Page 24 - Cricket News

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

IPL 2026 RR vs CSK: Pitch report, highest score, Guwahati Stadium stats

RR have faced CSK only once in IPL at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati back in 2025. They won the game by 6 runs

IPL 2026 Today's Match: RR vs CSK playing 11, batters vs bowlers matchups

CSK enter IPL 2026 opener with injury concerns: Ellis out, Dhoni sidelined for two weeks with calf strain, and Brevis ruled out of RR clash with side strain.

IPL 2026 RR vs CSK: Guwahati weather forecast, hourly rain prediction

If the RR vs CSK IPL 2026 match on Sunday at Barsapara Cricket Stadium gets washed away, both teams will be given one point each

IPL 2026: Not here to prove talent, let people talk, says Ajinkya Rahane

Dismissive of the never-ending speculation around his future, experienced India batter and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane says he is playing cricket for personal growth and not to prove a point to the naysayers. The 37-year-old Rahane had stepped down from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy captaincy last season and he also did not lead the side in white-ball domestic competitions. The move triggered another round of chatter around the future of the batter, who hasn't played for India since 2023. "Let people talk about me. They have been talking about me since like what, 20 years now. Let them talk," Rahane told reporters when asked if his 40-ball 67 with five sixes and three fours against Mumbai Indians here on Sunday was in any way a statement especially for those in Mumbai's cricket circuit. "I am really happy with the way I am batting at the moment. I am not here to show anyone how talented I am and what's my game. People are watching. Let them watch. Let them talk," he ...

IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane responds to Green not bowling vs MI, says ask CA

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane isn't amused that Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, team's costliest buy at Rs 25.20 crore, didn't bowl during his team's deflating six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians, failing to defend a target of 220. Rohit Sharma (78) and Ryan Rickelton (81) added 148 runs for the opening stand and toyed with a KKR line-up where Varun Chakravarthy's mystery has been exposed and pacers lacked quality. In this backdrop, Rahane admitted that he missed Green's medium pacers which is currently off the table due to diktat from Cricket Australia. Why can't Green bowl, he was asked and pat came the sharp reply, "That question you need to ask Cricket Australia." But he also added that how important Green's second skill set would be for the franchise. "Hopefully Green starts to bowl soon and the combination will be slightly different. It was really tough (for bowlers). Inexperienced bowling attack, but these boys will learn. Strong batting lineup. So it's

IPL 2026: Jayawardene confirms Surya's impact sub move was just precaution

India's T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav playing as an impact substitute in the Mumbai Indians' IPL opener here was a precautionary measure due to a niggle he is nursing, said head coach Mahela Jayawardene, insisting that there are no "unwanted stories" to be found in this. Suryakumar did not field for MI in their first match of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders and scored an 8-ball 16 during a brief stay in the middle as the hosts hammered KKR by 6 wickets to record their highest successful run chase in IPL history here on Sunday. "I hope we don't create unwanted stories (here), the camp is happy. He had an extra couple of days (off that) he wanted," Jayawardene told reporters after he was asked why like former India and MI skipper Rohit Sharma last season, Suryakumar was played as an impact substitute. "He had a little tight groin and he was doing fielding and all that. But I knew I had another five days from this game to the other. I just wanted to give him that extra bit of .

Shaheen Afridi, Sikandar Raza accused of breaking hotel security during PSL

Pakistan Super League side Lahore Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and overseas player Sikandar Raza have found themselves at the centre of an embarrassing situation after being accused of breaching team security protocols at their hotel. Muhammad Faisal, DIG (Operations, Lahore), has notified the PSL CEO of a serious violation of the security measures in place for the eight teams staying at a five-star hotel in the city. According to the police official, despite prior warnings and refusal, Shaheen and Sikandar were found hosting four guests in Raza's room on the eighth floor until 1:25 a.m. The liaison officer of Lahore Qalandars, followed by team owner Sameen Rana, had sought permission to allow guests into Raza's room at around 10:35 p.m. and again at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, but both requests were denied. According to the police official, the liaison officer initially approached the PCB's manager for security and the anti-corruption unit, requesting permission for four of .

Narine overtakes Pollard to become most capped overseas player in IPL

Narine will also have the chance to become the first overseas player to play 200 IPL matches if he appears in at least 11 league-stage matches for KKR in IPL 2026