At the halfway point of IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) find themselves tied with five wins each from nine matches. But while their records are identical, their trajectories couldn’t be more different. Both teams have seen contributions from a range of players, with five different match-winners apiece. For MI, Ashwani Kumar, Karn Sharma, Will Jacks, Rohit Sharma, and Trent Boult have all earned Player-of-the-Match awards. For LSG, the honours have gone to Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, and Avesh Khan. However, the similarities end there. After a familiar slow start—losing four of…
Author: Raghav Mutdeyja
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, all eyes will be on a blockbuster clash between two of India’s premier batters: Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. During his last visit to the venue, Kohli turned a routine Ranji Trophy match into a three-day festival, drawing huge crowds. This time, while the fanfare will be just as intense, Kohli’s loyal supporters will also be hoping for a DC win. Kohli enters the match in scintillating form, sitting third on the Orange Cap leaderboard with an average of 65.33—his best since RCB’s run to…
Following Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) seventh defeat in nine games this IPL season, head coach Stephen Fleming pointed to the auction as a key factor behind their disappointing campaign. “It’s hard to say we got it right, given the results,” Fleming admitted after CSK were bowled out for 154 and lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets. “We’ve been reviewing our style of play closely and also how the game itself is evolving. It’s not easy—that’s why we’re proud of our consistency over the years. But this time, we just haven’t been able to put it all together.” Fleming said…
After a string of lackluster performances at home, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally found their rhythm at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, securing a much-needed win over Rajasthan Royals (RR). Virat Kohli led the way with a composed 70, helping RCB post a competitive total. Reflecting on their first home win of IPL 2025, Kohli said, “We had three pretty average outings at home. We addressed what wasn’t working, and today we applied ourselves better. The pitch wasn’t as easy as the score suggested, but we adapted well.” Unlike previous games where RCB lost early wickets in the powerplay, this time…
Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag acknowledged that his team’s inability to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) spinners proved costly in their narrow 11-run loss at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Needing just 18 off the final two overs, RR crumbled under pressure. Josh Hazlewood bowled a game-changing penultimate over, conceding only a single run and dismissing both a set Dhruv Jurel and Jofra Archer in consecutive deliveries. Yash Dayal then defended 16 in the final over to seal the win for RCB. This marks RR’s third consecutive loss while chasing, despite being in promising positions. In their previous two…
The IPL 2025 Orange and Purple Cap leaderboards saw significant shifts following the clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Here’s where things stand after the game. Orange Cap Standings B Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans continues to lead the Orange Cap race with 417 runs from eight innings, averaging 52.12 with a strike rate of 152.18. However, Virat Kohli has surged to the second spot following back-to-back fifties. His latest knock—70 off 42 balls—takes his tally to 392 runs from nine matches. Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants, who was the…
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have taken a significant step forward in IPL 2025, securing their first home victory of the season with an 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday night. With six wins from nine games, and three of their remaining five matches to be played in Bengaluru, RCB are riding a wave of momentum. In stark contrast, RR continue to slide, with yet another failed chase adding to a string of frustrating losses. “We’ve got three more games here at home, so it’s vitally important for us to play well in these conditions,” RCB head coach Andy…
Pahalgam Massacre: 28 Killed, Over 20 Injured in Militant Attack on Tourists On 22 April 2025, militants linked to The Resistance Front—an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen—carried out a brutal attack on tourists in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing at least 28 people and injuring more than 20. Background Jammu and Kashmir has been the site of an armed insurgency since 1989. Though violence had declined in recent years, tensions escalated after India revoked the region’s special status in 2019, splitting the former state into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The change…
Abishek Porel may not be setting the IPL 2025 alight with jaw-dropping innings, but he’s quietly becoming a vital cog in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) top order. With 225 runs in eight innings, he’s the team’s second-highest run-scorer behind KL Rahul. His success isn’t built on explosive knocks but on steady, meaningful contributions—and that’s by design. “I know my game, and the support staff knows my game,” Porel said after DC’s win over Lucknow Super Giants. “The team knows what to expect from me, and I know what I can deliver.” Porel’s season began on a rough note with a two-ball…
In a solemn tribute to the victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, the IPL 2025 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in Hyderabad tonight will be marked by several gestures of mourning and solidarity. Players from both teams will observe a minute’s silence before the start of the match and wear black armbands throughout the game as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in Tuesday’s attack. In a departure from usual IPL fanfare, there will be no cheerleaders or fireworks during the match. The Board of Control for Cricket in…