Thushara pulled his lawsuit. Colombo court saw the withdrawal papers. He wrote an apology to SLC. No NOC came for RCB's IPL stint—tournament's mostly done anyway.

Boards hold the cards (always have, really). Players test legal waters, but NOCs decide paydays. Thushara, 31, waited out the denial on fitness calls. RCB hasn't named a replacement pacer yet. His economy dipped above eight overseas before this mess—data that sank the bid.

Admin crushes challenges like this. Fringe quicks chase IPL cash, boards cite 'national duty'. Apology ends it quick. RCB moves on without him.

Zimbabwe's women head to Pakistan for the very first time. Their six-match white-ball series starts May 3—three ODIs under the ICC Women's Championship—then three T20Is from May 12. Every match unfolds at National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan's sticky humidity awaits in Karachi. That sets things up nicely for the T20 World Cup down the line. First bilateral tour between the women's sides. They're building some real momentum before the big global event.

Zimbabwe wants to etch their name in the history books. Expect a proper scrap out there. Landmark trip.

Heinrich Klaasen, Sunrisers Hyderabad's big-hitting keeper, isn't coming back to international cricket for South Africa—no matter how he's smashing it in IPL 2026. Post-retirement, he's all in on franchise stuff now. Those recent knocks? 145 runs at 147.95 strike rate, including two fifties.

Eye gym training keeps him sharp, he says. And he's right behind SRH's setup with Ishan Kishan standing in as captain.

Rajasthan Royals pulled off a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Chasing 202. They got there in 18 overs flat, all down to fireworks from 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel—Suryavanshi with 78 off 26 balls, capping it with a 15-ball fifty, his second joint third-fastest in IPL history. Kid now leads IPL 2026 scoring, 200 runs in four innings at 266.66 strike rate.

Jurel unbeaten on 81 off 43. Ice-cool maturity all the way. Ambati Rayudu called him a complete batsman with top technique and temperament. Aaron Finch picked up on his awareness against pace and spin. At No. 3 this season, he's piled up 176 runs. RR bowlers laid the groundwork—Jofra Archer 3/33-2, Ravi Bishnoi 4/32-2, Ravindra Jadeja 2/14-1. RCB's Rajat Patidar managed 63 off 40. Kohli's 32 off 16 fell short, even after their 43-run win over CSK.

Came right after RR's 27-run triumph over MI in a rain-cut game. Suryavanshi and Jurel. Young guns carrying RR's charge.

Rashid Khan's backing out of Afghanistan's one-off Test against India in June 2026. Back troubles linger after surgery, and the docs say hold off—get fit for that 2027 ODI World Cup instead. He's eyeing just one Test a year from here, chasing white-ball cricket and a longer career.

Fresh off IPL standout stuff—think 3/17 against DC—thanks to his comeback and skipping Tests. That sparked GT's tight victory.

BCCI's dropping some strict new rules for IPL 2026. No practice sessions for teams on match days. Benched players? They're restricted from the field and banned from sitting in front of those LED boards. Bus travel's mandatory for everyone.

Stuff like sleeveless jerseys at presentations will cost you. Penalties hit hard. All this to smooth out operations. Cut the disruptions. League runs cleaner.

Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab Kings opener with eight IPL seasons under his belt, couldn't praise the Impact Player rule enough. It's let young batters like him go after it without a care, grabbing way more shots at the big time. Attack freely. Shine aggressively.

Team backing's key too—Shreyas Iyer's been right there for him. Still, Prabhsimran knows consistency's what'll get him that India cap. He needs to deliver more. PBKS picked up steam off the rain-washed no-result against KKR anyway. Xavier Bartlett swung it early, snaring 2 wickets. KKR slumped to 25/2.

Peshawar Zalmi demolished Lahore Qalandars by 76 runs. They're still unbeaten in PSL 2026. Kusal Mendis cracked 74 off 48 balls, linking with Babar Azam for a 109-run partnership that decided everything. Zalmi reached 173/7. Qalandars? They crumpled to 97 chasing it.

Once that platform sat there, Zalmi's bowlers tore in. Michael Bracewell snared 3/18. Sufiyan Muqeem and Nahid Rana landed the knockout blows. Puts Zalmi top of the points table now—after that 159-run hammering of Karachi Kings earlier, where Mendis made 109 off 52.

Kusal's on a tear in Pakistan. Any whispers from his mid-season IPL exit over security? Gone.

Sarfaraz Khan's selection for India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka adds another name to Chennai Super Kings' list of players who revived their international careers after playing for the franchise. He replaces Sai Sudharsan, who was ruled out with a toe injury, for the first Test in Galle beginning August 15. Sarfaraz scored 161 runs in 10 innings for CSK in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 169.47. His opportunities were limited, but the manner of his scoring, including a 25-ball fifty against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, impressed selectors. He had not played for India since the Mumbai Test against New Zealand in November 2024. Previous CSK players who returned to the India side after strong IPL seasons include Suresh Raina in 2008, Ashish Nehra in 2015 and Ambati Rayudu in 2018.

Dewald Brevis can't wait to swing back into action for Chennai Super Kings. Out for three games with injury, the Rs 2.20cr middle-order beast packs elite six-hitting punch. CSK's winless in IPL 2026 so far. That aggressive approach of his? Might just fix their batting headaches at a flat Chepauk.

Stephen Fleming can't stop praising Brevis' skill, his consistency. After folding to 207 chasing RCB's 250/3—a 43-run loss—CSK host DC next. Brevis eyes an April 11 return from side strain. Chasing some momentum.

Fleming brushed off any credit for himself. Players deserve it. Dhoni too. Rough start, sure. Brevis might light the fuse, change the mindset. Get CSK moving.