The IPL 2026 is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the cash-rich league, former Team India cricketer Sourav Ganguly said that the 'Impact Player' rule in the tournament will continue to stay. "Impact player rule I think it's going to stay, and when I was the president of BCCI it had already come in. So, this is here to stay, someone will like it someone will not," he said. Despite the hype of T20 cricket in the world, the former cricketer chose Test as the superior format of the game. He also said that T20 cricket is least challenging and countries such as India, England, Australia, and South Africa, the red-ball cricket will always be special. "I think Test cricket is the real format because one has to bowl 20-25 overs in one day, bowling four overs in a T20 match is a lot easy. T20 cricket is least challenging in terms of quality. But T20 cricket is the format which brings in people, it's just for three hours in the evening full of sixes and fours," said Ganguly. "But in countries like India, England, Australia and South Africa Test cricket will always be special and when you see young players want to play Test cricket, it proves Test cricket is the strongest format of the game," he added. He also hailed the Indian Premier League (IPL) by saying that it will continue to reach greater heights. "IPL will only go to greater heights. This is phenomenal and it also goes to show the game is expanding as the game is going to America, onto that part of the world is fantastic. It's mind-blowing numbers but there is lot's more in store for Indian cricket and I am looking forward to it," said the 53-year-old former cricketer. IPL 2026, Opening match: Date and venue The first match of the tournament is scheduled to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Earlier, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary, Santosh Menon, confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host five of the RCB's IPL 2026 home games. The venue will also host one of the play-off matches and the title clash of the tournament. Bengaluru's remaining two home matches will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. (With PTI Inputs)
24 March,2026 08:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe IPL 2026 is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the cash-rich league, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced Rinku Singh as their vice-captain. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kolkata Knight Riders (@kkriders) The team will enter the tournament under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane. The first match of the tournament is scheduled to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Earlier, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary, Santosh Menon, confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host five of the RCB's IPL 2026 home games. The venue will also host one of the play-off matches and the title clash of the tournament. Bengaluru's remaining two home matches will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Kolkata will begin their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Knights under Rahane's leadership will be eager to clinch the title. Earlier, KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar gave a warm welcome to assistant coach Shane Watson. "Everyone knows Shane Watson as a player, but I've known him as someone who has played under him. I'm really really happy Watto, to have you with us. You've been a terrific addition even in this small period that I've interacted with you," he said. IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians: Full Squads Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Manish Pandey, Sunil Narine, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert (WK), Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sarthak Ranjan, Finn Allen (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Cameron Green, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani, Akash Deep, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha Pathirana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Harshit Rana, Tejasvi Singh (WK), Daksh Kamra. Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Trent Boult, Suryakumar Yadav, Quinton de Kock (WK), Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Corbin Bosch, Hardik Pandya (C), Jasprit Bumrah, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Will Jacks, Mayank Rawat, Mayank Markande, Sherfane Rutherford, Raghu Sharma, Atharva Ankolekar, Tilak Varma, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Danish Malewar, Robin Minz (WK), Allah Ghazanfar, Naman Dhir, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar.
24 March,2026 08:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe IPL 2026 is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the league, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) director of cricket, Mo Bobat, provided an update on pacers Yash Dayal and Josh Hazlewood. Speaking about Dayal, he said that the pacer is going through a personal situation, following which he won't be able to join the squad. The director also said that Dayal will continue to remain under the contract. "Just to confirm that Yash will not be joining the squad. As you know, he is going through a personal situation currently. And just to clarify, we have been very supportive of Yash to date. And that's reflected in the fact that we retained him. And he remains under contract and will continue to, in the short term, be foreseeable to remain under contract. We are communicating with him regularly, and I spoke to him earlier today as well. But it's been decided that it is not in his best interest, or the franchise's best interest, for him to join RCB at this point," he said. Further, he also said that Australia's star pacer Hazlewood has missed the action due to injury. He stated that once Cricket Australia (CA) gives a green signal for the pacer's fitness, he will join the squad. "With Josh, it's straightforward. He's missed some cricket due to injury, and we're in constant touch with Cricket Australia. As soon as they're comfortable with his fitness, he'll join us. Having strong relationships with boards makes a big difference in situations like this," said Bobat. The first match of the tournament is scheduled to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at them. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Full Squads Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale. (With ANI Inputs)
24 March,2026 05:36 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe IPL 2026 is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the league, Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) head coach Justin Langer spoke about captain Rishabh Pant's nature in the team. He also stated that once Pant starts showcasing his skills, there won't be any other exciting player in the world to watch. "If we see Rishabh laughing, smiling and having fun, he’ll be a brilliant captain, and that’s what we learned last year. He joined a new franchise, trying hard to impress, which is natural. But we’re already seeing a lighter Rishabh. He knows the players now and we’ve got his back. He’s smiling a lot and dancing. When he’s like that and starts playing cricket, there’s no one more exciting to watch in the world. I can’t wait to work with him again. He’s got such a nice heart, energy, and he’s relaxed. That makes him dangerous," he said on JioStar. The head coach also said that ace pacer Mohammed Shami is mentoring the young players. He also heaped praise on Shami by saying that the pacer is incredibly experienced and a true warrior. "During the team lunch, Mohammed Shami was speaking and all the boys were hanging on his every word, their eyes never left him. He’s incredibly experienced, a true warrior. We often discuss big brother-little brother or master-apprentice dynamics in coaching, and that’s exactly what we have here," said Langer. LSG will begin their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. IPL 2026, Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Full Squads Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi. Delhi Capitals: David Miller, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair, Axar Patel (C), Ben Duckett (WK), Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Pathum Nissanka, Ajay Mandal, Prithvi Shaw, Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Tripurana Vijay, Sahil Parakh, Madhav Tiwari.
24 March,2026 04:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe IPL 2026 is all set to kick off from March 28. So far, the schedule of only first 20 matches has been released due to state elections. Ahead of the season, Gujarat Titans' (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra spoke about the approach of the team. He stated that there is no need to think differently. Nehra also said that GT approach has always been to compete and win in the cash-rich league. "I don’t think there’s a need to think differently this season. In fact, I don’t have to think, the players do. They have to think. They have to play; I’m sitting outside. From day one, our mindset has been clear, we are not here to participate, we are here to compete and win. For a new team, it’s easy to think it might take time, but that was never our approach," the former cricketer-turned-coach said at the Shubharambh 2026. Gujarat Titans' team Since joining the IPL in 2022, Gujarat Titans have been one of the most consistent teams, reaching the playoffs in three of their first four seasons and winning the title in their inaugural campaign in 2022. On continuity within the group, Nehra said, “You’re talking about a captain who has been with the team from day one and has seen that journey. I don’t think we are looking to do anything different this season.” Gujarat will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 31 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. IPL 2026, Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans: Full Squads Punjab Kings: Marcus Stoinis, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shashank Singh, Praveen Dubey, Lockie Ferguson, Shreyas Iyer, Ben Dwarshuis, Vishnu Vinod (WK), Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vyshak Vijay Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Harpreet Brar, Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge, Cooper Conolly, Mitchell Owen, Pyla Avinash, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Vishal Nishad. Gujarat Titans: Ishant Sharma, Jos Buttler (WK), Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Tewatia, Luke Wood, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Shubman Gill (C), Tom Banton (WK), Yarra Raj, Anuj Rawat, Sai Sudharsan, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Arshad Khan, Nishant Sandhu, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma.
24 March,2026 04:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested MS Dhoni should retire rather than play as an impact player. The commentator further added that this could be Dhoni's final year playing for the Chennai Super Kings.Speaking before the start of the season, Aakash Chopra said that MS Dhoni should hand over the reins to the younger players and that it could finally be Dhoni's last season give the signing of Sanju Samson."You do not run the team from the dugout; it's not football. In any case, I feel this could be Dhoni's last season. Sanju Samson will eventually don the gloves; it could even happen at some stage during this season. But MS Dhoni cannot be the Impact Player. If he is playing as an Impact Player, I think it's time for him to hang up his boots," said Aakash Chopra on JioStar's 'IPL Today Live'.Aakash also believed that, given the number of young players in the team, Dhoni may no longer be the "unofficial captain" of CSK and has taken a backseat. Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel added some six-hitting and bravery to CSK's lineup during a dismal season last year."There is a small analogy. If you want your baby to start walking, you need to hold their hand and teach them. If you keep holding on, they will never learn to run. From Dhoni's point of view, if somebody has been anointed as the next Captain, then he has to take a backseat, and I think he already has," he said."If you look at the auction and the way the team has been built, it is not the team MS Dhoni would have built if it were left entirely to him. This is Ruturaj Gaikwad's team," he added. Chennai Super Kings full squad for IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Akeal Hosein, Rahul Chahar, Matt Henry. (With ANI Input)
24 March,2026 03:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentRoyal Challengers Bengaluru players will train wearing the No 11 jersey during the match days to honour the 11 fans who died in a tragic stampede last year. In addition to that, the franchise also plans to mark 11 permanent seats to honour the fans who lost their lives in RCB's title celebrations.The fans had lost their lives here on June 4 in a stampede that was triggered by chaos during RCB's celebratory events after the team's maiden IPL trophy win. The franchise received criticism and the stadium was barred from hosting big events, but RCB have been permitted to host 5 IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium this year."The players will be wearing jersey No.11 for the practice on the game day, the practice time before the match. This is a tribute to our fans, who will always remain a part of our journey." RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said."All the players will have jersey No.11 on their back, not for the game, but for the practice. Apart from that, they will also be wearing black sunglasses on that day. We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats in Chinnaswamy Stadium forever. This is for the 11 fans who will be with us forever," he added.RCB will kick off their campaign against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 18 at their home stadium, Chinnaswamy. The Bengaluru-based franchise will play five matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium before playing their remaining two home matches at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. RCB announce various crowd measures for IPL 2026 Speaking to the media, Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Menon said that Royal Challengers Bengaluru have also introduced several new crowd management measures inside and around the stadium. “We have significantly strengthened crowd management measures. We have implemented AI-led CCTV solutions across the stadium, including inside, the concourse, and surrounding areas, powered by an AI tool called Jarvis. This system provides real-time alerts, including stand-specific crowd counts, to ensure better monitoring and control. These CCTV feeds will also be accessible to the Commissioner’s office for real-time monitoring.” Rajesh Menon said.(With PTI Input)
24 March,2026 03:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Kolkata Knight Riders have announced the signing of Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for the injured Akash Deep. Dubey will join the KKR camp in preparation for the IPL 2026. The Vidarbha pacer was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad previously but has not made his IPL debut.KKR's injury list keeps growing as Akash Deep's injury is the latest set-back for the 3 time champions. Harshit Rana is another Indian pacer ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. With Matheesha Pathirana yet to receive NOC from the Sri Lankan board, KKR's bowling options are slim.Akash Deep will miss the tournament due to a lumbar stress injury and will be under the care of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's medical team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Dubey was unsold in the mini-auction last December in Abu Dhabi at a base price of Rs 30 Lakh. The pacer was earlier signed by SRH in 2022, but an injury cut short his stint with the Hyderabad-based team.Dubey last participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Vidarbha during the 2023–2024 season. He has previously played in four Vijay Hazare Trophy games for the state team during the 2020–21 campaign.KKR are yet to announce a replacement for Harshit Rana despite holding trials for several pacers. However, the franchise has moved quickly to replace Akash Deep, naming Saurabh Dubey in the squad. The left-arm pacer will join KKR for Rs 30 lakh.KKR are set to miss their main pacers due to injuries and suspension. Earlier, the Kolkata-based franchise announced Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, who they had earlier signed for big money at the auction. Now with Harshit Rana and Akash Deep out, and Pathirana's participation still in doubt, KKR could struggle with their bowling. KKR Squad for IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Manish Pandey, Rahul Tripathi, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Tim Seifert, Tejasvi Singh, Prashant Solanki, Daksh Kamra, Sarthak Ranjan, Blessing Muzarabani.
24 March,2026 02:17 PM IST | Mumbai | Atharva UpasaniThe defending champions, Royal Challenger Bengaluru, have announced that the tickets for their season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad will go live today (March 24). The Bengaluru-based franchise posted an update on their social media account to the delight of the fans.IPL 2026 will start at Bengaluru’s M.Chinnaswamy Stadium with the inaugural match between RCB and SRH. RCB will play 5 matches at their traditional home stadium before playing 2 matches at Raipur. After playing SRH, RCB will host CSK at home on April 5, but the tickets for that blockbuster match aren't out yet.RCB posted an update on their Twitter account announcing that the tickets for the match against SRH will be sold today; however, there was no mention of the time, which will be updated later. The tickets for the CSK match are yet to be announced."Tickets will be available only through the official RCB website and app. Do not fall prey to fraudulent websites claiming to sell RCB tickets," RCB said. ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐: ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ข ๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฌ (๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ต ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต) โค๏ธYour favourite team is back home and we can't wait to play in front of you, 12th Man Army. Important Ticket information below โฌ๏ธ๐๏ธ Where to buy tickets?Tickets will be available only… pic.twitter.com/2kFhFPH4IY — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 24, 2026 RCB to play five matches at home The M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been confirmed as the home venue for five RCB matches in IPL 2026. The defending champions declared their return to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for IPL 2026, putting an end to months of speculation.RCB announced that it will play five of its home games at Chinnaswamy Stadium and the final two at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.M. Chinnaswamy Stadium's participation in the IPL was uncertain after RCB's IPL celebration turned into a stampede, claiming 11 lives last year. Since then, the venue was barred from hosting high-level matches, but has been granted permission for the IPL.The IPL opening match, one playoff match and the final will also be held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, KSCA secretary Santosh Menon said.
24 March,2026 01:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Atharva UpasaniThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for India's five T20Is tour of South Africa, which is due to start next month. The five-match series will start on April 17 and end with the fifth T20I on April 27.Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the team with star opener Smriti Mandhana as the vice-captain of the team. The likes of Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry, Anushka Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh will be key batters in the squad.Anushka, who played for Gujarat Giants (GG) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) this year, has been called up to the national team for the first time. She was one of GG's finest players during the competition, scoring 177 runs in seven innings at an average of 25.28 with a strike rate of 129.19 and a best score of 44. GG's season came to an end in the playoffs when they lost to Delhi Capitals (DC), but the all-rounder has been rewarded for her impressive performances throughout the WPL season.Renuka Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, and Kranti Gaud will lead the pace attack, while Shreyanka Patil, Shree Charani, and an experienced Deepti will form a strong spin combination. ๐จ ๐ฆ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐จHere's a look at #TeamIndia's squad for the 5๏ธโฃ-match T20I series against South Africa ๐Details โถ๏ธ https://t.co/GpzX5MiEDp#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/5tEP7x4HnZ — BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) March 24, 2026 The series' first two matches will be held in Durban on April 17 and 19, and the next two will be held in Johannesburg on April 22 and 25. Benoni will host the final match on April 27.Harleen Deol and Radha Yadav have been excluded from India’s 15-member T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series in South Africa starting April 17. While Radha was a mainstay in the recent World Cup-winning setup, the selectors have opted for fresh talent like uncapped all-rounder Anushka Sharma to test bench strength. India's squad for the South Africa Tour Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Shreyanka Patil, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry (WK), Anushka Sharma. (With ANI Input)
24 March,2026 12:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBen Stokes, the captain of England's Test team, has reaffirmed his commitment to rebuilding the team with coach Brendon McCullum and called the last three months the "hardest period" of his leadership journey. Stoke-led England team suffered a 4-1 drubbing in the Ashes down under.With England's Test summer at home beginning with a three-match series against New Zealand in June, Stokes wrote on Instagram that he is happy to continue working with the McCullum-Key pair."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 it has its lows; it makes you want to smile, it makes you want to cry. It completely and utterly consumes you and feels like it's the only thing in your life at times," said Stokes while starting off his emotional letter on Instagram."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," he added.Stokes backed England coach McCullum and said the duo have the passion to take English cricket forward."We are going to give you everything we have, we know we made mistakes along the way, and we have learnt from those mistakes, you learn more from failure than success," Stokes added.The England skipper thanked his fans for their support and promised to put smiles back on their faces when the English test summer begins in June. England will begin their home season on June 4 with the Test series against New Zealand. Lacklustre Ashes pile on the pressure on 'Bazball' Stokes scored just 184 runs in 10 innings during the Ashes, including a half-century, but shone with the ball in his hand, taking 15 wickets at an average of 25.13, including five in the opening Test. Stokes suffered a groin injury in the fifth test, and the inexperienced English attack stumbled against the Aussies as England went on to lose the Ashes 4-1.After the review was carried out, Key also said that removing Stokes-McCullum from their positions was never an option, calling it "one of the better partnerships in English cricket."(With ANI Input)
24 March,2026 11:43 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1774345646812_d.png "M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Pic: X)")
-1774334317968_d.png "Harmanpreet Kaur. Pic/PTI")
-1774332623096_d.png "Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum (Pic: AFP)")