Rashid Khan has admitted he made a critical error by returning to IPL cricket too soon after back surgery. Two months post-operation, he felt ready. He wasn't.

IPL 2025 exposed the cost. Nine wickets across 15 matches. His form flatlined. By 2026, with proper recovery behind him, he took 15 wickets in 11 games—including 4 for 33 against Rajasthan Royals.

The IPL schedule didn't help. Seventy-four matches compressed into seven weeks leaves no space for genuine rehabilitation. Rashid knew surgeons recommend three to six months after such procedures. He gave himself two. Back spasms lingered through the season. Gujarat Titans paid the price, losing momentum mid-year when their lead spinner wasn't fully fit.

His public acknowledgment points to a wider tension in cricket: players chase immediate opportunity—paydays, squad selection, team needs—while bodies demand time. Peak performance rarely survives that trade-off.

Mitchell Starc wants to play Australia's 2027 ODI World Cup — he's retired from T20 internationals but confirmed his body holds up if he manages the injuries right, and he still loves pulling on the baggy green. He's Australia's third-highest wicket-taker overall, per Reuters.

That means picking his spots: big 50-over events over T20 leagues. He turned out for DC recently while the team shuffled others like David Miller to the bench. Australia didn't drag IPL players like Starc back for those overlapping Pakistan ODIs either — franchises came first.

DC sit seventh after a mixed bag, but Starc's IPL form feeds straight into his plans for the World Cup. It's the same old story for Aussie quicks stretching their legs for ICC prizes.

The BCCI has warned IPL players and their families against posting content from venues and team travel. The crackdown targets footage that could expose tactical information, lineups, and middle-order plans to rival teams.

Franchises cited security vulnerabilities as the core concern. Posts revealing ground layouts, team movements, or practice sessions create openings for intelligence gathering—particularly in an era when spot-fixing risks remain live. Boards now restrict what players can film and share, tightening control over the narrative around team operations.

Players who post face sanctions. The rule applies equally to families using social media. Broadcasters must also submit content for approval before publishing, ensuring no unvetted material reaches the public.

BCCI bans filming at IPL venues. Players, officials, families included. Reason: anti-corruption fears from 'reel culture'. An ex-player shoots YouTube near dugouts. Now legal action looms.

Arshdeep Singh got told to stop. Board wants narrative control. Security risks too. Players lose agency. Social media shaped careers. Now paranoia reshapes it. Old school wins over new.

Game went soft on phones. Pros used clips for brands. BCCI sees threats. Dugout views leak tactics. Ex-player crossed line. Court sets example. Player voice fades. Culture shifts hard. Agency shrinks in spotlight. Rules tighten grip.

The BCCI has tightened restrictions on social media content at IPL venues ahead of the 2026 season. Players posting from dugouts, families filming celebrations, and influencers in restricted zones now risk corruption charges. The board views each phone as a potential leak point in an ecosystem where a single viral clip—a gesture, a bench signal—can reach fixers within hours.

For IPL 2026, enforcement measures include reprimands for commentary personnel capturing unauthorized footage, surprise checks at team hotels and airports, and removal of posts that breach designated zones. The move draws on data from past probes: 70% of actionable intelligence came from public visuals. The 2013 spot-fixing bans demonstrated how reels amplify reach—millions see content in hours, not days.

The tension is structural. IPL generates $1 billion annually from broadcast deals and fan-generated content. That same visibility creates openings: a dressing-room reel, a pitch-side stunt by an influencer. Social media shifted from marketing asset to operational liability. Teams now choose between unfiltered moments and reduced exposure. As playoffs approach and stakes climb, fewer candid shots will escape the ground.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets on the last ball to chase 167 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The victory eliminated Mumbai Indians from IPL 2026 playoff contention and moved RCB to the top of the points table. Krunal Pandya scored an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls with four fours and five sixes to steer the chase from 39 for three. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took four wickets for 23 runs and hit the winning six in the final over.

Mumbai Indians posted 166 for seven after RCB captain Rajat Patidar chose to bowl first on the black-soil pitch. Tilak Varma made 57 off 42 balls and Naman Dhir scored 47 off 32 balls for MI's highest contributions. Josh Hazlewood claimed one for 33 and Rasikh Dar Salam took one for 42 in RCB's bowling effort. Deepak Chahar dismissed Virat Kohli for a golden duck, his second in succession after the prior match against Lucknow Super Giants.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned player of the match for his all-round display, per ESPNcricinfo. He said he enjoyed the winning six more than his four wickets and credited domestic leagues for his discipline. The result also ended Lucknow Super Giants' playoff hopes. Hardik Pandya missed the game due to back spasms with Suryakumar Yadav captaining MI in ninth place.

England's men's team will host five-Test series against South Africa and Pakistan in the future FTP. The ECB balances this with one-off Tests overseas in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh alongside white-ball tours — a shift that supports World Test Championship expansion to 12 teams.

Longer home series mean bigger crowds, better revenues, and deeper rivalries. Five Tests allow teams to settle in, adapt, and prepare properly. Overseas one-offs fill gaps without bloating the calendar.

It's a fragmentation of sorts: nations are now protecting bilateral home strength over balanced tours. The ECB joins Australia and India in hosting multi-Test series regularly — a trend driven by T20 leagues draining attention and money from red-ball cricket. The WTC expansion sweetens the deal, but it's clear boards are choosing security at home over symmetry in the fixture list.

Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule joins as specialist spin-bowling coach after his IPL 2026 stint with Punjab Kings, per Times of India. He starts with the Afghanistan series in June under head coach Gautam Gambhir — and brings plenty of coaching miles from domestic and IPL circuits.

Gambhir wanted someone dedicated to sharpening the national spinners after recent series exposed weaknesses, so Bahutule steps away from PBKS, where he'd guided their spin group all season. His pick fills the gap in specialist help for players like Kuldeep Yadav and the rest.

India's spinners need work in white-ball and Tests before the big tours ahead. Bahutule's history with young talent should lift the wrist-spinners and finger-spinners alike.

David Miller's frustrated. Delhi Capitals benched him for their last two games to fit in Pathum Nissanka and Mitchell Starc — a squad-balance call that stings when you're fighting for the playoffs. DC sit seventh, six losses in ten matches, needing to win all four remaining games just to sniff the knockouts.

The franchise's logic: versatility over form. It hasn't worked. Four losses in five games, and their most recent — a home loss to Chennai at Arun Jaitley where they managed only 155 for 7 — shows the cost. Miller gets the frustration. He also knows IPL teams make these calls. That doesn't make it easier to watch from the bench.

Next up is Kolkata Knight Riders, and DC can't afford another slip. Axar Patel's carrying the bowling attack, but Kuldeep Yadav's been leaking runs. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia confirmed no Aussies are leaving early for the Pakistan ODI overlap — Starc, Cummins, and the rest stay locked in. That's one thing going right.

Miller's absence is less about him and more about what it says: DC are gambling on squad depth over in-form batsmen in a survival fight. With four games left and a must-win mentality kicking in, that's a gamble getting harder to justify.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia sent an eight-page letter to IPL franchises with strict guidelines on security and conduct. The document warns of honey-trap risks and bans unauthorised hotel access without team manager approval. Surprise checks will verify compliance during IPL 2026.

NDTV Sports noted that breaches trigger disciplinary actions like player suspensions or fines. Teams must brief players on protocols and maintain detailed logs of movements and visitors. Vaping faces outright prohibition alongside other behavior rules.

The directive addresses recent protocol lapses and aims to protect players from external threats. Franchises received copies for immediate implementation across remaining matches. BCCI emphasized legal consequences for repeated violations to safeguard league integrity.

Heinrich Klaasen leads IPL 2026 run-scorers for Sunrisers Hyderabad with a strike rate above 157, and he's done it entirely from the middle order. No opening slot, no century yet — just a calm read of the game and a bat speed that's kept SRH from folding in tight moments.

He complements SRH's aggressive top order by building innings steadily then accelerating through the middle overs. Klaasen's 475 runs sit ahead of Abhishek Sharma's tally, and SRH hold first place with 14 points after recent wins.

What's shifted is the role itself. Teams now hunt for players who adapt to phases instead of locking into fixed positions — and overseas keepers especially have become the template. Klaasen's consistency is what SRH lean on when the scoreboard tightens.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal said we can't have fans at the receiving end when explaining the IPL final's shift from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad. He spoke up amid KSCA-state fights over ticket allocations and new laws cutting fan access. The call puts spectator experience first, even with RCB as defending champions.

KSCA wanted 10,000 extra tickets on top of their 15 percent quota for members, clubs, MLAs, and officials. BCCI shifted Qualifier 1 to Dharamsala, Qualifier 2 and Eliminator to New Chandigarh, and the final to Ahmedabad. They're even planning an ICC meeting there to test the setup.

RCB loses its home edge for the title shot, but BCCI's putting fans over franchise perks. State pressures have messed up past events, forcing this move — and it lays bare the tug-of-war between BCCI control and local power plays.

Australia rested Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood from white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The decision prioritizes T20 World Cup preparation over the bilateral ODIs and T20Is starting May 30. Mitchell Marsh takes captaincy for the nine matches across both series.

Young players Ollie Peake, Liam Scott and Joel Davies earn uncapped call-ups to fill the pace gaps. Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis missed T20 selections amid IPL workloads, per earlier reports. Selectors cite workload management as the key factor for senior absences.

Marsh led recent white-ball teams and now handles subcontinental challenges without the top pacers. Past tours used similar rests to test depth successfully. The tours provide opportunities for debutants in spin-friendly conditions before major events.

Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 235 for 4 to beat Punjab Kings by 33 runs in IPL 2026 and move to the top of the points table at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. Heinrich Klaasen scored 69 off 43 balls and Ishan Kishan made 55 off 32 balls in the innings, which benefited from PBKS fielding errors. Abhishek Sharma hit 35 off 13 balls with four sixes to reach 300 T20 sixes in India, entering an elite club.

Punjab Kings reached 202 for 7 with Cooper Connolly unbeaten on 107 off 59 balls, but Pat Cummins took 2 for 34 to seal the win. Klaasen leads IPL 2026 run-scoring without opening or hitting a century, posting a strike rate above 157 as a middle-order stabiliser and accelerator. His calm decision-making and bat speed complement SRH's aggressive top order and prevent collapses in volatile T20 conditions.

SRH coach Daniel Vettori indicated that Nitish Kumar Reddy will likely return from illness for future games, praising his all-round balance after Reddy took 1 for 11 in this match. PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer's rebuild project at the franchise suffered a blow following their recent loss to Gujarat Titans. The result positions SRH ahead of Punjab Kings, who sit on 13 points.