Rajasthan Royals

KKR, CSK, RCB, RR and PBKS' combined valuation of over Rs 71,000 crore marks a turning point for Indian sport, showing IPL teams as mature businesses, not just cricket franchises.

Hardik Pandya is on his way out of Mumbai Indians and the five-time IPL winners have at least got two feelers for a potential trade -- one from Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders and the other from Rajasthan Royals. There have been multiple discussions between the top management of KKR and the owners of Mumbai Indians over a swap, an IPL insider privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Pandya's second coming to Mumbai Indians has been a tumultuous one with only one entry into the play-offs under his leadership. "Ajinkya Rahane was always a stop-gap arrangement for KKR and he was always going to be released after this season. The KKR top brass had approached MI owners towards the end of last season but since Reliance's Annual AGM was round the corner, so at that time IPL trade wasn't the biggest priority. "However, it has been learned that KKR has again approached MI top leadership and there has been a few rounds of discussion," the source informed.

In its bid to beat the extreme May heat in most parts of the country, the BCCI is contemplating an early start to the IPL, eyeing a March 10-May 15 window for future editions starting next year, Board secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI in an exclusive interview. However, he made it clear that due to international calender constraints, the number of matches will remain 74 and not be increased to 94. The IPL usually gets underway in the last week of March and winds up towards the end of May. Saikia said an early IPL would protect the interest of both players as well as the paying public. "This year, IPL started around the March 29th (28th), and it was over by May 31. Only thing which we are discussing is that during the fag end of the tournament after May 15...there is apprehension of having rainfall or pre-monsoon season starting. "On the other hand, there is hot weather which is not very conducive either for the players or for the crowds," Saikia said in the interaction. He said th

Sooryavanshi finished IPL 2026 with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, winning the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player award and Emerging Player of the Season honour

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar became only the third captain in tournament history to win back-to-back trophies after MS Dhoni (CSK) and Rohit Sharma (MI)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blew the IPL 2026 away with his record-breaking strokeplay but the 15-year-old batting sensation says he also has learnt to shift gears according to the game situation, remaining calm under pressure, and working on his fitness to remain injury-free. While his team Rajasthan Royals failed to make the final after losing to eventual runners-up Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, the left-handed batter was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Sooryavanshi topped the batting chart with 776 runs from 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a stunning strike rate of 237.30, hitting one century and five fifties to win the Orange Cap. "This season, I learnt how to play in pressure games, (and) how to change your game," said the 15-year-old after collecting his award after the final here on Sunday. "You cannot play every game in one mode. You will have to read the situation of the game and play according to the requirements of the team. I got to learn this a lot

Vaibhav, apart from the awards, also received a total of Rs 65 lakh as the combined prize money for his record-breaking season

Sooryavanshi scored more than 750 runs during the season at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, the highest among Orange Cap winners in the previous 18 editions of the IPL

In the19 seasons, eight teams have won the IPL trophy, with the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings leading the list with five titles each. Kolkata Knight Riders are next with three titles

Vaibhav is now the youngest player to win the Orange Cap, breaking the record of GT opener Sai Sudharsan, who was the top scorer of IPL 2025 at the age of 23 years

Rabada said Suryavanshi continues to amaze everyone watching the tournament with his ability to pick lengths quickly and play attacking cricket

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's performance against world class bowlers in the IPL is an indicator that he is more than ready to play for India, said Sri Lankan legend and Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara. The 15-year-old had a phenomenal first full season in the IPL as he aggregated 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.31. He could well end up as the leading run getter of the tournament if Shubman Gill or Sai Sudharsan don't surpass him in the final on Sunday. Having taken the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins to the cleaners over the course of the two month long competition, Sooryavanshi has reinforced the popular belief that he is rarest of rare who would serve India for long. After endorsements from former cricketers including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, Sangakkara too indicated that the left-hander is ready for the highest level. "You never know if anyone's ready until they play. And with everything Vaibhav's shown against some of the best ...

A ton-up Shubman Gill on Friday said not playing to the occasion brings out the best in Gujarat Titans as his side qualified for the final of IPL 2026 with a commanding seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals here. Gill smacked 104 off 53 balls with 15 fours and three sixes to eclipse the first-innings heroics of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made a calculated 96, to power Gujarat Titans' victory in the Qualifier 2 here. "(The) feeling is really good. But (a) quick turnaround so tomorrow (Saturday) we'll just rest and recover and then go there and assess conditions," Gill told the broadcaster after the match here. "If you don't play the occasion it brings the best out of us and that's what we spoke about. Let's take the occasion out and play some good cricket. Whether we win or lose, we should play good cricket," he said while revealing GT's mantra. The IPL final this year will be a repeat of the Qualifier 1 in which defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru had beaten Gujarat Tit

Chasing a daunting target of 215, Gill led from the front with a magnificent 104 off 53 balls as GT completed the highest successful chase in IPL playoff history

Shubman Gill's 104-run innings overshadowed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fiery 96 runs innings as GT extened thier head to head record vs RR to 3-0 in IPL playoffs

Both RCB and GT/RR will have the chance to win their second IPL title on Sunday and become the fourth-most successful franchise in IPL history

The 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavashi surpassed Sai Sudharshan to become the fastest Indian batter to 1000 IPL runs in the Qualifier 2 match of IPL 2026 against the Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur

Vaibhav also becomes joint second-fastest overall to reach 1000 IPL runs alongside Lendl Simmons

During the first attempt, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill was reportedly unable to clearly hear Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag make his call while the coin was in the air.

Having delivered a complete performance with both bat and ball, RR now prepare for a high-stakes clash against Gujarat Titans, with a place in the final on the line.