Former 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 | PTIIndia head coach and former Member of Parliament Gautam Gambhir has approached the Delhi High Court seeking urgent relief against the alleged large-scale misuse of his identity through artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and unauthorised commercial exploitation. The petition has been filed in the High Court, naming multiple social media accounts, intermediaries, and e-commerce platforms as defendants. In his suit, the petitioner has sought a permanent injunction restraining all defendants from using or exploiting his name, image, voice, or persona without explicit consent. He has also prayed for an immediate ex-parte ad-interim injunction directing the takedown of all infringing content and preventing further circulation of such material pending final adjudication. Additionally, Gambhir has sought damages amounting to Rs 2.5 crore along with rendition of accounts. Gambhir has contended that since late 2025, there has been a sharp rise in fabricated digital content using AI tools such as face-swapping and voice cloning to falsely depict him making statements he never made. According to the plea, some of these videos--including a fake resignation announcement and fabricated remarks on senior cricketers--garnered lakhs of views, thereby misleading the public and damaging his reputation. The petitioner has further alleged that his identity has also been commercially exploited through the sale of unauthorised merchandise on e-commerce platforms, without any permission or licensing. The suit has been filed against 16 defendants, including certain social media accounts, intermediaries such as platform operators, and e-commerce entities. Government authorities have also been arrayed as pro forma parties to ensure effective enforcement of any court directions. The petition invokes provisions under the Copyright Act, Trade Marks Act, and Commercial Courts Act, while relying on judicial precedents recognising personality and publicity rights as enforceable legal rights, including in the context of AI-driven misuse. Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Gambhir has stated that his identity has been "weaponised" by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue, stressing that the matter goes beyond personal harm and raises larger concerns about dignity and legal protection in the age of artificial intelligence. The matter is expected to be taken up by the Delhi High Court in the coming days for consideration of interim relief. 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 09:16 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIRajasthan Royals (RR) have suffered a setback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with England all-rounder Sam Curran likely to miss the campaign due to a suspected groin injury. According to ESPNcricinfo, the English all-rounder may miss the full season. Curran last appeared on March 5 during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, where England fell to eventual champions India in the semi-final match. The 27-year-old Curran was set to make his debut for the Royals after being acquired in a high-profile trade with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last November. Under the deal, Curran and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja moved to RR in exchange for India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who was recently named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup. Curran's absence leaves RR short of an experienced all-rounder in their squad, which already includes Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira, a power-hitter. Ferreira, like Curran and Jadeja, joined RR via a trade, moving from Delhi Capitals at his base price of Rs 1 crore. The franchise is understood to be evaluating potential replacements for Curran, though no official announcement has been made. Curran, who would have represented RR for the first time, has had a varied IPL career across multiple franchises. He started with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2019, moved to CSK for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, returned to PBKS in 2023 as the league's most expensive player at Rs 18.5 crore, and played again for them in 2024. CSK then bought him back for Rs 2.4 crore in IPL 2025, where he managed 114 runs and just one wicket in five matches. With the IPL season around the corner, RR will now have to rethink their strategy in the absence of Curran, whose all-around abilities were expected to bolster the team's middle order and bowling options. The franchise's management is reportedly exploring multiple avenues to ensure its squad remains competitive ahead of the upcoming campaign. 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 09:15 AM IST | Jaipur (Rajasthan) | ANIWorld champions India will tour Ireland for a T20I series in June ahead of their white-ball assignment in England. Ireland's director of high performance Graham West confirmed the series when he announced Paul Stirling's decision to step down as their T20I captain. India, who host Afghanistan for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series ending on June 20, will travel to England for five T20Is and three ODIs from July 1-19, while the Ireland series will precede the English series. Graham West said the India series is part of their plans for the upcoming summer. "With qualification secured for the T20 World Cup in 2028, Paul's (Stirling) decision to stand down as T20 captain provides the opportunity for the new captain to begin implementing their style and methodology, starting with the India series in June," West said in a press release. India have toured Ireland three times in the past seven years (2018, 2022 and 2023), drawing strong crowds at Malahide on the outskirts of Dublin. "It has been a tremendous honour to lead Ireland in this format and something I have been incredibly proud to do. Captaining your country is a privilege that carries great responsibility, and I'm very grateful for the trust and support I have received during my time in the role," Stirling said. He stepped down following a disappointing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Ireland lost to Sri Lanka and Australia before beating Oman, while their final match against Zimbabwe was abandoned. Stirling will continue to lead Ireland in ODIs and said he remains "fully committed" to contributing across formats. "I still have a huge amount of ambition as a player and feel this decision will allow me to fully focus on being the best version of myself and making the strongest possible contribution on the field," 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 09:00 AM IST | New Delhi | PTISanju Samson was arguably the face of Rajasthan Royals -- much like MS Dhoni with Chennai Super Kings or Virat Kohli with Royal Challengers Bengaluru -- and his departure is a significant moment for the franchise given the impact he had, says former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis. Samson spent 11 seasons with Rajasthan Royals across two stints, emerging as their most-capped player and leading run-scorer. He has now been traded to Chennai Super Kings with Ravindra Jadeja joining the RR ranks. "If I look at the IPL and the iconic teams we see around the league, all of them have one marquee Indian player in common -- someone who has been the face of the franchise for a period of time, (such as) Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli. Sanju Samson, for me, was that guy at Rajasthan Royals," du Plessis told JioHotstar. "Yes, he's of a newer generation, but he had become the face of that franchise. If I think of Rajasthan Royals, I think Sanju Samson. So, the fact that they've lost that face is a massive thing for the fans, for the IPL, and for the tournament, because he's played such a big role there," added du Plessis. He said Samson's departure would place added responsibility on Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had the freedom to play his natural game alongside the former RR skipper. "The thing with Yashasvi Jaiswal is that he's had Sanju Samson, who has been such a huge, consistent performer within that batting line-up. When you have that consistency of runs from Sanju, it allows you to play your game," du Plessis said. "Now, you take that away, all of a sudden, people will look at him with more responsibility. For a player like him, you don't want him thinking about responsibility. You want him thinking, 'I want to take the game on. I want to hit as many sixes as possible'." "There's a learning curve that's going to come into his career this season, 'Am I true to the game that I've always played, or do I take up the senior player role to score the bulk of the runs?' So it'll be interesting to see how that goes. I think he'll still play in the way that he does. It would be silly not to, because he's such an attacking player." Former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji said he was surprised by Royals' decision to appoint Riyan Parag as captain, despite the presence of more experienced players such as Jaiswal, veteran India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and England's Sam Curran. "I'm a little bit surprised with the call, especially when you have players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja and overseas captaincy material like Sam Curran. It is kind of a gamble." He felt the decision to appoint Parag could have mixed outcomes, and the guidance of head coach Kumar Sangakkara could prove invaluable. "Captaining in IPL is not only about on-field ability to take decisions, it's also about how you manage the dressing room. Your voice needs to be earned, and the trust needs to be earned. "In that perspective, I feel like it is a double-edged sword. There will be a lot of help from Kumar Sangakkara, definitely, and you need that guidance. We have seen Rohit Sharma doing it as a young captain with Mumbai Indians, players getting used to leadership early. "I'm sure it is an opportunity for Riyan Parag. If he can manage his performance and translate it on the ground with his leadership, then it is going to help him." Balaji said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to prove last year's exploits was no fluke. "We have seen the kind of talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has. He scored that hundred against Gujarat Titans (and) against a very good bowling attack. Of course, the second year is always going to be a kind of challenge for any player," he said. "That is where the mentorship of Kumar Sangakkara will come into play. The opposition would definitely have worked on some of his shortcomings. This season will be a huge opportunity and challenge for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a youngster to get that kind of consistency. How he translates it in the second season is going to be crucial," added Balaji. 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 08:59 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-1774000037287_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "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)")
