In the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Mumbai Indians (MI) emerged victorious by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. During the match, MI's wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock delivered an unbeaten knock of 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Speaking about the South African, former Team India cricketer Sanjay Bangar said that it came as a surprise for him that the left-handed batsman was not included in the mix for the team's initial matches. "I was a bit surprised to see Quinton de Kock not being utilised more prominently because he’s a proven match-winner. When he gets going, he has the ability to win games on his own, and his record in T20 cricket reflects that," he said on JioHotstar. He also feels that MI's think tank needs to take tough calls to find the right balance. "Mumbai Indians need that kind of impact at the top. It might mean making tough calls, even looking beyond Ryan Rickelton, to get the right balance in the XI. They also need to ensure their overseas combination complements the Indian core, and someone like Will Jacks, when he comes in, could add that extra energy and intent to the line-up," said Bangar. IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Match Summary Batting first in the match, the hosts posted a total of 195 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Naman Dhir also scored 50 runs in 31 balls, with the help of three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Punjab's Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh also chipped in with one wicket each. Later in the second essay of the game, along with Prabhsimran, skipper Shreyas Iyer accumulated 66 runs off 35 balls, including five boundaries and four maximums. With this, the Kings chased the target by scoring 198 runs for the loss of three wickets in 16.3 overs. Mumbai's Impact Player, Allah Ghazanfar, bagged two wickets, and Shardul Thakur also claimed one wicket.
17 April,2026 05:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe rising hype of T20 cricket has witnessed exciting tournaments such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Big Bash League (BBL) and the Pakistan Premier League (PSL) grow to the next level. Amid the rise of the shortest format leagues, several cricket pundits are worried whether the traditional format of the game, Test cricket, will be discontinued due to a lack of interest from players and spectators. Lalit Modi, the man behind the inception of IPL, has proposed an exciting measure to save the longest format of the game. With an aim of saving Test cricket, the former IPL chairman suggested that Test teams should be owned by the IPL franchises. "The only way Test cricket will work, somebody's going to shoot me for saying this. First time I'm saying this. Let the IPL teams own Test cricket teams. You got the youngsters, you got the loyalty factors. You play your country versus country, without doubt, that's premier," he said on The Overlap Podcast. "I'm saying you have it as a world championship that goes around the world every year, you play those without doubt, but also so that it doesn't disappear, you have exhibition matches starting off with it--teams playing test cricket. At least play one in a season between each other just to get their youngsters back into the game. That's going to be like club cricket. You have club cricket in everything. But the primary has to be country versus country," added Modi. He also feels that if the team owners want to build a good and loyal relationship with the players, they need to acquire their services at a young age. "And if you want to build loyalty with the youngsters, you got to catch them young and you've got to give them the experience," he said. Considering the amount of importance Test cricket is given in Australia and England, players from other countries are not able to experience the heat of the format due to a lack of play, Modi stated. "I hope Test cricket survives because I love Test cricket. You look at the generation that is growing up now. Unfortunately, they are not experiencing it anywhere else except in Australia and England. These are the only two countries that are actually keeping the level of Test up because of the Ashes and because of the English season, and you have the advantage of that, but the rest of the world, Test is dying," he said. The former IPL chairman concluded by saying that a Test match should be a four-day game and played in a day-night mode. "Now people think I'm crazy to suggest this, but I care about it, and my suggestion has always been, and since 2007, I've been saying this: Tests should turn into a four-day game, it should be day and night. People don't have the luxury today to go out there and spend four days all day sitting in the sun and drinking beer. I'm sorry. Those were the good old days when you had a single-channel television and the Test was rare and not accessible with media today, available to you on the fly. Every match around the world is available to you," he signed off. (With ANI Inputs)
17 April,2026 04:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab Kings (PBKS) emerged victorious by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. During the match, PBKS' skipper Shreyas Iyer showcased a spectacular effort to dismiss MI's captain Hardik Pandya. In the 17.2 overs, Marco Jansen bowled a delivery, which was mistimed by Hardik. However, the shot was supposed to land behind the boundary rope, but Shreyas made a terrific effort and grabbed the ball, later passing it to Xavier Bartlett. The visiting team's captain earned abundant praise for the catch. Legendary Team India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also shared a post on his official social media handle. "What made Shreyas Iyer’s catch so special was not just the athleticism, but the awareness behind it. He had to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope was, how close he was to stepping on it, and get his jump absolutely perfect. Then, while still in the air, he caught the ball and released it to a teammate before landing, all the while knowing exactly where that fielder was positioned. To process all of that in a split second takes unbelievable awareness, timing, fitness, and composure. @ShreyasIyer15 got everything spot on. One of the best catches I’ve ever seen live!," read the post's caption. What made Shreyas Iyer’s catch so special was not just the athleticism, but the awareness behind it.He had to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope was, how close he was to stepping on it, and get his jump absolutely perfect.Then, while still in the… — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 17, 2026 IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Match Summary Batting first in the match, the hosts posted a total of 195 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Naman Dhir also scored 50 runs in 31 balls, with the help of three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Punjab's Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh also chipped in with one wicket each. Later in the second essay of the game, along with Prabhsimran, skipper Shreyas Iyer accumulated 66 runs off 35 balls, including five boundaries and four maximums. With this, the Kings chased the target by scoring 198 runs for the loss of three wickets in 16.3 overs. Mumbai's Impact Player, Allah Ghazanfar, bagged two wickets, and Shardul Thakur also claimed one wicket.
17 April,2026 04:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Mumbai Indians (MI) suffered a loss by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This was Mumbai's fourth consecutive loss in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league. Following the disappointing result, MI's head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, said that no individual should be blamed for the loss. "I think it's on every one of us when we are not doing well. It's not an individual. It's pretty much on me, everyone who is involved in the management and all that to see how can we be better," he said. Despite suffering consecutive defeats, the head coach feels that the side is playing good cricket. He also said that Mumbai's think tank need to do things better to yield better results. "I know we are playing good cricket. We are not taken out completely, but at the same time the other teams are much better, clinical; obviously the confidence is high as well when they have that kind of start so we just need to control phases that we can control. So I think it's not just on one individual. As a franchise, as a team management, we need to do things better to get into some rhythm and then get a few wins under our belt that will give us that confidence," said Jayawardene. IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Match Summary Batting first in the match, the hosts posted a total of 195 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Naman Dhir also scored 50 runs in 31 balls, with the help of three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Punjab's Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh also chipped in with one wicket each. Later in the second essay of the game, along with Prabhsimran, skipper Shreyas Iyer accumulated 66 runs off 35 balls, including five boundaries and four maximums. With this, the Kings chased the target by scoring 198 runs for the loss of three wickets in 16.3 overs. Mumbai's Impact Player, Allah Ghazanfar, bagged two wickets, and Shardul Thakur also claimed one wicket. (With ANI Inputs)
17 April,2026 02:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab Kings (PBKS) emerged victorious by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. During the match, PBKS's wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 80 runs in just 39 balls. He also entertained the crowd by smashing 11 boundaries and two maximums. Following the knock, former Team India cricketer Sanjay Bangar said that the right-handed batsman made the most out of the opportunity that he received after his catch was dropped. "In hindsight, that drop did turn out to be a crucial moment because Prabhsimran Singh made the most of it. Punjab Kings’ top order has been doing the bulk of the scoring, and he brings that aggressive intent which immediately puts bowlers under pressure," he said on JioHotstar. Further speaking, he said that Prabhsimran's ability to score runs all around the ground allows him to maintain his high strike rate. "What stands out is his ability to attack all around the ground. He doesn’t get restricted to one side. Whether it’s through the off side or over the top, he keeps his options open, which allows him to maintain a high strike-rate and keep the pressure on throughout," said Bangar. IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Match Summary Batting first in the match, the hosts posted a total of 195 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Naman Dhir also scored 50 runs in 31 balls, with the help of three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Punjab's Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh also chipped in with one wicket each. Later in the second essay of the game, along with Prabhsimran, skipper Shreyas Iyer accumulated 66 runs off 35 balls, including five boundaries and four maximums. With this, the Kings chased the target by scoring 198 runs for the loss of three wickets in 16.3 overs. Mumbai's Impact Player, Allah Ghazanfar, bagged two wickets, and Shardul Thakur also claimed one wicket.
17 April,2026 01:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Indians pacer Deepak Chahar’s sister Malti delighted her 2.1 million Instagram followers with her latest post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Malti Chahar (@maltichahar) The model and actress posted a series of pictures, donning a silky dress, captioning the post with a handmade heart emoji. Fans were quick to laud her style, with one social media user saying: “Damn! You look stunning,” while another replied: “You’re looking gorgeous!” Malti was also among the finalists of blockbuster reality show Bigg Boss this season.
17 April,2026 10:26 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentEmphasising the need to give all players adequate opportunities ahead of the T20 World Cup, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Thursday said her side is confident and keen to make the most of the five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting here on Friday. Harmanpreet also said that her side is brimming with confidence following their ODI World Cup triumph. India recently registered T20I series wins over Australia and Sri Lanka. The skipper stressed that the matches against South Africa would offer a valuable opportunity to fine-tune combinations and build momentum ahead of the global event to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. "We want to take this opportunity very seriously and play our best cricket here. It's a great chance for us to come together and prepare well before the World Cup," Harmanpreet said at the pre-series press conference. India feature in Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and the The Netherlands. Harmanpreet underlined that giving opportunities to all players in the five-match series would be a priority. "These matches are important to ensure all players get equal opportunities so that we are fully ready as a unit going into the World Cup. At the same time, we are here to win," she noted. "After the ODI World Cup, the team is quite confident. Wherever we are going, we are going with full confidence. The team is in good shape and this series is very important for us before the World Cup." On the opposition, Harmanpreet described South Africa as a "balanced side" with strong all-round options, noting their consistency in reaching the latter stages of ICC events. "They have very good players and quality all-rounders, which is very important in T20 cricket. They have been playing competitive cricket over the last few years and reaching finals regularly," she said. "Playing against a strong team like South Africa always gives you confidence if you do well. That's why we wanted to face them before the World Cup." Speaking about conditions in Durban, Harmanpreet said the team had a productive training session and found the weather comparable to Indian conditions, though pitches would pose a different challenge. "The weather is quite similar to India. The only difference is the pitch, but we are getting used to it and hopefully will give our best," she said. Harmanpreet also expressed excitement about young all-rounder Anushka Sharma, who has impressed in domestic cricket and the Women's Premier League. The 22-year-old is an off-spin bowling all-rounder. "She is a great talent and has done well whenever she has got the opportunity. Bringing her here is about giving her exposure and experience before the World Cup," she said. Reflecting on recent mixed results across formats, Harmanpreet said the team remains focused on the bigger picture. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but it's important to focus on what lies ahead. Our main target is the T20 World Cup, and we want to play good cricket leading into it to regain full confidence," she said. On team combinations, she indicated that selections have been guided by South African conditions, particularly the need for multiple pace options, while maintaining faith in the spin attack led by experienced players like Deepti Sharma. She also confirmed that the team management has backed continuity in the wicket-keeping department, while keeping options open based on fitness and domestic performances. 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
17 April,2026 10:19 AM IST | Durban | PTIMumbai’s cricketers have welcomed the Mumbai Cricket Association’s move to award annual contracts to players. On Thursday, the MCA announced that for the 2026-27 season they will issue contracts to all its players, except those who have represented India ‘A’ and are part of the IPL. The contracts will be awarded based on performances over the last two seasons, fitness benchmarks, and recommendations of the selection committee. The MCA’s Apex Council has passed a proposal, under which players will be categorised into three grades. Grade A players will receive Rs 12,00,000 to Rs 20,00,000 per annum, Grade B players will earn Rs 8,00,000 to R1s 2,00,000 per annum, and Grade C players will get R8,00,000 per annum. “This will definitely benefit players because everyone needs financial assistance. Being on the contracted list will also motivate them more as they will feel financially secure. In today’s world, financial security is very important. This initiative is just remarkable,” Mumbai’s spin-bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani told mid-day on Thursday. Mulani’s Mumbai Ranji Trophy teammate, wicketkeeper-batsman Hardik Tamore, reckoned this initiative will help cricketers, as many don’t have jobs. “This is a wonderful initiative by MCA because many of us cricketers don’t have jobs. These contracts will give players financial independence which will allow them to focus more on their cricket and play freely,” Tamore told mid-day.
17 April,2026 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureSouth African opener Quinton de Kock’s scored a dominant 60-ball 112 not out as Mumbai Indians (MI) posted 195-6 against Punjab Kings in their allotted 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Put into bat, MI suffered two big losses in the third over itself — Ryan Rickelton (2) and one-drop Suryakumar Yadav (0) — with the score reading 12-2, but De Kock came to the rescue, smashing eight fours and seven sixes during his unbeaten prolific innings. MI finished the first 10 overs on 97-2. Playing his first match of the season, De Kock, who replaced Rohit Sharma (hamstring injury), proved his mettle by reaching his half-century off just 28 balls. He first targeted Punjab leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (0-45), smashing him for a six and four in his first over. Punjab medium pacer Shashank Singh (1-19) got hammered for two successive sixes in the 16th over as De Kock reached his third IPL century in just 53 balls. Excellent footwork, early judgment of the line and length and perfect placement in the gaps were some of the highlights of the South African’s innings.No. 4 Naman Dhir (31-ball 50, 3x4, 3x6) offered good support as the duo stitched a 68-ball 122 run third-wicket stand. 112*No. of runs scored by Quinton de Kock on Thursday — the second-highest individual score for Mumbai Indians
17 April,2026 10:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAjinkya Rahane is feeling the heat as summer approaches full ferocity. To add insult to injury, Rahane was fined R12 lakh after Kolkata Knight Riders failed to bowl their overs in time in their 32-run loss against Chennai Super Kings. KKR have yet to register a win after five attempts, and it was only rain that spared them the ignominy of a perfect record of losses. Against the Punjab Kings, at the Eden Gardens, with rain forecast, they inexplicably chose to bat first when the weather saved them the blushes. Rahane has been uncharacteristically tetchy all season. When asked why KKR’s Rs 25.2-crore signing — the most expensive foreign player in the IPL — was not bowling, Rahane snapped: “That question you need to ask Cricket Australia.” The response was swift, with CA clarifying that KKR were well aware that Green was not yet at full bowling fitness. Then, almost unprompted, Rahane fired a salvo. “I’ve had one of the best strike-rates since 2011. The people who’re talking about me, probably [they’re] not watching the matches, or they’ve certain other targets, they don’t like me playing. The amount of success I got, I guess they’re jealous of me.” Rahane has an excellent strike-rate in the Powerplay, but this falls off sharply in the middle overs, and to suggest anyone is jealous of a captain who has steered his team to the bottom of the points table is questionable. What is less of a debate is that the presence of Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi in the top four is not working. Neither batsman figures in the top 25 when it comes to strike-rates. It’s true that KKR have genuine reasons to be struggling. Their bowling attack was kneecapped before the tournament began. Harshit Rana and Akash Deep were both injured, Mustafizur Rahman was pulled out for non-cricket reasons, and Matheesha Pathirana missed the first five matches through a delayed fitness test and related No Objection Certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket. Yet Rahane has not looked himself, as a leader, all tournament. In the Ranji Trophy and on the occasion when he has led India in Test cricket, Rahane has proven to be a terrific leader. His marshalling of resources, nimble changes of field, juggling of bowlers, and man management have all shown him in a good light. But, while time is on your side in red-ball cricket, and the mandate is crystal clear, even for a stand-in captain, leading a team in the IPL is a different beast. The responsibility of answering to team owners [and fans] and the influence of coaches begs the question: whose team is this? At the moment, it does not appear to be Rahane’s, but a win against the Gujarat Titans may change that. FiveNo. of matches KKR have won under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy since 2025; they have lost 11, while three games were washed out 139.50Ajinkya Rahane’s strike-rate in the IPL since 2024; the opener has scored 784 runs off 562 balls in 31 matches
17 April,2026 09:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Anand VasuJosh Hazlewood’s much-anticipated first game of the season for reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru didn’t go to plan as the Australian pacer was taken to the cleaners by Rajasthan Royals’s 15-year-old wunderkind, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Hazlewood nicked off Yashasvi Jaiswal in his first over but Sooryavanshi hammered him for three fours and a six off successive deliveries to headline Rajasthan’s six-wicket victory a week back. On Wednesday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Hazlewood was back at his metronomic best, challenging Lucknow Super Giants’s top order and potentially putting Rishabh Pant out of action for a little while. Jitesh Sharma Such was Hazlewood’s control and threat quotient on a tacky surface that Rajat Patidar used three of the 35-year-old’s overs up front. And even though Hazlewood took only one wicket, figures of 1-20 — and a blow to Pant’s left elbow that forced the LSG skipper to temporarily retire hurt and prevented him from keeping wickets — were enough to bag the Player of the Match award after his team’s five-wicket romp, its fourth win in five games. “I felt much better today, in good shape,” acknowledged Hazlewood, who had gone for 44 against Rajasthan. “It was a slow wicket, I just had to whack that length. The plan is hopefully to keep playing. The schedule is pretty good from here on, so I should be okay to keep playing.” RCB’s wicket-taking heroes were Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-27) and Rasikh Salam (4-24) but clearly, the tone was set by Hazlewood, whose 22 wickets were hugely influential in last season’s title run. “He is looking more sharp,” remarked Jitesh Sharma, the RCB wicket-keeper and vice-captain, of the bowling spearhead’s return to action after five months on the sidelines recovering from persistent Achilles and hamstring injuries. “His body has got rest. He has become fitter, and he is very confident about his body now. He is a more improved player than last year. It was a slow track, but he bowled quick.” FiveConsecutive matches won by RCB in Bengaluru since 2025
17 April,2026 09:51 AM IST | Bengaluru | R KaushikADVERTISEMENT
