Punjab Kings’s (PBKS) left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh (3-22) played a crucial role in his team’s seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. In fact, in the previous four games, Arshdeep had struggled to bowl a good line and length, conceding 16 wides and claiming just two wickets. However, he bounced back strongly, bowling a match-winning four-over spell to be Player of the Match at Wankhede, which is known for being batter-friendly. Arshdeep dismissed MI opener Ryan Rickelton (2) and one-drop Suryakumar Yadav (0) off back-to-back deliveries when the hosts had just 12 runs on the board. His third victim was the attacking Sherfane Rutherford (0) in the 19th over, when he bowled a perfect yorker to disturb the furniture. PBKS spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule revealed how the India pacer regained his momentum. “He [Arshdeep] is a very self-aware bowler and understands the nuances of the game. He went back to his basics in the last couple of days, did a lot of spot and target bowling and came back with the understanding that he has to focus on what he does best. He was very clear in his mindset... understand what works for you, what your strengths are and precisely that is what he did,” Bahutule said at the post-match press conference on Thursday. 102No. of wickets claimed by Arshdeep Singh in IPL — becomes first Punjab Kings bowler to cross the 100-mark
18 April,2026 09:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureSkipper Hardik Pandya did not mince his words after Mumbai Indians crashed to their fourth successive defeat in IPL 2026, warning about taking a few "difficult calls" and reminded his misfiring teammates of the need to take "ownership" of the team's poor outings. In their latest debacle, the five-time champions lost to Punjab Kings by seven wickets and are now languishing ninth on the table with just two points. "To be very honest, I don't have much to say right now. I think we really need to go back on the drawing board and see where are we lacking. Is it individuals? Is it as a group? Is it planning? We'll just figure it out and see what we can do next," said Pandya after another morale-shattering loss on Thursday night. Indirectly, Pandya might have been hinting at the faltering show of MI seniors like Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. "No, I think we need to see, do we need to make some difficult calls or do we need to keep continuing and hope that we'll turn things around. These are some harsh questions which eventually we need to answer and yeah, ownership has to be taken," he said. Suryakumar has scored a fifty but his other scores have been 16, 6, 33 and 0 and Tilak Varma has a modest sequence of 20, 0, 14, 1 and 8. The talismanic Jasprit Bumrah is yet to take a wicket in five games and has given away runs at 8.63 per over. However, Pandya credited the opposition for out-thinking them in all departments of the game. "I think we need to give credit to them as well. The ball started reversing. In the second inning the dew came and it slightly got better but having said that, they just outbeat us. They bowled better, they batted better, they fielded better definitely and that talks to us again. Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer, who made a 35-ball 66 in the successful chase against MI, said staying grounded has helped the side execute their plans with precision. "Certainly confident and optimistic the way we have been playing. Also we have our heads on our shoulder. I am glad that today we came out and got that victory," said Iyer. He also praised the coming of age of Prabhsimran Singh, noting that the opener has consistently provided fluent starts and on Thursday carried the team through with an unbeaten knock. "He (Prabhsimran) has certainly raised up his bar, even though he was getting runs, he was giving us excellent starts, this year he has been more mature, match by match he is getting more mature," added Iyer. Prabhsimran, who made an unbeaten 80 off 39 balls, said self-belief helped him overcome a lean phase in the Powerplay and take on the bowling more aggressively later in the innings. "I was just believing in myself because the powerplay I didn't get many balls to play. I think I played 6-7 balls in the powerplay. But then in my mind I thought that if I take a little longer, I will be able to play (better). "So I kept believing in myself that I will do it and I did it. I just had this in mind that I will play the anchor," added Prabhsmiran. 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
18 April,2026 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIUnlike previous editions, Mumbai Indians (MI) started IPL-19 on a winning note, beating Kolkata Knight Riders at home in their opening match. However, the five-time champions have since suffered four successive defeats. Their latest being a horribly one-sided match which Punjab Kings (PBKS) won by seven wickets with 21 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted that other teams have been more clinical and that MI need to build momentum soon. MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah during his 0-41 vs PBKS. Pic/Satej Shinde “We’re not taken out completely, but at the same time the other teams are much better, clinical; obviously, the confidence is high when they have that kind of start, so we just need to control the phases that we can control,” Jayawardene said during the post-match press conference on Thursday night. The former Sri Lankan captain, however, insisted that skipper Hardik Pandya (12-ball 14 and 0-39 off three overs) alone is not responsible for the team’s shoddy show so far. “I don’t think it’s [the weight of the results] just on Hardik, it’s on every one of us when we are not doing well. It’s not an individual. It’s pretty much on me and everyone involved in the management to see how we can be better. We need to do things better to get into some rhythm and then get a few wins under our belt, which will give us that confidence,” said Jayawardene. Mahela Jayawardene. Pic/IPL MI’s main concern is their bowlers’ inconsistency in taking wickets. In five games this season, they have managed only 18 scalps. More importantly, their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is yet to take a wicket in IPL-19. He conceded 41 runs in his four overs against PBKS at an economy rate of 10.25. “Sometimes you need a bit of luck as well. If the other [bowler] is taking a few wickets and then he [Bumrah] gets some match-ups which he’s very comfortable with, very good. He bowled some really good balls initially to Shreyas [Iyer] as well, but wasn’t lucky enough. I think once he starts taking wickets, it might not be able to stop him,” added Jayawardene. Jayawardene said the team must take inspiration from opener Quinton de Kock, who scored an unbeaten 112 off just 60 balls on his IPL-19 debut. “From the first game, you guys asked me: why Ryan [Rickelton], why not Quinny [De Kock]? And there was a reason for it. And when the time was right, we played Quinny. He patiently waited like a good pro and executed a brilliant innings. It’s great to have that early. We need everyone to fire like that and have that hunger out there in the middle,” he added. 6 No. of wins for Punjab Kings vs MI at Wankhede in the IPL — the most by any team 18 No. of wins for Punjab Kings vs MI in the IPL — joint-most with CSK 196 Target chased by Punjab Kings vs MI on Thursday — the 2nd-highest against the five-time champions; PBKS also hold the record for the highest successful chase vs MI (204 in 2025) 112* No. of runs scored by Quinton de Kock on Thursday — the most for MI in a losing cause
18 April,2026 09:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureThe Gujarat Titans defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets to enter the top 4 of the IPL table. GT's run-chase was led by captain Shubman Gill, who put on a show in Ahmedabad. Gill scored 86 runs in 50 balls, including 8 fours and 4 sixes and looked back to his best. The Indian Test and ODI skipper attacked the KKR bowlers from the off and dominated against spin in his brilliant innings. For KKR, it was yet another defeat as they remain at the bottom of the IPL table. The Kolkata-based franchise is yet to win a game this season and has struggled for any kind of form. Speaking after the defeat, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said that his team needs to find a way to win matches before it's too late. "It's never easy to talk about the game after losing. I want to talk about the positives. Green's innings was amazing. Gill batted really well. We needed wickets in the powerplay. But Gill and Sudharsan batted well. Green was struggling with cramps, that's the reason he didn't bowl. It's all about in the moment. Just need to enjoy our game and back ourselves. That's what we wanted to do today." Rahane said Cameron Green's 79 in vain as KKR lose again Earlier, the Kolkata Knight Riders managed to score 180 runs at the end of their 20 overs against the Gujarat Titans. KKR started off poorly but finished well, largely due to the brilliant innings from Cameron Green. Ajinkya Rahane departed for zero in the first over, and his dismissal was followed by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was dismissed for 8 runs in 4 balls. Tim Seifert soon joined the list as he departed for 19 runs in 14 balls. With GT struggling, Green controlled the innings and scored 79 runs in just 55 balls to take the visitors to a competitive total. However, it was not enough to give KKR their first win of the season. For GT, Kagiso Rabada was the star bowler as he finished his four overs with 3/29. Meanwhile Siraj too chipped in with two wickets.
17 April,2026 11:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Gujarat Titans started off strongly while chasing KKR's total of 180 runs. GT openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan both found their rhythm early on to take the hosts to 71/1 at the end of the powerplay. Shubman Gill started off with a bang, scoring 34 runs in just 15 balls. The GT skipper looked in supreme form as he attacked the KKR bowlers from the off. His innings included 4 fours and 2 sixes. Gill was well supported by Sudarshan, who looked in impeccable touch too. The southpaw scored 22 in 16 balls before being dismissed by Sunil Narine. Jos Buttler came in at number 3 and scored 14 runs in 5 balls at the end of the powerplay. The Gujarat Titans still have Washington Sundar and Glen Philips in the dugout, and the Gujarat Titans will be the favourites to win the match. A win would take GT into the top 4 in the table. Earlier, the Kolkata Knight Riders managed to score 180 runs at the end of their 20 overs against the Gujarat Titans. KKR started off poorly but finished well, largely due to the brilliant innings from Cameron Green. Ajinkya Rahane departed for zero in the first over, and his dismissal was followed by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was dismissed for 8 runs in 4 balls. Tim Seifert soon joined the list as he departed for 19 runs in 14 balls. With GT struggling, Green controlled the innings and scored 79 runs in just 55 balls to take the visitors to a competitive total. For GT, Kagiso Rabada was the star bowler as he finished his four overs with 3/29. Meanwhile Siraj too chipped in with two wickets. KKR are still winless in the IPL this season, while the Gujarat Titans will move into the top 4 with a win tonight. Confirmed playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
17 April,2026 10:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Kolkata Knight Riders managed to score 180 runs at the end of their 20 overs against the Gujarat Titans. KKR started off poorly but finished well, largely due to the brilliant innings from Cameron Green. Ajinkya Rahane departed for zero in the first over, and his dismissal was followed by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was dismissed for 8 runs in 4 balls. Tim Seifert soon joined the list as he departed for 19 runs in 14 balls. With GT struggling, Green controlled the innings and scored 79 runs in just 55 balls to take the visitors to a competitive total. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. KKR are still winless this season and are stuck at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, GT will move into the top 4 of the table with a win. For GT, Kagiso Rabada was the star bowler as he finished his four overs with 3/29. Meanwhile Siraj too chipped in with two wickets. After winning the toss, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane decided to bat first. The Indian batter suggested that his team is just trying to find a way to win games, and batting first will give them the option to bat more freely. "We'll look to bat first. We just want our batters to play freely, with freedom. The kind of tournament we’ve had so far, we’ve tried everything, chasing targets, batting first as well. I thought giving that freedom to the batters and then defending the total would be a good approach. That (batting first is a good option) is what I got to know. Today, we just want to play fearless cricket and stay in the moment. Just one change. Tim Seifert comes in place of Finn Allen." Ajinkya Rahane said. Confirmed playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
17 April,2026 09:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Kolkata Knight Riders were struggling at 80/3 at the halfway stage of the innings against the Gujarat Titans. KKR lost their skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, for a first-ball duck as they found it hard to get going early on in the innings. Rahane departed for zero, and his dismissal was followed by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was dismissed for 8 runs in 4 balls. Tim Seifert soon joined the list as he departed for 19 runs in 14 balls. For GT, Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada were the star bowlers. Siraj picked a wicket while Rabada took 2 wickets to give GT a dream start. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. KKR are still winless this season and are stuck at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, GT will move into the top 4 of the table with a win. After winning the toss, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane decided to bat first. The Indian batter suggested that his team is just trying to find a way to win games, and batting first will give them the option to bat more freely. "We'll look to bat first. We just want our batters to play freely, with freedom. The kind of tournament we’ve had so far, we’ve tried everything, chasing targets, batting first as well. I thought giving that freedom to the batters and then defending the total would be a good approach. That (batting first is a good option) is what I got to know. But again, sometimes you don’t have to depend too much on data and stats. It’s all about what you feel as a team and what you strongly want to do. We just want to focus on our strengths, play good cricket. T20 is all about momentum, winning small moments. Today, we just want to play fearless cricket and stay in the moment. Just one change. Tim Seifert comes in place of Finn Allen." Ajinkya Rahane said. Confirmed playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
17 April,2026 08:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAjinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. KKR are still winless this season and are stuck at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, GT will move into the top 4 of the table with a win. After winning the toss, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane decided to bat first. The Indian batter suggested that his team is just trying to find a way to win games and batting first will give them the option to bat more freely. "We'll look to bat first. We just want our batters to play freely, with freedom. The kind of tournament we’ve had so far, we’ve tried everything, chasing targets, batting first as well. I thought giving that freedom to the batters and then defending the total would be a good approach. That (batting first is a good option) is what I got to know. But again, sometimes you don’t have to depend too much on data and stats. It’s all about what you feel as a team and what you strongly want to do. We just want to focus on our strengths, play good cricket. T20 is all about momentum, winning small moments. Today, we just want to play fearless cricket and stay in the moment. Just one change. Tim Seifert comes in place of Finn Allen." Ajinkya Rahane said. Shubman Gill was happy to bowl first, considering the dew in the second innings. The Indian skipper will be hoping to take his team into the top 4 with a win. "We wanted to bowl first, to be honest. There might be some dew around. Our batting collapsed in the middle of the last match. It should have been a comfortable chase otherwise. It's all about doing the simple things right. That's what we talk about in team meetings. We are playing with the same team." Gill said. Confirmed playing XI for both teams: Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
17 April,2026 07:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs part of their "Green Initiative," reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will wear their iconic green jerseys when they play Delhi Capitals (DC) at home on Saturday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The jerseys, which are made of recycled materials, remain a representation of the team's ongoing dedication to sustainability. According to a statement from RCB, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is the only T20 team in the world that is carbon neutral. As it strives to become carbon positive, RCB has been integrating sustainability into its operations from the initiative's debut in 2011, with a focused focus on measurement, responsibility, and fan participation. Speaking on the initiative, Rajesh Menon, CEO, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said, "Achieving carbon-neutral status as a T20 franchise is the result of years of dedicated work. The green jerseys reflect this commitment, and we hope this initiative inspires our fans and stakeholders to embrace more responsible and sustainable practices." Fans encouraged to use public transport A thorough analysis of matchday fan behaviour is a crucial part of RCB's sustainability initiatives. In order to gain a better knowledge of the environmental impact of fan travel, the franchise is conducting surveys around the stadium across all stands to examine commute patterns, ride-sharing use, and carbon emissions per spectator. With match tickets providing access to the Bengaluru Metro, fans are also urged to take public transportation to games. RCB keeps improving its waste management systems at the stadium level by conducting thorough audits and monitoring of segregation procedures. RCB uses some strategies to lower and offset their carbon emissions, such as waste management and segregation at the stadium, the use of renewable energy sources like solar-powered lighting, and other programs like voluntary fan commitments to lessen reliance on traditional resources. Additionally, the franchise maintains a thorough record of its operational footprint, including emissions from team travel, lodging, and energy use. Travel distances and fuel use are analysed, room-night data is used to determine emissions associated to lodging, and diesel generator audits and electricity consumption records are used to verify stadium energy usage. To further improve on-the-ground accountability, matchday sustainability audits will be carried out throughout the season. These initiatives will be combined into a comprehensive sustainability report, followed by an impartial assurance process. (With ANI Input)
17 April,2026 06:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Mumbai Indians (MI) emerged victorious by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. During the match, MI's wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock delivered an unbeaten knock of 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Speaking about the South African, former Team India cricketer Sanjay Bangar said that it came as a surprise for him that the left-handed batsman was not included in the mix for the team's initial matches. "I was a bit surprised to see Quinton de Kock not being utilised more prominently because he’s a proven match-winner. When he gets going, he has the ability to win games on his own, and his record in T20 cricket reflects that," he said on JioHotstar. He also feels that MI's think tank needs to take tough calls to find the right balance. "Mumbai Indians need that kind of impact at the top. It might mean making tough calls, even looking beyond Ryan Rickelton, to get the right balance in the XI. They also need to ensure their overseas combination complements the Indian core, and someone like Will Jacks, when he comes in, could add that extra energy and intent to the line-up," said Bangar. IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Match Summary Batting first in the match, the hosts posted a total of 195 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 112 runs off just 60 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums. Naman Dhir also scored 50 runs in 31 balls, with the help of three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Punjab's Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh also chipped in with one wicket each. Later in the second essay of the game, along with Prabhsimran, skipper Shreyas Iyer accumulated 66 runs off 35 balls, including five boundaries and four maximums. With this, the Kings chased the target by scoring 198 runs for the loss of three wickets in 16.3 overs. Mumbai's Impact Player, Allah Ghazanfar, bagged two wickets, and Shardul Thakur also claimed one wicket.
17 April,2026 05:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe rising hype of T20 cricket has witnessed exciting tournaments such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Big Bash League (BBL) and the Pakistan Premier League (PSL) grow to the next level. Amid the rise of the shortest format leagues, several cricket pundits are worried whether the traditional format of the game, Test cricket, will be discontinued due to a lack of interest from players and spectators. Lalit Modi, the man behind the inception of IPL, has proposed an exciting measure to save the longest format of the game. With an aim of saving Test cricket, the former IPL chairman suggested that Test teams should be owned by the IPL franchises. "The only way Test cricket will work, somebody's going to shoot me for saying this. First time I'm saying this. Let the IPL teams own Test cricket teams. You got the youngsters, you got the loyalty factors. You play your country versus country, without doubt, that's premier," he said on The Overlap Podcast. "I'm saying you have it as a world championship that goes around the world every year, you play those without doubt, but also so that it doesn't disappear, you have exhibition matches starting off with it--teams playing test cricket. At least play one in a season between each other just to get their youngsters back into the game. That's going to be like club cricket. You have club cricket in everything. But the primary has to be country versus country," added Modi. He also feels that if the team owners want to build a good and loyal relationship with the players, they need to acquire their services at a young age. "And if you want to build loyalty with the youngsters, you got to catch them young and you've got to give them the experience," he said. Considering the amount of importance Test cricket is given in Australia and England, players from other countries are not able to experience the heat of the format due to a lack of play, Modi stated. "I hope Test cricket survives because I love Test cricket. You look at the generation that is growing up now. Unfortunately, they are not experiencing it anywhere else except in Australia and England. These are the only two countries that are actually keeping the level of Test up because of the Ashes and because of the English season, and you have the advantage of that, but the rest of the world, Test is dying," he said. The former IPL chairman concluded by saying that a Test match should be a four-day game and played in a day-night mode. "Now people think I'm crazy to suggest this, but I care about it, and my suggestion has always been, and since 2007, I've been saying this: Tests should turn into a four-day game, it should be day and night. People don't have the luxury today to go out there and spend four days all day sitting in the sun and drinking beer. I'm sorry. Those were the good old days when you had a single-channel television and the Test was rare and not accessible with media today, available to you on the fly. Every match around the world is available to you," he signed off. (With ANI Inputs)
17 April,2026 04:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1776439662070_d.png "Cameron Green (Pic: AFP)")
