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Salt and Kohli. PC – RCB. Bharath Ramaraj at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru With RCB playing an intra-squad game, it was time to take note of Phil Salt. The swashbuckling England opener was one of the cornerstones of RCB’s title triumph last year, having notched up 403 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 175.98 – an indicator of his prowess in maximising the Powerplay. However, in the just-concluded T20 World Cup, barring a fifty against Sri Lanka, Salt couldn’t find his rhythm. So, it was time to zoom in on the opener. It turned out to be a rather curious innings from Salt, as he looked to farm the strike with a few singles. On most occasions, he wasn’t attempting those on-the-up shots. Perhaps, in a practice game, he wanted to regain his batting rhythm. Incidentally, in the first practice game, he had tried an on-the-up drive but was caught by the lone slip fielder. Eventually, the big shot came, but once more it resulted in his dismissal. From a distance, Salt understanda...

  Images :BCCI/IPL Ever since the inception of the IPL, I have spent time with multiple team owners and industry leaders and have seen, up close, what the league has come to signify for each of them. That, to me, is the best proof of the IPL’s success. These men and women run the country, and to see them vulnerable and anxious is not something we are used to. Each of them wants a share of the IPL pie, and each wants to win the league. That is how coveted it has become, giving the IPL a stature no other tournament has achieved before. For example, the entire senior management of one of the teams I had the opportunity to follow closely used to leave the hotel together around 2 pm on match days to offer pujas for the team. They would never be a minute late, and the discipline shown in performing this ritual was unbelievable! That the team did not achieve the greatest results is a different matter altogether. Team owners – men and women who run large corporations – are not as ten...

Rinku Singh announced vice-captain for IPL 2026. Pic Courtesy: Subhayan Chakraborty Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday announced Rinku Singh as vice-captain for IPL 2026, hinting at a future leadership transition. Venky Mysore, the CEO of the franchise, made the announcement at the Knights Unplugged event in Kolkata. KKR also posted the news on their social media: “God’s plan has a new chapter,” the franchise wrote on X. It was a dream come true for Rinku, who joined the franchise in 2018. Since making his debut for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise, Rinku has played 59 matches, scoring 1,099 runs at an average of 30.53. He rose to fame when he smashed five sixes off Gujarat Titans pacer Yash Dayal to secure an improbable victory, needing 29 runs off the last five balls in IPL 2023. Rinku, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, has always trusted his abilities and remained determined despite the challenges in his cricketing journey. He began his career with the Uttar Pradesh U-16...

  IPL Trophy. Images :X In 2007, Lalit Modi was attempting a hard sell, pitching an idea to a few well-known names in the Indian business world. In the absence of anything tangible, all he had to offer was a concept. By trying to pitch cities against one another, he was promoting a cricketing venture called the Indian Premier League (IPL). Teams were acquired for anything between ₹260–450 crore, and some 18 years ago, these were considered astronomical sums. As the idea prepares to begin its 19th season, Rajasthan Royals have just been sold for 1.63 billion dollars – a 24x increase on its original valuation of $67 million. RCB, too, have now been sold at a staggering valuation of 1.78 billion dollars, or close to ₹16,750 crore – 35 times its original valuation of ₹450 crore. If analysts are to be believed, these valuations are set to rise further over the next decade. LSG, acquired by the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group for ₹...

Ben Stokes (PC:X/ England Cricket) England Men’s Test team skipper Ben Stokes opened up about the pressures, struggles, and his deep love for both the game and his team during a challenging phase of his captaincy after the crushing 2025-26 Ashes defeat. In an Instagram post, he wrote: “Being England captain is the greatest honour a player can be given, and I do not take it for granted. It has its highs and its lows; it makes you want to smile; it makes you want to cry. It completely and utterly consumes you and at times feels like the only thing in your life.” Reflecting on a particularly difficult stretch, he admitted, “The last three months have, without a doubt, been the hardest period of my captaincy journey. It has tested me in so many different ways, and I’m sure every other captain has gone through this as well.” Despite the setbacks, Stokes remains committed to the bigger picture alongside head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key. “Baz, Rob, and I have t...

Krunal Pandya POTM of IPL 2025 Final (PC: IPL/BCCI) All-rounder Krunal Pandya opened up about his journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after playing a key role in their maiden IPL title win in 2025. Despite delivering match-winning performances throughout that season, Krunal said he remains hungry for more success and believes this is just the beginning for him and the team ahead of the IPL 2026. Reflecting on the historic 2025 campaign, Krunal told ESPNcricinfo, “Feels really good that whatever I said in 2022 has come out exactly the way I said it. After 17 years of drought, and then in the 18th season, RCB winning the trophy and me being part of it – I had a decent, tiny contribution to their success – can’t ask for more than this. Going forward, I’mstill hungry. I feel like this is just the beginning.” In 2025, Krunal emerged as an impactful player in the tournament, as he picked up 17 wickets in 15 matches. He also created history by becoming the only player in the h...

Anushka Sharma (PC- Gujrat Giants Instagram) A 15-member India Women squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa has been announced, as youngster Anushka Sharma gets her maiden call-up. The team will be led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, as it will be crucial for the Women in Blue in terms of preparing for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, beginning on June 12. Anushka Sharma has earned her maiden call-up to the national side. Earlier this year, she impressed everyone during the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where she scored 177 runs in seven matches for Gujarat Giants (GG). She also showcased her potential in the 2025-26 Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars, finishing as the second-highest run scorer for India with 116 runs from five matches and India-A side also won the tournament. Seam-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam has also been included, as she has earned her maiden T20I call-up. Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry has been added as a back-up wicketkeeping op...