Former Team India cricketer Wasim Jaffer recalled the first time he met premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Recollecting the time, the former cricketer said that he met Pandya at Irfan Pathan's house for dinner. "The first time I met him was during the 2014 or 2015 Ranji season. Mumbai were playing Baroda in Baroda. Irfan, Yusuf, and Munaf were playing in the opposition team. I was not playing that match because I was injured, but I travelled with the team. It was my last season with Mumbai. I shifted to Vidarbha after that. I remember that we went to Irfan's house for dinner, and that is when I met Hardik and Krunal (Hardik's brother) for the first time," he said. He then said that Irfan introduced Hardik to him by saying that he is the player who will soon be playing. "Irfan told me, 'Is se milo, ye Hardik hai, bahut jaldi khelne wala hai (He is Hardik, meet him, he is going to play very soon).' And I think he was picked by Mumbai Indians that season itself. Irfan told me that he is a big fan of mine. Hardik himself said, 'Main aapki batting bahut dekhta hoon aur mujhe bahut apka khelne ka andaz pasand hai (I watch your batting a lot and I really like the way you play)," said Jaffer. The 48-year-old former cricketer also said that it is nice of Hardik that he still names him as his inspiration. "It is very nice of him that woh abhi bhi itne bade stars ke samne woh mera naam lete hai (he still names me as an inspiration in front of big stars). And that is why there has been so much news about who Wasim Jaffer is. People keep hearing other names very often, but they might not remember Wasim Jaffer because I made a name for myself in First-Class cricket," he signed off. Hardik Pandya will soon be in action for the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The "Paltan" will begin their campaign by playing a clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (With ANI Inputs)
20 March,2026 09:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 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 Irfan Pathan feels that teams may plan certain things against Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. "It is possible that this season, teams may plan against him, like bowling consistently outside the off stump and keeping the ball away from his reach. He will need to counter that, even if it comes with the risk of getting out," he said. He also said that the youngster may face difficulties similar to what Abhishek Sharma faced in the concluded T20 World Cup 2026. "Also, he might face the same challenges that Abhishek Sharma did (in the T20 World Cup this year), different types of bowling and constant variations in pace, so how he adapts and finds ways to score in those situations will be key," said Irfan. On the other hand, former cricketer Aakash Chopra also warned Sooryavanshi, saying that if he doesn't connect his first ball properly, problems might start for him. "If the first one is there to be hit, I will go for it' is a very good philosophy. But if it happens three times that you go for the first ball and, God forbid, you don't connect properly and get out, that is when problems start," he said. "The IPL is a different beast. They may not say it in as many words, but it reminds me of my playing days in England, where if you have one or two off days back-to-back, someone would come up and say, 'Bro, time to earn your money,' because you are being paid to score runs. That thought lingers on your mind, that you are getting paid to perform, and the IPL has a similar dynamic," added Chopra. IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings: Match's date and venue RR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 30 at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. (With ANI Inputs)
20 March,2026 08:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 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, Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer spoke about the importance of spending time with teammates off the field. He also stated that building a good bond off the field helps the team to yield better results. "This is the period where we live as a family for two months. The more time we spend together, the more we get to know each other. Now is the time where we build that camaraderie. We spend most of our time in the game room, playing FIFA and other games. The planning and plotting for matches usually happens a day or two before the game, but building this bond off the field helps us get better results eventually," he said during the event where the franchise revealed its official match kit. Further speaking, the right-handed batsman also spoke about his journey of recovering from an injury to returning to the field. "It is always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around seven kilos and it took a lot of effort to gain that weight back. But I love challenges. I am glad I overcame that part of my life, and I am back here proudly representing the team," said Iyer. "Embracing the love from the Punjab fans, who have fondly given him the tag of 'Sarpanch Sahab', Shreyas was clear about his ultimate goal. "Expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we step in, we have to win. My eye is on the trophy," said the 31-year-old cricketer. PBKS will begin the IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) 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 (C), 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.
20 March,2026 07:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 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) stalwart Virat Kohli has started practising in the nets. The team clinched the elusive title in the previous edition and will be looking to defend its title this year. Kohli, who has three back-to-back seasons with 600-plus runs, will be looking to have another big campaign. His contributions will be crucial for the Bengaluru-based franchise. In the last season, Virat scored 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, with eight fifties to his name, finishing as the team's leading run-getter and third-highest run-getter overall. RCB shared a post on its official social media handle, in which the right-handed batsman is seen showcasing big hits. š in action. š„¶This is Emmvee presents RCB Shorts.#PlayBold #ą²Øą²®ą³ą²®RCB #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/kNdDrD4ACp — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 20, 2026 The 37-year-old cricketer is also the leading run-scorer in the history of the tournament. So far, having made 267 appearances in the league, Kohli has smashed 8661 runs, with a top score of an unbeaten 113 runs. He also has eight tons and 63 half-centuries to his name. Additionally, having made 13,543 runs in 414 T20Is, including nine centuries and 105 fifties, Virat will also be aiming to join West Indies titans Chris Gayle (14,562 runs), Kieron Pollard (14,482 runs), England's Alex Hales (14,449 runs), and Australian legend David Warner (14,028 runs) as the fifth member of the 14,000-run club in T20 cricket. IPL 2026, Opening match: Date and venue Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will begin their IPL 2026 campaign by playing a clash against 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 ANI Inputs)
20 March,2026 06:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer CSK batter S Badrinath has labelled KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane as a 'weak link' of the team ahead of IPL 2026.Badrinath has raised doubts about the three-time winners' campaign with fewer than ten days till KKR's tournament start against the Mumbai Indians (MI). The two-time IPL champion did not hold back while criticising both the team's growing injury worries and KKR's general management."Ajinkya Rahane is definitely a weakness. His captaincy itself is a weak link. All their big investments have gone wrong. They trusted Harshit Rana and invested in him, but he is ruled out. Pathirana was a huge signing, and now he's doubtful. Mustafizur was another big investment, and he is ruled out. They've taken many costly decisions as there is uncertainty over most of their big investments," Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.Additionally, Badrinath criticised the team for spending big on all-rounder Cameron Green, who was signed for Rs 25.20 crore. The former CSK player called the purchase a "bad move" motivated by hype rather than demonstrated IPL impact, highlighting Green's previous failures for Australia."You've signed him for Rs 25.20 crore, and he is woefully out of form. He struggled massively for Australia in the T20 World Cup. Cameron Green went for so much purely because of the hype. He is not worth that much. Has he singlehandedly done anything in the IPL? Australian players always get hyped up, and he benefited from that. I believe it was a bad move by KKR," Badrinath further added.KKR will start their IPL campaign against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29. The first phase of IPL fixtures is out, which will be played from March 28 to April 12. KKR last won the IPL trophy in 2024. Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell, Blessing Muzarabani, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahul Tripathi, Manish Pandey, Akash Deep, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, Anukul Roy, Tejasvi Singh, Prashant Solanki, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra.
20 March,2026 03:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Atharva UpasaniBefore the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant discussed the team's preseason training and highlighted the importance of Bharat Arun's appointment as the team's new bowling coach."The camp with the fast bowlers has been fantastic. Bharat Arun, sir, has come on board, and since he arrived, he has been adding a lot of value. We've had a lot of conversations about what I want from the bowlers and what he thinks he can add. The energy is pure. He is one of the best bowling coaches, and I have that trust, having worked with him when he was with the Indian cricket team," Pant said, speaking on JioStar.Pant added that Arun's knowledge and interaction with bowlers are essential for boosting confidence and enhancing performance. The LSG skipper believes that the bowling line-up was not up to the mark last season. "He brings that experience. The bowlers trust him and open up to him, which is exactly what you want from a bowling coach, adding value to the system. When we look back at last season, we felt we needed to add more to our bowling. He is definitely someone who can contribute a lot in that area, and I am really happy to have him." Pant added.The Pant-led LSG will start their IPL 2026 season campaign on April 1 against the Delhi Capitals. They will then play Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5, Kolkata Knight Riders on April 9, and Gujarat Titans on April 12 in the first phase. LSG will hope to win their maiden IPL title during the 2026 season.The IPL 2026 will kick off on March 28 with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. Lucknow Super Giants squad for IPL 2026 Rishabh Pant (captain), Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan. (With ANI Input)
20 March,2026 12:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, three of Australia's top pacers, are expected to miss the start of the Indian Premier League season later this month, giving their respective teams an early setback.Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood will miss at least the beginning of the IPL, and Nathan Ellis is expected to be eliminated from the competition entirely, according to a report on cricket.com.au. According to the article, Cricket Australia (CA) is being cautious with its pacers in preparation for a hectic schedule that starts in August and consists of 21 Test matches over a 12-month span.Australia will tour South Africa, India and England before defending the ODI World Cup title in 2027."The trio's availability will depend on progress in their return to play protocols over the next few weeks," the report said.Hazlewood missed the entire Ashes series because of hamstring and Achilles problems, and Test skipper Cummins only played in one Test last summer because to a back stress injury. The duo also missed the T20 World Cup. Starc played in all five test matches, but has retired from T20 cricket.Australia selector Tony Dodemaide had said that Cummins and Hazlewood's availability for the IPL was purely a "timing issue"."If it was in reverse, the IPL was first and the World Cup was second, then they'd be missing the IPL to play in the World Cup. It's not going to be frustrating for us at all. We know their commitment to want to play and succeed for Australia," said Dodemaide.Cummins is the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Starc plays for Delhi Capitals and Hazlewood for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Hazlewood played a big role in RCB's maiden title win last year Josh Hazlewood was one of the stars for RCB last season. The Aussie pacer was key in winning the first title for the Bengaluru-based franchise. Hazlewood chipped in with key wickets and economic spells to help RCB win the IPL 2025.In IPL 2024, Mitchell Starc was key to KKR winning the title. Pat Cummins is the skipper for Sunrisers Hyderabad, demonstrating the importance of Australian pacers in the IPL.(With PTI Input)
20 March,2026 12:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentKKR has received a boost ahead of the IPL 2026 season as Matheesha Pathirana has received clearance from the Sri Lankan cricket board to join the franchise.Pathirana was seriously doubtful for the forthcoming season after sustaining an injury during the 2026 T20 World Cup. Pathirana's return would be a relief for KKR, given their fast bowling woes even before the start of the season.Pathirana has finished his rehabilitation and received the required clearance to play in the IPL, Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake informed PTI. Pathirana suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup 2026 group game against Australia and went on to miss the remainder of the tournament as the co-hosts were eliminated in the Super 8 stage."As far as I know, he's fit and we have given him NOC to participate in the IPL, that's all I know at this point of time. He has completed rehab and he is fit. But the franchise will be tasked to assess his readiness. At the moment we don't know anything about that. As far as we know he is fit and ready to join IPL." Dissanayake told PTI. Pathirana was highly sought after at the IPL auction Pathirana was purchased by KKR for Rs 18 crore at the IPL 2026 auction as the three-time champions looked to change their team combination after finishing in eighth place during IPL 2025.Since joining the IPL, the Sri Lankan pacer has become a specialist T20 bowler for the Chennai Super Kings. He has taken 47 wickets in 32 games for CSK since making his debut in 2022. The pacer had a tough last season for CSK, as he took 13 wickets in 12 games with an average of 32.62 and an economy rate of 10.14.Pathirana's inclusion will ease the pressure on KKR's depleted bowling lineup. It is expected that Harshit Rana would miss the upcoming season while he recovers from a strained ligament in his right knee. Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe replaced Bangladeshi seamer Mustafizur Rahman, who was freed earlier this year per a BCCI directive.(With PTI Input)
20 March,2026 10:31 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter India successfully defended their T20 World Cup crown, chairman of the men’s senior selection committee Ajit Agarkar has reportedly sought an extension to his tenure until the 2027 ODI World Cup. Agarkar, who has been chairman of the men’s senior selection committee since June 2023, got his contract renewed before the start of IPL 2025 after India’s impressive performances, including victories in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. As per the Times of India report, a former Indian cricketer has approached the board for a further extension until the 2027 World Cup after India successfull defense of the T20 World Cup this month. The report claimed that the BCCI is currently engaged in discussions regarding the request, further suggesting that "strong murmurs within BCCI corridors suggest that another former India cricketer from the West Zone was the front-runner to succeed Agarkar, but there has been no concrete development on that front." Under Agarkar's tenure, so far India has won three major ICC trophies: two T20 World Cups and one Champions Trophy. Despite these successes in limited-overs cricket, India’s Test performances have been inconsistent, with consecutive home series defeats and a loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy abroad. This contrast between formats has somewhat dampened the enthusiasm sparked by India’s white-ball dominance, in which the team has lost only two of 33 matches and secured the Asia Cup in both 2023 and 2025. Agarkar’s tenure has also seen major changes, with veteran players like Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli announcing retirements in various formats. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to feature in ODIs, Ashwin has retired from all forms of international cricket. 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
20 March,2026 09:18 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSNew Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will miss the first seven league games for his IPL franchise Punjab Kings to spend time at home following the birth of his first child. Ferguson had taken a paternity league midway into the T20 World Cup before rejoining New Zealand for the Super 8 stage. The pacer could only play four games for Punjab Kings last season due to a hamstring injury. Last season, the team reached its first final since 2014."He is not available for the first seven games," an IPL source told PTI. Ahead of the third T20 against South Africa in Auckland, Ferguson spoke about the time off from the IPL. "Just had a wee son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out. I'll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter," he said. 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
20 March,2026 09:17 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIYuzvendra Chahal has quit alcohol to become a fitter cricketer, allowing him to give his "150 per cent" for his franchise Punjab Kings in the IPL beginning on March 28. Punjab Kings finished as runners-up in the previous edition. It was their first final appearance since 2014. Speaking on South African great AB de Villiers' YouTube channel, Chahal revealed that he has not had alcohol in more than six months besides sharing his struggles with injuries last season. "After the KKR [Kolkata Knight Riders] game, my hip got fractured and later in the tournament my knuckle got fractured. So in the semi-final [Qualifiers] and final, I was not able to bowl my proper legspin and all," said Chahal. "But this year I [wanted] to take care of my body first and I have one good news for you, I stopped alcohol. It's been more than six months. "Now, I'm 35, I want to be more active and give my 150 per cent for my team. As a senior bowler and senior player, people will see me [and think] 'this guy, we have to learn something from him.'" Chahal played 14 of the team's 17 games last season, ending with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 9.56. Punjab Kings had shelled out Rs 18 crore for Chahal at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He last played for India in 2023 and was part of the triumphant squad at the 2024 T20 World Cup but did not get to play. Punjab Kings open their 2026 campaign against Gujarat Titans at home on March 31. 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
20 March,2026 09:17 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-1774000037287_d.png "Ajinkya Rahane (Pic: KKR)")
-1773991240807_d.png "Rishabh Pant (Pic; BCCI)")
-1773986865038_d.png "Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc (Pic: Twitter)")
-1773982652028_d.png "Matheesha Pathirana (Pic: X)")
