India and Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Navdeep Saini shared a sweet birthday message to wife Swati on Friday. Sharing a series of pictures of them together, Navdeep captioned the post: “Wishing you a very happy birthday my beautiful wife. Every year with you is better than the last. Thank you for being my rock, my soulmate, and my best friend. Your grace, strength, and love are truly inspiring. You’re a gift from God, and I’m forever grateful.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Navdeep Saini (@navdeep_saini10_official) Navdeep tied the knot with Swati — a fashion and travel vlogger — in November 2023.
18 April,2026 09:49 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentBCCI has fined Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder Rs one lakh for PMOA protocol breach of using his phone in the dugout besides issuing a warning following an unsatisfactory response to the board's showcause notice, its secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI on Friday. The breach occurred during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati on April 10. The BCCI anti-corruption unit led by Sharad Kumar subsequently showcaused Bhinder asking for an explanation. Saikia said the ACU found Bhinder guilty after not being satisfied with his response. As per the IPL Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol, use of phone is barred in the dugout but allowed in the dressing room. "The team led by Sharad Kumar examined Bhinder's response and found him guilty. His response to the notice was unsatisfactory. "He was found guilty of breaching the protocol. As it is a first time offence, a one lakh fine has been imposed and a warning has been issued," said Saikia. "Acknowledging the lapse, Mr. Bhinder admitted to the offence and offered an unconditional apology," read an IPL statement. Bhinder was found scrolling his smart phone with teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi by his side in the dugout during the game against RCB. Sources close to Bhinder said that he has been battling health issues and has difficulty in walking long distance and climbing the stairs. "Using phone in the dugout is a strict no no and being part of the IPL for long, I am sure Bhinder was aware of it. It could have happened inadvertently as well but the BCCI has dealt with the issue appropriately," said a source. As per the PMOA protocol, mobile phones and other electronic communications equipment are not allowed to be used in the PMOA other than for a few members of the team. "Manager may use a phone in the Dressing Room area but NOT in the Dugout. The Analyst may use his computer at the analyst table. Player and support staff items i.e. phones, smart watches or any other communication devices should be turned off and given to the team SLO for storage on arrival at the stadium. "Accredited staff i.e. dressing room attendant, IPL Match Manager, catering staff etc may not take communication devices into the PMOA," states IPL's PMOA protocol for 2026. 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 09:39 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIHaving unleashed two exciting pace prospects in Praful Hinge and Sakib Husain, a balanced Sunrisers Hyderabad will head into their IPL match against Chennai Super Kings with renewed confidence, here on Saturday. Drafted in place of seasoned campaigners Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat, the uncapped duo made an instant impact, reducing Rajasthan Royals to 9 for 5 inside the first three overs, pushing them to their first loss of the season. The 24-year-old Vidarbha pacer Hinge has been the standout bowler after dismantling the Royals' top-order consisting Dhruv Jurel, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and skipper Riyan Parag in his fiery first two overs. He finished with 4/34. Generating bounce from a back-of-a-length spot, Hinge was impressive, while Husain, an unheralded 21-year-old from Bihar who was previously overlooked by Kolkata Knight Riders, complimented him well on debut. Using clever variations in the middle overs, Husain also returned with four wickets as Rajasthan were bowled out for 159 while chasing 216. The emergence of the young duo has lifted SRH's pace attack, which had been a concern early in the season, and brought better balance to a side otherwise loaded with batting firepower in Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. Fresh from their breakout performances, Hinge and Husain will look to pile more pressure on CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has struggled for runs this season. His highest so far is 28 across five innings. However, there is some relief for CSK with Sanju Samson rediscovering his T20 World Cup form, smashing an unbeaten century against Delhi Capitals and following it up with a 48 in their win over Kolkata Knight Riders. With Gaikwad out of touch, CSK could consider pushing him down the order and promoting young Ayush Mhatre, who has impressed with two fifties in his last four innings. After a poor start with three consecutive defeats, the five-time champions -- still without MS Dhoni, who is expected to be fit for the next game in Mumbai -- have bounced back with two successive wins. However, their bowling resources have taken a hit with left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed ruled out of the season due to a quadriceps injury sustained in the win over KKR. Already missing Dhoni and Nathan Ellis, CSK will need to reshuffle their pace attack, with Mukesh Choudhary emerging as a like-for-like new-ball option, while Ramakrishna Ghosh is also another alternative. After losing three of their first four matches, SRH have bounced back in style at home, and the emergence of the young pace duo will further boost their confidence. CSK too carry new-found momentum with back-to-back wins and will aim to restrategise following the loss of Khaleel and secure their first away victory of the season in a crucial mid-table contest. 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 09:37 AM IST | Hyderabad | PTIWhen Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their quest for Faf du Plessis’s replacement as skipper after IPL 2024, a long, arduous process might have appeared on their cards. But the search was short, swift and rapid, ending with the slight, unlikely figure of Rajat Patidar. The right-hander from Madhya Pradesh ticked most boxes – he was experienced, calm and composed, a terrific stroke-maker with decent IPL pedigree including a century in the 2022 playoffs, and well respected within the group. If there was one ‘minus’, it was that he didn’t have a great body of captaincy work. The RCB leadership group didn’t consider that a major issue, and their faith was justified when, in his first season in charge, he steered the Bengaluru franchise to their maiden title at the 18th attempt. With every passing game, he imposed his style on his team; success proved to be a wonderful catalyst in his progression as a leader, and that has manifested itself in some of the most outstanding stroke-production this season. Josh Hazlewood Patidar has shown himself to be adept at taking the bull by the horns. Last Sunday against Mumbai Indians, Patidar promoted himself to No. 3 on the back of a strong Phil Salt-Virat Kohli foundation and justified the elevation with a 17-ball half-century. He has been a force of nature all season, sitting on 222 runs after five innings at a staggering strike-rate of 213.46 and with more sixes (21) than even Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (18). He has also masterminded a sensational campaign by the defending champions, who have had the bit between the teeth from the time they bested Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener three weeks back. “He just kept getting better and better and more confident in himself [as captain], and this year he’s just picked up from there,” acknowledged Josh Hazlewood, RCB’s standout Australian pacer. “He’s a pretty calm character out there, which is nice for me. His batting’s been unbelievable; he’s walked in and taken the momentum to another level.” Comfortably perched at the second spot with four wins from five outings, RCB take on Delhi Capitals in the first of their two 3.30 pm games on Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, confident of pulling away from the chasing pack. Prodigal son KL Rahul, whose unbeaten 93 powered DC to a six-wicket win in the corresponding fixture last year, will entertain other ideas, but count Patidar — and RCB — out at your own peril. 222No. of runs scored by Rajat Patidar in five IPL matches — the fourth highest this year 14No. of wins for RCB since Rajat Patidar became captain across 18 matches 213.46Rajat Patidar’s strike-rate in IPL 2026 — the fifth highest 21 No. of sixes hit by Rajat Patidar this year — the most so far
18 April,2026 09:35 AM IST | Bengaluru | R KaushikPunjab 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 correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1776439662070_d.png "Cameron Green (Pic: AFP)")
