In the normal course, if someone allowed a 15-year-old to face Jasprit Bumrah, they would be reported to the authorities for endangering a child’s well-being. Bumrah bowls an awkward bouncer and an accurate yorker. He can literally do damage from head to toe. At IPL 2025, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed before Bumrah came into the attack for the Mumbai Indians. One year later, the first ball the maestro delivered to the young left-hand bat was slightly off target, and a wristy whip sent it over long-on for six. Three balls later, Bumrah pulled back the length, and Sooryavanshi pounced again, on the back foot, swivelling, sending the ball into the stands over square-leg. Jasprit Bumrah against RR on Tuesday. Pic/IPL Sooryavanshi only made 39 (14b, 1x4, 5x6), but he still overshadowed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 32-ball unbeaten 77 that set up a 27-run Rajasthan Royals win in a rain-shortened 11-over match. In 25 minutes at the crease, Sooryavanshi had again confirmed what his supporters insist — he’s ready for the next level. Sooryavanshi may have chosen not to give his Class X board exams, but from a cricketing point of view, he’s like a student who keeps getting double promotions and yet finds the question paper too easy. At every level, from domestic age-group to Ranji Trophy, to India U-19 to the IPL, baby-faced Sooryavanshi has taken on grown men and come out on top. When a player of Sooryavanshi’s talent breaks through, the temptation to fast-track is balanced by cautionary voices. Too many players before him have been thrust into the big league too early and faded away as quickly as they rose. But, equally, a generational talent — and he has had the support of some great coaches — must be challenged. There’s no point sending him back to domestic T20 cricket to beat up bowlers. Comparisons to the one prodigy to exceed all expectations, Sachin Tendulkar, are dangerous, but unavoidable. While there will never be another Sachin, Sooryavanshi’s takedown of Bumrah reminded some of the takedown of Abdul Qadir, the great leggie, by a 16-year-old in 1989. When the burning question of whether Tendulkar was too young to be exposed to grown men in the Pakistan bowling attack on the 1989 tour arose, the late Raj Singh Dungarpur went to Vasoo Paranjape for counsel. What would happen if the young boy were badly hit by a fast bowler and his confidence was shattered? “Yeh lagne wala player nahin, lagaane wala player hai [he’s not a player who will be hit, he’s a player who will hit it],” replied Paranjape, and all questions were laid to rest. Sooryavanshi, with two sweet strikes off the best all-format bowler in the world, has answered the question even before it could be asked.
09 April,2026 10:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Anand VasuFormer India women’s cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy, 33, seems to be enjoying the white sand and clear waters of Poda Island in Krabi, Thailand. The former right-handed batter, who retired in 2025 and works as a broadcaster now, Instagrammed this picture to her 8.85 lakh followers, sporting a white swimsuit. “Poda Island and its breathtaking beauty,” Krishnamurthy captioned her post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Veda Krishnamurthy (@vedakrishnamurthy7) Fans were quick to comment on the photograph, appreciating the cricketer’s beauty. One online follower wrote, “Awesome clicks.” Another user commented: “Waiting for the full bikini pic.”
09 April,2026 10:15 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentWhile teen Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, continues to rock IPL-19, there’s a strong tendency for his aficionados to ignore the fact that he has ridden his luck on quite a few occasions. For instance, Sooryavanshi could’ve been dismissed off the very first ball he faced in this IPL. In RR’s first match (March 30), Chennai Super Kings speedster Matt Henry — in the third ball of the very first over of the innings — bowled it short at Sooryavanshi, who miscued his pull shot towards deep midwicket. CSK’s Kartik Sharma ran backwards and got both hands to the ball, but couldn’t hold on, else it would’ve been a golden duck for the teenager. The ball trickled across the boundary rope, earning Sooryavanshi his first of four boundaries in a 17-ball 52-run hurricane. Two balls later, Henry again tested Sooryavanshi with a short one. This time, the youngster swung his bat, sending the ball skyward and not where he intended, but in no man’s land at backward point. Then, in the first ball of the next over, pacer Khaleel Ahmed beat Sooryavanshi with an inswinger, but DRS showed the ball was just going over leg stump. Another CSK pacer, Anshul Kamboj, thereafter beat Sooryavanshi with a 134 kmph-plus scorcher in the fifth over. The teen cluelessly inside-edged this one and the ball missed leg stump before running away to the fine leg fence. In RR’s next match against Gujarat Titans (April 4), Sooryavanshi made an 18-ball 31, but not without some good fortune again. In the fourth over of the innings, he drove Kagiso Rabada to Rashid Khan at mid-off and set off for a dangerous single. Had Rashid hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end, Sooryavanshi would have been out on 18. In the very first ball of the next over, Ashok Sharma tested Sooryavanshi with a 145 kmph-plus short one and the batter went after it only to get an edge that was put down by a diving wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Again, the ball eventually trickled over for a boundary. 11No. of sixes smashed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi this season; more than fours scored (10)
09 April,2026 09:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroAjinkya Rahane & Co cannot be blamed if they think Monday’s ‘no result’ at the Eden Gardens was a good thing. In desperate need of a win, the Kolkata Knight Riders were a precarious 25 for 2 in the fourth over against the high-performing Punjab Kings when rain butted in, and the Knights were able to find their first point in IPL-19. KKR have to get their act together quickly as Lucknow Super Giants, flush from Sunday’s emphatic win in Hyderabad, come calling for a joust on Thursday. It doesn’t help that Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who have been at the core of KKR plans over the years, were missing from the playing XI against Punjab. At the toss, Rahane had informed that Chakravarthy was out because of “injury” while Narine was “unwell.” Narine, who had “abdominal pain,” came out to practice on Wednesday as did Chakravarthy, but it’s still unclear whether they are match fit. Bengal pacer Mohammad Shami, who had sent back Sunrisers openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, will hunt on his ‘home’ turf this time. Rahane, Finn Allen and Cameron Green, KKR’s struggling top three, will have their jobs cut out. Shami’s new delivery LSG’s spin-bowling coach Carl Crowe revealed how the 35-year-old worked on a new delivery with fast-bowling coach Bharat Arun. “The fact that in four days they learned that new skill and delivered the ball to get Abhishek out is testament to not only Bharat’s coaching but also Shami’s mindset,” Crowe gushed. It’s the bowling that will worry KKR the most. India bowler Navdeep Saini, a replacement for Harshit Rana, looks all set to make his KKR debut, but his last IPL match was in 2023. “We had prepared for such possibilities [in the build-up to the season], so we are still in a positive frame of mind,” said 25-year-old pacer Kartik Tyagi. Green may finally bowl Australian all-rounder Cameron Green may finally be seen bowling for KKR, reports PTI. He sent down a few overs during Tuesday’s training session before it was cut short by rain.
09 April,2026 09:44 AM IST | Kolkata | Arup ChatterjeeAmazed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's seemingly effortless takedown of Jasprit Bumrah, Rajasthan Royals batter Yashasvi Jaiswal said his 15-year-old opening partner eased the pressure on him in the 27-run IPL win over Mumbai Indians on a rain-soaked evening here. The talking point before the match was the first face-off between the redoubtable pacer and the teen sensation, and Sooryavanshi lived up to the hype, smashing an incoming Bumrah 131kph delivery on middle and leg for a first-ball six over mid-on. "First ball, he hit him for a six, and I told him to just keep playing his shots," said Jaiswal, who scored a 32-ball 77 not out to lift RR to 150/3 in the 11-overs a side match that was truncated because of inclement weather. Mumbai Indians, in reply, managed 123/9 to slump to a second loss on the trot, while Rajasthan Royals climbed to the top of the table with three wins from three matches. The Bihar left-hander, who was signed by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore during the 2025 IPL mega auction. He had shown glimpses of his prodigal talent by becoming the youngest centurion in T20 cricket and the second-fastest in IPL history with a record-breaking 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans last season. On Tuesday too, he was in beast mode from the outset, even though Bumrah operating with the new ball. Sooryavanshi, who turned 15 a day before IPL 2026 began, went on to hit two of his four sixes off the pacer in his opening over, setting the tempo early with a 14-ball 39. It made life easier for Jaiswal at the other end as their confidence soared, allowing them to target other MI bowlers like Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult who both leaked 22 runs in their respective overs. "Of course, Bumrah bhai is one of the legends, so if he's scoring against him, it's amazing. It made us feel that other bowlers we can also take down," said Jaiswal, who hit 10 fours and four sixes and anchored the innings," Jaiswal said. "So it was quite good for him to go out and play his shots. That took the pressure off me, and then I could take on someone else. It was a good partnership, and we really enjoyed it." The duo put on 80 runs off just 30 balls at the top to set the tone. "It's amazing to bat with Vaibhav. We both like to play our shots, so the way we're playing, we just keep passing positive messages to each other. I've been playing for the last few years, so I just wanted to play according to the situation and give the team the best start," he said. With two fifties in three matches, Jaiswal is now the leading run-scorer (170) and the left-hander said: "I've been really working hard in the nets, trying different shots. A lot depends on the wicket as well. I always try to do something with my batting and make little changes here and there." "I just try to live in the present moment and keep enjoying it. I always strive to keep improving," added the 24-year-old. "We didn"t know how this game was going to go because of the rain. We needed to adapt, as Mumbai Indians are quite an opposition." 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
09 April,2026 09:40 AM IST | Guwahati | PTIThe Gujarat Titans defeated the Delhi Capitals by 1 run in a thrilling match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The visitors were on the cusp of defeat but won the match with the last ball of the innings. Chasing 211 for the win, KL Rahul scored a masterful 92 to give Delhi a chance. After Rahul's dismissal, David Miller scored 41 runs off just 20 balls to almost guide the hosts to a victory. Delhi Capitals needed just 2 runs off 2 deliveries, but a dot ball followed by a run-out broke the DC hearts. After a heartbreaking loss, Axar Patel admitted that he is proud of his team, but it is a tough loss to take. "Yeah, obviously the way we are playing, I think both teams played a very good, I think, a very good cricket. And yeah, I think, this type of close game, you can, you know, point out anything. So I think, yes, we played very good cricket. As I said earlier, in a close chase, in a close game, you can point out a lot of things. But I think in the chase, I think we could have played smarter. The crucial time at which the wickets fell, I think, if that hadn't happened, we could have finished the chase earlier. (on KL Rahul) Yeah, obviously, he played a very good innings. And if you know, the way the power play was going, after that, he kept the momentum going. When the wickets were falling, he kept the momentum going from one side. He did not let the run-rate go down. So I think it was very good batting. I think we are playing good cricket, and yes, we will finish in the next match." Axar Patel said. Shubman Gill delighted to get the first win of the season. Winning captain Shubman Gill was thrilled to get the first win of the season. The Indian opener was the star with the bat and admitted that he was nervous going into the last over of the match. "Definitely, all three games that we've played, you know, have gone until the last over. But very pleased to get over the line in this one. (on what he felt when Miller didn't take the run off the 5th ball?) We have a chance to win. (chat before the last ball with Prasidh) No, we were just discussing whether to go for the yorker or to go for the slower one. But, you know, we decided that giving the wicket how it's playing, the slower one, if you bowl a good slower one, it'll be difficult to hit that for a boundary. (on the fielding) Yes, it did. Apart from, you know, the overthrows that I gave and the boundary that I gave. I think those 5-6 runs, obviously in fielding, make a difference, especially in a game like this, you see you're winning by one run. So every effort and every misfield or every good effort counts. Definitely very pleased, you know, 210. We always thought on this wicket, we are 10-15 runs above par. It won't be like even when we were batting in the death, it wasn't easy to hit the big boundaries, just hitting, the slowness of the wicket. And we thought if we bowl well, you know, we should be able to win this one. (on his batting) Yes, definitely. Now I just need to sleep and see how I wake up tomorrow." Gill said.
09 April,2026 12:10 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDelhi Capitals got off to a blazing start, scoring 63 runs in the first six overs against Gujarat Titans while chasing a daunting target of 211. GT had earlier posted a strong total, largely powered by captain Shubman Gill’s impressive knock. Chasing 211, DC openers Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul began positively, taking on the GT bowlers from the outset and applying early pressure. Nissanka led the charge, smashing 35 runs off just 16 balls, while Rahul contributed 26 runs from 20 deliveries. Delhi Capitals will hope the opening duo can continue their momentum and guide the team towards the top of the table with a win. With a deep batting line-up, DC will be confident of chasing down the target. The side still has Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs and an in-form Sameer Rizvi yet to come. So far, the Gujarat Titans bowlers have struggled, conceding runs at a high rate. Ashok Sharma has been the most expensive, giving away 23 runs in his only over. Gujarat Titans post 210 in the first innings Earlier, Jos Buttler and skipper Shubman Gill stitched together a crucial partnership to put Gujarat Titans in a commanding position. Buttler scored a brisk 52 off 27 balls to set the tone for the innings. Gill initially played the anchor role during his partnership with Buttler before accelerating later. The Indian opener scored 70 runs off 45 balls, leading GT to a total of 210. Washington Sundar and Glenn Phillips provided a strong finish to the innings as Gujarat Titans eye their first win of the season. Confirmed Playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ashok Sharma Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel(c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
08 April,2026 10:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentJos Buttler tore into the Delhi Capitals bowling attack, finding his rhythm early and putting the opposition under pressure. The Englishman scored a blistering 47 runs off just 22 balls to give the Gujarat Titans a flying start against DC at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. After losing Sai Sudharsan early, Buttler and Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill stitched together a solid partnership to take the visitors to 68/1 at the end of the powerplay. Gujarat Titans are still searching for their first win of the season, having lost their opening two matches. Buttler was the standout performer for GT, hammering 47 off 22 deliveries. He looked in sublime touch, taking on DC’s lead bowler Mukesh Kumar right from the outset. Gill, on the other hand, played the anchor role, scoring 7 runs off 7 balls while supporting Buttler’s aggressive approach. With a deep batting line-up, GT will look to build on this start and push towards a big total as they aim for their first win of the season. After losing the toss, GT were put in to bat first, though skipper Shubman Gill revealed that he would have chosen to bat anyway. Returning from a back injury, Gill expressed confidence in guiding his team to their first victory. “We were going to bat first anyway. Hopefully, if the weather stays like this, there’ll be no dew in the second innings. It’s all about assessing the conditions in the first couple of overs. I think we’ve been having some good opening partnerships with Sai and me,” Gill said after the toss. Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel will be hoping his side can pull things back and restrict GT to a manageable total. DC have won both their matches so far and will be aiming to continue their strong start to the season. Confirmed Playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ashok Sharma Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel(c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
08 April,2026 08:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAxar Patel, captain of the Delhi Capitals, won the toss and chose to bowl first against the Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. The two teams are facing off at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Delhi Capitals are the in-form team, having won both their opening matches of the season. Sameer Rizvi has been the star performer for them so far in IPL 2026. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans have struggled and lost both of their opening matches so far. Axar Patel won the toss and decided to field first. DC have chased in their last two matches so far and would want to continue that trend. "We will bowl first. We’ve chased well in the last two matches, and this is a fresh wicket. It’s been raining; there could be some moisture. Bowl first, have a look at the wicket, restrict them and chase down the score. We look at the match-ups, making it as difficult as possible for the batters and choose the best possible bowlers. Same XI for us," Axar Patel said. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is back for the Gujarat Titans. The star Indian opener missed the last game due to injury. "We were going to bat first anyway. Hopefully, if the weather stays like this, you know, there’ll be no dew in the second innings. (Will it be challenging as an opening batter?) I mean, it’s all about assessing the conditions in the first couple of overs. I think we’ve been having some good opening partnerships with Sai and me. So hopefully, you know, we have a good powerplay and then we can post some good totals along the board. I mean, it’s all about clicking in the one game, you know. Even in the last game, we came pretty close, losing by not that many runs. And I think it’s one, it’s one, just one guy, you know, sticking till the end, whether someone from the middle order or from the top order. And maybe today is the day. KK Kumar is out, and I come back in. The rest of the team is the same," Shubman Gill said. Confirmed Playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ashok Sharma Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel(c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
08 April,2026 07:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCameron Green is expected to resume bowling for the Kolkata Knight Riders, in a much needed bosst for the 3-time champions. KKR are struggling with injuries to their key bowlers, and Green could provide a much-needed boost for a team who have not won a game this season in the IPL. According to ESPNcricinfo, Green, who is yet to bowl in the IPL 2026, started the season as a batting specialist following guidance by Cricket Australia due to his lower-back injury. However, the Aussie all-rounder is set to resume bowling ahead of KKR's clash with LSG. "Cameron has a lower-back injury, which is being managed, but requires him to abstain from bowling for a short period. Cameron is currently rebuilding his bowling loads in India with a view to returning in around 10-12 days." Cricket Australia had said on March 30. KKR's combination has been significantly disrupted early on in the season. The BCCI ordered Mustafizur Rahman to be unavailable even before the season started; the team has had to deal with the lack of important bowlers. Their pace resources were further diminished by injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, Varun Chakaravarthy's hand injury, and Sunil Narine's illness-related absence from the previous game. The 26-year-old's batting performance has also drawn criticism. Green has scored 18, 2, and 4 in three innings after being purchased for a record Rs 25.20 crore at the IPL auction, the most amount ever paid for an international player, raising concerns over his place in the batting order. Aaron Finch backs Cameron Green to get back to his best Former Australian player Aaron Finch has backed Green to find form in the IPL. Finch hoped that Green could return to his MI form, where he scored a century for the 5-time champions. "One of those dismissals has been a run out [against SRH], not a part of his fault. Still, he's missed out twice. There's a bit of panic; he's not looking the same as the past. Remember when he was at the top of the order for MI - how he had a totally different intent. He was imposing at the crease. Now he looks tentative. Don't push him down. Push him either up the order, or give him a rest." Aaron Finch had told ESPNcricinfo. (With ANI Input)
08 April,2026 06:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentVirat Kohli feels that taking regular breaks from the game has kept him mentally sharp and prevented burnout. The star batter scored his 28th IPL fifty as RCB started their season with a win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.In the IPL season opener on Saturday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru easily defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets thanks to Kohli's 38-ball 69, which included five sixes and as many fours.Kohli showed no signs of rust in his first Twenty20 match since the IPL final of the previous season, demonstrating how taking regular breaks has allowed him to maintain peak performance despite a demanding international schedule over the years. Addressing concerns about being underprepared after a 10-month gap from the format, Kohli said the bigger challenge for him had always been avoiding burnout."Well, you know, the kind of scheduling that we've had over the last 15 years and the amount of cricket I've played, for me there was always a risk of getting burnt out rather than being undercooked. So these breaks helped me immensely. I stay fresh, I stay excited." Virat Kohli said.The 37-year-old stressed that he never returns to competitive cricket unless he is more than 100 per cent."Whenever I come back to play, it's 120 per cent. I'm not coming back, you know, underprepared. In fact, the extra rest helps me to mentally freshen up. As long as you're physically fit and you're excited mentally, all those things come together nicely and then you're able to, you know, contribute for the team's cause and that's what you want to do as a player. You don't want to hold on to a spot." Kohli said. Recent white ball form helped me maintain rhythm: Kohli Reflecting on his return to T20 cricket, Kohli said recent white-ball outings had helped him retain rhythm despite a gap in the shortest format."It was good to get back out there. You mentioned T20 cricket. The last game I played was the final last year but I think the way I batted in the one-day series quite recently really helped me to stay in that same kind of momentum," he said. RCB are aiming to be the third team in IPL history to successfully defend their title after CSK and MI.(With PTI Input)
08 April,2026 05:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1775659373622_d.png "Jos Buttler (Pic: AFP)")
-1775652242924_d.png "Cameron Green (Pic: ANI)")
