Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 55 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium but finished top of the IPL 2026 points table. SRH posted 255 for 4 with Ishan Kishan scoring 79 off 46 balls while Heinrich Klaasen made 51 off 24. RCB reached 200 for 4 in reply with Rajat Patidar scoring 56 and Krunal Pandya unbeaten on 41.

Public discussion after the match focused on RCB's approach while chasing a large total and whether the margin exposed a lack of intent. The result left SRH needing a substantial win in their final league game to target a top-two finish while the fourth playoff spot stayed open for other teams. RCB had entered the match on the back of a 23-run win over Punjab Kings.

SRH had earlier beaten Chennai Super Kings by five wickets after posting 181 for 5 in reply to 180 for 7. The 55-run defeat handed RCB their first loss in recent matches yet the points outcome secured their position at the head of the table ahead of the playoffs.

Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi won't play again this season. A collision with teammate Varun Chakravarthy during KKR's win over Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on May 20 left him with a concussion and fractured left finger — injuries serious enough to end his campaign.

Raghuvanshi had been one of KKR's steadier bats. In 13 matches, he'd scored 422 runs with five fifties, offering the middle order some ballast. That's gone now, just when KKR's playoff hopes are tightening. The team chased down MI's 147 for 8 with 148 for 6, but the cost was high.

Hardik Pandya scored 26 off 27 in that win and took 2 for 13 — then drew a code of conduct penalty from the BCCI for an incident in the same fixture. KKR have to navigate the final stretch without Raghuvanshi.

Gujarat Titans defeated Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium. The home side posted 229 for four in their 20 overs. Chennai Super Kings replied with 140 all out in 13.4 overs.

Sai Sudharsan scored 84 off 53 balls with seven fours and four sixes for Gujarat Titans. Shubman Gill made 64 off 37 balls with seven fours and three sixes. Jos Buttler remained unbeaten on 57 from 27 balls with five fours and four sixes. Mohammed Siraj took three for 26, Kagiso Rabada claimed three for 32 and Rashid Khan finished with three for 18.

The result secured Gujarat Titans a top-two finish with four matches remaining. Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals now contest the final playoff spot in the closing fixtures.

Gujarat Titans defeated Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They posted 229 for four with Sai Sudharsan scoring 84 off 53 balls, Shubman Gill 64 off 37 balls and Jos Buttler 57 not out off 27 balls. Mohammed Siraj took 3 for 26, Rashid Khan claimed 3 for 18 and Kagiso Rabada finished with 3 for 32. Chennai Super Kings scored 140 all out in 13.4 overs, with Shivam Dube top-scoring with 47 off 17 balls. The victory secured a top-two finish for Gujarat Titans and eliminated the five-time champions from the playoffs race for the third straight season.

Scotland secured a narrow victory over Nepal in a rain-affected ODI at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday. The win came down to the final over, with Scotland defending a low total despite the weather interruption in the Cricket World Cup League 2 fixture.

Nepal had won the earlier meeting at the same venue by six wickets, a result that boosted their climb toward the automatic qualification spots in the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. That win had pushed Nepal to fifth in the League 2 standings — the top four teams qualify outright. This loss halts their momentum, while Scotland's victory keeps them in the hunt.

Rohit Sharma stays captain through 2028. The BCCI handed him a two-year extension across limited-overs formats and named Jasprit Bumrah as vice-captain for the T20 World Cup squad heading to West Indies and USA.

The squad leans on established names — Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja among them — while adding younger pace and variety. Workload management shaped the selections, with the international calendar running thick over the coming months.

Bumrah and Jadeja got rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, where KL Rahul takes the vice-captaincy instead. Manav Suthar and Gurnoor Brar come in as fresh Test call-ups.

Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 93 off 38 balls with seven fours and 10 sixes while Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 53 off 38 balls. Lucknow had posted 220 for five with Mitchell Marsh making 96 off 57 balls and Josh Inglis scoring 60 off 29 balls.

Riyan Parag brushed off the online criticism after the win, standing by the team's decision to back young players like Sooryavanshi. Irfan Pathan noted that the teenager is closing in on Chris Gayle's record of 59 sixes in a season — and doing it with composure against fast bowling. Justin Langer called Sooryavanshi's performances breathtaking and tipped him for a big future.

The victory pushes Rajasthan into stronger playoff contention. Five teams are still chasing the final spot, and Rajasthan had lost their previous match to Delhi Capitals by five wickets.

The BCCI has announced the 2026-27 domestic season schedule, with the Ranji Trophy beginning on October 11. The season will feature extensive men's and women's matches across formats and run through the full domestic cycle ending in March 2027.

BCCI officials confirmed the dates on Thursday. They said the programme supports preparation for the international calendar ahead, and officials expect the calendar to accommodate all state teams without major clashes. The full fixtures will be released in the coming weeks.

South African all-rounder Donovan Ferreira suffered an injury serious enough to end his professional cricket hopes. He took up a sales role while trying to rebuild fitness and skills outside the official system. Then a coaching intervention at franchise level opened doors that national selectors had shut.

The revival shows what IPL franchises can do when they look beyond conventional pipelines. Ferreira wasn't on any national board's radar — he was working sales, rebuilding from scratch. But a team spotted him, backed him, and he's now playing international cricket. Similar rescues may appear in future seasons if more franchises scan outside established lists.

Gujarat Titans are ditching spin-friendly pitches at home after five consecutive defeats this season. Shubman Gill's thinking is straightforward: the current surfaces have done more damage than good to their batting lineup, and they want wickets that let bat and ball compete on more even terms.

Recent losses where spin choked their scoring have forced the hand. The team's leaning on domestic results and net sessions to reshape their pitch prep, banking on flatter surfaces bringing higher totals and fewer surprises off the bounce.