Page 2 - Latest Updates on IPL 2025

IPL 2026: How MS Dhoni fits into CSK's playing 11 in upcoming edition

In IPL 2025, Dhoni often walked in during the final stages, when matches were already slipping away

IPL 2026: Boult, Shardul looking in rhythm as Mumbai prepare at home

The day combined structured drills, match-like intensity, and light-hearted moments, reflecting a well-rounded approach ahead of the season.

IPL 2026: Iyer eyes title win as Punjab Kings stress squad bonding

Declaring that his "eye is on the trophy", Shreyas Iyer on Friday said Punjab Kings are focused on building strong camaraderie off the field ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. Speaking at the franchise's jersey unveiling event in Mohali, Iyer stressed on the importance of team bonding during the early phase of the tournament. "This is the period where we live as a family for two months. The more time we spend together, the more we get to know each other. Now is the time where we build that camaraderie," Iyer said. "We spend most of our time in the game room, playing FIFA and other games. The planning and plotting for matches usually happens a day or two before the game, but building this bond off the field helps us get better results eventually," he added. Punjab Kings will open their campaign in the upcoming season against Gujarat Titans on March 31 at home. Embracing expectations from fans, who have nicknamed him 'Sarpanch Sahab', Iyer made his ambitions ...

IPL 2026: Right combinations remain the main focus for KKR, says Nayar

With a host of opening options and a revamped squad at their disposal, Kolkata Knight Riders' new head coach, Abhishek Nayar, said on Friday that finding the right combinations remains the three-time champions' biggest challenge ahead of IPL 2026. Having overhauled their squad after a disappointing 2025 season, KKR have brought in big names such as Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra, but are yet to finalise their batting order. "I'm terrible at predicting what can go wrong, but I can just tell you, I don't know how the tournament will pan out, but I think initially, it's making sure we get a fit playing XI come (March) 29th," Nayar said here at their season's first media interaction. KKR begin their campaign against Mumbai Indians away on March 29. KKR, who finished eighth last season with just five wins, will also have a new opening combination in the absence of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock. The explosive New Zealand pair of Allen and Seifert, wh

IPL 2026: Virat Kohli, Iyer sweat it out during RCB's 1st practice session

The start of the session had Andy Flower addressing the side followed by a pep talk by none other than Kohli who told the players that defending the title is going to be even a tougher than winning it

IPL 2026: Ashutosh unfazed by pressure, targets finisher role for Delhi

Ashutosh Sharma doesn't feel the pressure of performing on a grand stage like the IPL and remains focussed on finishing more games for Delhi Capitals in 2026 than the last season. In his first season for DC, Impact Player Ashutosh began the tournament with a bang, smashing 31-ball 66 not out to pull off a thrilling win over LSG. However, he and his team and were not able to ride the initial momentum created in the tournament, failing to make the play-offs. Speaking to PTI, Ashutosh spoke about his preparation for his third season in the IPL beginning on March 28. "The preparation is going very well. We have attended 3-4 pre-season camps. My role would be similar to last year, finishing games for the team at number 6 or 7. I want to win as many games as possible," said Ashutosh, who rose to prominence with his exploits for Punjab Kings in 2024. The 27-year-old from Madhya Pradesh who plays domestic cricket for Railways surprisingly doesn't feel the pressure when he is playing in fr

IPL 2026: Sri Lanka issues NOCs for Chameera, Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Friday issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis to participate in the IPL 2026 after the trio successfully completed its physical performance tests. Pacer Chameera and opener Nissanka are part of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming edition of the IPL, while all-rounder Kamindu Mendis has been retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad. "Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to announce that players who have requested to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be issued only upon successfully passing SLC's mandatory Physical Performance Test," the governing body said in a statement. "At present, SLC is conducting an eight-week specialized physical training program for all nationally contracsed players. This initiative aims to enhance players' physical performance standards in preparation for upcoming international assignments. "Accordingly, Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis ha

KKR's Rahane plays down early pressure, says IPL not about perfect start

Despite overhauling their squad after a disappointing title defence in 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders have retained faith in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who said on Friday he is embracing the responsibility with calmness and positivity. Rahane, who topped KKR's scoring charts last season with 390 runs, could not prevent the team from finishing eighth with just five wins in 14 matches (two abandoned). But the veteran insisted that pressure is nothing new, and he is focused on approaching challenges with the right mindset. "Every year, there are different challenges as a player and also as a captain. What I learned throughout my journey is be positive each and every time, whatever challenges are there," the 37-year-old said during KKR's first media interaction of the season. "I've been leading the team since last year and really grateful to the franchise that they gave me this responsibility to lead the team. Taking everything in my stride, taking everything in a positive way. There are alw

KKR sweat over pace options as Harshit Rana ruled out of IPL 2026

KKR begin trials for pacer replacement after Harshit Rana is ruled out of IPL 2026, with multiple bowlers under evaluation ahead of their season opener.

IPL 2026 news: SRH rocked by unavailability of Cummins, Edward; RR to miss Curran's services

Five Australian players, including SRH skipper Pat Cummins and RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood, are set to miss matches in IPL 2026

Sanju Samson or MS Dhoni: Who will keep wickets for CSK in IPL 2026?

MS Dhoni has not kept wickets in only eight IPL matches across the 2008 and 2009 seasons for Chennai Super Kings

IPL 2026: Punjab Kings SWOT analysis, players' list, match timings

Punjab Kings will start their campaign in IPL 2026 against Gujarat Giants on March 31 in New Chandigarh

IPL 2026: CA workload plan sidelines Starc, Hazlewood for initial games

Cricket Australia's decision is part of a broader strategy to ensure the fitness of its leading fast bowlers ahead of a packed schedule, which includes an extensive run of Test matches through 2027

IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals SWOT analysis, players' list, match timings

Rajasthan Royals will start their campaign in IPL 2026 against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 in Guwahati.

IPL 2026: Boult begins training with Mumbai Indians ahead of new season

In the video posted by the Mumbai Indians, Boult can be seen getting into rhythm during the nets, marking his return to the MI setup for the upcoming edition

IPL 2026: RR skipper Parag calls Sanju irreplaceable like Rohit, Virat

Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag on Thursday said the void left by Sanju Samson's departure to Chennai Super Kings cannot be filled as finding a replacement for the T20 World Cup hero is as impossible as replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian team. Sanju, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in as part of the deal. "If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is," Parag told reporters in a pre-season press conference here. "We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skill-set or have someone bat in his position...It's like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma... In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player," Parag said, referring to the two superstars who only play the ODI format now. Having represented the franchise for 11 years across two stints, Sanju was

IPL 2026: Riyan Parag backs youngster Vaibhav to play without pressure

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag on Thursday said Indian batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be allowed to enjoy his game without taking any additional pressure in and out of the field. Parag indicated that Sooryavanshi will pair up with India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the IPL beginning March 28 and said the 14-year-old should be given his space and time to continue developing in his game without any outside pressure. "As a captain my message to him would be to not do a lot of press conferences or follow a lot of media," Parag told reporters here during a pre-season press conference. "Let him just enjoy, which I will request you (media) as well. Do not reach out to his manager or anyone; just let him be. He's a 15-16 (14) year-old kid, let him play cricket. He's playing really well and he's going to make the country proud." Parag said Sooryavanshi will be given the licence to go all-out from the beginning and his senior partner Jaiswal is well equipped to soak the ...

IPL 2026: Abhishek should balance flair like Sehwag, says Kumble

Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble believes flamboyant opener Abhishek Sharma needs to strike the right balance between aggression and longevity at the crease, much like the explosive Virender Sehwag did during his career. The 25-year-old Abhishek has been one of the most explosive batters at the top of the order in recent times, often giving his teams flying starts with his high-risk, high-reward approach. However, his inability to convert brisk starts into substantial scores more often than not has come to the fore. "I would relate him to someone like Virender Sehwag, because he would look to smash every ball. When he moved from Test cricket to one-day cricket and then to T20 cricket, he realised that he had to pace his innings slightly differently. "But Sehwag would still go at a 140150 strike-rate. So, that's something Abhishek Sharma needs to start thinking about, saying, 'I've been scoring at 200 strike-rate, expectations are on me, should I now go at a strike rate of

IPL 2026: CSK suffer big injury blow as Aussie pacer Nathan Ellis ruled out

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings suffered a big blow ahead of the upcoming IPL season with Australian pacer Nathan Ellis ruled out due to a hamstring injury, a franchise official confirmed on Thursday. The 31-year-old was expected to spearhead their pace attack, especially in the absence of Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana, who has been snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders. "Yes, he is out. We have not yet decided on the replacement," a CSK official told PTI. Ellis, who has taken 19 wickets from 17 IPL matches, was bought by CSK for Rs 2-crore at the 2025 mega auction after four seasons with Punjab Kings and was retained ahead of the 2026 season. The CSK are yet to announce a replacement. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side will begin their campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati.

IPL 2026: Yuzvendra Chahal quits alcohol, aims to give 150% for PBKS

Yuzvendra Chahal has quit alcohol to become a fitter cricketer, allowing him to give his "150 per cent" for his franchise Punjab Kings in the IPL beginning on March 28. Punjab Kings finished as runners-up in the previous edition. It was their first final appearance since 2014. Speaking on South African great AB de Villiers' YouTube channel, Chahal revealed that he has not had alcohol in more than six months besides sharing his struggles with injuries last season. "After the KKR [Kolkata Knight Riders] game, my hip got fractured and later in the tournament my knuckle got fractured. So in the semi-final [Qualifiers] and final, I was not able to bowl my proper legspin and all," said Chahal. "But this year I [wanted] to take care of my body first and I have one good news for you, I stopped alcohol. It's been more than six months. "Now, I'm 35, I want to be more active and give my 150 per cent for my team. As a senior bowler and senior player, people will see me [and think] 'this guy,