Opener Pratika Rawal struck a fine half-century after spinners Sneh Rana and debutant Shree Charani starred with the ball as a clinical India outclassed Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the rain-hit opening ODI of the women’s tri-nation series here Sunday. Opting to bowl, India bundled out Sri Lanka for 147 in a curtailed 39-over-a-side contest, with Rana (3-31) and Charani (2-26) sharing five wickets between them, while senior off-spinner Deepti Sharma (2-22) also chipped in. Also Read: Asian C’ships: 14 Indians in U-15, U-17 boxing finals India chased down the modest target in 29.4 overs, with Smriti Mandhana (43) providing a fluent start before Rawal (50 not out) and Harleen Deol (48 not out) took the visitors home without much fuss. India will next face South Africa on April 29. Brief scores:Sri Lanka 147 all out (H Perera 30; S Rana 3-31, D Sharma 2-22) lost to India 149-1 (P Rawal 50*, H Deol 48*, S Mandhana 43; I Ranaweera 1-32) by nine wickets 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
28 April,2025 07:55 AM IST | Colombo | PTIFormer India cricketer Ajay Jadeja showered praises on Punjab Kings’ young opener Priyansh Arya for his impressive outing against Kolkata Knight Rider’s in a rain-affected match in the IPL 2025 at the Eden Gardens. In his debut IPL season, 24-year-old Arya is scoring consistently at the top of the order for PBKS and became the tenth batter to pass 300 runs this season; his 69 in 35 balls took his runs tally to 323 from nine innings. That put him at No. 9, ahead of Delhi Capitals’ KL Rahul, who also has the same number of runs but his inferior strike rate makes him No. 10. Also Read: GT aim to consolidate position vs faltering RR “He just played the way he does and played long enough. It’s a template that he would probably take forward. He wasn’t just going out there and smacking everything at the start of the evening, which is what he’s comfortable with. But once the spin came on or the opposition showed their strength, he held himself back. “He played the way he should have. He managed to shift gears again today — pulled his gear back when needed. It’s not that he can only go one way. That [knock] would give him a lot of confidence,” Jadeja said on JioHotstar. 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
28 April,2025 07:41 AM IST | Kolkata | IANSIn red-hot form, Gujarat Titans will aim to tighten their grip on the top spot and move closer to securing a playoff berth when they take on a faltering Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Monday. Perched comfortably atop the 10-team table with six wins from eight outings, the Shubman Gill-led side now needs just two more victories to book their place in the playoffs. Functioning like a well-oiled machine, the Titans have tasted defeat only twice this season, with Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna leading the charge and the Orange in Purple Cap races, respectively. Also Read: IPL 2025: PBKS' bowling coach Sunil Joshi heaps praise on Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh At the heart of Gujarat’s batting dominance lies the formidable trio of Gill, Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler. Together, they have not just amassed over 300 runs each, but have also maintained an impressive strike rate of over 150, combining consistency with aggressive intent. Despite losing Kagiso Rabada, who left for home due to personal reasons early in the season, the Titans’ bowling emerged as their major strength. Prasidh, who returned to competitive T20 cricket after multiple injury layoffs, has been sensational, snaring 16 wickets in eight games at a staggering average of 14.12. His ability to out-think batters and vary his length have been key to his success. Mohammed Siraj too has been effective with the ball, claiming 12 wickets thus far and is joint fifth in the leading wicket-takers’s list. R Sai Kishore also finds himself among the top five wicket-takers this season, the left-arm spinner taking 12 wickets at an economy of 8.22. Additionally, the Titans have a fairly settled line-up. They have rotated their Impact Players — Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar or Kulwant Khejroliya — based on the conditions. In contrast, Rajasthan Royals became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 11 runs earlier this week. It was their fifth straight defeat and seventh loss in nine matches. 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
28 April,2025 07:37 AM IST | Jaipur | PTIBoth Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders met Saturday’s washout at the Eden Gardens with a shrug of the shoulders. “There was an opportunity for two points but we have to accept we got just one,” PBKS spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi said after the umpires declared the match ‘abandoned’ amidst a steady drizzle, a little more than an hour after rain stopped play. KKR pacer Vaibhav Arora too felt they missed the chance to chase down the two points, but he may have breathed a sigh of relief when he added that “one point is better than none.” Also Read: IPL 2025: MI's all-round show helps defeat LSG by 54 runs Sunil Joshi With the Kings putting up a challenging 201 for 4 on the board, Joshi, of course, had more to talk about, particularly after another top-drawer performance from the openers. “I think it’s all about confidence,” Joshi said, adding that it came from the volume of work they have put into their batting in the pre-season. He was impressed by how much Prabhsimran, who scored a 49-ball 83 here, has matured over the last couple of years. “He has consistently been performing in white-ball [games] since last year,” the former India left-arm orthodox spinner reminded. Prabhsimran’s opening partner, 24-year-old Priyansh Arya, made his debut for the Kings this season and was on the ball straightaway. He hammered a century off just 39 deliveries against Chennai Super Kings earlier this month. On Saturday, the prolific left-hander scored 69 off 35. “Credit should be given to both; they batted according to the pitch conditions and had a very positive approach,” said Joshi. KKR need to tighten their game. Before rain stopped play, the waywardness of the pacers was punished, catches went abegging and ground fielding lacked sharpness. The no-ball in Sunil Narine’s third over, and the six off the resultant free-hit, was a reminder for how a moment’s lapse can turn a 15-run over into a 22-run disaster. The Knights have long lost the luxury of being spendthrifts, even briefly, as they face the challenge of winning pretty much every game from here.
28 April,2025 07:35 AM IST | Kolkata | Arup ChatterjeeWhen Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya and Lucknow Super Giants’s (LSG) Rishabh Pant came together for the toss at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon, both teams were on the same page, having five wins from nine games each. However, after the hosts defended their total of 215-7 to beat LSG convincingly by 54 runs, MI zoomed to the No. 2 spot in the table while the visitors were down to No. 6. Mayank, Avesh claim 2 each MI were propelled to their massive total thanks mainly to opener Ryan Rickleton (32-ball 58, 6x4, 6x6) and Suryakumar Yadav (28-ball 54, 4x4, 4x6). LSG pacers, Mayank Yadav (2-40) and Avesh Khan (2-42) picked up two wickets each. Ryan Rickelton en route his 58 In reply, Ayush Badoni (35) and Mitchell Marsh (34) got decent scores for LSG who were bowled out for 161. MI’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah (4-22), executed his role as Impact Player perfectly. En route he also became IPL’s leading wicket-taker overtaking former MI speedster Lasith Malinga’s 170 scalps. Fellow pacer Trent Boult (3-20) and offie Will Jacks (2-18) complemented Bumrah well. Also Read: IPL 2025: Krunal, Virat's crucial knocks help RCB gain top spot post DC encounter MI’s Naman Dhir, who remained unbeaten scoring 11-ball 25, credited the top-order batsmen for the convincing win. “In the last five games, we are ticking [all] the boxes. We are winning the [crucial] moments and that has led us to these victories. And I guess we will continue doing that,” Dhir said at MI’s post-match press conference on Sunday. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah celebrates a LSG wicket LSG skipper Rishabh Pant (four off two balls) was out early again but LSG mentor Zaheer Khan said it was not something they were worried about. “I wouldn’t relate it [Pant’s Rs 27 crore price tag] to anything like that [pressure]. It’s a team. He’s [Pant] a leader and he has been fantastic as a leader. That’s something which I can vouch for, the kind of effort he’s been taking to make sure that each and every individual in that group is comfortable, is heard. Also, with all the planning that goes, he has been spot on,” said Zaheer. Earlier, put in to bat in the 33 degrees celsius afternoon heat, MI opener Rickelton began brilliantly, picking 19 runs off the first two overs. LSG spinners struggle Pant introduced spin early into the attack, bringing both leg-spinners Digvesh Rathi (1-48) and Ravi Bishnoi (1-41) into play (fourth and fifth over respectively). However, the strategy went against them as the hosts posted 66-1 at the end of the Powerplay. Rathi then went for a massive 19 runs off his second over. Suryakumar took over after Rickelton’s departure. The hard-hitting Indian batter reached his third half-century of the season in just 27 balls with a six off pacer Avesh Khan to emerge as IPL-18 leading run scorer with 427 runs to his credit from 10 games. Zaheer admitted that MI opener Rickelton and attacking batter Suryakumar took the game from them right at the start. He said: “Our [LSG] bowlers were being put under pressure. Rickelton really started off well. He put the bowlers under pressure, set that tone for the innings. And Surya, then doing what Surya does. It was always going to be a challenging game.” Brief scoresMI 215-7 in 20 overs (R Rickelton 58, S Yadav 54; M Yadav 2-40, A Khan 2-42) beat LSG 161 all out in 20 overs (A Badoni 35, M Marsh 34; J Bumrah 4-22, T Boult 3-20, W Jacks 2-18) by 54 runs
28 April,2025 07:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureHalf-centurions Krunal Pandya (47-ball 73 not out) and Virat Kohli (51 off 47 balls) helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets here on Sunday. Chasing 163, the duo added 119 runs for the fourth wicket as the visitors chased down the target with nine balls to spare. The victory gave RCB their seventh win in 10 matches, taking them to the top spot in the points table. Earlier, some restrained bowling on a slow Feroz Shah Kotla wicket and some power hitting by lower middle-order batters saw DC set RCB a challenging target of 163. Also Read: "India should also withdraw from playing against Pakistan in ICC tournaments": Mohammad Azharuddin A seventh-wicket stand of 38 off just 15 balls by Vipraj Nigam and Tristan Stubbs ensured Delhi went past the 150-mark. put up a somewhat fighting total on board. KL Rahul once again proved to be DC’s saviour at home as he top-scored with 41 off 39 balls while the hosts kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Stubbs was the second-highest scorer for DC with 34 off 18. Visiting RCB skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and put Delhi in on a wicket that was different from the previous matches here. The ball was stopping before coming on to the bat and this combined by RCB’s sharp bowling meant the DC batters were never comfortable. DC openers Abhishek Porel and Faf du Plessis put up a partnership of 33 off 22 balls for the first wicket. Porel was the aggressor, scoring 28 off 11 with two fours and two sixes, even Du Plessis was watchful. RCB’s opening pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal ensured the DC top order was reined in. The hosts managed just 52-2 in the Powerplay with Karun Nair (four off 12) also departing early. Leg break googly bowler Suyash Sharma replaced Dayal after the Powerplay, while left-arm spinner Pandya replaced Hazelwood. The exit of Du Plessis (22 off 26) brought in DC skipper Axar Patel alongside Rahul and they put on a decent 30 off 23 balls before Stubbs and Nigam began some late hitting. Brief scoresDC 162-8 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 41, T Stubbs 34; B Kumar 3-33, J Hazlewood 2-36) lost to RCB 165-4 in 18.3 overs (K Pandya 73*, V Kohli 51; A Patel 2-19) by six wickets
28 April,2025 07:19 AM IST | New Delhi | Neeru BhatiaFormer Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed strong views on the future of cricketing relations between India and Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Kashmir. “I believe India should not only continue its stance of avoiding any bilateral series with Pakistan, but should now also go ahead and withdraw from playing against Pakistan in all ICC [International Cricket Council] and ACC [Asian Cricket Council] tournaments too,” Azharuddin, 61, told mid-day on the sidelines of an event at Nanavati Hospital in Vile Parle on Sunday. Also Read: IPL 2025: Krunal, Kohli's stellar knocks help RCB win by six wickets over DC As many as 26 innocent lives were lost when terrorists fired at tourists holidaying in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region earlier this week (April 22). Azharuddin described the attacks as “very, very sad,” and insisted that such acts of terrorism demand a strong response. “Cricket is a sport that unites, but it cannot be played in the shadow of such tragedies,” added Azharuddin. The Hyderabadi also supported the BCCI’s decision to instruct players at the ongoing Indian Premier League to wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the terror victims. “It’s a good way of showing solidarity with the affected families,” he said. India has not played a bilateral series with Pakistan since 2012-13. The arch-rivals only meet in ICC events like the Twenty20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and Asian Cricket Council-organised competitions. Former captain Azharuddin’s views will only further fuel the debate about the intersection of sports and politics.
28 April,2025 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin DaniIn the ongoing IPL 2025 match against Delhi Capitals (DC), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came victorious by six wickets.In the run chase of 163 runs, RCB stalwart Virat Kohli played a knock of 51 runs off 47 balls. His knock saw him smash four boundaries. Shouldering him was Krunal Pandya, who stayed unbeaten on 73 runs. His unbeaten knock included five boundaries and four maximums. Tim David stole the show by showcasing a string of boundaries. Facing just five balls, he smashed 19 runs, which was laced with three boundaries and a maximum. Opening the innings, Jacob Bethell scored 12 runs in six balls, including one boundary and a maximum. Consistent batsman Devdutt Padikkal departed on a two-ball duck. Skipper Rajat Patidar departed after playing a run-a-ball knock. In six balls, he was only able to score six runs, laced with one boundary. Also Read: RCB vs DC, IPL 2025: Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar's stunning spells restrict Delhi to 162 runs In an attempt to defend a score of 162 runs, DC skipper Axar Patel managed to pick two wickets for 19 runs. Completing his quota of three overs, star pacer Mitchell Starc conceded 31 runs without any wickets. Coming to the first innings, Delhi posted a score of 162 runs for the loss of eight wickets. In the innings build-up, KL Rahul garnered 41 runs off 39 deliveries, including three boundaries. Tristan Stubbs emerged as the second-highest run-scorer for the side. Facing 18 balls, Stubbs scored 34 runs, which was laced with five boundaries and a maximum. Opening batsman Abhishek Porel scored 28 runs, followed by Faf du Plessis' 22 runs. RCB's lead pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed three wickets for 33 runs in four overs. Star pacer Josh Hazlewood bagged two wickets for 36 runs in four overs. Yash Dayal and Krunal Pandya registered one wicket each to their names. Impact Player Suyash Sharma went wicketless in the IPL 2025 match against Delhi.
27 April,2025 11:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer Prasidh Krishna feels that due to the use of saliva, the pacer has been able to get the upper hand this season. "It has played a bit of a part because if you look at what the ball does with the saliva on it, even if it means that one out of the 120 balls stays in a little more, that means you get a wicket," said Prasidh during a media interaction on JioHotstar Press Room. Before the start of the IPL 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lifted the ban on the use of salvia, considering it as a ball-polishing agent. Also Read: Ravi Shastri feels THIS player's workload should be managed during England series In the IPL 2025, Prasidh Krishna is the joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Josh Hazlewood. The towering pacer has returned to competitive T20 cricket after multiple injury layoffs. He missed the last two seasons of the IPL after suffering a stress fracture of the back in 2022 and a quadriceps injury in 2024. Speaking about his return to the league, the pacer said, "Coming into the IPL, I told myself two things could happen: either I return and it's the same Prasidh with no difference, or I come back as a different bowler, capable of making more impact and controlling the game. I'm glad the better one is happening". Expressing his views about working with Gujarat's head coach Ashish Nehra, "I didn't really do anything different. The preparation was better. I was very clear about what I wanted to work on. Made sure I put in the hours, had the right conversations with (coach) Ashish Nehra," said the 29-year-old. "One thing that I have learnt from him in the few months that I have worked with him is about reading the conditions, reading the pitch, making sure you make the right decisions when you are at the top of the mark," added the pacer. Gujarat Titans (GT) will clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their upcoming IPL 2025 match on April 28. (With PTI Inputs)
27 April,2025 09:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai Indians (MI) emerged victorious by 54 runs at Wankhede Stadium. MI's Impact Player, Jasprit Bumrah, scalped four wickets by conceding 22 runs in his spell of four overs. In the process, Bumrah also went past Lasith Malinga (170) to become MI's leading wicket-taker in IPL history. Having needed to chase a target of 216 runs, LSG kept losing wickets at a regular interval. Opening the innings, Aiden Markram departed early by scoring just nine runs. Fellow opener, Mitchell Marsh, played a knock of 34 runs off 24 deliveries, including three boundaries and two maximums. Swashbuckling Nicholas Pooran, too, fell short in delivering a performance in the match. The left-hander was only able to garner 27 runs in 15 balls. His knock ended with one boundary and three maximums. Ayush Badoni was the second-highest run-scorer for Lucknow. Facing 22 balls, he returned to the pavilion after scoring 35 runs, which was laced with two boundaries and the same number of maximums. David Miller lost his wicket for 24 runs in 16 balls. Also Read: MI vs LSG highlights, IPL 2025: Jasprit Bumrah's four-wicket haul helps Mumbai Indians win by 54 runs LSG skipper Rishabh Pant's poor run continued in the IPL 2025. He was only able to score four runs in two balls. No other Lucknow batsman was able to score many runs. From Mumbai's dugout, lead pacer Bumrah snapped four wickets. Star pacer Trent Boult and Will Jacks registered three and two wickets to their names, respectively. Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma and captain Hardik Pandya went wicketless in the IPL 2025 match against Lucknow. Completing his quota of four overs, Corbin Bosch bagged one wicket for 26 runs. Earlier in the first half, Suryakumar Yadav's belligerent 54 and Rickelton's 58 fired Mumbai Indians to a good total. Suryakumar's 28-ball knock, laced with four sixes and as many fours, kept MI on track for a total in excess of 200 even as Tilak Varma (6) and Hardik Pandya (5) fell in quick succession. The standout stroke during his innings was when Suryakumar went down on his knee to lift Prince Yadav (1/44) over fine leg for a six on a waist-high ball.LSG's decision to bowl first, anticipating a spin-friendly track under the sun backfired to some extent on a batting-friendly pitch here, with none of their bowlers able to control stroke-play.
27 April,2025 08:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the ongoing IPL 2025 match against Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant has won the toss and elected to bowl first. MI under Pandya's captaincy is now placed in the fifth position and will aim for an early edge to seal the spot in the playoffs. On the other hand, LSG is having a roller coaster IPL 2025 campaign. Also Read: IPL 2025: Punjab reign before storm MI vs LSG, IPL 2025: Full Squads Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton(w), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur, Rohit Sharma, Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Krishnan Shrijith, Arjun Tendulkar, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Bevon Jacobs, Satyanarayana Raju. Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Ayush Badoni, Himmat Singh, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Aryan Juyal, RS Hangargekar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Maharaj Singh, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, Shamar Joseph, Arshin Kulkarni. MI vs LSG, IPL 2025: Confirmed Playing XI Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma. Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (C), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.MI vs LSG, IPL 2025: Live updates7: 30 PM: LSG: 161/10 (20)Mumbai Indians have come victorious in the IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium. MI's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned with the figures of four wickets for 22 runs in four overs.7: 05 pm: LSG: 142/8 (16)From here on, LSG's path to victory seems a bit difficult as the reliable batsman, Ayush Badoni, has also returned to the pavilion after scoring 35 runs. 6: 40 pm: LSG: 112/4 (12)Skipper Rishabh Pant yet again failed to deliver a big knock. LSG has found no stability in batting, except for Marsh, who, too, lost his wicket in Trent Boult's over. Pooran was dismissed after he scored 27 runs in just 15 balls.6: 10 pm: LSG: 60/1 (6)LSG lost the early wicket of Markram. Swashbuckling Nicholas Pooran has joined Marsh in the run chase. Despite losing the wicket, Pooran is wasting no time to help Lucknow chase the target in as less overs as possible.5: 50 pm: LSG: 18/0 (2)Lucknow's in-form duo, Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, have taken charge. Mumbai bowlers, too, are keeping things tight in the field.5: 26 pm: MI: 215/7 (20)Suryakumar departed after completing his half-century. His knock ended with a score of 54 runs, which came in 28 balls, including four boundaries and the same number of maximums. Mumbai Indians managed to post a target of 216 runs for the loss of seven wickets.5: 01 pm: MI: 162/5 (16)No brakes for swashbuckling Suryakumar. The right-hander is going all guns blazing on his home ground, Wankhede Stadium. On the other hand, Mayank Yadav is breathing fire in Mumbai's heat. The pacer is making it difficult for the hosts' batters to settle down in the middle.4: 35 pm: MI: 121/3 (12)Well-settled Rickelton departed after scoring 58 runs, followed by Jacks. MI's premier batsmen Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have entered the ground to guide the side to a respectable total.4: 10 pm: MI: 85/1 (8)Despite losing an early wicket, Rickelton made sure to stay consistent with the momentum. The left-hander brought up his fifty in 25 balls. The "Paltan" is on the right track with Ryan and Jacks in the middle.4: 00 pm: MI: 39/1 (4)Rohit departs early after smashing two maximums. Will Jacks is the new man in. On the other hand, Rickelton is showcasing a sensible approach.3: 40 pm: MI: 20/0 (2)Mayank Yadav completed the first over by conceding just six runs. Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma are looking strong in the middle.
27 April,2025 07:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
