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.

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.

Shubman Gill's India team is moving away from spin-friendly pitches at home after five straight defeats. The shift tilts the surface toward their batting order — and away from the spinners they've leaned on for years. It's also a signal about who they're backing for the fast-bowling future. Gurnoor Brar, a young quick, caught Gill's eye in nets and impressed Shikhar Dhawan with his pace. The dual moves suggest India wants surfaces that reward what they've got now, not what they hope to grow into.

Former India opener Abhinav Mukund said Punjab Kings missed a tactical opportunity by not bowling Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs during their loss to Delhi Capitals. He recommended bowling the spinner in overs 7 to 15.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings by 23 runs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. RCB posted 222 for 4, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets to extend his lead at the top of the Purple Cap table with 24 wickets. Punjab Kings reached 199 for 8.

RCB became the first team to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs after the victory. Punjab Kings suffered their sixth consecutive loss. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul moved up the Orange Cap standings with half-centuries in recent wins.

Virat Kohli wants no ambiguity about his role in the Indian ODI team. At 37, he's expressed interest in playing the 2027 World Cup, but won't stick around if selectors keep asking him to justify his place — either commit to him or move on.

He's retired from Tests and T20Is yet continues to perform in the IPL. His recent ODI record, he points out, shows he still has value to add. The demand is straightforward: selectors need to make a call on his future without the back-and-forth.

Former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan wants a season ban for Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh — after the bowler allegedly called Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma 'Oye Andhere' ('Hey dark one') in a viral post-match video. It came right after MI chased 201 to beat PBKS by six wickets at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday. Sivaramakrishnan, drawing from his own run-ins with colourism, also called for pro-rata pay cuts.

Tilak Varma sealed it with an unbeaten 75 off 33 — six fours, six sixes — as MI won with five balls left. Shardul Thakur grabbed 4-39, while Prabhsimran Singh's 57 off 32 topped PBKS's 200/8. Jasprit Bumrah captained MI for the first time, with Hardik Pandya out on back spasms and Suryakumar Yadav away for personal reasons; he chose to bowl first.

PBKS slumped to their fifth straight IPL 2026 loss, while MI rebounded from a defeat to RCB. The clip blew up on social media amid the IPL's conduct crackdown. PBKS recalled Azmatullah Omarzai, who smashed 38 off 17 with four sixes.

Australia captain Pat Cummins shot down reports he'd sought NOCs for SA20 or Hundred offers. "Everything is made up," he posted on social media Friday, as talks heated up over BBL pay lagging behind overseas T20 leagues.

Rumors had him and other Aussies skipping BBL for deals up to $800k. Cummins called them nonsense — no formal requests went in. Cricket Australia just rested him, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood from white-ball tours anyway, citing IPL injury workloads.

BBL's scrambling to hold onto stars while global T20 explodes and pay gaps grow. Cummins sticks to international duty for now, but the pull of franchise cash is real.

Gujarat Titans defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 82 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium to claim the IPL 2026 top spot. GT posted 168 for five with fifties from B Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar. Their pace attack then skittled SRH for 86 in 14.5 overs.

Sai Sudharsan scored 61 off 44 balls to rise to second in the Orange Cap race with 561 runs. This marked his third straight IPL season over 500 runs, equaling Virat Kohli's record. Kagiso Rabada took 3 for 28 to join the Purple Cap lead with 21 wickets, per ESPNcricinfo. Mohammed Siraj claimed 3 for 11, Jason Holder 3 for 20 and Prasidh Krishna 2 for 23.

GT's seamers exploited Ahmedabad's two-paced surface, as Cricbuzz noted their construction suits home pitches. Shubman Gill predicted pre-match that 160-170 would prove tough to chase. This fifth straight win followed a 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals. SRH coach called the collapse a blip after their prior 33-run win over Punjab Kings.

Ishan Kishan is among contenders for India's next T20 captain alongside Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson, according to reports citing BCCI sources. The search for a post-IPL 2026 leader is underway, and Kishan now plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sanju Samson lost his T20 World Cup starting spot to Kishan because of the latter's domestic form — and he's accepted it. After joining the XI, Samson scored over 320 runs and won Player of the Tournament. He praised Kishan's hard work after a two-year absence from the national side. Form had won out over reputation.

Kishan's breakthrough pushed Samson out and positioned both for leadership roles now. The BCCI has made its priority clear: IPL runs and domestic consistency are the gatekeepers to India selection. Strike rates, back-to-back scores, staying in the mix — that's the ticket. Samson now captains Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026.

Commentators and fans credited Krunal Pandya's 73 off 46 balls as the decisive factor in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's thrilling victory over Mumbai Indians. Social media clips highlighted his partnerships and acceleration despite cramps in the chase of 167 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Hindustan Times called his innings a steadying force amid the game's big hitting.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismantled Mumbai Indians' batting with four wickets for 23 runs at an economy of 5.75 to hold them to 166 for seven. He leads the Purple Cap race with 21 wickets at 7.46 economy this season, per Times of India. Josh Hazlewood took one for 33, while Mumbai Indians' Naman Dhir scored 47 off 32 and Tilak Varma made 57 off 42.

Krunal Pandya anchored the chase from 39 for three, and Jacob Bethell added 27 off 27 balls to secure the last-ball win. RCB coach Andy Flower received a 15 per cent match fee fine for a Level 1 Code of Conduct breach over a boundary call, as Times of India reported. Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene blamed injuries to Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Mitchell Santner for their playoff exit after eight defeats in 11 games. Ravichandran Ashwin called for Bhuvneshwar Kumar's India T20I return based on his powerplay and death skills. Royal Challengers Bengaluru join RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans on 14 points atop the table.

Public reaction focused on Punjab Kings' 210 for five as a platform for victory after Priyansh Arya hit 56 off 33 balls and Shreyas Iyer remained not out on 59 off 36. Delhi Capitals chased the total in 19 overs for a three-wicket win at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on May 11. Axar Patel scored 56 off 30 balls and David Miller 51 off 28 to keep DC's playoff hopes alive per ESPNcricinfo.

All 39 overs in the IPL 2026 match 55 came from pacers with no spinner bowling a ball on the seaming pitch. Madhav Tiwari took 2-40 and scored an unbeaten 18 off eight for Player of the Match in his season debut. DC bowlers Mitchell Starc and Mukesh Kumar conceded 57 and 31 runs respectively while PBKS slumped to a fourth straight loss.

Iyer blamed poor fielding, dropped catches, and soft lengths for the defeat despite the total. DC captain Axar opted to bowl first with five changes while PBKS debuted Ben Dwarshuis. The all-pace affair marked a rare T20 anomaly on a track favoring early swing and hard lengths.

Social media erupted when Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Steven Smith didn't make Australia's Bangladesh tour squad, with drop talk spreading fast. Selector George Bailey shut that down: the three remain in contention, and the omissions are part of a planned youth trial for 2028 events.

Bailey wants to test depth. Aaron Hardie and Joel Davies get their chances on the Pakistan and Bangladesh white-ball tours, while the veteran trio—all with strong overall records—stay in the picture for later. It's workload management mixed with squad evolution, especially after Australia's disappointing T20 World Cup run. No formal drops. The panel's thinking four years ahead.

Meanwhile, Maxwell's playing for PSL side Rawalpindi Express this season, Stoinis is with IPL Punjab Kings, and Smith splits his time across PSL franchises including Multan Sultans.

Mumbai Indians crashed out of IPL playoffs after RCB chased 167 on the last ball at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took four for 23 -- economy at 5.75, which stood out amid the chaos -- and smashed the winning six. Krunal Pandya anchored with 73 off 46 balls from 39 for three. MI managed 166 for seven with Tilak Varma's 57 off 42 the best knock. Eight defeats in 11 matches tell the story.

Coach Mahela Jayawardene pointed to injuries hitting Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Mitchell Santner -- all core players. Lineups shuffled every game. Rookies like Raj Angad Bawa bowled the final over at 13 an over. Inconsistencies piled up, but the real issue runs deeper. Franchises pack stars yet skimp on redundancy. One hamstring pull and the whole deck collapses. RCB proved depth works -- Jacob Bethell steadied with 27 off 27, Hazlewood took one for 33.

MI defended their final-over bowler despite the loss. Jayawardene called the season disappointing. Squad architecture demands more than injury talk. Build layers or watch stars sit idle. Playoffs reward teams that plan for absences, not ones that pray for fitness. RCB surged to the top table. MI head home early.

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.