In the ongoing IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have begun their campaign with a scintillating victory by six wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The Challengers will now gear up to lock horns with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Ahead of the match, batting coach Dinesh Karthik spoke about his role with the Bengaluru-based franchise. "In our team, we have players at very different stages of their careers. All of them are eager to learn, and my role is to understand what each individual needs, while ultimately preparing them for match situations. Where they bat and the challenges they face are very different," he said. The batting coach then explained how he needs to understand the roles of players batting at different positions. "For example, someone like Phil Salt will often deal with the new ball swinging, whereas for someone like Romario Shepherd, swing is rarely a factor at that stage. So, it’s about helping them understand those scenarios, what positions to get into, what to look for and then observing and giving them feedback accordingly. Coaching is as much about understanding the person as it is about the skill," said Karthik. RCB, under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, will look to continue on their winning momentum, whereas CSK, on the back of a defeat, will be eager to register their first victory in the tournament. IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings: Full Squads Royal Challengers Bengaluru's squad: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal. Chennai Super Kings's squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.
02 April,2026 04:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSouth Africa's batsman Rassie van der Dussen has announced his retirement from international cricket. Cricket South Africa did not renew his contract for the 2026-27 season. The right-handed batsman was also not a part of the national mix for the previous seven months. Confirming his decision to step away from the game at an international level, he shared a post on his official social media handle. "It is with a proud heart and a profound sense of gratitude that I announce my retirement from international cricket. To wear the Proteas jersey is a feat that demands a level of resilience and dedication that both tests and rewards you in the most incredible way. To have played for my Country has been the greatest honour of my life. This journey has been paved with years of sacrifice, but the privilege of representing South Africa was worth every moment," read his post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rassie van der Dussen (@rassie72) He made his T20I debut on October 9, 2018, and went on to represent South Africa across all three formats. Having donned the South African colours in 71 ODI matches, he scored 2657 runs, including six tons and 17 half-centuries. His best score in the format is 134 runs. He also made his appearance on 57 occasions in the shortest format of the game, and smashed 1406 runs, with the help of 10 half-centuries. His top score in the format is an unbeaten 94 runs. Earlier, he also earned selection for South Africa's 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup squad and retained his place even when legendary batsman AB de Villiers, who had previously retired, made himself available for the tournament In the traditional format of the game, van der Dussen represented South Africa in 18 matches and managed to score 905 runs. He also has six half-centuries, and his best score in the format is 98 runs. He also stepped into leadership roles, captaining South Africa in a T20I series against the West Indies in May 2024 and again during a tri-series in Zimbabwe in July 2025. (With ANI Inputs)
02 April,2026 04:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) began their IPL 2026 campaign on a bitter note. The side suffered a loss by six wickets against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. During the match, it took everyone by surprise when LSG's captain Rishabh Pant opened the innings along with Mitchell Marsh. However, he was unable to deliver a big knock despite batting at the top of the order. Facing nine balls, he managed to score just seven runs, including a boundary. Speaking about his decision to open the innings, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen questioned whether the 28-year-old cricketer is an opening batsman. "When you look at the strength and depth of LSG's batting, is Rishabh Pant really an opening batter? I think he might have gone a little too far ahead of where he was in the line-up compared to last year," he told JioHotsar. "Last year, he moved down the order, and now suddenly it's, 'I'm going to come up to the top'. I think he just needs to go out and enjoy his cricket," added Pietersen. The former cricketer then feels that Pant is pressurising himself by opening the innings for Lucknow. "Don't force yourself into batting at (number) three, enjoy the luxury of that position. I think he puts himself under tremendous pressure by opening the batting," he said. Later in the run chase of 142 runs, the Capitals successfully scored 145 runs for the loss of four wickets in 17.1 overs. Sameer Rizvi, who came in as an Impact Player for DC, delivered a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 70 runs. Facing just 45 balls, he scored five boundaries and four maximums. On the back of one loss, LSG will gear up to face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. IPL 2026, Lucknow Super Giants: Full Squad Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi. (With PTI Inputs)
02 April,2026 03:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn a significant step towards reinforcing Maharashtra’s position as a global sporting destination, a strategic initiative was undertaken under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to advance the development of a world-class cricket stadium in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). As part of this initiative, Shri. Ajinkya Naik, President of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), and Shri Vijay Singhal, Managing Director of CIDCO, engaged in detailed discussions to chart the roadmap for this landmark infrastructure project. The proposed stadium, with a planned seating capacity of 100,000 spectators, is envisioned to be among the largest cricket venues globally. Designed as a state-of-the-art facility, the project aims to set new benchmarks in sporting infrastructure, fan experience, and integrated urban development. Commenting on the development, Shri. Ajinkya Naik, President of MCA stated, “This initiative marks a defining moment for Maharashtra’s sporting ecosystem. A 1 lakh capacity stadium in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will not only elevate Mumbai cricket but also firmly position Maharashtra on the global sporting map. This world-class infrastructure will create unparalleled opportunities for player development, provide critical exposure to emerging talent, and strengthen the cricketing ecosystem across all levels.” This initiative by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra underscores the state’s forward-looking approach to sports-led development and infrastructure innovation. The stadium is expected to serve as a catalyst for sports tourism, attract marquee international events, and enhance the region’s global sporting footprint. Positioned as a flagship project for the state, the development aligns with the broader vision of nurturing future talent, strengthening grassroots cricket, and creating world-class platforms for athletes. 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.
02 April,2026 03:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious by six wickets at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. During the match, DC's Impact Player, Sameer Rizvi, played an unbeaten knock of 70 runs off just 47 deliveries. His knock was laced with five boundaries and four maximums. Speaking after the knock, he said that DC's coaches have given him the freedom to play his natural game at number four position. "Coaches told me before that you will play at No.4 position and we will back you. You just play your natural, positive game. Whenever I play for UP or in UPT20 league, I bat at no.4 and if you get to bat at the same position in IPL it gives a lot of confidence. It is a big opportunity for me and they (coaches) are also giving me freedom to play my natural game. So I just make my mindset to grab these opportunities," he said. Shouldering him in the run chase was Tristan Stubbs, who scored an unbeaten 39 runs in 32 balls, including three boundaries and a maximum. He said that Stubbs keeps his plans simple and bats according to the match's situation. "I haven't played many innings in IPL but I will always try to be consistent. I will try to forget this innings and focus on the next match. The intent from the start was to play positive cricket but once we were down four wickets we decided to slow down a bit and take our time, read the wicket because the chase was not that big. I have played 2-3 innings earlier with Stubbs. He keeps it very simple, plays according to situation," said Rizvi. The Capitals will now gear up to lock horns with Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. IPL 2026, Delhi Capitals: Full Squad David Miller, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair, Axar Patel (C), Ben Duckett (WK), Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Pathum Nissanka, Ajay Mandal, Prithvi Shaw, Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Tripurana Vijay, Sahil Parakh, Madhav Tiwari. (With PTI Inputs)
02 April,2026 02:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDelhi Capitals (DC) started the new IPL season with a thumping six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, and the DC skipper Axar Patel accepted that he is 'very happy with his bowling unit.' Asked to bat first, LSG were bowled out for 141 thanks to the seamer Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan's three wickets apiece. Riding on Sameer Rizvi's unbeaten 70 runs, DC chased down the target comfortably and started their campaign with an easy two points. Speaking during the post-match presentation, Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant said, "It finished early, but in the middle it had become close. We just needed one partnership, and that's what we spoke about in the break. Very happy with the bowling effort. When we started with the ball, we knew there was a bit of help for the bowlers, which was communicated to whoever was coming onto bowl. You see how the match is going, there was a bigger and smaller boundary, and I was seeing who I could bowl, in the end, I might have miscalculated." Speaking about the Player of the Match, Sameer Rizvi, he said, "The plan was to play Rizvi, but also have the option to Ashutosh Sharma. Last year, Ashu did it in the first game and this time, Rizvi. He works hard on his game and keeps asking how he can improve himself." Rizvi played an unbeaten knock of 70 runs off just 47 balls, which helped his side chase down a challenging target of 142 runs with six wickets and 17 balls to spare. Reacting to the defeat in the first match of the season, LSG skipper Rishabh Pant said, "I think the best way to recover from it is to ignore (on his unlucky run-out). I think that's the best way looking forward because you know something like that, you can't control, but thinking about it definitely puts you on the back foot. On the idea behind sending Badoni ahead of Pooran in the batting order, he said, "I think the idea was very simple. Like he's taking charge in the middle overs. He's not batting in the top order anymore because I'm batting up the order. And that's why it happened because, you know, we wanted to explore that lefty-righty option at the top, so they couldn't bowl a left-arm spinner. Unfortunately, I got out at the wrong time. Otherwise, Axar Patel still had to bowl one over in the power play, and that gives us the edge over them." Rishabh Pant came to open the LSG innings, and when asked if he would open the batting for LSG throughout the season, Pant said, "I think it's a 50-50 call, but we'll see. But you will definitely see me in the top order." Delhi Capitals have now secured five consecutive wins against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, making them the third team against whom DC has achieved such a streak. Previously, they had also won five consecutive matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2020 and 2023, and against Rajasthan Royals from 2018 to 2020. 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
02 April,2026 11:06 AM IST | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) | ANIFormer Pakistan captain Younis Khan is unhappy with the massive fine imposed on fast bowler Naseem Shah by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his reported comments against a political leader on social media, saying that such actions is not in the best of the players and the game. Shah was reprimanded and fined by the disciplinary committee of the PCB after a tweet on his social media account, where he made some sarcastic remarks about the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who had visited the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore on March 27 during the opening match of the Pakistan Super League. The board's committee reached its verdict in just three days imposing the heavy fine of 20 million rupees on Shah for breaching the players code of conduct. Younis said that the fine was excessive and could have been avoided. "Once Naseem (Shah) had apologised for the tweet and also made it clear his social media manager was behind it and he had fired him, now the board could have let Naseem off with a warning and much lesser fine," Younis said. He said such actions only contribute in demoralising players. "The board should be taking care of its players." Younis said that if things are taken so seriously then even selectors and officials of the board should be fined when they make misleading statements or fail in their duties. He urged the PCB to reconsider its decision as Shah had shown his remorse for the incident. The PCB after Shah's tweet has issued fresh guidelines for all its centrally contracted and domestic contracted players that they or their social media managers have to first get clearance from the board before posting anything on social media and that no posts of political nature would be tolerated. The board has made it clear any political posts can lead to a 10 million rupees fine. 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 whatsYounis Khanoever
02 April,2026 11:02 AM IST | Karachi | PTIHis friends used to fondly call him "Vivian Richards of Mumbai" for the way he used to bat but Anil Gurav, one of Dronacharya Award winning coach late Ramakant Achrekar's earlier disciples, could never make the grade due to choices that he made and lived on to regret. Gurav, who is said to have been one of Acherkar's best students but never made it to the Mumbai side beyond playing club-level cricket, passed away here on Tuesday at his residence in Nalasopara. Gurav was a few years senior to legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli at the Shardashram Vidyamandir, and it is said that coach Achrekar would even take the two batters who went on to play for India to watch their senior at the nets. "Achrekar sir used to make Sachin and others watch him in the nets. He was a player that one could learn from," recalled Nadim Memon, a veteran Mumbai curator and councillor in the Mumbai Cricket Association. "He was among Achrekar sir's favourite boys," he added. Despite his talent, Gurav could never make it to the senior level. He played in the U-16 and U-19 levels, while also represented Acherkar's Sassanian Cricket Club and Kamath Memorial. "His friends used to call him 'Vivian Richards of Mumbai' not only because he had a square cut which looked similar but he was equally good on the leg-side," Memon said. Gurav is also believed to have given his bat to Tendulkar during their school days with which the latter scored his first century in competitive cricket. It is said that Gurav's brother Ajit was involved in illicit activities which led to a lot of trouble being faced by the family from the police. While his career never took off, Gurav also took up the habit of drinking and drifted away from the game. 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
02 April,2026 10:48 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIRishabh Pant promoted himself up the order in Lucknow Super Giants opening defeat to Delhi Capitals but the skipper isn't sure whether he would be facing the new ball through out the entire course of Indian Premier League this season. Pant (7) was run-out at non-striker's end after Mukesh Kumar of DC deflected a straight hit from Mitchell Marsh but the data indicates that the flamboyant left-hander has been at his best when he has opened the innings. In 23 games that he has opened across all T20s, his strike-rate has been 159 with a century and five fifties. "It's a 50-50 call," Pant said when asked if he would continue opening throughout instead of the crack pair of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. Asked about his run-out, Pant said: "The best way to recover is to ignore the run-out. You can't control something like that, but thinking about it puts you under pressure." He also conceded that he was forced to bring in all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed as an Impact Sub after a batting collapse which effectively ended a chance to play a specialist spinner in Digvesh Rathi. "We didn't secure a partnership, so we had to use the option as an impact sub because we were a few runs short." He also defended the move to send Ayush Badoni ahead of Nicholas Pooran. "The idea was simple - he would take charge in the middle overs since I opened (on Pooran battng at 5). We had a role defined for Badoni, when we lose early wickets, that's the time he can make a mark. "There was enough with the new ball, but you can't put the opposition under pressure. But the way the boys bowled, that's a positive," he said. Pant admitted that 16 wides in a defence of 142 did hurt LSG. "Extras hurt, but when you're trying to defend a small score, you tend to put in the extra effort." DC skipper Axar Patel said that since wickets fell early, young Sameer Rizvi, who won the game with an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, was sent early. "Had it been towards the end, we would have sent Ashutosh Sharma. But the way Ashu played in last season and this season Sameer, I couldn't be happier." Rizvi, on his part, said: "Coaches backed me throughout last season and I was told that I will bat No. 4 throughout the season come what may. When we lost four wickets, Stubbs told me not to take undue risk as ball was swinging. So plan was to hit the loose balls for boundaries." 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
02 April,2026 10:40 AM IST | Lucknow | PTIIndia women’s cricket team spinner Shreyanka Patil made it amply clear who her allegiance lies with at the ongoing IPL through her latest Instagram post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shreyanka Patil (@shreyanka_patil31) Patil, 23, shared this picture, wearing a short red dress, to her 4.9 million Insta followers with the caption: “It’s that time of the year where I just can’t look beyond red. #RCB #RCBfans.” The post received nearly five lakh ‘likes.’ Patil’s love for RCB should come as no surprise. The talented offie picked up as many as 11 wickets across nine matches of the Women’s Premier League this season to help RCB clinch their second title.
02 April,2026 10:25 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentMumbai has two world-class cricket venues in the Wankhede Stadium and the DY Patil Stadium besides of course the Brabourne Stadium — all three situated within a 35 km corridor. However, the country’s commercial capital is an infrastructure-saturated zone. And due to this, pushing for a new one-lakh capacity cricket stadium in Thane — as proposed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis — risks creating a geographical white elephant that could remain underutilised for most part of the year. To truly honour the chief minister’s pledge of expanding playing spaces, the government should pivot from the mega-structure plan to Mumbai’s age-old maidans concept. Mumbai’s cricketing future depends on reviving its vanishing maidan culture, not by adding more concrete to an already saturated mix, and the Mumbai Cricket Association will be better served by prioritising versatile open grounds for its local tournaments and grassroots programme. The state should conduct immediate feasibility studies on repurposing specific plots like the unreserved Mulund dumping ground, the surplus Kanjurmarg metro land, and/or the Eastern Waterfront (MbPT). The Mulund dumping ground, a 50-acre site undergoing bio-mining, has recently seen proposals for a golf course. However, a golf course serves only the elite few, whereas a new ‘North Azad Maidan’ could benefit thousands of local cricketers. Transforming underutilised land parcels into playgrounds is more feasible than creating another international venue. It’s time to prioritise players, who need pitches to bat/bowl on, over stadiums with empty seats. After all Mumbai’s cricketing legacy is built on active grit, not grandstands. Jagdish Achrekar was MCA’s Treasurer before the 2022 elections The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper
02 April,2026 09:57 AM IST | Mumbai | Jagdish AchrekarADVERTISEMENT
