Chennai Super Kings will need to improve significantly in all departments of the game to trouble a potent Punjab Kings in their first home game of the Indian Premier League here on Friday. It was a uninspiring start for CSK in their opener against Rajasthan Royals. CSK, now a team full of youngsters, did not get anything right in Guwahati and would simply like to leave that comprehensive defeat behind in a long tournament like the IPL. While the injured MS Dhoni did not travel to Guwahati, he could be back in the dugout as a sounding board to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad while he continues to nurse a calf strain. Sanju Samson, their biggest signing for the season, did not last long on his CSK debut and would be looking to make a big impact in front of home fans. Samson scored six off 11 deliveries against his former franchise RR at a strike-rate of 85.71. The explosive opener, who was at the forefront of India’s recent T20 World Cup triumph with three impactful knocks at the fag end of the tournament (97* vs WI, 89 vs England, 89 vs NZ), will look to find his rhythm against PBKS. On the bowling front, the likes of Matt Henry and Noor Ahmad were made to look ordinary by the sheer belligerence of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. They would be itching to bounce back from that pasting. CSK take on last year’s finalists PBKS, who have become a formidable unit in the Shreyas Iyer-Ricky Ponting era. PBKS have found an able No. 3 in Cooper Connolly who anchored a tense chase against Gujarat Titans on Tuesday night. Rs 18 crCSK’s signing amount for Sanju Samson 85.71Samson’s strike-rate in his CSK debut against RR SixNo. of runs scored by Sanju Samson against RR 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
03 April,2026 09:38 AM IST | Chennai | AgenciesFollowing LSG’s opening defeat to DC at Lucknow on Wednesday night, team owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen in an animated discussion with skipper Rishabh Pant and head coach Justin Langer, leading to a lot of chatter on social media. It instantly brought back memories of Goenka’s altercation with then skipper KL Rahul when the team suffered a 10-wicket hammering against SRH in IPL 2024. This time though Goenka quickly doused any scope of a fire with a message on X. This is a long season, and moments like these are part of building something meaningful. I have full confidence in our captain and the team to respond with strength. To our fans, thank you for your support at Ekana today, we will come back stronger. The story of @LucknowIPL this… pic.twitter.com/iQvN8u4g1d — Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) April 1, 2026 “This is a long season, and moments like these are part of building something meaningful. I have full confidence in our captain and the team to respond with strength. To our fans, thank you for your support at Ekana today [Wednesday], we will come back stronger. The story of @LucknowIPL this season is far from written,” he wrote to his near 20,000 followers on the social media platform.
03 April,2026 09:35 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentTeams make plans, but fate ultimately determines the outcome. This adage perfectly fits the Lucknow Super Giants think-tank’s decision to promote skipper Rishabh Pant as an opener, a role he has seldom performed. But even before that could be tested in the IPL match against Delhi Capitals here on Wednesday, fate intervened. Pant was run-out at the non-striker’s end. That was the last thing the team wanted, and jolted by the blow, the famed batting line-up never flourished and the home side managed just 141. That was never going to be defendable, despite LSG’s pacers making an early fight of it. Pant had opened only once last season, when Mitch Marsh was unavailable, scoring 21 off 18 against Gujarat Titans, and on Wednesday, he managed seven off nine balls. Thus, after the six-wicket defeat, there were questions galore for the team management, including owner Sanjiv Goenka, who was seen having a now-customary animated discussion with Pant and head coach Justin Langer after the match. The moot questions for the Lucknow team management are: (i) Was it worth breaking the Aiden Markram-Marsh opening pair that worked so well last season. (ii) Was it worth dropping Nicholas Pooran way down the order? Talking to the official broadcasters, Pant justified the move: “The idea was very simple. Pooran is taking charge in the middle overs. He’s not batting in the top order anymore because I’m batting up.” When asked if the team management would rethink his role as an opener, he said, “It’s a 50-50 call. But [you’ll] definitely see me in the top three.” Pant also admitted that a batting collapse forced their hand into bringing in all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed as the Impact Player in the first innings itself, which meant they were unable to utilise promising leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi. In the final analysis, LSG did feel the absence of Rathi, as Shahbaz and Markram conceded 29 runs in two overs that swung the momentum DC’s way, with UP boy Sameer Rizvi playing a fine, match-winning innings of 70 not out. SixNo. of times Rishabh Pant has opened the batting in the IPL; he has scored 132 runs @ 22.00 FiveNo of consecutive wins for DC vs LSG 286Total number of runs scored in Lucknow on Wednesday — the lowest match aggregate involving LSG and DC
03 April,2026 09:32 AM IST | Lucknow | Santosh SuriThe Kolkata Knight Riders lost their second game of the season in a row after a loss against SRH by 65 runs. The visitors put on a huge target of 226 runs at the end of their 20 overs, largely thanks to a solid start from their opening duo.Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma started off with a bang, scoring at over the strike rate of 200. Klassen top-scored for SRH with 52 runs in 35 balls. Meanwhile, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets, including 2 in the final over. Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 52 runs off 29 balls for KKR, while vice captain Rinku Singh scored 35 off 25 deliveries.Speaking after the defeat, Ajinkya Rahane said that his team could not capitalise on a good start. He further added that KKR needed a partnership to get them going, but that could not happen."I thought the second innings, I felt the ball was slightly stopping. The slower balls were gripping a lot more than the first innings. And that's what we, I don't know, we thought the wicket will get better but the ball was little stopping. But again, see, no excuses. We got the good start. I thought first six overs we were 78. We lost that one extra wicket. Green is run out. But apart from that, we were going really well. As I said, middle overs were the crucial time for us. We needed that partnership from the set batters." Rahane said. The KKR captain further added that he is positive despite two defeats in two matches and is looking forward to the rest of the season. "I think guys are doing really well. Just one off day with the bat. Last game we did really well. Just needed those small partnerships. I think if the batters can have that positive mindset and this extra awareness while batting, I think we'll be fine." Rahane added. Ishan Kishan happy with SRH's victory away at Kolkata Winning captain Ishan Kishan was delighted with SRH's victory. The skipper was happy with the way his team bounced back after the opening day defeat at the hands of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kishan praised the start given to his team by Head and Abhishek Sharma, which set up the foundation for SRH's win. "Head and Abhishek made our game easy. It was a complete team effort. Our plan was to take wickets. Harsh just bowled that ball and we were lucky to get that wicket. Harsh has been doing well for his domestic team as well. I would like to talk about Shivang, he bowled exceptionally well. He was bowling with big heart. He did the job for us." Kishan said.
02 April,2026 11:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Sunrisers Hyderabad registered their first win of the season as they defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. SRH put on a huge target of 226 runs at the end of their 20 overs, largely thanks to a solid start from their opening duo.Batting first, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head gave the visitors a blistering start. Sharma scored 48 runs off 21 balls, while Head scored 46 runs in 21 balls. After both the openers were dismissed, Heinrich Klassen stabilised the innings, scoring 52 runs of 35 balls.The South African, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, ended SRH's innings with a bang, taking their team to 226 runs at the end of their innings. For KKR, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets, including 2 in the final over. KKR start strong but falter in the end After a strong start to the innings, Kolkata Knight Riders faltered in the last few overs of the powerplay and scored 74 runs for the loss of 3 wickets, chasing Sunrisers Hyderabad's total of 226 runs. Kolkata Knight Riders' opener Finn Allen started his innings with a bang, scoring 25 runs in the first over. The Kiwi star hit his first six balls for boundaries as he raced to 28 runs in 6 balls before being caught and bowled by Harsh Dubey. The run flow slowed down after Allen's departure, and captain Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed soon as Jaydev Unadkat picked up his maiden wicket of the season. Cameron Green and Angkrish Raghuvanshi were both run out, hurting KKR's chances of a successful run chase.Rinku Singh looked in fine touch as he tried to guide KKR to a victory. The KKR vice captain scored a fighting 35 runs in 24 balls, but it was too little too late. The hosts fell short of the target by 65 runs and have now lost both of their opening two matches of the season.SRH became the second team, after Delhi Capitals last night, to win an away game this season. SRH will face LSG next, while KKR will go against PBKS at the Eden Gardens.
02 April,2026 11:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter a strong start to the innings, Kolkata Knight Riders falter in the last few overs to score 74 runs for the loss of 3 wickets at the end of the powerplay, chasing Sunrisers Hyderabad's total of 226 runs. Kolkata Knight Riders' opener Finn Allen started his innings with a bang, scoring 25 runs in the first over. The Kiwi star hit his first six balls for boundaries as he raced to 28 runs in 6 balls before being caught and bowled by Harsh Dubey. The run flow slowed down after Allen's departure, and captain Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed soon as Jaydev Unadkat picked up his maiden wicket of the season. Cameron Green was run out in the last ball of the fifth over as KKR lost their third wicket.KKR will hope that their deep batting line-up with the likes of Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh and Sunil Narine. The Kolkata-based franchise lost its opening match of the season against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede and will aim to bounce back from that disappointment in front of its home crowd. Earlier, the Sunrisers Hyderabad put on 226 runs in their 20 overs. SRH got off to a flying start as openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head found their groove in the powerplay. Head scored a quickfire 46 off 21 balls, while Abhishek Sharma scored 48 runs off 21 balls.After both the openers were dismissed, Heinrich Klassen stabbled the innings, scoring 52 runs of 35 balls. The South African, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, ended SRH's innings with a bang, taking their team to 226 runs at the end of their innings.For KKR, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets, including 2 in the final over. Confirmed Playing XI for both teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C) (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, David Payne.
02 April,2026 10:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have reached the score of 123 runs for the loss of four wickets after the completion of 10 overs. Having put to bat first, the explosive duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma opened the innings for SRH. Facing 21 deliveries, Head has smashed 46 runs, hitting six boundaries and three maximums, before being caught by Cameron Green in Kartik Tyagi's. On the other hand, Abhishek fell just two runs short of a half-century, scoring 48 off 21 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes. After the first wicket, skipper Ishan Kishan entered the ground, but departed after scoring only 14 runs in nine balls, including three boundaries. Aniket Verma also failed to make an impact, scoring just one run off four deliveries. Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy are unbeaten at the crease. Kolkata's Blessing Muzarabani managed to pick up two wickets by conceding 20 runs in two overs. Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy bagged one wicket each. Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakaravarthy are yet to claim a wicket. Earlier, after winning the toss, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said, "We are going to bowl first. There is always room for improvement but there were a lot of positives. We generally don't see so much of grass, rain around and that's why we wanted to bowl first. Not sure with the dew as there's a breeze going around. It should be good for 40 overs. He (Cam Green) is doing everything he needs to do. He should bowl soon. Going with the same team". On the other hand, SRH's skipper Kishan said, "We would have bowled first. But batting first, we have to see the ball and play accordingly. We have to come up with the best game for us. You have to go out and do the basics right. Only one point I would say is execution, we need to calm even if we are not in a very good situation. We will look to keep it simple in this game. I don't know yet, but he should be ready soon, he makes a big difference, with the bat as well. We have one change - Shivang comes in, keeping the wicket-taking options open, he has bowled well in the nets and we are giving him an opportunity". IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Confirmed Playing XI Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C) (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, David Payne.
02 April,2026 09:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn preparation for the Billie Jean King Cup Group 1-Asia/Oceania round-robin, the Indian women's tennis team has begun a five-day training camp at the DLTA Stadium in New Delhi. The team's main goal is to qualify for the prestigious World Group for the third time.According to an announcement, Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yarnalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Shrivalli Bhamidipati, Rutuja Bhoosale, and Vaidehee Chaudhari make up the Indian squad. The five-day camp will take place from April 1 to April 5. #WATCH | Delhi: On Billie Jean King Cup, Tennis Player Sahaja Yamalapalli, says, "... I’m really excited to be part of this. We have a strong team again this year, and I’m looking forward to getting started. Playing at home is always special — last year we were in Pune and… pic.twitter.com/KkGVWwmIYZ — ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2026 Speaking before the event, Sahaja Yamalapalli said that she was excited to be a part of the team and hoped to start off the tournament well."I’m really excited to be part of this. We have a strong team again this year, and I’m looking forward to getting started. Playing at home is always special — last year we were in Pune and Bangalore, and now Delhi is hosting the Billie Jean King Cup. The energy and support from the crowd will be crazy." Sahaja Yamalapalli said. #WATCH | Delhi: On Billie Jean King Cup, Tennis Player Rutuja Bhonsale, says, "... Everyone’s super excited — this is one of the few weeks in the year when all the girls come together, making it a special time for me too. The camp helps us to get used to the conditions for the… pic.twitter.com/CqoYbq6DHd — ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2026 Meanwhile, Rutuja Bhonsale too was eager to play in front of the home crowd. She was also excited to work together with fellow professionals after playing individually throughout the year."Everyone’s super excited — this is one of the few weeks in the year when all the girls come together, making it a special time for me too. The camp helps us to get used to the conditions for the girls to come together because we play individually throughout the year." Bhonsale said. The Indian team will look to continue their good form at the Billie Jean King Cup After winning 2-1 over Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia & Oceania Group I Qualifiers last year, India will look to gain momentum competing. India will be striving for a top-two result to maintain its World Group aspirations, while New Zealand, Indonesia, and Mongolia are also competing this year.As the squad prepares for the qualifications, performance and making a significant move to make it back to the World Group for the third time remain the team's top priorities. India will try to turn impressive previous results into a historic campaign with momentum and favourable home circumstances.(With ANI Input)
02 April,2026 09:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane has won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. KKR suffered a loss in their opening match against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Rahane and his men will be eager to register their first victory in the ongoing tournament. On the other hand, the Sunrisers, under the leadership of Kishan, also suffered a defeat in the tournament's opening match. It will be interesting to see if Kishan manages to impress the management by securing a victory tonight in Kolkata. After winning the toss, KKR captain Rahane said, "We are going to bowl first. There is always room for improvement but there were a lot of positives. We generally don't see so much of grass, rain around and that's why we wanted to bowl first. Not sure with the dew as there's a breeze going around. It should be good for 40 overs. He (Cam Green) is doing everything he needs to do. He should bowl soon. Going with the same team". On the other hand, SRH's skipper Ishan Kishan said, "We would have bowled first. But batting first, we have to see the ball and play accordingly. We have to come up with the best game for us. You have to go out and do the basics right. Only one point I would say is execution, we need to calm even if we are not in a very good situation. We will look to keep it simple in this game. I don't know yet, but he should be ready soon, he makes a big difference, with the bat as well. We have one change - Shivang comes in, keeping the wicket-taking options open, he has bowled well in the nets and we are giving him an opportunity". IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Confirmed Playing XI Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C) (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, David Payne.
02 April,2026 07:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentYuvraj Singh, a former India all-rounder who won the World Cup, stated on Thursday that cricket players should start playing golf at a young age to manage the stress of their main job.After retiring, Yuvraj became an enthusiastic golfer and was chosen as the second Indian Golf Premier League's brand ambassador."They (cricketers) should play golf along with cricket. I should have played golf earlier, which would have helped me in cricket. Golf actually helps you unwind, take stress out of you," Yuvraj said at the unveiling event of the IGPL. "For example, all foreign cricketers, Australians, Kiwis, English, South Africans, all have been playing golf since they were young kids."Yuvraj said golf is considered an elite sport, but it's a game that is accessible to all through public courses."We see golf as an elite sport, but we want every kid in India to try golf. We are trying to take golf to schools. What I feel is that every child should try every sport. I know cricket is our biggest game, but golf is also an exciting game, which everyone should try. As someone who has represented India, I want to help in other sports as well," he added.Speaking about the IGPL, Yuvraj believed that it would help golf grow in India. The former Indian star added that it will also encourage the Indians kids to pick up the sport at an early age."The league (IGPL) will make this game exciting, make noise about the sport. More kids will pick up the sport, watch it on TV and will get encouraged to play. It will create money in the sport, and help in securing the future of kids, and it is our responsibility." Yuvraj said. IGPL announce squad for ten franchises Ten franchises and fifteen events will be held throughout the year in this year's IGPL, including five international competitions in Mauritius, the Congo, South Africa, and two in Morocco.The IGPL has also been integrated with the professional tour.Thursday's event was also attended by tennis great Leander Paes, who is a co-owner of the Kolkata franchise in the league, and IGPL CEO Uttam Singh Mundy. (With PTI Input)
02 April,2026 06:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals (DC), Lucknow Super Giants (SLG) suffered a loss by six wickets at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. Batting first in the match, LSG was bowled out for 141 runs. Later, in the second essay of the game, while defending the target of 142 runs, Lucknow's star pacer Mohammed Shami dismissed DC's KL Rahul on the very first ball. The pacer also returned with the figures of one wicket for 28 runs in four overs. Speaking about his performance, former Team India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara said that the ongoing edition is important for Shami. "This season of the IPL is very important for Mohammed Shami and the way he started off the tournament with this performance against DC shows he means business. Yes, his figures read 1 for 28, but it was Shami who played a crucial role in helping his side get off to a strong start in the powerplay. He first got rid of KL Rahul on the very first ball of the run chase and full credit to Shami," he said. The former cricketer then explained how the pacer employed his technique to get rid of Rahul early in the match. "He knew that Rahul loves to play the inside out shot, so he bowled a wide delivery. Rahul played the inside out shot but it went straight into the hands of the deep point fielder. Then, he restricted the run flow by bowling tight lines and did not allow the batters to score runs," said Pujara. Considering all his performances in domestic cricket, Pujara stated that this is just the beginning of Shami's redemption arc. "Shami has been playing domestic cricket across all formats in the last one year and the performances have been good. He is translating his domestic form into the IPL. This performance against Delhi is just the beginning of Mohammed Shami's road to redemption," he said. On the back of one loss, LSG will gear up to face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. IPL 2026, Lucknow Super Giants: Full Squad 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. (With PTI Inputs)
02 April,2026 06:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1775147772995_d.png "Finn Allen (Pic: AFP)")
-1775136339794_d.png "Yuvraj Singh (Pic: PTI)")
