“I’ve never seen a young player under so much pressure from the start of his career in RR. Riyan was, a lot of the time, front and centre in a lot of our social media. He was always put out there.
“Because he was an exciting young cricketer and had this aura about him. A pretty good-looking guy as well. But that also brings with it a lot of pressure. And sometimes it’s unfair to have such a young guy be under that pressure. I think he has learned a lot from those experiences,” added Sangakkara.
The Royals coach added that Parag will continue to have the team’s backing as it expects him to grow into the role.
“As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100 per cent. And what’s really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership. And you can see even in the last game how good a captain he was. So, I think he will learn more and more about pressure and he will get better.”
“I’ve never seen a young player under so much pressure from the start of his career in RR. Riyan was, a lot of the time, front and centre in a lot of our social media. He was always put out there.
“Because he was an exciting young cricketer and had this aura about him. A pretty good-looking guy as well. But that also brings with it a lot of pressure. And sometimes it’s unfair to have such a young guy be under that pressure. I think he has learned a lot from those experiences,” added Sangakkara.
The Royals coach added that Parag will continue to have the team’s backing as it expects him to grow into the role.
“As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100 per cent. And what’s really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership. And you can see even in the last game how good a captain he was. So, I think he will learn more and more about pressure and he will get better.”
Published on Apr 24, 2026
#Hes #hitting #stitch #runs #Sangakkara #losing #sleep #Parags #poor #form">‘He’s hitting really well, just needs to stitch together few more runs’ – Sangakkara not losing sleep over Parag’s poor form
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag might be going through one of his leanest spells as a batter in the Indian Premier League. The 24-year-old has struggled so far in IPL 2026, managing just 81 runs from seven innings.
“I think he’s batting really well,” said Sangakkara on the eve of the Royals’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur on Saturday.
“When you’re batting well, sometimes you don’t always score. I would have been concerned if he wasn’t hitting the ball well. I think he’s hitting it really well. He just needs to stitch together a few more runs so that he sets himself a good platform to attack in the end,” said Sangakkara.
The former Sri Lankan skipper also explained the rationale behind Parag’s elevation as the Royals’ skipper.
“More than anyone else’s influence, why we chose Riyan as captain is that his learning curve has been steep. He has learned a lot from others, but more importantly, from himself.
“I’ve never seen a young player under so much pressure from the start of his career in RR. Riyan was, a lot of the time, front and centre in a lot of our social media. He was always put out there.
“Because he was an exciting young cricketer and had this aura about him. A pretty good-looking guy as well. But that also brings with it a lot of pressure. And sometimes it’s unfair to have such a young guy be under that pressure. I think he has learned a lot from those experiences,” added Sangakkara.
The Royals coach added that Parag will continue to have the team’s backing as it expects him to grow into the role.
“As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100 per cent. And what’s really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership. And you can see even in the last game how good a captain he was. So, I think he will learn more and more about pressure and he will get better.”
Sudharsan hit 11 fours and five sixes in his innings, and was dismissed on 100 immediately after bringing up his century by Josh Hazlewood. With Jos Buttler still at the crease and having lost just two wickets, GT are in a good position to post a big total on the board.
Sudharsan hit 11 fours and five sixes in his innings, and was dismissed on 100 immediately after bringing up his century by Josh Hazlewood. With Jos Buttler still at the crease and having lost just two wickets, GT are in a good position to post a big total on the board.
Published on Apr 24, 2026
#RCB #IPL #Sudharsan #smashes #IPL #ton">RCB vs GT IPL 2026: Sudharsan smashes third IPL ton
Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan brought up his third century in the IPL against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
Sudharsan scored his first century in the IPL against CSK in 2024, before he scored his second century against DC in 2025.
Sudharsan brought up his century in 57 balls, smashing the RCB bowlers to all parts of the park. It was a typical innings from the 24-year-old, starting his innings cautiously and consolidating, before unleashing his shots and upping the ante after he settled.
Sudharsan hit 11 fours and five sixes in his innings, and was dismissed on 100 immediately after bringing up his century by Josh Hazlewood. With Jos Buttler still at the crease and having lost just two wickets, GT are in a good position to post a big total on the board.
Published on Apr 24, 2026
#RCB #IPL #Sudharsan #smashes #IPL #ton
Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan brought up his third century in the IPL against Royal…
#RCB #IPL #Virat #Kohli #batter #join #sixes #club">RCB vs GT, IPL 2026: Virat Kohli becomes third batter to join 300 sixes club
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli became just the third player to complete 300 sixes in IPL in his side’s match against Gujarat Titans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
Kohli reached the landmark with a six over long-on in the eight over of the innings against Rashid Khan.
Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma are the only other players who have hit more than 300 sixes in the IPL. Gayle leads the pack with 357 sixes, while Mumbai Indians’ Rohit has hit 321 sixes.
Kohli has reached this milestone in his 266th IPL innings.
CSK’s MS Dhoni and South African AB de Villiers round off the top five list, with 264 and 251 sixes respectively.
The Royals then suffered another away defeat, to Kolkata Knight Riders, before recuperating with a hard-fought win against Lucknow Super Giants.
Meanwhile, SRH has added two more wins to its kitty – against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – and now finds itself fourth in the table.
Adding fuel to its momentum, full-time captain Pat Cummins has returned from injury and will make his first appearance of the season in Jaipur.
For rival skipper Riyan Parag, IPL 2026 has been a mixed bag. With the bat, he has cut a sorry figure, aggregating just 81 runs from seven innings.
But, on the leadership front, Parag has shone, marshalling his side adeptly to win five out of seven games and occupy the second spot in the standings.
The sharpest tool at Parag’s disposal has been the express-pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
With their combined prowess with the new ball, Royals have claimed 18 wickets in the PowerPlay, the most by any team in IPL 2026.
On Saturday, the Archer-Burger axis will look to unsettle SRH’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blazing hundred (135*) against Delhi Capitals in the last game.
On the opposite corner, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi would be on the lookout for payback against Hinge and Sakib.
Both these early-game tussles and their outcomes could determine the course of Saturday’s game. The Jaipur crowd, which had to wait half a season to watch its team in flesh, would naturally be yearning for the game to swing the Royals’ way.
The Royals then suffered another away defeat, to Kolkata Knight Riders, before recuperating with a hard-fought win against Lucknow Super Giants.
Meanwhile, SRH has added two more wins to its kitty – against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – and now finds itself fourth in the table.
Adding fuel to its momentum, full-time captain Pat Cummins has returned from injury and will make his first appearance of the season in Jaipur.
For rival skipper Riyan Parag, IPL 2026 has been a mixed bag. With the bat, he has cut a sorry figure, aggregating just 81 runs from seven innings.
But, on the leadership front, Parag has shone, marshalling his side adeptly to win five out of seven games and occupy the second spot in the standings.
The sharpest tool at Parag’s disposal has been the express-pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
With their combined prowess with the new ball, Royals have claimed 18 wickets in the PowerPlay, the most by any team in IPL 2026.
On Saturday, the Archer-Burger axis will look to unsettle SRH’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blazing hundred (135*) against Delhi Capitals in the last game.
On the opposite corner, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi would be on the lookout for payback against Hinge and Sakib.
Both these early-game tussles and their outcomes could determine the course of Saturday’s game. The Jaipur crowd, which had to wait half a season to watch its team in flesh, would naturally be yearning for the game to swing the Royals’ way.
Published on Apr 24, 2026
#IPL #SRH #Royals #hope #repeat #mistakes #leg #Cummins #returns #lead #Sunrisers">IPL 2026, RR vs SRH: Royals hope not to repeat mistakes from away leg even as Cummins returns to lead Sunrisers
A fortnight is a long time in a fast-moving tournament like the Indian Premier League.
Two weeks ago, the Rajasthan Royals was on top of the world, having won its first four IPL 2026 games. Around the same time, Sunrisers Hyderabad was floundering, having lost four of its five games.
But, as the two teams come together at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday for the first game of the season in Jaipur, the narrative has transformed.
Over their last three games, the Royals have tasted the bitterness of the law of averages, as their seemingly hypersonic top-order has screeched to a near halt.
Consecutive failures by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have denied the Royals an early launch, exposing their undercooked middle-order.
Incidentally, the first team to apply the brakes on the Jai-Soorya duo was SRH, in their first meeting of the season in Hyderabad.
Riding on four-wicket hauls from debutant pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, the Sunrisers had handed Royals their first defeat of the season.
The Royals then suffered another away defeat, to Kolkata Knight Riders, before recuperating with a hard-fought win against Lucknow Super Giants.
Meanwhile, SRH has added two more wins to its kitty – against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – and now finds itself fourth in the table.
Adding fuel to its momentum, full-time captain Pat Cummins has returned from injury and will make his first appearance of the season in Jaipur.
For rival skipper Riyan Parag, IPL 2026 has been a mixed bag. With the bat, he has cut a sorry figure, aggregating just 81 runs from seven innings.
But, on the leadership front, Parag has shone, marshalling his side adeptly to win five out of seven games and occupy the second spot in the standings.
The sharpest tool at Parag’s disposal has been the express-pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
With their combined prowess with the new ball, Royals have claimed 18 wickets in the PowerPlay, the most by any team in IPL 2026.
On Saturday, the Archer-Burger axis will look to unsettle SRH’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blazing hundred (135*) against Delhi Capitals in the last game.
On the opposite corner, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi would be on the lookout for payback against Hinge and Sakib.
Both these early-game tussles and their outcomes could determine the course of Saturday’s game. The Jaipur crowd, which had to wait half a season to watch its team in flesh, would naturally be yearning for the game to swing the Royals’ way.
#IPL #coach #Jayawardene #clarifies #concussion #substitution #Shardul #Santner">IPL 2026: MI coach Jayawardene clarifies concussion substitution of Shardul for Santner
Mitchell Santner clutching his shoulder after completing a stunning catch to dismiss Kartik Sharma in the 17th over of Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) innings was there for all to see.
But when news emerged that Shardul Thakur had replaced Mitchell Santner as a concussion substitute during Mumbai Indians’ (MI) chase, it raised more than a few eyebrows.
MI’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene was quick to clarify the sequence of events, stressing that the injury was not limited to the shoulder.
“I think he hit his head first, neck, obviously the shoulder as well. He went for a scan because once he got back he felt dizziness, so he was lying down. Yes, the icing was there for the shoulder, but he felt that he wasn’t stable,” Jayawardene said after his side was annihilated at home by CSK.
“So we took him for a scan in that situation, so we requested (a concussion sub). Obviously it’s at the match referee’s and umpire’s discretion, so they allowed Shardul.”
According to playing conditions, a concussion substitute is permitted only as a like-for-like replacement if a player suffers a head injury during the course of a match.
Santner, who also leads New Zealand in T20Is, had been seen on screen with an ice pack on his shoulder, prompting speculation. Jayawardene’s explanation, however, underlined that the primary concern was the head impact and subsequent dizziness.
Adding a touch of humour to the situation, Jayawardene quipped about the perceived like-for-like nature of the replacement.
“Mitch will be disappointed that his batting power is matched to Shardul Thakur, but it is what it is,” he said. “But hopefully it’s not too bad. Once he comes back, we will have a look at it.”
#CSK #IPL #Akeal #Hosein #rewrites #PowerPlay #playbook #Chennai #Super #Kings">MI vs CSK, IPL 2026: Akeal Hosein rewrites PowerPlay playbook with Chennai Super Kings
Akeal Hosein doesn’t quite fit the conventional mould of a PowerPlay bowler.
A left-arm spinner entrusted with the new ball in a format dictated by power-hitters, Hosein has turned that role into an advantage — as he showed in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) emphatic win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
His spell of four for 17 not only broke the back of the MI chase but also underlined his growing influence this season. Having featured just once in the 2023 IPL, Hosein has made rapid strides, with his ability to read surfaces quickly and adapt lengths emerging as his x-factor.
“I’ve been trying to pick the coaches’ and players’ brains on red soil, black soil… what works where,” Hosein said, explaining the homework behind his execution. The key, he added, lies in making quick assessments — understanding pace off the surface, which deliveries grip and which skid — and relaying that information to his fellow bowlers.
Bowling in the PowerPlay, he admitted, comes with inherent risk. With only two fielders outside the circle, margins are thin. But Hosein’s approach is rooted in clarity and courage.
“You know the batters are going to come at you… it’s about being brave,” he said, before revealing a piece of advice from Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies T20 legend who is now a mentor with Kolkata Knight Riders, that has stayed with him. “If you are going to get hit, at least get hit to the two fielders protecting the boundary.”
That clarity of plan — bowl to the field, commit to the delivery — has allowed Hosein to thrive in phases where most spinners are shielded.
If his bowling has been about control, his celebrations have added a touch of theatre. The now-familiar “mask” gesture after wickets, he insisted, carries no deeper meaning.
“Everybody seems to have their own mask. Noor has a mask, a couple of footballers have their masks, so I just chose this one. I just chose this one to be my mask,” Hosein said.
“Nothing too much behind it. It’s just about, you know, celebrating small victories. Whenever you do well, you get a wicket. Whenever your teammates get a wicket as well, you just try to enjoy that moment and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.”
CSK will be hoping for Hosein’s mask celebrations to continue for the remaining season.
#RCB #IPL #Headtohead #record #runs #wickets #ahead #Royal #Challengers #Bengaluru #Gujarat #Titans">RCB vs GT, IPL 2026: Head-to-head record, most runs, wickets ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans will both be looking to bounce back from defeats when they face off at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 24.
The head-to-head record between these two sides is evenly poised, with both sides having won three games each in their six meetings.
Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer in this fixture with 351 runs including a century, while Mohammed Siraj, who has represented both franchises, is the leading wicket-taker with eight wickets.
Ahead of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 match, here are some important statistics to know:
#IPL #CSK #Mumbai #Indians #biggest #defeat #IPL">IPL 2026, MI vs CSK: What is Mumbai Indians’ biggest defeat in IPL?
Mumbai Indians suffered its biggest defeat in Indian Premier League (IPL) history after its 103-run loss to archrival Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
After putting CSK into bat, Mumbai conceded 207/6 with visiting batter Sanju Samson scoring an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls.
But Hardik Pandya’s men faltered in the chase early on before being bowled out for 104 with CSK spinners Akeal Hosein (4/17) and Noor Ahmad (2/23) wreaking havoc.
Mumbai’s margin of defeat is the 12th heaviest in the league history.
MI’s biggest loss in IPL (by runs)
103 runs vs Chennai Super Kings, 2026 at Wankhede Stadium
87 runs vs Rajasthan Royals, 2013 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium
85 runs vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2016 at ACA-VDCA Stadium
76 runs vs Punjab Kings, 2011 at IS Bindra Cricket Stadium
66 runs vs Punjab Kings, 2008 at IS Bindra Cricket Stadium
Published on Apr 23, 2026
#IPL #CSK #Mumbai #Indians #biggest #defeat #IPL
Mumbai Indians suffered its biggest defeat in Indian Premier League (IPL) history after its 103-run…
#IPL #CSK #signs #Akash #Madhwal #replacement #injured #Ayush #Mhatre">IPL 2026: CSK signs Akash Madhwal as replacement for injured Ayush Mhatre
Chennai Super Kings has signed pacer Akash Madhwal as the replacement for Ayush Mhatre on Thursday.
Mhatre was ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to injury sustained during the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this week.
Mhatre, India’s U19 World Cup-winning captain, made an impactful start to the season for CSK, scoring two fifties in six matches before suffering a left hamstring injury.
Madhwal, a right-arm fast bowler, has previously represented Mumbai Indians (MI) (2023, 2024) and Rajasthan Royals (2025). He has featured in 17 IPL matches, picking up 23 wickets. Madhwal joins CSK for a fee of INR 30 Lakh.
He also has a five-wicket haul to his name, having recorded figures of 5/5 in his debut season for MI in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants.
Additionally, CSK’s frontline pacer Khaleel Ahmed was also ruled out of the ongoing season due to a right quadricep injury. The franchise is yet to announce a replacement for the 28-year-old.
