Page 9 - Cricket News

As RCB, RR become billion-dollar teams, can franchise economics keep up?

As RCB and Rajasthan Royals hit billion-dollar valuations, investors are betting on scale and scarcity but the real test lies in cash flows, growth and exit strategies

IPL 2026: RCB playing 11 probables, players' salary, timings, streaming

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener of IPL 2026 on March 28

IPL 2026 news: CSK ropes in Spencer Johnson as replacement player for injured Nathan Ellis

Johnson will miss the initial matches as he is still in rehab before finally joining the CSK camp between April 21 and 23, the five-time champions confirmed

IPL 2026: MI Playing 11 probables, players' salary, timings, live streaming

Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening match of IPL 2026 on March 29

IPL 2026: CSK Playing 11 probables, players' salary, timings, streaming

Chennai Super Kings will take on Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of IPL 2026 on March 30

Who is Aryaman Birla? RCB's new owner once picked by Rajasthan Royals

Aryaman Birla represented Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, emerging as a promising batsman and all-rounder

RCB sold for $1.78 bn to Aditya Birla, Times of India-led consortium

Bengaluru-based franchise is being acquired from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo plc, in a deal that values RCB at $1.78 billion (around ₹16,600 crore)

Duckett pulls out of IPL 2026, likely to be banned for 2027, 2028 seasons

Under IPL regulations, players who pull out after being picked at auction without a valid injury or medical reason risk suspension from participating in the next two auctions

Gujarat Titans management highlight culture and fan bond ahead of IPL 2026

Shaan Mehta added, "GT is an emotion, and the fans are at the centre of that. Without them, success would not hold the same meaning.

Matchday practice to jerseys: BCCI introduces new guidelines for IPL 2026

Teams will only be allowed to use their allotted areas, and sharing of practice wickets with the opposition remains prohibited.

IPL 2026: DC Playing 11 probables, players' salary, timings, live streaming

Delhi Capitals will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their opening match of IPL 2026 on April 1

PCB faces PSL 11 headache amid contract breaches, pay demand issues

Hosting the expanded Pakistan Super League is fast becoming a logistical and contractual headache for the PCB, with several overseas players withdrawing despite having signed agreements, opting instead for the more lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). The PSL, expanded to include two new franchises, is set to begin on Thursday in Lahore, just two days before the IPL gets underway on March 28. The scheduling overlap means both leagues will run concurrently through April, with the PSL concluding on May 3. According to a reliable source, the PCB is grappling not only with players breaching contracts but also with last-minute demands from some to raise their fees due to the fragile situation in the region amid the ongoing West Asian conflict. "The PCB is right now totally focussed on hosting the PSL on schedule and have not decided on any course of action against overseas players who have pulled out for so called personal reasons or have openly breached their PSL contracts to go to th

Delhi Capitals await Cricket Australia NOC for Starc ahead of IPL opener

Cricket Australia is yet to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Mitchell Starc for his IPL stint with Delhi Capitals, the franchise said on Monday, but remains hopeful the lead pacer will join the squad before their tournament opener on April 1. In a media interaction, Delhi Capitals Axar Patel, cricket director Venugopal Rao and head coach Hemang Badani fielded multiple questions on the availability of their pace spearhead. Starc had taken 14 wickets in 11 games last season. "We are waiting to get the NOC from Cricket Australia. Once we get that, we will know when he will join us," said Badani. "We are in constant touch with CA. He has been bowling, he had a bowled few days back. Unless Cricket Australia signs off on him that he is fit to play, there is little a franchise can do," said the coach when asked if the delay in issuing NOC was due to fitness or workload management. Sitting next to him, Rao added: "He is coming, it is just a question of getting the NOC from Cricket

I don't like it: Delhi Capital skipper Axar Patel on Impact Player rule

An all-rounder himself, Axar Patel on Monday became the latest Indian cricketer to criticise the Impact Player rule in the IPL with a blunt "I don't like it" response before insisting that it hurts the growth of his tribe. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have spoken against the Impact Player rule, which allows teams to substitute anyone in the playing XI with one of the five listed substitutes at any point of the match. It was introduced in 2023 and will stay until at least 2027. In 2024, Rohit had said that he was not a fan of the strategic rule saying it hampered the development of all-rounders in Indian cricket while the following season, Hardik said it had become to difficult pick an all-rounder in the side unless he was equally good with both bat and ball. Responding to a PTI query seeking his views on the rule, the Indian T20 vice-captain too weighed in on the subject ahead of his second season as Delhi Capitals captain. "I don't like this rule as I am all rounder myself ...

PSL vs IPL Tension: PCB chief Naqvi warns players over last minute switches

Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka has become the latest player to opt out of PSL commitments.

IPL 2026: GT Playing 11 probables, players' salary, timings, live streaming

Gujarat Titans will take on Punjab Kings in their opening match of IPL 2026 on March 31

CSK inducts legends Suresh Raina, Matthew Hayden into 1st ever Hall of Fame

Chennai Super Kings on Sunday inducted former India all-rounder Suresh Raina and Australia batting great Matthew Hayden into the franchise's first-ever Hall of Fame. The announcement was made during the team's fan event "Roar'26" at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Raina was part of the CSK franchise from the inception in 2008 till 2021. He was a part of four IPL winning CSK squads -- 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. Fondly known as 'Chinna Thala' among fans, he was also a member of CSK's Champions League T20-winning squads in 2010 and 2014, earning the Player of the Tournament award in the latter edition for scoring 234 runs. He is also the highest run getter for the Super Kings with 5529 runs, including two centuries and 38 half centuries. Hayden was part of the Super Kings squad from 2008 to 2010. The 54-year-old Australian was a part of the 2010 IPL winning CSK squad and is the first Super King squad to win the Orange Cap award -- winning it in the 2009 edition for amassing 572 runs. Ha

Every sport in the world is a function of star power, says Vinit Karnik

Cricket's dominance in India is built on deep structural strengths-from grassroots systems to governance-while other sports struggle to scale beyond visibility

IPL 2026 news: Dasun Shanaka set to join RR as Sam Curran's replacement- Report

Rinku Singh, despite a sensational IPL 2024 season with KKR, was pushed down in the batting order in 2025 and will expect a bigger role this year.

PSL 2026 to be played without crowds due to West Asia conflict; here's why

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the latest development and said that the decision was taken due to an oil shortage in the country