Page 20 - Latest Updates on IPL 2026

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,

IPL 2026: Pathirana ready to play for KKR, says SLC secretary Dissanayake

Kolkata Knight Riders received a timely boost on Thursday when Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that their star recruit Matheesha Pathirana is "fit and ready to join the IPL", easing concerns over the franchise's depleted pace resources ahead of the new season. Amid speculation over the slinger's availability, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Bandula Dissanayake told PTI that the pacer has completed his rehabilitation and has been granted the necessary clearance. "As far as I know, he's fit and we have given him NOC to participate in the IPL, that's all I know at this point of time," Dissanayake said. "He has completed rehab and he is fit. But the franchise will be tasked to assess his readiness. At the moment we don't know anything about that. As far as we know he is fit and ready to join IPL." However, there is still no confirmation on when Pathirana will link up with the squad which will leave for Mumbai on March 25 to for their opening match against Mumbai Indians on March 29. They next

IPL 2026: Ferguson set to miss seven games in early PBKS campaign

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will miss the first seven league games for his IPL franchise Punjab Kings to spend time at home following the birth of his first child. Ferguson had taken a paternity league midway into the T20 World Cup before rejoining New Zealand for the Super 8 stage. The pacer could only play four games for Punjab Kings last season due to a hamstring injury. Last season, the team reached its first final since 2014. "He is not available for the first seven games," an IPL source told PTI. Ahead of the third T20 against South Africa in Auckland, Ferguson spoke about the time off from the IPL. "Just had a wee son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out. I'll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter," he said.

Cummins to Rana: Full list of injured players and their replacements

As the tournament approaches, all franchises will be eager to resolve these fitness challenges and ensure their squads are fully prepared for the season ahead.

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals rope in John Mooney as new fielding coach

Mooney's appointment by DC also makes him the first Irish representative to be part of an IPL franchise coaching staff

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals SWOT analysis, players' list, match timings

With a strong line-up of both Indian and overseas players at their disposal, DC will finally look to follow RCB's footsteps from last season and end their maiden IPL title wait in 2026

IPL 2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad SWOT analysis ahead of the new season

Sunrisers Hyderabad will once again bank on their batting strength to win their second IPL title in 2026

IPL 2026: Ponting backs Jansen's late arrival after T20 World Cup duty

Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has approved the late arrival Marco Jansen for the IPL considering that the South African all-rounder was among the last batch of players who departed late from India following the T20 World Cup due to logistical issues. South Africa and West Indies players were stuck in India for more than a week after concluding their World Cup campaigns. Some of them, including West Indies head coach Daren Sammy and Proteas batter David Miller, also vented out their frustration over the delay in their departure from India due to restricted operations of major airports like Dubai and Abu Dhabi amid the West Asia conflict. Jansen, a key member of the PBKS unit, will join the squad on March 26. Ponting and majority of foreign players are set to link up with the team on March 21. Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will join the team on March 23 from Kabul. His country is currently involved in a conflict with Pakistan. In their first year with PBKS, the .

IPL 2026: Simarjeet, Asif, Warrier in race to replace Harshit Rana for KKR

Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have on their radar former Chennai Super Kings pace duo Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif, along with veteran Sandeep Warrier, to fill the void left by the injured Harshit Rana in the upcoming Indian Premier League. KKR's pace resources have been hit hard by Rana's ligament strain in the right knee, sustained during India's T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa. The pacer has undergone surgery and is currently in rehabilitation with no fixed timeline for his return. Keeping Rana's absence in mind, the KKR think tank is exploring other options. Simarjeet, who has played for CSK (2022, 2024) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, has 11 wickets from 14 IPL games. A tall quick capable of hitting 140kph-plus and delivering sharp yorkers, he impressed with nine wickets in 10 matches for CSK in 2022 but struggled last season for SRH, managing two wickets in four games. Asif and Warrier were called up for trials during KKR's first training session at Eden Gard

IPL 2026: De Villiers backs RCB's title defence chances with Kohli in mix

South African batting great AB de Villiers believes a "squad of fighters" will relieve the pressure on Virat Kohli, giving defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru the fuel they need to go the distance in IPL 2026. Kohli remains a vital cog in the RCB set-up and they will look to defend their maiden title which they won last season after a long wait of 18 years. "Virat can feel that, he can sense that he is not the only one carrying the load anymore," former RCB batter de Villiers told JioStar. "He has a squad of fighters around him, all gunning to win the trophy. I think they are in a really good place. It's a similar squad, they didn't have to change much, and they have good reason to believe they can go all the way again this coming season," he added. Even as Kohli has had a break since mid January, de Villiers expressed confidence that the Indian superstar would come into the IPL with adequate preparations. "He has the best work ethic I have ever seen in my life. He wil

IPL 2026: Muzarabani signing boosts KKR's fourth star bid, says Nayar

Kolkata Knight Riders new head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday termed the arrival of Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a "blessing in disguise", as the franchise looks to regroup after a forgettable last season and aim for a fourth IPL title. Addressing the squad during their first training session at the Eden Gardens, Nayar made a pointed reference to the late replacement of Mustafizur Rahman, welcoming Muzarabani into the fold. "Blessing, you are a blessing in disguise for us," the 42-year-old former India all-rounder, who has been a longtime part of KKR set up under Gautam Gambhir, said in his opening pep-talk. Nayar was elevated to head coach ahead of IPL 2026 after KKR parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following an eighth-place finish last season. Nayar had also recently taken charge of Women's Premier League side UP Warriorz, who finished last in the five-team 2026 season. "I know so far we've sort of folded you in the bus, but it's great to have you, the tallest mem

IPL 2026: Buttler eyes fresh start with GT after short break from cricket

England batting mainstay Jos Buttler has said that spending time away from cricket after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign should put him in good stead as he looks for a fresh start with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League beginning later this month. Former England captain Buttler continued to receive the team's backing even as his runs dried up during the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, a lean patch for one of the country's most prominent white-ball batters. Buttler managed just 87 runs across eight matches at an average of 10.87, with a forgettable strike rate of 116, while opening the batting for England at the World Cup. England bowed out of the tournament after losing to India in a high-scoring semifinal in Mumbai. The 35-year-old hopes that the break he took from the game since that semifinal on March 5 should help him heading into the IPL starting on March 28. "I couldn't have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect. I

IPL 2026: How to buy tickets for MI vs RCB, MI vs KKR matches in Mumbai

The tickets up for sale are for MI's two home games against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday, March 29, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, April 12.