Rishabh Pant has stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain after the team finished at the bottom of the IPL 2026 table. The franchise accepted his request immediately.

Pant requested relief from the role following another poor season for Lucknow Super Giants. Replacements including Aiden Markram are now under consideration.

Pant scored 26 off 22 balls in the team's final match, a seven-wicket loss to Punjab Kings. His long-term future with the franchise remains under review after two bottom-placed finishes.

Shubman Gill reckons Sai Sudharsan's biggest edge isn't his technique or his timing — it's the intensity he brings every single game, on and off the field. Gill made the point ahead of the IPL final, after Gujarat's Qualifier 2 win booked their spot.

Vikram Solanki echoed it, singling out the Gill-Sudharsan partnership as the difference-maker. Their batting set up the path to the title match — Gill's century in Qualifier 2 the most visible proof, but the consistency of the pair the real thing.

Irfan Pathan's take went further: best opening combination in IPL history. Their styles clash in the best way — Gill's aggression, Sudharsan's control — but they feed off each other. That's shown up most in the games that mattered.

Gill also floated his T20I ambitions publicly, tying his own form to a return to the national side. For now, though, everything runs through this partnership and how they perform in the final.

The BCCI's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit has banned smart sunglasses and goggles with communication features inside IPL 2026 PMOA areas. Teams must deposit any such devices with security officials before entering restricted zones. The directive applies across all venues for the remainder of the season.

New Zealand defeated Ireland by an innings and 79 runs in the one-off Test in Belfast. Tom Blundell led the way with 186 as the visitors declared at 490 for 8. Ireland couldn't find answers to the New Zealand pace attack — Nathan Smith took 6 for 40 while Blair Tickner claimed five wickets across the two innings. The hosts were dismissed for 179 in their first knock, then 232 in the second.

Sunil Gavaskar said everyone apart from Sunrisers Hyderabad players felt disappointment when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell short of a century. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals opener hit 97 off 29 balls — 12 sixes — in the IPL Eliminator at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.

Rajasthan posted 243 for 8, and won by 47 runs after SRH folded for 196 in 19.2 overs. Gavaskar's remark captured something real: the teenager's already drawn the kind of senior-level attention usually reserved for established stars. The former India captain has previously urged selectors to back him for India regardless of age.

The BCCI's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit has banned smart sunglasses or goggles with live-streaming or messaging features from the Player Match Official Area during IPL 2026. Players and support staff must hand over such devices to security before entering the zone. Breaches will trigger disciplinary action under the board's anti-corruption code.

The rule applies across all venues for the rest of the season. Security will check devices at entry points. It extends existing restrictions on electronic gadgets in restricted areas.

Scotland Women defeated Netherlands Women by nine wickets in Edinburgh to open the Women's T20I tri-series. Kirstie Gordon took three wickets to restrict the visitors to 142. Darcey Carter and Katherine Fraser then scored half-centuries in an untroubled chase.

Gordon's figures anchored the bowling effort. Carter and Fraser guided Scotland home without significant pressure from the Netherlands attack.

England all-rounder Jacob Bethell picked up a finger injury during his IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but the injury won't keep him out of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's.

He's been withdrawn from the rest of the IPL, though he's tracking toward selection for England's summer series, per BBC Sport. Once cleared, he'll slot into the middle order.

India Women defeated England Women by 38 runs in the first T20I at Chelmsford on May 28. India reached 188 for 7 in their 20 overs, while England finished well short of the target.

Steady batting and disciplined bowling from the visitors kept England on the back foot throughout. Sharp fielding — several stops and catches — supported the bowlers and choked the run rate.

Gujarat Titans meet Rajasthan Royals in IPL Qualifier 2 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. The winner advances to the final while the loser is eliminated from title contention.

Rajasthan Royals scored 214 for six in their innings, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi making 96 off 47 balls that included eight fours and seven sixes. Gujarat Titans reached 69 for no loss after six overs, with Sai Sudharsan on 30 and Shubman Gill on 29.

Gujarat Titans lost their previous match by 92 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while Rajasthan Royals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the Eliminator. Parthiv Patel backed his team's methods and Sai Sudharsan ahead of the knockout game.

The ICC has announced an all-female panel of 14 umpires and four match referees for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, which begins June 12 in England and Wales. Four officials will make their T20 World Cup debut during the tournament.

The appointments continue the ICC's policy of using all-female officiating teams for women's events. The panel mixes experienced international umpires with those stepping up to the highest level, with match referees overseeing all matches alongside the on-field umpires.

Individual match assignments will be confirmed closer to the tournament start.

Former England captain Mike Smith has died at the age of 92. Smith led England in nine Tests during the 1960s and played 50 first-class matches for Gloucestershire. His death was confirmed on Thursday.

Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the IPL Eliminator at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Royals posted 243 for 8. Sunrisers replied with 196 all out.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 97 off 29 balls and struck 12 sixes. Jofra Archer took 3 for 58 as Royals held on and moved into the next round.

Royals had beaten Mumbai Indians by 30 runs in their previous match.

Saurabh Netravalkar took three for 19 and Rushil Ugarkar claimed four for 48 as USA bowled Scotland out for 169 in an ICC Cricket World Cup League Two match in Nepal. USA reached the target with six wickets in hand and overs remaining to record their first win of the tour.

Netravalkar and Ugarkar dismantled Scotland's batting by shutting down partnerships early. The pairing's control in tandem—Ugarkar cutting through the middle order, Netravalkar mopping up—left Scotland without a platform to build on.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's jersey number 03 is suddenly in the same demand bracket as MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. The 15-year-old scored 97 off 29 balls at a strike rate above 335 in Rajasthan Royals' IPL eliminator — three runs short of a century. He told broadcasters afterward he'd stayed calm under knockout pressure, and in the same innings set a new record for most sixes in an IPL season by a teenager.

The Netherlands have announced their squad for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Canada. Several new players get their first taste of international cricket against associate sides.

Coach Ryan ten Doeschate wants the tournament to serve as match practice and a chance to build depth. The group mixes experience with emerging talent, and the side hopes to climb the League 2 table.

Canada and one other associate team join them in the round-robin. The results feed into qualification calculations for the next global events. The Netherlands fly out later this month.

Kolkata Knight Riders signed Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia as replacement after Matheesha Pathirana picked up a hamstring injury during their win over Gujarat Titans. The move comes as KKR looks to stabilize after a 40-run loss to Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens, where DC posted 203 for 5 and KKR managed just 163 for 10 in 18.4 overs.