Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill said his side's failure to capitalise in the final five overs while batting proved decisive, as Punjab Kings outplayed them in their Indian Premier League opener here on Tuesday. Gill's side, despite boasting a formidable batting line-up featuring Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan and Glenn Phillips, could not capitalise on a fairly good batting surface, managing only 162 for 6, and the skipper later admitted that a total in the range of 210-220 was achievable on the wicket. Punjab Kings' Cooper Connolly made batting look effortless on the same surface, producing a fluent 72. "It looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn't score much in the last five overs," conceded Gill after the three-wicket loss. "Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground," he added. Gill said that batting became easier later on, as a drizzle set in and the wet ball made it easier for the home side. "In the second innings, rain continued, making the ball wet, which slightly improved batting conditions. So I don't think it (ball) stopped as much in the second innings. But nonetheless, I think we did a decent job...all ifs and buts." "Hard luck and it wasn't the game for us, but I think we did decently well. It's just, you know, keep getting better and keep adding more intensity and keep giving your best." Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer said he was impressed by young batter Connolly's calm and composed approach. "Some of the shots he (Connolly) played were surreal to watch, especially the one off Rashid (Khan)... I was focused on my hand inside, icing it, suddenly we lost two wickets back to back, these things happen in the IPL, you have to stay composed. "Cooper was there, he was composed and calm...," added Iyer. Connolly, who was declared player of the match, said he really enjoyed the batting. "I was looking forward to the experience of playing with some world-class players, but to put that performance in tonight, very happy. I'm just more of a tempo player, feel the flow of my hands, don't hit too many big sixes. "We were quite relaxed, in a great position out there, nice to get the win." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 April,2026 11:10 AM IST | Mullanpur | PTIAll eyes will be on Rishabh Pant at the Ekana Stadium here on All Fools Day to see if he can emulate the two Dhurandhars of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have already made strong statements with stellar batting performances in their opening IPL matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI), respectively. When Lucknow Super Giants take on Delhi Capitals in their opening match, Pant, who has been sidelined from international white-ball cricket, will be looking to make a fresh start, taking inspiration from the senior stalwarts. The LSG skipper will be eager to stamp his authority, not only as a batter, but also as a leader, given he has to look after both his own as well as his team’s interests with LSG chasing their maiden IPL trophy. The biggest decision head coach Justin Langer has to make is Pant’s batting position. Last season, overseas batters Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran had hogged the top three slots, with Pant following at No. 4. But after a poor run, he promoted himself to No. 3 in the last league game against RCB here, and scored a superb century. Pant smashed an unbeaten 61-ball 118 studded with 11 fours and eight sixes as LSG posted 227-3 but still went on to lose by six wickets to RCB. However, despite the fact that Pant’s ton came a bit too late for the team’s benefit, it gave a clear indication of the position at which he is most useful to the team. Moreover, dropping Pooran down the order will strengthen LSG’s middle-order. At Monday’s pre-match press conference, when mid-day asked Langer specifically about his plan for Pant, he replied, “He was brilliant in the last match of the previous season and we hope he picks up from there. As for his batting position, I’m not going to reveal it here. You will have to wait till 7.30 pm tomorrow to see who will play in the XI and at which position. It’s always good to be spoilt for choices. With all players fit and raring to go, we go into the tournament high on confidence.” Langer added that it’s going to be a challenge to decide the playing XI. “We have got this pool of players, fast bowlers (Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje and Arjun Tendulkar) who are all fit to get selected. We have to work out tomorrow which players are going to fit the puzzle.” 0, 15, 2, 2, 21, 63, 3, 0, 4, 18, 7, 16, 118Rishabh Pant’s scores at IPL 2025, totalling less than 300 runs and averaging less than 25 in 13 games 1 year 7 monthsPeriod since Rishabh Pant last played a white-ball match for India — 3rd ODI vs Sri Lanka on August 7, 2024 269Total number of runs scored by Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025 — his lowest aggregate since his debut season in 2016 24.45Rishabh Pant’s average across 14 IPL matches in 2025 — much lower than his career average of 34.16 7thLucknow Super Giants’s position in the 10-team IPL 2025 under Rishabh Pant’s leadership
01 April,2026 11:02 AM IST | Lucknow | Santosh SuriIndia women’s cricket team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur exuded class in her latest Instagram post, sporting an elegant yellow formal suit, with fans appreciating her style. The post, which received over one lakh ‘likes,’ was captioned: “Clean fit. Sharp mood today.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harmann (@imharmanpreet_kaur) Harmanpreet’s fans couldn’t stop praising her. “Yellow, yellow sundar [beautiful] fellow,” wrote one online follower. Another replied: “Pure elegance,” while a third wrote: “Slaying without even trying.” The 37-year-old hard-hitting batter led India to its maiden ODI World Cup trophy in November last year.
01 April,2026 10:29 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentMumbai off-spinners Tanush Kotian and Himanshu Singh recently got an opportunity to interact and train under former India offie Harbhajan Singh at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Both Kotian and Himanshu reckoned it was a wonderful learning experience with Harbhajan, who has 417 Test wickets under his belt apart from 269 and 25 dismissals in ODIs and T20Is respectively. “He [Harbhajan] said if the ball’s trajectory goes over the batsman’s eye-level, he’ll always face difficulty in playing it. We bowlers try to hit the ball [on the pitch] but he suggested we shouldn’t, and should instead ensure the ball is in the air. He also advised me on aspects like seam position and hip rotation,” Kotian, 27, who has 131 scalps in 44 first-class games, told mid-day on Tuesday. Nine promising off-spinners from across the country were called for this specialised camp held from March 23 to 27. Himanshu, 22, who met Harbhajan for the first time, reckoned that his guidance helped him get more clarity on his game. “When such a big player tells you about your bowling, it gives you a lot of clarity about your abilities. He told me that a bowler should know which line and length he needs to bowl to a particular batsman. Besides learning so much from him, I also bowled alongside him in the nets as he offered tips on how I can improve as an off-spinner. He told me how to use the crease correctly while bowling and insisted that I should be mentally strong and believe in my ability at all times,” Himanshu, who has picked 31 wickets in nine first-class matches, told mid-day.
01 April,2026 09:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureFormer India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped rich praise on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his breathtaking innings powered Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a commanding eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL 2026 opener in Guwahati on Monday, and mentioned that he must not be hurried into India’s international setup. Sooryavanshi's explosive 52 off just 17 balls, which saw him make a 15-ball half-century, dismantled CSK’s bowling attack and set up the chase after RR had earlier restricted the five-time champions to a below-par total of 127. The youngster’s fearless strokeplay in the powerplay, where RR raced to 74 without loss, left the opposition with no way back. Ashwin urged patience in handling the 15-year-old prodigy and cautioned against rushing his progression. “Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a guy, he is a kid. If MS Dhoni is playing till 45 (44), and if Sooryavanshi plays till 40, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right. He is too good to not play for India. He will play anyway eventually. When will he play? For that, we might have to wait a bit. Why are we always in a hurry?” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel. Ashwin was equally effusive in his assessment of the youngster’s raw ability, highlighting both his bat speed and composure against a seasoned bowling attack. “He turned 15 years old, so he scored a 15-ball 50, he is showing his age. I mean, what a player he is? How fast is his bat speed? CSK had no answers against him, they looked a flat, deflated unit on the field. RR have put on such a dominating performance that they have said, ‘Look at us, we are also a powerful team in this competition’,” he expressed. RR began their IPL 2026 campaign in dominant fashion with a victory over CSK. Sooryavanshi was the stand-out performer, hitting the third fastest fifty in IPL history. After Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, Yashasvi Jaiswal (38*) and skipper Riyan Parag (14*) comfortably guided the team home with 47 balls remaining. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 April,2026 09:27 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSVaibhav Sooryavanshi taking down world class bowlers in his IPL 2026 opening knock was a reflection of his special talent and fearless approach, feels former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar. The 15-year-old smashed a 15-ball fifty to set up Rajasthan Royals' roaring win over CSK on Monday. A year after becoming the youngest to score an IPL hundred, Sooryavanshi took the likes of Matt Henry and Noor Ahmad to the cleaners in his exhilarating knock. "Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a class apart. He dominated a good bowling attack. He took on Matt Henry, a new ball bowler, who challenges top batters internationally," Bangar told Star Sports. "He toyed with Khaleel Ahmed, who swings the ball both ways. He got the better of Anshul Kamboj, known for hitting the deck hard with good length deliveries. He even made life difficult for mystery bowler Noor Ahmad." Bangar explained what separates the teenager from the rest. "At the age of 15, he dominated four quality bowlers with his fearless batting and forced them to move away from their strengths. Henry had to bowl slower balls. "Khaleel had to try different things. He put pressure on all of them. That shows Vaibhav, with his fearless approach, is getting into the minds of established bowlers. I admired that quality in his innings. The start this wonder boy has had makes sure it's going to be a cracker of a season for him," he added. Sooryavanshi hammered two sixes each off Henry and Ahmad. His standout stroke was a six over deep point off Henry. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
01 April,2026 09:16 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIRajasthan Royals thrashed Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets to start off their IPL 2026 campaign with a win. The Royals put on a clinical display to leave CSK reeling after the first match of the season.Speaking after the defeat, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said that RR's brilliant bowling restricted CSK's top order. He further added that CSK were around 30-40 runs short at the end of the first season.Ruturaj Gaikwad said," I felt the conditions at the start were really tough, especially when facing Jofra and Burger. They bowled brilliant lengths, and even after that, to a medium-pacer, it was slightly tough. You could see even the spinners were getting some assistance as well. Yes, we would have been better in batting, we would have taken the game deep, showed some batsmanship, maybe take the game till 150-160."The CSK captain also added that despite losing the toss, his team should have played positive cricket. Gaikwad hoped that the team's batting will come back strongly in the next league games. "Today it didn't work, but we can be better in batsmanship. You just have to be positive, especially when you're batting first. If conditions are good, you never know, the same batting line-up can put a good score," he added. Riyan Parag delighted with a win in his first match as RR's full-time captain Winning captain Riyan Parag was delighted with the win and praised his players for the outstanding performance. Parag heaped praise on his openers, who took the game away from CSK in the powerplay. He also mentioned the impact of Ravindra Jadeja in this Rajasthan Royals team."I got lucky with the toss. We knew that the moisture was going to play a part. Everyone executed their plans. A lot of prep has gone into it. The goal this year to win the trophy. We want to be a team that wants to play smart cricket. Brijesh, what he did was insane. What I tell him (Vaibhav) is he's going to play 14 games. He goes and does something like that. Really happy to have him in my team. Dhruv comes in at three, Hettie at five. Hopefully, we win with this batting line-up."Riyan Parag said.
01 April,2026 12:31 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentGujarat Titans started off their IPL campaign with a defeat as they lost to Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh. Punjab Kings survived a scare to defeat the Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets. The Shreyas Iyer-led team were crusing at the halfway mark before losing four wickets in 3 overs. However, debutant Cooper Connolly scored an unbeaten 72 to guide the hosts home.Speaking after the match, Shubman Gill said that GT's batting let them down. The Indian skipper also said that his team lost a few too many wickets to his liking and could not put on a big total on the board."It looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn't score much in the last 5 overs. Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground. In the second innings, rain continued, making the ball wet, which slightly improved batting conditions. So I don't think it stopped as much in the second innings. But nonetheless, I think we did a decent job." Shubman Gill said.When asked about his message to his players after the match, Gill said he wants his team to remain positive. Gill further added that he liked the intensity from his team and hoped to see it continue."Hard luck, and it wasn't the game for us, but I think we did decently well. It's just, you know, keep getting better and keep adding more intensity and keep giving your best," he added. Shreyas Iyer reacts to PBKS' victory PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer was delighted with his team's victory. Iyer praised Copper for his match-winning performance as he single-handedly guided his team to a victory. He further urged his team to continue their good form into the next match."Cooper has got a great mindset and hope he continues his form. After the 3rd over, we realised the wicket is playing slow. We tried to make the ball old as quickly as possible. (On Vyshak) He is carrying forward the form that he performed in the final last year. He's a big match player. We need to carry this momentum going forward." Shreyas Iyer said.
31 March,2026 11:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPunjab Kings survived a scare to defeat the Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets. The Shreyas Iyer-led team were crusing at the halfway mark before losing four wickets in 3 overs. However, debutant Cooper Connolly scored an unbeaten 72 to guide the hosts home.Punjab Kings started off strongly while chasing the Gujarat Titans' total of 163 runs. Opener Prabhsimran Singh scored 20 runs of 12 balls, while Australian Cooper Connolly scored 27 runs of 16 balls to put the team in a strong position at the end of the Powerplay.After Prabhsimran Singh's dismissal, captain Shreyas Iyer too departed soon, after Prasidh Krishna was brought into the attack. PBKS collapsed from 110-2 to 118-6 as the Gujarat Titans mounted an unlikely comeback in the game.Connolly, who was promoted to number 3, continued the momentum of the innings and attacked the GT bowlers. The Aussie scored his maiden half-century and was PBKS' best player with the bat. The southpaw scored 72 runs on his IPL debut.Prasidh Krishna, brought in as an impact sub, single-handedly brought GT back in the game. The Indian pacer took the wicket of Iyer, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis in his opening 2 overs to give GT hope.However, PBKS batters held their nerves to win the match with 3 wickets in hand and get the first win of the season in their first match. Gujarat Titans' score 162 in the first innings Having put to bat first, GT posted a total of 162 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Skipper Shubman Gill made 39 runs off 27 deliveries, laced with six boundaries.Jos Buttler made 38 runs, while Glenn Phillips smashed 25 runs. Later, Washington Sundar departed after scoring 18 runs in 16 balls, including two boundaries.PBKS' Vijaykumar Vyshak returned with the figures of three wickets for 34 runs in four overs. Yuzvendra Chahal bagged two wickets by conceding 28 runs in four overs. PBKS were the defending champions last year and will hope to go one better this year. Shreyas Iyer was injured during the second innings of the match and hopes to be available for the next match.
31 March,2026 11:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPunjab Kings started off strongly while chasing the Gujarat Titans' total of 163 runs. The PBKS opener Prabhsimran Singh scored 20 runs of 12 balls, while Australian Cooper Connolly scored 27 runs of 16 balls to put the team in a strong position at the end of the Powerplay.Priyansh Arya was dismissed early on in the chase as he departed for just 7 runs in 8 balls. Arya was dismissed by Rabada with the help of a great catch by debutant Ashok Sharma. However, Connolly, who was promoted to number 3, continued the momentum of the innings and attacked the GT bowlers. PBKS scored 55 runs at the end of the powerplay for the loss of just one wicket.Gujarat Titans will hope that their bowling unit of Rashid Khan, Rasigo Rabada and Prasidh Krishna will turn the match around in GT's favour. So far in this IPL, all the teams chasing have won the match.Having put to bat first, Gujarat Titans' (GT) opener Sai Sudharsan scored 13 runs in 11 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Skipper Shubman Gill made 39 runs off 27 deliveries, laced with six boundaries.Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler accumulated 38 runs. His innings of 33 balls came to an end with three boundaries and two maximums. Meanwhile, Glenn Phillips smashed 25 runs, including a boundary and a maximumLater, Washington Sundar departed after scoring 18 runs in 16 balls, including two boundaries. With this, GT posted a total of 162 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs.PBKS' Vijaykumar Vyshak returned with the figures of three wickets for 34 runs in four overs. Yuzvendra Chahal bagged two wickets by conceding 28 runs in four overs to restrict GT to a low score. Playing XI for both teams: Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj.
31 March,2026 10:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Gujarat Titans (GT) have reached the score of 84 runs for the loss of two wickets in 10 overs. Having put to bat first, GT skipper Shubman Gill has scored 39 runs off 27 deliveries, laced with six boundaries. Fellow opening batsman Sai Sudharsan departed on 13 runs in 11 balls, and also smashed two boundaries. Jos Buttler has scored 26 runs in 20 balls with the help of three boundaries and a maximum. Glenn Phillips has faced just two balls and scored one run. So far, PBKS' Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal have bagged one wicket each. Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, and Vijaykumar Vyshak will continue the hunt for their first wicket. Earlier after winning the toss, PBKS's skipper Shreyas Iyer said, "We're going to bowl first. I firmly believe that chasing gives you a fair idea about how to go about the target. And also, we played a couple of practice games and whatever total was scored, I think it was easily chased down. So, thinking that at the back of my mind, I'm taking that decision. (Message to the team coming into this season) Honestly speaking, we had a phenomenal last season, but it's over now. We start from ball one and the only message I have given them is just be yourselves, go out there and express to the best of your abilities and see to it that you're in the present moment, not thinking way beyond because T20 is such a format where you actually think way ahead of the game. So, the more time you give yourself, the better position you'll be in. (On not having a great record at this venue) I personally feel that we don't have to think much about what the result has been in the past. We just want to play the best brand of cricket we've been playing and the boys when they came in, all of them were in great mind space and it's important that we think about now and not think about what has gone past by. So, my only thinking is that we just got to stay in the present and see to it that we play the best game possible. (Overseas players) Cooper has come in, so he's a new addition to the team. Stoinis is there, Bartlett and Jansen". On the other hand, GT's captain Gill said, "Very good. I think the wicket looks pretty good. It has been under the covers for the past couple of days, rain on and off, and a bit cloudy. But when we came in today, we looked at the wicket, it looked like a pretty good wicket to bat on. Even last year as well, we had a pretty successful season. Up until the 13th match, we were at the number one position. And obviously, we lost out here at the qualifiers, which was also a close game. There were some areas that I felt we needed to work on, and fielding was one of them. And this year, it's all about having that extra 5 per cent adding up in our batting, bowling, and fielding. And that will be the challenge for us. We've got actually two debutants. Glenn is making a debut for us, and Ashok Sharma is also making a debut for us. And in terms of our overseas, we've got Jos, Glenn, Rashid, and Rabada. (On Buttler) He's such an experienced player. The value that he brings, not just as a batsman, but as a player into the team, is immense for us. And I'm pretty sure he's going to have another great year with us". IPL 2026, Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans: Confirmed Playing XI Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal. Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj.
31 March,2026 08:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1774981188495_d.png "Shubman Gill (Pic: PTI)")
