Page 18 - Cricket News

IPL 2026: Chahal impressed by Connolly's debut innings, calls him big find

Punjab Kings spinner Yuzvendra Chahal believes young Cooper Connolly will be one of the "finds" of this season, praising the young Australian batter's maturity after he scored a match-winning fifty on his IPL debut. The 22-year-old Connolly announced himself in style, smashing an unbeaten 72 to guide Punjab Kings to a nervy three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in their IPL campaign opener here on Tuesday. "He's only 20 something but has a hunger. The way he performed in his very first match, batting at number 3, playing a match-winning innings, shows how mature he is mentally," Chahal said at the post-match press conference. Walking in at No. 3, Connolly held firm even as wickets fell at the other end, showing remarkable composure for a newcomer. "He knows what the situation is. He knows that if I am there till the end, then I have to finish the game. And that shows maturity. That is a good sign for our team. "And the way he is batting, I think he will be one of the finds of this

PSL 2026: Fakhar Zaman suspended for two matches for ball tampering

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman was on Tuesday suspended for two matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for breaching the code of conduct pertaining to changing the condition of the ball. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that match referee found Fakhar guilty of a level three offence, breaching Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during the PSL match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings here on Sunday. The suspected ball tampering incident occurred just before the start of the final over when the on-field umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars for five runs and the ball was changed before the start of last over of Karachi Kings' batting innings. On-field Umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, TV Umpire Asif Yaqoob, and fourth Umpire Tariq Rasheed levelled the charge. Fakhar denied the offence and contested the charge at a full disciplinary hearing in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Match Referee Roshan Maha

PBKS vs GT HIGHLIGHTS, IPL 2026: Cooper Connolly's heroics help Punjab edge past Gujarat

IPL 2026 HIGHLIGHTS: PBKS debutant Cooper Connolly's unbeaten 72 off 44 balls to help his team chase down 163 run target set by GT

IPL 2026 live streaming: Where to watch PBKS vs GT cricket match live?

JioHotstar in India will stream the IPL 2026 match between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans through their app and website

IPL 2026 Today's Match: PBKS vs GT playing 11, batters vs bowlers matchups

Both teams, after failing to win the title despite reaching the play-offs, will be aiming for a successful start to their season with a win in their campaign opener today

IPL 2026 PBKS vs GT: Pitch report, highest score, Mullanpur Stadium stats

Punjab Kings have played 10 matches in the IPL at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, out of which they have won just three matches and lost seven

No Dhoni, no direction? CSK's reliance exposed in IPL 2026 opener vs RR

Dhoni has missed only six games in IPL for CSK and in those six games, the Chennai-based franchise has been on the losing end five times

Naseem Shah penalised $72000 by PCB for controversial social media post

The 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 issue

IPL 2026: GT's batting coach Hayden lauds Gill's clarity in leadership

Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden has lauded skipper Shubman Gill for his growth as a batter and leader, saying the India star's clarity of thought and modern-day confidence have shaped his evolution at the highest level. GT will face Punjab Kings in their IPL 2026 opener here on Tuesday. "Yeah, see, Shubman is a very clear speaker of the game, and that says he knew cricket in good stead, obviously at the highest level of cricket and Test cricket," Hayden said. "He brings a lot of confidence. If you like, he brings a bit of swagger of the modern generation, which I really enjoy, that feeling that he's in control and he's shaping himself and his own destiny. "But any side that he'll play with, he very unselfishly says, and I've watched him across many different press conferences like this, that it's very team-orientated," the burly opener of yesteryears said on Monday. The former Australia opener, who is currently the batting coach of Gujarat Titans, also expressed confid

Sourav Ganguly backs BCCI on sharing Test matches across multiple venues

Former India captain and Cricket Association of Bengal President Sourav Ganguly would love to host as many Tests as possible at the Eden Gardens but he is also "happy" to see the traditional format reach other venues like Guwahati and Ranchi. Unveiling Team India's home season for 2026-27, the BCCI last week left out traditional venues like Kolkata and Mumbai from the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, scheduling matches in Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad from January 21 to February 25 next year. Reacting to the move, Ganguly said Eden Gardens has got its fair share of games. "It's always great to have big Test matches back at Eden Gardens. As the president of the CAB and being a former player, I would like to host Test matches here, but we got the Test against South Africa, then there were T20 World Cup games and the Indian Premier League fixtures," Ganguly said on the sidelines of the book launch 'Miracle At Eden' by Sportstar. "As much as you would

IPL 2026: RR's Sooryavanshi says coaches pushed him to trust instincts

Rajasthan 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 start

IPL 2026: Vaibhav slams 15-ball fifty; equals joint third fastest record

Vaibhav also holds the record for the second-fastest century in the IPL for his 35-ball ton vs GT in IPL 2025

From Hindi to English: Full list of commentators for JioStar in IPL 2026

JioStar will offer IPL 2026 coverage across 20+ feeds. Star Sports will broadcast in 5 languages, while JioHotstar expands options to include Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam

Here's how Airtel users can watch live streaming of IPL 2026 for free

Airtel has launched multiple mobile plans, including a free JioHotstar subscription, to help its users enjoy IPL 2026 action without extra cost

Here's how Jio users can live stream IPL 2026 for free on JioHotstar

For fans using the Jio SIM network, the company has some good news, as it is offering recharge plans with a free JioHotstar subscription. Check how to watch IPL 2026 live streaming for free here

IPL 2026: Cameron Green must manage dual roles for KKR, says McDonald

Cameron Green is dealing with huge expectations both in the IPL and in the Australian cricket set-up but the all-rounder has what it takes to balance it out for a career that "will trend upwards", his national head coach Andrew McDonald has said. Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper Ajinkya Rahane's remark on a currently injured Green not bowling in the IPL match against Mumbai Indians had created a mild controversy on his fitness status. Later, Cricket Australia clarified that the KKR management is "fully aware" of the 26-year-old's back niggle, which mandates him to be away from bowling for a period 10-12 days. "There's huge expectation within the IPL, and there's huge expectation with any all-rounder that shapes an Australian team. It's not unfair, but there is an expectation around all-rounders that they contribute in a certain way," McDonald to SEN Radio. Keeping in mind his all-round prowess, Green was bought by KKR for an eye-watering Rs 25.20 crore, making him the most expensive

Tough overs begin as IPL rights likely to stagnate at $5.4 billion

The next cycle offers no lift, with broadcasters staring at losses of over $1.75 billion

RR vs CSK HIGHLIGHTS IPL 2026: Vaibhav's 15-ball fifty helps RR chase down 128 vs CSK in 12.1 overs

IPL 2026 HIGHLIGHTS: RR, with the win in their season opener, levelled their head-to-head record with CSK in the IPL to 16-16.

IPL 2026 live streaming: Where to watch RR vs CSK cricket match live?

JioHotstar in India will stream the IPL 2026 match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings through their app and website

IPL 2026: RR vs CSK Playing 11, live toss and match time, streaming

CSK suffered two big injury blows ahead of their campaign opener against RR in the form of Nathan Ellis and MS Dhoni