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 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 correspondentPunjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting wants his team to draw confidence from their impressive performances last year. The PBKS reached the final of the tournament last year but lost to eventual winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the showpiece event.Head coach Ricky Ponting has urged Punjab Kings players to be physically, technically and mentally sharp, while drawing confidence from their strong showing last season. Last year marked the first time in a decade the Punjab Kings reached the IPL final, and Ponting wants his team to maintain their good form."This is training, this is preparation. This is about getting ourselves physically, technically and mentally right for that first game on the 31st. "I want you to think back and think what you brought to this team last year, and that made us a good team," Ponting said.The former Australian skipper further added that players should not be afraid to make mistakes and stick to the game plan. Ponting wants his PBKS players to take a brave approach to the game."We all make mistakes. That's fine. I will make mistakes on the way through this. You will all make mistakes, you'll drop a catch, you'll play bad shots, you'll bowl a bad over. But as long as you are sticking to what you know and what your game plan is, if you make a mistake, doing that in my eyes is not a mistake. It's just what happens in the game, it's a part of the game," Ponting added.Punjab Kings will take on the Gujarat Titans in their season-opener at Mullanpur on March 31. Shreyas Iyer and his team will be keen to go one step further and win a maiden IPL title, after their run to the final last year. Punjab Kings 2026 Squad Shreyas Iyer (c), Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Lockie Ferguson, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly, Harpreet Brar, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Pravin Dubey, Harnoor Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Pyla Avinash, Vishal Nishad. (With PTI Input)
24 March,2026 10:37 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCricket Australia is yet to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Mitchell Starc for his IPL stint with Delhi Capitals, the franchise said on Monday, but remains hopeful the lead pacer will join the squad before their tournament opener on April 1. In a media interaction, Delhi Capitals Axar Patel, cricket director Venugopal Rao and head coach Hemang Badani fielded multiple questions on the availability of their pace spearhead. Starc had taken 14 wickets in 11 games last season. "We are waiting to get the NOC from Cricket Australia. Once we get that, we will know when he will join us," said Badani. "We are in constant touch with CA. He has been bowling, he had a bowled few days back. Unless Cricket Australia signs off on him that he is fit to play, there is little a franchise can do," said the coach when asked if the delay in issuing NOC was due to fitness or workload management. Sitting next to him, Rao added: "He is coming, it is just a question of getting the NOC from Cricket Australia. They are monitoring, we are monitoring (his fitness and workload). " Flanked by Rao and Badani, Axar was asked if he was ready to play T Natarajan in Starc's place if the latter doesn't arrive in the time for team's first game against LSG in Lucknow on April 1. "It is tough to answer that at this stage. If Starc gets NOC, he can come before the first match also. We are waiting for that update. If he doesnt come there is no temptation to replace a left arm pacer with a left arm pacer. "It is about team combination. Having said that, Natajaran is doing really well and is 100 percent fit," said Axar. Natarajan had played just two games last season due to a shoulder injury. 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
24 March,2026 09:05 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIGujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has said that the calmness in his game comes from being himself and having belief and security within his group here on Monday ahead of IPL 2026. Gill, who was not part of India's T20 World Cup-winning side, will return to the shortest format for Gujarat Titans -- the 2022 champions and 2023 finalists -- as the franchise looks to add to its solitary title. "I'm just being myself, and the calmness comes from a sense of belief and security that I have within my group and in my own game," Gill said during Gujarat Titans' "Shubharambh 2026" event featuring the squad, owners and partners here. Gujarat Titans will take on last year's runners-up Punjab Kings in an away game on March 31 in their tournament opener. "Staying calm in any situation gives you an eagle-eye view, you're able to look beyond the moment, see the bigger picture, and have a much clearer, long-term vision," Gill said, adding that calmness is also the biggest strength for the team's head coach and former India pacer Ashish Nehra. Gujarat Titans had lost to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator last season, and Nehra said there is no need to think differently other than focusing on winning the trophy. "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 (players) have to think. They have to play; I'm sitting outside," Nehra said. "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. This belief was shared by everyone, not just me. "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," Nehra added. Former England player and GT's director of cricket Vikram Solanki also chipped in saying there was no need to change a lot from last year where they fell at the "final hurdle". "As far as this season is concerned and putting a squad together, we had a really good year last year," Solanki said. "We just fell at the final hurdle. We made very small changes at the last auction, it just needed a little bit of adjustment. There were five players who came in, and Matthew Hayden has joined us as well." Talking about the team's work ethics, Solanki said trusting their players and working hard remains paramount for them. "The work is essentially shared among all of us, and we all try to work very, very hard. We are mindful of supporting these players as best as we can," he said. "We are ably led by these two gentlemen. Leadership requires a team, but it also requires a level of trust that these players have in them, as much as they have in the players," Solanki added. 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
24 March,2026 09:04 AM IST | Ahmedabad | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-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)")
-1774326866852_d.png "Ricky Ponting (Pic: PBKS)")
