Yadav feels there should be a balance between the batters and bowlers even in a T20 game. Matches in the ongoing IPL 2026 has seen 250 plus scores being chased comfortably. According to Umesh, Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants pace attack looked the most impressive this season so far. The veteran pacer picked Prince Yadav and Ashok Sharma as the two stand-out pacers in this edition of IPL. Umesh, who went unsold in the mini auction blamed the state coach and selectors for creating a narrative about his fitness. In this exclusive interaction with RevSportz, the fast bowler from Vidarbha opened up about his fitness, pacers who have been most impressive so far in IPL 2026, Jasprit Bumrah’s lack of wickets for Mumbai Indians, inexperienced bowling attack of KKR and more. Here are the excerpts: Q: Talking about the pitches in IPL 2026, 250 plus scores are being chased easily? Umesh Yadav: I look ...

Josh Hazlewood (PC: IPL/ BCCI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Josh Hazlewood delivered a match-winning spell to guide his side to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 27. Hazlewood emerged as the most successful bowler in the game with a stunning four-wicket haul. He first struck in the second over, dismissing KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi in back-to-back deliveries. He later removed Nitish Rana and impact substitute Abishek Porel to complete his four-wicket haul, conceding just 12 runs from 3.3 overs at an economy rate of 3.42. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Hazlewood reflected on the team’s performance. “Probably turning up here after 500-plus runs in the last game, we were not sure what was going to happen,” the Australian pacer said. “I was just following his (Bhuvneshwar’s) lead. There was a bit there in the first six overs, enough to work with, and it was skidding on quickly from a short-...

  Akash Deep. Image: Debasis Sen Debasis Sen, KolkaTeam India pacer Akash Deep is eyeing a comeback in the Duleep Trophy in September, it is learnt. The 29-year-old is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, undergoing rehabilitation. The fast bowler from Bengal had to miss the ongoing IPL 2026 due to a recurring lower-back stress injury that will take at least 3-4 months to heal. Akash returned to the Centre of Excellence on Thursday. He has begun rehab and will gradually start running and strength training. RevSportz understands that it will take time before he resumes bowling. Realistically, he is expected to return to action during the Duleep Trophy in September. This means that he will miss the one-off Test against Afghanistan and the tour of Sri Lanka. If everything goes to plan, he should be available for the series against New Zealand in the autumn. The Indian team is scheduled to tour New Zealand in October–November 2026 for a full series feat...

Rinku Singh (PC: IPL/BCCI) Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) vice-captain Rinku Singh produced another match-winning performance to guide his side to a dramatic Super Over win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on April 26. Batting first, Kolkata were struggling at 93/7 when Rinku took charge and smashed an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls. His knock included seven boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of 162.74. His four consecutive sixes in the final over against Digvesh Rathi helped KKR post a competitive 155/7. During the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Rinku spoke about his mindset in pressure situations. “My mindset is usually to see how to play the game (because I usually walk in after 4-5 wickets have fallen), and I think about how to take the game deep,” Rinku said. “Wickets had fallen (tonight), so I wanted to take singles, doubles and then capitalise on the loose balls. Just found out late that a spinner would bowl the 20th over.” Rinku’s impact was not...

Images: BCCI/IPL Why has the IPL worked for all these years? Why have fans kept flocking back to the stadiums to support the brand? What explains the continued involvement of the sponsors? The one point non-negotiable has been the quality of cricket on offer. The sport has been at the core and that’s been a real constant for each of the 18 seasons between 2008-2025. In 2026 things have started to change. All of a sudden it is only and only about batters. Yesterday, 1000 runs were scored in 40 overs, with 265 and 228 being chased down quite comfortably. Hundreds from KL Rahul and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi went in vain. No total is safe and the bowlers have been reduced to bystanders who are there to feed balls to the batters to hit sixes and fours. The truth is this is a violation of the sport as we know it. It doesn’t, and can’t work in the long run. Except for a small section of fans who don’t understand the sport, people can’t keep backing this unidimensional and robotic transformati...

Deepti Sharma (PC: BCCI) Deepti Sharma is back in form, and so are India Women, as they finally opened their account in the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa. The visitors registered a 14-run win over the home side in Johannesburg, courtesy of an all-round performance from the experienced all-rounder. Just like the previous three games, South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt once again won the toss and opted to bowl first. However, India made several changes, resting vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Arundhati Reddy, and Shreyanka Patil, while bringing in Anushka Sharma, Kranti Gaud, and N. Shree Charani into the playing XI. In the absence of Mandhana, Anushka was given the opportunity to open alongside Shafali Verma. The pair added a decent 25-run stand before Shafali was dismissed for nine. Anushka looked positive in the powerplay, scoring 27 off 18. At a crucial stage, Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur stitched together a vital 55-run partnership. Jemim...

Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Despite RR putting up a target of 228, powered by a Vaibhav Sooryavanshi century, the SRH batters chased it down in no time.  Here are some of the highlights from the match:   Vaibhav dominates Powerplay Vaibhav Sooryavanshi put up a breathtaking show in the powerplay with a mix of raw power and sharp game awareness. The 15-year-old raced to a stunning half-century in just 15 balls. Vaibhav’s boundaries put the opposition under pressure and set up a score of 77 on the scoreboard at the end of the powerplay. Despite being dropped by Aniket Varma, he capitalised fully, etching his name in history as the youngest player (15 years) to reach 1000 T20 runs. He races to his ton in 36 balls.  Pat Cummins returns as SRH Captain SRH captain Pat Cummins was sidelined due to injury which had kept him away from competitive cricket for approximately four months. He missed the first...

RCB won their fourth game at home this season. (PC: BCCI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar was pleased with the execution of the bowlers, as well as the way Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli batted to take the team home in a high-scoring affair against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Friday in Bengaluru. After losing the toss, GT openers Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill forged a hundred-run partnership. The former smashed a timely century. However, RCB pulled things back slightly in the last five overs. “Yeah, the way things went, as I said, I think we bowled according to our plans and the execution was absolutely spot on,” Patidar said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “The way they bowled the yorkers was really good, and that’s why we managed to restrict them to around 200–205. That’s it.” Playing his first game, Jacob Bethell, replacing Phil Salt, was dismissed early inside the powerplay. Padikkal and Kohli then formed a match-winning partnership, scoring...

Sanju Samson (L) and MS Dhoni (R). (PC: Screengrab/CSK) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey has hinted that whenever MS Dhoni makes a comeback, Sanju Samson will have to give up his wicketkeeping duties. Dhoni is yet to play a game in the ongoing IPL 2026. The former CSK captain picked up a calf injury before the start of the season, which ruled him out for two weeks. However, it has now been close to a month, and CSK’s most seasoned player still hasn’t taken the field. His return was highly anticipated against the Mumbai Indians (MI), but that didn’t happen. Hussey said that Dhoni is building his workload to ensure there is no discomfort while running between the wickets. “He’s progressing really well. I know he’s pushing hard to return as soon as possible, and the fans are eager to see MS Dhoni back on the field. We’re hopeful it could be in the next few games, but he needs to be close to 100% to give his best. He’s been batting well in the nets and looks in...

Virat Kohli (PC: IPL/BCCI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli led from the front with a match-winning knock of 81 to seal a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in their final home game of IPL 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 24. While chasing a strong target of 206 runs, Kohli anchored the innings with a stunning 81 off 44 balls. His knock included eight boundaries and four maximums, with a strike rate of 184.09. Kohli became the first player to score 303 sixes for a single franchise in the IPL. He got an early lifeline when Washington Sundar dropped his catch off the first ball of the third over bowled by Mohammed Siraj. During the post-match presentation, the Player of the Match, Kohli, reflected on the chase and the conditions. “To be honest, we had to assess the wicket early on because A) they have a quality bowling attack and B) chasing 200 at the Chinnaswamy, we were just one partnership away,” Kohli said. “This is the second time Dev h...

Ayush_MCA Awards (PC: File Photo) The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) organised a grand awards समारोह in Mumbai on Wednesday, recognising excellence across the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons while honouring performers who continue to shape the city’s strong cricketing legacy and inspire future generations. The event saw the presence of former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Rajeev Kulkarni and Diana Edulji, along with Cabinet Ministers Ashish Shelar and Aditi Tatkare, and MCA President Ajinkya Naik. MCA Apex Council Members, Office Bearers, and players also attended, highlighting the depth and unity of Mumbai’s cricket structure. At the senior level, standout performances were recognised with Siddhesh Lad and Shardul Thakur receiving the Justice Tendolkar Trophy for Best Senior Cricketer for the 2025–26 and 2024–25 seasons, respectively, for their significant contributions. Highlighting Mumbai’s role in Indian cricket, the MCA also honoured Ayush Mhatre, captain ...