In the IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) all-rounder Krunal Pandya said that there is a much calmer atmosphere in the camp as several players have understood their roles. "I feel that this year there is a much calmer atmosphere. Last year it was a new team, and everyone got to know each other. This year many players understand their roles and each other's strengths and weaknesses," he said. He then explained how he tries to calm himself and stay in the moment on big occasions. "When I get into the big occasions, I feel that if God has got you here, then there is a reason behind it and sometimes I think that these big occasions are actually made for me. I feel the pressure, but I think about how I can be calm and in the present moment and do what is required," said Krunal. The all-rounder then heaped praise on stalwart Virat Kohli, saying he would have been one of the greats in any generation. "Virat is a classic example. You can see that hunger; you can see that passion in how he sees the game and how much he wants that victory. If Virat Kohli had been born in any (some other) generation, he would still be one of the greats. He is not competing with anyone else," said the 35-year-old cricketer. After winning the first match in the ongoing tournament, the defending champions, RCB, will now clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings: 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. 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. (With PTI Inputs)
31 March,2026 04:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR) emerged victorious by eight wickets at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. During the match, RR's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja delivered a stunning performance with the ball against his former team, Chennai. Having bowled three overs, he conceded 18 runs and claimed two wickets. Speaking about leaving the Chennai-based franchise, he stated that it was an emotional moment for him. "I'm liking the pink colour. The yellow had started to feel a bit old, but I'm just joking. Obviously, leaving a franchise like CSK, where I had played for 12-13 years, was a little difficult initially. It was very emotional. But I told myself that changes like these are also part of the journey," he said on Jio Hotstar. The all-rounder then said that his aim is to learn as much as he can with Rajasthan and share his experience with his teammates. "The good thing was that I'm now with the team where I had first won an IPL title. That memory has always stayed with me, that after the Under-19 World Cup, I started my IPL career there and won the title in my very first season. I have carried those memories along with a positive mindset, and my aim is to learn as much as I can with the new group and also share my experience with the team," said Jadeja. Later in the match against CSK, Jadeja did not bat as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's blistering knocks helped RR secure a dominating win by eight wickets in Guwahati. Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK will now lock horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. On the other hand, RR will clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals: Full Squad Ravindra Jadeja, Sandeep Sharma, Adam Milne, Donovan Ferreira (WK), Jofra Archer, Shimron Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande, Sam Curran, Nandre Burger, Riyan Parag (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Sen, Ravi Bishnoi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sushant Mishra, Yudhvir Singh, Shubham Dubey, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao, Kwena Maphaka, Yash Punja, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ravi Singh (WK), Brijesh Sharma. (With ANI Inputs)
31 March,2026 04:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2026 match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the Rajasthan Royals (RR) emerged victorious by eight wickets at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. Batting first during the match, the Super Kings' innings was wrapped up for 127 runs in 19.4 overs. Following the batting debacle, CSK's batting coach Michael Hussey said that Chennai's batsmen didn't adjust to the early movement in the pitch. "They outplayed us today, but I think it was a good toss to win, definitely. The pitch had been under cover for a long time. There was certainly some movement early, and our batsmen probably struggled to adjust to that movement. I'd expect much better batting performances in the future, especially if the pitches are a bit flatter," he said. He also said that the team needs to take the learning from the game and move back to Chennai for the next match. "We need to take the lessons from this game that if the conditions aren't perfect, maybe we need to adjust our sights a little bit and try to score our runs in different areas. So we'll definitely take a few learnings from it. We want to try and put this one behind us pretty quickly and move on back to Chennai," said Hussey. Rajasthan's Nandre Burger was named the "Player of the Match" for his bowling heroics. Having completed his quota of four overs, he claimed two wickets by conceding 26 runs. Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK will now lock horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. On the other hand, RR will clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings: Full 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. (With ANI Inputs)
31 March,2026 03:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSocial media has been abuzz about Hardik Pandya’s recent spending spree. He has splurged nearly Rs 20 crore in 35 days. Pandya, 32, first gifted a Land Rover Defender car, worth Rs 4 crore, to his son Agastya and ex-wife Natasa Stankovic in late February. He then purchased a Ferrari sports car for a cool Rs 12 crore on March 15. A few days later, he gave Rs 10 lakh to each of the Wankhede Stadium groundsmen, amounting to around Rs 1 crore. On March 29, he gifted girlfriend Mahieka Sharma a Mercedes SUV (Rs 1.7 crore).
31 March,2026 10:27 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday imposed a PKR 20 million (USD 72,000) fine on fast bowler Naseem Shah for a now-deleted controversial social media post that criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's presence at the PSL opening game during an ongoing regional crisis. The post, made during the first match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), sarcastically commented on the "queen" treatment given to Maryam, who is the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and niece of incumbent PM Shahbaz Sharif, at the Gaddafi Stadium. "Why is she being treated like the Queen at Lords?" Naseem had posted in reference to Maryam. This was after the PCB banned fans from attending the PSL matches in Lahore and Karachi to conserve fuel and adhere to government austerity measures in view of the Gulf war. The PCB announced that its disciplinary committee had found Naseem guilty of breaching clauses of his central contract and violating social media guidelines. Naseem was issued a show-cause notice on March 27, immediately after Maryam visited the Gaddafi Stadium as the chief guest for the opening match of PSL. The tweet was quickly deleted, and it was claimed the account was hacked, but the PCB did not accept this explanation. The board said that Naseem had issued an unconditional apology for his behaviour. "Naseem's reply was reviewed by the committee, and after evaluating everything, it has been determined that Naseem is found to have breached various clauses of his central contract, and a fine of PKR 2 crore has been imposed." Naseem's social media adviser has already been terminated and blacklisted by the PCB. 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
31 March,2026 10:15 AM IST | Lahore | PTIFormer South Africa skipper AB de Villiers penned a heartfelt note reminiscing his wedding day with wife Danielle on their 13th wedding anniversary on Monday. The explosive batter, known as Mr 360 for his ability to hit the ball all around the ground, posted a picture of their wedding day to his 29.2 million followers on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AB de Villiers (@abdevilliers17) “13 years later, three incredible kids, and so much to be grateful for… here we are. Still standing together… I love you with all my heart, Danielle,” he wrote in the caption. The post garnered 6.88 lakh ‘likes’ in a few hours after being uploaded.
31 March,2026 10:04 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentRajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag hailed his side’s collective execution after they crushed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their IPL 2026 opening game at the ACA Stadium on Monday. “I got lucky with the toss, but I think the way we executed it, we had like a couple of days' practice, I think, before CSK arrived, and it was a red-soil wicket, but then it was a lot of rain as well, so we knew the moisture was going to play a part. I think everyone executed plans really nicely. “Definitely like this better. A lot of preparation has gone into this. I know me being captain is one part which I should be happy about and I should thank the franchise for it, but then the goal this year is to win the trophy, and we've put in a lot of time towards planning, strategizing. “I've said this in an interview before that we want to be a team that plays smart cricket. We want to assess conditions really well and adapt to it and I think that we did that pretty well today,” said Parag at the conclusion of the game. RR bowled out CSK for just 127 before Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fireworks – 52 off 17 balls - ensured the chase was wrapped up in just 12.1 overs, giving Parag a perfect start to his tenure as full-time captain. Parag praised the pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger for their fiery spells, lauded Sandeep Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja for their control, and singled out debutant Brijesh Sharma for his composure in front of a packed Guwahati crowd. “Everyone who came in, Jof and Nandre, we expect that from them every single time, they were rapid. Sandy bhaiya doing his job. Jaddu bhaiya coming in, I think Guwahati suited him a little bit more. Then Brijesh, the youngster, I think him coming in first game against CSK with the packed crowd, what he did was insane, so I'm really looking forward to the season.” Asked on his conversations with Sooryavanshi, Parag said, “What I tell him is that you're going to play 14 games and regardless of what goes on in the game, it shouldn't bother you. What goes around in the media shouldn't bother you. You just go out there. He loves to bat. “I've made sure I've told the coaches that he gets as much batting as he wants and he goes and does some things like that. So I think me and Dhruv, when we were sitting there till the fourth over, we were just in awe. Like, what is happening? Like, how is he doing this? But then I'm really happy to have him in my team. With Jurel coming at three, Parag said this is going to be RR's batting order. “Yes, that is what we've been planning on. Dhruv comes in at three, Hetty (Hetmyer) bats at five, because I think we need that lefty-righty in the later half of the innings as well. So hopefully this sticks and we win a few games with this batting line-up,” he said. CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said conditions were tough but stressed the need for improvement. “I felt the conditions at the start were really tough, especially when facing Jofra and Burger. They bowled brilliant lengths and even after that, to a medium-pacer it was slightly tough. “You could see even the spinners were getting some assistance as well. Yes, we would have been better in batting, we would have taken the game deep, showed some batsmanship, maybe take the game till 150-160. “But, nowadays, you never know what's a good score, so you just have to keep going. So I think it just one of those days where the wicket was slightly on the tougher side. So not frustrated at all,” he said. Asked on how CSK will reassess the loss as a group, Gaikwad said, “You just put it behind and move on. We've got a game in another three days. Make sure that everyone is in a good headspace. One good thing is, a lot of youngsters in the group. So, probably a nervy start for everyone, but good to get a game behind and good to start with lot of mistakes. “Hopefully it will be just improvement after here. I'm someone who's not a firm believer of going all the way. But, with the impact player, you never really know what's the good score or what's the par score. So you don't really often see games going down the line till the 20th over when you're defending 150, 160 or 170. “So I think it's just about backing yourself, backing your game for the batsmen. If you have it in your area, just make sure you go for it. Today it didn't work but we can be better in batsmanship. You just have to be positive, especially when you're batting first. If conditions are good, you never know, the same batting line-up can put a good score,” he concluded. 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
31 March,2026 09:51 AM IST | Guwahati | IANSRajasthan Royals' teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Monday said the team's senior players and support staff, including head coach Kumar Sangakkara, have given him the freedom to keep playing his attacking game. The 15-year-old prodigy blazed away to a 15-ball fifty to power RR to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL opener here, three days after his birthday. While he missed the cake cutting on the day of his birthday as he had gone off to sleep, Sooryavanshi belatedly celebrated turning a year older with his excellent performance on the field. "I didn't really do anything outside - there was supposed to be a cake cutting, but I went to sleep early to avoid the cake-smearing," Sooryavanshi said at the post-match presentation ceremony. Having bowled out CSK for 127, RR completed the chase in 12.1 overs. "The plan today was simply to execute well in the powerplay -- initially the wicket felt a bit sticky, but as the ball got older, it started coming onto the bat nicely." Asked about his approach with the bat, Sooryavanshi said, "I do think about defence, but today our plan was to control the game in the powerplay because in a small chase, that phase is crucial - if the bowling team does well there, the game can tilt their way, but our powerplay went really well." And about his aggressive intent, he added, "The coaches didn't specifically say that bowlers would attack me - everyone else was already saying that - but they just told me that they back me and that I should stick to my natural game and play according to the situation." When asked about guidance from his his senior opening partner Jaiswal, he said, "My opening partner keeps communicating with me after every ball - he tells me when to take singles, keeps giving me the strike, and encourages me to keep playing my shots if the ball is coming nicely onto the bat." Pleased with the convincing victory in his first match as RR's full-time skipper, Riyan Parag lavished praise on Sooryavanshi. "I tell Vaibhav you play 14 games, what goes on in the game and media shouldn't bother you. I tell the coaches to let him play as long. We were in awe watching him in the nets. CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad believed the conditions were difficult in the beginning of the match in which Parag opted to bowl first after winning the toss. "Felt the conditions at the start were tough, especially against Jofra (Archer). It was tough against medium pacers, spinners were getting assistance as well. Maybe we could've batted deeper but you never know a good score these days so had to keep going," Gaikwad said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
31 March,2026 09:48 AM IST | Guwahati | PTIShubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, two India T20I batters who have often been overlooked, will captain Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings respectively, each eager to make a statement in a high-stakes Indian Premier League opener here on Tuesday. India's Test and ODI captain Gill, who was named T20I vice-captain but later left out of the World Cup squad to accommodate Sanju Samson, has a lot to answer in the shortest format. While India went on to win a record third ICC T20 World Cup, Gill enters this season at a crucial phase in his T20 career. Since 2023, only Virat Kohli has scored more IPL runs than Gill, but the focus has shifted from consistency to strike rate. With a career T20 strike rate of around 138, Gill showed signs of improvement last season, scoring at over 155-something he would look to build on. With Matthew Hayden now part of the coaching staff as batting coach, Gill's six-hitting and intent at the top will be closely watched. Since Hardik Pandya's exit after IPL 2023, Gill has grown into his leadership role, and the team now clearly revolves around him. Having won the title in their debut season in 2022, Gujarat Titans have remained one of the most consistent sides, finishing third last year before losing to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. They look one of the most settled units again, retaining 20 players. The opening pair of Gill and Sai Sudharsan -- last season's top scorer with 759 runs -- remains their biggest strength. Sudharsan is returning after a rib fracture but was in fine touch in domestic cricket, including an unbeaten 101 and multiple fifties before the injury. GT also have exciting backup options like wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, who impressed in domestic cricket with a strike rate of over 160 and an average above 60 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He would offer flexibility if the middle order struggles. For Punjab Kings, much will again depend on skipper Shreyas, a proven IPL leader who has now taken three different teams to the final (Delhi Capitals in 2020, KKR in their 2024 triumph and PBKS last season). Despite his consistent performances, Shreyas continues to be overlooked by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, having last played a T20I in December 2023. The skipper also led from the front last season, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of over 175, which was the highest among the top-10 run-getters. Yet, he failed to break into India's T20I XI in the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, even after being called up as a replacement for Tilak Varma during the build-up home series against New Zealand ahead of the global showpiece. Punjab's strength lies in their explosive Indian core. Openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya were among the most destructive pairs last season, scoring 1,024 runs together at a strike rate of nearly 169. However, both have had a relatively quiet Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, raising questions about their current form. The middle order, featuring Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh and Suryansh Shedge, will be crucial, especially against a strong spin attack led by Rashid Khan. PBKS will also have a new No. 3 in Australia's Cooper Connolly as a replacement for Josh Inglis, who was released ahead of IPL 2026 due to availability issues. Connolly is expected to play as a specialist batter initially, as Cricket Australia has advised him to avoid bowling while recovering from a back problem. Punjab will also be keen to improve their home record as, despite reaching the final last season, they had only two wins in five matches in New Chandigarh last year. 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
31 March,2026 09:36 AM IST | Mullanpur | PTIKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who scored an attacking 40-ball 67 in his team’s six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, on Sunday, insists that he’s unfazed by the criticism he has been getting in the recent past. Asked if he was looking to make a statement through his attacking knock — laced with three fours and five sixes — Rahane, 37, who stepped down from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy captaincy last season, shot back, saying he does not have anything to prove to anyone. “Let people talk about me. They’ve been talking about me for, what, 20 years now. Let them talk. I’m really happy with the way I’m batting. I’m not here to show anyone how talented I am and what my game is. People are watching. Let them watch. Let them talk,” Rahane said at the post-match press conference on Sunday. Rahane, who scored 390 runs in IPL 2025, including three half-centuries at a strike-rate of 147.73, added that he’s enjoying the white-ball format. “I’m really happy. In the last two-three years, [in the] white-ball formats, the way I have improved my game. It’s important to grow as a cricketer and as a batsman. That’s what I’m trying to do. People will keep talking, let them talk,” Rahane said.
31 March,2026 09:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureJust a few weeks ago Suryakumar Yadav was leading India at the Wankhede Stadium in the World Cup semi-final against England. He helped the hosts beat England and then guided them to a final win over New Zealand to emerge world champions. However, when Mumbai Indians (MI) announced their playing XI for their IPL-19 campaign opener against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the same venue on Sunday, Suryakumar’s name was missing. He was named as the impact substitute. This understandably set tongues wagging with MI fans unhappy to see India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain unable to find a place in the team. However, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene clarified that this was not the case. “I hope you don’t create unwanted stories. The [MI] camp is very happy, everyone’s happy. SKY came, joined us. He had an extra couple of days he wanted as well. He joined us and he had a slightly tight groin. He was doing his fielding and all that but I knew I had another five days from this game to the next so I just wanted to give him that extra bit of time. He was even keen at the end to go [and field] for three-four overs. But I said, no, it’s just fine,” Jayawardene told reporters at the post-match press conference. “It’s just that I have to take precautions. These are very valuable players for me to have them going throughout the season. These are calculated decisions that I make, and the management makes. There’s nothing beyond that,” added the Sri Lankan. Suryakumar, who walked out to bat at No. 3, scored 16 runs off eight balls (3x4s) before he was dismissed, caught in the deep by Rinku Singh off KKR pacer Kartik Tyagi.
31 March,2026 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureADVERTISEMENT
