IPL 2025, KKR Vs RCB Highlights: RCB won by 7 wickets with 3.4 overs to spare - BusinessLine

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IPL 2025 Live. KKR Vs RCB Highlights: Check out the full IPL schedule, IPL teams, IPL players list, and star-studded performances as the tournament kicks off in style.
Here’s the playing XI for today’s game:
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI):
Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):
Virat Kohli, Philip Salt(w), Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

IPL 2025 Schedule: List of matches, dates, venues & timings

2025 IPL schedule: The Board of Control for Cricket in India has released the complete schedule for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), confirming a March 22 start date with the league stage running through May 18, followed by playoffs culminating in the May 25 final. Features 74 matches across multiple venues.
Scoreboard of the IPL 2025 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru here on Saturday.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Quinton de Kock c Jitesh b Hazlewood 4
Sunil Narine c Jitesh b Salam 44
Ajinkya Rahane c Salam b Pandya 56
Venkatesh Iyer b Pandya 6
Angkrish Raghuvanshi c Jitesh b Dayal 30
Rinku Singh b Pandya 12
Andre Russell b Suyash 4
Ramandeep Singh (not out) 6
Harshit Rana c Jitesh b Hazlewood 5
Spencer Johnson (not out) 1
Extras (LB-2, W-4) 6
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-107, 3-109, 4-125, 5-145, 6-150, 7-168, 8-173.
RCB Bowling:
Josh Hazlewood 4-0-22-2
Yash Dayal 3-0-25-1
Rasikh Salam 3-0-35-1
Krunal Pandya 4-0-29-3
Suyash Sharma 4-0-47-1
Liam Livingstone 2-0-14-0
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Phil Salt c Johnson b Chakravarthy 56
Virat Kohli (not out) 59
Devdutt Padikkal c Ramandeep b Narine 10
Rajat Patidar c Singh b Arora 34
Liam Livingstone (not out) 15
Extras (LB-2, W-1) 3
Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2-118, 3-162.
KKR Bowling:
Vaibhav Arora 3-0-42-1
Spencer Johnson 2.2-0-31-0
Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-43-1
Harshit Rana 3-0-32-0
Sunil Narine 4-0-27-1
Magnificent fifties by star batter Virat Kohli and new signing Phil Salt guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a comfortable seven-wicket win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of the IPL 2025 here on Saturday.
Virat Kohli and Phil Salt lead RCB to a 7-wicket win over KKR in IPL 2025 opener.
Virat Kohli 59 (36) & Liam Livingston 15 (5) take RCB to a comfortable win over KKR
Liam Livingtone hits one straight behind the keeper. Just 2 runs required now
Liam slams four of Vaibhav
RCB needs 13 off 27 balls to win.
RCB 162 for 3 off 15.3 overs
Patidar goes for 34. Caught Rinku Singh off Vaibhav Arora
Patidar slams a boundary off Vaibhav Arora. He is at 34 of 14
Patidar slams another four off Harshit Rana! Patidar races to 30 off 14 balls
Another FOUR by Patidar. He is at 26 off 13 balls
Patidar Slams a FOUR. Patidar at 20 off 11
After 14 overs, RCB 138 for 2 in reply to KKR’s 174 for 8
Patidar hits a six off Naraine.
55TH 50 for Virat Kohli in IPL!
Virat Kohli reaches 50 with a FOUR! RCB 126 FOR 2 AFTER 12.5 OVERS
Padikkal hits a six off Varun. Padikkal at 7 off 7 balls
Varun Chakravarthy dismisses Salt with a wide leg break ball. Salt trying to hit it over extra cover edges it to Spencer Johnson in short third man area
This is RCB’s second highest score in the powerplay.
KKR take a strategic time out. They desperately need one!
Chennai Super Kings players MS Dhoni and Noor Ahmed during a training session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, Saturday, March 22, 2025.
KKR batter Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the PL 2025 match against RCB, at Eden Garden in Kolkata, West Bengal, Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Rahane 54 (27)
Narine 34 (22)
Rahane got room outside the off stump, enough to free his arms for whack one over midwicket for a six.
Rahane 45
Narine 22
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli poses after receiving a memento from BCCI President Roger Binny before the opening Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Saturday, March 22, 2025.
The dropped catch didn’t cost RCB much as de Kock is quickly dismissed couple of balls later.
KKR Team Squad Playing 11 Today: Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
RCB Team Squad Playing 11 Team Today:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt(w), Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori on Saturday backed the decision to use a second ball in the evening matches to mitigate the dew factor during IPL 2025, calling it a “pragmatic answer to a difficult problem.” The BCCI announced that one ball would be changed in the second innings of evening games at the bowling team’s request to counter dew.
“I think it’s a really pragmatic answer to a difficult problem, and it doesn’t affect every ground, we know that,” Vettori told reporters on the eve of SRH’s opening match against Rajasthan Royals.
“I don’t think we experienced dew here at all last year, but Chennai, Mumbai I think in particular, so it’s just a nice solution for everyone to come up with, and I think it will work really well,” he said. (PTI)
“Dew” refers to the moisture that settles on the grass and outfield. This happens especially during evening or night matches due to a drop in temperature and the air condenses to form tiny water droplets on the grass.
Every time the ball is hit along the ground, the ball gets wet. The bowlers and the fielding team struggle to keep the ball dry as a wetter ball slips from the hand and bowlers tend to not have the same control they would otherwise have on a drier ball.
The wetter ball also gets a bit heavier and skids to the bat and makes batting a bit easier. So, whenever there is a possibility of dew, the team winning the toss chooses to bowl first, as the dew gets heavier during the second innings.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan along Virat Kohli at the opening ceremony of IPL (Indian Premiere League) 2025 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, 22 March 2025.
To negate the dew factor, teams bowling second can ask the umpires for a change of ball any time after the 10th over. The umpires will select the ball with a similar wear and tear for the bowling team. This option can be availed even if there is no dew.
With the possibility of rain, both teams wanted to bowl first. Despite rain, due plays a crucial role as well.
Kolkata: Artists perform during the opening ceremony of Indian Premier League 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) (PTI03_22_2025_000209A)
KKR fans at the inaugural ceremony of IPL 2025 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, 22 March 2025
Artists perform during the opening ceremony of Indian Premier League 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Full list of Commentators:World Feed – Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Harsha Bhogle, Murali Kartik, Deep Das Gupta, Anjum Chopra, Varun Aaron, WV Raman, Matthew Hayden, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Aaron Finch, Eoin Morgan, Graeme Swann, Nick Knight, Alan Wilkins, Simon Doull, Danny Morrison, K Martin, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Natalie Germanos, Ian Bishop, Darren GangaHindi Virender Sehwag, Navjot Singh Siddhu, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Mohd Kaif, Piyush Chawla, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Sanjay Manjrekar, Sanjay Bangar, Varun Aaron, Sunil Gavaskar, Ajay Jadeja, Jatin Sapru, Anant Tyagi, Saba Karim, Deep Dasgupta, Aakash ChopraMarathi – Kedar Jadhav, Aditya Tare, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kiran More, Pravin Tambe,Salil Ankola, Siddesh Lad, Chaitanya Sant, Prasanna Sant, Nilesh Natu,Gujarati – Manpreet Juneja, Rakesh Patel, Bhargav Bhatt, Sheldon Jackson, Atul Bedade, Aseem Parikh, Akash Trivedi, Shailendra JadejaBhojpuri – Ravi Kishan, Manoj Tiwary, Sumit Kumar Mishra, Saurabh Kumar, Gulam Hussain, Shivam, Ashutosh Aman, Satya PrakashBengali – Sreevats Goswami, Jhulan Goswami, Subhomoy D, Saradindu M, Raja Venkat, Sanjeeb M, Shiladitya Roy, Gautam BHaryanvi – Manvinder Bisla, Sumit Narwal, Sonu Sharma, A Chaudhary, RJ Kisna, Ravin Kundu, Vishwaas, Ashish HoodaMalayalam – S Sreesanth, CM Deepak, Raiphi Gomez, Sony C, Vishnu Hariharan, Shiyas Mohammed, Aju John Thomas, Manu Krishnan, RJ RenuKannada – Anil Kumble, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Venkatesh Prasad, Vijay Bharadwaj, Bharat Chipli, K Gowtham, B Akhil, S Aravind, J Suchith Srinivasa Murthy, Sumesh Goni, Kiran Srinivasa, S Suresh, Pavan D, Roopesh Shetty, Madhu MTamil – Murali Vijay, L Balaji, S Badrinath, K Srikkanth, S Ramesh, R Sridhar, Anirudh Srikkanth, Yo Mahesh, Baba Aparijith, Baba Indrajith, Thirush Kamini, Arun Kartik, C Gobinath, Muthu, Ashwath Bobo, Nanee, Gowtham D, Bhavna, Sameena, Abhinav MukundTelugu – Ambati Rayudu, Hanuma Vihari, MSK Prasad, Mithali Raj, R SridharT Suman, Kalyan Krishna, Ashish Reddy, Akshat Reddy, NC Kaushik, K Kollaram, VJ Sashi, Vindhya, Nandu, PratyushaPunjabi – Sarandeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, RS Sodhi, VRV Singh, Chetan Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Sunil Taneja, Gurjit SinghHangout – Kunal Saluja, Angad Ranyal, Inder Sahni, Shubham Shandilya, Aditya Kulshreshta.
With Ponting taking over as the head coach and last year’s IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer becoming the skipper, Punjab Kings hope for a strong turnaround in their fortunes as they hunt for a maiden title win.
Punjab Kings will take on Gujarat Titans in their opening match on March 25 in Ahmedabad.
“The overall vision for this team is to win the IPL. I told the guys on the very first day when I joined the camp in Dharamshala that we were going to create and become the greatest Punjab Kings team that’s played,” Ponting was quoted as saying in a release from the franchise.
“That’s the journey that we’re on and that doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to create that,” he said.
The Australian batting legend emphasised on developing a winning attitude, adding that he doesn’t want the opposition to take anything away from his side.
“Winning is really an attitude thing. If we turn up to play, the opposition turns up to play, if they want to beat us, then it feels like they’re taking something away and I don’t want to let anyone take anything away from me or take anything away from my team,” he said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday forecast thunderstorms, along with lightning and strong surface wind, in some districts of West Bengal till March 23.
Thunderstorms with gusty wind, lightning and light to moderate rainfall are very likely at a few places in Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Nadia and Murshidabad districts, it said.
The other districts in West Bengal are also likely to receive light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by gusty wind till Sunday.
Kolkata is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by gusty wind, till Sunday morning, the IMD said.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 21.1 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which is three notches below normal, according to Met office data.
Kane is also optimistic that Indian opener Abhishek will be confident heading into this season following a bumper IPL 2024 at the top with Travis Head, forming the duo ‘Travishek’. He had scored 484 runs in 16 matches at an average of 32.26, with a strike rate of above 204, three fifties and a whopping 42 sixes.Following some initial poor scores in international cricket despite a century in his second T20I against Zimbabwe, Abhishek started delivering more consistently during the back end of the South Africa tour last year and the home series against England.In his last seven T20Is, Abhishek has scored 365 runs at an average of 73.00 and a strike rate of over 214. with a century (against England, a knock of 135 in 54 balls with seven fours and 13 sixes) and two fifties.In his last 22 innings, including his domestic scores in Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures, Abhishek has made 1,087 runs at an average of 51.76, with three centuries and six fifties to his name. This also includes a brutal 170 against Saurashtra for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), which came in just 96 balls.
“He is a fast learner and his high side is extremely high. He is such a gifted player, and I am sure he will get plenty of opportunities this season. And I would never bet against him.” (ANI)
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign opener, New Zealand batter Kane Williamson predicted big things for two young talented batters: Kiwi star Rachin Ravindra and Indian T20I opener Abhishek Sharma.
Ramesh Shanmugam a gold medal winner in the Men’s 800 m T53/54 at the Khelo India Para Games hails from what he describes as a “tiny and remote village” Mannathampatty in Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu. The para-athelete has idolised the former Indian cricket team captain for many years, and is eager for the start of upcoming season of Indian Premier League.“Once MS Dhoni retires, I will stop watching cricket,” Ramesh Shanmugam said with a smile after earning a gold medal in Men’s 800m T53/T54 on the second day of the Khelo India Para Games 2025 here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, as quoted from a release by SAI Media.“I used to play cricket back in the day. I used to run fast and also was a wicketkeeper. I have been to several cricket matches as I really enjoy watching the sport, especially our thala MS Dhoni,” Shanmugam told SAI Media.The 30-year-old para athlete believes that the cricketing legend has taught him a lot many things, especially how to remain calm, composed and disciplined during tough times. Following similar principles Shanmugam has been rising among the ranks in wheelchair racing in India.Just this year, Ramesh, national record holder in Men’s 800m T53/T54, won two gold medals and a silver medal at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix. On Friday, he added two more gold medals in Men’s 800m T53/T54 and Men’s 100m T53/T54 at KIPG 2025 to continue his ascent.“I feel I am on the right track in my career now. The Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs have done really well over the past few years to support the para athletes. Here at KIPG, all our basic needs are taken care off. We are getting fantastic accommodation, the best mode of travel and food options,” he said.Born to a family of farmers, Shanmugam was eight years old when a lorry accident led to him losing both his legs. Learning to be in a wheelchair was not easy for him, especially belonging to a family of limited financial means. But support from the local authorities and government allowed him to continue his education.“I have faced a lot of hardships in my life. I felt I needed to achieve something. Everyday just comes and goes. But I have the desire to make a name for myself. I have to prove myself. I motivate myself each day to achieve my goals. I cannot stop,” he said.Shanmugam went on to pursue B. Sc. in Bio Chemistry from a college in Trichy, where he was lured towards para sports. He inculcated himself into para basketball and went on to represent the national team in eight international tournaments. But unable to receive much support in the sport, he decided to pursue para athletics two years ago. Having developed immense speed during his para basketball career, he immediately adapted to the sport and started climbing up the ranks.“Athletes is more energetic. When you are racing in a wheelchair, you are always in motion. It always keeps you pumped up. I felt this is what I needed,” he said.The Tamil Nadu athlete received ample support from his family, and making them proud fills him with joy. His wife, who works in a private firm, has also been a pillar of strength for the para athlete.“Now my parents are very happy. In 2023, Khelo India Para Games, I had won bronze. This time, I have won two gold medals. They are delighted with my growth. My family have always been without big supporters, including my wife. Without them I could not have won a single medal,” he said.“They are allowing me to fulfil my dreams. I want to be selected for the Paralympics and win gold there to make my nation proud,” he signed off. (ANI)
“My four teams for the IPL 2025 playoffs will be Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad,” Sarandeep Singh
Google Doodle on IPL
The IPL season opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) can be marred by weather as the ‘City of Joy’ has witnessed a fair bit of overnight rain.Though the sun made a brief appearance around midday, raising hopes for an uninterrupted match, the forecast in Kolkata remains uncertain, with overcast conditions expected for most of the day and intermittent showers predicted, including during match hours, according to ESPNcricinfo.On Friday, the Indian Meteorological Department issued an “orange alert” for Gangetic West Bengal, signalling the likelihood of continued rain in the region. Kolkata has experienced persistent, though not particularly heavy, rainfall in the days leading up to the season opener.The weather has already disrupted preparations, with rain cutting short both teams’ training sessions on Friday. Earlier in the week, a KKR intra-squad practice match was washed out after just one innings, while light rain also affected training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.
Ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2025 opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday, superstar Shah Rukh Khan delivered a pep talk to his cricket team, asking them to be “healthy and happy”.
The 18th Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders taking on perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bengaluru amid a looming threat of rain.
The official Instagram page of Kolkata Knight Riders shared the video of SRK talking to the team members, which is led by new skipper Ajinkya Rahane this season.
“God bless you. Please be healthy, be happy,” the 59-year-old superstar said, also thanking coach Chandrakant Pandit for looking after the team.
The enforcement actions against offshore online gaming entities have been intensified by the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI).As per a statement from the Ministry of Finance on Saturday, around 700 offshore entities involved in the supply of online money gaming/betting/gambling are under the agency’s scanner.These offshore entities are evading GST by failing to register, concealing taxable pay-ins, and bypassing tax obligations, the finance ministry stated.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur praised the tournament’s impact on cricket and employment while also emphasising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a TB-free India.
“IPL season 18 is about to begin. IPL has become one of the biggest leagues in the world in cricket. Thousands of people are employed and emerging players get a platform,” Thakur told ANI.
Alongside the IPL festivities, Thakur highlighted a crucial social initiative, stating, “On the other hand, PM Modi has given the slogan of TB-free India. Today, politicians and actors will play an awareness match to remove the stigma around TB.”
RCB’s Rajat Patidar is one of five new captains in the 18th edition of the tournament, which will culminate with the May 25 final in Kolkata.
Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed Kolkata captain after the departure of Shreyas Iyer, who will spearhead Punjab Kings’ bid to win their maiden IPL title.
All-rounder Axar Patel will lead Delhi Capitals after the franchise released stumper-batter Rishabh Pant, who will skipper Lucknow Super Giants.
Eden Gardens stadium on the eve of the first IPL match
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 263-5 against Pune Warriors stood as the league’s highest total for a decade but that 2013 mark was bettered four times in last year’s IPL – three times by Sunrisers Hyderabad alone.
Hyderabad’s 287-3 against Bengaluru is the new benchmark but Nathan Leamon, a strategy consultant with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, is among those who believe 300 is achievable.
MS Dhoni, with 5,243 runs, remains the ultimate finisher
Read the full story here
Rohit Sharma has amassed 6,628 runs, consistently delivering for his team
Read the full story here
Virat Kohli remains IPL’s highest run-scorer with 8,004 runs, reinforcing his status as a modern-day great.
Read the full story here
Cricket Predicta Analysis: MS Dhoni, famous for his finishing prowess, has covered 45.84 km between the wickets, showcasing his ability to build innings under pressure.
Read the full story here
Cricket Predicta Analysis: Rohit Sharma has run 51.34 km, between the wickets, proving how strike rotation is a key part of his game.
Read the full story here
Cricket Predicta Analysis: Virat Kohli has run 71.45 km between wickets, emphasizing his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Read the full story here
Cricket Predicta, India’s leading cricket analytics show, unveiled an exclusive data-driven analysis of IPL’s evolution. Having meticulously broken down 1,097 matches and 252,383 balls, the study reveals key insights into how fitness, endurance, and data analytics have shaped the modern IPL.
Read the full story here
Expansion of DRS ScopeThe Decision Review System (DRS) has been expanded to include height-based no-ball reviews and wide-ball reviews outside the off-stump. The updated system will utilize Hawk-Eye technology and ball-tracking to assist umpires in making accurate and consistent decisions.
New Code of Conduct
Effective this season, a new Code of Conduct will be implemented from the IPL 2025 season, introducing a demerit points system and suspension points which will remain valid for 36 months.
Replacement of wet ball to counter dewTo address challenges posed by dew during evening matches, the team bowling second will now have the option to request a ball change once after the 10th over, as per an IPL press release.The bowling captain can make this request, regardless of whether there is visible dew or not. Once the request is made, the umpires will mandatorily replace the ball with another one of similar wear and tear. The bowling team will not have the liberty to choose the replacement ball.Additionally, the umpires retain the authority to change the ball at any time before the 10th over if it is deemed too wet, out of shape, lost, or damaged. If a captain requests a ball change in the 11th over due to it being out of shape, the umpires will evaluate the request and approve it if deemed necessary.If a subsequent request is made after a few overs solely due to dew, the umpires will be required to replace the ball mandatorily as stated earlier.
Use of saliva to shine the ballEffective from the IPL 2025 season, bowlers will be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. This decision follows consultations with all 10 teams and marks a return to traditional ball maintenance practices. The ban on the use of saliva, which was originally imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has now been lifted.
We also have ‘she teams’ for the women’s safety…we have requested the metro to run the trains late so the audience can use public transport to return after the match…” Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Sudheer Babu said
Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Sudheer Babu on Thursday outlined the security arrangements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, stating that 3,000 police personnel have been deployed for duty.Speaking about the security measures, he emphasized that a total of nine matches will be played at the stadium, which has a seating capacity of 39,000. He also highlighted the presence of ‘She Teams’ to ensure the safety of women and mentioned that Hyderabad Police has requested metro trains to run late so that spectators can use public transport after the matches.
IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal stressed the IPL must continue to innovate to maintain its supremacy by enhancing experience for the fans.
“The fan is at the heart of any sport…Our goal is to solidify IPL’s position as the world’s premier sporting league,” he said.
Cricket fans wait in queues for the match tickets on the eve of the Indian Premier League 2025 opener match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru
To rival the popularity and value of the likes of NFL, NBA and the English Premier League, the IPL needs a much bigger window than the current two-month slot it operates in. Considering bilaterals and ICC events remain a big part of the game, it is tough to increase IPL’s duration at least till the 2031 cycle.
As and when possible, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said a bigger window for IPL will benefit all stakeholders.
On introducing DRS for height and off-stump wides, and, allowing the use of two balls in the second innings to counter the dew factor, IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal added: “See, the quality of the game improves with the fairness of the game. The way technology is improving, it is helping in making the best decisions.” IPL on track to be world’s biggest sporting league
On the Impact Player Rule, IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal said: “The response we got from fans and broadcasters was very positive. It has elevated the standard of the game. Keeping that in mind, we have extended it till 2027.
Plenty has been reported in international media about the oil-rich Saudi Arabia foraying into cricket over the last two years but nothing concrete has come out of those speculations.
Having said that, Saudi Arabia has been a sponsor in the IPL and hosted the mega auction last year.
Now there is fresh chatter around a tennis Grand Slam styled league funded by the Arab giant but concrete details are yet to emerge.
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said the BCCI supports the rise in number of T20 leagues globally, especially in unchartered territories like Saudi Arabia, Europe and the USA. He feels the growth will eventually help the game ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket will be played.
IPL has become stronger than ever and doesn’t see any threat from the growing number of T20 leagues globally, its chairman Arun Dhumal said on Saturday as he steered clear of the speculation swirling around an event backed by Saudi Arabia.
The immediate target is to end their title draught in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but head coach Ricky Ponting has also set the goal of becoming the best-ever Punjab Kings team.
With Ponting taking over as the head coach and last year’s IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer becoming the skipper, Punjab Kings hope for a strong turnaround in their fortunes as they hunt for a maiden title win.
Punjab Kings will take on Gujarat Titans in their opening match on March 25 in Ahmedabad.
Mumbai: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting during an event in Mumbai on Tuesday. PTI Photo by Mitesh Bhuvad (PTI9_6_2016_000195B)
“The overall vision for this team is to win the IPL. I told the guys on the very first day when I joined the camp in Dharamshala that we were going to create and become the greatest Punjab Kings team that’s played,” Ponting was quoted as saying in a release from the franchise.
“That’s the journey that we’re on and that doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to create that,” he said.
The Australian batting legend emphasised on developing a winning attitude, adding that he doesn’t want the opposition to take anything away from his side.
“Winning is really an attitude thing. If we turn up to play, the opposition turns up to play, if they want to beat us, then it feels like they’re taking something away and I don’t want to let anyone take anything away from me or take anything away from my team,” he said.
Ponting tipped uncapped Indian players in Delhi’s Priyansh Arya and Mumbai duo of Suryansh Shedge and Musheer Khan to come good this season.
“Priyansh Arya, I think is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament. Depending on which way we go with our overseas make-up, he’s very exciting. Suryansh Shedge is also someone who has been very impressive in our training so far,” he said.
“When I talk about energy and fun, another player that I am impressed with, is Musheer Khan. He’s brought a lot to the group already. He has got an infectious attitude, and around the training ground and around the team so far, he’s been someone that I’ve really enjoyed working with.” Ponting also emphasised on the senior players setting the right example for youngsters.
“I put a lot of the bait on them to ensure that they’re setting the right example,” he said.
“Because a lot of the young domestic Indian players look up to the overseas boys and if the overseas boys aren’t doing the right thing, then it’s easy for the young Indian guys to not do the right thing either. So I empower the overseas guys to be the leaders and lead the way,” added the former Australia captain.
Equipped with a balanced squad that features a formidable batting line-up and experienced bowlers, last edition’s runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad will start as favourites in their opening Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday.
Sunrisers have some of the most explosive batters in their line-up in Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, and with a belter of a track likely to offer at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, they would fancy a massive total in the afternoon match of the double-header day.
In fact, if any team can get to the much talked about 300-run total after batting first, it is Sunrisers that is expected to achieve the feat with the firepower they have.
The return of India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy after an injury is also expected to add to the arsenal of the Sunrisers. With the kind of form Abhishek and Head have been having recently, the Sunrisers supporters can expect to see impressive strokes.
In the last T20I he played, Abhishek scored 135 off just 54 balls with a strike rate of 250 against England during the home series in February. With few established names in the bowling department of the Royals, except England pacer Jofra Archer, there is every possibility that the Sunrisers can eye another 250-plus total if they bat first on Sunday.
Sunrisers posted 250-plus totals three times last season, including 287 against Royal Challengers Bangaluru in an away match and 277 against Mumbai Indians at home. The explosive duo of Abhishek and Head scored the highest IPL powerplay total of 125 against Delhi Capitals in the third instance when they posted 266.
The experienced pace duo of captain Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami will man the bowling department along with spinner Adam Zampa — another seasoned campaigner.
The 2016 winners Sunrisers look far batter placed than Royals, who are will miss skipper Sanju Samson due to his finger injury. Samson cannot keep wickets and field and can only bat with protection on his finger. It won’t be a surprise if he comes as an Impact Player.
Batter Riyan Parag will be the interim captain for the 2008 champions Royals in their first three IPL matches.
With the release of Englishman Jos Buttler, the Royals’ batting line-up has dwindled though they still have the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Sunrisers and Royals played two games against each other last season. Sunrisers won both the games and will be confident of maintaining their supremacy over the Rajasthan-based outfit.
The first meeting was in the league stage when the Sunrisers prevailed by just one run.
Sunrisers and Royals finished at the second and third positions respectively after the league stage and they faced against each other once again in the qualifier 2.
Sunrisers won that game with ease, beating the Royals by 36 runs to qualify for the final which they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Sunrisers Hyderabad squad: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Sachin Baby, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa, Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Chahar, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Atharva Taide, Brydon Carse, Simarjeet Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari.
Rajasthan Royals squad: Riyan Parag (c), Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Kunal Singh Rathore, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Ashok Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Sandeep Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh.
Match Starts at 3:30pm IST. (PTI)
Chennai Super Kings will lean on their formidable spin strength under favourable conditions at the Chepauk as well as recent record against Mumbai Indians sans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, when the two sides face each other in their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener here on Sunday.
Five-time winners CSK augmented their spin attack in the IPL mega auction last year by including Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad Shreyas Gopal and Deepak Hooda, with India veteran Ravindra Jadeja also in the mix.
CSK’s pre-season moves indicate how the spin-friendly conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here could be a major factor in their game plan. Starting their season against an equally formidable opponent in Mumbai Indians, this strategy could well deliver the goods right from the beginning.
File pic: Chennai Super Kings’s Mustafizur Rahman with teammates celebrates the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru Captain Faf du Plessis during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, Friday, March 22, 2024.
For CSK, MS Dhoni will be the cynosure of all eyes once again, having remained with the team since the inception of the IPL in 2008.
On the other hand, the absence of India bowling spearhead Bumrah could be acutely felt in the MI ranks as the right-arm pacer remains on a comeback trail from a back-related issue which has kept him sidelined so far this year.
Bumrah is expected to miss the initial stages of this IPL and his absence will leave MI without their lethal weapon in the death overs, presenting the management with a headache to work with other options and strategies.
MI will also be without regular skipper Pandya for this clash as the India all-rounder serves a one-match ban for the team’s slow over-rate in their final league match last year.
But for a team which has no dearth of leadership options, MI will have India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav leading them in their tournament opener and important away clash.
CSK face a healthy selection conundrum for the opening slot with one among the two Kiwis, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, set to partner skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top.
The middle order is set to feature the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Hooda and Vijay Shankar, followed by Dhoni and Jadeja.
Among the favourable factors is CSK’s recent record of four wins in their last five matches over Mumbai Indians including three victories in last as many games.
Pandya’s appointment as MI skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma, heavily marred the five-time IPL winners’ campaign last season where they had finished at the bottom. The squad looks well settled now after the turmoils of last season.
Even though Ishan Kishan’s exit has left a void at the top, the explosive South African wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton can be expected to match Rohit’s firepower at the top, followed by India batting mainstays Suryakumar and Tilak Varma in the middle.
While MI will have to wait to field their desired fast bowling attack which comprises a mix of veterans in Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Reece Topley and Bumrah, the presence of Corbin Bosch makes things interesting as to how their think tank is able to use their resources optimally.
Former CSK frontman Mitchell Santner’s experience and knowledge of conditions at Chepauk is likely to come in handy along with Karn Sharma and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Sunday’s contest between CSK and MI could also give some impressions of how the ball-change rule in the second innings plays out.
Chennai Super Kings squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Vansh Bedi (wk), C Andre Siddharth, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana.
Mumbai Indians squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.
Match starts at 7:30PM IST.
Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Sudheer Babu on Thursday outlined the security arrangements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, stating that 3,000 police personnel have been deployed for duty.
Speaking about the security measures, he emphasized that a total of nine matches will be played at the stadium, which has a seating capacity of 39,000. He also highlighted the presence of ‘She Teams’ to ensure the safety of women and mentioned that Hyderabad Police has requested metro trains to run late so that spectators can use public transport after the matches.
“We have nine matches that will take place here…the stadium has a capacity of 39,000. Around 3000 Police officials have been deployed for duty…we also have ‘she teams’ for the women’s safety…we have requested the metro to run the trains late so the audience can use public transport to return after the match…” Sudheer Babu told ANI.
All matches at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium:
Sunrisers Hyderabad will begin their IPL 2025 campaign on March 23 against the Rajasthan Royals, marking the first double-header game of the season at their home ground.
The Sunrisers had an impressive run in IPL 2024, finishing as runners-up. They reached the final but were outplayed by eventual champions Kolkata Knight Riders in a one-sided contest. (ANI)
England all-rounder Sam Curran opened up on spending time with legendary Indian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) former skipper MS Dhoni, pointing to his stressfree, easy-to-talk persona, which has made him popular among people. Sam Curran was speaking to former England captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Cricket Podcast.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 13: Sam Curran of England celebrates after taking the wicket of Muhammad Rizwan of Pakistan during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final match between Pakistan and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Curran, who is now back in the CSK fold after a stint in 2020-21, said, “The other night I was batting with MS and Jadeja (Ravindra Jadeja) 11.30 in the evening, I was thinking, where in the world would you do this? The lights were on and we were just smacking balls everywhere. And I was thinking, but you have all the local players around the group and they just sit there and they just watch MS. It is just more the aura of the guy. He is so easy to chat with and I think his calmness, I guess the big moments he’s been involved in.”
“But he never seems to panic. I feel like the emotion on his face, he never really shows too much. And even in the hotel now, the guys always talk about, he leaves his room open, guys go and play FIFA with him, chat cricket and stuff like that. He obviously can’t leave the hotel much because he just gets absolutely mobbed,” he added.
CSK and MI, both five-time IPL champions, will kickstart their IPL campaign with the league’s ‘El Clasico’ match at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
Dhoni will play in the 2025 IPL season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), chasing his sixth title under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership. Last season, his team missed playoffs due to a poor net-run rate, finishing at the fifth spot.
Whether the upcoming IPL season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be the last for Dhoni is uncertain. But ever since he retired from international cricket in 2020, there have been speculations over when the legend will pull the curtains on a glorious IPL career.
CSK retained Dhoni as an uncapped player at Rs 4 crore ahead of the 2025 season. The IPL introduced a new rule ahead of last year’s auction, allowing franchises to retain players in the uncapped category if they have not played international cricket for five years.
KARNATAKA BENGALURU 18/05/2024 M S Dhoni during IPL 2024, T20 cricket match between RCB and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. Photo : K BHAGYA PRAKASH / THE HINDU
Since he retired from international cricket in 2020, Dhoni has only appeared in the IPL. In the 2024 season, he scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220 and an average of 53.66 after 11 innings, staying unbeaten eight times and fulfilling the role of a finisher for the five-time champions.
Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 5.243 runs in 264 matches and 229 innings at an average of 39.12, a strike rate of 137.53 and 24 fifties. His best score is 84*. Other than CSK, he also played for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG), a now-defunct franchise, from 2016-17. (ANI)
As star India batter Virat Kohli takes to the field for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign opener against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens, he will become the third Indian player to play 400 T20s or more.
After retiring from T20Is last year at the peak of his powers, with a T20 World Cup title and a match-winning knock in the final under his belt, Virat’s IPL season promises to be a lot more different but still very similar.
In 399 T20s, Virat has scored 12,886 runs in 382 innings at an average of 41.43, with nine centuries and 97 fifties. His best score is 122*.
After Dinesh Karthik (412 matches) and Rohit Sharma (448 matches), he will be the third player from India to play his 400th T20. He is the sixth-highest run-getter in T20s and India’s highest.
Despite retiring as the third-highest-run-getter in T20Is (4,188 runs in 125 matches), this IPL is going to be just as filled with scrutiny as the past editions.
His game against spin, strike rate, and shot selection will be watched, analysed, debated, criticised and lauded to the bits, as T20 keeps changing with explosive scoring rates and different rules.
The star batter would no doubt be looking to silence any potential criticism with the same fire that has made him one of the modern-day greats since his debut in 2008.Would there be more risks taken? Would there be some unorthodox shots in his arsenal? Only time will tell.
This season promises to be the same in another sense as the chase for the maiden title continues. In his 18th season, the man with the number 18 on his back would be aiming to deliver an all-time great performance and inspire his team as a senior and a leader to their first-ever IPL title, adding another accolade to his Hall of Fame-worthy career.8,004 runs in 252 matches, eight centuries and 55 half-centuries, and 973 runs in the 2016 season with four centuries; all these stunning statistics have not been enough for the IPL’s most accomplished batter to lift the trophy, highlighting the cruelty of team sport.
Things could be a little different for Virat. As competitive and fiery as he is, he would no doubt be looking to re-invent his game following his T20I retirement and perhaps play with a little more freedom, variety, and unorthodoxy.
JAIPUR, 06/04/2024.- Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Virat Kohli during the IPL T20 match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur on April 06, 2024. Photo : R V Moorthy / The Hindu
He could use all the noise about his striking and scoring abilities much more, given that he does not go through the rigours of playing in T20Is anymore and goes absolutely bonkers on the field.
Another difference is Virat’s opening partner. Having opened with the likes of Chris Gayle, Devdutt Padikkal, and Faf Du Plessis over the years, Virat will be accompanied by England’s hard-hitting batter, Phil Salt, who played a crucial role in KKR’s title run last season.
Salt seems to have already built a solid bond with Virat, a prerequisite for any batting pair before blasting it out on the field. In a video posted by the RCB franchise on their X, he said about his bonding with Virat, “He is chilled. He is quite similar to me, like being a competitor, like getting into a fight a little bit. Main conversations have been around music and other stuff. We get along very well.”
During his match against KKR, he will face two challenging spinners: red-hot Varun Chakravarthy and West Indies legend Sunil Narine. The game is set to be a battle of two completely different spin bowling attacks, with an experienced Narine and red-hot Varun on one side and seasoned all-rounder Krunal Pandya leading a part-time and inexperienced spin group of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and Suyash Sharma for RCB.
Ahead of the game in the pre-match presser, Varun, who took nine wickets in India’s title-winning ICC Champions Trophy campaign, was excited about a battle with Virat, saying, “Definitely excited to be coming up against Virat. Obviously, he has batted well against me, and I would like to do well against him also,” he added.
Virat has faced Varun in seven innings with a cautious approach, scoring 40 runs in 39 balls at a strike rate of just over 102. Varun has dismissed Virat once and has conceded two fours and a six against the Indian legend.
Against Narine, Virat has scored 162 runs in 157 balls in 20 innings, averaging 40.50 and striking at just over 103. Narine has dismissed Virat four times and has been on the receiving end of 12 fours and two sixes against the Indian star.
However, the 2024 IPL saw Virat taking the game on against spinners, even in middle overs, utilising the slog sweep against them.
In 13 innings, Virat scored 292 runs in 213 balls against spin, striking at a much-improved strike rate of 137.08, at an average of 58.50, being dismissed five times. He scored 17 boundaries and 15 sixes (out of his total 38) against spin.
This was a noticeable improvement in his spin game, having struck at just over 113 with 17 fours and four sixes in IPL 2023 and faring poorly in the 2022 season, with a strike rate of 108 and five sixes against spin. Will Virat become a little more adventurous against spin this time? (ANI)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conducted a Captains’, Coaches, and Managers’ meeting at its headquarters on Thursday, March 20, ahead of the 18th season of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL).
During the meeting, representatives from all 10 IPL teams provided feedback and opinions on various aspects of the playing conditions. Based on a common consensus, the following updates have been incorporated.
Effective from the IPL 2025 season, bowlers will be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. This decision follows consultations with all 10 teams and marks a return to traditional ball maintenance practices. The ban on the use of saliva, which was originally imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has now been lifted.
To address challenges posed by dew during evening matches, the team bowling second will now have the option to request a ball change once after the 10th over, as per an IPL press release.
The bowling captain can make this request, regardless of whether there is visible dew or not. Once the request is made, the umpires will mandatorily replace the ball with another one of similar wear and tear. The bowling team will not have the liberty to choose the replacement ball.
Additionally, the umpires retain the authority to change the ball at any time before the 10th over if it is deemed too wet, out of shape, lost, or damaged. If a captain requests a ball change in the 11th over due to it being out of shape, the umpires will evaluate the request and approve it if deemed necessary.
If a subsequent request is made after a few overs solely due to dew, the umpires will be required to replace the ball mandatorily as stated earlier.
Effective this season, a new Code of Conduct will be implemented from the IPL 2025 season, introducing a demerit points system and suspension points which will remain valid for 36 months.
The Decision Review System (DRS) has been expanded to include height-based no-ball reviews and wide-ball reviews outside the off-stump. The updated system will utilize Hawk-Eye technology and ball-tracking to assist umpires in making accurate and consistent decisions. (ANI)

Indian Premier League 2025 will start on March 22, where defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Ahead of the IPL, former Indian player Harbhajan Singh spoke about the rivalry between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh
“CSK vs MI is like India and Pakistan of IPL; their fans support them to the core. Many big players have played for both teams; CSK is one of the top teams in IPL, and if you beat them, your team will be in the headlines, and the same goes for Mumbai Indians. High pressure, high voltage game and full of fun.” JioStar expert Harbhajan Singh told the media.
He also praised Riyan Parag, who has been named Rajasthan Royals captain until Sanju Samson gains full fitness.
“Many young players come every season, score runs, and pick up wickets…My eyes are on Riyan Parag, he has been named Rajasthan Royals captain…We have seen what he can do and he has tremendous talent. I want to see him as a grown man who wins matches and tournaments. In bowlers I want to see all the young spinners who have been added in this edition, I want to see their mindset, “ he said.
MI and CSK have a strong fanbase. Fans have waited a whole year for MS Dhoni to return in the yellow jersey. The last time these two teams clashed, CSK got the better of MI. Chennai won the match by 20 runs, with Rohit Sharma scoring a century and Matheesha Pathirana taking four wickets and being awarded Player of the Game. MS Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls which came to be the exact margin of victory for CSK. (ANI)
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Indian spin veteran Piyush Chawla said that pressure will still be on star batter Virat Kohli despite his T20I retirement, hailing the 36-year-old legend as a player “full of energy”.
The ‘OG Derby’ which kickstarted the IPL back in its inaugural season in 2008 will once again kickstart the 18th season at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday. The spin bowling attacks of both teams will be in focus. While on one side is KKR’s in-form duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, backed by an experienced Moeen Ali and a young Anukul Roy, the RCB attack relies on the experience of Krunal, who has delivered fine performances in domestic cricket. Backing him will be all-rounders Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and a young spinner Suyash, who had his first taste of IPL with KKR back in 2023.
Piyush, a JioStar expert on IPL 2025, said that despite his retirement from T20I last year and him no longer being in the national T20I set-up, Virat will still be having “butterflies in his stomach”.
“He is somebody who has always delivered for his team. If you see the numbers, the number speaks for itself. And strike rate, we talk about so much. But his strike rate is always good 130 plus, 140. Because you need one player who wants to, you know, as a team management, you want him to hold the one end. And if somebody, like Virat doing the job for the team and that too at a strike rate of 130, that is really good. 130, 140 around. We talk so much without like, you know, thinking about that much about it,” Piyush told ANI.
Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Virat Kohli during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI05_18_2024_000357B)
“But for me, Virat Kohli, even when he will step onto the field, he will be more than, giving his more than 200 per cent. He is putting his body on the line. That is the kind of character Virat Kohli is. He is always full of energy. And he is ready to do something special for the team all the time. And as we talk about pressure, when you step onto the field, whether you are playing, you are retired from T20 cricket, you want to play for your reputation, for your name. So, Virat would not say that there is no pressure. There is always some pressure that butterflies in the stomach,” he added.
Speaking on his top four teams of the season, Piyush said that while he needs more time to think about the fourth, he named Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), both five-time champions and Punjab Kings (PBKS) as contenders for three playoff spots.
Piyush pointed out that Mumbai’s “balanced” squad, CSK finding ways to reach the knockouts and them having top spinners and PBKS “looking good on paper” makes these teams strong.
“I feel Mumbai Indians look really balanced on paper. And the players are in good form. If you talk about Rohit Sharma, you talk about Hardik Pandya, Tilak Verma has done some wonders. Then the bowling department looks really good. So, Mumbai Indians, one contender,” said Piyush.
“Chennai, they find some way, you know, just to make it to the top four. And looking at their team, they have made their team, looking at their home advantage with three top-quality spinners. And then, obviously, the batters are there to deliver for that. And then another one, this year, Punjab looks really good on paper. So, how they’re gonna shape up, how they’re gonna, you know, get along with that playing 11 combinations.
So, Punjab, is another one that looks really good. So, these are, as of now, for three. And for the other fourth one, you have to give me some time to think about it,” added Piyush.
Piyush, now watching this season as a broadcaster after 192 wickets in 192 matches, said that he is excited to experience the tournament in a new role and said that the tournament will not be an easy one for both batters and bowlers alike.
Speaking about if teams will touch the 300-run mark for the first time this year after the last season which saw eight 250-plus scores and the highest-ever IPL score of 287 by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Piyush said that it is about “one big knock” from someone.
“Bowlers also will come with different plans and different strategies, I feel. 300, it is not going to be that easy. But maybe in, out of so many games, in one, I think just maybe one, that also I doubt,” he added.
Speaking about Shreyas Iyer, who is captaining Punjab Kings (PBKS) after winning the IPL with KKR last year and has had a brilliant 2024 and 2025 so far in domestic and international cricket as a batter and leader, Piyush said that momentum would be important for Punjab and they would need a fine start.
“Shreyas himself has been in brilliant form in the last one odd year. Wherever he has played, he has performed. His numbers are exceptional. So, that will really boost his confidence as well as a player, as a captain. And he has built a good team. The management has built a good team for him to lead. So, I think they have a very strong chance of making it to the top four,” he concluded. (ANI)
A large contingent of police has been deployed for security during the 18th Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal.
The tournament will be held between March 23 and May 21 in Hyderabad.
To ensure a smooth, incident-free event, the Rachakonda police have implemented extensive security measures, said Commissioner G Sudheer Babu.
With nine matches scheduled, around 2,700 personnel have been deployed, police said, adding that 450 CCTV cameras are being installed across the stadium, including at vehicle checkpoints and parking areas, to monitor the venue and its surroundings.
For the safety of players and spectators, security arrangements involve multiple units, including the security wing, traffic police, law and order personnel, TSSP/Armed Reserve forces, two OCTOPUS (elite anti-terror force) teams, mounted police, and four fire tenders with firefighting squads, police said.
A Joint Command and Control Room has been set up to monitor CCTV footage and ensure quick response to any incidents, the release said.
Spectators will not be allowed to carry laptops, banners, water bottles, cameras, cigarettes, umbrellas, sharp metal or plastic objects, binoculars, or bags into the stadium. Outside food and beverages are also prohibited.
Additionally, a dedicated SHE Teams/Anti-Eve-Teasing unit has been established to prevent harassment, police said.

Legendary Indian cricketer and former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni unleashed a flurry of big hits in the nets ahead of his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI).
CSK and MI, both five-time IPL champions, will kickstart their IPL campaign with the league’s ‘El Clasico’ match at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
During his nets session, a snippet of which was posted on the official IPL X handle, Dhoni was seen unleashing some heavy hits that left the net bowlers in awe.
Dhoni will play in the 2025 IPL season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), chasing his sixth title under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership. Last season, his team missed on playoffs due to a poor net-run rate, finishing at fifth spot.
Whether the upcoming IPL season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be the last for Dhoni is uncertain. But ever since he retired from international cricket in 2020, there have been speculations over when the legend will pull the curtains on a glorious IPL career, in which he has captured five trophies as a captain.
CSK retained Dhoni as an uncapped player at Rs 4 crore ahead of the 2025 season. The IPL introduced a new rule ahead of last year’s auction, allowing franchises to retain players in the uncapped category if they have not played international cricket for five years.
Since he retired from international cricket in 2020, Dhoni has only appeared in the IPL. In the 2024 season, he scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220 and an average of 53.66 after 11 innings, staying unbeaten eight times and fulfilling the role of a finisher for the five-time champions.
Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 5.243 runs in 264 matches and 229 innings at an average of 39.12, a strike rate of 137.53 and 24 fifties. His best score is 84*. Other than CSK, he also played for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG), a now-defunct franchise, from 2016-17. (ANI)
Legendary South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has said that Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings “is the biggest rivalry” of IPL.
Boucher, a former Mumbai Indians coach, said many great players are playing in IPL who like to perform and take the game away from their opponents.
“Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings is the biggest rivalry of IPL. I am not taking any thing away from any franchise, any team on any day can rock it this is a lovely part of T-20 cricket. Many great players are playing in IPL who like to perform and take the game away from their opponents. But I think the biggest rivalry is MI vs CSK because of the titles they have won. And for RCB, they have to win 2-3 IPL titles, then they can be among the biggest rivals.” Mark Boucher, a Jio Star expert for IPL 2025, told the mediaHe was asked if Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians or Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru is the biggest rivalry of the IPL.
MI will take on CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (also known as Chepauk) on Sunday, March 23. Both teams have deep talent and boast of a significant fan following.
CSK Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad,(C), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.
MI squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Shrijith Krishnan, Raj Angad Bawa, Venkat Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Vignesh Puthhur, Suryakumar Yadav. (ANI)
Virat Kohli might have tweaked his batting approach a bit over the years, but former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has little doubt that the champion batter will have a “big impact” on the fortunes of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025.
Kohli has shown glimpses of his old form during the recent Champions Trophy, and will once again lead the RCB batting line-up from the opening slot.
The 36-year-old will walk out for RCB against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
“No doubt he’s going to have a big impact again as he has done in almost every season of this tournament. I know he’s extremely motivated with RCB to push for a title and I’m sure this season they’ll be there or thereabouts,” Williamson told media during an interaction on Friday.
Williamson, who went unsold in last year’s IPL auction, observed that Kohli’s changed approach to the game will not affect his batting or effectiveness.
“It’s quite interesting as players kind of go into different stages of their career, different phases. He’s obviously been on the scene for a number of years but his style perhaps adjusts a little bit.
“But the hunger remains and the passion remains and we’ve seen that in his performances recently as well,” he added.
BENGALURU KARNATAKA 04/05/2024 : RCB's Virat Kohli, plays a shot, during the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Gujarat Titans (GT), at M Chinnaswamy Stadium (KSCA), in Bengaluru on May 04, 2024. Photo MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
Williamson was tad sceptical about shining the ball using saliva to bring any noticeable changes in white ball cricket, but he hoped that it would give some breathing space to the bowlers.
“Over my time in white ball cricket it’s always been quite tough to shine the white ball. Whether it (saliva ban removal) has a large impact or not, I guess we’ll find out. I suppose any sort of help in shining might add some benefit.
“If it does swing then it really does bring the seam bowlers, the swing bowlers into the game a lot more. The fantastic pitches to bat on in general in the IPL, the boundaries are often on the smaller side.
“Having the ball swing a little bit more and if saliva can help that, I think will be great for the competition,” said Williamson, who is a JioStar expert.
After much deliberation, the BCCI has decided to retain the Impact Player rule for the IPL 2025, and Williamson said the all-rounders’ role might continue to be a little underwhelming.
Kane Williamson with Virat Kohli
“I mean, it does a little bit. The fact that you decide your team after the toss and therefore shape that Impact Player and how you want to approach the game really. I mean, you go in with five front-liners now and perhaps another sixth option.
“Most teams sometimes have even more than that. And then with the bat, most teams are batting to eight and even deeper. As we know in T20 cricket, the percentage of balls past seven that batsmen face are very, very low.
“So naturally that sort of tells you that the all-round option is perhaps still attractive but not quite as important as it has been in the past.” However, the Kiwi also saw the positive side of the rule.
“But then also there are some positives for sure that it’s changed the game. I saw some numbers recently that naturally run rates have all increased,” he said. (PTI)
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 set to captivate cricket fans worldwide, Cricket Predicta, India’s leading cricket analytics show, unveiled an exclusive data-driven analysis of the tournament’s evolution. Having meticulously broken down 1,097 matches and 252,383 balls, the study reveals key insights into how fitness, endurance, and data analytics have shaped the modern IPL.
At a curtain-raiser event of Cricket Predicta, Anil Chaudhary (Former International Umpire), Jwala Singh (mentor to Yashasvi Jaiswal), and Sarandeep Singh (Former India Cricketer and National Selector) dissected IPL’s impact on the game, as per a press release from Cricket Predicta.
The analysis highlighted that IPL success is not just about big hits but also endurance and fitness. The staggering numbers reveal:
Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary highlighted how IPL has redefined fitness. “Players today are not just focusing on power-hitting but on overall athleticism. Running between the wickets is a science, and players like Kohli, Rohit, and Dhoni have mastered it,” he said.
The data also revealed that:
Coach Jwala Singh praised Kohli’s consistency. “It is not just about talent; it is discipline. His ability to adapt, coupled with his fitness, sets him apart from others,” he said.
Sarandeep Singh lauded Dhoni’s finishing ability. “Dhoni is a master strategist. He understands when to accelerate when to take singles, and when to finish games in style,” he remarked.
Teams today rely on data analytics for scouting and strategy. Sarandeep Singh noted, “IPL franchises now use in-depth data to track player performance. It’s a key factor in identifying future stars and building winning teams.”
Jwala Singh emphasized IPL’s role in nurturing young talent. “Earlier, T20 cricket was seen as entertainment. Now, IPL is a gateway for young cricketers to make it big,” he said.
Summing up the IPL’s transformation, cricket scholar Sunil Yash Kalra stated, “IPL isn’t just a tournament; it’s a revolution. It has redefined scouting, fitness, and cricket strategy. The numbers prove that we are witnessing the rise of a new era.” (ANI)
A steady drizzle in the evening brought premature end to evening practice sessions of Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on the eve of their IPL 2025 opener at Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Practice began as scheduled at 5pm, but rain set in around 6pm, bringing the ground staff into action while the players had to pack up.
Fortunately, Eden Gardens is one of the few venues with full ground covers, ensuring the playing surface remained protected.
The Indian Meteorological Department’s New Alipore office has issued an “orange alert” for Friday and Saturday, warning of thundersqualls, gusty winds, lightning, hailstorms, and moderate rainfall across several districts, including Kolkata.
“Thundersqualls with gusty winds, lightning, hailstorms, and light to moderate rainfall are likely in Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Howrah on Friday,” the IMD stated.
For Saturday, the forecast includes thunderstorms with gusty winds, lightning, and moderate rainfall in Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Purba Bardhaman, and North and South 24 Parganas.
The match has a 7.30pm start, with the toss scheduled for 7pm.
A glittering opening ceremony featuring Shreya Ghoshal and Disha Patani among others is planned at 6pm, but it remains to be seen if the weather plays a spoilsport.
According to IPL regulations, the league-stage matches have a one-hour extension window, meaning the cut-off time for a five-over match is 10:56pm, with play needing to conclude by 12:06am.
Kolkata has already experienced rain disruptions in the lead-up to the season opener, with a KKR intra-squad practice match being washed out after just one innings.
Ahead of his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign opener, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy expressed excitement for a potential battle against star India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli.
The IPL 2025 will kickstart with a highly-anticipated contest between defending champions KKR and RCB at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the match that started it all 17 years back. One of the most important mini-battles in the game will be between a red-hot Varun against Virat, who will be aiming to go all out guns blazing against spin, having retired last year from T20Is with a T20 World Cup and a match-winning knock in the final.
File photo of Varun Chakravarthy
Speaking ahead of the game in the pre-match presser, Varun said, “Definitely excited to be coming up against Virat. Obviously, he has batted well against me, and I would like to do well against him also,” he added.
Virat has faced Varun in seven innings with a cautious approach, scoring 40 runs in 39 balls at a strike rate of just over 102. Varun has dismissed Virat once and has conceded two fours and a six against the Indian legend.
Fresh from his impressive performance in the ICC Champions Trophy – where he took nine wickets in three matches – Chakaravarthy acknowledged the different challenges that the IPL presents compared to international cricket.
“Confidence is very important, but as in every new tournament, even if you win the last tournament, you have to start from scratch. IPL is a different ball game and it’s a different beast. I very well know what is coming my way,” said the spinner.
The spinner, known for his variations, has been working on adding new deliveries to his arsenal. “Whenever I play domestic cricket, I try to work on a new delivery,” he revealed while keeping his cards close to his chest about what fans might see this season.
The spinner also spoke highly of his teammate Sunil Narine, saying, “He is a legend of the game, one of the greats. We had a few conversations this year, and he looks very well-prepared. He looks to take on the IPL just like how he did last year.”
When asked about how he maintains his mystery despite advances in technology and video analysis, Chakaravarthy offered a thoughtful insight into his approach. “The ball can deviate only in three ways – it can go left, right, or straight. It just depends on how I’m going to choose the sequencing, if I’m going to go off-spin right now or leg-spin right now. That’s where the tactical side of the game comes in, and that’s where I’m trying to improve.”
Despite being defending champions, Chakaravarthy emphasized the need to approach each game with a fresh mindset. “If you saw, we had the biggest victory and the biggest loss. This shows that every match is different. As experts say, you have to take it as a new tournament and start from scratch.”
KKR have strengthened their squad with several international stars ahead of this season. Sharing his thoughts on his new teammates, he said, “We will look to defend the title this year. We have a great squad with great batters like Quinton de Kock, and top bowlers like Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell. This international core will be important,” Chakaravarthy concluded. (ANI)
Ahead of his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Andy Flower opened up on the team’s spin bowling attack, calling Krunal Pandya a “streetwise operator” and adding that it does not expect a young Suyash Sharma to be “Shane Warne” as he starts his career.
The ‘OG Derby’ which kickstarted the IPL back in its inaugural season in 2008 will once again kickstart the 18th season at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday. The spin bowling attacks of both teams will be in focus. While on one side is KKR’s in-form duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, backed by an experienced Moeen Ali and a young Anukul Roy, the RCB attack relies on the experience of Krunal, who has delivered fine performances in domestic cricket. Backing him will be all-rounders Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and a young spinner Suyash, who had his first taste of IPL with KKR back in 2023.
Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser as quoted by an RCB press release, Andy said, “Krunal was a significant part of our targeted players in the auction, and it’s great to have him on board. He is a smart and courageous cricketer and again he’s got leadership experience as well. He’s a streetwise operator and he is got class as a left-arm spinner, let alone as an all-rounder. That is comforting to have him in our group and leading the way in the spin department.”
Flower further highlighted the variety within the spin attack “Then we have got, on the wrist-spin front, Suyash, who is a very exciting young prospect with limited experience but a really high ceiling. We’re hoping for great things from him, but we are also not expecting him to be Shane Warne from the beginning. We have got to be patient and let him learn from his experiences, and it is good that he has got these experienced cricketers around him and a captain that he will be comfortable working with. To back them up, Swapnil Singh was good for us last year, and Liam Livingstone does a bit of everything.”
Flower also backed captain Rajat Patidar, the newly-appointed skipper with captaincy experience for Madhya Pradesh, saying that he is excited about the challenge.
“We were conscious of building an experienced side in our recruitment, and in saying that, they will be able to give a lot of support to Rajat. I think he is really excited about this challenge, and we are right behind him,” he said in RCB press release.
Speaking on playing KKR, who dominated the last season with a high-scoring and attacking brand of cricket, Flower said that this is a new season and squads are new as well after a mega auction last year.
“We have had a great preparation period. We like the look of our squad. We are pretty much ready,” he added.
Speaking on facing challenges from Varun and Narine, Flower said that such challenges are a reason why players play at such a high level, to test themselves against the world’s best.
“That is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of playing international cricket or IPL cricket, which the standard is very much like international cricket and all the excitement and energy that comes with playing top-class cricket in India comes with that as well”, he remarked.
On starting the season with two away games against KKR and five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before a return to Bengaluru on April 2 against Gujarat Titans, Flower said that it is a great challenge for the team to try having fine away games right from the start.
Flower also weighed in on the broader trend of higher scores in the IPL, attributing it to the evolving physicality and approach of modern batters. “A lot of the batters are becoming bigger and stronger and are starting to recognise the importance of it. But there is still a place in the game for players like Virat Kohli as well. Obviously, he is a super fit, strong young man as well. There is still space for high-quality, highly intelligent cricketers like that as well.”
Expanding on this shift, he added, “But there is a shift towards power. There is no doubt about that and we saw that in the scores. But you see just that in the selection of our batting unit, you will see the emphasis on power with just a couple of exceptions. And I think that is the way the game is going.” he signed off. (ANI)
Rajat Patidar might have been a surprise choice to lead star-studded Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but head coach Andy Flower on Friday said the whole team is “right behind” the skipper and the presence of experienced players such as Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be a boon for him.
Flower said Patidar is really excited about leading the side that has some top of the line stars like Kohli, Bhuvneshwar, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt and Krunal Pandya.
“We were conscious of that in our recruitment and they will be able to give a lot of support to Rajat. I think he is really excited about his challenge. And it’s a brilliant challenge for him. We’re right behind him,” he said. (PTI)
Virat Kohli has the skill to score runs at a much better strike-rate like any young T20 star but RCB’s team composition is such that he needs to adopt a risk-free approach and aim for a high scoring season, says former Australia skipper Aaron Finch.
Finch, who led Australia to T20 World Cup victory in UAE back in 2021, feels that high-risk cricket, which someone like Rohit Sharma is playing consistently, has its own pitfalls with regards to consistency.
After some underwhelming seasons, Kohli managed a strike-rate of near 140 in 2023 and his best in all IPL seasons came in 2024 where he scored 741 runs at 154.70.
But Finch, an accomplished opener back in the day, put things in perspective about quality of players in that Mumbai Indians line-up, who can pick up pieces and play with same momentum if things go adrift. (PTI)
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Former Mumbai Indians coach Mark Boucher feels the torrid time endured by Hardik Pandya in the last IPL season added to his already tough character and the “battle-hardened” all-rounder will be at his best in the upcoming edition.
It was a turbulent last season for Pandya after he replaced Rohit Sharma as MI skipper. The decision didn’t go well with MI fans and they booed the all-rounder at the Wankhede Stadium at every opportunity. The results also didn’t go in his favour as MI finished last in the points table.
But things have changed since then and Pandya is expected to get the support of the fans after playing a vital role in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs.
“He is a battle-hardened cricketer. He has been through tough times, injuries, form, many things but he overcame everything and achieved success. The greats of the cricket have to be tough and he has shown that,” Boucher said. (PTI)
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has been a key player for the Indian team as well as the Kolkata Knight Riders side, believes that consistency is the key to success and he’s working on adding new variations to his craft.
From battling fitness challenges to becoming a key figure in India’s recent Champions Trophy triumph where he took nine wickets, the architect-turned-cricketer has had a remarkable journey.
Chakravarthy formed a deadly spin quartet with Kuldeep Yadav (seven wickets), Ravindra Jadeja (five), and Axar Patel (five) to form a web around the opposition during the Champions Trophy.
“The main thing is working on consistency, which is the toughest thing to master and I am putting in constant work in order to achieve that,” the 33-year-old stated in a release.
“And of course, I am working on a few other deliveries which I’m hoping will come off nicely in the upcoming games.” Reigning champions KKR will kick off their IPL campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens here on Saturday.
One of the most anticipated match-ups of the season will be Chakravarthy’s face-off with RCB’s star batter Virat Kohli.
However, he downplayed any special rivalry with the Bengaluru-based franchise.
“Nothing in specific, just the situation of those matches which helped me pick wickets. In all those games the conditions and the situations were completely favourable towards us so I was able to extract the best possible result,” he said.
Former Mumbai Indians coach Mark Boucher feels the torrid time endured by Hardik Pandya in the last IPL season added to his already tough character and the “battle-hardened” all-rounder will be at his best in the upcoming edition.
It was a turbulent last season for Pandya after he replaced Rohit Sharma as MI skipper. The decision didn’t go well with MI fans and they booed the all-rounder at the Wankhede Stadium at every opportunity. The results also didn’t go in his favour as MI finished last in the points table.
But things have changed since then and Pandya is expected to get the support of the fans after playing a vital role in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs.
“It was really tough for him (Pandya) last season. He was being booed by the crowd every time he took the field, he deserves better, he deserves 100 per cent respect,” said Boucher, a JioStar expert for the league starting on Saturday.
“A cricketers never wants such a thing to happen with him. But he is a tough character,” he added.
The former South Africa wicket-keeping star was at the helm in MI when Pandya took over from Rohit and had first-hand access to the all-rounder as he dealt with the public backlash. – PTI
Exciting IPL season ahead with rule changes, new captains, and star players aiming to make an impact.
Ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League 2025, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Sam Curran said that he will be showcasing his capabilities in this edition in order to make an international comeback for England, as per the ICC.
Curran hasn’t played for England since he featured in a white-ball series against the West Indies in November last year and was recently overlooked for the side’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign that saw skipper Jos Buttler resign as captain following a winless three games in Pakistan.
While Curran is predominantly considered a T20I specialist and was adjudged Player of the Tournament during England’s successful run in Australia in 2022 that saw them claim the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title, the 26-year-old has also played 24 Tests and 35 ODIs for his country since debuting back in 2018.
With Kiwi Brendon McCullum taking over as England coach in all formats from the start of this year and a new white-ball captain set to be announced shortly following the resignation of Buttler, Curran sees plenty of opportunity in front of him in the coming months as the side get set to host the West Indies, India and South Africa at home this summer.
But a two-month stint in the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings is first on the agenda for Curran, with the all-rounder to team up with another Kiwi coach in Stephen Fleming as the side attempts to improve on their fifth-placed finish in the most recent edition of the tournament last year.
Speaking at the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Curran believed some good performances in Chennai will catch the eye of McCullum and help him earn a recall to international cricket.
“My main aim is probably just to get back into the (England white-ball) side. With England, I guess I’ve never really found that perfect role. In the Champions Trophy and the series in India (at the start of 2025), there was no hiding that they stacked the batting in terms of playing a lot of batters and those extra quicks.,” the all-rounder said, as quoted by the ICC official website.
“I feel like if I get my role right with England, I’ll get back into it, who knows what will happen now. The cliche of (needing) runs and wickets is no debate; I’ve got to keep doing that. I feel in a really good space. I was obviously gutted when it happened, but I’m still pretty young and feel like I have matured when it comes to handling the bad stuff. Being a bit more experienced and reading situations better, I really hope I can get back into the team. There is only one way (to do that), hopefully, I can have a really good IPL and see where we are in the summer,” the 26-year-old added.
Curran will also get the chance to further his leadership credentials this summer as he will captain County side Surrey during their T20 campaign in England’s domestic Vitality Blast competition.
It could help push Curran’s name to the front of the queue when England sits down to appoint a new T20I captain in the coming months, with McCullum recently suggesting he would consider appointing separate ODI and T20I skippers going forward.
“If it’s the same person, great; if it’s two, that’s great too. Give me a couple of weeks to work it out and get this thing back on track,” McCullum said of Buttler’s potential replacement as captain after England’s disappointing Champions Trophy campaign.
While Curran is yet to work alongside McCullum, he is looking forward to the chance to prove himself in the coming months should the opportunity arise.
“Baz (McCullum) called me at the start when I did get left out, was clear and honest, and I respected that. I’ve never worked under him, but he seems very honest and clear about (what he wants). He said I won’t be there right now, but that didn’t mean the door was shut. It’s about going away, doing really well and performing,” Curran noted.
“He was very honest in terms of what the balance of the side was and how I could have been in had they done it differently. I respect that more than the classic ‘you’re just a little bit unlucky to miss out’. Sometimes, as a player, those ones that are a bit more brutal can be really good because you want to go and prove them wrong. Fingers crossed, come June, I’ll be back in the squads and performing,” Curran added. (ANI)
Jwala Singh, the formative coach of Yashasvi Jaiswal, believes the IPL season will be key to the opener’s bid to reclaim a spot in India’s squad for next year’s T20 World Cup.
The 23-year-old Jaiswal has impressed in Tests but faces stiff competition in the T20I setup, with openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in solid form for the national team.
The T20 showpiece will be co-hosted by defending champions India and Sri Lanka from February to March in 2026.
“He has played a lot of T20s for India, with many fifties at a good strike rate, but in the last 2-3 series, he was rested, I can say that.
“But yes, I believe this year’s IPL will give him that opportunity (for the T20 World Cup) because there will be a lot of matches and high-pressure games,” Singh told PTI Videos on Friday.
Jaiswal has so far scored 723 runs in 23 T20Is.
Singh emphasized on IPL’s role as a platform for players to make a mark.
“If you see Indian cricket, IPL is the platform from where we get the season’s big hits because all IPL performances are taken into account, and you get noticed,” he said.
“So yes, I think this is an opportunity because he got selected based on his IPL performance in 2023. So I think this is a fresh start, and if he performs well, scores some runs, that will really help him to get back in the team.” The 18th edition of the IPL is beginning on Saturday.
Jaiswal, however, will be without his former Rajasthan Royals opening partner, England’s Jos Buttler, who has joined Gujarat Titans.
Singh acknowledged that Jaiswal will miss Buttler’s presence but is confident the young opener will adapt.
“I think he will definitely miss Buttler because he used to always call him ‘Jos bhai’ to me on call or whenever he spoke about him,” he said.
“So yes, when you have played cricket with someone for quite some time in a team as an opener, it will take a little bit of time to get adjusted.” Singh, who has mentored Jaiswal, urged the opener not to lose sight of the bigger picture.
“But I think it is always more important to move on and get the right combination because the target is to win matches for your team, hence you are in the team, so these things are always a little uncomfortable at first,” he said.
“But Rajasthan have a good squad, and they have already had a lot of preparation games. I hope they have got the right opening combination with Yashasvi as well.” Singh also expressed confidence in Jaiswal’s ability to end the IPL season as the highest run-scorer.
“I am more than proud of him. The dream which I was chasing as a cricketer, I could not achieve, and my student is doing that. He is more than a student to me,” he said.
“I always say that the journey is not just to play for India but to become the next legend, which I am hoping for.
“So, I expect to see him finishing as nothing more than the highest run-getter of the league. He just needs to take to the field with the mindset of being the best.” (PTI)
After the Kolkata Police requested the Cricket Association of Bengal to reschedule the IPL game scheduled for April 6 at the Eden Gardens on account of Ram Navmi, President of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Snehasish Ganguly said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have not confirmed yet whether the match will be rescheduled or shifted to a new venue.
President of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Snehasish Ganguly said that for the match on April 6 on Ram Navami, Kolkata Police has clearly said that they will not be able to provide security.
“They (Kolkata Police) have requested us to reschedule the match. We have requested BCCI but they have not replied whether the match will be rescheduled or shifted to a new location… Kolkata Police has requested the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) to reschedule the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Eden Gardens on April 6, citing heavy security deployment across the city for Ram Navami,” Ganguly told ANI.
Meeraj Khalid, Kolkata Police’s Joint CP (HQ), said that they have written to CAB to reschedule the match. “We have requested to reschedule the match, but we have not received any response from them,” he said.
Eden Gardens will mark both the commencement and the conclusion of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League 2025 by hosting the tournament opener between defending Champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 and the final on May 25.at the Eden Gardens, the home ground of KKR, will also play host to Qualifier 2 on May 23. Notably, this is the first time in almost a decade that the IPL will conclude at the iconic Eden Gardens, having done so previously in 2013 and 2015.
The other two playoff matches, Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator, will be played in Hyderabad, home of 2024 runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad, on May 20 and May 21, respectively.
IPL 2025 will consist of 74 matches spread over 65 days, including 12 double-headers. (ANI)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will begin their title defence in IPL 2025 with a highly anticipated clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the ‘OG Derby,’ which also kicked off the tournament in its inaugural edition in 2008.
KKR IPL 2025 squad: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Mayank Markande, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakaravarthy.
RCB IPL 2025 Squad: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee. (ANI)
The Indian Premier League (IPL-2025) has sanctioned the use of Hawk-Eye technology to assess wides outside the off-stump and above the batter’s head, eliminating subjectivity in umpiring decisions, with the ruling being conveyed to all ten captains during a pre-season meeting in Mumbai on Thursday ahead of the tournament’s commencement on March 22, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
The same technology that was used to assess over-the-waist no-balls in IPL 2024 will now be implemented for over-the-head wides. The ball-tracking technology, which includes Hawk-Eye, will evaluate the ball’s height as it crosses the batter at the popping crease and compare it to the batter’s toe-to-head height in an upright stance.
Each player’s head height will be recorded in the database. The subjective factor in determining wides will be eliminated this season, as the IPL has decided that the wide guideline–typically in blue–will shift along with the batter. The Hawk-Eye system will automatically measure both the extent of the batter’s movement and the corresponding shift in the guideline.
Mumbai Indians (MI) players and staff arrived at Chennai airport for their first IPL match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Surya Kumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Deepak Chahar, Mahela Jayawardene, and others were seen at the Chennai International Airport on Thursday ahead of their clash against the Chennai Super Kings.
The two teams share a long-standing rivalry and have a strong fanbase.
Mumbai Indians are five-time titleholders and have been among the most accomplished teams in the tournament’s past. CSK also has strong credentials.
Fans have waited a whole year for MS Dhoni to return in the yellow jersey. The last time these two teams clashed, CSK got the better of MI. Chennai won the match by 20 runs, with Rohit Sharma scoring a century and Matheesha Pathirana taking four wickets and being awarded Player of the Game. MS Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls, proving to be the exact margin of victory for CSK.
CSK Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad,(C), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.
MI squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Shrijith Krishnan, Raj Angad Bawa, Venkat Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Vignesh Puthhur, Suryakumar Yadav. (ANI)
Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan has said that BCCI removing the ban on the use of saliva for IPL will help bowlers but it remains to be seen who will take advantage of it.
Bowlers will be allowed to use saliva on the ball in IPL 2025. The decision was made by IPL following a meeting on Thursday at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, where most of the franchise captains expressed support for the change to the decision-makers of the tournament, as per a report by ESPNcricinfo.
“I don’t know what impact it is going to put, but by using saliva, the ball’s weight will change, and in the slog overs, it will reverse and eventually create difficulty for the batters. Now it is to be seen which bowler can take advantage of this.” Atul Wassan told ANI.
Meanwhile, the much-debated Impact Player rule, introduced in IPL 2023, will continue to be a part of the tournament. The rule allows teams to substitute one player during a match, adding a strategic element to the game.
ICC umpire Anil Chaudhary said earlier there was super subs.
“It is a different angle of the game. Earlier, we had super subs, and now we have impact players. This is what people like in the game, and there is a committee to decide on this,” Anil Chaudhary told ANI.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s coach Jwala Singh also spoke about the impact player rule. He said it gives options.
“Impact players is an option you get in whichever department you fail. You can add bowlers and batters, so in short, you are playing with 12 players. If opening batter is out, you can get any batter on the team as an impact player. This benefits the team but it is important when to use it. It is a rule in IPL as they want to entertain people. At the end of the day, everything has advantages and disadvantages. According to me, the 12th man is playing, that’s all.” Jwala Singh told ANI.
Fast bowlers feel that using saliva will also help add to their craft in the Test matches. (ANI)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made some significant changes in rules for IPL 2025, which begins on March 22.
BCCI has introduced rule changes in IPL 2025, including the lifting of the saliva ban, the continuation of the Impact Player rule and slow over rate ban cannot be imposed on Captains anymore, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal to ANI.
The removal of the saliva ban, introduced as a COVID-19 precautionary measure, is a major move.
The rule against using saliva was introduced in May 2020 as a temporary measure, but the ICC made it permanent in September 2022.
Several fast bowlers have opined that the ban impedes their effectiveness by not allowing reverse swing, which has become uncommon in white-ball cricket, including ODIs, where two new balls are utilized.
Bowlers were only allowed to use sweat to shine the bowl. From time to time, bowlers have raised their voices to revise the saliva ban.
Captains will no longer face a ban for slow over rates.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya had received a one-match ban after the team’s last encounter in IPL 2024 against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for maintaining a slow over-rate.
The much-debated Impact Player rule, introduced in IPL 2023, will continue to be a part of the tournament. The rule allows teams to substitute one player during a match, adding a strategic element to the game.
These changes are expected to have a significant impact on team strategies and gameplay in the IPL. (ANI)
IPL 2025 presents a lucrative opportunity for social media advertising, with revenue expected to reach ₹6,000-₹7,000 crore.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the return of the IPL Fan Parks for the 2025 season, expanding the premier cricket viewing experience to 50 cities across 23 states and one union territory, according to an IPL media advisory.The 2025 edition of the IPL Fan Parks will span 10 weekends, starting on March 22 and concluding on May 25. From Tinsukia (Assam) in the northeast to Kochi (Kerala) in the south and from Amritsar (Punjab) in the north to Goa in the west, the Fan Parks will cover the length and breadth of India.
Since their inception in 2015, the IPL Fan Parks have been complete with live match screenings, music, entertainment, food courts, a kids’ play zone, and exciting activations, including a virtual batting zone, bowling through nets, face-painting zones, replica dugouts, a cheer-o-meter, and 360° photo booths. They have aimed to engage fans and bring the thrill of the IPL to every corner of the country.
The first Fan Parks of the season will kick off in Rohtak (Haryana), Bikaner (Rajasthan), Gangtok (Sikkim), Kochi (Kerala), and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). Each weekend multiple Fan Parks will be held simultaneously across different states, ensuring maximum fan engagement. This will be the first time IPL Fan Parks are held in Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), Dimapur (Nagaland), Karaikal (Puducherry), Manbhum, Purulia (West Bengal), Rohtak and Tinsukia.
Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of IPL, said, “The IPL Fan Parks are a crucial part of our vision to bring the tournament closer to fans across India. By hosting these events in multiple cities and towns, we aim to recreate the electrifying stadium atmosphere and allow fans to celebrate the IPL together. This initiative strengthens our bond with cricket enthusiasts nationwide, ensuring they experience the excitement and passion of the sport in a lively and vibrant setting,” as quoted from IPL media advisory.
Devajit Saikia, Honorary Secretary, BCCI, said, “The IPL Fan Parks highlight our commitment to engaging fans beyond the stadiums. Since its launch in 2015, this initiative has brought the thrill of the IPL to millions of fans, creating unforgettable experiences. With the 2025 schedule covering 50 cities, we are excited to take the IPL experience to even more fans, ensuring that the spirit of cricket and the magic of IPL reaches every corner of the country.” (ANI)
IPL franchises optimistic about sponsorship revenue growth despite economic challenges, focusing on renewals and new partnerships for upcoming season.
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani targets small businesses and unconventional neuroscience studies to boost IPL revenues post-Disney merger.
JioStar partners with Nielsen to offer ad measurement tools for IPL 2025, enhancing transparency and campaign performance.
Fans of IPL will now pay for JioHotstar, but Jio and Airtel users get free access. Impact on advertisers discussed.
IPL 2025 ad rates rise due to JioStar merger, with TV ad prices up 9-15% and Smart TV up 23-38%.
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