As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head to Lucknow for their final away fixture of IPL 2025, they have two clear goals in sight: securing a place in the playoffs and becoming the first team in IPL history to win all their away league matches in a season. With six wins on the road already and back-to-back home victories, RCB are just one step away from both feats. Their next challenge comes against a struggling Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who are reeling from three consecutive defeats and four losses in their last five games. With only five wins from 11 matches…
Author: Raghav Mutdeyja
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav has acknowledged the noticeable drop in his bowling speed since returning from a prolonged injury layoff, saying it’s a natural part of recovery and something he isn’t overly concerned about. Having made a comeback to competitive cricket just late last month after nearly six months out with multiple injuries—including a back issue and a toe injury—Mayank is still rediscovering his rhythm. In the IPL 2024 season, he consistently bowled over 150kph, peaking at 156.7kph. This season, however, he has mostly hovered in the 130s, occasionally touching 140kph. “This is normal,” Mayank said ahead…
Did Mumbai Indians miss a trick by handing Deepak Chahar, not Hardik Pandya, the final over in a rain-affected thriller against Gujarat Titans? When rain cleared with Gujarat Titans needing 15 runs from the final six balls, Mumbai Indians had a decision to make. Deepak Chahar had bowled just two overs, Hardik Pandya only one, and with the spinners Karn Sharma and Will Jacks largely unused, the choice came down to Chahar or Hardik. MI opted for Chahar — a decision made before players even returned for that final over following the last rain break that pushed the game into…
Following Gujarat Titans’ thrilling win over Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, there has been a reshuffle in the IPL 2025 Orange Cap standings, while the Purple Cap leaderboard saw its first 20-wicket milestone. Orange Cap Update Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli was sitting atop the run-scoring chart on Monday, but Tuesday’s action brought changes. MI’s Suryakumar Yadav took center stage first, scoring 35 off 24 balls, which moved his season tally to 510 runs — enough to claim the top spot from Kohli. GT’s B Sai Sudharsan needed just seven runs to overtake Suryakumar but fell cheaply for 5. While that…
Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra and Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya have both been penalised following their rain-affected IPL 2025 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday night. Nehra was fined 25% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching Article 2.20 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which pertains to “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game.” Though the IPL did not specify the exact nature of the incident, Nehra was seen animatedly urging umpires to resume play during the final rain delay in the stop-start second half of the match. He…
Bhuvneshwar Kumar may be soft-spoken, but his IPL legacy speaks volumes. With 193 wickets, he’s the leading fast bowler in the tournament’s history and trails only Yuzvendra Chahal (219) on the all-time list. His longevity in a constantly evolving game, he says, comes from “being proactive – staying a step ahead of the batter.” Now back with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after nearly 16 years, Bhuvneshwar is playing a key role in their impressive 2025 season. Alongside Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal, the trio has combined for 40 wickets so far. RCB also boasts the second-best economy rate at the…
Former India fielding coach R Sridhar will oversee a comprehensive 10-day fielding programme in Sri Lanka, working with a broad range of the country’s top male and female cricketers. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that Sridhar’s camp will cater to the men’s and women’s national teams, emerging squads, premier club players, the national Under-19 team, and the women’s ‘A’ team. However, the national women’s side may participate only in part, as they are currently involved in a tri-series against India and South Africa, which concludes on May 11. A BCCI Level 3 certified coach, Sridhar brings extensive experience, having served…
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) continue their survival mission in IPL 2025 as they take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in yet another must-win match. After back-to-back victories—one away against Delhi Capitals and another narrow win at home against Rajasthan Royals—KKR remain in the playoff hunt, but the equation is simple: win all three remaining matches to reach 17 points and hope other results go their way. Their recent revival has been driven by clutch performances—Sunil Narine’s game-turning spell against DC, Andre Russell’s rescue act with the bat against RR, and continued consistency from Varun Chakravarthy. While questions remain about their…
India men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has voiced strong opposition to any form of cricketing engagement with Pakistan, including at neutral venues, following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Speaking at an ABP event in Delhi on Tuesday, Gambhir said, “My personal opinion is absolutely not,” when asked if India should continue playing Pakistan at neutral venues. “Until this [terrorism] stops, there should be no form of engagement between India and Pakistan.” His comments came in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed. In the wake of the attack, the Indian government…
Tammy Beaumont’s second century in three days powered The Blaze to their fourth consecutive victory, maintaining their position at the top of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s standings. Despite a valiant unbeaten 120 from Essex captain Grace Scrivens, Essex’s total of 231 for 9 proved insufficient against an in-form Blaze side. Scrivens led Essex’s innings with class, receiving support from Jodi Grewcock (28) and Amara Carr (34), but lacked consistent partnerships. Ireland’s Orla Prendergast and England legspinner Sarah Glenn each claimed three wickets to help limit Essex’s momentum. Beaumont, fresh off an unbeaten 112 against Hampshire, struck another match-winning…