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Rajasthan Royals (RR) have now lost five back-to-back games in IPL 2025 and the latest loss came against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday (Apr 24). The loss against RCB was RR's third consecutive one while chasing and they lost it from a winning position.
Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar, meanwhile, says that it is baffling to see RR play this type of cricket and that too with Rahul Dravid as coach.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-virat-kohli-surpasses-pakistans-babar-azam-for-most-t20-fifties-while-batting-first-9000204">Virat Kohli surpasses Pakistan's Babar Azam for THIS T20 record</a>
&ldquo;With Rajasthan Royals, I&rsquo;m actually talking about the earlier matches where I wasn&rsquo;t at the ground. I just saw them. So, you're not always able to get the feeling of what&rsquo;s really happening. But here, I was at the ground, and you could actually see the kind of cricket that was being played. And with someone like Rahul Dravid as the coach, it was quite baffling&mdash;it was unthinking cricket," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
"Dravid was always so precise in his thinking, and I would&rsquo;ve thought that kind of approach would&rsquo;ve seeped into some of the Rajasthan batters," he added.
Before losing to RCB by 11 runs, Royals botched up last two chases as well - losing by two runs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and in Super Over against Delhi Capitals (DC). In all three matches, Royals were in commanding position but failed to go over the line.
currently sit at eighth position on the points table with seven losses in nine games - they also also lost last five games in addition to losing the first two games of this season as well.
Royals are currently above only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the points table. Five-time winners CSK and SRH have managed to win only two games each from eight games played and have lost six apiece.

Before losing to RCB by 11 runs, Royals botched up last two chases as well - losing by two runs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and in Super Over against Delhi Capitals (DC). Cricket Sports

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have now lost five back-to-back games in IPL 2025 and the latest loss came against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday (Apr 24). The loss against RCB was RR's third consecutive one while chasing and they lost it from a winning position. Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar, meanwhile, says that it is baffling to see RR play this type of cricket and that too with Rahul Dravid as coach. Also Read - Virat Kohli surpasses Pakistan's Babar Azam for THIS T20 record “With Rajasthan Royals, I’m actually talking about the earlier matches where I wasn’t at the ground. I just saw them. So, you're not always able to get the feeling of what’s really happening. But here, I was at the ground, and you could actually see the kind of cricket that was being played. And with someone like Rahul Dravid as the coach, it was quite baffling—it was unthinking cricket," Gavaskar said on Star Sports. "Dravid was always so precise in his thinking, and I would’ve thought that kind of approach would’ve seeped into some of the Rajasthan batters," he added. Before losing to RCB by 11 runs, Royals botched up last two chases as well - losing by two runs against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and in Super Over against Delhi Capitals (DC). In all three matches, Royals were in commanding position but failed to go over the line. currently sit at eighth position on the points table with seven losses in nine games - they also also lost last five games in addition to losing the first two games of this season as well. Royals are currently above only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the points table. Five-time winners CSK and SRH have managed to win only two games each from eight games played and have lost six apiece.

IPL 2025 | 'Quite baffling,' says Gavaskar after RR botch third consecutive chase

6 Lowest powerplay total in IPL History: IPL may have always been about power hitting but sometimes it is bowlers' day and the batters can't much on those days. cricket spots

From SRH's 16 runs to MI's 17 - 6 Lowest powerplay total in IPL History

The Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception in 2008 has delivered jaw-dropping moments,. However, some records are still unbreakable. Cricket Sports

5 Unbreakable IPL Records that still stand tall

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> flexed his muscles as he scored his second successive half-century and formed a 53-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, who remained unbeaten on 40 as Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday (April 23).
Chasing a below-par 143 for 8, built on the efforts of Heinrich Klaasen efforts (71 off 44 balls) and his 99-run stand with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37 balls), Rohit was in phenomenal form as he hit 70 off 46 deliveries to bring a swift end to the home team's misery in 15.4 overs.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-pakistans-arshad-nadeem-declines-neeraj-chopras-invite-to-compete-in-india-reports-8995101">Pahalgam terror attack: Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem declines Neeraj Chopra's invite to compete in India-Reports</a>
Earlier in the innings, Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult ran riot as Mumbai Indians restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 143/8.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/deepak-chahar">Chahar</a> (2/12) and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/trent-boult">Boult</a> (4/26) castled SRH in their opening spells as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pat-cummins">Pat Cummins</a>' side were reduced to 13/4 in the fifth over before Heinrich Klaasen's 71 off 44 balls and his 99-run stand with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37 balls) restored some pride.
Interestingly, all the four SRH top-order batters -- openers Travis Head (0) and Abhishek Sharma (8), Ishan Kishan (1) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2) -- were dismissed in single digits as the team could manage just 24 runs by end of the powerplay.
<h2>Watch Ishan Kishan's brain fade moment here:</h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Fairplay or facepalm? 🤯 Ishan Kishan walks... but UltraEdge says 'not out!' What just happened?! Watch the LIVE action ➡ <a href="https://t.co/sDBWQG63Cl">https://t.co/sDBWQG63Cl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLonJioStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLonJioStar</a> 👉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvMI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvMI</a> | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi &amp; JioHotstar! <a href="https://t.co/bQa3cVY1vG">pic.twitter.com/bQa3cVY1vG</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1915055304343011748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Boult was MI's top wicket-taker with 4/26 in four overs. Deepak also picked 2/12 in four overs. Pandya and Bumrah got a wicket each.

Cricket, Sports: Deepak Chahar (2/12) and Trent Boult (4/26) rattled SRH in their opening spells as Pat Cummins' side were reduced to 13/4 in fifth over of the innings

Rohit Sharma flexed his muscles as he scored his second successive half-century and formed a 53-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, who remained unbeaten on 40 as Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday (April 23). Chasing a below-par 143 for 8, built on the efforts of Heinrich Klaasen efforts (71 off 44 balls) and his 99-run stand with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37 balls), Rohit was in phenomenal form as he hit 70 off 46 deliveries to bring a swift end to the home team's misery in 15.4 overs. Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem declines Neeraj Chopra's invite to compete in India-Reports Earlier in the innings, Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult ran riot as Mumbai Indians restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 143/8. Chahar (2/12) and Boult (4/26) castled SRH in their opening spells as Pat Cummins' side were reduced to 13/4 in the fifth over before Heinrich Klaasen's 71 off 44 balls and his 99-run stand with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37 balls) restored some pride. Interestingly, all the four SRH top-order batters -- openers Travis Head (0) and Abhishek Sharma (8), Ishan Kishan (1) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2) -- were dismissed in single digits as the team could manage just 24 runs by end of the powerplay. Watch Ishan Kishan's brain fade moment here: Fairplay or facepalm? 🤯 Ishan Kishan walks... but UltraEdge says 'not out!' What just happened?! Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/sDBWQG63Cl #IPLonJioStar 👉 #SRHvMI | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/bQa3cVY1vG — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 23, 2025 Boult was MI's top wicket-taker with 4/26 in four overs. Deepak also picked 2/12 in four overs. Pandya and Bumrah got a wicket each.

IPL 2025: Rohit smashes 70 as Mumbai Indians register seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad

While the validity of ODIs has come into question during an era where its importance has become a debating topic, former Australian skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/steve-waugh">Steve Waugh</a> has defended the format, adding that it would never lose relevance since the quadrennial World Cup is equivalent to the 'Olympics of cricket'.
Speaking on the sidelines of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/laureus-awards">Laureus World Sports Awards</a> in Madrid, Waugh said that even with the pressure of the shorter formats, ODIs are standing tall as was clear from the record viewership achieved by the 2023 World Cup.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-ipl-2025-players-officials-come-together-to-observe-one-minute-of-silence-ahead-of-mi-srh-game-8994548">Pahalgam terror attack: Players, officials come together to observe one minute of silence ahead of MI-SRH game</a>
"Everybody seems to believe one-day cricket's not going to make it, but then you've got the World Cup and it's massive and the ratings are huge and the people love it and fall in love with the game again. Then it settles down for a couple of years and we repeat the same cycle," Waugh shared.
<h2>'World Cup is crucial for ODI cricket'</h2>
"So currently somehow we are being able to accommodate three versions of the game and there's threat of T10 possibly coming in, so four, four forms of cricket. I have no idea how all that is going to get organised, but currently it appears to be going well.".
"World Cup is crucial for one-day cricket. It's almost the Olympics, to play (the World Cup) every four years," he further added.
Cricket will get its share of spotlight in the the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/la-olympics">2028 Los Angeles Olympics</a>, when it returns to the Games after over 100 years.

Cricket, Sports: Cricket will be reintroduced at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. It will be the second time that cricket has been played at the games

While the validity of ODIs has come into question during an era where its importance has become a debating topic, former Australian skipper Steve Waugh has defended the format, adding that it would never lose relevance since the quadrennial World Cup is equivalent to the 'Olympics of cricket'. Speaking on the sidelines of the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, Waugh said that even with the pressure of the shorter formats, ODIs are standing tall as was clear from the record viewership achieved by the 2023 World Cup. Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: Players, officials come together to observe one minute of silence ahead of MI-SRH game "Everybody seems to believe one-day cricket's not going to make it, but then you've got the World Cup and it's massive and the ratings are huge and the people love it and fall in love with the game again. Then it settles down for a couple of years and we repeat the same cycle," Waugh shared. 'World Cup is crucial for ODI cricket' "So currently somehow we are being able to accommodate three versions of the game and there's threat of T10 possibly coming in, so four, four forms of cricket. I have no idea how all that is going to get organised, but currently it appears to be going well.". "World Cup is crucial for one-day cricket. It's almost the Olympics, to play (the World Cup) every four years," he further added. Cricket will get its share of spotlight in the the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when it returns to the Games after over 100 years.

'World Cup is like Olympics of cricket', says former Australia captain Steve Waugh

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Suresh Raina has hit out at his former franchise for the lackluster performance in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. CSK are languishing at the bottom of the points table with just two wins in eight games and six losses to go with.
"This is the weakest CSK team, definitely. I think there's no intent. The hunger to win is not there. Not to disrespect anyone, but the brand that CSK is known for, that's not there now," Raina said in a chat with former India teammate Harbhajan Singh while talking on his Instagram.
Also Read - <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pahalgam-attack-justice-to-be-served-for-this-virat-kohli-sachin-sehwag-kumble-react-to-terrorist-attack-by-trf-in-jammu-kashmir-8992679" aria-label="'Justice to be served for this,' Virat Kohli, others react to Pahalgam terror attack">'Justice to be served for this,' Virat Kohli, others react to Pahalgam terror attack</a>
"Look at how local players who have played in TNPL are doing. B Sai Sudharsan is doing well, he is playing for Gujarat Titans. R Sai Kishore and Shahrukh Khan are also playing for GT. You have to bring local players," he said.
"When we were winning, we had the likes of Murali Vijay, L Balaji, S Badrinath, myself, MS Dhoni, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. When you don't bring local flavour, it doesn't work," Raina added.
The former player also pointed out that CSK are playing a lot of dot balls and are doing badly in terms of strike rotation. He suggested the franchise players to show intent and play basic cricket like them.
"When we played in Chennai, we were not playing dot balls. Strike rotation wins matches. We played proper basic cricket. In the first six overs, we showed intent. And in the death, there were the likes of MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel. They used to play cameos. Because of all these, we were winning," Raina said.
CSK are also without their regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad who is out for the season due to injury after playing first few matches. MS Dhoni, under whom CSK won five IPL titles, is at helm for now but failing to recreate his magic.

Raina also pointed out that CSK, which have two wins and six losses in eight games, are playing a lot of dot balls and are doing badly in terms of strike rotation. Cricket sports

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Suresh Raina has hit out at his former franchise for the lackluster performance in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. CSK are languishing at the bottom of the points table with just two wins in eight games and six losses to go with. "This is the weakest CSK team, definitely. I think there's no intent. The hunger to win is not there. Not to disrespect anyone, but the brand that CSK is known for, that's not there now," Raina said in a chat with former India teammate Harbhajan Singh while talking on his Instagram. Also Read - 'Justice to be served for this,' Virat Kohli, others react to Pahalgam terror attack "Look at how local players who have played in TNPL are doing. B Sai Sudharsan is doing well, he is playing for Gujarat Titans. R Sai Kishore and Shahrukh Khan are also playing for GT. You have to bring local players," he said. "When we were winning, we had the likes of Murali Vijay, L Balaji, S Badrinath, myself, MS Dhoni, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. When you don't bring local flavour, it doesn't work," Raina added. The former player also pointed out that CSK are playing a lot of dot balls and are doing badly in terms of strike rotation. He suggested the franchise players to show intent and play basic cricket like them. "When we played in Chennai, we were not playing dot balls. Strike rotation wins matches. We played proper basic cricket. In the first six overs, we showed intent. And in the death, there were the likes of MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel. They used to play cameos. Because of all these, we were winning," Raina said. CSK are also without their regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad who is out for the season due to injury after playing first few matches. MS Dhoni, under whom CSK won five IPL titles, is at helm for now but failing to recreate his magic.

IPL 2025 | 'When we played in Chennai...,' former player tags current squad as 'weakest CSK team'

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant is having a nightmare of a season as a batter in IPL 2025. While the team has managed to win five out of nine games, they haven't exuded much confidence as a unit. On Tuesday (Apr 22), they lost against Delhi Capitals and Pant said toss played a huge part in the game. &nbsp;
"We were 20 runs short," acknowledged Pant after the loss as DC chased down 160-run target inside 18 overs.&nbsp;
Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kl-rahul-handshakes-lsg-owner-sanjiv-goenka-after-dc-beat-lucknow-8991999">DC's KL Rahul finds it 'good to be back in Lucknow' and does courtesy handshake with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after win</a>
"Toss played a huge part, whoever is bowling first gets a lot of help from the wicket .. we just couldn't get it away. It always happens in Lucknow, wicket becomes better in the second innings, that's how it goes, we can't make excuses but have to learn from it," he added.
Pant also spoke about bringing in Ayush Badoni as impact player to replace Mitchell Marsh during LSG's innings. The decision looked odd given the skipper himself was available to bat but did not come.
"We are using Ayush as Impact Player to try and give Mayank (Yadav) some game time early in the season, trying to fit him in, since he's just come from NCA. We sent someone to capitalise on wicket like that, Miller came in, we got stuck on that wicket and we need to figure out our best combination," Pant explained.
Pant has had horrible season with the bat which is visible in his numbers. In eight innings of the nine games played, he has managed just 106 runs at an average of 13. Most of his runs came in one innings when he scored 63 - his only fifty of the season. The attacking batter has been kept quite by the bowlers as shows his strike rate of 96.
Know for hitting one-handed sixes and fours at will, Pant has managed just eight fours and five sixes this season.

Pant has had horrible season with the bat which is visible in his numbers. In eight innings of the nine games played, he has managed just 106 runs at an average of 13. Cricket Sports

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant is having a nightmare of a season as a batter in IPL 2025. While the team has managed to win five out of nine games, they haven't exuded much confidence as a unit. On Tuesday (Apr 22), they lost against Delhi Capitals and Pant said toss played a huge part in the game. "We were 20 runs short," acknowledged Pant after the loss as DC chased down 160-run target inside 18 overs. Also Watch: DC's KL Rahul finds it 'good to be back in Lucknow' and does courtesy handshake with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after win "Toss played a huge part, whoever is bowling first gets a lot of help from the wicket .. we just couldn't get it away. It always happens in Lucknow, wicket becomes better in the second innings, that's how it goes, we can't make excuses but have to learn from it," he added. Pant also spoke about bringing in Ayush Badoni as impact player to replace Mitchell Marsh during LSG's innings. The decision looked odd given the skipper himself was available to bat but did not come. "We are using Ayush as Impact Player to try and give Mayank (Yadav) some game time early in the season, trying to fit him in, since he's just come from NCA. We sent someone to capitalise on wicket like that, Miller came in, we got stuck on that wicket and we need to figure out our best combination," Pant explained. Pant has had horrible season with the bat which is visible in his numbers. In eight innings of the nine games played, he has managed just 106 runs at an average of 13. Most of his runs came in one innings when he scored 63 - his only fifty of the season. The attacking batter has been kept quite by the bowlers as shows his strike rate of 96. Know for hitting one-handed sixes and fours at will, Pant has managed just eight fours and five sixes this season.

IPL 2025 | 'It always happens in Lucknow,' Pant reveals where they lost vs DC and why Badoni came ahead to him to bat

Delhi Capitals batter KL Rahul had an outstanding night against his old franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025 on Tuesday (Apr 22). The batter remained unbeaten on 57 off 42 balls as DC chased down 160-run target inside 18 overs. This was also DC's sixth win of the season in eight games - joint most alongside Gujarat Titans.
Rahul, who was let go by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, was facing his old franchise for the first time. After the match, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, with whom he had a fall out last season after a loss, came to meet Rahul but the batter showed only necessary courtesy. Have a look at the video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Rahul walking away from goenka 🤣🤣😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/klrahul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#klrahul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/goenka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#goenka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ipl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ipl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvsDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvsDC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wke8kOyoHf">pic.twitter.com/Wke8kOyoHf</a>
&mdash; SarpanchSaab (@kitts1727) <a href="https://twitter.com/kitts1727/status/1914734228442628478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Past owners, coaches and players often meet with warmth during the game against each other but that wasn't the case with Rahul and Goenka.
The batter, who spent three seasons with LSG from 2022 to 2024, also posted pictures on social media account X with the caption: "Always good to be back in Lucknow."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Always good to be back in Lucknow. <a href="https://t.co/NOC3Hg17oO">pic.twitter.com/NOC3Hg17oO</a>
&mdash; K L Rahul (@klrahul) <a href="https://twitter.com/klrahul/status/1914743898108309683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>

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<h2>Pujara credits Rahul's mindset for his performance</h2>
Rahul has been a stellar performer for DC this season - scoring 323 runs in seven matches at an average of 64.60 and a strike rate of 153. He also has hit three fifties with a highest of 93 not out. Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara credits the mindset for Rahul's smooth transition from LSG to DC.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Pujara said: "KL is a mature player. Last couple of years, he's been batting well across formats. He doesn't want to think about the past and wants to enjoy his batting and be in his zone, rather than think about what went wrong when he was playing for the LSG team... We have seen a different KL Rahul this season. When he started [against LSG], he didn't look that [fluid], but still he picked it up."
DC next play against RCB on Sunday (Apr 27) in Delhi.

After the match, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, with whom he had a fall out last season after a loss, came to meet Rahul but the batter showed only necessary courtesy. Sports Cricket

Delhi Capitals batter KL Rahul had an outstanding night against his old franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025 on Tuesday (Apr 22). The batter remained unbeaten on 57 off 42 balls as DC chased down 160-run target inside 18 overs. This was also DC's sixth win of the season in eight games - joint most alongside Gujarat Titans. Rahul, who was let go by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, was facing his old franchise for the first time. After the match, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, with whom he had a fall out last season after a loss, came to meet Rahul but the batter showed only necessary courtesy. Have a look at the video below: Rahul walking away from goenka 🤣🤣😂#klrahul #goenka #ipl #LSGvsDC pic.twitter.com/Wke8kOyoHf — SarpanchSaab (@kitts1727) April 22, 2025 Past owners, coaches and players often meet with warmth during the game against each other but that wasn't the case with Rahul and Goenka. The batter, who spent three seasons with LSG from 2022 to 2024, also posted pictures on social media account X with the caption: "Always good to be back in Lucknow." Always good to be back in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/NOC3Hg17oO — K L Rahul (@klrahul) April 22, 2025 Pujara credits Rahul's mindset for his performance Rahul has been a stellar performer for DC this season - scoring 323 runs in seven matches at an average of 64.60 and a strike rate of 153. He also has hit three fifties with a highest of 93 not out. Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara credits the mindset for Rahul's smooth transition from LSG to DC. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Pujara said: "KL is a mature player. Last couple of years, he's been batting well across formats. He doesn't want to think about the past and wants to enjoy his batting and be in his zone, rather than think about what went wrong when he was playing for the LSG team... We have seen a different KL Rahul this season. When he started [against LSG], he didn't look that [fluid], but still he picked it up." DC next play against RCB on Sunday (Apr 27) in Delhi.

IPL 2025 | DC's KL Rahul finds it 'good to be back in Lucknow' and does courtesy handshake with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after win - WATCH

India paceman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jasprit-bumrah">Jasprit Bumrah</a> has been named as the Leading Men's Cricketer in the World in the 2025 edition of the&nbsp;Wisden&nbsp;Cricketers' Almanack, with compatriot <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/smriti-mandhana">Smriti Mandhana</a> picking up the women's award.
Bumrah was given the honour by the sport's "bible" after a stunning 2024 in which he excelled in red-ball and white-ball cricket.
The 31-year-old picked up 71 Test wickets at an average of less than 15 and was named player of the tournament as India won the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.
<h2>'Quite simply the star of the year'</h2>
Wisden&nbsp;editor Lawrence Booth described Bumrah as "quite simply the star of the year".
Reflecting on Bumrah's astonishing efforts during India's Test series in Australia, Booth wrote: "He was so lethal, so uniquely challenging -- a staccato of limbs somehow forming a symphony -- that runs scored off him should have counted double.
"And while taking 32 Australian wickets at 13 each, he laid a claim to be considered the greatest of all time, becoming the first with 200 Test wickets at an average below 20."&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-ipl-2025-lucknow-super-giants-vs-delhi-capitals-lsg-vs-dc-8990953">IPL 2025: Markram's half-century guides Lucknow Super Giants to 159/6 against Delhi Capitals</a>
Despite Bumrah's heroics, Australia won the five-Test series, which finished in early January, 3-1.
Mandhana, 28, made it an Indian double by being named as the Leading Women's Cricketer in the World. The batter scored 1,659 runs across all formats in 2024 -- the most by a woman in a calendar year of international cricket.
West Indies batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/nicholas-pooran">Nicholas Pooran</a> was named as the game's leading T20 cricketer.&nbsp;In the almanack, which is published on Thursday, Booth is scathing about Jay Shah's smooth transition from the most powerful figure in Indian cricket to chairman of the International Cricket Council.
"(It is) a sorry truth: 2024 was the year cricket gave up any claim to being properly administered, with checks, balances, and governance for the many, not the few," Booth writes.
He adds: "Cricket has handed over the only key not already in India's possession. All hail the Big One."&nbsp;The&nbsp;Wisden&nbsp;Cricketers' Almanack has been published continually on an annual basis since its first edition in 1864.
Wisden&nbsp;also names five Cricketers of the Year -- an award that can only be won once in a career -- and is generally based on performances in the previous English season.&nbsp;England trio Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Sophie Ecclestone have been named among the five in the 2025 edition.
Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson, who has also played for England, and Surrey paceman Dan Worrall complete the line-up.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Cricket, Sports: Bumrah was given the honour by the sport's 'bible' after a stunning 2024 in which he excelled in red-ball and white-ball cricket, while Mandhana, 28, made it an Indian double by being named as the Leading Women's Cricketer in the World

India paceman Jasprit Bumrah has been named as the Leading Men's Cricketer in the World in the 2025 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, with compatriot Smriti Mandhana picking up the women's award. Bumrah was given the honour by the sport's "bible" after a stunning 2024 in which he excelled in red-ball and white-ball cricket. The 31-year-old picked up 71 Test wickets at an average of less than 15 and was named player of the tournament as India won the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. 'Quite simply the star of the year' Wisden editor Lawrence Booth described Bumrah as "quite simply the star of the year". Reflecting on Bumrah's astonishing efforts during India's Test series in Australia, Booth wrote: "He was so lethal, so uniquely challenging -- a staccato of limbs somehow forming a symphony -- that runs scored off him should have counted double. "And while taking 32 Australian wickets at 13 each, he laid a claim to be considered the greatest of all time, becoming the first with 200 Test wickets at an average below 20." Also Read: IPL 2025: Markram's half-century guides Lucknow Super Giants to 159/6 against Delhi Capitals Despite Bumrah's heroics, Australia won the five-Test series, which finished in early January, 3-1. Mandhana, 28, made it an Indian double by being named as the Leading Women's Cricketer in the World. The batter scored 1,659 runs across all formats in 2024 -- the most by a woman in a calendar year of international cricket. West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran was named as the game's leading T20 cricketer. In the almanack, which is published on Thursday, Booth is scathing about Jay Shah's smooth transition from the most powerful figure in Indian cricket to chairman of the International Cricket Council. "(It is) a sorry truth: 2024 was the year cricket gave up any claim to being properly administered, with checks, balances, and governance for the many, not the few," Booth writes. He adds: "Cricket has handed over the only key not already in India's possession. All hail the Big One." The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack has been published continually on an annual basis since its first edition in 1864. Wisden also names five Cricketers of the Year -- an award that can only be won once in a career -- and is generally based on performances in the previous English season. England trio Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Sophie Ecclestone have been named among the five in the 2025 edition. Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson, who has also played for England, and Surrey paceman Dan Worrall complete the line-up. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana win top Wisden cricket awards

Opener Abishek Porel and KL Rahul struck half centuries and shared a 69-run partnership as Delhi Capitals thrashed Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets in an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> match here on Tuesday (April 22).
Chasing 160 for victory, Porel scored 51 off 36 balls, while in-form Rahul struck an unbeaten 57 (42 balls) to make it a one-sided contest, as DC completed the task in 17.5 overs. Skipper Axar Patel made 34 not out off 20 balls.
Rahul also completed 5,000 runs in IPL on way to his half-century.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-jasprit-bumrah-and-smriti-mandhana-win-top-wisden-cricket-awards-8991145">Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana win top Wisden cricket awards</a>
Earlier in the innings, opener&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aiden-markram">Aiden Markram</a> scored a half century and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mitchell-marsh">Mitchell Marsh</a> too made a quick 45 but hosts Lucknow Super Giants could only manage 159 for 6 against Delhi Capitals.&nbsp;Markram scored a 33-ball 52, while Marsh smashed a 36-ball 45 as the opening pair put on 87 in 10 overs.
<h2>DC's pace trio</h2>
But LSG lost momentum thereafter as right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar (4/33) struck twice in the 14th over, taking the wickets of Abdul Samad and Marsh. Ayush Badoni (36 off 21 balls), though struck three boundaries in the last over, bowled by Mukesh, to give some respectability to the total.
The trio of Mukesh Kumar (4/33 in 4 overs), Mitchell Starc (1/25 in 4 overs) and Dushmantha Chameera (1/25 in 3 overs) used different kinds of slower deliveries to perfection as LSG huffed and puffed their way past the 150-run mark after being 87/1 at the end of 10 overs.
In the remaining 10 overs, LSG could manage only 72 runs recording their lowest team total of the tournament so far.&nbsp;Pant's injured palm also hurt LSG's chances of propping up their total with the skipper coming in at No.7 for a two-ball duck.
The diminutive Ayush Badoni (36 off 21 balls), who relies more on timing the ball than brute power, did play his part but one doesn't know if that would be enough considering the depth in the Delhi Capitals batting.&nbsp;It was another superb show by the DC bowling unit, which has been brilliant throughout the first half of the tournament.

Cricket, Sports: LSG lost momentum as right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar (4/33) struck twice in the 14th over of the innings, taking the wickets of Abdul Samad and Marsh

Opener Abishek Porel and KL Rahul struck half centuries and shared a 69-run partnership as Delhi Capitals thrashed Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday (April 22). Chasing 160 for victory, Porel scored 51 off 36 balls, while in-form Rahul struck an unbeaten 57 (42 balls) to make it a one-sided contest, as DC completed the task in 17.5 overs. Skipper Axar Patel made 34 not out off 20 balls. Rahul also completed 5,000 runs in IPL on way to his half-century. Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana win top Wisden cricket awards Earlier in the innings, opener Aiden Markram scored a half century and Mitchell Marsh too made a quick 45 but hosts Lucknow Super Giants could only manage 159 for 6 against Delhi Capitals. Markram scored a 33-ball 52, while Marsh smashed a 36-ball 45 as the opening pair put on 87 in 10 overs. DC's pace trio But LSG lost momentum thereafter as right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar (4/33) struck twice in the 14th over, taking the wickets of Abdul Samad and Marsh. Ayush Badoni (36 off 21 balls), though struck three boundaries in the last over, bowled by Mukesh, to give some respectability to the total. The trio of Mukesh Kumar (4/33 in 4 overs), Mitchell Starc (1/25 in 4 overs) and Dushmantha Chameera (1/25 in 3 overs) used different kinds of slower deliveries to perfection as LSG huffed and puffed their way past the 150-run mark after being 87/1 at the end of 10 overs. In the remaining 10 overs, LSG could manage only 72 runs recording their lowest team total of the tournament so far. Pant's injured palm also hurt LSG's chances of propping up their total with the skipper coming in at No.7 for a two-ball duck. The diminutive Ayush Badoni (36 off 21 balls), who relies more on timing the ball than brute power, did play his part but one doesn't know if that would be enough considering the depth in the Delhi Capitals batting. It was another superb show by the DC bowling unit, which has been brilliant throughout the first half of the tournament.

IPL 2025: Porel, Rahul guide Delhi Capitals to eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants

Former Australian cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/michael-slater">Michael Slater</a> has been sentenced to four years in prison, partially suspended, after pleading guilty to several domestic violence charges. Slater, however, walked free as his sentence was suspended given that he had already spent more than a year in jail.
Slater was remanded in police custody in April 2024 after being charged with various crimes, including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/assault">assault</a>, strangulation, burglary, and stalking involving a woman in Queensland's Noosa region. He was denied bail last year after which he collapsed in the court.
The Judge, Glen Cash, who announced Slater's sentence at the Maroochydore District Court in Queensland, said that the former cricketer's addiction to alcohol was the root cause of the problem. He also stated that Slater's rehab won't be easy, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
<h2>'Alcoholism is part of your make-up'</h2>
"Your rehabilitation will not be easy - alcoholism is part of your make-up,"&nbsp;Cash told the court, highlighting the significant challenge rehabilitation poses in such circumstances.
Slater's lawyer, Greg McGuire, pushed for a three-year jail term with immediate parole, saying that the former cricketer had cooperated with the judicial process, adding that he had abstained from alcohol for over a year while in prison. McGuire also informed that Slater wishes to return to New South Wales to be with his family. However, the judge rejected the plea and handed a four-year prison sentence to Slater.
Slater has struggled with mental issues in the past. He had previously been involved in multiple <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/domestic-violence">domestic violence</a> offences. In late 2022, Slater was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order by a Sydney court after he was found guilty of common assault and attempted stalking of a woman.
Slater played 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for Australia, scoring 5312 and 987 runs respectively. He also scored 14 Test hundreds for the country.
The victim, whose identity remains confidential, reportedly endured a prolonged campaign of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harassment" rel="dofollow">harassment</a> and assault beginning in late 2023 in the Noosa region of Queensland. The court learned that Slater&rsquo;s threats of self-harm were intended to intimidate the victim into silence about the ongoing abuse, causing her considerable fear and distress.

Cricket, Sports: Slater was remanded in police custody in April 2024 after being charged with various crimes, including assault, strangulation, burglary, and stalking

Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater has been sentenced to four years in prison, partially suspended, after pleading guilty to several domestic violence charges. Slater, however, walked free as his sentence was suspended given that he had already spent more than a year in jail. Slater was remanded in police custody in April 2024 after being charged with various crimes, including assault, strangulation, burglary, and stalking involving a woman in Queensland's Noosa region. He was denied bail last year after which he collapsed in the court. The Judge, Glen Cash, who announced Slater's sentence at the Maroochydore District Court in Queensland, said that the former cricketer's addiction to alcohol was the root cause of the problem. He also stated that Slater's rehab won't be easy, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 'Alcoholism is part of your make-up' "Your rehabilitation will not be easy - alcoholism is part of your make-up," Cash told the court, highlighting the significant challenge rehabilitation poses in such circumstances. Slater's lawyer, Greg McGuire, pushed for a three-year jail term with immediate parole, saying that the former cricketer had cooperated with the judicial process, adding that he had abstained from alcohol for over a year while in prison. McGuire also informed that Slater wishes to return to New South Wales to be with his family. However, the judge rejected the plea and handed a four-year prison sentence to Slater. Slater has struggled with mental issues in the past. He had previously been involved in multiple domestic violence offences. In late 2022, Slater was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order by a Sydney court after he was found guilty of common assault and attempted stalking of a woman. Slater played 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for Australia, scoring 5312 and 987 runs respectively. He also scored 14 Test hundreds for the country. The victim, whose identity remains confidential, reportedly endured a prolonged campaign of harassment and assault beginning in late 2023 in the Noosa region of Queensland. The court learned that Slater’s threats of self-harm were intended to intimidate the victim into silence about the ongoing abuse, causing her considerable fear and distress.

Former Australian cricketer Michael Slater sentenced to four-year jail for domestic violence

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals has strongly refuted match-fixing claims made by Jaydeep Bihani, convener of RCA's ad hoc committee. Bihani had alleged match fixing after Royals lost against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 2 runs in 36th match of IPL 2025 on April 19.
Bihani, in an interview with the regional channel, said: The ad hoc committee has been appointed by the state government in Rajasthan. After analysing our work, we were given an extension for the fifth time. During our tenure, we&rsquo;ve conducted all competitions successfully right from the district level to the national level. However, as soon as the time for hosting IPL came, the Sports Council took control of it."
Also Read -&nbsp;<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-7-new-players-in-bcci-new-central-contract-list-2024-25-abhishek-varun-akash-nitish-jurel-harshit-sarfaraz-8989605" aria-label="From Dhruv Jurel to Harshit Rana: 7 New Players in BCCI Contract List 2024-25">From Dhruv Jurel to Harshit Rana: 7 New Players in BCCI Contract List 2024-25</a>
&ldquo;For IPL, the BCCI had first sent a letter to RCA only. The excuse given by the Sports Council and RR was that we don&rsquo;t have an MOU from Sawai Mansingh Stadium. If MOU is not there, so what? Aren&rsquo;t you paying Sports Council for every match?&rdquo;
Addressing the allegations, RR management issued a statement and said: "We reject all allegations made by the convener of the ad hoc committee. Such public statements are not only misleading but have caused serious damage to the reputation and credibility of Rajasthan Royals, Royal Multi Sport Private Limited (RMPL), the Rajasthan Sports Council, and the BCCI. They also tarnish the integrity of cricket."
The loss against LSG was RR's second consecutive such match. Before that, Royals had lost to Delhi Capitals in a Super Over despite looking comfortable to win the match at one stage.
Currently, Royals have only two wins in eight games to go with six losses. They sit seventh on the 10-team points table with four points from those wins.
With just six matches left for them to play this season, the inaugural season winners are almost out of the race of playoffs barring a miracle.

The loss against LSG was RR's second consecutive such match. Before that, Royals had lost to Delhi Capitals in a Super Over despite looking comfortable to win the match at one stage. Cricket Sports

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals has strongly refuted match-fixing claims made by Jaydeep Bihani, convener of RCA's ad hoc committee. Bihani had alleged match fixing after Royals lost against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 2 runs in 36th match of IPL 2025 on April 19. Bihani, in an interview with the regional channel, said: The ad hoc committee has been appointed by the state government in Rajasthan. After analysing our work, we were given an extension for the fifth time. During our tenure, we’ve conducted all competitions successfully right from the district level to the national level. However, as soon as the time for hosting IPL came, the Sports Council took control of it." Also Read - From Dhruv Jurel to Harshit Rana: 7 New Players in BCCI Contract List 2024-25 “For IPL, the BCCI had first sent a letter to RCA only. The excuse given by the Sports Council and RR was that we don’t have an MOU from Sawai Mansingh Stadium. If MOU is not there, so what? Aren’t you paying Sports Council for every match?” Addressing the allegations, RR management issued a statement and said: "We reject all allegations made by the convener of the ad hoc committee. Such public statements are not only misleading but have caused serious damage to the reputation and credibility of Rajasthan Royals, Royal Multi Sport Private Limited (RMPL), the Rajasthan Sports Council, and the BCCI. They also tarnish the integrity of cricket." The loss against LSG was RR's second consecutive such match. Before that, Royals had lost to Delhi Capitals in a Super Over despite looking comfortable to win the match at one stage. Currently, Royals have only two wins in eight games to go with six losses. They sit seventh on the 10-team points table with four points from those wins. With just six matches left for them to play this season, the inaugural season winners are almost out of the race of playoffs barring a miracle.

IPL 2025 | 'Not only misleading but...,' Rajasthan Royals issues statement on being accused of match fixing

Former Australian captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/steve-waugh">Steve Waugh</a> weighed in on the question surrounding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>'s future, urging the Indian skipper to honestly assess his own commitment as he leads India into a crucial new phase of Test cricket.
With India set to begin their 2025&ndash;27 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/world-test-championship">World Test Championship</a> (WTC) cycle against England this June, questions are mounting over whether Rohit, who turns 38 on April 30, remains the right man to lead the team&mdash;especially after a dip in form.
Waugh, a member of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/laureus-awards">Laureus World Sports Academy</a>, stressed that the decision to continue as captain must ultimately come from Rohit himself.
"It is totally up to him," Waugh was quoted saying to PTI. "He&rsquo;s the only one who can solve that problem. He&rsquo;s got to look in the mirror and ask: Do I still want to captain India? Am I fully committed? Am I putting in the necessary time and effort?"
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-ipl-2025-gujarat-titans-vs-kolkata-knight-riders-result-8987093">IPL 2025: Gill smashes quickfire 90 as Gujarat Titans post 198/3 against Kolkata Knight Riders</a>
Rohit's recent record in Test cricket has come under fire, particularly during India&rsquo;s last three Test series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia.
<h2>'Test cricket is essence of the game'</h2>
Beyond individual concerns, Waugh voiced strong support for preserving Test cricket amid the growing dominance of T20 leagues. He pushed back against recent proposals to alter the WTC format, including suggestions for a two-tier system and bonus points for away wins.
&ldquo;Test cricket is the essence of the game,&rdquo; Waugh said. &ldquo;T20 is great&mdash;entertaining, lucrative&mdash;but players still want to test themselves in the longest format. That&rsquo;s where the true challenge lies.&rdquo;
Waugh also downplayed criticisms around South Africa&rsquo;s qualification for the WTC final despite playing fewer matches and avoiding powerhouses like England and Australia.
&ldquo;You have to do what you can to make things work. It&rsquo;s not a perfect system, but it&rsquo;s working. The two best sides are in the final, and that&rsquo;s what matters.&rdquo;

Cricket, Sports: With questions swirling around Rohit Sharma's future, former Australia captain Steve Waugh said the decision to lead India must come from the man himself

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh weighed in on the question surrounding Rohit Sharma's future, urging the Indian skipper to honestly assess his own commitment as he leads India into a crucial new phase of Test cricket. With India set to begin their 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle against England this June, questions are mounting over whether Rohit, who turns 38 on April 30, remains the right man to lead the team—especially after a dip in form. Waugh, a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, stressed that the decision to continue as captain must ultimately come from Rohit himself. "It is totally up to him," Waugh was quoted saying to PTI. "He’s the only one who can solve that problem. He’s got to look in the mirror and ask: Do I still want to captain India? Am I fully committed? Am I putting in the necessary time and effort?" Also Read: IPL 2025: Gill smashes quickfire 90 as Gujarat Titans post 198/3 against Kolkata Knight Riders Rohit's recent record in Test cricket has come under fire, particularly during India’s last three Test series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia. 'Test cricket is essence of the game' Beyond individual concerns, Waugh voiced strong support for preserving Test cricket amid the growing dominance of T20 leagues. He pushed back against recent proposals to alter the WTC format, including suggestions for a two-tier system and bonus points for away wins. “Test cricket is the essence of the game,” Waugh said. “T20 is great—entertaining, lucrative—but players still want to test themselves in the longest format. That’s where the true challenge lies.” Waugh also downplayed criticisms around South Africa’s qualification for the WTC final despite playing fewer matches and avoiding powerhouses like England and Australia. “You have to do what you can to make things work. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s working. The two best sides are in the final, and that’s what matters.”

‘Only Rohit can answer that’: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain’s future in Tests

Gujarat Titans' top order fired once again as the visitors defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Monday (April 21).
Put to bat, skipper Shubman Gill sizzled with a 55-ball 90 as fellow opener Sai Sudharsan (52) also continued his purple patch with yet another half-century to help GT post 198/3.&nbsp;GT bowlers then restricted the hosts to 159/8 despite skipper Ajinkya Rahane's 50.
<h2>&nbsp;Gill's masterclass</h2>
Earlier in the innings, Shubman Gill's masterclass innings along with Jos Buttler's explosive hitting helped Gujarat Titans (GT) reach 198/3 against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens. &nbsp;
After being asked to bat by the Knight Riders, GT's opening pair started applying brakes on the scoring rate, gradually dealing with the danger from Vaibhav Arora and Moeen Ali. Gujarat found its first boundary of the match on the 12th delivery after Sudharsan went on the back foot and sliced the ball aggressively find the fence.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-ipl-2025-injured-sanju-samson-to-miss-game-against-rcb-8986945">IPL 2025: Injured Sanju Samson to miss game against RCB</a>
While&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shubman-gill">Shubman Gill</a> was cautiously settling in at the other end, Sudharsan picked up two boundaries with his exquisite strokes in the next over which helped increase the scoring rate. The GT skipper, who was on 6 (11) after the fourth over, started flexing his muscles with his bat against his former team.
As GT decided to go full throttle in the second half of the first innings, Kolkata found the breakthrough. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/andre-russell">Andre Russell</a> hit the deck hard and generated extra bounce to outwit Sudharsan and lure out a faint edge to Gurbaz behind the stumps, ending the sizzling 114-run opening stand.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jos-buttler">Jos Buttler</a> came in and went all guns blazing by slamming a hat-trick of fours to take away 13 from Russell's over despite the loss of a wicket. Towards the end of the innings, Rahul Tewatia failed to live up to his reputation of playing a flashy cameo. Jos Buttler (41*) and Shahrukh Khan (11*) combined to take away 18 runs from the final over to take GT to 198/3.

Cricket, Sports: Earlier in the innings, Shubman Gill's masterclass innings along with Jos Buttler's explosive hitting helped Gujarat Titans reach 198/3 against KKR

Gujarat Titans' top order fired once again as the visitors defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Monday (April 21). Put to bat, skipper Shubman Gill sizzled with a 55-ball 90 as fellow opener Sai Sudharsan (52) also continued his purple patch with yet another half-century to help GT post 198/3. GT bowlers then restricted the hosts to 159/8 despite skipper Ajinkya Rahane's 50. Gill's masterclass Earlier in the innings, Shubman Gill's masterclass innings along with Jos Buttler's explosive hitting helped Gujarat Titans (GT) reach 198/3 against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens. After being asked to bat by the Knight Riders, GT's opening pair started applying brakes on the scoring rate, gradually dealing with the danger from Vaibhav Arora and Moeen Ali. Gujarat found its first boundary of the match on the 12th delivery after Sudharsan went on the back foot and sliced the ball aggressively find the fence. Also Read: IPL 2025: Injured Sanju Samson to miss game against RCB While Shubman Gill was cautiously settling in at the other end, Sudharsan picked up two boundaries with his exquisite strokes in the next over which helped increase the scoring rate. The GT skipper, who was on 6 (11) after the fourth over, started flexing his muscles with his bat against his former team. As GT decided to go full throttle in the second half of the first innings, Kolkata found the breakthrough. Andre Russell hit the deck hard and generated extra bounce to outwit Sudharsan and lure out a faint edge to Gurbaz behind the stumps, ending the sizzling 114-run opening stand. Jos Buttler came in and went all guns blazing by slamming a hat-trick of fours to take away 13 from Russell's over despite the loss of a wicket. Towards the end of the innings, Rahul Tewatia failed to live up to his reputation of playing a flashy cameo. Jos Buttler (41*) and Shahrukh Khan (11*) combined to take away 18 runs from the final over to take GT to 198/3.

IPL 2025: Shubman Gill stars as Gujarat Titans beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs

Rajasthan Royals was dealt with another blow as the franchise confirmed on Monday (April 21)that captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sanju-samson">Sanju Samson</a> will miss the upcoming game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru as he continues his recovery from the side-strain he suffered during the game against Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier Leagu (IPL).
The Rajasthan Royals' medical staff hasn't set a date for Samson's return. "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals">Rajasthan Royals</a> captain Sanju Samson is currently undergoing recovery and will remain at the team's home base with select RR medical staff. As part of his ongoing rehab process, he will not be travelling to Bangalore for the upcoming match against RCB," the Royals released a statement.
"The team management is monitoring his progress closely and will take a game-by-game approach regarding his return to action," it further said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/formula-1-it-was-horrible-not-enjoyable-at-all-says-ferraris-lewis-hamilton-after-poor-show-in-saudi-arabia-grand-prix-8986693">Formula 1: 'It was horrible. Not enjoyable at all', says Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton after poor show in Saudi Arabia Grand Prix</a>
<h2>Riyan to lead team in Sanju's absence</h2>
In Samson's absence, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/riyan-parag">Riyan Parag</a> will continue to lead the team.
Riyan had also led the Royals in the first three games of the season as Samson was only allowed to bat and not keep wickets. Samson had come in as an Impact sub in those three games before leading the side from the fourth game.
In Samson's absence, Dhruv Jurel will continue to keep wickets. In the seven games that he has played so far, Samson has scored 224 runs with one half-century.
Under Parag's leadership, Royals lost three out of the four games with only win coming against Chennai Super Kings. Royals are currently at eighth in the points table with six defeats in eight games so far.

Cricket, Sports: The Rajasthan Royals' medical staff has not set a date for Sanju Samson's return. In his absence, Riyan Parag will continue to lead the side

Rajasthan Royals was dealt with another blow as the franchise confirmed on Monday (April 21)that captain Sanju Samson will miss the upcoming game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru as he continues his recovery from the side-strain he suffered during the game against Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier Leagu (IPL). The Rajasthan Royals' medical staff hasn't set a date for Samson's return. "Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson is currently undergoing recovery and will remain at the team's home base with select RR medical staff. As part of his ongoing rehab process, he will not be travelling to Bangalore for the upcoming match against RCB," the Royals released a statement. "The team management is monitoring his progress closely and will take a game-by-game approach regarding his return to action," it further said. Also Read: Formula 1: 'It was horrible. Not enjoyable at all', says Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton after poor show in Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Riyan to lead team in Sanju's absence In Samson's absence, Riyan Parag will continue to lead the team. Riyan had also led the Royals in the first three games of the season as Samson was only allowed to bat and not keep wickets. Samson had come in as an Impact sub in those three games before leading the side from the fourth game. In Samson's absence, Dhruv Jurel will continue to keep wickets. In the seven games that he has played so far, Samson has scored 224 runs with one half-century. Under Parag's leadership, Royals lost three out of the four games with only win coming against Chennai Super Kings. Royals are currently at eighth in the points table with six defeats in eight games so far.

IPL 2025: Injured Sanju Samson to miss game against RCB

In a significant development, Pakistan women's cricket team players and management are lobbying for Dubai as their neutral venue for the upcoming ICC 2025 Women's ODI World Cup later this year.
"Pakistan women's team will love to play their matches in Dubai as they have more experience of playing in the United Arab Emirates, which had been Pakistan's venue during their isolation period between 2010-2020," a senior PCB official was quoted saying to www.telecomasia.net.
While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-cricket-board">Pakistan Cricket Board</a> (PCB) has opted for Dubai as the neutral venue due to its proximity, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/board-of-control-for-cricket-in-india">Board of Control for Cricket in India</a> (BCCI) is likely to opt for Sri Lanka due to accessibility.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/athletics-thomas-rohler-anderson-peters-julius-yego-among-other-top-stars-set-to-compete-at-neeraj-chopra-classic-2025-8986138">Thomas Rohler, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego among other top stars set to compete at Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025</a>
On Saturday (April 19), PCB chairman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohsin-naqvi">Mohsin Naqvi</a> categorically said that the women's team will not tour India for the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 as per the 'fusion formula' accepted ahead of the Men's Champions Trophy 2025.
"As per the arrangements before the Champions Trophy, our women's team will also not tour India, and the choice of the neutral venue is with the hosts India," Naqvi had said.
As per the formula, India and Pakistan will not tour each other for any ICC event until the cycle of tournament ends in 2027 and play at a neutral venue due to political tensions between the two neighbours.
<h2>Pak Women's cricket team flourishes under Waseem</h2>
Meanwhile, Pakistan women's team have showed phenomenal improvement under head coach Mohammad Waseem who worked hard despite not getting his contract finalised for eight months.
They won all five games, beating the more formidable West Indies and Bangladesh on their way to the qualification.&nbsp;Pakistan women did not qualify for the first five editions of the Women's ODI World Cup. When they qualified for the first time, they finished 11th and last. They again failed to qualify for the next two editions.
They had their best finish to date in the 2009 World Cup held in Australia when they were fifth amongst eight teams, qualifying for the Super Six where they came good against the West Indies.

Cricket, Sports: The Pakistan Women's cricket team won all five games, beating the more formidable West Indies and Bangladesh on their way to the qualification

In a significant development, Pakistan women's cricket team players and management are lobbying for Dubai as their neutral venue for the upcoming ICC 2025 Women's ODI World Cup later this year. "Pakistan women's team will love to play their matches in Dubai as they have more experience of playing in the United Arab Emirates, which had been Pakistan's venue during their isolation period between 2010-2020," a senior PCB official was quoted saying to www.telecomasia.net. While Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted for Dubai as the neutral venue due to its proximity, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to opt for Sri Lanka due to accessibility. Also Read: Thomas Rohler, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego among other top stars set to compete at Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 On Saturday (April 19), PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi categorically said that the women's team will not tour India for the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 as per the 'fusion formula' accepted ahead of the Men's Champions Trophy 2025. "As per the arrangements before the Champions Trophy, our women's team will also not tour India, and the choice of the neutral venue is with the hosts India," Naqvi had said. As per the formula, India and Pakistan will not tour each other for any ICC event until the cycle of tournament ends in 2027 and play at a neutral venue due to political tensions between the two neighbours. Pak Women's cricket team flourishes under Waseem Meanwhile, Pakistan women's team have showed phenomenal improvement under head coach Mohammad Waseem who worked hard despite not getting his contract finalised for eight months. They won all five games, beating the more formidable West Indies and Bangladesh on their way to the qualification. Pakistan women did not qualify for the first five editions of the Women's ODI World Cup. When they qualified for the first time, they finished 11th and last. They again failed to qualify for the next two editions. They had their best finish to date in the 2009 World Cup held in Australia when they were fifth amongst eight teams, qualifying for the Super Six where they came good against the West Indies.

Pakistan Women’s team favours Dubai as neutral venue for 2025 ODI World Cup

The match between Rajasthan Royals and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lucknow-super-giants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucknow Super Giants</a>&nbsp;had everything a fan could ask for. Drama. Thrills. Last minute tension and if that wasn't enough, there was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vaibhav-suryavanshi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vaibhav Suryavanshi</a>. At 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever IPL debutant when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants
Last year, he created history by becoming the youngest to bag an IPL deal at 13 years. At the IPL 2025 mega auction,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Royals</a>&nbsp;purchased the rookie left-hander for a whopping $11 million (INR 1.1 crore).
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cricket-pbks-vs-rcb-dream11-prediction-check-team-captain-and-vice-captain-picks-for-punjab-kings-vs-royal-challengers-bengaluru-8981658">PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Check Team, captain and vice-captain picks for Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru</a>
Suryavanshi first rose to the limelight after hitting his maiden triple hundred &ndash; an unbeaten 332, in the Randhir Verma Tournament, an Under-19 competition in Bihar. Thus far, he&rsquo;s played five first-class matches, scoring 100 runs at 10.
In the heart of Samastipur, a small city in Bihar, lies the humble Cricket Academy Samastipur, a cradle of dreams where young cricketers are nurtured from the grassroots. It was here, at the age of just five years, that Vaibhav Suryavanshi first picked up a bat under the watchful eye of his coach Brijesh Jha.
Speaking to WION, Brijesh recalled the early days vividly when Vaibhav came to him for cricket coaching. "He was only five-year-old when he came to me to take coaching lessons.&nbsp;Even as a small child, Vaibhav had something special &mdash; a strong left-handed technique and a hunger to learn. We focused on building a solid foundation, ensuring that he remained injury-free and give him as many opportunity and freedom to express himself through his game."
Brijesh goes on to explain that their academy specialises in developing children aged between 6 to 12. Vaibhav, with his early inclination towards batting, stood out quickly in his eyes.
&ldquo;By 9, just after the lockdown period, he was already showing great promise and had started trying out for state-level cricket in Bihar. His focus and attitude were always exceptional.&rdquo;
Although Vaibhav didn&rsquo;t make the U-16 team immediately, he remained on the radar. His breakthrough came through consistent performances in district-level domestic cricket, which propelled his journey forward at a rapid pace.
What&rsquo;s remarkable is that Vaibhav has never truly left the academy.&nbsp;"He still comes back and trains with us whenever he can. Even before moving to Rajasthan, he would practice here," said Brijesh with pride.
Interestingly, Vaibhav is not the first IPL debutant from the academy. The coach also mentored Anukul Roy (Kolkata Knight Riders), who had to shift to Jharkhand due to limited opportunities in Bihar.
<h2>'The wait was worth it'</h2>
&ldquo;As a coach, I don&rsquo;t interfere too much once the player is under the care of another team&rsquo;s coaching staff. I believe in giving them space. But Vaibhav knows I&rsquo;m always there for him. If he plays well, he calls. If not, sometimes he hesitates &mdash; it&rsquo;s that kind of relationship.&rdquo;
On the day of Vaibhav's debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Rajasthan Royals, emotions ran high for Brijesh. &ldquo;I had seen him waiting for an opportunity in previous matches. He didn&rsquo;t seem completely satisfied, which made me feel a little sad as a coach. But when he finally got the chance and performed, I knew the wait was worth it."

Cricket, Sports: At 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became youngest ever IPL debutant when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants

The match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants had everything a fan could ask for. Drama. Thrills. Last minute tension and if that wasn't enough, there was Vaibhav Suryavanshi. At 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever IPL debutant when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants Last year, he created history by becoming the youngest to bag an IPL deal at 13 years. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, Rajasthan Royals purchased the rookie left-hander for a whopping $11 million (INR 1.1 crore). Also Read: PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Check Team, captain and vice-captain picks for Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Suryavanshi first rose to the limelight after hitting his maiden triple hundred – an unbeaten 332, in the Randhir Verma Tournament, an Under-19 competition in Bihar. Thus far, he’s played five first-class matches, scoring 100 runs at 10. In the heart of Samastipur, a small city in Bihar, lies the humble Cricket Academy Samastipur, a cradle of dreams where young cricketers are nurtured from the grassroots. It was here, at the age of just five years, that Vaibhav Suryavanshi first picked up a bat under the watchful eye of his coach Brijesh Jha. Speaking to WION, Brijesh recalled the early days vividly when Vaibhav came to him for cricket coaching. "He was only five-year-old when he came to me to take coaching lessons. Even as a small child, Vaibhav had something special — a strong left-handed technique and a hunger to learn. We focused on building a solid foundation, ensuring that he remained injury-free and give him as many opportunity and freedom to express himself through his game." Brijesh goes on to explain that their academy specialises in developing children aged between 6 to 12. Vaibhav, with his early inclination towards batting, stood out quickly in his eyes. “By 9, just after the lockdown period, he was already showing great promise and had started trying out for state-level cricket in Bihar. His focus and attitude were always exceptional.” Although Vaibhav didn’t make the U-16 team immediately, he remained on the radar. His breakthrough came through consistent performances in district-level domestic cricket, which propelled his journey forward at a rapid pace. What’s remarkable is that Vaibhav has never truly left the academy. "He still comes back and trains with us whenever he can. Even before moving to Rajasthan, he would practice here," said Brijesh with pride. Interestingly, Vaibhav is not the first IPL debutant from the academy. The coach also mentored Anukul Roy (Kolkata Knight Riders), who had to shift to Jharkhand due to limited opportunities in Bihar. 'The wait was worth it' “As a coach, I don’t interfere too much once the player is under the care of another team’s coaching staff. I believe in giving them space. But Vaibhav knows I’m always there for him. If he plays well, he calls. If not, sometimes he hesitates — it’s that kind of relationship.” On the day of Vaibhav's debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Rajasthan Royals, emotions ran high for Brijesh. “I had seen him waiting for an opportunity in previous matches. He didn’t seem completely satisfied, which made me feel a little sad as a coach. But when he finally got the chance and performed, I knew the wait was worth it."

WION Exclusive: IPL 2025 |  Even as a 5-year-old Vaibhav had a flair for the game', says his childhood coach Brijesh Jha

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old batter for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals">Rajasthan Royals</a> (RR), made a solid impression in his IPL debut game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as he hit a six off the first ball he faced, becoming one of only ten cricketers to ever achieve this feat. Suryavanshi entered the history books during the IPL face-off RR vs LSG at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday (April 19).
The left-handed batter began his IPL season by effortlessly clearing the ropes off Shardul Thakur&rsquo;s delivery and hitting a spectacular six, setting the stage for the rest of his innings. He was eventually dismissed after scoring a quickfire 34 off just 20 balls, which included three sixes and two fours. His innings came at an impressive strike rate of 170. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vaibhav-suryavanshi">Suryavanshi</a> also contributed to the run chase alongside <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yashasvi-jaiswal">Yashasvi Jaiswal</a>, with whom he added 85 runs during the chase of 181 runs.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/tennis-aryna-sabalenka-reaches-stuttgart-semis-as-ostapenko-extends-swiatek-mastery-8981268">Aryna Sabalenka reaches Stuttgart semis as Ostapenko extends Swiatek mastery</a>
<h2>Shattering records</h2>
Here are the three records that Suryavanshi shattered on his very first day in the IPL: At an age of 14 years and 23 days, he has now become the youngest debutant in IPL history. Suryavanshi broke the previous record of Prayas Ray Barman, who debuted in IPL at the age of 16 years and 157 days in 2019 while playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Suryavanshi has also become the youngest player in IPL history to score a six off the first ball. The record previously belonged to Riyan Parag of Rajasthan Royals and he did so at an age of 17 years and 161 days. Lastly, Suryavanshi has also become the youngest player to have scored a four too. This record had stood for six years prior to Saturday&rsquo;s match with Prayas Ray Barman as the record holder.&nbsp; &nbsp; Other than Barman&rsquo;s record, Suryavanshi has also joined the likes who hold the record for being the first ever to start their IPL career with a six on the first ball faced. Those on this list include Rob Quiney from Australia, Andre Russell, Carlos Braithwaite along with many others.

Cricket, Sports: Suryavanshi broke the previous record of Prayas Ray Barman, who debuted in IPL at the age of 16 years and 157 days in 2019 while playing for RCB

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old batter for Rajasthan Royals (RR), made a solid impression in his IPL debut game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as he hit a six off the first ball he faced, becoming one of only ten cricketers to ever achieve this feat. Suryavanshi entered the history books during the IPL face-off RR vs LSG at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday (April 19). The left-handed batter began his IPL season by effortlessly clearing the ropes off Shardul Thakur’s delivery and hitting a spectacular six, setting the stage for the rest of his innings. He was eventually dismissed after scoring a quickfire 34 off just 20 balls, which included three sixes and two fours. His innings came at an impressive strike rate of 170. Suryavanshi also contributed to the run chase alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, with whom he added 85 runs during the chase of 181 runs. Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka reaches Stuttgart semis as Ostapenko extends Swiatek mastery Shattering records Here are the three records that Suryavanshi shattered on his very first day in the IPL: At an age of 14 years and 23 days, he has now become the youngest debutant in IPL history. Suryavanshi broke the previous record of Prayas Ray Barman, who debuted in IPL at the age of 16 years and 157 days in 2019 while playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Suryavanshi has also become the youngest player in IPL history to score a six off the first ball. The record previously belonged to Riyan Parag of Rajasthan Royals and he did so at an age of 17 years and 161 days. Lastly, Suryavanshi has also become the youngest player to have scored a four too. This record had stood for six years prior to Saturday’s match with Prayas Ray Barman as the record holder. Other than Barman’s record, Suryavanshi has also joined the likes who hold the record for being the first ever to start their IPL career with a six on the first ball faced. Those on this list include Rob Quiney from Australia, Andre Russell, Carlos Braithwaite along with many others.

IPL 2025: Here's how many records 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi broke on his IPL debut for RR against LSG

The match between Rajasthan Royals and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lucknow-super-giants">Lucknow Super Giants</a> had everything a fan could ask for. Drama. Thrills. Last minute tension and if that wasn't enough, there was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vaibhav-suryavanshi">Vaibhav Suryavanshi</a>.&nbsp;At 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever IPL debutant when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants
Last year, he created history by becoming the youngest to bag an IPL deal at 13 years. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals">Rajasthan Royals</a> purchased the rookie left-hander for a whopping $11 million (INR 1.1 crore).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆. 𝐀. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 🫡 Welcome to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a>, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 🤝 Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/02MS6ICvQl">https://t.co/02MS6ICvQl</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvLSG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvLSG</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajasthanroyals</a> <a href="https://t.co/MizhfSax4q">pic.twitter.com/MizhfSax4q</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1913626742176223437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Suryavanshi first rose to the limelight after hitting his maiden triple hundred &ndash; an unbeaten 332, in the Randhir Verma Tournament, an Under-19 competition in Bihar. Thus far, he&rsquo;s played five first-class matches, scoring 100 runs at 10.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-ipl-2025-i-dont-know-i-blame-myself-rrs-riyan-parag-after-loss-to-lsg-8981077">IPL 2025: I don't know, I blame myself: RR's Riyan Parag after loss to LSG</a>
The 14-year-old had a solid debut against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as he started off his innings with a six on his first ball, making him the 10th player to do so.
<h2>A debut to remember</h2>
Suryavanshi joined the elite list during the IPL clash between RR and LSG at Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium.&nbsp;The teenage batter started his IPL journey by smoking <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shardul-thakur">Shardul Thakur</a> for a massive six over covers, leaving everyone stunned in the stands and the commentators. His innings was ended by Aiden Markram, who got him stumped by Rishabh Pant for an impactful 34 in 20 balls, with two fours and three sixes, at a strike rate of 170. He also had an 85-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal during a run-chase of 181.
Now, Vaibhav, aged 14 years and 23 days old, the youngest IPL player in history, has joined the elite company of Australia's Rob Quiney, the Caribbean's Kevon Cooper, West Indies icon Andre Russell, West Indies all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite, India's Aniket Choudhary, West Indies' Javon Searles, India's Siddhesh Lad, Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana, and India's Sameer Rizwi in the elite company of players who kickstarted their IPL careers with a six on the very first ball.

Cricket, Sports: At 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever IPL debutant when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against LSG

The match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants had everything a fan could ask for. Drama. Thrills. Last minute tension and if that wasn't enough, there was Vaibhav Suryavanshi. At 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever IPL debutant when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants Last year, he created history by becoming the youngest to bag an IPL deal at 13 years. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, Rajasthan Royals purchased the rookie left-hander for a whopping $11 million (INR 1.1 crore). 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆. 𝐀. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 🫡 Welcome to #TATAIPL, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 🤝 Updates ▶️ https://t.co/02MS6ICvQl#RRvLSG | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/MizhfSax4q — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 19, 2025 Suryavanshi first rose to the limelight after hitting his maiden triple hundred – an unbeaten 332, in the Randhir Verma Tournament, an Under-19 competition in Bihar. Thus far, he’s played five first-class matches, scoring 100 runs at 10. Also Read: IPL 2025: I don't know, I blame myself: RR's Riyan Parag after loss to LSG The 14-year-old had a solid debut against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as he started off his innings with a six on his first ball, making him the 10th player to do so. A debut to remember Suryavanshi joined the elite list during the IPL clash between RR and LSG at Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The teenage batter started his IPL journey by smoking Shardul Thakur for a massive six over covers, leaving everyone stunned in the stands and the commentators. His innings was ended by Aiden Markram, who got him stumped by Rishabh Pant for an impactful 34 in 20 balls, with two fours and three sixes, at a strike rate of 170. He also had an 85-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal during a run-chase of 181. Now, Vaibhav, aged 14 years and 23 days old, the youngest IPL player in history, has joined the elite company of Australia's Rob Quiney, the Caribbean's Kevon Cooper, West Indies icon Andre Russell, West Indies all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite, India's Aniket Choudhary, West Indies' Javon Searles, India's Siddhesh Lad, Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana, and India's Sameer Rizwi in the elite company of players who kickstarted their IPL careers with a six on the very first ball.

IPL 2025: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes six off first ball on IPL debut, joins THIS elite club

At one point of time everything looked in order for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals">Rajasthan Royals</a> as they were chasing down a target of 181 set by Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) 2025 on Saturday (April 19).
But, a brilliant last over by pacer Avesh Khan sealed the deal for LSG as hosts suffered their fourth consecutive defeat. Speaking after the match, Rajasthan Royals' stand-in captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/riyan-parag">Riyan Parag</a> couldn't put his finger on what exactly went wrong for his side, considering they were in the game till the 18th-19th over. He just felt that a couple of balls cost them the game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and blamed himself for the loss.
"Feeling a little hard to process the emotions, not sure what we did wrong. We were in the game till the 18th or 19th over. I probably should have finished it in the 19th over. I blame myself. We just have to put one game together collectively for 40 overs; only then can we win. We did really well (with the ball), the last over was unfortunate, thought that we would stop them for 165-170," Parag said after the match.
Lucknow Super Giants' skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rishabh-pant">Rishabh Pant</a> trusted experienced pacer Avesh Khan and handed him the responsibility of ensuring their comeback story ended on a fairytale note. Avesh, with his searing yorkers, exposed Rajasthan's Achilles heel and successfully defended nine runs in the final over to ensure LSG register a thrilling win.
<h2>'A few balls can cost you a game'</h2>
While Pant bore a cheeky smile on his face as Lucknow managed to get out of jail by the barest of margins, Parag wondered what went wrong for them and took the blame on himself, saying he should have finished the game himself in the penultimate over.
After cruising on their home strip during the chase, Rajasthan was 25 runs away from breaking their losing streak and finding some winning momentum. Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal, two set batters, stood on the crease with the mantle of steering the Royals to victory.&nbsp;While many expected it to be a walk in the park, Avesh made things interesting in the 18th over by removing both set batters in the same over. Rajasthan's innings derailed and never found the way to track as they lost by two runs.
Apart from Avesh's dazzling display, Rajasthan's fate changed in the final over, bowled by Sandeep Sharma in the first innings. Abdul Samad flaunted his power-hitting muscle and dispatched the ball for a staggering four towering maximums to lift Lucknow to 180/5.
"Sandy (Sandeep Sharma) bhai is trusted. He's only had one bad game. Samad batted really well. We should've chased that down. Today was perfect; there were no complaints about the wicket. We were right in it, just a few balls can cost you an IPL game," he signed off.

Cricket, Sports: Despite RR dominating most part of the game, the match went right down the wire as the hosts suffer fourth consecutive defeat in ongoing edition of IPL

At one point of time everything looked in order for Rajasthan Royals as they were chasing down a target of 181 set by Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday (April 19). But, a brilliant last over by pacer Avesh Khan sealed the deal for LSG as hosts suffered their fourth consecutive defeat. Speaking after the match, Rajasthan Royals' stand-in captain Riyan Parag couldn't put his finger on what exactly went wrong for his side, considering they were in the game till the 18th-19th over. He just felt that a couple of balls cost them the game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and blamed himself for the loss. "Feeling a little hard to process the emotions, not sure what we did wrong. We were in the game till the 18th or 19th over. I probably should have finished it in the 19th over. I blame myself. We just have to put one game together collectively for 40 overs; only then can we win. We did really well (with the ball), the last over was unfortunate, thought that we would stop them for 165-170," Parag said after the match. Lucknow Super Giants' skipper Rishabh Pant trusted experienced pacer Avesh Khan and handed him the responsibility of ensuring their comeback story ended on a fairytale note. Avesh, with his searing yorkers, exposed Rajasthan's Achilles heel and successfully defended nine runs in the final over to ensure LSG register a thrilling win. 'A few balls can cost you a game' While Pant bore a cheeky smile on his face as Lucknow managed to get out of jail by the barest of margins, Parag wondered what went wrong for them and took the blame on himself, saying he should have finished the game himself in the penultimate over. After cruising on their home strip during the chase, Rajasthan was 25 runs away from breaking their losing streak and finding some winning momentum. Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal, two set batters, stood on the crease with the mantle of steering the Royals to victory. While many expected it to be a walk in the park, Avesh made things interesting in the 18th over by removing both set batters in the same over. Rajasthan's innings derailed and never found the way to track as they lost by two runs. Apart from Avesh's dazzling display, Rajasthan's fate changed in the final over, bowled by Sandeep Sharma in the first innings. Abdul Samad flaunted his power-hitting muscle and dispatched the ball for a staggering four towering maximums to lift Lucknow to 180/5. "Sandy (Sandeep Sharma) bhai is trusted. He's only had one bad game. Samad batted really well. We should've chased that down. Today was perfect; there were no complaints about the wicket. We were right in it, just a few balls can cost you an IPL game," he signed off.

IPL 2025: I don't know, I blame myself: RR's Riyan Parag after loss to LSG

Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered yet another home defeat, this time at the hands of Punjab Kings in a rain-hit match. RCB managed just 95/9 before Tim David’s fighting fifty gave them hope. However, Punjab chased it down comfortably, thanks to Nehal Wadhera’s steady knock and Josh Hazlewood’s tight spell of 3/14 proving not enough.

IPL: RCB lose third straight home game as Punjab Kings dominate in rain clash

Former Australia opener David Warner joined the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/major-league-cricket">Major League Cricket</a> (MLC) franchise Seattle Orcas for the upcoming third edition, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. The third season is set to start from June 12-July 13.
Warner is currently participating in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-super-league">Pakistan Super League</a> 2025, where he is leading the Karachi Kings.&nbsp;So far in his cricketing career, the left-hand batter has played a total of 401 T20S where he has scored 12,956 runs at an impressive strike rate of 140.27.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1/formula-1-i-just-turned-in-too-much-says-red-bulls-driver-yuki-after-crashing-out-in-fp2-norris-leads-mclaren-1-2-8978899">Formula 1: 'I just turned in too much', says Red Bulls driver Yuki after crashing out in FP2; Norris leads McLaren 1-2</a>
Seattle Orcas had a strong start in the inaugural Major League Cricket season in 2023, finishing at the top of the points table, but fell short in the final against MI New York. However, in the following edition, they finished last under the captaincy of South Africa's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/heinrich-klaasen" rel="dofollow">Heinrich Klaasen</a>'s captaincy. The franchise could only manage to register one win in seven matches.
<h2>Warner went unsold in IPL 2025</h2>
The left-handed batter went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction and missed out on the tournament for the first time since 2009. The southpaw is currently the fourth-highest run-getter in the IPL, with a total of 6,565 runs from 184 innings.
Warner made a strong impact in this year's Big Bash League, returning as captain of the Sydney Thunder and guiding the team to the final. He was the tournament's second-highest run-scorer, scoring 405 runs across 12 innings.&nbsp;Earlier this year, in February, Warner was part of the Dubai Capitals squad that clinched the International League T20 (ILT20) title.

Cricket, Sports: Seattle Orcas had a strong start in first edition of Major League Cricket, finishing at top of points table, but fell short in final against MI New York

Former Australia opener David Warner joined the Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise Seattle Orcas for the upcoming third edition, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. The third season is set to start from June 12-July 13. Warner is currently participating in the Pakistan Super League 2025, where he is leading the Karachi Kings. So far in his cricketing career, the left-hand batter has played a total of 401 T20S where he has scored 12,956 runs at an impressive strike rate of 140.27. Also Read: Formula 1: 'I just turned in too much', says Red Bulls driver Yuki after crashing out in FP2; Norris leads McLaren 1-2 Seattle Orcas had a strong start in the inaugural Major League Cricket season in 2023, finishing at the top of the points table, but fell short in the final against MI New York. However, in the following edition, they finished last under the captaincy of South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen's captaincy. The franchise could only manage to register one win in seven matches. Warner went unsold in IPL 2025 The left-handed batter went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction and missed out on the tournament for the first time since 2009. The southpaw is currently the fourth-highest run-getter in the IPL, with a total of 6,565 runs from 184 innings. Warner made a strong impact in this year's Big Bash League, returning as captain of the Sydney Thunder and guiding the team to the final. He was the tournament's second-highest run-scorer, scoring 405 runs across 12 innings. Earlier this year, in February, Warner was part of the Dubai Capitals squad that clinched the International League T20 (ILT20) title.

Major League Cricket: Former Australia opening batter David Warner joins Seattle Orcas

After a video clip surfaced showing Rajasthan Royals skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sanju-samson">Sanju Samson</a> not joining the team huddle where team's head coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rahul-dravid">Rahul Dravid</a> was seen in discussion with the players and the support staff, rumours of a falling-out between Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid started flying.
However, head coach Rahul Dravid, ahead of the match against Lucknow Super Giants during a press conference cleared the air by saying that all the reports are 'baseless' and he stressed that the team remain united in their pursuit to seal place in playoffs.
&ldquo;I don't know where these reports are coming from. Sanju and I are on the same page,&rdquo; Dravid said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-argentine-wc-winner-is-named-as-laureus-ambassador-ahead-of-25th-anniversary-of-laureus-world-sports-awards-8977908">THIS Argentine WC winner is named as Laureus Ambassador ahead of 25th anniversary of Laureus World Sports Awards</a>
&ldquo;He's a very integral part of our team. He's involved in each and every decision and discussion. Sometimes, when you lose games and things don't go right, you face criticism and we can take it on our performances, but we can't do anything about this baseless stuff. The spirit of the team is really good, I'm impressed with how hard these guys work. One of the things people don't understand is how hurt the players feel when they don't perform,&rdquo; the Dravid explained.
<h2>Sanju's availability remains doubtful</h2>
In their last match against Delhi Capitals, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals">Rajasthan Royals</a> lost in Super Over, Sanju was retired hurt after he made 31 off 19 balls, as he reportedly suffered a side strain. His availability against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday (April 19) remains doubtful.
The RR skipper appeared to be in discomfort after attempting a cut shot off Vipraj Nigam, prompting the physio to examine the left side of his ribcage. Although he faced the next delivery, Samson soon walked off the field.
"Sanju experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area. So we have gone for scans. He has done some scans today so we are waiting the results of those scans. And then once we get a bit more clarity around the scans and the severity of (the injury) we'll take a decision going forward and we'll see what happens," head coach Rahul Dravid said in the pre-match press conference on Friday.

Cricket, Sports: Ahead of their match against LSG, Dravid called all the reports 'baseless' and maintained that the team remain united in their pursuit of the playoffs

After a video clip surfaced showing Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson not joining the team huddle where team's head coach Rahul Dravid was seen in discussion with the players and the support staff, rumours of a falling-out between Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid started flying. However, head coach Rahul Dravid, ahead of the match against Lucknow Super Giants during a press conference cleared the air by saying that all the reports are 'baseless' and he stressed that the team remain united in their pursuit to seal place in playoffs. “I don't know where these reports are coming from. Sanju and I are on the same page,” Dravid said. Also Read: THIS Argentine WC winner is named as Laureus Ambassador ahead of 25th anniversary of Laureus World Sports Awards “He's a very integral part of our team. He's involved in each and every decision and discussion. Sometimes, when you lose games and things don't go right, you face criticism and we can take it on our performances, but we can't do anything about this baseless stuff. The spirit of the team is really good, I'm impressed with how hard these guys work. One of the things people don't understand is how hurt the players feel when they don't perform,” the Dravid explained. Sanju's availability remains doubtful In their last match against Delhi Capitals, which Rajasthan Royals lost in Super Over, Sanju was retired hurt after he made 31 off 19 balls, as he reportedly suffered a side strain. His availability against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday (April 19) remains doubtful. The RR skipper appeared to be in discomfort after attempting a cut shot off Vipraj Nigam, prompting the physio to examine the left side of his ribcage. Although he faced the next delivery, Samson soon walked off the field. "Sanju experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area. So we have gone for scans. He has done some scans today so we are waiting the results of those scans. And then once we get a bit more clarity around the scans and the severity of (the injury) we'll take a decision going forward and we'll see what happens," head coach Rahul Dravid said in the pre-match press conference on Friday.

IPL 2025: RR coach Rahul Dravid breaks silence on Sanju Samson 'fall out' rumours, says 'Sanju and I are…'

Punjab Kings (PBKS) registered a dominating win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a rain-affected match in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) clash in Bengaluru on Friday (April 18).
PBKS captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shreyas-iyer">Shreyas Iyer</a> was all smiles after the win.&nbsp;With the match reduced to 14 overs per side, PBKS chased down a target of 96 in 12.1 overs after restricting RCB to 95/9, thanks to a disciplined bowling effort and a quick cameo by Nehal Wadhera.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Iyer praised the unpredictability of T20 cricket, saying, "Variety is the spice of life, and we are here to experience all kinds of games here; it's a great challenge."
<h2>'All my decisions were instinctive'</h2>
The Punjab skipper also opened up about his on-field decisions during the game, admitting they were largely instinctive.&nbsp;"There was no thinking to be honest, I was just taking instinctive moves. I just didn't want new batters to come in and settle in. Jansen was getting a lot of bounce, and he was bowling lethally," he added.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/marco-jansen">Marco Jansen</a> indeed proved to be a game-changer, with figures of 2/10, and using the surface's bounce to his advantage.
"To be honest, we didn't know how the wicket was going to feel, but the bowlers adapted to it. I had a chat with Arshdeep, and he said the hard-length balls were hard to hit. That was the chatter in the middle, and they executed brilliantly," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Nehal Wadhera, who finished the game with an unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, got special praise from Iyer.&nbsp;"His approach was wonderful today," Iyer said.&nbsp;
Iyer also spoke highly of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuzvendra-chahal">Yuzvendra Chahal</a>, who took 2/11.&nbsp;"I personally had a chat with him and told him that you are a match-winner and you need to get us as many wickets as possible...He has a capability of bouncing back, and he is one of the best bowlers in the IPL," he signed off.

Cricket, Sports: The PBKS skipper credited his bowlers for quickly adapting to the conditions as Marco Jansen proved to be a game-changer, with figures of 2/10

Punjab Kings (PBKS) registered a dominating win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a rain-affected match in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in Bengaluru on Friday (April 18). PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer was all smiles after the win. With the match reduced to 14 overs per side, PBKS chased down a target of 96 in 12.1 overs after restricting RCB to 95/9, thanks to a disciplined bowling effort and a quick cameo by Nehal Wadhera. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Iyer praised the unpredictability of T20 cricket, saying, "Variety is the spice of life, and we are here to experience all kinds of games here; it's a great challenge." 'All my decisions were instinctive' The Punjab skipper also opened up about his on-field decisions during the game, admitting they were largely instinctive. "There was no thinking to be honest, I was just taking instinctive moves. I just didn't want new batters to come in and settle in. Jansen was getting a lot of bounce, and he was bowling lethally," he added. Marco Jansen indeed proved to be a game-changer, with figures of 2/10, and using the surface's bounce to his advantage. "To be honest, we didn't know how the wicket was going to feel, but the bowlers adapted to it. I had a chat with Arshdeep, and he said the hard-length balls were hard to hit. That was the chatter in the middle, and they executed brilliantly," he remarked. Meanwhile, Nehal Wadhera, who finished the game with an unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, got special praise from Iyer. "His approach was wonderful today," Iyer said. Iyer also spoke highly of Yuzvendra Chahal, who took 2/11. "I personally had a chat with him and told him that you are a match-winner and you need to get us as many wickets as possible...He has a capability of bouncing back, and he is one of the best bowlers in the IPL," he signed off.

IPL 2025: 'Variety is spice of life', says PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer after huge win over RCB

An interesting match at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals defeated Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling Super Over clash. Mitchell Starc delivered under pressure, showcasing his match-winning skills. Fans witnessed one of IPL 2025’s most unforgettable finishes!

Delhi Capitals edge Rajasthan Royals in thrilling IPL super over

&ldquo;They won the game in the powerplay.&rdquo; That was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sanju-samson">Sanju Samson</a>&rsquo;s honest admission after Rajasthan Royals faced a crushing nine-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday. RCB chased down a total of 173 with ease, getting over the line with 15 balls to spare and extending their dominant run in IPL 2025.
On a pitch that offered grip and slowness in the first innings, Rajasthan put up what looked like a strong total of 172. Samson felt his team had something to fight with. &ldquo;After losing the toss on a slow wicket, 170-odd was a really good score. It was hard to bat in the powerplay,&rdquo; he said.
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But RCB&rsquo;s batters had different plans. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/phil-salt">Phil Salt</a> came out hard, smashing 65 runs off just 33 balls and putting the Rajasthan bowlers under pressure right from the start. Once Salt departed, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> took control and calmly anchored the chase with his 100th T20 half-century.
<h2>'Wicket was not easy to bat'</h2>
&ldquo;Knew Salt and Kohli would come hard at us. They won the game in the powerplay,&rdquo; Samson added, admitting the match had slipped away early.
Fielding too became a concern for Rajasthan, as dropped catches gave RCB added chances. But Samson refused to stress on those mistakes. &ldquo;They also dropped our catches, we also dropped theirs. It is okay, they batted better. Have to give it to RCB, their intent was better.&rdquo;
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar acknowledged Kohli&rsquo;s impact. &ldquo;The wicket was not easy to bat, we targeted 150-170. The way VK bhai rotated the strike was special.&rdquo;
Devdutt Padikkal, who stayed unbeaten on 40 and added 83 with Kohli, said the side will look to carry this form into their next home game against Punjab Kings on April 18.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are in a good mindset,&rdquo; Samson concluded. &ldquo;People have admitted their mistakes. We have to put this game behind us and come back fresh.&rdquo;

Cricket, Sports: Padikkal, who stayed unbeaten on 40 said the side will look to carry this form into their next home game against Punjab Kings on April 18

“They won the game in the powerplay.” That was Sanju Samson’s honest admission after Rajasthan Royals faced a crushing nine-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday. RCB chased down a total of 173 with ease, getting over the line with 15 balls to spare and extending their dominant run in IPL 2025. On a pitch that offered grip and slowness in the first innings, Rajasthan put up what looked like a strong total of 172. Samson felt his team had something to fight with. “After losing the toss on a slow wicket, 170-odd was a really good score. It was hard to bat in the powerplay,” he said. Also Read: ICC joins hands with BCCI, ECB and CA to support initiative for displaced Afghan women cricketers But RCB’s batters had different plans. Phil Salt came out hard, smashing 65 runs off just 33 balls and putting the Rajasthan bowlers under pressure right from the start. Once Salt departed, Virat Kohli took control and calmly anchored the chase with his 100th T20 half-century. 'Wicket was not easy to bat' “Knew Salt and Kohli would come hard at us. They won the game in the powerplay,” Samson added, admitting the match had slipped away early. Fielding too became a concern for Rajasthan, as dropped catches gave RCB added chances. But Samson refused to stress on those mistakes. “They also dropped our catches, we also dropped theirs. It is okay, they batted better. Have to give it to RCB, their intent was better.” RCB skipper Rajat Patidar acknowledged Kohli’s impact. “The wicket was not easy to bat, we targeted 150-170. The way VK bhai rotated the strike was special.” Devdutt Padikkal, who stayed unbeaten on 40 and added 83 with Kohli, said the side will look to carry this form into their next home game against Punjab Kings on April 18. “We are in a good mindset,” Samson concluded. “People have admitted their mistakes. We have to put this game behind us and come back fresh.”

IPL 2025: 'They won in powerplay, RR skipper Samson admits after big loss against RCB

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