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Mumbai Indians pacer Ashwani Kumar did nothing wrong on his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Mar 31. He also created history by registering the best figures by an Indian bowler on IPL debut. He equalled great Shoaib Akhtar and West Indies' Kevon Cooper with his four-wicket haul - the first Indian to do so on IPL debut.
Ashwani struck with his ball in the cash-rich league, dismissing KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane and then accounting for the wickets of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Manish Pandey as well. He finished for 4/24 in three overs - the best ever for an Indian on IPL debut.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-hes-not-the-captain-former-eng-skipper-on-whether-mi-will-drop-rohit-amid-poor-form-8912039" aria-label="IPL 2025: 'He's not the captain,' former ENG skipper on whether MI will drop Rohit amid poor form">IPL 2025: 'He's not the captain,' former ENG skipper on whether MI will drop Rohit amid poor form</a>
Before him, there are only three more bowlers who have performed better on IPL debut, they are Alzarri Joseph from West Indies, Andrew Tye from Australia and Shoaib Akhtar from Pakistan.
Joseph, playing for MI vs SRH in 2019, took 6/12 - the best ever for any bowler on IPL debut. Aussie Tye picked up 5/17 for now defunct Gujarat Lions vs Pune Supergiant in 2017.
Akhtar, meanwhile, took 4/11 in three overs in the only season Pakistan players were allowed to play - in inaugural 2008 season while playing for KKR.
<h2>Who is Ashwani Kumar?</h2>
Ashwani belongs to Punjab state's Jhanjeri village in Mohali district and was first spotted by Mumbai Indians squad during the domestic Sher-e-Punjab T20 trophy. He gained the reputation as the bowler who could bowl the difficult slog overs. His performance impressed MI scouts enough to pick him in the mega auction. Ashwani was bought for INR 30 lakh ($35,000) from the uncapped players' pool.
As for Ashwani's domestic record, the bowler has played two first class games, four List A games and four T20s as well. In those matches, he has taken three wickets in FA, three wickets in List A and two wickets in T20s, respectively.

MI pacer Ashwani is from Jhanjeri village in Punjab's Mohali and was bough for INR 30 lakh ($35,000) at the IPL mega auction last year. Cricket Sports

Mumbai Indians pacer Ashwani Kumar did nothing wrong on his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Mar 31. He also created history by registering the best figures by an Indian bowler on IPL debut. He equalled great Shoaib Akhtar and West Indies' Kevon Cooper with his four-wicket haul - the first Indian to do so on IPL debut. Ashwani struck with his ball in the cash-rich league, dismissing KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane and then accounting for the wickets of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Manish Pandey as well. He finished for 4/24 in three overs - the best ever for an Indian on IPL debut. Also Read: IPL 2025: 'He's not the captain,' former ENG skipper on whether MI will drop Rohit amid poor form Before him, there are only three more bowlers who have performed better on IPL debut, they are Alzarri Joseph from West Indies, Andrew Tye from Australia and Shoaib Akhtar from Pakistan. Joseph, playing for MI vs SRH in 2019, took 6/12 - the best ever for any bowler on IPL debut. Aussie Tye picked up 5/17 for now defunct Gujarat Lions vs Pune Supergiant in 2017. Akhtar, meanwhile, took 4/11 in three overs in the only season Pakistan players were allowed to play - in inaugural 2008 season while playing for KKR. Who is Ashwani Kumar? Ashwani belongs to Punjab state's Jhanjeri village in Mohali district and was first spotted by Mumbai Indians squad during the domestic Sher-e-Punjab T20 trophy. He gained the reputation as the bowler who could bowl the difficult slog overs. His performance impressed MI scouts enough to pick him in the mega auction. Ashwani was bought for INR 30 lakh ($35,000) from the uncapped players' pool. As for Ashwani's domestic record, the bowler has played two first class games, four List A games and four T20s as well. In those matches, he has taken three wickets in FA, three wickets in List A and two wickets in T20s, respectively.

'Next to Shoaib Akhtar': MI sensation Ashwani Kumar becomes first Indian bowler to achieve THIS feat on IPL debut

A new-look Punjab Kings is set to play their second Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) who have blown hot and cold in two matches played so far. While the match is being played in Lucknow, it is advantage PBKS given their form, better bowling attack and of course the confidence they exuded in the first match.
<h2>IPL 2025: PBKS vs LSG Match Prediction Today</h2>
Lucknow's batting has revolved around Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran in the two matches they have played. Their bowling has become a bit better after addition of Avesh Khan in the last match and rookie Prince Yadav finding his groove as well.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-hes-not-the-captain-former-eng-skipper-on-whether-mi-will-drop-rohit-amid-poor-form-8912039">IPL 2025: 'He's not the captain,' former ENG skipper on whether MI will drop Rohit amid poor form</a>
The cause of concern is skipper Rishabh Pant's batting - who has not looked great in the two match and has scored only 15 and 0 in the two matches.
PBKS, on the other hand, posted 244 in their first match thanks to skipper Shreyas Iyer's brilliant 97. The skipper was ably supported by Priyansh Arya at the top and Shashank Singh in the slog overs. In middle overs, they have Glenn Maxwell and Azamatullah Omarzai as well.
As for bowling, Arshdeep Singh has been phenomenal over the years for them and he will find it helpful at the grassy Lucknow pitch. Yuzvendra Chahal is their lead spinner with Vijaykumar Vyshak playing his part to perfection as well.
The team winning the toss should bowl first given the dew expectation and the average winning score should be around 185-190 run mark.
<h2>PBKS vs LSG Match Today: Pitch Report</h2>
Lucknow is one of the few grounds in IPL which supports bowlers. While there could be dew in the second innings, the team who wins the toss would definitely like to bowl first and then chase the score helped by the dew.
<h2>PBKS vs LSG Match Today: Predicted Playing XI</h2>
PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Azamatullah Omarzai, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak
LSG: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur,&nbsp; Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan&nbsp;

IPL 2025 LSG vs PBKS Match Prediction: The team winning the toss should bowl first given the dew expectation and the average winning score should be around 185-190 run mark. Cricket Sports

A new-look Punjab Kings is set to play their second Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) who have blown hot and cold in two matches played so far. While the match is being played in Lucknow, it is advantage PBKS given their form, better bowling attack and of course the confidence they exuded in the first match. IPL 2025: PBKS vs LSG Match Prediction Today Lucknow's batting has revolved around Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran in the two matches they have played. Their bowling has become a bit better after addition of Avesh Khan in the last match and rookie Prince Yadav finding his groove as well. Also Read: IPL 2025: 'He's not the captain,' former ENG skipper on whether MI will drop Rohit amid poor form The cause of concern is skipper Rishabh Pant's batting - who has not looked great in the two match and has scored only 15 and 0 in the two matches. PBKS, on the other hand, posted 244 in their first match thanks to skipper Shreyas Iyer's brilliant 97. The skipper was ably supported by Priyansh Arya at the top and Shashank Singh in the slog overs. In middle overs, they have Glenn Maxwell and Azamatullah Omarzai as well. As for bowling, Arshdeep Singh has been phenomenal over the years for them and he will find it helpful at the grassy Lucknow pitch. Yuzvendra Chahal is their lead spinner with Vijaykumar Vyshak playing his part to perfection as well. The team winning the toss should bowl first given the dew expectation and the average winning score should be around 185-190 run mark. PBKS vs LSG Match Today: Pitch Report Lucknow is one of the few grounds in IPL which supports bowlers. While there could be dew in the second innings, the team who wins the toss would definitely like to bowl first and then chase the score helped by the dew. PBKS vs LSG Match Today: Predicted Playing XI PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Azamatullah Omarzai, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak LSG: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan

IPL 2025: LSG vs PBKS Match Prediction, Playing XI, Pitch Report

Mumbai Indians batter and India skipper Rohit Sharma once again failed to make any impact with the bat as he got out on 13 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Mar 31 at Wankhede in IPL 2025. MI, however, won the game to snap their two-game losing streak but Rohit's form in the three games has everyone got talking. The former MI skipper has managed scores of 0, 8 and 13 in his last three games - not up to the mark for a batter of Rohit's calibre.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan, meanwhile, says that any other player would lose his place with those numbers as a batter.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-who-is-ashwani-kumar-mumbai-indians-left-arm-pacer-who-dismissed-rahane-on-first-ball-during-debut-vs-kkr-8910953" aria-label="IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar - Mumbai Indians' newest left-arm pacer who dismissed Rahane on first ball during debut vs KKR">IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar - Mumbai Indians' newest left-arm pacer who dismissed Rahane on first ball during debut vs KKR</a>
"You look at his numbers, you've got to remember, we're judging Rohit just as a batter now, because he's not the captain. Now, I think you can get away with average numbers, and they're average numbers. If your name's not Rohit Sharma, you're probably losing your place in the side at some stage with those numbers. They're not good enough for a player like Rohit Sharma," Vaughan said while talking to cricket news website Cricbuzz.
Vaughan, however, acknowledged that Rohit isn't going to be dropped from the side but instead backed to provide starts to Mumbai Indians which is required for franchise to get going in the season.
"I'm not saying that they'll get rid of him. I'm not going to drop him. Come on, get us off to a start. Get your flow back, get your rhythm back, get your mojo back. Because for Mumbai to go and put right what they've not done right in the first two games, it does require that senior core to produce," said Vaughan.
All of Rohit's dismissal have come very soft and unlike of him - in the first game he played a ball from left-hand Khaleel Ahmed of CSK directly into the hands of midwicket player.
In the next match against GT, Rohit was bowled through the gates by Mohammed Siraj before lobbing the ball to mid-off in the game vs KKR.

The former MI skipper has managed scores of 0, 8 and 13 in his last three games - not up to the mark for a batter of Rohit's calibre. Cricket Sports

Mumbai Indians batter and India skipper Rohit Sharma once again failed to make any impact with the bat as he got out on 13 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Mar 31 at Wankhede in IPL 2025. MI, however, won the game to snap their two-game losing streak but Rohit's form in the three games has everyone got talking. The former MI skipper has managed scores of 0, 8 and 13 in his last three games - not up to the mark for a batter of Rohit's calibre. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan, meanwhile, says that any other player would lose his place with those numbers as a batter. Also Read: IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar - Mumbai Indians' newest left-arm pacer who dismissed Rahane on first ball during debut vs KKR "You look at his numbers, you've got to remember, we're judging Rohit just as a batter now, because he's not the captain. Now, I think you can get away with average numbers, and they're average numbers. If your name's not Rohit Sharma, you're probably losing your place in the side at some stage with those numbers. They're not good enough for a player like Rohit Sharma," Vaughan said while talking to cricket news website Cricbuzz. Vaughan, however, acknowledged that Rohit isn't going to be dropped from the side but instead backed to provide starts to Mumbai Indians which is required for franchise to get going in the season. "I'm not saying that they'll get rid of him. I'm not going to drop him. Come on, get us off to a start. Get your flow back, get your rhythm back, get your mojo back. Because for Mumbai to go and put right what they've not done right in the first two games, it does require that senior core to produce," said Vaughan. All of Rohit's dismissal have come very soft and unlike of him - in the first game he played a ball from left-hand Khaleel Ahmed of CSK directly into the hands of midwicket player. In the next match against GT, Rohit was bowled through the gates by Mohammed Siraj before lobbing the ball to mid-off in the game vs KKR.

IPL 2025: 'He's not the captain,' former ENG skipper on whether MI will drop Rohit amid poor form

Explosive young opening batsman Sam Konstas was on Tuesday awarded his first central contract by Cricket Australia for the 2025-26 season, which includes the World Test Championship final and the Ashes against England.
The 19-year-old Konstas made headlines against India in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test when he took on fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to make a memorable debut 60 off 65 balls, with six fours and two sixes.
Konstas is one of 23 men's players on the Cricket Australia contracted list issued Tuesday.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/history-making-west-indies-opener-quits-test-captaincy-head-coach-sammy-picks-new-t20i-skipper-kraigg-brathwaite-shai-hope-8911385">Kraigg Brathwaite quits as West Indies Test captain; head coach Sammy picks new T20I skipper</a>
"In Sam we see promising upside in a young player who will continue to develop at first-class level and in the international environment," said Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey.
Also new to the list is left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, who was player of the series in the 2-0 Test win in Sri Lanka earlier this year with 16 wickets.
The 28-year-old was then reported by match officials for a suspect bowling action but subsequently cleared after testing at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.
"Matt was outstanding once again in Sri Lanka and we believe he can play a key role across the next 18 months," said Bailey.
All-rounder Beau Webster, who scored 57 on his Test debut in the fifth India Test at Sydney and then hit the winning runs in the second innings, was retained after being upgraded to the contracted list during last season.
The 31-year-old can also bowl medium-fast or off-spin.
"In Beau's case he proved more than comfortable at Test level with bat and ball, adds an additional dimension in the field and to the balance of the side," Bailey said.
Australia will play South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June followed by three Tests in the West Indies.&nbsp;
The first of five Ashes Tests is at Perth in November.&nbsp;
Cricket Australia contracted men's players 2025-26: Xavier Bartlett, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa&nbsp;

Also new to the list is left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, who was player of the series in the 2-0 Test win in Sri Lanka earlier this year with 16 wickets. Cricket Sports

Explosive young opening batsman Sam Konstas was on Tuesday awarded his first central contract by Cricket Australia for the 2025-26 season, which includes the World Test Championship final and the Ashes against England. The 19-year-old Konstas made headlines against India in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test when he took on fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to make a memorable debut 60 off 65 balls, with six fours and two sixes. Konstas is one of 23 men's players on the Cricket Australia contracted list issued Tuesday. Also Read: Kraigg Brathwaite quits as West Indies Test captain; head coach Sammy picks new T20I skipper "In Sam we see promising upside in a young player who will continue to develop at first-class level and in the international environment," said Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey. Also new to the list is left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, who was player of the series in the 2-0 Test win in Sri Lanka earlier this year with 16 wickets. The 28-year-old was then reported by match officials for a suspect bowling action but subsequently cleared after testing at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. "Matt was outstanding once again in Sri Lanka and we believe he can play a key role across the next 18 months," said Bailey. All-rounder Beau Webster, who scored 57 on his Test debut in the fifth India Test at Sydney and then hit the winning runs in the second innings, was retained after being upgraded to the contracted list during last season. The 31-year-old can also bowl medium-fast or off-spin. "In Beau's case he proved more than comfortable at Test level with bat and ball, adds an additional dimension in the field and to the balance of the side," Bailey said. Australia will play South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June followed by three Tests in the West Indies. The first of five Ashes Tests is at Perth in November. Cricket Australia contracted men's players 2025-26: Xavier Bartlett, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa

Sam Konstas awarded Australia's central contract with eyes on Ashes

Kraigg Brathwaite quit as West Indies Test captain on Monday after four years in charge while ODI skipper Shai Hope was handed leadership of the T20 team, officials said. The 32-year-old Brathwaite, who is two matches shy of reaching the 100-Test mark, led the team to a first Test victory in Australia in 27 years with an eight-run win in Brisbane last year. <o:p></o:p>
Earlier this season, he was in charge when the West Indies won a Test match in Pakistan for the first time in nearly 35 years.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/england-test-captain-ben-stokes-to-miss-early-county-games-in-fitness-battle-8911180" rel="dofollow">England Test captain Ben Stokes to miss early county games in fitness battle</a>
A dogged and disciplined opening batsman, Brathwaite has accumulated 5,935 runs in Tests with 12 centuries and 31 fifties but at an average of just over 33. <o:p></o:p>He is also renowned for feats of patience, batting for the best part of 16 hours over two innings to secure a draw with England at Barbados in 2022.<o:p></o:p>
"Kraigg Brathwaite has been an outstanding leader for our Test team, guiding the squad with discipline, resilience, and a deep understanding of the game," said West Indies director of cricket, Miles Bascombe. <o:p></o:p>
"His contributions have been invaluable, and under his leadership, we have witnessed historic moments that will be remembered for years to come."<o:p></o:p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8xe1c78-iom4tbkg-ycxt5c39">
WI salute you, Kraigg Brathwaite, for your unwavering leadership as Captain and to the people of the West Indies. We look forward to your continued dedication to West Indies cricket on and off the field. <a href="https://t.co/xV0YuKktEc">pic.twitter.com/xV0YuKktEc</a>
&mdash; Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/windiescricket/status/1906708305931636864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, Hope replaces Rovman Powell, in charge since 2023, as T20 captain.<o:p></o:p>
Hope, 31, has played 133 ODIs and 39 T20 internationals, scoring more than 6,000 runs over both formats.<o:p></o:p>
He has 17 centuries in ODI cricket.<o:p></o:p>
"Shai Hope's appointment signals a progressive shift for West Indies cricket," said head coach Darren Sammy.
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: Brathwaite, who is two matches shy of reaching the 100-Test mark, led the team to a first Test victory in Australia in 27 years last year.

Kraigg Brathwaite quit as West Indies Test captain on Monday after four years in charge while ODI skipper Shai Hope was handed leadership of the T20 team, officials said. The 32-year-old Brathwaite, who is two matches shy of reaching the 100-Test mark, led the team to a first Test victory in Australia in 27 years with an eight-run win in Brisbane last year. Earlier this season, he was in charge when the West Indies won a Test match in Pakistan for the first time in nearly 35 years. Also read | England Test captain Ben Stokes to miss early county games in fitness battle A dogged and disciplined opening batsman, Brathwaite has accumulated 5,935 runs in Tests with 12 centuries and 31 fifties but at an average of just over 33. He is also renowned for feats of patience, batting for the best part of 16 hours over two innings to secure a draw with England at Barbados in 2022. "Kraigg Brathwaite has been an outstanding leader for our Test team, guiding the squad with discipline, resilience, and a deep understanding of the game," said West Indies director of cricket, Miles Bascombe. "His contributions have been invaluable, and under his leadership, we have witnessed historic moments that will be remembered for years to come." WI salute you, Kraigg Brathwaite, for your unwavering leadership as Captain and to the people of the West Indies. We look forward to your continued dedication to West Indies cricket on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/xV0YuKktEc — Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) March 31, 2025 Meanwhile, Hope replaces Rovman Powell, in charge since 2023, as T20 captain. Hope, 31, has played 133 ODIs and 39 T20 internationals, scoring more than 6,000 runs over both formats. He has 17 centuries in ODI cricket. "Shai Hope's appointment signals a progressive shift for West Indies cricket," said head coach Darren Sammy. 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.

Kraigg Brathwaite quits as West Indies Test captain; head coach Sammy picks new T20I skipper

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hardik-pandya" rel="dofollow">Hardik Pandya</a> credits <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mumbai-indians" rel="dofollow">Mumbai Indians</a> scouts for unearthing a talent like Ashwani Kumar, who made history with his four-wicket haul against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> on his IPL debut. Having lost two matches already, MI needed a heroic effort from someone to put them on the winning track, with that coming by an uncapped seamer, who picked his maiden IPL wicket on the first ball of his spell, which helped Mumbai open account this edition with an eight-wicket win over KKR.
Over the years, Mumbai Indians scouts have unearthed the best of young talents, giving them chances and making the most out of them.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/mi-vs-kkr-ashwani-kumar-picks-four-on-debut-rickelton-his-maiden-fifty-as-mumbai-indians-open-account-in-ipl-2025-8911216" rel="dofollow">MI vs KKR: Ashwani Kumar's four-for on debut helps Mumbai Indians open account in IPL 2025</a>
Even in their first game (against CSK) this season, MI played uncapped spinner Vignesh Puthur, who picked three wickets on his debut, though MI lost that game by four wickets. On Monday, they introduced Ashwani to world cricket, with the left-arm quick making the right noises.
Ashwani&rsquo;s four-wicket haul helped MI dismiss KKR on a paltry 116, with their batters completing the run chase with over seven overs and eight wickets remaining.&nbsp;
Addressing the media after MI&rsquo;s first win this season, captain Pandya sounded elated with the team effort, acknowledging everyone for coming on the day.
&ldquo;Very satisfying,&rdquo; Pandya said of MI&rsquo;s win over KKR.
&ldquo;To win, especially at home and the way we did it as a group - everyone chipped in, cannot be happier. It is always a challenge of picking one guy here or there.
&ldquo;Our team is sorted with the players we are backing and the players we have. We thought Ashwani can come in (on this pitch) and bowl the way he bowled. It is all scouts - they picked him. They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action, and he was a leftie,&rdquo; Pandya lauded Ashwani.&nbsp;
<h2>Russell&rsquo;s wicket impressed Pandya</h2>
Ashwani bowled well, with all of his wicket-taking deliveries deserving the highest praise; however, what stood out was his one that clean-bowled Russell.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8xdg09b-ewzbpsaz-2lg0yxh4">
Debut straight out of a storybook 📖 The perfect first chapter for Ashwani Kumar 👌👌 Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/iEwchzDRNM">https://t.co/iEwchzDRNM</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvKKR</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> <a href="https://t.co/npaynbIViX">pic.twitter.com/npaynbIViX</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906726739490803951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;We just backed him, and the way he took that wicket of Russell was a very crucial wicket, and how he started with the catch of de Kock, it was terrific to see (a fast bowler jumping up to take it). When it goes my way, it looks good. But the kind of team we have, we have a lot of young and experienced players combined, and I do not have to worry much. Early start, but a great sign for everyone to chip in and kick off the tournament for us,&rdquo; Pandya said.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Mumbai Indians left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar became the first Indian and the sixth player overall to pick a four-wicket haul on his IPL debut.

Hardik Pandya credits Mumbai Indians scouts for unearthing a talent like Ashwani Kumar, who made history with his four-wicket haul against Kolkata Knight Riders on his IPL debut. Having lost two matches already, MI needed a heroic effort from someone to put them on the winning track, with that coming by an uncapped seamer, who picked his maiden IPL wicket on the first ball of his spell, which helped Mumbai open account this edition with an eight-wicket win over KKR. Over the years, Mumbai Indians scouts have unearthed the best of young talents, giving them chances and making the most out of them. Also read | MI vs KKR: Ashwani Kumar's four-for on debut helps Mumbai Indians open account in IPL 2025 Even in their first game (against CSK) this season, MI played uncapped spinner Vignesh Puthur, who picked three wickets on his debut, though MI lost that game by four wickets. On Monday, they introduced Ashwani to world cricket, with the left-arm quick making the right noises. Ashwani’s four-wicket haul helped MI dismiss KKR on a paltry 116, with their batters completing the run chase with over seven overs and eight wickets remaining. Addressing the media after MI’s first win this season, captain Pandya sounded elated with the team effort, acknowledging everyone for coming on the day. “Very satisfying,” Pandya said of MI’s win over KKR. “To win, especially at home and the way we did it as a group - everyone chipped in, cannot be happier. It is always a challenge of picking one guy here or there. “Our team is sorted with the players we are backing and the players we have. We thought Ashwani can come in (on this pitch) and bowl the way he bowled. It is all scouts - they picked him. They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action, and he was a leftie,” Pandya lauded Ashwani. Russell’s wicket impressed Pandya Ashwani bowled well, with all of his wicket-taking deliveries deserving the highest praise; however, what stood out was his one that clean-bowled Russell. Debut straight out of a storybook 📖 The perfect first chapter for Ashwani Kumar 👌👌 Updates ▶ https://t.co/iEwchzDRNM#TATAIPL | #MIvKKR | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/npaynbIViX — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2025 “We just backed him, and the way he took that wicket of Russell was a very crucial wicket, and how he started with the catch of de Kock, it was terrific to see (a fast bowler jumping up to take it). When it goes my way, it looks good. But the kind of team we have, we have a lot of young and experienced players combined, and I do not have to worry much. Early start, but a great sign for everyone to chip in and kick off the tournament for us,” Pandya said. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Captain Pandya lauds Mumbai Indians scouts for unearthing Ashwani Kumar after win over KKR

Former five-time winners <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mumbai-indians-mi" rel="dofollow">Mumbai Indians (MI)</a> have finally opened their account in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> with a thumping eight-wicket win over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium. New faces helped the hosts taste success for the first time in this edition, with seamer Ashwani Kumar picking a match-winning four-for on his IPL debut, and overseas opener Ryan Rickelton scored his maiden fifty for the franchise.
Mumbai won the toss and elected to bowl first, a fantastic call by captain Hardik Pandya. MI new-ball pacers picked four wickets inside the Powerplay, including one by the debutant Ashwani Kumar, who picked a wicket on his first ball in the IPL. KKR&rsquo;s top order struggled against the moving ball, with Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar causing trouble up front.&nbsp;
Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh tried saving the sinking ship, failing to hold on for long, as Ashwani returned to tear into KKR&rsquo;s lower order, including removing three dangerous batters in Rinku, Manish Pandey and all-rounder Andre Russell.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-who-is-ashwani-kumar-mumbai-indians-left-arm-pacer-who-dismissed-rahane-on-first-ball-during-debut-vs-kkr-8910953" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar - Mumbai Indians' newest left-arm pacer who dismissed Rahane on first ball during debut vs KKR</a>
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Debut straight out of a storybook 📖 The perfect first chapter for Ashwani Kumar 👌👌 Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/iEwchzDRNM">https://t.co/iEwchzDRNM</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvKKR</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> <a href="https://t.co/npaynbIViX">pic.twitter.com/npaynbIViX</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906726739490803951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Mitchell Santner and MI&rsquo;s rookie spinner Vignesh Puthur picked the remaining two wickets to wrap up KKR&rsquo;s innings on a mere 116 inside 17 overs.&nbsp;
"I was feeling really good. There was a little pressure earlier, but thanks to the atmosphere of the team, I didn't feel any pressure," Ashwani, 23, said during the mid-innings.&nbsp;
<h2>Rickelton, the hero with the bat</h2>
Although Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s dismal run with the bat continued as he got out early inside the Powerplay on 13, his opening partner, Ryan Rickelton, repaid his team&rsquo;s faith with a match-winning unbeaten 62 off 41 balls, including five sixes and four fours.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8xbyl3m-crz7r6dl-ift0l7nt">
The clarity in both these shots 😇 Ryan Rickelton with no half measures in the chase 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MI</a> lose Rohit Sharma and are 55/1 after 6 overs. Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk">https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvKKR</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> <a href="https://t.co/3keQ745xn2">pic.twitter.com/3keQ745xn2</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906743650773790793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
The left-handed opener finally came good for the franchise after moderate outings in his previous two matches.&nbsp;
His 46-run stand with Rohit had Mumbai going; however, Will Jacks providing support at the other end following Rohit&rsquo;s departure allowed Ryan to free his arms and take on KKR&rsquo;s bowling attack. His two sixes to veteran spinner Sunil Narine was the highlight.&nbsp;
Ace T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav put on the final touches, hitting an unbeaten 27 off nine balls, including two sixes and three fours; Mumbai completed the chase with over seven overs and eight wickets remaining. &nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8xbyaan-4iaaayau-6wedft9q">
𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 😎 Trademark way to get off the mark ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> cruising in the chase 🛳️ Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk">https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvKKR</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/surya_14kumar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@surya_14kumar</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ag46xegPOW">pic.twitter.com/Ag46xegPOW</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906751215112954250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>

Cricket, Sports: Playing his first IPL game, Ashwani picked his maiden wicket on the first ball of his spell, later picking three more to complete 4/24 in 3 overs.

Former five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) have finally opened their account in the ongoing IPL 2025 with a thumping eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium. New faces helped the hosts taste success for the first time in this edition, with seamer Ashwani Kumar picking a match-winning four-for on his IPL debut, and overseas opener Ryan Rickelton scored his maiden fifty for the franchise. Mumbai won the toss and elected to bowl first, a fantastic call by captain Hardik Pandya. MI new-ball pacers picked four wickets inside the Powerplay, including one by the debutant Ashwani Kumar, who picked a wicket on his first ball in the IPL. KKR’s top order struggled against the moving ball, with Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar causing trouble up front. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh tried saving the sinking ship, failing to hold on for long, as Ashwani returned to tear into KKR’s lower order, including removing three dangerous batters in Rinku, Manish Pandey and all-rounder Andre Russell. Also read | IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar - Mumbai Indians' newest left-arm pacer who dismissed Rahane on first ball during debut vs KKR Debut straight out of a storybook 📖 The perfect first chapter for Ashwani Kumar 👌👌 Updates ▶ https://t.co/iEwchzDRNM#TATAIPL | #MIvKKR | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/npaynbIViX — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2025 Mitchell Santner and MI’s rookie spinner Vignesh Puthur picked the remaining two wickets to wrap up KKR’s innings on a mere 116 inside 17 overs. "I was feeling really good. There was a little pressure earlier, but thanks to the atmosphere of the team, I didn't feel any pressure," Ashwani, 23, said during the mid-innings. Rickelton, the hero with the bat Although Rohit Sharma’s dismal run with the bat continued as he got out early inside the Powerplay on 13, his opening partner, Ryan Rickelton, repaid his team’s faith with a match-winning unbeaten 62 off 41 balls, including five sixes and four fours. The clarity in both these shots 😇 Ryan Rickelton with no half measures in the chase 💪#MI lose Rohit Sharma and are 55/1 after 6 overs. Updates ▶ https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk#TATAIPL | #MIvKKR | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/3keQ745xn2 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2025 The left-handed opener finally came good for the franchise after moderate outings in his previous two matches. His 46-run stand with Rohit had Mumbai going; however, Will Jacks providing support at the other end following Rohit’s departure allowed Ryan to free his arms and take on KKR’s bowling attack. His two sixes to veteran spinner Sunil Narine was the highlight. Ace T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav put on the final touches, hitting an unbeaten 27 off nine balls, including two sixes and three fours; Mumbai completed the chase with over seven overs and eight wickets remaining. 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 😎 Trademark way to get off the mark ✅@mipaltan cruising in the chase 🛳️ Updates ▶ https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk#TATAIPL | #MIvKKR | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/Ag46xegPOW — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2025

MI vs KKR: Ashwani Kumar's four-for on debut helps Mumbai Indians open account in IPL 2025

England Test captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ben-stokes" rel="dofollow">Ben Stokes</a> is not expected to play in the early rounds of the County Championship as he battles to be fit to lead England, his Durham coach Ryan Campbell said on Monday.&nbsp;
The 33-year-old is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months. <o:p></o:p>But the all-rounder is not yet ready for action in the four-day domestic championship, which starts on Friday.<o:p></o:p>
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England captain Ben Stokes continuing his rehab at Chester-le-Street. More hard yards as he recovers from hamstring surgery ahead of a big summer. <a href="https://t.co/WuTLO0ciyk">pic.twitter.com/WuTLO0ciyk</a>
&mdash; Rory Dollard (@thervd) <a href="https://twitter.com/thervd/status/1906701882606616980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ecb-contemplates-retiring-mak-pataudi-trophy-ahead-of-india-england-tests-8911054" rel="dofollow">ECB contemplates retiring MAK Pataudi Trophy ahead of India-England Tests</a>
England host Zimbabwe in May, with a five-Test series against India to follow. Later in the year they head to Australia for a five-match Ashes series.<o:p></o:p>
Durham have six matches in the top tier of the County Championship before the Zimbabwe Test.<o:p></o:p>
Campbell, who is also without England quicks Brydon Carse (toe) and Mark Wood (knee), made it clear no risks would be taken.<o:p></o:p>
"When you look at Carse, Stokes and Wood, at this stage they're probably not likely to play for us. My expectation is that it'll be zero -- anything else is an added bonus," he said. "They're all coming back from serious injuries. The facts are that they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start.<o:p></o:p>
"But what we know about Stokesy is that he's here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn't believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is."<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/as-if-one-was-not-enough-england-legend-andrew-flintoff-eldest-son-corey-flintoff-set-for-top-flight-cricket-rocky-8910110" rel="dofollow">As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff&rsquo;s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket</a>
Campbell has pledged to protect Carse, 29, who has impressed since making his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2024, taking 27 wickets at an average of 19.85 in five matches.<o:p></o:p>
"I think Brydon Carse is probably the number one priority for England right now," he said. "With what he's shown in Test cricket, he's born for that sort of stuff. There's 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he's going to be number one on England's list to make sure that he's ready to go for that.<o:p></o:p>
"Does that mean he's going to play for us? I'm not so sure.... We've known about his foot problems for a year now. It's not new, but he needs to get it right if he's going to be playing a lot of Test cricket."
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: Ben Stokes is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months.

England Test captain Ben Stokes is not expected to play in the early rounds of the County Championship as he battles to be fit to lead England, his Durham coach Ryan Campbell said on Monday. The 33-year-old is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months. But the all-rounder is not yet ready for action in the four-day domestic championship, which starts on Friday. England captain Ben Stokes continuing his rehab at Chester-le-Street. More hard yards as he recovers from hamstring surgery ahead of a big summer. pic.twitter.com/WuTLO0ciyk — Rory Dollard (@thervd) March 31, 2025 Also read | ECB contemplates retiring MAK Pataudi Trophy ahead of India-England Tests England host Zimbabwe in May, with a five-Test series against India to follow. Later in the year they head to Australia for a five-match Ashes series. Durham have six matches in the top tier of the County Championship before the Zimbabwe Test. Campbell, who is also without England quicks Brydon Carse (toe) and Mark Wood (knee), made it clear no risks would be taken. "When you look at Carse, Stokes and Wood, at this stage they're probably not likely to play for us. My expectation is that it'll be zero -- anything else is an added bonus," he said. "They're all coming back from serious injuries. The facts are that they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start. "But what we know about Stokesy is that he's here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn't believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is." Also read | As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff’s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket Campbell has pledged to protect Carse, 29, who has impressed since making his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2024, taking 27 wickets at an average of 19.85 in five matches. "I think Brydon Carse is probably the number one priority for England right now," he said. "With what he's shown in Test cricket, he's born for that sort of stuff. There's 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he's going to be number one on England's list to make sure that he's ready to go for that. "Does that mean he's going to play for us? I'm not so sure.... We've known about his foot problems for a year now. It's not new, but he needs to get it right if he's going to be playing a lot of Test cricket." 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.

England Test captain Ben Stokes to miss early county games in fitness battle

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is contemplating retiring the prestigious MAK Pataudi Trophy named after the bilateral Test series between India and England in England. The latest report suggests that the England board might retire the trophy ahead of India&rsquo;s five-match Test series against England later in June this year.
Although the exact reason behind retiring this trophy remains unknown, it shouldn&rsquo;t come as a surprise if a new name for the trophy is given based on the names of recent legends. Per a report in the Cricbuzz, a source close to the information (from ECB) has neither acknowledged nor denied anything surrounding this report, saying, &ldquo;This is not something we'll be able to offer you a comment on."
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/jasprit-bumrah-future-is-the-price-team-india-will-pay-should-they-not-learn-from-past-mistakes-says-shane-bond-ipl-2025-mumbai-indians-8910619" rel="dofollow">Bumrah&rsquo;s future is the price Team India will pay should they not learn from past mistakes, says Shane Bond</a>
The publication further states that MAK Pataudi&rsquo;s family has also been made aware of it, with a source close to the family saying, "That is the understanding from the ECB and that apparently trophies are retired after some time.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Pataudi captained India, playing 46 Tests from 1961 to 1975.
<h2>Name change</h2>
Although the concept of retiring a trophy is uncommon, there have been instances before when this happened, including with the Wisden Trophy &ndash; played between England and West Indies, which was retired and later renamed the Richards-Botham Trophy.
However, a few withstood the passage of time, including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/the-ashes" rel="dofollow">the Ashes</a>, fought between England and Australia, whose rivalry goes back nearly 150 years ago, when both played the first-ever Test match on March 15, 1877.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/as-if-one-was-not-enough-england-legend-andrew-flintoff-eldest-son-corey-flintoff-set-for-top-flight-cricket-rocky-8910110" rel="dofollow">As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff&rsquo;s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket</a>
Besides, the names of other bilateral series include the Frank Worrell Trophy (played between Australia and West Indies since 1960/61), the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/border-gavaskar-trophy" rel="dofollow">Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a> (played between India and Australia since 1996), the Crowe Thrope Trophy (played between New Zealand and England since 2024-25) and Warne-Muralitharan (played between Australia and Sri Lanka since 2007/08).&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the India-England Test series in England was named after Pataudi in 2007. However, the trophy they fight for (when India hosts England) is the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after a former BCCI President and instituted in 1951.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: The latest report suggests that the ECB might retire the trophy ahead of India’s five-match Test series against England later in June this year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is contemplating retiring the prestigious MAK Pataudi Trophy named after the bilateral Test series between India and England in England. The latest report suggests that the England board might retire the trophy ahead of India’s five-match Test series against England later in June this year. Although the exact reason behind retiring this trophy remains unknown, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if a new name for the trophy is given based on the names of recent legends. Per a report in the Cricbuzz, a source close to the information (from ECB) has neither acknowledged nor denied anything surrounding this report, saying, “This is not something we'll be able to offer you a comment on." Also read | Bumrah’s future is the price Team India will pay should they not learn from past mistakes, says Shane Bond The publication further states that MAK Pataudi’s family has also been made aware of it, with a source close to the family saying, "That is the understanding from the ECB and that apparently trophies are retired after some time.” Meanwhile, Pataudi captained India, playing 46 Tests from 1961 to 1975. Name change Although the concept of retiring a trophy is uncommon, there have been instances before when this happened, including with the Wisden Trophy – played between England and West Indies, which was retired and later renamed the Richards-Botham Trophy. However, a few withstood the passage of time, including the Ashes, fought between England and Australia, whose rivalry goes back nearly 150 years ago, when both played the first-ever Test match on March 15, 1877. Also read | As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff’s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket Besides, the names of other bilateral series include the Frank Worrell Trophy (played between Australia and West Indies since 1960/61), the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (played between India and Australia since 1996), the Crowe Thrope Trophy (played between New Zealand and England since 2024-25) and Warne-Muralitharan (played between Australia and Sri Lanka since 2007/08). Meanwhile, the India-England Test series in England was named after Pataudi in 2007. However, the trophy they fight for (when India hosts England) is the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after a former BCCI President and instituted in 1951. (With inputs from agencies)

ECB contemplates retiring MAK Pataudi Trophy ahead of India-England Tests

Mumbai Indians are always known to unearth hidden cricketing talents across the country with the most famous being Hardik Pandya who know captains the side in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In their first match of the IPL 2025 season, the unlashed Vignesh Puthur - an unorthodox left-arm spinner from Kerala who impressed on the debut.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-locked-box-given-to-lsg-owner-srh-call-out-hyderabad-cricket-association-chief-for-blackmail-coercion-8910692" aria-label="IPL 2025: 'Locked box given to LSG owner': SRH call out Hyderabad Cricket Association chief for blackmail, coercion">IPL 2025: 'Locked box given to LSG owner': SRH call out Hyderabad Cricket Association chief for blackmail, coercion</a>
During their first home game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (Mar 31), they unleashed left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar. The pacer impressed right away and dismissed KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane on the very first ball of his IPL career.
<h2>Who Is Ashwani Kumar?</h2>
Ashwani belongs to Punjab state and was first spotted by Mumbai Indians squad during the domestic Sher-e-Punjab T20 trophy. He gained the reputation as the bowler who could bowl the difficult slog overs. His performance impressed MI scouts enough to pick him in the mega auction. Ashwani was bought for INR 30 lakh ($35,000) from the uncapped players' pool.
As for Ashwani's domestic record, the bowler has played two first class games, four List A games and four T20s as well. In those matches, he has taken three wickets in FA, three wickets in List A and two wickets in T20s, respectively.
In the match against KKR, Ashwani, after dismissing Rahane, clean bowled Manish Pandey on a peach of a inswinging delivery which hit the top of batter's leg stump and dislodged the bail.
The pacer eventually finished with 4/24 in three wickets - accounting for wickets of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell as well. Thanks to his spell, Mumbai Indians bowled out KKR for 116 inside 20 overs.
Apart from Ashwani, Deepak Chahar picked up two wickets while Trent Boult, Pandya, Puthur and Mitchell Santner picked one each.

Ashwani Kumar belongs to Punjab state and was first spotted by Mumbai Indians squad during the domestic Sher-e-Punjab T20 trophy. Cricket Sports

Mumbai Indians are always known to unearth hidden cricketing talents across the country with the most famous being Hardik Pandya who know captains the side in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In their first match of the IPL 2025 season, the unlashed Vignesh Puthur - an unorthodox left-arm spinner from Kerala who impressed on the debut. Also Read: IPL 2025: 'Locked box given to LSG owner': SRH call out Hyderabad Cricket Association chief for blackmail, coercion During their first home game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (Mar 31), they unleashed left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar. The pacer impressed right away and dismissed KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane on the very first ball of his IPL career. Who Is Ashwani Kumar? Ashwani belongs to Punjab state and was first spotted by Mumbai Indians squad during the domestic Sher-e-Punjab T20 trophy. He gained the reputation as the bowler who could bowl the difficult slog overs. His performance impressed MI scouts enough to pick him in the mega auction. Ashwani was bought for INR 30 lakh ($35,000) from the uncapped players' pool. As for Ashwani's domestic record, the bowler has played two first class games, four List A games and four T20s as well. In those matches, he has taken three wickets in FA, three wickets in List A and two wickets in T20s, respectively. In the match against KKR, Ashwani, after dismissing Rahane, clean bowled Manish Pandey on a peach of a inswinging delivery which hit the top of batter's leg stump and dislodged the bail. The pacer eventually finished with 4/24 in three wickets - accounting for wickets of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell as well. Thanks to his spell, Mumbai Indians bowled out KKR for 116 inside 20 overs. Apart from Ashwani, Deepak Chahar picked up two wickets while Trent Boult, Pandya, Puthur and Mitchell Santner picked one each.

IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar - Mumbai Indians' newest left-arm pacer who dismissed Rahane on first ball during debut vs KKR

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) has written to Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) apex council over threats made by association president Jagan Mohan Rao for extra tickets. In a letter sent to HCA apex council, SRH said that Rao even locked out F3 box reserved for Sanjiv Goenka during SRH's match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on March 27.
"It is the HCA President Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao who is resorting to threats, coercion and blackmail. Even before the IPL started, Rao threatened our staff with coercion, who in return out of fear wrote an email to him, placing on record the threat he made," reads SRH's letter to HCA apex council as reported by cricket news website Cricbuzz.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-has-md-dhoni-become-white-elephant-of-chennai-super-kings-8910241" aria-label="IPL 2025: Has Dhoni become white elephant of Chennai Super Kings?">IPL 2025: Has Dhoni become white elephant of Chennai Super Kings?</a>
"Without waiting for a resolution, the HCA president Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao locked the F3 box just few hours before the start of the game, knowing very well that this box was given to the owner of Lucknow SuperGiants, Mr. Goenka. This was done just to blackmail us and put coercive pressure on us to give additional 20 complimentary tickets before the game," it added.
The franchise has now asked for a meeting regarding the same at the earliest. They also called out Rao for taking credit on renovation of stadium despite the franchise doing all the work. Notably, SRH pays INR 1 crore ($117,076) for each game they play on the ground in the season.
"It was always our intention to resolve these issues amicably, but when Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao went to the extent of locking the F3 box and blackmailing for complimentary tickets, we had no choice but to escalate this matter. We thank the other office bearers of the HCA for cooperating with us and hope we can have a meeting scheduled immediately so we can solve this in person." mentioned the letter.

The franchise has now asked for a meeting regarding the same at the earliest. They also called out Rao for taking credit on renovation of stadium despite the franchise doing all the work. Cricket Sports

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) has written to Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) apex council over threats made by association president Jagan Mohan Rao for extra tickets. In a letter sent to HCA apex council, SRH said that Rao even locked out F3 box reserved for Sanjiv Goenka during SRH's match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on March 27. "It is the HCA President Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao who is resorting to threats, coercion and blackmail. Even before the IPL started, Rao threatened our staff with coercion, who in return out of fear wrote an email to him, placing on record the threat he made," reads SRH's letter to HCA apex council as reported by cricket news website Cricbuzz. Also Read: IPL 2025: Has Dhoni become white elephant of Chennai Super Kings? "Without waiting for a resolution, the HCA president Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao locked the F3 box just few hours before the start of the game, knowing very well that this box was given to the owner of Lucknow SuperGiants, Mr. Goenka. This was done just to blackmail us and put coercive pressure on us to give additional 20 complimentary tickets before the game," it added. The franchise has now asked for a meeting regarding the same at the earliest. They also called out Rao for taking credit on renovation of stadium despite the franchise doing all the work. Notably, SRH pays INR 1 crore ($117,076) for each game they play on the ground in the season. "It was always our intention to resolve these issues amicably, but when Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao went to the extent of locking the F3 box and blackmailing for complimentary tickets, we had no choice but to escalate this matter. We thank the other office bearers of the HCA for cooperating with us and hope we can have a meeting scheduled immediately so we can solve this in person." mentioned the letter.

IPL 2025: 'Locked box given to LSG owner': SRH call out Hyderabad Cricket Association chief for blackmail, coercion

Ace India seamer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jasprit-bumrah" rel="dofollow">Jasprit Bumrah</a> has endured enough injuries and pain in his glorious career; as things stand, he is preparing to return to competitive cricket after suffering a back spasm during the BGT Down Under in January 2025. Shane Bond, the former New Zealand pacer who worked with Bumrah at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mumbai-indians" rel="dofollow">Mumbai Indians</a> in the IPL, reflected on his back issue, saying India over bowled him against Australia, and should they not learn from past mistakes, Bumrah&rsquo;s career is the price they will pay for it.
Back issues have troubled Bumrah since he emerged (on the cricket scene), cutting on his regular appearances for Team India across formats. Bumrah&rsquo;s risky action, coupled with his excessive workload, has kept him away from on-field cricket for a prolonged period, so much so that when he suffered the same injury back in 2023, he missed a major chunk of the year recovering from it and another quarter to get back to bowling full throttles.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-riyan-parag-throws-phone-attitude-to-ground-staff-fans-slam-rr-captain-for-rude-behaviour-watch-8910359" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Riyan Parag throws phone, attitude to ground staff, fans slam RR captain for &lsquo;rude behaviour&rsquo; &ndash; WATCH</a>
Although India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in his absence, they&rsquo;d need him for the away England Tests later this year; however, Bond sent warning signs for the skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir to utilise his services properly to avoid him suffering a stress fracture in his back, which is on the borderline.
&ldquo;I don't think so,&rdquo; Bond said on whether Bumrah should change his bowling action to preserve his career.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He had the [2023] surgery, but he played all that [Australia] Test series, performed unbelievably. At the end of the day, he just bowled too much over a one-month period. And it hasn't cracked, he hasn't got a fracture, he is on the borderline of a fracture,&rdquo; Bond said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But what India would have learned is, if you then look at a five-Test match series in England and they do the same thing, they are probably going to get the same result. So you can't do that. You need a squad of bowlers where you can sort of pick and choose.&nbsp;Because if you lose him, you have got T20 World Cups, you've got 50-overs World Cups, and he's an important member across all formats, IPL, all that sort of stuff,&rdquo; Bond continued.
<h2>Too many overs broke Bumrah&rsquo;s back</h2>
Bumrah captained India in two Tests on its last tour Down Under, winning one (in Perth) and leaving the field midway in his second (at the final Test in Sydney). Though he was the standout bowler, picking 32 wickets from five Tests &ndash; the most by an Indian bowler on Australian soil, Bumrah paid the price for sending down a sheer volume of overs (151.2) that eventually broke his back.
"In Australia, it was just the sheer volume of overs that got him in the end - in those five Test matches, his performance was ridiculous, and they leaned on him a lot, and I think he might've bowled 50 overs in a Test match. You are not going to avoid an injury, you are just trying to avoid the really bad ones, and I'm hoping Bumrah can avoid another one of these," Bond said.
Meanwhile, Bumrah would re-link with the Mumbai Indians squad sometime in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Currently, Jasprit Bumrah is preparing to return to competitive cricket after suffering a back spasm during the BGT Down Under in January 2025.

Ace India seamer Jasprit Bumrah has endured enough injuries and pain in his glorious career; as things stand, he is preparing to return to competitive cricket after suffering a back spasm during the BGT Down Under in January 2025. Shane Bond, the former New Zealand pacer who worked with Bumrah at Mumbai Indians in the IPL, reflected on his back issue, saying India over bowled him against Australia, and should they not learn from past mistakes, Bumrah’s career is the price they will pay for it. Back issues have troubled Bumrah since he emerged (on the cricket scene), cutting on his regular appearances for Team India across formats. Bumrah’s risky action, coupled with his excessive workload, has kept him away from on-field cricket for a prolonged period, so much so that when he suffered the same injury back in 2023, he missed a major chunk of the year recovering from it and another quarter to get back to bowling full throttles. Also read | IPL 2025: Riyan Parag throws phone, attitude to ground staff, fans slam RR captain for ‘rude behaviour’ – WATCH Although India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in his absence, they’d need him for the away England Tests later this year; however, Bond sent warning signs for the skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir to utilise his services properly to avoid him suffering a stress fracture in his back, which is on the borderline. “I don't think so,” Bond said on whether Bumrah should change his bowling action to preserve his career. “He had the [2023] surgery, but he played all that [Australia] Test series, performed unbelievably. At the end of the day, he just bowled too much over a one-month period. And it hasn't cracked, he hasn't got a fracture, he is on the borderline of a fracture,” Bond said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. “But what India would have learned is, if you then look at a five-Test match series in England and they do the same thing, they are probably going to get the same result. So you can't do that. You need a squad of bowlers where you can sort of pick and choose. Because if you lose him, you have got T20 World Cups, you've got 50-overs World Cups, and he's an important member across all formats, IPL, all that sort of stuff,” Bond continued. Too many overs broke Bumrah’s back Bumrah captained India in two Tests on its last tour Down Under, winning one (in Perth) and leaving the field midway in his second (at the final Test in Sydney). Though he was the standout bowler, picking 32 wickets from five Tests – the most by an Indian bowler on Australian soil, Bumrah paid the price for sending down a sheer volume of overs (151.2) that eventually broke his back. "In Australia, it was just the sheer volume of overs that got him in the end - in those five Test matches, his performance was ridiculous, and they leaned on him a lot, and I think he might've bowled 50 overs in a Test match. You are not going to avoid an injury, you are just trying to avoid the really bad ones, and I'm hoping Bumrah can avoid another one of these," Bond said. Meanwhile, Bumrah would re-link with the Mumbai Indians squad sometime in IPL 2025. (With inputs from agencies)

Bumrah’s future is the price Team India will pay should they not learn from past mistakes, says Shane Bond

Cricket is a great leveller, and though it puts one on the pedestal, rewarding their success, it can bring anyone down, as it did to plenty over the years. IPL franchise <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals" rel="dofollow">Rajasthan Royals</a>&rsquo; stand-in captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/riyan-parag-bowling" rel="dofollow">Riyan Parag</a> must learn this before it gets too late.
After guiding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-ms-dhoni-fails-in-run-chase-as-rajasthan-royals-pile-misery-on-struggling-csk-8908015" rel="dofollow">RR to a six-run win over Chennai Super Kings</a> in Guwahati on Sunday evening, local hero Parag took photos with the ground staff, with that incident leaving a poor taste among them and the fans after he threw their phone back instead of returning politely.
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Attitude 🗿 Performance 🤡 <a href="https://t.co/tNBZgSpRMA">pic.twitter.com/tNBZgSpRMA</a>
&mdash; Sonu (@heyysonu_) <a href="https://twitter.com/heyysonu_/status/1906574034843644110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
With regular captain Sanju Samson playing as an Impact Sub for the first three games due to a finger injury, Parag captained the team in his absence, winning one and losing the remaining two matches. Rajasthan lost to Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata (KKR) but beat the former five-time winners CSK in their last game at their second home venue in Guwahati.
After the game, the fans in attendance and even the ground staff looked forward to greeting their local hero, Parag, who even obliged their request to click selfies.&nbsp;
However, instead of just returning, he threw the phone in attitude, leading to a social media meltdown, with countless fans bashing him for his rude and unprofessional behaviour.
<h2>Here&rsquo;s what the fans wrote &ndash;</h2>
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He will learn. This video will give him good life lessons. :-)
&mdash; Himanshu Verma (@hv2008) <a href="https://twitter.com/hv2008/status/1906608489579069742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bohot attitude hai
&mdash; Amit Srivastav (@khansmeme) <a href="https://twitter.com/khansmeme/status/1906578640592089246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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🤦
&mdash; Wellu (@Wellutwt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wellutwt/status/1906579281079116150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Riyan Parag is the same cricketer who said last year that he does not want to watch the T20 world Cup because he is not in the playing squad. With such an attitude, he can find a way out pretty easily one day. He needs to correct himself quickly.
&mdash; "Cricket ++" feat. Raj (@cricplusplus) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricplusplus/status/1906628742753210674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h3>Parag&rsquo;s IPL classic catch</h3>
Parag impressed as a batter and leader, playing his last game in front of his home city this season. Though his 28-ball 37 in the first innings was crucial in laying a platform for his side&rsquo;s moderate 182/9, how he led from the front and his magnificent catching won everyone&rsquo;s hearts.
When CSK needed over 50 runs in four overs with Ravindra Jadeja and batting great MS Dhoni at the crease, Parag&rsquo;s bowling changes did the job for the home side, as they finally opened their account this season.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/herschelle-gibbs-explains-whats-restricting-ms-dhoni-from-playing-like-his-old-self-in-ipl-2025-csk-rr-guwahati-stephen-fleming-8909902" rel="dofollow">Gibbs explains what&rsquo;s restricting MS Dhoni from playing like his old self in IPL 2025</a>
Even earlier during the chase, Parag picked a one-handed blinder to dismiss CSK all-rounder Shivam Dube, breaking the opposition&rsquo;s momentum. His over-the-top celebration reflected what that meant to him as Parag guided his IPL franchise home in this third match as captain.
<h3>Watch -&nbsp;</h3>
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Captain Riyan Parag replies with a fantastic catch 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> lose Shivam Dube in the chase Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO">https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvCSK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajasthanroyals</a> <a href="https://t.co/fPG0OhNcyg">pic.twitter.com/fPG0OhNcyg</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906392603215720466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: After the game, the fans in attendance and even the ground staff looked forward to greeting Parag, who even obliged their request to click selfies.

Cricket is a great leveller, and though it puts one on the pedestal, rewarding their success, it can bring anyone down, as it did to plenty over the years. IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in captain Riyan Parag must learn this before it gets too late. After guiding RR to a six-run win over Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati on Sunday evening, local hero Parag took photos with the ground staff, with that incident leaving a poor taste among them and the fans after he threw their phone back instead of returning politely. Attitude 🗿 Performance 🤡 pic.twitter.com/tNBZgSpRMA — Sonu (@heyysonu_) March 31, 2025 With regular captain Sanju Samson playing as an Impact Sub for the first three games due to a finger injury, Parag captained the team in his absence, winning one and losing the remaining two matches. Rajasthan lost to Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata (KKR) but beat the former five-time winners CSK in their last game at their second home venue in Guwahati. After the game, the fans in attendance and even the ground staff looked forward to greeting their local hero, Parag, who even obliged their request to click selfies. However, instead of just returning, he threw the phone in attitude, leading to a social media meltdown, with countless fans bashing him for his rude and unprofessional behaviour. Here’s what the fans wrote – He will learn. This video will give him good life lessons. :-) — Himanshu Verma (@hv2008) March 31, 2025 Bohot attitude hai — Amit Srivastav (@khansmeme) March 31, 2025 🤦 — Wellu (@Wellutwt) March 31, 2025 Riyan Parag is the same cricketer who said last year that he does not want to watch the T20 world Cup because he is not in the playing squad. With such an attitude, he can find a way out pretty easily one day. He needs to correct himself quickly. — "Cricket ++" feat. Raj (@cricplusplus) March 31, 2025 Parag’s IPL classic catch Parag impressed as a batter and leader, playing his last game in front of his home city this season. Though his 28-ball 37 in the first innings was crucial in laying a platform for his side’s moderate 182/9, how he led from the front and his magnificent catching won everyone’s hearts. When CSK needed over 50 runs in four overs with Ravindra Jadeja and batting great MS Dhoni at the crease, Parag’s bowling changes did the job for the home side, as they finally opened their account this season. Also read | Gibbs explains what’s restricting MS Dhoni from playing like his old self in IPL 2025 Even earlier during the chase, Parag picked a one-handed blinder to dismiss CSK all-rounder Shivam Dube, breaking the opposition’s momentum. His over-the-top celebration reflected what that meant to him as Parag guided his IPL franchise home in this third match as captain. Watch - Captain Riyan Parag replies with a fantastic catch 🤯#CSK lose Shivam Dube in the chase Updates ▶️ https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO#TATAIPL | #RRvCSK | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/fPG0OhNcyg — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2025 (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Riyan Parag throws phone, attitude at ground staff, fans slam RR captain for ‘rude behaviour’ – WATCH

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni has been the point of discussion in the three matches played so far this season. Dhoni, who has been with CSK since inception in 2008, is now 43 years old and his batting number this season, nine, hasn't gone down well with many former cricketers.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming has also said that Dhoni can't bat full 10 overs after being in field - which raises the question why is Dhoni still being asked to bat? Has he become white elephant in the team - who can't be swapped with a impact player for more runs down the order?
<h2>Dhoni's numbers in IPL since 2024</h2>
Dhoni batted 11 times in 14 matches last season and 10 of those times he came at number 7 or lower. Overall, Dhoni scored 161 runs off 73 balls faced at a healthy strike rate of 220 and an average of 53.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2025-doesnt-make-sense-says-india-batter-on-srh-hard-hitting-batting-style-after-two-consecutive-losses-8909239" aria-label="IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses">IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses</a>
The talisman wicketkeeper-batter also hit 13 sixes - of roughly one six balls, showing he isn't going to waste any balls. The thing to note is out of 10 times he batted at number 7 or lower last season - CSK only won four matches and in those four matches, Dhoni did not score a single run in the only innings he batted.
As for other six games which CSK lost when Dhoni batted at number 7 or lower, he batted five times and scored 80 runs while only being dismissed twice. His scores in those innings were 37 not out, 1 not out, 28 not out, 14 and 0 as he failed to take the team home each time.
In 2025, Dhoni came at number 8 against Mumbai Indians in the first game, faced two balls but didn't score a run but CSK won without that. In the next game against RR, Dhoni scored 30 not out at number 9 but target was too much even for him to chase down in the last four overs as CSK lost by 50 runs.
In the last match, Dhoni scored 16 off 11 but was dismissed on the first ball of the last over in the chase with CSK needing 20 runs. As a result, the Super Kings failed to reach the target again.
Dhoni clearly isn't at his best with the bat and CSK will sooner or later would have to make a decision to replace him in the batting line-up.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming has also said that Dhoni can't bat full 10 overs after being in field - which raises the question why is Dhoni still being asked to bat? Cricket Sports

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni has been the point of discussion in the three matches played so far this season. Dhoni, who has been with CSK since inception in 2008, is now 43 years old and his batting number this season, nine, hasn't gone down well with many former cricketers. CSK coach Stephen Fleming has also said that Dhoni can't bat full 10 overs after being in field - which raises the question why is Dhoni still being asked to bat? Has he become white elephant in the team - who can't be swapped with a impact player for more runs down the order? Dhoni's numbers in IPL since 2024 Dhoni batted 11 times in 14 matches last season and 10 of those times he came at number 7 or lower. Overall, Dhoni scored 161 runs off 73 balls faced at a healthy strike rate of 220 and an average of 53. Also Read: IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses The talisman wicketkeeper-batter also hit 13 sixes - of roughly one six balls, showing he isn't going to waste any balls. The thing to note is out of 10 times he batted at number 7 or lower last season - CSK only won four matches and in those four matches, Dhoni did not score a single run in the only innings he batted. As for other six games which CSK lost when Dhoni batted at number 7 or lower, he batted five times and scored 80 runs while only being dismissed twice. His scores in those innings were 37 not out, 1 not out, 28 not out, 14 and 0 as he failed to take the team home each time. In 2025, Dhoni came at number 8 against Mumbai Indians in the first game, faced two balls but didn't score a run but CSK won without that. In the next game against RR, Dhoni scored 30 not out at number 9 but target was too much even for him to chase down in the last four overs as CSK lost by 50 runs. In the last match, Dhoni scored 16 off 11 but was dismissed on the first ball of the last over in the chase with CSK needing 20 runs. As a result, the Super Kings failed to reach the target again. Dhoni clearly isn't at his best with the bat and CSK will sooner or later would have to make a decision to replace him in the batting line-up.

IPL 2025: Has Dhoni become white elephant of Chennai Super Kings?

England cricket legend <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/andrew-flintoff" rel="dofollow">Andrew Flintoff</a>&rsquo;s eldest son, Corey Flintoff, has signed a two-year rookie contract with Kent County. The pace-bowling all-rounder Corey, 19, rose through Lancashire&rsquo;s age groups cricket and Academy; he played for the club's second XI last summer, debuting alongside his brother and Flintoff&rsquo;s younger son <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rocky-flintoff" rel="dofollow">Rocky Flintoff</a>, against Yorkshire in April.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8wz9de7-03w4o2g6-aj7pktaw">
✍️ We're delighted to announce that fast-bowling all-rounder Corey Flintoff has signed a two-year rookie contract with the Club 📖 <a href="https://t.co/H8eGHwJhJi">https://t.co/H8eGHwJhJi</a> <a href="https://t.co/SLMIIT9goA">pic.twitter.com/SLMIIT9goA</a>
&mdash; Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/KentCricket/status/1906633482857521471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Per the latest reports, Corey Flintoff has been training with Kent&rsquo;s first team for the past week and even bowled four overs in their two-day warm-up match against Essex at Canterbury on Friday. However, his rookie contract allows him to make himself available for his county around his University studies for at least the next two seasons.&nbsp;
Andrew Flintoff&rsquo;s former teammate, Adam Hollioake, was recently appointed Kent&rsquo;s new head coach.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/eoin-morgan-explains-how-ben-stokes-could-become-englands-flexible-odi-captain-jos-buttler-champions-trophy-2025-8905125" rel="dofollow">Eoin Morgan explains how Ben Stokes could become England&rsquo;s &lsquo;flexible&rsquo; ODI captain</a>
"I'm delighted to be joining Kent to continue my development as a player under Adam Hollioake and the excellent coaching staff here," Corey Flintoff said. "The lads in the dressing room have been so welcoming to me this week, and there's a great atmosphere here. I'm excited for what's next for me, and I know that Kent is the right place for me to make the step up to first-team cricket."&nbsp;
Kent&rsquo;s Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, also lauded the youngster, saying his talent exceeds boundaries and that he has an outstanding all-round ability to score runs and pick wickets.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Corey is an extremely exciting young player and has great all-round ability to score runs and take wickets,&rdquo; Cook said. &ldquo;He is a very hard worker, and I know that he is extremely determined to make a name for himself in professional cricket. We're delighted that he feels that he can do this as a Kent cricketer.&rdquo;
<h2>Flintoff&rsquo;s sons ready for the future</h2>
Even before the fans started talking about Andrew Flintoff&rsquo;s eldest son, his younger one, Rocky, had already made headlines in the cricket circuit.
A promising batter, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ashes-hero-andrew-flintoff-to-coach-son-rocky-on-england-lions-tour-of-australia-785052" rel="dofollow">Rocky struck his first hundred in the England Lions</a> shirt during the tour match against Cricket Australia XI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane in January this year. With that, he also became the youngest player to score a maiden hundred for England A/Lions, beating the record his father, Andrew, held at 20 years and 28 days against Kenya at Nairobi in 1998.
Meanwhile, it&rsquo;s about time before Andrew&rsquo;s sons make their senior team debuts and represent England across formats, carrying their father&rsquo;s legacy forward.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Corey Flintoff has been training with Kent’s first team and even bowled four overs in their two-day warm-up match against Essex at Canterbury.

England cricket legend Andrew Flintoff’s eldest son, Corey Flintoff, has signed a two-year rookie contract with Kent County. The pace-bowling all-rounder Corey, 19, rose through Lancashire’s age groups cricket and Academy; he played for the club's second XI last summer, debuting alongside his brother and Flintoff’s younger son Rocky Flintoff, against Yorkshire in April. ✍️ We're delighted to announce that fast-bowling all-rounder Corey Flintoff has signed a two-year rookie contract with the Club 📖 https://t.co/H8eGHwJhJi pic.twitter.com/SLMIIT9goA — Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) March 31, 2025 Per the latest reports, Corey Flintoff has been training with Kent’s first team for the past week and even bowled four overs in their two-day warm-up match against Essex at Canterbury on Friday. However, his rookie contract allows him to make himself available for his county around his University studies for at least the next two seasons. Andrew Flintoff’s former teammate, Adam Hollioake, was recently appointed Kent’s new head coach. Also read | Eoin Morgan explains how Ben Stokes could become England’s ‘flexible’ ODI captain "I'm delighted to be joining Kent to continue my development as a player under Adam Hollioake and the excellent coaching staff here," Corey Flintoff said. "The lads in the dressing room have been so welcoming to me this week, and there's a great atmosphere here. I'm excited for what's next for me, and I know that Kent is the right place for me to make the step up to first-team cricket." Kent’s Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, also lauded the youngster, saying his talent exceeds boundaries and that he has an outstanding all-round ability to score runs and pick wickets. “Corey is an extremely exciting young player and has great all-round ability to score runs and take wickets,” Cook said. “He is a very hard worker, and I know that he is extremely determined to make a name for himself in professional cricket. We're delighted that he feels that he can do this as a Kent cricketer.” Flintoff’s sons ready for the future Even before the fans started talking about Andrew Flintoff’s eldest son, his younger one, Rocky, had already made headlines in the cricket circuit. A promising batter, Rocky struck his first hundred in the England Lions shirt during the tour match against Cricket Australia XI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane in January this year. With that, he also became the youngest player to score a maiden hundred for England A/Lions, beating the record his father, Andrew, held at 20 years and 28 days against Kenya at Nairobi in 1998. Meanwhile, it’s about time before Andrew’s sons make their senior team debuts and represent England across formats, carrying their father’s legacy forward. (With inputs from agencies)

As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff’s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket

CSK veteran and IPL great MS Dhoni faced wrath for his failed attempt at helping his team complete a run chase in IPL 2025. Unlike in the previous game, (where) he came out to bat at number nine (at a time) when his team had already lost the game (against RCB at home); against RR, Dhoni walked in a bit earlier, but even that failed to change the outcome as they lost by six runs. Former South Africa batter Herschelle Gibbs had his say on Dhoni&rsquo;s stance in the team after CSK's second straight loss this edition.
Addressing the media after Chennai&rsquo;s second loss, head coach Stephen Fleming encountered a sea of questions surrounding MS Dhoni&rsquo;s batting at the death, saying the 43-year-old veteran is now a pale shadow of himself and that he cannot bat for ten overs straight like he used to do before.&nbsp;
Citing Dhoni&rsquo;s prolonged knee issues and how it restricts his flow as a batter, Fleming said Dhoni balances out by trying to play to the conditions, granting more opportunities for other batters to get the job done.
Also read | IPL 2025: MS Dhoni&rsquo;s heartwarming gesture towards Rahul Dravid after match wins the internet-WATCH
"Yeah, it's a time thing," Fleming said of Dhoni&rsquo;s batting and his position in the XI. "MS judges it. His body is&hellip; his knees aren't what they used to be. And he's moving okay, but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat ten overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game's in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he's balancing that."
Against Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni walked into bat in the 16th over when Chennai needed beyond 50 runs to win. Alongside his longtime India and CSK batting partner Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni tried seeking singles earlier; although he was successful in hitting a boundary and a six, with both coming too late when the asking rate was above 20, Dhoni failed to make it count in the last over as he got out on the second ball (off Sandeep Sharma), caught in the deep.
<h2>What did Gibbs say?</h2>
MS Dhoni announced his international retirement in August 2020, and thanks to an IPL rule that allows a retired Indian cricketer to play as an uncapped player under one condition that his last international game must be at least five years before the auction date, which was the case with Dhoni.&nbsp;As a result, CSK retained him for the minimum base price of INR 4 crore in December last year.&nbsp;
However, besides the IPL, Dhoni doesn&rsquo;t play any cricket, with Gibbs, replying to an ESPNcricinfo post on X, saying these are the repercussions a team will face for expecting too much from a batter who doesn&rsquo;t play any cricket across the year outside of IPL.
"Expecting too much from a man that doesn&rsquo;t play any other cricket," Gibbs posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8wx6onv-lhn2ucxf-6yzot7rl">
Expecting too much from a man that doesn&rsquo;t play any other cricket https://t.co/EUwuN7lE5d
&mdash; Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) March 31, 2025</blockquote>
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Addressing the media after CSK's second loss this season, head coach Fleming said MS Dhoni cannot bat for ten overs straight like he used to do before.

CSK veteran and IPL great MS Dhoni faced wrath for his failed attempt at helping his team complete a run chase in IPL 2025. Unlike in the previous game, (where) he came out to bat at number nine (at a time) when his team had already lost the game (against RCB at home); against RR, Dhoni walked in a bit earlier, but even that failed to change the outcome as they lost by six runs. Former South Africa batter Herschelle Gibbs had his say on Dhoni’s stance in the team after CSK's second straight loss this edition. Addressing the media after Chennai’s second loss, head coach Stephen Fleming encountered a sea of questions surrounding MS Dhoni’s batting at the death, saying the 43-year-old veteran is now a pale shadow of himself and that he cannot bat for ten overs straight like he used to do before. Citing Dhoni’s prolonged knee issues and how it restricts his flow as a batter, Fleming said Dhoni balances out by trying to play to the conditions, granting more opportunities for other batters to get the job done. Also read | IPL 2025: MS Dhoni’s heartwarming gesture towards Rahul Dravid after match wins the internet-WATCH "Yeah, it's a time thing," Fleming said of Dhoni’s batting and his position in the XI. "MS judges it. His body is… his knees aren't what they used to be. And he's moving okay, but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat ten overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game's in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he's balancing that." Against Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni walked into bat in the 16th over when Chennai needed beyond 50 runs to win. Alongside his longtime India and CSK batting partner Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni tried seeking singles earlier; although he was successful in hitting a boundary and a six, with both coming too late when the asking rate was above 20, Dhoni failed to make it count in the last over as he got out on the second ball (off Sandeep Sharma), caught in the deep. What did Gibbs say? MS Dhoni announced his international retirement in August 2020, and thanks to an IPL rule that allows a retired Indian cricketer to play as an uncapped player under one condition that his last international game must be at least five years before the auction date, which was the case with Dhoni. As a result, CSK retained him for the minimum base price of INR 4 crore in December last year. However, besides the IPL, Dhoni doesn’t play any cricket, with Gibbs, replying to an ESPNcricinfo post on X, saying these are the repercussions a team will face for expecting too much from a batter who doesn’t play any cricket across the year outside of IPL. "Expecting too much from a man that doesn’t play any other cricket," Gibbs posted on X. Expecting too much from a man that doesn’t play any other cricket https://t.co/EUwuN7lE5d — Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) March 31, 2025 (With inputs from agencies)

Gibbs explains what’s restricting MS Dhoni from playing like his old self in IPL 2025

After 10 days of cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Mumbai Indians remain the only team to open their account. MI have lost both their matches so far in the league as they face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (Mar 31) at Wankhede stadium.
KKR, who are the defending champions, have 50-50 record in the two games played so far and would be hoping to build on the momentum against a struggling Mumbai Indians side.
<h2>MI vs KKR, Today match prediction:</h2>
Last season, Mumbai won the toss five times at Wankhede but managed to win only two games as they chased in all of those games. They scored 32 runs on an average for each wicket with a highest of 199.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2025-doesnt-make-sense-says-india-batter-on-srh-hard-hitting-batting-style-after-two-consecutive-losses-8909239" aria-label="IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses">IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses</a>
A year before that, in 2023, they had the best averages runs per wicket in a season at Wankhede - 46 - as they won three out of four games after winning the toss and electing to bowl.
So it seems safe to say that they'll be choosing to bowl first at their home ground if they win the toss and back themselves to chase the target.
Wankhede also has shorter boundaries and a high-scoring fest is pretty much on the cards but Mumbai would be hoping for their batters to join the part soon as asked by their skipper Hardik Pandya after the last loss.
KKR, on the other hand, snapped their losing streak at Wankhede last season when they won the match by 24 runs. Before the win last season, KKR had not won a game at Wankhede since 2016.
KKR have poor record in both batting and fielding first at Wankhede - they have lost eight out of 10 games while batting first but managed slightly better with fielding first - losing four and winning three matches.
If won the loss, they'd hopefully go with batting second while MI might do that same as they have won 24 games while batting first and 27 while batting second.

MI vs KKR, Today match prediction: MI have lost both their matches so far in the league as they face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (Mar 31) at Wankhede stadium. Cricket Sports

After 10 days of cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Mumbai Indians remain the only team to open their account. MI have lost both their matches so far in the league as they face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (Mar 31) at Wankhede stadium. KKR, who are the defending champions, have 50-50 record in the two games played so far and would be hoping to build on the momentum against a struggling Mumbai Indians side. MI vs KKR, Today match prediction: Last season, Mumbai won the toss five times at Wankhede but managed to win only two games as they chased in all of those games. They scored 32 runs on an average for each wicket with a highest of 199. Also Read: IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses A year before that, in 2023, they had the best averages runs per wicket in a season at Wankhede - 46 - as they won three out of four games after winning the toss and electing to bowl. So it seems safe to say that they'll be choosing to bowl first at their home ground if they win the toss and back themselves to chase the target. Wankhede also has shorter boundaries and a high-scoring fest is pretty much on the cards but Mumbai would be hoping for their batters to join the part soon as asked by their skipper Hardik Pandya after the last loss. KKR, on the other hand, snapped their losing streak at Wankhede last season when they won the match by 24 runs. Before the win last season, KKR had not won a game at Wankhede since 2016. KKR have poor record in both batting and fielding first at Wankhede - they have lost eight out of 10 games while batting first but managed slightly better with fielding first - losing four and winning three matches. If won the loss, they'd hopefully go with batting second while MI might do that same as they have won 24 games while batting first and 27 while batting second.

IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Match Prediction

Abhishek Porel put on a solid display against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (March 30), showcasing his growing confidence and composure at the crease. The young wicketkeeper-batter has been steadily making his mark for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/delhi-capitals">Delhi Capitals</a>, proving that he belongs at this level. With his fearless strokeplay and improved game awareness, Porel is shaping into a key player for the franchise.
In an exclusive interview with WION, Porel reflected on his journey, the learnings from the past year, and his aspirations for the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> 2025 season. The Bengal cricketer shared insights into his game, training regimen, and the invaluable support he's received from DC.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-after-hardik-now-rr-captain-riyan-parag-penalised-for-slow-over-rate-against-csk-8909307">IPL 2025: After Hardik, now RR captain Riyan Parag penalised for slow over rate against CSK</a>
Over the past year, Porel has been focusing on both his game and mental resilience. He acknowledges the rapid evolution of cricket and is determined to stay ahead. Reflecting on his preparation, he said, "Over the last 12 months, I have focused more on my game and mental strength. Cricket is evolving rapidly, and I want to ensure that I keep up with its pace. The level has already gone very high. I began with the domestic season, which is crucial for us. During the off-season, I worked at the NCAA and with my state team. Overall, it was a successful domestic season, and now my mission is to perform better than last year&rsquo;s IPL and help my team lift the trophy."
When it comes to improving his game, he takes a very methodical approach. He evaluates his strengths and weaknesses to make targeted improvements, particularly in his hitting ability. "To be honest, I evaluate my game and identify areas of improvement. My hitting ability has improved compared to two years ago&mdash;I have gained strength and worked closely with my trainer. However, I don't specifically train for power-hitting. I focus on understanding my strengths and refining my game accordingly, " he explained.
<h2 data-start="784" data-end="969">'I worked on improving my strike rate against spin'</h2>
Playing for Delhi Capitals (DC) has had a profound impact on his career. He expresses deep gratitude for the franchise, emphasising how their unwavering support has given him confidence and allowed him to grow as a player. "I am extremely grateful to DC for the opportunity they have given me. It has been a life-changing experience. They have backed me wholeheartedly and encouraged me to play freely. As a young player, when a franchise tells you to express yourself without fear, it has a significant mental impact. That trust has helped me grow as a cricketer," he shares.
Looking back at his previous IPL season, he acknowledges a specific area that needed improvement&mdash;his strike rate against spin. After identifying this weakness, he made it a priority to work on it.&nbsp;"Last year, I scored 360 runs, but my strike rate against spinners was low. After the IPL, I worked specifically on improving my strike rate against spin, particularly in the middle overs. Small improvements like these will help me become a better player in the long run."
When asked about his training routine, he highlights the importance of timing the ball well. Rather than brute power, his focus is on making clean contact with the bat,&nbsp;"My primary focus during practice is to time the ball well. I aim for the bat to make clean contact with the ball, hitting the middle of the bat consistently. That is crucial for me."
Beyond cricketing skills, he values the mentorship and guidance he has received from senior players. He shares a special bond with veteran wicketkeeper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wriddhiman-saha">Wriddhiman Saha</a>, who has been a constant source of support and advice since his Ranji Trophy debut. Talking about his bond with Saha, Porel said, "I have shared a great bond with Wriddhiman Saha for the last three to four years. After my Ranji Trophy debut, I stayed in constant touch with him. Whenever I face any challenges, I call him, and he always shares valuable insights. He is very approachable and has helped me immensely," he signed off.

Cricket, Sports: Abhishek Porel put on a solid display against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (March 30), showcasing his confidence and composure at the crease

Abhishek Porel put on a solid display against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (March 30), showcasing his growing confidence and composure at the crease. The young wicketkeeper-batter has been steadily making his mark for Delhi Capitals, proving that he belongs at this level. With his fearless strokeplay and improved game awareness, Porel is shaping into a key player for the franchise. In an exclusive interview with WION, Porel reflected on his journey, the learnings from the past year, and his aspirations for the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 season. The Bengal cricketer shared insights into his game, training regimen, and the invaluable support he's received from DC. Also Read: IPL 2025: After Hardik, now RR captain Riyan Parag penalised for slow over rate against CSK Over the past year, Porel has been focusing on both his game and mental resilience. He acknowledges the rapid evolution of cricket and is determined to stay ahead. Reflecting on his preparation, he said, "Over the last 12 months, I have focused more on my game and mental strength. Cricket is evolving rapidly, and I want to ensure that I keep up with its pace. The level has already gone very high. I began with the domestic season, which is crucial for us. During the off-season, I worked at the NCAA and with my state team. Overall, it was a successful domestic season, and now my mission is to perform better than last year’s IPL and help my team lift the trophy." When it comes to improving his game, he takes a very methodical approach. He evaluates his strengths and weaknesses to make targeted improvements, particularly in his hitting ability. "To be honest, I evaluate my game and identify areas of improvement. My hitting ability has improved compared to two years ago—I have gained strength and worked closely with my trainer. However, I don't specifically train for power-hitting. I focus on understanding my strengths and refining my game accordingly, " he explained. 'I worked on improving my strike rate against spin' Playing for Delhi Capitals (DC) has had a profound impact on his career. He expresses deep gratitude for the franchise, emphasising how their unwavering support has given him confidence and allowed him to grow as a player. "I am extremely grateful to DC for the opportunity they have given me. It has been a life-changing experience. They have backed me wholeheartedly and encouraged me to play freely. As a young player, when a franchise tells you to express yourself without fear, it has a significant mental impact. That trust has helped me grow as a cricketer," he shares. Looking back at his previous IPL season, he acknowledges a specific area that needed improvement—his strike rate against spin. After identifying this weakness, he made it a priority to work on it. "Last year, I scored 360 runs, but my strike rate against spinners was low. After the IPL, I worked specifically on improving my strike rate against spin, particularly in the middle overs. Small improvements like these will help me become a better player in the long run." When asked about his training routine, he highlights the importance of timing the ball well. Rather than brute power, his focus is on making clean contact with the bat, "My primary focus during practice is to time the ball well. I aim for the bat to make clean contact with the ball, hitting the middle of the bat consistently. That is crucial for me." Beyond cricketing skills, he values the mentorship and guidance he has received from senior players. He shares a special bond with veteran wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, who has been a constant source of support and advice since his Ranji Trophy debut. Talking about his bond with Saha, Porel said, "I have shared a great bond with Wriddhiman Saha for the last three to four years. After my Ranji Trophy debut, I stayed in constant touch with him. Whenever I face any challenges, I call him, and he always shares valuable insights. He is very approachable and has helped me immensely," he signed off.

Exclusive | IPL 2025: 'I have focused more on my game and mental strength', says Delhi Capitals' Abhishek Porel

Rajasthan Royals captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/riyan-parag">Riyan Parag</a> has been fined $14,000 for maintaining a slow over rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday (March 30).
IPL issued a statement on Monday confirming that the Royals skipper breached the Code of Conduct and was penalised accordingly.
"Riyan Parag, Captain, Rajasthan Royals has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 11 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati on 30th March, 2025," the statement from IPL read.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2025-doesnt-make-sense-says-india-batter-on-srh-hard-hitting-batting-style-after-two-consecutive-losses-8909239">IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses</a>
"As this was his team's first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Parag was fined ₹12 lakh," the statement concluded.
Riyan is the second captain penalised this season after Mumbai Indians' <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hardik-pandya">Hardik Pandya</a>, who was fined for MI&rsquo;s slow over-rate against Gujarat Titans.
<h2>Wanindu Hasaranga joins elite club</h2>
Rajasthan Royals' leg-spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wanindu-hasaranga">Wanindu Hasaranga</a> joined an elite club after securing a four-wicket haul against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Hasaranga dismantled Chennai's chase of 183 on Guwahati&rsquo;s surface. He ripped through CSK&rsquo;s batting order by dismissing Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
He completed his four-over spell with figures of 4/35, becoming just the third spinner to claim a four-wicket haul against Chennai in IPL history.&nbsp;Former spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harbhajan-singh">Harbhajan Singh</a> was the first to achieve this, taking 5/18 for Mumbai Indians in 2011. Brad Hogg later joined the list with 4/29 for Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in 2015.
The Sri Lankan spinner also became only the second Royals bowler to take 4+ wickets against CSK after Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir&rsquo;s 6/14 in Jaipur during the inaugural season.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Riyan is the second captain penalised this season after Mumbai Indians' Hardik Pandya, who was fined for MI’s slow over-rate against Gujarat Titans

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has been fined $14,000 for maintaining a slow over rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday (March 30). IPL issued a statement on Monday confirming that the Royals skipper breached the Code of Conduct and was penalised accordingly. "Riyan Parag, Captain, Rajasthan Royals has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 11 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati on 30th March, 2025," the statement from IPL read. Also Read: IPL 2025: 'Doesn't make sense', says India batter on SRH's hard-hitting batting style after two consecutive losses "As this was his team's first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Parag was fined ₹12 lakh," the statement concluded. Riyan is the second captain penalised this season after Mumbai Indians' Hardik Pandya, who was fined for MI’s slow over-rate against Gujarat Titans. Wanindu Hasaranga joins elite club Rajasthan Royals' leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga joined an elite club after securing a four-wicket haul against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL 2025. Hasaranga dismantled Chennai's chase of 183 on Guwahati’s surface. He ripped through CSK’s batting order by dismissing Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. He completed his four-over spell with figures of 4/35, becoming just the third spinner to claim a four-wicket haul against Chennai in IPL history. Former spinner Harbhajan Singh was the first to achieve this, taking 5/18 for Mumbai Indians in 2011. Brad Hogg later joined the list with 4/29 for Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in 2015. The Sri Lankan spinner also became only the second Royals bowler to take 4+ wickets against CSK after Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir’s 6/14 in Jaipur during the inaugural season. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: After Hardik, now RR captain Riyan Parag penalised for slow over rate against CSK

In a beautiful display of sportsmanship, former CSK captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mahendra-singh-dhoni">MS Dhoni</a> shared a heartwarming moment with Rajasthan Royals coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rahul-dravid">Rahul Dravid</a> after Chennai Super Kings&rsquo; match in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Despite CSK suffering a second consecutive defeat in the tournament, Dhoni&rsquo;s focus remained beyond just the game. In a viral video circulating on social media, the former CSK captain can be seen approaching Dravid after the match, engaging in a warm conversation with the legendary cricketer. According to reports, Dravid had sustained a minor injury, and Dhoni took the time to check on his well-being, a gesture that resonated deeply with fans.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/how-much-did-miami-open-2025-winners-earn-full-breakdown-inside-8908825">How much did Miami Open 2025 winners earn? Full breakdown inside</a>
What made the moment even more special was Dhoni&rsquo;s insistence that CSK&rsquo;s young players take the opportunity to greet Dravid. Known for nurturing young talent and instilling the right values in his teammates, Dhoni encouraged the next generation of cricketers to show respect and acknowledge the greatness of the former Indian captain.
<h2>Watch the viral video here:</h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
People who know me know how big a fan I am of Dravid &amp; Dhoni. Watching them together on the field was a dream come true ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/QCXsPwwjUR">pic.twitter.com/QCXsPwwjUR</a>
&mdash; .... (@Mrsolivegreen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mrsolivegreen/status/1906575373179228338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>

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

The emotional exchange between the two icons quickly went viral, with fans and cricketing experts hailing Dhoni&rsquo;s humility and respect for the game. Social media platforms were flooded with reactions, with many calling it a 'golden moment' in IPL history. 'Legends respecting legends &ndash; this is what cricket is all about', wrote one fan, while another commented, 'This is why Dhoni is loved across generations!'
Coming to the match, CSK opted to bowl first after winning the toss. After Jaiswal was dismissed early, Nitish Rana and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sanju-samson">Sanju Samson</a> stitched a 82-run partnership. Later on, skipper Riyan Parag (37 in 28 balls) held one end steady, but he kept running out of partners. In the end, RR was restricted to 182/9 in their 20 overs.
During the run-chase, CSK lost <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rachin-ravindra">Rachin Ravindra</a> early for a duck. Following that came a 46-run partnership between Rahul Tripathi and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad put up a strong fight (63 in 44 balls) but his wicket changed the game for CSK, leaving them out at 129/5 in 15.5 overs. MS Dhoni (16 in 10 balls), Ravindra Jadeja (32* in 22 balls) and Jamie Overton (11* in 4 balls) tried their best, but CSK fell six runs short at 176/6 in their 20 overs.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: In a video circulating on social media,  ex-CSK captain can be seen meeting Dravid after the match, also encouraging other young players to meet him

In a beautiful display of sportsmanship, former CSK captain MS Dhoni shared a heartwarming moment with Rajasthan Royals coach Rahul Dravid after Chennai Super Kings’ match in the ongoing IPL 2025. Despite CSK suffering a second consecutive defeat in the tournament, Dhoni’s focus remained beyond just the game. In a viral video circulating on social media, the former CSK captain can be seen approaching Dravid after the match, engaging in a warm conversation with the legendary cricketer. According to reports, Dravid had sustained a minor injury, and Dhoni took the time to check on his well-being, a gesture that resonated deeply with fans. Also Read: How much did Miami Open 2025 winners earn? Full breakdown inside What made the moment even more special was Dhoni’s insistence that CSK’s young players take the opportunity to greet Dravid. Known for nurturing young talent and instilling the right values in his teammates, Dhoni encouraged the next generation of cricketers to show respect and acknowledge the greatness of the former Indian captain. Watch the viral video here: People who know me know how big a fan I am of Dravid & Dhoni. Watching them together on the field was a dream come true ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QCXsPwwjUR — .... (@Mrsolivegreen) March 31, 2025 The emotional exchange between the two icons quickly went viral, with fans and cricketing experts hailing Dhoni’s humility and respect for the game. Social media platforms were flooded with reactions, with many calling it a 'golden moment' in IPL history. 'Legends respecting legends – this is what cricket is all about', wrote one fan, while another commented, 'This is why Dhoni is loved across generations!' Coming to the match, CSK opted to bowl first after winning the toss. After Jaiswal was dismissed early, Nitish Rana and Sanju Samson stitched a 82-run partnership. Later on, skipper Riyan Parag (37 in 28 balls) held one end steady, but he kept running out of partners. In the end, RR was restricted to 182/9 in their 20 overs. During the run-chase, CSK lost Rachin Ravindra early for a duck. Following that came a 46-run partnership between Rahul Tripathi and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad put up a strong fight (63 in 44 balls) but his wicket changed the game for CSK, leaving them out at 129/5 in 15.5 overs. MS Dhoni (16 in 10 balls), Ravindra Jadeja (32* in 22 balls) and Jamie Overton (11* in 4 balls) tried their best, but CSK fell six runs short at 176/6 in their 20 overs. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: MS Dhoni’s heartwarming gesture towards Rahul Dravid after match wins the internet-WATCH

Rajasthan Royals' star leg-spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wanindu-hasaranga">Wanindu Hasaranga</a> drew inspiration from South Indian cinema as he unleashed a &lsquo;Pushpa&rsquo;-style celebration during his match-winning spell against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/chennai-super-kings">Chennai Super Kings</a> in the ongoing IPL 2025.
The Sri Lankan spinner played a pivotal role in RR&rsquo;s thrilling six-run victory, bagging four crucial wickets in an action-packed Sunday clash. Each time he struck after conceding a six, Hasaranga responded with a cinematic flourish, pulling off Allu Arjun's iconic 'Pushpa' gesture.
"I love to watch Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil films, and I got that from the Pushpa film," Hasaranga revealed after the match.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-ms-dhoni-fails-in-run-chase-as-rajasthan-royals-pile-misery-on-struggling-csk-8908015">IPL 2025: MS Dhoni fails in run chase as Rajasthan Royals pile misery on struggling CSK</a>
His four-wicket haul (4/35) dismantled CSK&rsquo;s batting order, including the prized scalp of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who threatened to take the game away with a blazing 63. Hasaranga named Gaikwad's dismissal as his favorite, crediting a brilliant catch by Riyan Parag.
<h2>'We have good bowling attack'</h2>
"(On the wicket he enjoyed the most) <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ruturaj-gaikwad">Ruturaj Gaikwad</a> because he's a really good player, he batted really well, end of the innings I got him out. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/riyan-parag">Riyan Parag</a> took a brilliant catch, and Shimron Hetmyer was also gun in the field," he said.
Rajasthan Royals&rsquo; bowlers held their nerve to defend 182, bouncing back strongly after two tough outings. Hasaranga highlighted the crucial role he and fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana play in RR&rsquo;s attack.
"We have a really good bowling attack, especially in the middle overs. Myself and Maheesh have different roles, sometimes with the old ball and sometimes in the middle," he said.
Rajasthan Royals made CSK tilt at the windmills throughout their 182-run defence. CSK's top stars came in and played a couple of shots but eventually perished and surrendered to a six-run loss.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: The Sri Lankan spinner played a pivotal role in RR’s thrilling six-run victory, bagging four crucial wickets in an action-packed Sunday clash

Rajasthan Royals' star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga drew inspiration from South Indian cinema as he unleashed a ‘Pushpa’-style celebration during his match-winning spell against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL 2025. The Sri Lankan spinner played a pivotal role in RR’s thrilling six-run victory, bagging four crucial wickets in an action-packed Sunday clash. Each time he struck after conceding a six, Hasaranga responded with a cinematic flourish, pulling off Allu Arjun's iconic 'Pushpa' gesture. "I love to watch Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil films, and I got that from the Pushpa film," Hasaranga revealed after the match. Also Read: IPL 2025: MS Dhoni fails in run chase as Rajasthan Royals pile misery on struggling CSK His four-wicket haul (4/35) dismantled CSK’s batting order, including the prized scalp of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who threatened to take the game away with a blazing 63. Hasaranga named Gaikwad's dismissal as his favorite, crediting a brilliant catch by Riyan Parag. 'We have good bowling attack' "(On the wicket he enjoyed the most) Ruturaj Gaikwad because he's a really good player, he batted really well, end of the innings I got him out. Riyan Parag took a brilliant catch, and Shimron Hetmyer was also gun in the field," he said. Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers held their nerve to defend 182, bouncing back strongly after two tough outings. Hasaranga highlighted the crucial role he and fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana play in RR’s attack. "We have a really good bowling attack, especially in the middle overs. Myself and Maheesh have different roles, sometimes with the old ball and sometimes in the middle," he said. Rajasthan Royals made CSK tilt at the windmills throughout their 182-run defence. CSK's top stars came in and played a couple of shots but eventually perished and surrendered to a six-run loss. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Hasaranga's 'iconic' celebration steals the show against CSK. Deets inside

In a rare moment on a cricket field, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ms-dhoni" rel="dofollow">MS Dhoni</a>, 43, failed to pull off a run chase for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/chennai-super-kings-csk" rel="dofollow">Chennai Super Kings (CSK)</a> as hosts <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajasthan-royals" rel="dofollow">Rajasthan Royals</a> inflicted a six-run defeat on the former champions in Guwahati in IPL 2025. Unlike how late he came out to bat in the previous game when the match was already over for CSK, Dhoni walked out to bat in the 16th over this time. Though he managed a four and a six in his brief stay at the crease, MS Dhoni failed to help his team cross the winning line.
CSK won the toss and elected to field first, making a few changes to their side. Though they dismissed returning Yashasvi Jaiswal inside the first over on just four, the CSK bowlers failed to gain more out of it; the batting pair of Nitish Rana and gloveman Sanju Samson added 82 for the second wicket before Noor Ahmed provided the much-needed breakthrough.
However, Nitish had done the damage by then. Batting on 81, having already smoked Ravichandran Ashwin for plenty of boundaries, the left-handed came down the track, only for Ashwin to outwit him and bowl outside the off, with Dhoni collecting it and affecting the stumping.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-coach-chandrakant-pandit-backs-ajinkya-rahane-over-eden-gardens-pitch-controversy-bats-for-favourable-home-conditions-kkr-vs-mi-8907831" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over &lsquo;Eden Gardens pitch controversy&rsquo;, bats for &lsquo;favourable home conditions&rsquo;</a>
RR captain Riyan Parag enjoyed his brief stint at his home ground, scoring 37, including two sixes and as many fours. His dismissal triggered a late collapse for the home side, which lost the next three wickets for three runs, ending 20 overs with 182 for nine.
<h2>Pace ate CSK&rsquo;s momentum</h2>
Chennai lost their man-in-form Rachin Ravindra inside the first over, with RR&rsquo;s overseas seamer Jofra Archer accounting for his dismissal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vywxzt-9t5fltal-2npu05ju">
BIG WICKET EARLY! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JofraArcher?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JofraArcher</a> makes an instant impact, removing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a>&rsquo;s key man <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RachinRavindra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RachinRavindra</a> in the very first over! 👀 Watch the LIVE action ➡ <a href="https://t.co/nlNC9EgmIb">https://t.co/nlNC9EgmIb</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLonJioStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLonJioStar</a> 👉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvCSK</a> | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 2, Star Sports&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/NIIHegJFXe">pic.twitter.com/NIIHegJFXe</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1906380386135167408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
His sheer pace kept the Indian duo of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and struggling Rahul Tripathi silent during the Powerplay before they opened their arms and went for runs.
That formula failed massively as Tripathi and Shivam Dube departed quickly, with Wanindu Hasaranga removing both; Parag&rsquo;s one-handed blinder to dismiss Dube was an impressive sight.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vyvjj2-pvj4t76r-4yqlr1li">
Captain Riyan Parag replies with a fantastic catch 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> lose Shivam Dube in the chase Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO">https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvCSK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajasthanroyals</a> <a href="https://t.co/fPG0OhNcyg">pic.twitter.com/fPG0OhNcyg</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906392603215720466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Sri Lanka ace spinner removed Vijay Shankar on nine, leaving Gaikwad with Ravindra Jadeja at the crease.
Though Gaikwad did accelerate the innings with odd fours and a six, Hasaranga had his number, picking four wickets for 35 runs. Gaikwad&rsquo;s dismissal brought MS Dhoni to the crease, with the crowd cheering him massively.&nbsp;
The India and CSK veteran failed to find runs earlier, but (at a time) when he looked set at the crease, the asked run rate rose to around 20 per over, which turned out a bit too much for the ageing chase master.
As a result, he departed on the second ball of the last over, with CSK going down by six runs, losing their second straight match.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vyuwbx-snzm3vev-b790pjis">
The situation 🤯 The catch 🫡 The moment 🔝 🎥 Shimron Hetmyer's match-changing catch 🙇&zwj;♂️ Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO">https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvCSK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajasthanroyals</a> <a href="https://t.co/ytuCdERVas">pic.twitter.com/ytuCdERVas</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906406547871465685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>

Cricket, Sports: Though he managed a four and a six in his brief stay at the crease during the run chase, MS Dhoni failed to help his team cross the winning line.

In a rare moment on a cricket field, MS Dhoni, 43, failed to pull off a run chase for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as hosts Rajasthan Royals inflicted a six-run defeat on the former champions in Guwahati in IPL 2025. Unlike how late he came out to bat in the previous game when the match was already over for CSK, Dhoni walked out to bat in the 16th over this time. Though he managed a four and a six in his brief stay at the crease, MS Dhoni failed to help his team cross the winning line. CSK won the toss and elected to field first, making a few changes to their side. Though they dismissed returning Yashasvi Jaiswal inside the first over on just four, the CSK bowlers failed to gain more out of it; the batting pair of Nitish Rana and gloveman Sanju Samson added 82 for the second wicket before Noor Ahmed provided the much-needed breakthrough. However, Nitish had done the damage by then. Batting on 81, having already smoked Ravichandran Ashwin for plenty of boundaries, the left-handed came down the track, only for Ashwin to outwit him and bowl outside the off, with Dhoni collecting it and affecting the stumping. Also read | IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over ‘Eden Gardens pitch controversy’, bats for ‘favourable home conditions’ RR captain Riyan Parag enjoyed his brief stint at his home ground, scoring 37, including two sixes and as many fours. His dismissal triggered a late collapse for the home side, which lost the next three wickets for three runs, ending 20 overs with 182 for nine. Pace ate CSK’s momentum Chennai lost their man-in-form Rachin Ravindra inside the first over, with RR’s overseas seamer Jofra Archer accounting for his dismissal. BIG WICKET EARLY! 🔥#JofraArcher makes an instant impact, removing #CSK’s key man #RachinRavindra in the very first over! 👀 Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/nlNC9EgmIb#IPLonJioStar 👉 #RRvCSK | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 2, Star Sports… pic.twitter.com/NIIHegJFXe — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 30, 2025 His sheer pace kept the Indian duo of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and struggling Rahul Tripathi silent during the Powerplay before they opened their arms and went for runs. That formula failed massively as Tripathi and Shivam Dube departed quickly, with Wanindu Hasaranga removing both; Parag’s one-handed blinder to dismiss Dube was an impressive sight. Captain Riyan Parag replies with a fantastic catch 🤯#CSK lose Shivam Dube in the chase Updates ▶️ https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO#TATAIPL | #RRvCSK | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/fPG0OhNcyg — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2025 The Sri Lanka ace spinner removed Vijay Shankar on nine, leaving Gaikwad with Ravindra Jadeja at the crease. Though Gaikwad did accelerate the innings with odd fours and a six, Hasaranga had his number, picking four wickets for 35 runs. Gaikwad’s dismissal brought MS Dhoni to the crease, with the crowd cheering him massively. The India and CSK veteran failed to find runs earlier, but (at a time) when he looked set at the crease, the asked run rate rose to around 20 per over, which turned out a bit too much for the ageing chase master. As a result, he departed on the second ball of the last over, with CSK going down by six runs, losing their second straight match. The situation 🤯 The catch 🫡 The moment 🔝 🎥 Shimron Hetmyer's match-changing catch 🙇‍♂️ Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/V2QijpWpGO#TATAIPL | #RRvCSK | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/ytuCdERVas — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2025

IPL 2025: MS Dhoni fails in run chase as Rajasthan Royals pile misery on struggling CSK

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders-kkr" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> head coach Chandrakant Pandit has backed team captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow">Ajinkya Rahane</a> in batting for favourable playing conditions at home in IPL 2025 amid Eden Gardens pitch controversy. Days after Rahane spoke openly about wanting home pitches favouring his bowling attack after earlier reports of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kkr-pitch-curator-does-u-turn-in-ajinkya-rahane-episode-says-those-who-are-accusing-me-sujan-mukherjee-8898729" rel="dofollow">KKR pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee denying accepting any such request</a> made headlines, team coach Pandit said who wouldn&rsquo;t be happy about that.
KKR has played two matches thus far this season, losing one (against RCB in the tournament opener) and winning the other against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.&nbsp;
With them playing host to Mumbai Indians (MI) in another marquee match this season on Monday, the KKR coach said he would love to have the pitch (on offer) that benefits his team but agrees he or even the management has no control over preparing it during any stage in the competition.
"Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer," Pandit replied when asked if all IPL teams should be allowed to have a say in conditions for the home matches.&nbsp;
"See, as a coach, as a team management, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, that will be under [the] curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow, which we are playing [against MI]," he added.
<h2>Pandit denies team&rsquo;s role in deciding pitch&rsquo;s nature</h2>
Although several prominent names in the cricket world, including broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, have voiced for teams being right in asking for favourable conditions for their home games in this cash-rich league, the KKR head coach denied his team or franchise&rsquo;s role in deciding everything that happens on the ground.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-who-is-aniket-verma-srh-newest-star-the-rookie-batter-who-loves-hitting-sixes-for-fun-dc-8907671" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Who is Aniket Verma, SRH&rsquo;s newest star who loves hitting sixes for fun</a>
&ldquo;No. In charge of everything at the ground&hellip; I don't know. That doesn't mean that they [the franchises] have control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don't know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something [helpful] to be provided. So, that's all,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, KKR pitch curator Mukherjee revealed what happened behind the scenes.
"As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India," Mukherjee said in a chat with RevSportz.&nbsp;
"It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required, and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: KKR has played two matches thus far this season, losing one (against RCB in the tournament opener) and winning the other against Rajasthan Royals.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has backed team captain Ajinkya Rahane in batting for favourable playing conditions at home in IPL 2025 amid Eden Gardens pitch controversy. Days after Rahane spoke openly about wanting home pitches favouring his bowling attack after earlier reports of KKR pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee denying accepting any such request made headlines, team coach Pandit said who wouldn’t be happy about that. KKR has played two matches thus far this season, losing one (against RCB in the tournament opener) and winning the other against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. With them playing host to Mumbai Indians (MI) in another marquee match this season on Monday, the KKR coach said he would love to have the pitch (on offer) that benefits his team but agrees he or even the management has no control over preparing it during any stage in the competition. "Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer," Pandit replied when asked if all IPL teams should be allowed to have a say in conditions for the home matches. "See, as a coach, as a team management, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, that will be under [the] curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow, which we are playing [against MI]," he added. Pandit denies team’s role in deciding pitch’s nature Although several prominent names in the cricket world, including broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, have voiced for teams being right in asking for favourable conditions for their home games in this cash-rich league, the KKR head coach denied his team or franchise’s role in deciding everything that happens on the ground. Also read | IPL 2025: Who is Aniket Verma, SRH’s newest star who loves hitting sixes for fun “No. In charge of everything at the ground… I don't know. That doesn't mean that they [the franchises] have control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don't know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise. “But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something [helpful] to be provided. So, that's all,” he continued. Meanwhile, KKR pitch curator Mukherjee revealed what happened behind the scenes. "As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India," Mukherjee said in a chat with RevSportz. "It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required, and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise,” he continued. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over ‘Eden Gardens pitch controversy’, bats for ‘favourable home conditions’

Aniket Verma has turned heads in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>, and it&rsquo;s not luck by chance. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunrisers-hyderabad-srh" rel="dofollow">SunRisers Hyderabad&rsquo;s (SRH)</a> newest star made bowlers suffer in his three outings this season, with his best coming against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/delhi-capitals" rel="dofollow">Delhi Capitals</a> in the just-concluded game in Vizag on Sunday. Coming in at a time when the chips were down, Aniket got a lifeline in the sixth over when Abishek Porel dropped him, later making the most of this chance and slamming bowlers to all parts of the ground.
Even during his second IPL game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home, Aniket smoked five sixes in his brief stay at the crease, scoring 36 off just 13 balls. However, his best came against Delhi on Saturday, when he hit his maiden IPL fifty (74 off 41 balls). The 23-year-old came out to bat in the third over and departed in the 16th, hitting bowlers for six sixes and five fours.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vsp3k4-gb96jpap-qhtresa0">
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐓! 🤯 Stay calm when Aniket is on the field, effortlessly smashing maximums and driving SRH&rsquo;s score forward 🤩 Watch the LIVE action on JioHotstar ➡ <a href="https://t.co/ZP3CFmZvDm">https://t.co/ZP3CFmZvDm</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLonJioStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLonJioStar</a> 👉 DC 🆚 SRH | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/QcxHJovyIO">pic.twitter.com/QcxHJovyIO</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1906310919971627329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-mitchell-starc-picks-five-wicket-haul-as-delhi-capitals-hit-jackpot-against-sunrisers-hyderabad-in-vizag-faf-du-plessis-8907351" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Starc picks five-for as Delhi Capitals hit jackpot against SunRisers Hyderabad in Vizag</a>
His clean striking with the bat and commendable foot movement caught everyone&rsquo;s attention, with countless fans wondering where this wonder kid emerged from. His ability to read the game situation and play accordingly earned him praises from all quarters, with last year&rsquo;s runners-up showing a willingness to give this youngster more chances this season.
<h2>Who is Aniket Verma?</h2>
Hailing from Bhopal, Aniket was raised by his uncle Amit Verma following his mother&rsquo;s death at an early age. Born to go places, Aniket picked up a cricket bat quite early in his life (at six), but a tough financial situation meant he would not get formal coaching back in the day.&nbsp;
Although he did not get support from his extended family in wanting to pursue a cricket career, his uncle&rsquo;s fondness for this game, and having watched the fire and desire in Aniket&rsquo;s eyes to make it big, he backed him to chase his dream.&nbsp;
A 10-year-old Aniket joined the Ankur Cricket Academy in Bhopal, where Jyoti Prakash Tyagi, the coach, took him under his wing. With each passing year, the right-handed batter climbed up through age-group cricket, impressing his coaches with massive scores at the inter-division levels.&nbsp;
Soon after, he joined the Faith Cricket Club on the city's outskirts, where he began realising his dream of playing top-flight cricket.&nbsp;
Aniket rose to the limelight with his heroics in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League last season, where he top-scored with 273 runs in six matches, which included a 32-ball hundred and 25 sixes throughout, earning him a trial with the SunRisers Hyderabad ahead of the mega auction late last year, and, when it came around, he left no stone unturned to make it count.
"First in the Powerplay, we were told to score 65 in 6 overs," Aniket said in an exclusive chat with Cricbuzz. "We had to do it in pairs, and if we got out, we'd have to sit out of the simulation. We achieved that easily. In the second scenario, we were told to score 85+ in 8 overs. We got that in 4 overs. They'd asked us to play the entire six overs (in the first scenario), and I made 72-odd in that. In the second one, I scored 64 out of the 85."
Such efforts were, however, enough for the SRH to consider him for the impending season, buying him at his base price of INR 30 Lakh at the auction.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Against DC, Aniket came out to bat in the third over and departed in the 16th, hitting bowlers for six sixes in his 74-run-stay at the crease.

Aniket Verma has turned heads in IPL 2025, and it’s not luck by chance. SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) newest star made bowlers suffer in his three outings this season, with his best coming against the Delhi Capitals in the just-concluded game in Vizag on Sunday. Coming in at a time when the chips were down, Aniket got a lifeline in the sixth over when Abishek Porel dropped him, later making the most of this chance and slamming bowlers to all parts of the ground. Even during his second IPL game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home, Aniket smoked five sixes in his brief stay at the crease, scoring 36 off just 13 balls. However, his best came against Delhi on Saturday, when he hit his maiden IPL fifty (74 off 41 balls). The 23-year-old came out to bat in the third over and departed in the 16th, hitting bowlers for six sixes and five fours. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐓! 🤯 Stay calm when Aniket is on the field, effortlessly smashing maximums and driving SRH’s score forward 🤩 Watch the LIVE action on JioHotstar ➡ https://t.co/ZP3CFmZvDm#IPLonJioStar 👉 DC 🆚 SRH | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2… pic.twitter.com/QcxHJovyIO — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 30, 2025 Also read | IPL 2025: Starc picks five-for as Delhi Capitals hit jackpot against SunRisers Hyderabad in Vizag His clean striking with the bat and commendable foot movement caught everyone’s attention, with countless fans wondering where this wonder kid emerged from. His ability to read the game situation and play accordingly earned him praises from all quarters, with last year’s runners-up showing a willingness to give this youngster more chances this season. Who is Aniket Verma? Hailing from Bhopal, Aniket was raised by his uncle Amit Verma following his mother’s death at an early age. Born to go places, Aniket picked up a cricket bat quite early in his life (at six), but a tough financial situation meant he would not get formal coaching back in the day. Although he did not get support from his extended family in wanting to pursue a cricket career, his uncle’s fondness for this game, and having watched the fire and desire in Aniket’s eyes to make it big, he backed him to chase his dream. A 10-year-old Aniket joined the Ankur Cricket Academy in Bhopal, where Jyoti Prakash Tyagi, the coach, took him under his wing. With each passing year, the right-handed batter climbed up through age-group cricket, impressing his coaches with massive scores at the inter-division levels. Soon after, he joined the Faith Cricket Club on the city's outskirts, where he began realising his dream of playing top-flight cricket. Aniket rose to the limelight with his heroics in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League last season, where he top-scored with 273 runs in six matches, which included a 32-ball hundred and 25 sixes throughout, earning him a trial with the SunRisers Hyderabad ahead of the mega auction late last year, and, when it came around, he left no stone unturned to make it count. "First in the Powerplay, we were told to score 65 in 6 overs," Aniket said in an exclusive chat with Cricbuzz. "We had to do it in pairs, and if we got out, we'd have to sit out of the simulation. We achieved that easily. In the second scenario, we were told to score 85+ in 8 overs. We got that in 4 overs. They'd asked us to play the entire six overs (in the first scenario), and I made 72-odd in that. In the second one, I scored 64 out of the 85." Such efforts were, however, enough for the SRH to consider him for the impending season, buying him at his base price of INR 30 Lakh at the auction. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Who is Aniket Verma, SRH’s newest star who loves hitting sixes for fun

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mitchell-starc" rel="dofollow">Mitchell Starc</a> was the star of the day for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/delhi-capitals" rel="dofollow">Delhi Capitals (DC)</a>, picking his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunrisers-hyderabad-srh" rel="dofollow">SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)</a> in IPL 2025, as the hosts beat Hyderabad by seven wickets in Vizag on Sunday. While Delhi won its second successive game this season, Hyderabad endured its second straight loss. Delhi&rsquo;s top order contributed heavily in the chase, with the team&rsquo;s vice-captain Faf du Plessis top-scoring with 50 off 27 balls.
Everyone came to the party for Delhi in this crunch clash against the touring Hyderabad side, including KL Rahul, who relinked with the team following his paternity leave.&nbsp;
Hyderabad won the toss and elected to bat first, only to fall flat on their face inside the first six overs. Delhi seamer Starc triggered an early SRH collapse, picking three wickets in his first spell. After Abhishek Sharma&rsquo;s run out in the first over, Starc picked two wickets in his second, removing Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy before getting the big fish in SRH opener Travis Head (22) for the sixth time in his career. With that, SRH&rsquo;s scorecard read 37 for four at one stage.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vp4dcl-b5p9aafk-m5ahvk8y">
𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 😱 A big breakthrough for Delhi Capitals as Abhishek&rsquo;s error sends him back to the dugout early 🤯 Watch the LIVE action on JioHotstar ➡ <a href="https://t.co/VU1zRx9cWp">https://t.co/VU1zRx9cWp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLonJioStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLonJioStar</a> 👉 SRH vs DC | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 2 &amp; Star Sports&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/KL8QFBb2kA">pic.twitter.com/KL8QFBb2kA</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1906292498701631817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Aniket Varma and Heinrich Klaasen saved their sinking ship with a quick-fire 77-run stand for the fifth wicket, only for Kuldeep Yadav to break into their lower order and restrict them under a par total.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-delhi-capitals-mitchell-starc-floors-srh-with-five-for-but-its-his-aussie-teammates-catch-that-stunned-all-watch-jake-fraser-mcgurk-8907196" rel="dofollow">Jake Fraser-McGurk&rsquo;s brilliant catch to dismiss Aniket</a> stunned all in Vizag as DC wrapped up SRH on 163 inside 19 overs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vp53pw-20dx9ur7-wiv248qo">
Jump. Timing. Perfection. 🔝 An excellent catch from Jake Fraser-McGurk at the ropes brings an end to Aniket Verma's fighting knock! 💙 Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/L4vEDKzthJ">https://t.co/L4vEDKzthJ</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvSRH</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiCapitals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiCapitals</a> <a href="https://t.co/7b6eekZtRC">pic.twitter.com/7b6eekZtRC</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906308290772078753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>DC batters come good against SRH</h2>
After failing in the side&rsquo;s tournament opener against LSG, Delhi batters came good against Hyderabad, with the top four contributing to the team&rsquo;s success. Fraser and du Plessis stitched an 81-run partnership for the first wicket, with the veteran opener completing his maiden fifty for his new team.&nbsp;
Making his IPL debut, SRH&rsquo;s rookie spinner Zeeshan Ansari broke the stand, dismissing both openers and Rahul later to complete his quota with three wickets for 42 runs.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8vp5fgq-osdgrz6o-3yqvh4n4">
A Dream Debut ✨ Zeeshan Ansari couldn't have asked for better wickets in his maiden <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> appearance 🧡 Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/L4vEDKyVsb">https://t.co/L4vEDKyVsb</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvSRH</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SunRisers</a> <a href="https://t.co/WHKiLX30Uw">pic.twitter.com/WHKiLX30Uw</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1906335732307824986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs then completed the formalities as Delhi wrapped up the chase with four overs and seven wickets remaining.&nbsp;
As things stand, Delhi is second on the points table with two wins in as many matches, and Hyderabad is placed seventh with just one win in three contested matches thus far.&nbsp;

Cricket, Sports: Delhi Capitals' top order contributed heavily in the chase in Vizag, with the team’s vice-captain Faf du Plessis top-scoring with 50 off 27 balls.

Mitchell Starc was the star of the day for Delhi Capitals (DC), picking his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2025, as the hosts beat Hyderabad by seven wickets in Vizag on Sunday. While Delhi won its second successive game this season, Hyderabad endured its second straight loss. Delhi’s top order contributed heavily in the chase, with the team’s vice-captain Faf du Plessis top-scoring with 50 off 27 balls. Everyone came to the party for Delhi in this crunch clash against the touring Hyderabad side, including KL Rahul, who relinked with the team following his paternity leave. Hyderabad won the toss and elected to bat first, only to fall flat on their face inside the first six overs. Delhi seamer Starc triggered an early SRH collapse, picking three wickets in his first spell. After Abhishek Sharma’s run out in the first over, Starc picked two wickets in his second, removing Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy before getting the big fish in SRH opener Travis Head (22) for the sixth time in his career. With that, SRH’s scorecard read 37 for four at one stage. 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 😱 A big breakthrough for Delhi Capitals as Abhishek’s error sends him back to the dugout early 🤯 Watch the LIVE action on JioHotstar ➡ https://t.co/VU1zRx9cWp #IPLonJioStar 👉 SRH vs DC | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 2 & Star Sports… pic.twitter.com/KL8QFBb2kA — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 30, 2025 Aniket Varma and Heinrich Klaasen saved their sinking ship with a quick-fire 77-run stand for the fifth wicket, only for Kuldeep Yadav to break into their lower order and restrict them under a par total. Jake Fraser-McGurk’s brilliant catch to dismiss Aniket stunned all in Vizag as DC wrapped up SRH on 163 inside 19 overs. Jump. Timing. Perfection. 🔝 An excellent catch from Jake Fraser-McGurk at the ropes brings an end to Aniket Verma's fighting knock! 💙 Updates ▶️ https://t.co/L4vEDKzthJ#TATAIPL | #DCvSRH | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/7b6eekZtRC — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2025 DC batters come good against SRH After failing in the side’s tournament opener against LSG, Delhi batters came good against Hyderabad, with the top four contributing to the team’s success. Fraser and du Plessis stitched an 81-run partnership for the first wicket, with the veteran opener completing his maiden fifty for his new team. Making his IPL debut, SRH’s rookie spinner Zeeshan Ansari broke the stand, dismissing both openers and Rahul later to complete his quota with three wickets for 42 runs. A Dream Debut ✨ Zeeshan Ansari couldn't have asked for better wickets in his maiden #TATAIPL appearance 🧡 Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/L4vEDKyVsb#DCvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/WHKiLX30Uw — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2025 Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs then completed the formalities as Delhi wrapped up the chase with four overs and seven wickets remaining. As things stand, Delhi is second on the points table with two wins in as many matches, and Hyderabad is placed seventh with just one win in three contested matches thus far.

IPL 2025: Starc picks five-for as Delhi Capitals hit jackpot against SunRisers Hyderabad in Vizag

India ODI captain and Mumbai Indians veteran <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow">Rohit Sharma</a> is going through a rough phase while looking like a pale shadow of himself, reckons cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar.
After failing in the side&rsquo;s tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he got out on a four-ball duck, Rohit failed against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the next match, getting out inside the first over. Though he hit two good-looking shots for fours on the leg side, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-rohit-sharma-left-stunned-as-mohammed-siraj-sends-him-packing-with-a-beauty-watch-8905616" rel="dofollow">he failed to put bat to the ball to an incoming delivery from Mohammed Siraj</a>, who clean bowled him on eight - his 80th single-digit dismissal in the cash-rich league.&nbsp;
Watching him struggle against the moving ball time and again, Manjrekar feels Rohit is no more the Rohit of four or five years ago, as he has to put in extra yards every time to be among the runs.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-delhi-capitals-mitchell-starc-floors-srh-with-five-for-but-its-his-aussie-teammates-catch-that-stunned-all-watch-jake-fraser-mcgurk-8907196" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Starc floors SRH with five-for but it&rsquo;s his Aussie teammate&rsquo;s catch that stunned all &ndash; WATCH</a>
"Rohit Sharma is clearly going through a phase," Manjrekar said on JioStar after MI&rsquo;s second loss of the season. "He's not the Rohit Sharma of, say, three to four years ago. He's at a stage in his career where he has to push himself every morning - train hard and be at his best - because things are slipping away for him. He's still relying on his natural talent and instincts."
Rohit endured a lean patch in international cricket the past season. Since the home season began, he failed to find his touch, scoring just one fifty (52) throughout (against Bangladesh in September). While his lowest came against New Zealand during the home Test series, where India got whitewashed for the first time in history, Rohit&rsquo;s batting slump continued making headlines Down Under, where he scored just 31 runs in five innings.&nbsp;
Despite changing positions, he failed to get going, leading to him sitting out of the fifth and final Test in Sydney, which India lost within three days and conceded the BGT for the first time in a decade.
Though Rohit hit an ODI hundred against England in the lead-up to the first showpiece event of the year, his best came against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, wherein he scored a match-winning 76.
<h2>Manjrekar digs deep into MI&rsquo;s loopholes</h2>
Explaining what went wrong for the former five-time winners who lost the second match by 36 runs, Manjrekar said they never looked comfortable in the chase after losing two wickets inside the Powerplay, even comparing it to how GT maximised their momentum in the first innings.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-australia-confirms-bumper-home-season-with-india-south-africa-white-ball-series-check-full-schedule-8906875" rel="dofollow">Cricket Australia confirms bumper home season with India, South Africa white-ball series, check full schedule</a>
&ldquo;Mumbai Indians didn't look in the race when they lost two wickets for 35 [against GT]. In comparison, Gujarat Titans had around 129 runs for their first two wickets. After that, it seemed like Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav were trying to build a partnership.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The challenge with building a partnership in a chase of over 190 is that the required run rate starts to suffer, and that's exactly what happened. In the end, you have to say that Gujarat Titans batted better - I thought they got maybe 15 to 20 runs over par,&rdquo; Manjrekar explained.
Meanwhile, Mumbai lost both contested games this season, with their next scheduled against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home on Monday (Mar 31).&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: After failing against CSK, where Rohit Sharma got out on a four-ball duck, he failed against GT, getting out inside the first over.

India ODI captain and Mumbai Indians veteran Rohit Sharma is going through a rough phase while looking like a pale shadow of himself, reckons cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar. After failing in the side’s tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he got out on a four-ball duck, Rohit failed against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the next match, getting out inside the first over. Though he hit two good-looking shots for fours on the leg side, he failed to put bat to the ball to an incoming delivery from Mohammed Siraj, who clean bowled him on eight - his 80th single-digit dismissal in the cash-rich league. Watching him struggle against the moving ball time and again, Manjrekar feels Rohit is no more the Rohit of four or five years ago, as he has to put in extra yards every time to be among the runs. Also read | IPL 2025: Starc floors SRH with five-for but it’s his Aussie teammate’s catch that stunned all – WATCH "Rohit Sharma is clearly going through a phase," Manjrekar said on JioStar after MI’s second loss of the season. "He's not the Rohit Sharma of, say, three to four years ago. He's at a stage in his career where he has to push himself every morning - train hard and be at his best - because things are slipping away for him. He's still relying on his natural talent and instincts." Rohit endured a lean patch in international cricket the past season. Since the home season began, he failed to find his touch, scoring just one fifty (52) throughout (against Bangladesh in September). While his lowest came against New Zealand during the home Test series, where India got whitewashed for the first time in history, Rohit’s batting slump continued making headlines Down Under, where he scored just 31 runs in five innings. Despite changing positions, he failed to get going, leading to him sitting out of the fifth and final Test in Sydney, which India lost within three days and conceded the BGT for the first time in a decade. Though Rohit hit an ODI hundred against England in the lead-up to the first showpiece event of the year, his best came against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, wherein he scored a match-winning 76. Manjrekar digs deep into MI’s loopholes Explaining what went wrong for the former five-time winners who lost the second match by 36 runs, Manjrekar said they never looked comfortable in the chase after losing two wickets inside the Powerplay, even comparing it to how GT maximised their momentum in the first innings. Also read | Cricket Australia confirms bumper home season with India, South Africa white-ball series, check full schedule “Mumbai Indians didn't look in the race when they lost two wickets for 35 [against GT]. In comparison, Gujarat Titans had around 129 runs for their first two wickets. After that, it seemed like Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav were trying to build a partnership. “The challenge with building a partnership in a chase of over 190 is that the required run rate starts to suffer, and that's exactly what happened. In the end, you have to say that Gujarat Titans batted better - I thought they got maybe 15 to 20 runs over par,” Manjrekar explained. Meanwhile, Mumbai lost both contested games this season, with their next scheduled against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home on Monday (Mar 31). (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: ‘He’s not the Rohit Sharma of…,’ Sanjay Manjrekar comments on MI veteran’s batting lapse

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