Rajat Patidar won the toss and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) elected to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The two sides are set to clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB have won three of their four matches so far, while LSG have won two matches and sit on four points. After winning the toss, Patidar chose to bowl first, expressing confidence in his team’s current form. "We’re going to bowl first. It’s pretty obvious. I see a pretty good surface, so we want to take advantage early and keep the pressure on. Not much to say about the pitch — the previous game had a lot of grass, but this wicket looks bare, so it should be a good track. Let’s see how it plays. I think everyone is doing well for the team, stepping up at different stages and performing when needed. That’s what this team stands for. Just one change - Josh Hazlewood comes in place of Duffy," Patidar said. LSG skipper Rishabh Pant admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first as well. He stressed the importance of collective responsibility as his team looks to put up a competitive total against a strong RCB batting line-up. "It looks like a pretty good wicket to bat on. On surfaces like this, you can choose to bat or bowl first, but eventually, you have to play better cricket. As a group, we need to regroup, come together, and take ownership of our roles. We don’t want to overthink every match — we just want to trust the group. Hopefully, individuals will step up and take responsibility to win matches for the team. Leadership is important, and we have many leaders in the group. Ultimately, it’s about going out there, handling pressure, and delivering for the team. We’re playing with the same XI," Pant said. Confirmed Playing XI for both teams: Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
15 April,2026 07:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs cricket's schedule gets busier than ever, all-format players are becoming fewer in number. Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar is glad to be a part of that tribe and views it as a "beautiful blessing" rather than a huge task. Over the past 18 months, Washington has been a consistent member of the national team despite dealing with a fair number of injuries during his India career, which started in 2017. "Being an all-format player for the Indian cricket team is a massive blessing. Because we all know the kind of cricket that the Indian team has always played," he told PTI in an interview. "And getting to play three formats is a beautiful blessing. And obviously, looking forward to a lot of more good contributions from myself and eventually win a lot of games for my country," he said. Washington, who is presently playing for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, added that he has recently put a lot of effort into improving his fitness, which has enabled him to receive frequent opportunities in a variety of forms. He had a side strain leading into the T20 World Cup but was able to recover just in time. 'Fitness plays a big role in playing all formats' Washington said he knows his body better than ever now, and this is helping him stay in shape for top-flight cricket. "I don't see too many challenges there. Yes, fitness plays a massive role. And you have got to understand how your body sort of works across situations, across conditions," Washington Sundar said. "And obviously, (it helps in) playing different roles and training accordingly. I've always given a lot of importance to understanding my own body. And yes, as I said, things have been really good in the last year," he added. In the shorter formats, he has had to evolve as a batter, and that includes polishing his power game. "Yeah, definitely. I mean, you have got to play different roles slightly differently and understand what's required of yourself, especially in terms of skills and work accordingly," Washington said when asked about the power-hitting aspect of the game. (With PTI Input)
15 April,2026 06:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious by 32 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This was CSK's second win from five matches in the tournament. Following the win, former Team India cricketer Piyush Chawla heaps praise on Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy. He said that the CSK's skipper was smart enough to bring in Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj to dismiss KKR's opening batsman Sunil Narine. "Akeal Hosein did not come to bowl in the first six overs because KKR sent Sunil Narine to open, hoping to exploit Akeal. But Ruturaj was smart. As soon as he saw Narine coming out to open, he used Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj with the new ball. That was a really good piece of captaincy because both bowlers got rid of KKR’s opening pair of Finn Allen and Narine," he said on Star Sports. He also stated that Ruturaj made good use of his bowling options during the match against KKR. "As soon as Narine was dismissed, Akeal Hosein was brought into the attack and he did his job brilliantly. The way Ruturaj rotated his bowlers was really good to watch. He was just going for the kill, and that is what you want from your captain. As a captain, your thought process should be to go for the kill because when you are taking wickets, you are building pressure on the batting team. When Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein were bowling together, Ruturaj made sure the game did not go too deep. He just wanted to finish it off soon, and that is exactly what he did," said Chawla. After this win, CSK is now placed in the eighth position with two wins and three losses. They have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.846 and four points. The Super Kings will gear up to lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Full Squads Chennai Super Kings: 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. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale.
15 April,2026 04:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all set to lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2026 match on Wednesday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Ahead of the game, former New Zealand cricketer Mitchell McClenaghan feels that the visitors will need to work hard to win the game against the Royal Challengers. "LSG has a well-balanced batting unit. Their openers, middle order, and lower middle order are all contributing. But they are up against the defending champions, who are full of confidence after their win over MI. So, LSG will have to work hard to win this game. Their bowling attack is looking good, especially Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav. But Bangalore is a different challenge. The pitch is flat and the boundaries are short. It will be a real test for their bowlers," he said on Star Sports. The former cricketer wants star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and explosive batsman Nicholas Pooran to deliver big performances. He said that the small boundaries at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium should suit Pooran's game. "LSG needs Mitchell Marsh to fire, because his power-hitting at the top can take the game away from RCB early on. Nicholas Pooran has also had a poor start to the season and the small ground in Bangalore should actually suit Pooran’s game. He is the key batter I want to see him bounce back and make a statement," said McClenaghan. IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants: Full Squads Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 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. Lucknow Super Giants: 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.
15 April,2026 04:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have been struggling with inconsistent performances. Having played four matches, the side has suffered defeats in three games and secured just one win. The "Paltan" will gear up to clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Ahead of the match, MI's skipper Hardik Pandya presented India's football stalwart Sunil Chhetri the franchise's jersey with his name and number 11 on it. Football royalty at the Wankhede 🏠⚽#MumbaiIndians #OneFamily #NayiShuruaat #NayiSaajhedari | @Utkarshsfbl pic.twitter.com/8lvEMcLhn0 — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 15, 2026 In another post, while having a conversation with the head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, Chhetri was also seen taking an impressive catch. 12th Man duties calling for @chetrisunil11 😆 pic.twitter.com/ZchnMU4LnF — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 15, 2026 MI suffered a loss by 18 runs in the previous clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium. Hardik Pandya-led team is placed in the ninth position with a net run rate (NRR) of -0.772 and two points. It will be interesting to see if the "Paltan" manages to secure a win over the Kings in the upcoming fixture. Ahead of the match, the home crowd will expect veteran batsman Rohit Sharma to deliver a big knock in Mumbai. Along with Rohit, the opponents' captain Shreyas Iyer will also be eyeing to deliver a crucial performance in his home ground. IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Full Squads Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Danish Malewar, Robin Minz (wk), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Atharva Ankolekar, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Mayank Rawat, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Tilak Varma, Ashwani Kumar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, AM Ghazanfar, Mayank Markande, Mohammad Izhar, Raghu Sharma. Punjab Kings: Marcus Stoinis, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shashank Singh, Praveen Dubey, Lockie Ferguson, Shreyas Iyer, Ben Dwarshuis, Vishnu Vinod (WK), Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vyshak Vijay Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Harpreet Brar, Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge, Cooper Conolly, Mitchell Owen, Pyla Avinash, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Vishal Nishad.
15 April,2026 04:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious by 32 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This was CSK's second win from five matches in the tournament. During the match, Chennai's spinner Noor Ahmad returned with the figures of three wickets for 21 runs in four overs. Reflecting on his match-winning spell, Ahmad said that, considering the humid environment, he kept trying to keep his fingers dry. The spinner also said that the ball was not coming well on the willow, and he tried to benefit himself from it. "Really happy to contribute for my team. Yeah, the dew was there, and it was humid, so just try to keep my fingers dry, and yeah, that helped me a lot to hit the right area. It was all about that. Yeah, really happy with the pitch. I think the ball was not coming really well to the bat, and yeah, to take advantage of that, it was good," he said. Further, the 21-year-old cricketer said that he will be focusing on making crucial contributions to the team in the upcoming fixtures. "Definitely it gives a lot of confidence. I will keep putting lots of effort into contributing to contribute for my team in the coming matches. I think keeping changing pace is the best tactic everywhere and on every wicket," said Ahmad. After this win, CSK is now placed in the eighth position with two wins and three losses. They have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.846 and four points. The Super Kings will gear up to lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Full Squads Chennai Super Kings: 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. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale. (With ANI Inputs)
15 April,2026 01:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious by 32 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This was CSK's second win from five matches in the tournament. Following the win, Chennai's skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed happiness by saying he is feeling good. "I think, good to be on the winning side after a long time. I felt it was getting into my head even when I was batting, but after the last game, I felt a bit relaxed. I feel I'm feeling really good. Just make sure that you do whatever the team needs, whatever the situation needs," he said. During the match, he departed on seven runs in six balls, which also included a boundary. Despite batting struggles, the right-handed batsman said that a big knock from his willow is not too far. "I feel even mentally, I'm feeling really well, feeling positive, and just a big, a big knock is just around the corner, but as long as the other guys are just covering up for me, definitely I'll do it when it's needed," said Gaikwad. After this match, CSK is placed in the eighth position with two wins and three losses. They have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.846 and four points. The Super Kings will gear up to lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Full Squads Chennai Super Kings: 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. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale. (With ANI Inputs)
15 April,2026 01:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious by 32 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. During the match, CSK's skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his poor run. Facing six balls, he scored seven runs, including a boundary. Speaking about his performance, former Team India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin said that in T20 cricket, a player needs to show intent. "The fact that he's got a couple of wins as a captain should really ease him into this tournament. Honestly, if I was sitting in the dugout or if I were Ruturaj Gaikwad, I wouldn't be too fussed. T20 is a game where you need to show intent constantly," he said on JioStar. The former cricketer also feels that the skipper should take a bit more time in the initial stage of his innings and try playing more shots down the ground. "There's just one small thing I would ask for. If you look at Ayush Mhatre or Sanju Samson, they took the right options by going down the ground. Whereas Ruturaj has been going across the line a bit more and getting caught early. It would serve him well if he took it slightly easier at the start of his innings, looked to time the ball, and played more down the ground," said Ashwin. So far in five matches, Gaikwad has managed to score just 63 runs, with a top score of 28 runs. With this win, CSK is placed in the eighth position with two wins and three losses. They have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.846 and four points. The Super Kings will gear up to lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Full Squads Chennai Super Kings: 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. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale. (With PTI Inputs)
15 April,2026 01:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter two games on the road, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back at their beloved M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they will play two matches in four matches. The first of those, on Wednesday, is vs Rishabh Pant’s LSG, who have blown hot and cold, struggling to eke out meaningful performances from their overseas batting trio of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran. It isn’t only the batting which has let LSG, who have two wins and as many losses, down. As well as Mohammed Shami has bowled, he is averaging only one wicket per game though that is offset by a stunning economy rate of 6.25. Somewhat short on striking power, they will be delighted if they can requisition the speedy Mayank Yadav, yet to play this season, and Mohsin Khan, the left-arm quick who has been on the sidelines since turning out in their opener. Rishabh Pant. Pic/IPL LSG’s bowling will have to be fully switched on against a mighty RCB batting unit that has touched 240 twice in four outings. Tim David has hogged much of the ball-bashing limelight but it’s skipper Rajat Patidar who is well ahead in both the run-count (195) and six-hitting stakes (18 to the Australian’s 12). Phil Salt showcased flashes of his marauding best in the 18-run conquest of Mumbai Indians on Sunday and Virat Kohli hasn’t slowed down one bit, marrying an average of 59.66 with a strike-rate of 162.72. Such has been the impact of this quartet that Devdutt Padikkal, the left-handed No. 3, has gone about his business almost unnoticed. The local lad is striking at 201.61, the bridge between the Salt-Kohli opening tandem and the muscular middle order where Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd have hardly got a look-in. Kohli did not field during the abortive Mumbai run-chase at the Wankhede with what was believed to be an ankle injury, but he went through Tuesday’s practice session with no obvious discomfort. He also performed a few running drills and looks primed to entertain a passionate home crowd that simply can’t get enough of both the former captain and the rest of his colleagues. Despite the loss to RR in Guwahati last week, the defending champions are sitting pretty with six points, and will leave no stone unturned as they seek to make the Chinnaswamy, where they are undefeated this season, a fortress of sorts. 4-2RCB’s win-loss record against LSG across six IPL games 451No. of runs scored by RCB in just two matches at the Chinnaswamy this season
15 April,2026 12:44 PM IST | Bengaluru | R KaushikBefore the IPL-19 encounter between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Hyderabad on Monday evening, Vidarbha pacer Praful Hinge, 24, was an unknown entity. However, after the debutant SRH speedster struck thrice in the very first over of the innings, sending back teen batting sensation opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (0), one-drop Dhruv Jurel (0) and No. 4 Lhuan-dre Pretorius (0), he has become a household name. Hinge got Sooryavanshi with a short one that was skied and pouched by wicketkeeper Salil Arora. Two balls later, he had Jurel bowled with a length delivery. Two balls after this, he sent back Pretorious flicking one to Nitish Reddy at deep backward square. Moments after the win Hinge, expressed his gratitude to his family, in particular his father, Prakash. “I started playing cricket at the age of 13. I didn’t even know what leather-ball cricket was back then. When I was 13, I told my father that I wanted to join a club. He refused a couple of times, saying I was too young, but somehow, things started from there. I want to dedicate this award to my family. They’ve made a lot of sacrifices for me,” Hinge said after his record-breaking figures of 4-0-34-4 in SRH’s 57-run win over RR. Hinge became the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in the first over on debut. For dad Prakash, it’s a “wow moment.” Not just the exclamation but also because of how his son’s feat appeared on the scoreboard. “Praful conceded one run on the first ball and then it was W0W0W…wicket, dot ball, wicket, dot and wicket, so it was wow there too,” an elated Hinge Sr told mid-day over the phone from their Nagpur home, where he watched the match on TV. “We were confident Praful will do well in his first game, considering his bowling skills and given his dedication, but we never expected such a brilliant performance on IPL debut. The IPL is totally different compared to domestic matches. There’s huge pressure when you’re playing in front of lakhs of people,” added Hinge Sr. The pacer has represented Vidarbha in 10 first-class games, claiming 27 wickets. Before this IPL debut, Hinge had just one T20 match under his belt, where he picked one wicket against Andhra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Lucknow last December. When asked about how special it felt to see his son dismiss Sooryavanshi for a golden duck, Hinge Sr replied: “I’m sure it was part of their [SRH] plan because Praful is a tall guy so he could bowl a perfect bouncer to Vaibhav who is known for smashing a six off the very first ball. Vaibhav is a wonderful batsman so, among the three wickets, the first one [Vaibhav] has to be the best,” concluded the proud father. FirstPraful Hinge is the first player ever to take three wickets in the first over of an IPL innings 27No. of wickets claimed by Praful Hinge in 10 first-class games One No. of T20 matches played by Praful Hinge before his IPL debut — against Andhra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last December FiveNo. of wickets claimed by Praful Hinge in six List A games 13Age at which Praful Hinge started playing cricket
15 April,2026 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureIndia women’s cricket team star Smriti Mandhana has revealed that the one virtue she will always live by is honesty. “One thing about me which will never change is me being honest,” said Mandhana in a recent interview where she was named brand ambassador for a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer. The southpaw was also asked the one thing that she hopes will last forever and she immediately replied, “my passion for cricket and my love for batting.” Elaborating on this, Mandhana said that in her younger days she used to practice shadow batting in her room with whatever household object she could get her hands on. “I used to shadow bat with random things at home. I’d be shadow batting with a water bottle or a hair brush,” said Mandhana with a smile, adding that it used to make her feel as though she had a bat in hand. “It’s really important for us cricketers to get that feel,” added Mandhana, who has played eight Tests, 120 ODIs, and 160 T20Is for India. She was also a vital part of India’s squad that won the ODI World Cup on home soil in November 2025.
15 April,2026 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentADVERTISEMENT
