Defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a winning start to the season as they beat SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets in the curtain-raiser contest. Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli were the star men as RCB successfully chased 202 runs in the opening match. Virat scored an unbeaten 69 while Padikkal smashed 61 off 26 to help RCB get off to a winning start.<h2>RCB make winning start</h2>RCB's chase began with a couple of boundaries in the first over off the bat of Phil Salt, but he fell early, in the very next over, for eight runs. However, Kohli looked in sublime touch from the first ball. He anchored the innings with a brilliant 69 off 38 deliveries, including five sixes. He became the first batter to score 6000 runs in the T20s. Kohli also became the first batter in IPL history to cross 4000 runs in chases.&nbsp;However, it was Devdutt Padikkal who stole the show in the middle overs. Padikkal played with a strike rate of 234.62, bludgeoning 61 runs off just 26 balls, including four sixes and seven fours. His assault on the SRH spinners took the game away from the visitors entirely. Brief cameos from Rajat Patidar (31 off 12) and Tim David (16) ensured there were no late hiccups as RCB cruised to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs.&nbsp;Earlier in the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad staged a strong recovery from an early collapse to post a competitive 201/9. After losing three quick wickets in the power play, a brilliant knock from Ishan Kishan and key contributions down the order powered Hyderabad past the 200-run mark. The defending champions were off to a fantastic start, with debutant and RCB speedster Jacob Duffy removing Hyderabad openers for a cheap score.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;Sunrisers lost Abhishek Sharma during the first ball of the third over. The left-handed batter scored seven runs. On the last delivery, Duffy then removed Travis Head for just 11 runs as the visitors scored 23 runs. Sunrisers lost their wicket when debutant Duffy dismissed all-rounder Nitish Reddy for just one run during the second ball of the fifth over. After the end of the sixth over, Hyderbad scored 49/3.&nbsp;Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan and wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen stabilised the ship for Hyderabad as they reached 70/3 in eight overs. Hyderabad reached a decent position after 10 overs, as they scored 87/3.&nbsp;All-rounder Romario Shepherd broke the dangerous 97-run stand between Klaasen and Kishan after the wicketkeeper-batter departed for 31 runs during the first ball of the 14th over.In the very next over, leg-spinner Suyash Sharma took the wicket of Salil Arora, who made nine runs as Sunrisers reached 142/5. During the last ball of the 16th over, he took the much-needed wicket of Ishan Kishan, who departed after playing a fantastic knock of 80 runs off 38 deliveries, including eight fours and five sixes.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;Hyderabad lost two more wickets after Shepherd dismissed Harsh Dubey for just three runs and Bhuvneshwar Kumar scalped the wicket of Harshal Patel, who departed after scoring a two-ball duck. Hyderabad reached 175/8 after the end of the 18th over. During the 19th over, Aniket Verma hammered two sixes and a four before Romario took revenge and removed Verma. The right-handed batter played a blistering knock of 18-ball 43, including three fours and four maximums. Towards the end, Sunrisers crossed the 200-run mark as they finished at 201/9 in 20 overs.

Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli were the star men as RCB successfully chased 202 runs in the opening match. Virat scored an unbeaten 69 while Padikkal smashed 61 off 26 to help RCB get off to a winning start.

Defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a winning start to the season as they beat SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets in the curtain-raiser contest. Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli were the star men as RCB successfully chased 202 runs in the opening match. Virat scored an unbeaten 69 while Padikkal smashed 61 off 26 to help RCB get off to a winning start. RCB make winning start RCB's chase began with a couple of boundaries in the first over off the bat of Phil Salt, but he fell early, in the very next over, for eight runs. However, Kohli looked in sublime touch from the first ball. He anchored the innings with a brilliant 69 off 38 deliveries, including five sixes. He became the first batter to score 6000 runs in the T20s. Kohli also became the first batter in IPL history to cross 4000 runs in chases. However, it was Devdutt Padikkal who stole the show in the middle overs. Padikkal played with a strike rate of 234.62, bludgeoning 61 runs off just 26 balls, including four sixes and seven fours. His assault on the SRH spinners took the game away from the visitors entirely. Brief cameos from Rajat Patidar (31 off 12) and Tim David (16) ensured there were no late hiccups as RCB cruised to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs. Earlier in the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad staged a strong recovery from an early collapse to post a competitive 201/9. After losing three quick wickets in the power play, a brilliant knock from Ishan Kishan and key contributions down the order powered Hyderabad past the 200-run mark. The defending champions were off to a fantastic start, with debutant and RCB speedster Jacob Duffy removing Hyderabad openers for a cheap score. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Sunrisers lost Abhishek Sharma during the first ball of the third over. The left-handed batter scored seven runs. On the last delivery, Duffy then removed Travis Head for just 11 runs as the visitors scored 23 runs. Sunrisers lost their wicket when debutant Duffy dismissed all-rounder Nitish Reddy for just one run during the second ball of the fifth over. After the end of the sixth over, Hyderbad scored 49/3. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan and wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen stabilised the ship for Hyderabad as they reached 70/3 in eight overs. Hyderabad reached a decent position after 10 overs, as they scored 87/3. All-rounder Romario Shepherd broke the dangerous 97-run stand between Klaasen and Kishan after the wicketkeeper-batter departed for 31 runs during the first ball of the 14th over.In the very next over, leg-spinner Suyash Sharma took the wicket of Salil Arora, who made nine runs as Sunrisers reached 142/5. During the last ball of the 16th over, he took the much-needed wicket of Ishan Kishan, who departed after playing a fantastic knock of 80 runs off 38 deliveries, including eight fours and five sixes. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Hyderabad lost two more wickets after Shepherd dismissed Harsh Dubey for just three runs and Bhuvneshwar Kumar scalped the wicket of Harshal Patel, who departed after scoring a two-ball duck. Hyderabad reached 175/8 after the end of the 18th over. During the 19th over, Aniket Verma hammered two sixes and a four before Romario took revenge and removed Verma. The right-handed batter played a blistering knock of 18-ball 43, including three fours and four maximums. Towards the end, Sunrisers crossed the 200-run mark as they finished at 201/9 in 20 overs.

Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli were the star men as RCB successfully chased 202 runs in the opening match. Virat scored an unbeaten 69 while Padikkal smashed 61 off 26 to help RCB get off to a winning start.

IPL 2026: RCB start on winning note as Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli make lightwork of SRH in curtain-raiser

DP World on Saturday (Mar 28) announced the renewal and expansion of its partnership with Delhi Capitals, reinforcing its role as the franchise’s Global Logistics Partner delivering seamless access for the team, while advancing access to grassroots cricket across India. The renewed partnership builds on a successful three-year collaboration, combining high-performance logistics for the team with community-driven initiatives. Since the launch of the Beyond Boundaries Initiative in 2023, DP World has supported grassroots cricket talent by delivering 13 repurposed shipping containers and 3,300 cricket kits across eight countries. In India, communities in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Lucknow and Chennai have already benefited from the program.&nbsp;In Delhi NCR, DP World delivered two repurposed shipping containers, transformed into fully equipped, multi-purpose pavilions, along with more than 500 cricket kits, helping provide essential infrastructure and equipment to nurture emerging talent.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;Hemant Kumar Ruia, Country Manager, DP World, Subcontinent (India), said: “This partnership reflects DP World’s commitment to enabling performance, both on and off the field. Over the past three years, DP World has supported grassroots cricket through repurposed container pavilions, kits, and masterclasses with cricketing legends. As we renew our association with Delhi Capitals, we are proud to deliver seamless logistics that allow the team to perform at its best, while expanding access to the game in communities across India.”&nbsp;Sunil Gupta, CEO, Delhi Capitals, added: “DP World has brought a clear focus on purpose and community to this partnership. Their commitment to expanding access to cricket and supporting grassroots initiatives has added an important dimension to our collaboration. We look forward to continuing this journey together.”&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;As part of the partnership, DP World has opened the DP World Delhi Capitals Arena in Gurugram, offering 1,000 free play hours to the community. Accessible to fans, aspiring cricketers and the wider public, the arena will give more people the opportunity to step onto the field and experience the game firsthand. Aspiring players and fans can find out more information through Delhi Capitals’ social channels. The renewed partnership further strengthens the relationship between Delhi Capitals and DP World, building on DP World’s association as the Title Partner of the Delhi Capitals Women’s Team since 2024. &nbsp;

The renewed partnership builds on a successful three-year collaboration, combining high-performance logistics for the team with community-driven initiatives. 

DP World on Saturday (Mar 28) announced the renewal and expansion of its partnership with Delhi Capitals, reinforcing its role as the franchise’s Global Logistics Partner delivering seamless access for the team, while advancing access to grassroots cricket across India. The renewed partnership builds on a successful three-year collaboration, combining high-performance logistics for the team with community-driven initiatives. Since the launch of the Beyond Boundaries Initiative in 2023, DP World has supported grassroots cricket talent by delivering 13 repurposed shipping containers and 3,300 cricket kits across eight countries. In India, communities in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Lucknow and Chennai have already benefited from the program. In Delhi NCR, DP World delivered two repurposed shipping containers, transformed into fully equipped, multi-purpose pavilions, along with more than 500 cricket kits, helping provide essential infrastructure and equipment to nurture emerging talent. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Hemant Kumar Ruia, Country Manager, DP World, Subcontinent (India), said: “This partnership reflects DP World’s commitment to enabling performance, both on and off the field. Over the past three years, DP World has supported grassroots cricket through repurposed container pavilions, kits, and masterclasses with cricketing legends. As we renew our association with Delhi Capitals, we are proud to deliver seamless logistics that allow the team to perform at its best, while expanding access to the game in communities across India.” Sunil Gupta, CEO, Delhi Capitals, added: “DP World has brought a clear focus on purpose and community to this partnership. Their commitment to expanding access to cricket and supporting grassroots initiatives has added an important dimension to our collaboration. We look forward to continuing this journey together.” ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions As part of the partnership, DP World has opened the DP World Delhi Capitals Arena in Gurugram, offering 1,000 free play hours to the community. Accessible to fans, aspiring cricketers and the wider public, the arena will give more people the opportunity to step onto the field and experience the game firsthand. Aspiring players and fans can find out more information through Delhi Capitals’ social channels. The renewed partnership further strengthens the relationship between Delhi Capitals and DP World, building on DP World’s association as the Title Partner of the Delhi Capitals Women’s Team since 2024.

The renewed partnership builds on a successful three-year collaboration, combining high-performance logistics for the team with community-driven initiatives.&nbsp;

IPL 2026: DP World extends support to grassroots cricket with Delhi Capitals

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season may have kicked off on Saturday (Mar 28), but we might already have the “Catch of the Season” contender after Phil Salt produced a magical moment. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener, Salt clutched a low diving one-handed stunner to dismiss Ishan Kishan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Netizens were seen applauding the English star who had earlier taken another stunner in the match.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT. 🥶 - Phil Salt has produced one of the greatest catches on Day 1 of IPL 2026. 🤯<a href="https://t.co/qdcVniVfWR">pic.twitter.com/qdcVniVfWR</a>&mdash; Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) <a href="https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/2037920146182840389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Salt pulls of stunner</h2>Fielding at the deep midwicket region, Salt took an exceptional catch while the ball was bound for a six. The catch took place on the sixth ball of the 16th over with Ishan batting on a well-made 80 off 37 before he was caught. The catch was applauded by everyone in the stadium as fans were left stunned after the catch was completed.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a><h2>What happened in the match?</h2>RCB's chase began with a couple of boundaries in the first over off the bat of Phil Salt, but he fell early, in the very next over, for eight runs. However, Kohli looked in sublime touch from the first ball. He anchored the innings with a brilliant 69 off 38 deliveries, including five sixes. He became the first batter to score 6000 runs in the T20s. Kohli also became the first batter in IPL history to cross 4000 runs in chases.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;However, it was Devdutt Padikkal who stole the show in the middle overs. Padikkal played with a strike rate of 234.62, bludgeoning 61 runs off just 26 balls, including four sixes and seven fours. His assault on the SRH spinners took the game away from the visitors entirely. Brief cameos from Rajat Patidar (31 off 12) and Tim David (16) ensured there were no late hiccups as RCB cruised to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs.

Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener, Phil Salt clutched a low diving one-handed stunner to dismiss Ishan Kishan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season may have kicked off on Saturday (Mar 28), but we might already have the “Catch of the Season” contender after Phil Salt produced a magical moment. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener, Salt clutched a low diving one-handed stunner to dismiss Ishan Kishan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Netizens were seen applauding the English star who had earlier taken another stunner in the match.

Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener, Phil Salt clutched a low diving one-handed stunner to dismiss Ishan Kishan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Watch: Phil Salt clutches unbelievable one-handed stunner to dismiss Ishan Kishan in IPL 2026 opener

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) paid a heartwarming tribute to the eleven victims of the 4 June 2025 stampede in their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) opener on Saturday (Mar 28). Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB kept 11 seats reserved for all the 11 victims from the tragedy that took place a day after RCB won their maiden IPL title in Ahmedabad. All players from the RCB Playing XI were also seen donning the No.11 jersey before the match started.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In the memory of our 11 dear fans. 🙏 Etched into Chinnaswamy, forever part of our RCB family. ♥️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%B2%A8%E0%B2%AE%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%AERCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ನಮ್ಮRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2026?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2026</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/8nhpmWVZ4e">pic.twitter.com/8nhpmWVZ4e</a>&mdash; Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets/status/2037883531532382699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>RCB pay tribute to stampede victims</h2>Ahead of the IPL 2026 opener, players from both RCB and SRH also observed a one-minute silence to pay tribute to the fans who lost their lives in 2025. For the unversed, 11 fans died, and several were injured in the stampede caused outside the stadium during the victory celebrations following RCB's first IPL title win. Cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been suspended since June 2025.&nbsp;During the tournament opener against the Hyderabad-based franchise, the defending champions, RCB, are also wearing black armbands. A statement from RCB said, "Royal Challengers Bengaluru will pay tribute to the eleven members of the RCB family who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate incident on June 4."&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;"As a mark of respect, players will wear practice jerseys bearing the number 11 during the warm-up, followed by black armbands during the match."&nbsp;"In a lasting gesture of remembrance, eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain unoccupied, serving as a permanent tribute to the fans whose unwavering support will always be a part of the RCB family," the statement concluded.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Bengaluru won the toss and decided to field against the SRH in the tournament opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. At 27 years and 253 days, Ishan Kishan, who is the stand-in captain of the Sunrisers, became the franchise's second-youngest skipper, behind Kane Williamson (27y, 244d) in 2018.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a><h2>Playing XI of both teams</h2>Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.&nbsp;Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma

Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB kept 11 seats reserved for all the 11 victims from the tragedy that took place a day after RCB won their maiden IPL title in Ahmedabad.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) paid a heartwarming tribute to the eleven victims of the 4 June 2025 stampede in their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) opener on Saturday (Mar 28). Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB kept 11 seats reserved for all the 11 victims from the tragedy that took place a day after RCB won their maiden IPL title in Ahmedabad. All players from the RCB Playing XI were also seen donning the No.11 jersey before the match started.

Playing at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB kept 11 seats reserved for all the 11 victims from the tragedy that took place a day after RCB won their maiden IPL title in Ahmedabad.

Watch: RCB pay tribute to June 4 stampede victims in IPL 2026 opener vs SRH

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians will kick start their IPL 2026 campaign on Sunday (Mar 28) as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-octane clash. Chasing their sixth title, MI will look to make a good start to the season, while eyes will also be on KKR as they try to put behind a disappointing IPL 2025 season. Ahead of the key clash, here is all you need to know, including live streaming, head-to-head and other key details.<h2>What is the head-to-head record for the MI vs KKR clash in IPL history?</h2>Not much separates both MI and KKR in overall head-to-head records, with the hosts of Sunday’s match winning 24 while Kolkata have won 11 in 26 previous meetings.&nbsp;<h2>What is the venue for the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2?</h2>The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will be the venue for the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a><h2>When will the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 start?</h2>The MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 will start at 7:30 p.m. IST, with the toss taking place at 7:00 p.m. IST.<h2>Which channel will broadcast the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2?</h2>The Star Sports Network will broadcast the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 in India.<h2>Which platform will live-stream the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2?</h2>The Jio+Hotstar will live-stream the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 in India.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a><h2>Squads</h2>Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (captain), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton De Kock, Danish Malewar, N. Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Izhar, Allah Ghazanfar.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kolkata Knight Riders: Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep

Chasing their sixth title, MI will look to make a good start to the season, while eyes will also be on KKR as they try to put behind a disappointing IPL 2025 season. Ahead of the key clash, here is all you need to know, including live streaming, head-to-head and other key details.

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians will kick start their IPL 2026 campaign on Sunday (Mar 28) as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-octane clash. Chasing their sixth title, MI will look to make a good start to the season, while eyes will also be on KKR as they try to put behind a disappointing IPL 2025 season. Ahead of the key clash, here is all you need to know, including live streaming, head-to-head and other key details. What is the head-to-head record for the MI vs KKR clash in IPL history? Not much separates both MI and KKR in overall head-to-head records, with the hosts of Sunday’s match winning 24 while Kolkata have won 11 in 26 previous meetings. What is the venue for the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2? The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will be the venue for the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions When will the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 start? The MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 will start at 7:30 p.m. IST, with the toss taking place at 7:00 p.m. IST. Which channel will broadcast the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2? The Star Sports Network will broadcast the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 in India. Which platform will live-stream the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2? The Jio+Hotstar will live-stream the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match No.2 in India. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Squads Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (captain), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton De Kock, Danish Malewar, N. Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Izhar, Allah Ghazanfar. Kolkata Knight Riders: Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep

Chasing their sixth title, MI will look to make a good start to the season, while eyes will also be on KKR as they try to put behind a disappointing IPL 2025 season. Ahead of the key clash, here is all you need to know, including live streaming, head-to-head and other key details.

IPL 2026: Here's all you need to know about MI vs KKR match no 2 timing, squad, H2H & more

Former India off-spinner and CSK legend Ravichandran Ashwin will pick up the commentator's mic for the first time in IPL 2026 in JioStar's studios. An accomplished storyteller and analyst of the game, Ashwin will bring his insights to live action and will be part of JioStar's special dedicated Hindi digital feed on JioHotstar. Ashwin, who retired from the IPL after the 2025 edition, will be joined by India and IPL legend Virender Sehwag, RCB legend AB de Villiers, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champion Irfan Pathan, CSK’s IPL winners Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Faf du Plessis, former RCB Captain and Mentor Anil Kumble.&nbsp;JioStar’s panel will be bolstered by T20 champions, former internationals, world-class presenters, accomplished experts, seasoned broadcasters such as Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Michael Clake, Eoin Morgan, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, and Kevin Pietersen, among many others. The presentation of 20+ feeds will be brought to viewers by over 150 presenters and experts across JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.&nbsp;Star Sports Network will present the IPL 2026 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, while JioHotstar will offer fans as many as 12 language options, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Haryanvi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, and Malayalam. These will be enhanced by two audience-inclusive feeds - Indian Sign Language and Audio Descriptive feed.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Sports – JioStar, said , “As the IPL continues to scale up in unprecedented ways, our push is to assemble legends and heavyweights of the league together in our studios in a way that will offer a unique insider’s perspective to fans, alongside also making the biggest T20 extravaganza more accessible to all. Along with bringing together the sharpest minds in the game, fans can take control of their viewing experience with numerous options on demand and enjoy an enhanced visual spectacle across devices.”&nbsp;In addition, JioHotstar will once again bring MaxView in Hindi and English, and also allow fans to choose a vantage point from which they can experience the game through a multi-cam experience featuring five camera angles, such as a Hero Cam, Stump Cam, Batter Cam, Field View, and a multi-view angle.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;The dedicated digital feed in Hindi will feature former IPL champions, legends, and some of the best analytical minds for a unique watch-along experience. Apart from Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Aakash Chopra will come together on the feed to regale everyone with first-hand dressing room stories, never-heard-before tales.

Ashwin, who retired from the IPL after the 2025 edition, will be joined by India and IPL legend Virender Sehwag, RCB legend AB de Villiers, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champion Irfan Pathan, CSK’s IPL winners Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Faf du Plessis and Anil Kumble.

Former India off-spinner and CSK legend Ravichandran Ashwin will pick up the commentator's mic for the first time in IPL 2026 in JioStar's studios. An accomplished storyteller and analyst of the game, Ashwin will bring his insights to live action and will be part of JioStar's special dedicated Hindi digital feed on JioHotstar. Ashwin, who retired from the IPL after the 2025 edition, will be joined by India and IPL legend Virender Sehwag, RCB legend AB de Villiers, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champion Irfan Pathan, CSK’s IPL winners Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Faf du Plessis, former RCB Captain and Mentor Anil Kumble. JioStar’s panel will be bolstered by T20 champions, former internationals, world-class presenters, accomplished experts, seasoned broadcasters such as Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Michael Clake, Eoin Morgan, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, and Kevin Pietersen, among many others. The presentation of 20+ feeds will be brought to viewers by over 150 presenters and experts across JioHotstar and Star Sports Network. Star Sports Network will present the IPL 2026 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, while JioHotstar will offer fans as many as 12 language options, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Haryanvi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, and Malayalam. These will be enhanced by two audience-inclusive feeds - Indian Sign Language and Audio Descriptive feed. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Sports – JioStar, said , “As the IPL continues to scale up in unprecedented ways, our push is to assemble legends and heavyweights of the league together in our studios in a way that will offer a unique insider’s perspective to fans, alongside also making the biggest T20 extravaganza more accessible to all. Along with bringing together the sharpest minds in the game, fans can take control of their viewing experience with numerous options on demand and enjoy an enhanced visual spectacle across devices.” In addition, JioHotstar will once again bring MaxView in Hindi and English, and also allow fans to choose a vantage point from which they can experience the game through a multi-cam experience featuring five camera angles, such as a Hero Cam, Stump Cam, Batter Cam, Field View, and a multi-view angle. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions The dedicated digital feed in Hindi will feature former IPL champions, legends, and some of the best analytical minds for a unique watch-along experience. Apart from Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Aakash Chopra will come together on the feed to regale everyone with first-hand dressing room stories, never-heard-before tales.

Ashwin, who retired from the IPL after the 2025 edition, will be joined by India and IPL legend Virender Sehwag, RCB legend AB de Villiers, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champion Irfan Pathan, CSK’s IPL winners Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Faf du Plessis and Anil Kumble.

From Pitch to Mic: Ravichandran Ashwin to make commentary debut in IPL 2026

Mumbai Indians will kick start their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) campaign on Sunday (Mar 29) as they take on three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The contest, however, will come early for some of MI’s key players with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner out of contention. The trio was not part of the mandatory training session on Friday, indicating they will all but miss the opening clash. ‘<h2>Bumrah, Jacks to miss KKR clash</h2>According to prominent cricket website Espncricinfo, Bumrah is still undergoing rehabilitation and was recently spotted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. It is likely that Bumrah will be rested for a few matches in the early stage of the tournament. While the injury is not serious, the MI team management is not risking Bumrah’s availability and maintains a long-term vision.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;Santner is yet to arrive in India for the IPL 2026, having traveled to New Zealand to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series. Santner led New Zealand to the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier in the month.<h2>MS Dhoni will also miss IPL opener</h2>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Indian cricketing icon MS Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to a calf strain, announced the franchise on Saturday. A statement issued by the Yellow franchise said, "MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of the TATA IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala!"&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;CSK will be starting the season on March 30 against the 2008 champions, Rajasthan Royals, at Guwahati, with the former RR player Sanju Samson now having joined the Yellow franchise, and the veteran CSK, India legend Ravindra Jadeja getting a homecoming to RR after a trade ahead of the auction. The trade also involved English all-rounder Sam Curran being traded from CSK to RR, but the pace bowling all-rounder will miss out on the tournament due to injury.

According to prominent cricket website Espncricinfo, Jasprit Bumrah is still undergoing rehabilitation and was recently spotted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. It is likely that Bumrah will be rested for a few matches in the early stage of the tournament. 

Mumbai Indians will kick start their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) campaign on Sunday (Mar 29) as they take on three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The contest, however, will come early for some of MI’s key players with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner out of contention. The trio was not part of the mandatory training session on Friday, indicating they will all but miss the opening clash. ‘ Bumrah, Jacks to miss KKR clash According to prominent cricket website Espncricinfo, Bumrah is still undergoing rehabilitation and was recently spotted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. It is likely that Bumrah will be rested for a few matches in the early stage of the tournament. While the injury is not serious, the MI team management is not risking Bumrah’s availability and maintains a long-term vision. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Santner is yet to arrive in India for the IPL 2026, having traveled to New Zealand to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series. Santner led New Zealand to the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier in the month. MS Dhoni will also miss IPL opener Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Indian cricketing icon MS Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to a calf strain, announced the franchise on Saturday. A statement issued by the Yellow franchise said, "MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of the TATA IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala!" ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL CSK will be starting the season on March 30 against the 2008 champions, Rajasthan Royals, at Guwahati, with the former RR player Sanju Samson now having joined the Yellow franchise, and the veteran CSK, India legend Ravindra Jadeja getting a homecoming to RR after a trade ahead of the auction. The trade also involved English all-rounder Sam Curran being traded from CSK to RR, but the pace bowling all-rounder will miss out on the tournament due to injury.

According to prominent cricket website Espncricinfo, Jasprit Bumrah is still undergoing rehabilitation and was recently spotted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. It is likely that Bumrah will be rested for a few matches in the early stage of the tournament.&nbsp;

IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians to miss key players including Jasprit Bumrah, Will Jacks for KKR clash

The Bangladesh government has reversed its earlier stance and is now open to allowing the broadcast of IPL 2026, just weeks after tensions between the two countries had led to a complete suspension of the league’s telecast in the country. The announcement was confirmed by newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan. The earlier ban had followed the exit of Mustafizur Rahman from the tournament, who had been bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 9.2 crore, but was later released following directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).&nbsp;BCCI had directed the team to release Rahman in response to incidents involving the killing of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. This incident also affected relations between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the BCCI, even leading Bangladesh to withdraw from the T20 World Cup at the time. However, relations appear to have improved recently, with officials from both cricket boards engaging more positively.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-it-is-not-for-me-to-decide-argentina-manager-scaloni-on-messi-s-availability-for-fifa-world-cup-1774678885862">'It is not for me to decide': Argentina manager Scaloni on Messi’s availability for FIFA World Cup</a>&nbsp;The minister expressed that the government does not want to mix politics with sports, instead, they will look at IPL broadcasting as a business decision. He added that any TV channel that wants to show the IPL can apply, and the government will likely allow it.&nbsp;&nbsp;"No one applied to us to telecast the IPL. We don’t want to mix politics with sport. We will look at it from a commercial perspective and if any channel applies to telecast the IPL, we will consider it positively," Swapan said.&nbsp;“We will not bar anyone from telecasting it. If Star Sports wants to telecast it, they can. If any of our channels want to telecast it, we will take it positively, but we will not force anything," Swapan added.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-major-setback-for-chennai-super-kings-as-ms-dhoni-set-to-miss-early-matches-deets-inside-1774673346260">IPL 2026: Major setback for CSK as Dhoni set to miss early matches, deets inside</a>&nbsp;This change comes after a phase of uncertainty during the tenure of the previous interim administration led by Professor Mohammad Younus, which had enforced the initial ban.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh has supported this move, saying there are currently no restrictions on showing IPL matches in the country.

Bangladesh has reversed its stance on the Indian Premier League, as the country’s Information and Broadcasting minister confirmed that the tournament will face no broadcast ban.

The Bangladesh government has reversed its earlier stance and is now open to allowing the broadcast of IPL 2026, just weeks after tensions between the two countries had led to a complete suspension of the league’s telecast in the country. The announcement was confirmed by newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan. The earlier ban had followed the exit of Mustafizur Rahman from the tournament, who had been bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 9.2 crore, but was later released following directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI had directed the team to release Rahman in response to incidents involving the killing of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. This incident also affected relations between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the BCCI, even leading Bangladesh to withdraw from the T20 World Cup at the time. However, relations appear to have improved recently, with officials from both cricket boards engaging more positively. Also Read - 'It is not for me to decide': Argentina manager Scaloni on Messi’s availability for FIFA World Cup The minister expressed that the government does not want to mix politics with sports, instead, they will look at IPL broadcasting as a business decision. He added that any TV channel that wants to show the IPL can apply, and the government will likely allow it. "No one applied to us to telecast the IPL. We don’t want to mix politics with sport. We will look at it from a commercial perspective and if any channel applies to telecast the IPL, we will consider it positively," Swapan said. “We will not bar anyone from telecasting it. If Star Sports wants to telecast it, they can. If any of our channels want to telecast it, we will take it positively, but we will not force anything," Swapan added. Also Read - IPL 2026: Major setback for CSK as Dhoni set to miss early matches, deets inside This change comes after a phase of uncertainty during the tenure of the previous interim administration led by Professor Mohammad Younus, which had enforced the initial ban. Meanwhile, the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh has supported this move, saying there are currently no restrictions on showing IPL matches in the country.

Bangladesh has reversed its stance on the Indian Premier League, as the country’s Information and Broadcasting minister confirmed that the tournament will face no broadcast ban.

IPL 2026 broadcast back in Bangladesh as Tarique Rahman government reverses boycott decision

Former India captain MS Dhoni is set to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 while undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain, delivering a significant setback to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, the team confirmed on Saturday (Mar 28). The legendary wicketkeeper-batter, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, is expected to miss the first four matches of 2026 season for the franchise. In his absence, wicketkeeping duties are likely to be taken over by either Sanju Samson or Urvil Patel.&nbsp;“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala,” CSK wrote in their statement on social media.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Official Statement MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala! 💛🦁 <a href="https://t.co/4dgmt5EWFi">pic.twitter.com/4dgmt5EWFi</a>&mdash; Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/2037749077728010360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-aims-to-help-dc-win-their-maiden-ipl-title-auqib-nabi-dar-on-ipl-2026-goals-1774624021612">‘Aim is to help DC win their maiden IPL title’: Auqib Nabi Dar on IPL 2026 goals</a>&nbsp;Since retiring from international cricket in Aug 2020, Dhoni has focused solely on the Indian Premier League. In the previous season, he played all 14 matches for the Super Kings, scoring 196 runs at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17. He also resumed captaincy duties early in the campaign after Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined with an elbow injury.&nbsp;At the age of 44, any appearance by Dhoni in this edition would make him the oldest Indian to play in the league, surpassing former Mumbai Indians leg-spinner Praveen Tambe.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-when-will-josh-hazlewood-play-rcb-coach-andy-flower-gives-update-1774670541678">IPL 2026: When will Josh Hazlewood play? RCB coach Andy Flower gives update</a>&nbsp;He also continues to hold the record for the most IPL appearances and is one of only four players, along with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey, who have participated in all 19 seasons. Across 278 matches, he has amassed 5,439 runs and recorded 205 dismissals as a wicketkeeper.&nbsp;The 2023 champions will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Mar 30.&nbsp;

The five-time champions Chennai Super Kings will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Mar 30 in Guwahati.

Former India captain MS Dhoni is set to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 while undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain, delivering a significant setback to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, the team confirmed on Saturday (Mar 28). The legendary wicketkeeper-batter, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, is expected to miss the first four matches of 2026 season for the franchise. In his absence, wicketkeeping duties are likely to be taken over by either Sanju Samson or Urvil Patel. “MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala,” CSK wrote in their statement on social media.

The five-time champions Chennai Super Kings will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Mar 30 in Guwahati.

IPL 2026: Major setback for Chennai Super Kings as MS Dhoni set to miss early matches, deets inside

Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower has indicated that Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is close to returning to action in IPL 2026. The 35-year-old has been out of international cicket since Oct 2025, missing both the Ashes and the 2026 T20 World Cup due to injury. Cricket Australia had earlier confirmed that Hazlewood, along with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, would miss the opening phase of the season, however, Hazlewood has linked up with the RCB squad on March 26 and has begun light training sessions with the team. &nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking at the press conference before the IPL 2026 opener, Flower said Hazlewood looks in good shape and his presence has lifted the dressing room atmosphere. However, he clarified that the pacer won’t be available for the first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the coaching staff plans to keep a close watch on his fitness as they prepare for his comeback in the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tiger-woods-arrested-on-dui-charge-following-florida-rollover-crash-1774668000648">Tiger Woods arrested on DUI charge following Florida rollover crash</a>&nbsp;“Hazlewood arrived yesterday and he’s looking fit. It’s great to have him back around the dressing room and involved in our meetings again. He won’t be ready for tomorrow because he’s just arrived, but we’ll monitor his fitness closely and we’re looking forward to him making his entrance into the IPL soon," said Flower.&nbsp;Hazlewood previously delivered a strong campaign for RCB, taking 22 wickets in 12 matches at an impressive average of 17.55 and an economy of 8.77, including a four-wicket haul.&nbsp;Meanwhile, RCB will also be without Yash Dayal this season due to personal reasons. The franchise has added Mangesh Yadav and Abhinandan Singh to their squad, while Rasikh Dar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar remain part of the pace attack.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-aims-to-help-dc-win-their-maiden-ipl-title-auqib-nabi-dar-on-ipl-2026-goals-1774624021612">‘Aim is to help DC win their maiden IPL title’: Auqib Nabi Dar on IPL 2026 goals</a>&nbsp;Flower further expressed confidence in the Indian seamers, highlighting their improvement and ability to step up when given the chance. He noted Rasikh’s progress over the past year and praised the potential shown by both Mangesh and Abhinandan.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We’re happy with the Indian seamers in the squad. Rasikh is a better bowler than he was last year, and he’s worked very hard on his game. We’re also pleased to have recruited Mangesh and we’ve been encouraged by Abhinandan’s progress recently. All three have qualities that put them in good shape if they get their opportunities in this tournament,” the coach added.&nbsp;&nbsp;The defending champions will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Mar 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Mar 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower has indicated that Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is close to returning to action in IPL 2026. The 35-year-old has been out of international cicket since Oct 2025, missing both the Ashes and the 2026 T20 World Cup due to injury. Cricket Australia had earlier confirmed that Hazlewood, along with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, would miss the opening phase of the season, however, Hazlewood has linked up with the RCB squad on March 26 and has begun light training sessions with the team. Speaking at the press conference before the IPL 2026 opener, Flower said Hazlewood looks in good shape and his presence has lifted the dressing room atmosphere. However, he clarified that the pacer won’t be available for the first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the coaching staff plans to keep a close watch on his fitness as they prepare for his comeback in the tournament. Also Read - Tiger Woods arrested on DUI charge following Florida rollover crash “Hazlewood arrived yesterday and he’s looking fit. It’s great to have him back around the dressing room and involved in our meetings again. He won’t be ready for tomorrow because he’s just arrived, but we’ll monitor his fitness closely and we’re looking forward to him making his entrance into the IPL soon," said Flower. Hazlewood previously delivered a strong campaign for RCB, taking 22 wickets in 12 matches at an impressive average of 17.55 and an economy of 8.77, including a four-wicket haul. Meanwhile, RCB will also be without Yash Dayal this season due to personal reasons. The franchise has added Mangesh Yadav and Abhinandan Singh to their squad, while Rasikh Dar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar remain part of the pace attack. Also Read - ‘Aim is to help DC win their maiden IPL title’: Auqib Nabi Dar on IPL 2026 goals Flower further expressed confidence in the Indian seamers, highlighting their improvement and ability to step up when given the chance. He noted Rasikh’s progress over the past year and praised the potential shown by both Mangesh and Abhinandan. “We’re happy with the Indian seamers in the squad. Rasikh is a better bowler than he was last year, and he’s worked very hard on his game. We’re also pleased to have recruited Mangesh and we’ve been encouraged by Abhinandan’s progress recently. All three have qualities that put them in good shape if they get their opportunities in this tournament,” the coach added. The defending champions will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Mar 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Mar 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

IPL 2026: When will Josh Hazlewood play? RCB coach Andy Flower gives update

SunRisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori has cleared the air on captain Pat Cummins’ availability as the 2016 winners start their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) campaign on Saturday (Mar 28). Cummins, who will miss the initial stage of the season with a lumbar stress injury, is likely to be back in April. However, no definite date has been set for the return, with SRH management ready to take their time and not rush the return.<h2>Vettori clears air on Cummins return</h2>"His fitness has been exceptional because he's been out of the game for an extended period of time, so he's had that time to work on that fitness, a real block of work around strength and conditioning. The only challenge for him was the bowling loads,” Vettori said in a press conference on Friday.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;"So once he got the all clear from Cricket Australia to build those bowling loads, it's obviously a bit of a painstaking process to get the lungs up to where he feels confident and strong about bowling. Hopefully, we can get a definitive timeline, probably in the next 10-12 days, around when he can return to play," Vettori added.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a><h2>Who will lead SRH in IPL 2026 opener?</h2>With Pat Cummins missing the opening few matches, SRH will be led by Ishan Kishan, who gets the nod ahead of Travis Head. Ishan is fresh from the T20 World Cup victory and played a key role in India’s triumph at home. He will have added duties on his shoulders during the initial stage until Cummins makes his return. SRH enjoyed a stellar run in IPL 2024 and reached the final before being outclassed by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Pat Cummins, who will miss the initial stage of the season with a lumbar stress injury, is likely to be back in April. However, no definite date has been set for the return, with SRH management ready to take their time and not rush the return.

SunRisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori has cleared the air on captain Pat Cummins’ availability as the 2016 winners start their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) campaign on Saturday (Mar 28). Cummins, who will miss the initial stage of the season with a lumbar stress injury, is likely to be back in April. However, no definite date has been set for the return, with SRH management ready to take their time and not rush the return. Vettori clears air on Cummins return "His fitness has been exceptional because he's been out of the game for an extended period of time, so he's had that time to work on that fitness, a real block of work around strength and conditioning. The only challenge for him was the bowling loads,” Vettori said in a press conference on Friday. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL "So once he got the all clear from Cricket Australia to build those bowling loads, it's obviously a bit of a painstaking process to get the lungs up to where he feels confident and strong about bowling. Hopefully, we can get a definitive timeline, probably in the next 10-12 days, around when he can return to play," Vettori added. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Who will lead SRH in IPL 2026 opener? With Pat Cummins missing the opening few matches, SRH will be led by Ishan Kishan, who gets the nod ahead of Travis Head. Ishan is fresh from the T20 World Cup victory and played a key role in India’s triumph at home. He will have added duties on his shoulders during the initial stage until Cummins makes his return. SRH enjoyed a stellar run in IPL 2024 and reached the final before being outclassed by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Pat Cummins, who will miss the initial stage of the season with a lumbar stress injury, is likely to be back in April. However, no definite date has been set for the return, with SRH management ready to take their time and not rush the return.

IPL 2026: Daniel Vettori clears air on Pat Cummins' availability, says 'probably in the next...'

One of the most talked-about uncapped Indian players ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, Auqib Nabi Dar is set for his maiden IPL stint after being picked up by the Delhi Capitals for INR 8.4 crore at last December’s auction. The right-arm pacer, who impressed with a brilliant performance in the Ranji Trophy-winning campaign for Jammu and Kashmir, has now turned his focus to delivering for the Capitals in the upcoming season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking during a pre-season media interaction, Nabi told WION that his goal is to give his best in every tournament he plays. He wants to be a leading wicket-taker for his team and aims to help Delhi Capitals win their maiden IPL trophy by sticking to his strengths and playing his natural game.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-shashank-singh-underlines-ricky-ponting-s-importance-for-punjab-kings-says-he-s-a-very-key-member-1774615368843">IPL 2026: Shashank Singh underlines Ricky Ponting's importance for Punjab Kings, says 'he's a very key member'</a>&nbsp;“In whatever tournament I play, whether it’s domestic or local, I aim to be a key wicket-taker for my team. My endeavor is to help my team (Delhi Capitals) win their maiden trophy and I hope my contribution this time helps us lift the cup,” said Nabi while answering WION's Aditya Bhatia.&nbsp;Known as the “Baramulla Express,” Nabi played a crucial role with both bat and ball in Jammu &amp; Kashmir’s historic Ranji Trophy victory. He impressed with his accuracy and consistency, picking up 60 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 12.65 during the season.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-about-rcb-vs-srh-opening-match-timing-squad-live-streaming-more-1774611868146">IPL 2026: Here's all you need to know about RCB vs SRH opening match</a>&nbsp;With Mitchell Starc likely to miss the early part of the tournament, there is strong interest in seeing how Nabi performs, especially if he gets the opportunity to open the bowling for Delhi. The team will begin their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Apr 1.

Delhi Capitals (DC) will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1. 

One of the most talked-about uncapped Indian players ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, Auqib Nabi Dar is set for his maiden IPL stint after being picked up by the Delhi Capitals for INR 8.4 crore at last December’s auction. The right-arm pacer, who impressed with a brilliant performance in the Ranji Trophy-winning campaign for Jammu and Kashmir, has now turned his focus to delivering for the Capitals in the upcoming season. Speaking during a pre-season media interaction, Nabi told WION that his goal is to give his best in every tournament he plays. He wants to be a leading wicket-taker for his team and aims to help Delhi Capitals win their maiden IPL trophy by sticking to his strengths and playing his natural game. Also Read - IPL 2026: Shashank Singh underlines Ricky Ponting's importance for Punjab Kings, says 'he's a very key member' “In whatever tournament I play, whether it’s domestic or local, I aim to be a key wicket-taker for my team. My endeavor is to help my team (Delhi Capitals) win their maiden trophy and I hope my contribution this time helps us lift the cup,” said Nabi while answering WION's Aditya Bhatia. Known as the “Baramulla Express,” Nabi played a crucial role with both bat and ball in Jammu & Kashmir’s historic Ranji Trophy victory. He impressed with his accuracy and consistency, picking up 60 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 12.65 during the season. Also Read - IPL 2026: Here's all you need to know about RCB vs SRH opening match With Mitchell Starc likely to miss the early part of the tournament, there is strong interest in seeing how Nabi performs, especially if he gets the opportunity to open the bowling for Delhi. The team will begin their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Apr 1.

Delhi Capitals (DC) will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1.&nbsp;

‘Aim is to help DC win their maiden IPL title’: Auqib Nabi Dar on IPL 2026 goals

Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has stated that he is not experiencing any additional pressure ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season and explained that his main objective is to contribute to the team’s success and help secure another title, rather than focusing on individual records. Speaking at a pre-tournament press conference, Gill said that his performances over the past few seasons have been consistent and therefore he does not feel the need to prove himself again.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 26-year-old also mentioned that he has been one of the top run-scorers in recent IPL seasons and feels that if the team continues to play well together, they have a strong chance of winning another trophy.&nbsp;"I think if you look at the past three or four seasons, I think I have the most runs in the IPL. So I don't think I have anything to prove in this season particularly. And the four years that I have played for this team, I think we have done decently well as a team. And I think I have done decently well as a batsman," Gill said in the pre-tournament press conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-rcb-pacer-nuwan-thushara-set-to-miss-season-due-to-this-reason-1774584288126">IPL 2026: RCB pacer Nuwan Thushara set to miss season due to THIS reason</a>&nbsp;"So I don't think I need to prove to anyone my worth. I think I need to do what I have been doing for the past four years. And as a team, we need to be consistent, which I think we have been. And if we continue doing that sooner or later, I think we will win that trophy once more,” he added.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/carolina-marin-drops-curtains-on-illustrious-career-former-olympic-champion-announces-official-retirement-1774539304209">Former Olympic champion Carolina Marin announces official retirement</a>&nbsp;In his IPL career so far, Gill has played 118 matches and has scored 3,866 runs at an average of 39.44, including four centuries and 26 half-centuries. As the new season approaches, he will look to build on this record and guide Gujarat Titans towards further success.&nbsp;The 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on Mar 31.

The 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on Mar 31.

Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has stated that he is not experiencing any additional pressure ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season and explained that his main objective is to contribute to the team’s success and help secure another title, rather than focusing on individual records. Speaking at a pre-tournament press conference, Gill said that his performances over the past few seasons have been consistent and therefore he does not feel the need to prove himself again. The 26-year-old also mentioned that he has been one of the top run-scorers in recent IPL seasons and feels that if the team continues to play well together, they have a strong chance of winning another trophy. "I think if you look at the past three or four seasons, I think I have the most runs in the IPL. So I don't think I have anything to prove in this season particularly. And the four years that I have played for this team, I think we have done decently well as a team. And I think I have done decently well as a batsman," Gill said in the pre-tournament press conference. Also Read - IPL 2026: RCB pacer Nuwan Thushara set to miss season due to THIS reason "So I don't think I need to prove to anyone my worth. I think I need to do what I have been doing for the past four years. And as a team, we need to be consistent, which I think we have been. And if we continue doing that sooner or later, I think we will win that trophy once more,” he added. Also Read - Former Olympic champion Carolina Marin announces official retirement In his IPL career so far, Gill has played 118 matches and has scored 3,866 runs at an average of 39.44, including four centuries and 26 half-centuries. As the new season approaches, he will look to build on this record and guide Gujarat Titans towards further success. The 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on Mar 31.

The 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on Mar 31.

'I don't think I have anything to prove': GT skipper Shubman Gill ahead of IPL 2026

Sri Lanka speedster Nuwan Thushara is likely to miss the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) reportedly declined to issue him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) under its new fitness policy. This comes as a major setback for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who may be without their overseas pacer for the upcoming season. As per reports, SLC now permits players to participate in overseas leagues only if they meet newly introduced benchmarks aimed at improving overall fitness across the national pool.&nbsp;The 31-year-old, while not injured and available to play, failed to meet the required benchmarks in recent fitness assessments and as a result, he has not been granted the NOC, ruling him out of the tournament unless there is a change in the decision.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/carolina-marin-drops-curtains-on-illustrious-career-former-olympic-champion-announces-official-retirement-1774539304209">Former Olympic champion Carolina Marin announces official retirement</a>&nbsp;Under the new rules, all players must pass fitness tests before they can take part in leagues like the IPL or Pakistan Super League. Thushara’s selection depended on passing these tests, but reports say he could not reach the set standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, several Sri Lankan players have cleared the required fitness benchmarks and been granted approval to play in the IPL, including Dushmantha Chameera, Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-releases-full-ipl-2026-schedule-13-venues-to-host-70-matches-raipur-dharamshala-included-1774530440563">BCCI releases full IPL 2026 schedule, 13 venues to host 70 matches</a><h2>Josh Hazlewood joins RCB camp&nbsp;</h2>Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has linked up with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, with the franchise confirming his arrival on Mar 26 through their social media channels.&nbsp;However, the defending champions will have to begin their campaign without the experienced quick as he continues his recovery from hamstring and Achilles issues. The right-arm pacer was earlier sidelined during the home Ashes against England and also missed the T20 World Cup 2026, held in India and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka speedster Nuwan Thushara is likely to miss the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) reportedly declined to issue him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) under its new fitness policy. This comes as a major setback for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who may be without their overseas pacer for the upcoming season. As per reports, SLC now permits players to participate in overseas leagues only if they meet newly introduced benchmarks aimed at improving overall fitness across the national pool. The 31-year-old, while not injured and available to play, failed to meet the required benchmarks in recent fitness assessments and as a result, he has not been granted the NOC, ruling him out of the tournament unless there is a change in the decision. Also Read - Former Olympic champion Carolina Marin announces official retirement Under the new rules, all players must pass fitness tests before they can take part in leagues like the IPL or Pakistan Super League. Thushara’s selection depended on passing these tests, but reports say he could not reach the set standards. Meanwhile, several Sri Lankan players have cleared the required fitness benchmarks and been granted approval to play in the IPL, including Dushmantha Chameera, Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis. Also Read - BCCI releases full IPL 2026 schedule, 13 venues to host 70 matches Josh Hazlewood joins RCB camp Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has linked up with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, with the franchise confirming his arrival on Mar 26 through their social media channels. However, the defending champions will have to begin their campaign without the experienced quick as he continues his recovery from hamstring and Achilles issues. The right-arm pacer was earlier sidelined during the home Ashes against England and also missed the T20 World Cup 2026, held in India and Sri Lanka.

IPL 2026: RCB pacer Nuwan Thushara set to miss season due to THIS reason

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) full schedule was announced on Thursday (Mar 26) as 10 teams will compete at 13 venues across 70 matches and then the right to win the biggest franchise cricket league in the world. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), five-time winners, also learnt their fixtures on Thursday. So here’s a detailed look at CSK’s fixtures, key dates, squads and other details as they kick start their IPL 2026 season.<h2>CSK full IPL 2026 schedule&nbsp;</h2>CSK will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (Mar 30) in Guwahati before taking on Punjab Kings on April 3 in their first home game of the season. However, the eyes of the cricket fraternity will be on the fixture against the Mumbai Indians, which takes place on April 23 in Mumbai, before the return leg takes place on May 2 in Chennai.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a><h2>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL 2026 Full Schedule – Match List</h2><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Home</td><td>Away</td><td>Venue</td><td>Date</td></tr><tr><td>Rajasthan Royals</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Guwahati</td><td>30/03/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Punjab Kings</td><td>Chennai</td><td>03/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Royal Challengers Bengaluru</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Bengaluru</td><td>05/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Delhi Capitals</td><td>Chennai</td><td>11/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Kolkata Knight Riders</td><td>Chennai</td><td>14/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Sunrisers Hyderabad</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Hyderabad</td><td>18/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Mumbai Indians</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Mumbai</td><td>23/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Gujarat Titans</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Ahmedabad</td><td>26/04/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Mumbai Indians</td><td>Chennai</td><td>02/05/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Delhi Capitals</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Lucknow</td><td>05/05/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Lucknow Super Giants</td><td>Chennai</td><td>10/05/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Lucknow Super Giants</td><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Lucknow</td><td>15/05/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Sunrisers Hyderabad</td><td>Chennai</td><td>18/05/2026</td></tr><tr><td>Chennai Super Kings</td><td>Gujarat Titans</td><td>Chennai</td><td>21/05/2026</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a><h2>Chennai Super Kings full IPL 2026 squad&nbsp;</h2>Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brewis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshuil Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Mathew William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.

CSK will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (Mar 30) in Guwahati before taking on Punjab Kings on April 3 in their first home game of the season. 

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) full schedule was announced on Thursday (Mar 26) as 10 teams will compete at 13 venues across 70 matches and then the right to win the biggest franchise cricket league in the world. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), five-time winners, also learnt their fixtures on Thursday. So here’s a detailed look at CSK’s fixtures, key dates, squads and other details as they kick start their IPL 2026 season. CSK full IPL 2026 schedule CSK will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (Mar 30) in Guwahati before taking on Punjab Kings on April 3 in their first home game of the season. However, the eyes of the cricket fraternity will be on the fixture against the Mumbai Indians, which takes place on April 23 in Mumbai, before the return leg takes place on May 2 in Chennai. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL 2026 Full Schedule – Match List Home Away Venue Date Rajasthan Royals Chennai Super Kings Guwahati 30/03/2026 Chennai Super Kings Punjab Kings Chennai 03/04/2026 Royal Challengers Bengaluru Chennai Super Kings Bengaluru 05/04/2026 Chennai Super Kings Delhi Capitals Chennai 11/04/2026 Chennai Super Kings Kolkata Knight Riders Chennai 14/04/2026 Sunrisers Hyderabad Chennai Super Kings Hyderabad 18/04/2026 Mumbai Indians Chennai Super Kings Mumbai 23/04/2026 Gujarat Titans Chennai Super Kings Ahmedabad 26/04/2026 Chennai Super Kings Mumbai Indians Chennai 02/05/2026 Delhi Capitals Chennai Super Kings Lucknow 05/05/2026 Chennai Super Kings Lucknow Super Giants Chennai 10/05/2026 Lucknow Super Giants Chennai Super Kings Lucknow 15/05/2026 Chennai Super Kings Sunrisers Hyderabad Chennai 18/05/2026 Chennai Super Kings Gujarat Titans Chennai 21/05/2026 ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Chennai Super Kings full IPL 2026 squad Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brewis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshuil Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Mathew William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.

CSK will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (Mar 30) in Guwahati before taking on Punjab Kings on April 3 in their first home game of the season.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026: Full fixtures, venues, dates, squad breakdown & key insights

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the full schedule of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) with matches spread across 13 venues. In an announcement made on Thursday (Mar 26), the BCCI allotted matches to venues in Jaipur, Dharamshala and Raipur, which had earlier been skipped. The current season of the IPL starts on Saturday with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.<h2>BCCI releases schedule for IPL 2026</h2>With Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu mainly influencing the schedule for the first half of IPL 2026, the BCCI released the full itinerary on Thursday. The schedule released on Thursday sees the allocation of venues for all 70 matches, with fixtures spread across 13 venues. Venues in Raipur, Jaipur and Dharamshala are the latest inductees, having missed out in the first phase.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;Raipur will serve as home ground for RCB for their last two matches in the league stage, while Dharamshala will be the traditional second home for Punjab Kings. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, will play their matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in the second half, while they start the season at their adopted home ground in Guwahati.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a><h2>Full schedule of IPL 2026 league phase</h2><ol><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 28 Mar 2026, Sat, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 29 Mar 2026, Sun, Mumbai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings — 30 Mar 2026, Mon, Guwahati, 7:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans — 31 Mar 2026, Tue, New Chandigarh, 7:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals — 01 Apr 2026, Wed, Lucknow, 7:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 02 Apr 2026, Thu, Kolkata, 7:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings — 03 Apr 2026, Fri, Chennai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians — 04 Apr 2026, Sat, Delhi, 3:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals — 04 Apr 2026, Sat, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants — 05 Apr 2026, Sun, Hyderabad, 3:30 PM</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings — 05 Apr 2026, Sun, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings — 06 Apr 2026, Mon, Kolkata, 7:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians — 07 Apr 2026, Tue, Guwahati, 7:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans — 08 Apr 2026, Wed, Delhi, 7:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants — 09 Apr 2026, Thu, Kolkata, 7:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 10 Apr 2026, Fri, Guwahati, 7:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 11 Apr 2026, Sat, New Chandigarh, 3:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals — 11 Apr 2026, Sat, Chennai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans — 12 Apr 2026, Sun, Lucknow, 3:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 12 Apr 2026, Sun, Mumbai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals — 13 Apr 2026, Mon, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 14 Apr 2026, Tue, Chennai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants — 15 Apr 2026, Wed, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings — 16 Apr 2026, Thu, Mumbai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 17 Apr 2026, Fri, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals — 18 Apr 2026, Sat, Bengaluru, 3:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings — 18 Apr 2026, Sat, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals — 19 Apr 2026, Sun, Kolkata, 3:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants — 19 Apr 2026, Sun, New Chandigarh, 7:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians — 20 Apr 2026, Mon, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals — 21 Apr 2026, Tue, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals — 22 Apr 2026, Wed, Lucknow, 7:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings — 23 Apr 2026, Thu, Mumbai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans — 24 Apr 2026, Fri, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings — 25 Apr 2026, Sat, Delhi, 3:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 25 Apr 2026, Sat, Jaipur, 7:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings — 26 Apr 2026, Sun, Ahmedabad, 3:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 26 Apr 2026, Sun, Lucknow, 7:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 27 Apr 2026, Mon, Delhi, 7:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals — 28 Apr 2026, Tue, New Chandigarh, 7:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 29 Apr 2026, Wed, Mumbai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 30 Apr 2026, Thu, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals — 01 May 2026, Fri, Jaipur, 7:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians — 02 May 2026, Sat, Chennai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 03 May 2026, Sun, Hyderabad, 3:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings — 03 May 2026, Sun, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants — 04 May 2026, Mon, Mumbai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings — 05 May 2026, Tue, Delhi, 7:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings — 06 May 2026, Wed, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 07 May 2026, Thu, Lucknow, 7:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 08 May 2026, Fri, Delhi, 7:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans — 09 May 2026, Sat, Jaipur, 7:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants — 10 May 2026, Sun, Chennai, 3:30 PM</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians — 10 May 2026, Sun, Raipur, 7:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals — 11 May 2026, Mon, Dharamshala, 7:30 PM</li><li>Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 12 May 2026, Tue, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 13 May 2026, Wed, Raipur, 7:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians — 14 May 2026, Thu, Dharamshala, 7:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings — 15 May 2026, Fri, Lucknow, 7:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans — 16 May 2026, Sat, Kolkata, 7:30 PM</li><li>Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 17 May 2026, Sun, Dharamshala, 3:30 PM</li><li>Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals — 17 May 2026, Sun, Delhi, 7:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 18 May 2026, Mon, Chennai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants — 19 May 2026, Tue, Jaipur, 7:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians — 20 May 2026, Wed, Kolkata, 7:30 PM</li><li>Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans — 21 May 2026, Thu, Chennai, 7:30 PM</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 22 May 2026, Fri, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings — 23 May 2026, Sat, Lucknow, 7:30 PM</li><li>Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals — 24 May 2026, Sun, Mumbai, 3:30 PM</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals — 24 May 2026, Sun, Kolkata, 7:30 PM</li></ol>

In an announcement made on Thursday (Mar 26), the BCCI allotted matches to venues in Jaipur, Dharamshala and Raipur, which had earlier been skipped.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the full schedule of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) with matches spread across 13 venues. In an announcement made on Thursday (Mar 26), the BCCI allotted matches to venues in Jaipur, Dharamshala and Raipur, which had earlier been skipped. The current season of the IPL starts on Saturday with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. BCCI releases schedule for IPL 2026 With Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu mainly influencing the schedule for the first half of IPL 2026, the BCCI released the full itinerary on Thursday. The schedule released on Thursday sees the allocation of venues for all 70 matches, with fixtures spread across 13 venues. Venues in Raipur, Jaipur and Dharamshala are the latest inductees, having missed out in the first phase. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Raipur will serve as home ground for RCB for their last two matches in the league stage, while Dharamshala will be the traditional second home for Punjab Kings. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, will play their matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in the second half, while they start the season at their adopted home ground in Guwahati. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Full schedule of IPL 2026 league phase Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 28 Mar 2026, Sat, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 29 Mar 2026, Sun, Mumbai, 7:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings — 30 Mar 2026, Mon, Guwahati, 7:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans — 31 Mar 2026, Tue, New Chandigarh, 7:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals — 01 Apr 2026, Wed, Lucknow, 7:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 02 Apr 2026, Thu, Kolkata, 7:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings — 03 Apr 2026, Fri, Chennai, 7:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians — 04 Apr 2026, Sat, Delhi, 3:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals — 04 Apr 2026, Sat, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants — 05 Apr 2026, Sun, Hyderabad, 3:30 PM Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings — 05 Apr 2026, Sun, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings — 06 Apr 2026, Mon, Kolkata, 7:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians — 07 Apr 2026, Tue, Guwahati, 7:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans — 08 Apr 2026, Wed, Delhi, 7:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants — 09 Apr 2026, Thu, Kolkata, 7:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 10 Apr 2026, Fri, Guwahati, 7:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 11 Apr 2026, Sat, New Chandigarh, 3:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals — 11 Apr 2026, Sat, Chennai, 7:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans — 12 Apr 2026, Sun, Lucknow, 3:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 12 Apr 2026, Sun, Mumbai, 7:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals — 13 Apr 2026, Mon, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 14 Apr 2026, Tue, Chennai, 7:30 PM Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants — 15 Apr 2026, Wed, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings — 16 Apr 2026, Thu, Mumbai, 7:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 17 Apr 2026, Fri, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals — 18 Apr 2026, Sat, Bengaluru, 3:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings — 18 Apr 2026, Sat, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals — 19 Apr 2026, Sun, Kolkata, 3:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants — 19 Apr 2026, Sun, New Chandigarh, 7:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians — 20 Apr 2026, Mon, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals — 21 Apr 2026, Tue, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals — 22 Apr 2026, Wed, Lucknow, 7:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings — 23 Apr 2026, Thu, Mumbai, 7:30 PM Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans — 24 Apr 2026, Fri, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings — 25 Apr 2026, Sat, Delhi, 3:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 25 Apr 2026, Sat, Jaipur, 7:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings — 26 Apr 2026, Sun, Ahmedabad, 3:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 26 Apr 2026, Sun, Lucknow, 7:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 27 Apr 2026, Mon, Delhi, 7:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals — 28 Apr 2026, Tue, New Chandigarh, 7:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 29 Apr 2026, Wed, Mumbai, 7:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 30 Apr 2026, Thu, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals — 01 May 2026, Fri, Jaipur, 7:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians — 02 May 2026, Sat, Chennai, 7:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 03 May 2026, Sun, Hyderabad, 3:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings — 03 May 2026, Sun, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants — 04 May 2026, Mon, Mumbai, 7:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings — 05 May 2026, Tue, Delhi, 7:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings — 06 May 2026, Wed, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 07 May 2026, Thu, Lucknow, 7:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 08 May 2026, Fri, Delhi, 7:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans — 09 May 2026, Sat, Jaipur, 7:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants — 10 May 2026, Sun, Chennai, 3:30 PM Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians — 10 May 2026, Sun, Raipur, 7:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals — 11 May 2026, Mon, Dharamshala, 7:30 PM Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 12 May 2026, Tue, Ahmedabad, 7:30 PM Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders — 13 May 2026, Wed, Raipur, 7:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians — 14 May 2026, Thu, Dharamshala, 7:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings — 15 May 2026, Fri, Lucknow, 7:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans — 16 May 2026, Sat, Kolkata, 7:30 PM Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 17 May 2026, Sun, Dharamshala, 3:30 PM Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals — 17 May 2026, Sun, Delhi, 7:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 18 May 2026, Mon, Chennai, 7:30 PM Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants — 19 May 2026, Tue, Jaipur, 7:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians — 20 May 2026, Wed, Kolkata, 7:30 PM Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans — 21 May 2026, Thu, Chennai, 7:30 PM Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 22 May 2026, Fri, Hyderabad, 7:30 PM Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings — 23 May 2026, Sat, Lucknow, 7:30 PM Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals — 24 May 2026, Sun, Mumbai, 3:30 PM Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals — 24 May 2026, Sun, Kolkata, 7:30 PM

In an announcement made on Thursday (Mar 26), the BCCI allotted matches to venues in Jaipur, Dharamshala and Raipur, which had earlier been skipped.

BCCI releases full IPL 2026 schedule, 13 venues to host 70 matches; Raipur, Dharamshala included

Australia skipper Pat Cummins is the only foreign captain in the IPL and his late arrival in upcoming 2026 because of injury has ensured all 10 franchises are led by Indian players. Over the years, IPL has seen a change in appointing Indians as captain instead of relying on foreign players. Cummins, being one of the most successful international skipper, is of course an exception. He also revealed that the language could be a barrier for an international captain while talking to young local players for which he relies on senior Indian players. Cummins, however, acknowledged that most of Indian players, both capped and uncapped, speak great English.<h2>Cummins reveals barriers for international skippers in IPL</h2>"Most of the guys speak really great English, but some of them don't, and there are local dialects, so that can be a little bit of a barrier for an international captain," Cummins said recently on Business of Sport podcast.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-luckiest-player-of-ipl-the-west-indies-all-rounder-has-won-two-titles-without-making-his-debut-1749480986975">Luckiest player of IPL? WI all-rounder has two titles without making his debut</a>"Those guys (senior Indian players), you're leaning on anyway. We've got quite an experienced bowling group of local guys, so a few of the younger guys that come through that I don't know as well, particularly early on in a season, I'm definitely leaning on the local guys who do know them well - or even speak the language," he added on Ishan Kishan being the captain in his absence.<h2>Why Cummins is not playing in IPL 2026?</h2>The Aussie skipper is dealing with lumbar stress injury and still recovering. He last played the third Ashes Test since experiencing discomfort in July last year. He had planned to play the T20 World Cup 2026 but the recovery hit a set back. Nonetheless, Cummins hopes to come back for the second half of IPL as well as the final if recovery goes as per plan."I'm back bowling. I'm bowling basically every third day at the moment. We've mapped out a plan to get me right by [the] middle of the tournament, so hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, [I'll] play the back half plus the finals," confirmed Cummins.

Over the years, IPL has seen a change in appointing Indians as captain instead of relying on foreign players. Cummins, being one of the most successful international skipper, is of course an exception. The Aussie skipper is dealing with lumbar stress injury and still recovering.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins is the only foreign captain in the IPL and his late arrival in upcoming 2026 because of injury has ensured all 10 franchises are led by Indian players. Over the years, IPL has seen a change in appointing Indians as captain instead of relying on foreign players. Cummins, being one of the most successful international skipper, is of course an exception. He also revealed that the language could be a barrier for an international captain while talking to young local players for which he relies on senior Indian players. Cummins, however, acknowledged that most of Indian players, both capped and uncapped, speak great English. Cummins reveals barriers for international skippers in IPL "Most of the guys speak really great English, but some of them don't, and there are local dialects, so that can be a little bit of a barrier for an international captain," Cummins said recently on Business of Sport podcast. Also Read - Luckiest player of IPL? WI all-rounder has two titles without making his debut "Those guys (senior Indian players), you're leaning on anyway. We've got quite an experienced bowling group of local guys, so a few of the younger guys that come through that I don't know as well, particularly early on in a season, I'm definitely leaning on the local guys who do know them well - or even speak the language," he added on Ishan Kishan being the captain in his absence. Why Cummins is not playing in IPL 2026? The Aussie skipper is dealing with lumbar stress injury and still recovering. He last played the third Ashes Test since experiencing discomfort in July last year. He had planned to play the T20 World Cup 2026 but the recovery hit a set back. Nonetheless, Cummins hopes to come back for the second half of IPL as well as the final if recovery goes as per plan. "I'm back bowling. I'm bowling basically every third day at the moment. We've mapped out a plan to get me right by [the] middle of the tournament, so hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, [I'll] play the back half plus the finals," confirmed Cummins.

Over the years, IPL has seen a change in appointing Indians as captain instead of relying on foreign players. Cummins, being one of the most successful international skipper, is of course an exception. The Aussie skipper is dealing with lumbar stress injury and still recovering.

IPL 2026 | Cummins reveals barriers for international captain and his potential return date for SRH

Delhi Capitals’ star batter Prithvi Shaw has cleared his intent ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season as he looks to rejuvenate his career. Shaw, an all-format international with India, has not played for the national team since July 2021 and looks for a swift comeback. Speaking during the IPL 2026 pre-season, Shaw reckons it is everyone’s dream to play for India.<h2>Shaw clears intent ahead of IPL 2026</h2>"If I don't think about a comeback, then what's the point? That's why I am playing. Who doesn't want to play for India? You have to be there, and I am working towards that," Shaw said ahead of the season.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;"I enjoyed my life in the last year. Went to a couple of destinations to keep my mind fresh. Then I came back. The same routine, practised, worked hard, be it my training or batting. Whatever I used to do, I started doing it 3x more. I think it was a good break for me. I don't see it as a step back, but it was a needed break, so I get myself back stronger mentally."&nbsp;Shaw last played for India in July 2021 when he was part of India’s tour of Sri Lanka under Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy. He played his only T20I for India on that tour while he was also part of the ODI set-up. Overall, he has played in five Test matches, six ODIs and one T20I for India and remains an all-format player.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;However, injuries and poor form has seen him drop down the pecking order at the international level and he has not played since 2021. The IPL 2026 will come as a welcome addition for the Mumbai batter, where he can prove his worth.&nbsp;Delhi Capitals start their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Prithvi Shaw, an all-format international with India, has not played for the national team since July 2021 and looks for a swift comeback. Speaking during the IPL 2026 pre-season, Shaw reckons it is everyone’s dream to play for India.

Delhi Capitals’ star batter Prithvi Shaw has cleared his intent ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season as he looks to rejuvenate his career. Shaw, an all-format international with India, has not played for the national team since July 2021 and looks for a swift comeback. Speaking during the IPL 2026 pre-season, Shaw reckons it is everyone’s dream to play for India. Shaw clears intent ahead of IPL 2026 "If I don't think about a comeback, then what's the point? That's why I am playing. Who doesn't want to play for India? You have to be there, and I am working towards that," Shaw said ahead of the season. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions "I enjoyed my life in the last year. Went to a couple of destinations to keep my mind fresh. Then I came back. The same routine, practised, worked hard, be it my training or batting. Whatever I used to do, I started doing it 3x more. I think it was a good break for me. I don't see it as a step back, but it was a needed break, so I get myself back stronger mentally." Shaw last played for India in July 2021 when he was part of India’s tour of Sri Lanka under Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy. He played his only T20I for India on that tour while he was also part of the ODI set-up. Overall, he has played in five Test matches, six ODIs and one T20I for India and remains an all-format player. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL However, injuries and poor form has seen him drop down the pecking order at the international level and he has not played since 2021. The IPL 2026 will come as a welcome addition for the Mumbai batter, where he can prove his worth. Delhi Capitals start their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Prithvi Shaw, an all-format international with India, has not played for the national team since July 2021 and looks for a swift comeback. Speaking during the IPL 2026 pre-season, Shaw reckons it is everyone’s dream to play for India.

Who doesn't want to play for India? Prithvi Shaw clears intent ahead of Delhi Capitals' IPL 2026 season opener

With just days remaining for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have roped in Navdeep Saini as an injury replacement for Harshit Rana. The announcement made on Wednesday (Mar 25) will see Saini link up with the KKR squad on Thursday and resume training ahead of the side’s IPL 2026 opening clash against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday (Mar 29) at the Wankhede Stadium. Rana, who missed India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph with a right knee ligament injury, was ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 season recently.<h2>Navdeep Saini replaces Harshit Rana at KKR</h2>Speaking about joining the side, Navdeep said: “Joining KKR feels special—there’s an emotion attached to the franchise that you can’t quite put into words. For me, this opportunity is a fresh start. The last few years had their ups and downs, but I never stopped believing in my hard work, and this feels like the reward for staying the course."&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;Harshit Rana had suffered a knee strain during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup warm-up fixture against South Africa. After this, the right-arm speedster underwent knee surgery and is undergoing rehabilitation, with no confirmation about the return of the Indian speedster by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team. Meanwhile, Khejroliya replaces the injured Prithviraj Yarra in the Gujarat-based franchise. The left-arm pacer, who has six IPL wickets to his name, has previously featured for GT, KKR, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He will join GT for Rs 30 Lakh.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a> Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2026 season: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani. Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2026: Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Jason Holder, Tom Banton, Kulwant Khejroliya, Luke Wood.

The announcement made on Wednesday (Mar 25) will see Navdeep Saini link up with the KKR squad on Thursday and resume training ahead of the side’s IPL 2026 opening clash against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday (Mar 29) at the Wankhede Stadium. 

With just days remaining for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have roped in Navdeep Saini as an injury replacement for Harshit Rana. The announcement made on Wednesday (Mar 25) will see Saini link up with the KKR squad on Thursday and resume training ahead of the side’s IPL 2026 opening clash against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday (Mar 29) at the Wankhede Stadium. Rana, who missed India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph with a right knee ligament injury, was ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 season recently. Navdeep Saini replaces Harshit Rana at KKR Speaking about joining the side, Navdeep said: “Joining KKR feels special—there’s an emotion attached to the franchise that you can’t quite put into words. For me, this opportunity is a fresh start. The last few years had their ups and downs, but I never stopped believing in my hard work, and this feels like the reward for staying the course." ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL Harshit Rana had suffered a knee strain during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup warm-up fixture against South Africa. After this, the right-arm speedster underwent knee surgery and is undergoing rehabilitation, with no confirmation about the return of the Indian speedster by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team. Meanwhile, Khejroliya replaces the injured Prithviraj Yarra in the Gujarat-based franchise. The left-arm pacer, who has six IPL wickets to his name, has previously featured for GT, KKR, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He will join GT for Rs 30 Lakh. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2026 season: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani. Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2026: Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Jason Holder, Tom Banton, Kulwant Khejroliya, Luke Wood.

The announcement made on Wednesday (Mar 25) will see Navdeep Saini link up with the KKR squad on Thursday and resume training ahead of the side’s IPL 2026 opening clash against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday (Mar 29) at the Wankhede Stadium.&nbsp;

IPL 2026: KKR rope in Navdeep Saini as injury replacement for Harshit Rana

Mumbai Indians, five-time IPL champions, open their new campaign on Sunday (Mar 29) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium. Flooded with star names, Mumbai aim to shake off poor starts and build early momentum against KKR. Off the field, MI are making headlines with their latest campaign that's won over fans.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Apno ke saath, sab theek lagta hai. Aakhir, humaari Paltan <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FansNahiFam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FansNahiFam</a> hai! 💙 <a href="https://t.co/gPGrBJfBzk">pic.twitter.com/gPGrBJfBzk</a>&mdash; Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/2036106616991285437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>MI campaign steals hearts</h2>Ahead of IPL 2026, the Mumbai Indians bring a unique fan-franchise relationship to the forefront with the launch of its 2026 campaign: ‘Fans Nahi. Fam.’ At its core, the campaign is built on a simple but powerful truth - this isn’t just fandom, this is family. A family that celebrates, debates, worries and stands by the team through every high and low.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;Bringing ‘Fans Nahi. Fam.’ to life, the campaign places the MI players directly within the everyday world of the fans, not as distant icons, but as one of them.&nbsp;A series of slice-of-life films capture this raw, unfiltered bond, with players stepping into homes, routines and conversations filled with celebration, banter and honesty. The storytelling reflects the emotional depth of the relationship where Paltan don’t just cheer, they feel.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a><h2>Mumbai Indians target sixth title</h2>In search of a sixth IPL title, MI will still start their campaign on home turf against KKR before the Mumbai Indians face the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday (April 4). Their next home match will be against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 12.&nbsp;Last season MI were eliminated in the Playoffs having lost to Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 2 having earlier beaten Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator.

Flooded with star names, Mumbai aim to shake off poor starts and build early momentum against KKR. Off the field, MI are making headlines with their latest campaign that has won over fans.

Mumbai Indians, five-time IPL champions, open their new campaign on Sunday (Mar 29) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium. Flooded with star names, Mumbai aim to shake off poor starts and build early momentum against KKR. Off the field, MI are making headlines with their latest campaign that's won over fans.

Flooded with star names, Mumbai aim to shake off poor starts and build early momentum against KKR. Off the field, MI are making headlines with their latest campaign that has won over fans.

Mumbai Indians steal hearts with heartwarming campaign ahead of IPL 2026

With days remaining before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season, preparations are in the final stage as franchises give the finishing touches before the start. While eyes will be on several franchises, one particular name that will be in the headlines is Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as they will be led by Rishabh Pant. Speaking on Pant, former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has suggested the wicketkeeper-batter keep his composure and work on a strategy.<h2>Du Plessis backs Pant</h2>“Rishabh Pant’s stroke play is one that looks all over the place. There is some sort of method and game plan that goes into his head. He has a blueprint for how he wants to play Test cricket. The same thing applies in T20 cricket. He needs to figure out exactly what his game plan looks like to give himself the best chance. Not to be a one out of ten or two out of ten kind of player, but to be in the 60 to 70 per cent range where he can have consistency,” Du Plessis said while speaking on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’ show.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-sanju-samson-5-highest-individual-score-in-a-lost-chase-in-ipl-yusuf-pathan-kl-rahul-shaun-marsh-ipl-2026-1774084136030">From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL</a>&nbsp;“To do that, you can’t premeditate every ball. That is too high risk. Yes, you might hit a few sixes and play a couple of good innings. But when teams bowl wide to him, he is good enough to have something else in his armoury to hit through the offside. His game plan is not one-dimensional. He can score all around the ground. For me, it is about his first six balls. When I look at him, he is almost like a highlight player. I want him to be more of a high-impact player in terms of what he can give in his numbers,” the former South Africa skipper added.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cameron-green-to-liam-livingstone-5-most-expensive-players-in-ipl-2026-auctions-matheesha-pathirana-kartik-sharma-prashant-veer-1774031148132">From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions</a>&nbsp;LSG will start their IPL 2026 campaign on April 1 when they face the Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The team will rely on the services of Pant, who will be one of the best players in the ranks. LSG missed out on a playoff spot in IPL 2025 with a seventh-place finish. They will look to win their maiden title in IPL 2026 and search for a positive outcome.&nbsp;

While eyes will be on several franchises, one particular name that will be in the headlines is LSG as they will be led by Rishabh Pant. Speaking on Pant, former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has suggested the wicketkeeper-batter keep his composure and work on a strategy.

With days remaining before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season, preparations are in the final stage as franchises give the finishing touches before the start. While eyes will be on several franchises, one particular name that will be in the headlines is Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as they will be led by Rishabh Pant. Speaking on Pant, former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has suggested the wicketkeeper-batter keep his composure and work on a strategy. Du Plessis backs Pant “Rishabh Pant’s stroke play is one that looks all over the place. There is some sort of method and game plan that goes into his head. He has a blueprint for how he wants to play Test cricket. The same thing applies in T20 cricket. He needs to figure out exactly what his game plan looks like to give himself the best chance. Not to be a one out of ten or two out of ten kind of player, but to be in the 60 to 70 per cent range where he can have consistency,” Du Plessis said while speaking on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’ show. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson, 5 highest individual scores in a lost chase in IPL “To do that, you can’t premeditate every ball. That is too high risk. Yes, you might hit a few sixes and play a couple of good innings. But when teams bowl wide to him, he is good enough to have something else in his armoury to hit through the offside. His game plan is not one-dimensional. He can score all around the ground. For me, it is about his first six balls. When I look at him, he is almost like a highlight player. I want him to be more of a high-impact player in terms of what he can give in his numbers,” the former South Africa skipper added. ALSO READ | From Cameron Green to Liam Livingstone, 5 most expensive players in IPL 2026 auctions LSG will start their IPL 2026 campaign on April 1 when they face the Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The team will rely on the services of Pant, who will be one of the best players in the ranks. LSG missed out on a playoff spot in IPL 2025 with a seventh-place finish. They will look to win their maiden title in IPL 2026 and search for a positive outcome.

While eyes will be on several franchises, one particular name that will be in the headlines is LSG as they will be led by Rishabh Pant. Speaking on Pant, former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has suggested the wicketkeeper-batter keep his composure and work on a strategy.

IPL 2026: Faf du Plessis backs Rishabh Pant for high-impact role, says 'he needs to figure out...'

The Kolkata Knight Riders, in a heartfelt tribute to power coach and former player Andre Russell, have retired jesey no. 12 - donned by Russell during his time at the franchise. The annuncement came on Tuesday (Mar 24) - four days before the IPL 2026 begins on Mar 28. Russell had called his time in IPL ahead of the season and has been retained by the franchise as the league's first power coach. The all-rounder played for KKR from 2014 to 2025 except in 2017 and was part of two title winning campaigns in 2014 and 2024.<h2>Why KKR retired Russell's jersey no. 12?</h2>The three-time IPL winners decided to retire Andre Russell's jersey as a mark of respect for his services to the franchise over the years. Russell spent 11 seasons at KKR from 2014 to 2025 with an exception fo 2017 when he didn't play IPL. In his career with KKR, Russell scored 2,593 runs in 133 matches at a blistering strike rate of almost 175. He also took 122 of his 123 wickets for the franchise.

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Russell was not a regular in the playing XI when KKR won IPL 2014 with the WI all-rounder playing only two matches, scoring two runs and taking one wicket. In 2024, however, Russell played an important role in KKR winnig the trophy after a decade by scoring 222 runs at a strike rate of 185 as well as taking 19 wickets.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aditya-birla-group-times-of-india-consortium-acquires-rcb-for-1-8-billion-in-record-deal-most-expensive-franchise-sale-ipl-2026-champions-rr-sold-1774372926113">Aditya Birla Group-led consortium acquires RCB for $1.8bn in record deal</a><h2>What is Russell's role at Power Coach in KKR?</h2>Known for his hitting prowess, as visible in his strike rate, Russell is IPL's first power coach with not much clear about his responsibilities. A social media post by KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan as the time of announcement, however, did give a glimpse about Russell's role at KKR power coach."The power coach - passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the power down to our boys in purple and gold," read the SRK's post at the time of Russell's appointment as KKR's power coach.Speaking on the new role, Russell said: "I don't think it has affected my mindset. It is more about coming and giving back to all the guys I have played with and against. I just feel very good about coming back and giving back to the guys."

The three-time IPL winners KKR decided to retire Andre Russell's jersey as a mark of respect for his services to the franchise over the years. Russell spent 11 seasons at KKR from 2014 to 2025 with an exception fo 2017 when he didn't play IPL. Before KKR, he played with Delhi Capital from 2013-14.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, in a heartfelt tribute to power coach and former player Andre Russell, have retired jesey no. 12 - donned by Russell during his time at the franchise. The annuncement came on Tuesday (Mar 24) - four days before the IPL 2026 begins on Mar 28. Russell had called his time in IPL ahead of the season and has been retained by the franchise as the league's first power coach. The all-rounder played for KKR from 2014 to 2025 except in 2017 and was part of two title winning campaigns in 2014 and 2024. Why KKR retired Russell's jersey no. 12? The three-time IPL winners decided to retire Andre Russell's jersey as a mark of respect for his services to the franchise over the years. Russell spent 11 seasons at KKR from 2014 to 2025 with an exception fo 2017 when he didn't play IPL. In his career with KKR, Russell scored 2,593 runs in 133 matches at a blistering strike rate of almost 175. He also took 122 of his 123 wickets for the franchise.

The three-time IPL winners KKR decided to retire Andre Russell's jersey as a mark of respect for his services to the franchise over the years. Russell spent 11 seasons at KKR from 2014 to 2025 with an exception fo 2017 when he didn't play IPL. Before KKR, he played with Delhi Capital from 2013-14.

IPL 2026 | Three-time winners KKR retire Power Coach Russell's jersey in heartfelt tribute - WATCH

Delhi Capitals (DC) look to have one of the strongest squads going into the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. Here's who all made it to their final 25 for IPL 2026.

Delhi Capitals (DC) look to have one of the strongest squads going into the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. Here's who all made it to their final 25 for IPL 2026.

IPL 2026: Check out DC final squad; batters, bowlers, keepers and more

Gujarat Titans (GT) look to have one of the strongest squads going into the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. Here's who all made it to their final 25 for IPL 2026.

Gujarat Titans (GT) look to have one of the strongest squads going into the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. Here's who all made it to their final 25 for IPL 2026.

IPL 2026: Check out GT final squad; batters, bowlers, keepers and more

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have signed David Payne as a replacement for Jack Edwards, who will miss IPL 2026 due to a foot injury. The franchise acquired Payne for INR 1.5 crore, while Edwards was earlier picked up in the auction for INR 3 crore following a bidding contest with Chennai Super Kings. The 35-year-old has made just one appearance for England, featuring in an ODI against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in June 2022, where he bowled nine overs and took one wicket.<h2>Who is David Payne?</h2>David Alan Payne is an English left-arm fast-medium bowler who began his professional career with Gloucestershire in 2009. He also represented England at the Under-19 level and was part of the 2010 U-19 World Cup squad.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-rcb-suffer-major-blow-with-yash-dayal-pulling-out-for-personal-reasons-1774344939260">IPL 2026: RCB suffer major blow with Yash Dayal pulling out for personal reasons</a>&nbsp;Payne has strong experience in T20 cricket, claiming 304 wickets in 233 matches. He is also Gloucestershire’s top wicket-taker in T20s and was the highest wicket-taker in the 2024 T20 Blast with 33 wickets in 17 matches.&nbsp;He has also featured in other domestic leagues, including The Hundred for Welsh Fire, the Big Bash League (BBL) and the ILT20 for Desert Vipers. In the 2025-26 BBL final, he was named Player of the Match after taking three wickets for 18 runs, helping the Perth Scorchers clinch the title.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-3-b-s-to-beat-pressure-breath-balance-and-belief-harnoor-pannu-s-ipl-2026-formula-for-success-1774350034247">'3 B’s to beat pressure: Breath, balance and belief — Harnoor Pannu’s IPL 2026 formula for success</a><h2>Update on SRH captaincy</h2>Meanwhile, the Orange Army has received a major boost ahead of their campaign, as their regular captain Pat Cummins is expected to join the SRH squad before their first IPL 2026 match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru. However, he will continue to manage his back injury, as Ishan Kishan likely to lead the team for the first five or six games.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Mar 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have signed David Payne as a replacement for Jack Edwards, who will miss IPL 2026 due to a foot injury. The franchise acquired Payne for INR 1.5 crore, while Edwards was earlier picked up in the auction for INR 3 crore following a bidding contest with Chennai Super Kings. The 35-year-old has made just one appearance for England, featuring in an ODI against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in June 2022, where he bowled nine overs and took one wicket. Who is David Payne? David Alan Payne is an English left-arm fast-medium bowler who began his professional career with Gloucestershire in 2009. He also represented England at the Under-19 level and was part of the 2010 U-19 World Cup squad. Also Read - IPL 2026: RCB suffer major blow with Yash Dayal pulling out for personal reasons Payne has strong experience in T20 cricket, claiming 304 wickets in 233 matches. He is also Gloucestershire’s top wicket-taker in T20s and was the highest wicket-taker in the 2024 T20 Blast with 33 wickets in 17 matches. He has also featured in other domestic leagues, including The Hundred for Welsh Fire, the Big Bash League (BBL) and the ILT20 for Desert Vipers. In the 2025-26 BBL final, he was named Player of the Match after taking three wickets for 18 runs, helping the Perth Scorchers clinch the title. Also Read - '3 B’s to beat pressure: Breath, balance and belief — Harnoor Pannu’s IPL 2026 formula for success Update on SRH captaincy Meanwhile, the Orange Army has received a major boost ahead of their campaign, as their regular captain Pat Cummins is expected to join the SRH squad before their first IPL 2026 match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru. However, he will continue to manage his back injury, as Ishan Kishan likely to lead the team for the first five or six games.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Mar 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Who is David Payne? The left-armer with 304 T20 wickets who replaces injured Jack Edwards at SRH

23-year-old Harnoor Singh Pannu is keeping it simple as he steps into the upcoming IPL 2026 season with Punjab Kings, and his approach can be summed up in three words. He underlines the importance of composure in a format where games can turn in a matter of overs. For the youngster, it all begins with what he calls his personal ‘3 B’s’ formula — breath, balance, belief.<h2>What is Harnoor’s approach for IPL?</h2>"I have been working a lot on my breathing. When you go into a new environment, a lot is going on in your mind. You have to stay calm and be in the present," Harnoor explains, offering a glimpse into his mental preparation for the IPL spotlight. Flexibility is another pillar of his game. Rather than locking himself into a fixed role, he is ready to adapt.Whatever the team needs, whatever the situation is, he is quite flexible like that. He can bat anywhere, top order or down the order, emphasizing a team-first mindset.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-rcb-suffer-major-blow-with-yash-dayal-pulling-out-for-personal-reasons-1774344939260">IPL 2026: RCB suffer major blow with Yash Dayal pulling out for personal reasons</a><h2>Who is Harnoor Singh Pannu's inspiration?</h2>Within the squad, senior players have already made an impact. Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh have been very influential, he shares. In particular, his conversations with Arshdeep Singh have helped him understand the mental side of the game better, focusing on how to come out of situations when things are not going your way.&nbsp;Despite the hype surrounding the IPL, Harnoor isn’t looking too far ahead. He likes staying in the present and doesn’t want to think too far, instead focusing on making the most of the opportunity. As he prepares for his stint with Punjab Kings, the focus remains clear, control the mind, trust the process, and let the game follow. The more he focuses on his breathing and staying present, the better results he believes will come.

23-year-old Harnoor Pannu banks on calmness, flexibility, and mental strength as he gears up for the upcoming IPL 2026 season  with Punjab Kings

23-year-old Harnoor Singh Pannu is keeping it simple as he steps into the upcoming IPL 2026 season with Punjab Kings, and his approach can be summed up in three words. He underlines the importance of composure in a format where games can turn in a matter of overs. For the youngster, it all begins with what he calls his personal ‘3 B’s’ formula — breath, balance, belief. What is Harnoor’s approach for IPL? "I have been working a lot on my breathing. When you go into a new environment, a lot is going on in your mind. You have to stay calm and be in the present," Harnoor explains, offering a glimpse into his mental preparation for the IPL spotlight. Flexibility is another pillar of his game. Rather than locking himself into a fixed role, he is ready to adapt. Whatever the team needs, whatever the situation is, he is quite flexible like that. He can bat anywhere, top order or down the order, emphasizing a team-first mindset. Also Read: IPL 2026: RCB suffer major blow with Yash Dayal pulling out for personal reasons Who is Harnoor Singh Pannu's inspiration? Within the squad, senior players have already made an impact. Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh have been very influential, he shares. In particular, his conversations with Arshdeep Singh have helped him understand the mental side of the game better, focusing on how to come out of situations when things are not going your way. Despite the hype surrounding the IPL, Harnoor isn’t looking too far ahead. He likes staying in the present and doesn’t want to think too far, instead focusing on making the most of the opportunity. As he prepares for his stint with Punjab Kings, the focus remains clear, control the mind, trust the process, and let the game follow. The more he focuses on his breathing and staying present, the better results he believes will come.

23-year-old Harnoor Pannu banks on calmness, flexibility, and mental strength as he gears up for the upcoming IPL 2026 season &nbsp;with Punjab Kings

'3 B’s to beat pressure: Breath, balance and belief — Harnoor Pannu’s IPL 2026 formula for success

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have suffered a major setback before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as the team management has confirmed that pacer Yash Dayal will not take part in the entire tournament due to personal reasons. The 28-year-old was also missing from RCB’s practice sessions and was also not included in the team’s promotional posters, which led to speculation about his absence. Now RCB’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, has clarified the situation.&nbsp;Speaking at a press conference, Bobat said that Dayal is dealing with personal issues and the team has been supporting him, including deciding to retain him. He added that Dayal remains under contract and the franchise is staying in touch, but both the player and the team agreed that it is better for him not to participate at this time.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-he-is-like-a-teacher-to-me-lsg-youngster-credits-jasprit-bumrah-for-injury-comeback-1774337985002">‘He is like a teacher to me’: LSG youngster credits Bumrah for injury comeback</a>&nbsp;"So, just to confirm that Yash will not be joining up with the squad. As you know, he is going through a personal situation currently, and just to clarify, we've been very supportive of Yash to date and that's reflected in the fact that we retained him when we had the opportunity to either retain or release players.We wanted to retain him, and he remains under contract and will continue in the short term to remain under contract," Bobat told the media during a press conference on Tuesday.&nbsp;"We are communicating with him regularly. I spoke to him earlier today as well, but it has been decided that it is not in his best interest or the franchise's best interest for him to join up with us at this point. He retains our support, and he remains under contract, and we'll continue to speak to him as he goes through his personal situation," he added.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/up-government-set-to-appoint-rinku-singh-as-regional-sports-officer-1774340392880">UP government set to appoint Rinku Singh as regional sports officer</a>&nbsp;Yash Dayal has come under serious investigation following multiple allegations of sexual assault and exploitation. One major case has been filed in Jaipur under the POCSO Act, which applies to crimes involving minors and the complaint accuses him of repeated exploitation over a long period.&nbsp;Even in Dec 2025, a special POCSO court in Jaipur rejected his plea for anticipatory bail. The judge noted that the charges are very serious and the cases like this require careful handling, especially when a minor is involved.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have suffered a major setback before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as the team management has confirmed that pacer Yash Dayal will not take part in the entire tournament due to personal reasons. The 28-year-old was also missing from RCB’s practice sessions and was also not included in the team’s promotional posters, which led to speculation about his absence. Now RCB’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, has clarified the situation. Speaking at a press conference, Bobat said that Dayal is dealing with personal issues and the team has been supporting him, including deciding to retain him. He added that Dayal remains under contract and the franchise is staying in touch, but both the player and the team agreed that it is better for him not to participate at this time. Also Read - ‘He is like a teacher to me’: LSG youngster credits Bumrah for injury comeback "So, just to confirm that Yash will not be joining up with the squad. As you know, he is going through a personal situation currently, and just to clarify, we've been very supportive of Yash to date and that's reflected in the fact that we retained him when we had the opportunity to either retain or release players.We wanted to retain him, and he remains under contract and will continue in the short term to remain under contract," Bobat told the media during a press conference on Tuesday. "We are communicating with him regularly. I spoke to him earlier today as well, but it has been decided that it is not in his best interest or the franchise's best interest for him to join up with us at this point. He retains our support, and he remains under contract, and we'll continue to speak to him as he goes through his personal situation," he added. Also Read - UP government set to appoint Rinku Singh as regional sports officer Yash Dayal has come under serious investigation following multiple allegations of sexual assault and exploitation. One major case has been filed in Jaipur under the POCSO Act, which applies to crimes involving minors and the complaint accuses him of repeated exploitation over a long period. Even in Dec 2025, a special POCSO court in Jaipur rejected his plea for anticipatory bail. The judge noted that the charges are very serious and the cases like this require careful handling, especially when a minor is involved.

IPL 2026: RCB suffer major blow with Yash Dayal pulling out for personal reasons

Lucknow Super Giants's speedster Mayank Yadav has gone through a very difficult phase over the past two years, as the 23-year-old faced several serious injuries that could have ended his career. However, with IPL 2026 approaching, he has returned stronger and says he is now much more careful about his fitness. The pacer suffered a major injury during IPL 2024, followed by a significant back issue that ruled him out of IPL 2025. He later underwent surgery and completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where Jasprit Bumrah played a key role in supporting and guiding him.&nbsp;Mayank admitted that earlier he did not take proper care of his body and often skipped recovery sessions. But after surgery, his mindset changed and now he focuses on recovery, good food and proper sleep. He believes that if he takes care of his body, it will help him perform better on the field.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ecb-decides-to-not-sack-mccullum-after-ashses-debacle-review-and-stokes-f-g-love-it-1774330362059">ECB decides to not sack McCullum after Ashses debacle review and Stokes is ecstatic</a>&nbsp;“Everything has changed for me post-surgery. Earlier, I never used to take care of myself. Whenever I had to do a recovery session, I used to avoid it and neglect many aspects. But after the surgery, I paid a lot of attention to recovery, nutrition and sleep. The more I respect my body, the more my body respects me on the field," Mayank said.&nbsp;He also said that talking to Bumrah during rehab helped him a lot. Since the Indian pacer had gone through a similar injury and recovery, he shared useful advice about handling the body.&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I was in rehab at the NCA, Bumrah bhaiya (brother) was also there. I have a very good bond with him. He is like a teacher to me. He also had the same surgery, the same scenario," he said.&nbsp;“Bumrah bhaiya shared his experience of how to come back after surgery and what things to pay attention to. He told me how the body will be during recovery, how it will react. Sometimes it will feel good, sometimes not. Whenever we talk on the call or messages, he shares his experience as much as possible," added Mayank.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/los-angeles-dodgers-eye-threepeat-as-robot-umpires-make-way-in-mlb-1774321512395">Los Angeles Dodgers eye threepeat as robot umpires make way in MLB</a>&nbsp;The 23-year-old first realised his bowling speed when trainers measured it with a speed gun in the IPL; that’s when he understood his talent and decided to value it more. He added that fast bowling is always challenging because it puts a lot of pressure on both the body and mind.&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I came to the IPL for the first time, our trainers used to measure our bowling speed with a speed gun. At that time, I came to know that I have this talent, I have this gift. So now I have to respect it," said Mayank.&nbsp;“With fast bowling, things are always a little dicey, whether you can do it or not. There is a lot of stress on the body, physically and mentally," he added.

After being ruled out of IPL 2025, Mayank Yadav underwent surgery and completed his rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru, where Jasprit Bumrah played a key role in  guiding him.

Lucknow Super Giants's speedster Mayank Yadav has gone through a very difficult phase over the past two years, as the 23-year-old faced several serious injuries that could have ended his career. However, with IPL 2026 approaching, he has returned stronger and says he is now much more careful about his fitness. The pacer suffered a major injury during IPL 2024, followed by a significant back issue that ruled him out of IPL 2025. He later underwent surgery and completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where Jasprit Bumrah played a key role in supporting and guiding him. Mayank admitted that earlier he did not take proper care of his body and often skipped recovery sessions. But after surgery, his mindset changed and now he focuses on recovery, good food and proper sleep. He believes that if he takes care of his body, it will help him perform better on the field. Also Read - ECB decides to not sack McCullum after Ashses debacle review and Stokes is ecstatic “Everything has changed for me post-surgery. Earlier, I never used to take care of myself. Whenever I had to do a recovery session, I used to avoid it and neglect many aspects. But after the surgery, I paid a lot of attention to recovery, nutrition and sleep. The more I respect my body, the more my body respects me on the field," Mayank said. He also said that talking to Bumrah during rehab helped him a lot. Since the Indian pacer had gone through a similar injury and recovery, he shared useful advice about handling the body. “When I was in rehab at the NCA, Bumrah bhaiya (brother) was also there. I have a very good bond with him. He is like a teacher to me. He also had the same surgery, the same scenario," he said. “Bumrah bhaiya shared his experience of how to come back after surgery and what things to pay attention to. He told me how the body will be during recovery, how it will react. Sometimes it will feel good, sometimes not. Whenever we talk on the call or messages, he shares his experience as much as possible," added Mayank. Also Read - Los Angeles Dodgers eye threepeat as robot umpires make way in MLB The 23-year-old first realised his bowling speed when trainers measured it with a speed gun in the IPL; that’s when he understood his talent and decided to value it more. He added that fast bowling is always challenging because it puts a lot of pressure on both the body and mind. “When I came to the IPL for the first time, our trainers used to measure our bowling speed with a speed gun. At that time, I came to know that I have this talent, I have this gift. So now I have to respect it," said Mayank. “With fast bowling, things are always a little dicey, whether you can do it or not. There is a lot of stress on the body, physically and mentally," he added.

After being ruled out of IPL 2025, Mayank Yadav underwent surgery and completed his rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru, where Jasprit Bumrah played a key role in guiding him.

‘He is like a teacher to me’: LSG youngster credits Jasprit Bumrah for injury comeback

IPL Stats: Yuzvendra Chahal is the best wicket-taker (221), Bhuvneshwar is best in powerplay (79 wickets), DJ Bravo best in death overs (102 wickets), Harshal Patel is best in a season (32 wickets in 2023), Nathu Singh has best economy (3.75), and Bumrah is best to take most five-fors (2).

IPL Stats: Yuzvendra Chahal is the best wicket-taker (221), Bhuvneshwar is best in powerplay (79 wickets), DJ Bravo best in death overs (102 wickets), Harshal Patel is best in a season (32 wickets in 2023), Nathu Singh has best economy (3.75), and Bumrah is best to take most five-fors (2).

IPL 2026 Stats: List of Best Bowlers of All Time

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) look to have one of the strongest squads going into the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. Here's who all made it to their final 25 for IPL 2026.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) look to have one of the strongest squads going into the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. Here's who all made it to their final 25 for IPL 2026.

IPL 2026: Check out CSK final squad; batters, bowlers, keepers and more

Rajasthan Royals have signed Sri Lanka’s star all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as a replacement for Sam Curran in the Indian Premier League 2026 after an injury ruled the English all-rounder out of the tournament. Curran, who was part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025, was traded to RR along with Ravindra Jadeja as the five-time champions acquired Sanju Samson from the inaugural winners.&nbsp;Speaking on this, team director and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said the team will miss Curran, as he brings immense value with both bat and ball. However, he added that Shanaka is a strong replacement, being a reliable finisher and a capable all-rounder who helps keep the team balanced.&nbsp;“We are disappointed to lose a player of Sam’s calibre so close to the start of the season. Sam brings immense value with both bat and ball. However, we are pleased to have found an ideal replacement in Dasun Shanaka, a finisher with the bat and a quality all-rounder who helps maintain the balance of our side,” said Kumar Sangakkara, director of cricket and head coach at the franchise.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dont-think-he-will-ever-get-professional-vaibhav-suryavanshi-receives-harsh-criticism-ahead-of-ipl-2026-jitesh-sharma-rajasthan-royals-ab-de-villiers-1774263965597">‘I don’t think he will ever get professional’: Vaibhav Suryavanshi receives harsh criticism ahead of IPL 2026</a>&nbsp;With the signing, the &nbsp;34-year-old becomes one of the players to leave the PSL and join the IPL this season, along with Blessing Muzarabani. A similar move happened last year when Corbin Bosch left Peshawar Zalmi to join Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier, Shanaka played for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 as a replacement for Kane Williamson and scored 26 runs in three matches. He was again signed by Gujarat in 2025 as a replacement for Glenn Phillips but did not get a chance to play.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-indian-captain-ms-dhoni-honours-t20-world-cup-winners-sanju-samson-shivam-dube-at-csk-event-1774253159771">Former Indian captain MS Dhoni honours T20 WC winners Samson, Dube at CSK event</a>&nbsp;Overall for Sri Lanka, Shanaka has played six Tests, 71 ODIs and 131 T20Is, scoring over 3,350 runs and taking 86 wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rajasthan Royals will start their 2026 season against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Mar 30.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

Rajasthan Royals will start their 2026 season against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Mar 30.

Rajasthan Royals have signed Sri Lanka’s star all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as a replacement for Sam Curran in the Indian Premier League 2026 after an injury ruled the English all-rounder out of the tournament. Curran, who was part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025, was traded to RR along with Ravindra Jadeja as the five-time champions acquired Sanju Samson from the inaugural winners. Speaking on this, team director and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said the team will miss Curran, as he brings immense value with both bat and ball. However, he added that Shanaka is a strong replacement, being a reliable finisher and a capable all-rounder who helps keep the team balanced. “We are disappointed to lose a player of Sam’s calibre so close to the start of the season. Sam brings immense value with both bat and ball. However, we are pleased to have found an ideal replacement in Dasun Shanaka, a finisher with the bat and a quality all-rounder who helps maintain the balance of our side,” said Kumar Sangakkara, director of cricket and head coach at the franchise. Also Read - ‘I don’t think he will ever get professional’: Vaibhav Suryavanshi receives harsh criticism ahead of IPL 2026 With the signing, the 34-year-old becomes one of the players to leave the PSL and join the IPL this season, along with Blessing Muzarabani. A similar move happened last year when Corbin Bosch left Peshawar Zalmi to join Mumbai Indians. Earlier, Shanaka played for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 as a replacement for Kane Williamson and scored 26 runs in three matches. He was again signed by Gujarat in 2025 as a replacement for Glenn Phillips but did not get a chance to play. Also Read - Former Indian captain MS Dhoni honours T20 WC winners Samson, Dube at CSK event Overall for Sri Lanka, Shanaka has played six Tests, 71 ODIs and 131 T20Is, scoring over 3,350 runs and taking 86 wickets. Rajasthan Royals will start their 2026 season against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Mar 30. With inputs from agencies

Rajasthan Royals will start their 2026 season against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Mar 30.

IPL 2026: Dasun Shanaka snubs PSL to replace injured Sam Curran at Rajasthan Royals

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