Tag: Sports

Australia unveiled its squad for the three away Tests against the West Indies, with some prominent changes compared to the one that was selected for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Australia’s batting mainstay, Marnus Labuschagne, has finally run out of time and been dropped from the squad. Considering his silent outings with the bat and a Test century drought, Labuschagne was promoted to the opening slot in the WTC final against South Africa, reported ESPNcricinfo.
During his outing at Lord’s, which was the last act of faith from selectors, Labuschagne returned with scores of 17 and 22, continuing with his elongated lean patch in Test format.
“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively,” chair of selectors George Bailey said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Apart from the 30-year-old star, Australia’s talismanic batter Steve Smith has been ruled out of the series opener in the Caribbean, scheduled to begin on June 25. On the third day of the pulsating contest against the Proteas, Smith was sent to the hospital after he suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger while fielding in the slip cordon.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma edged the ball towards Smith, who tried to grab the opportunity with quick reflexes but eventually fumbled it, hurting his finger in the process. The 36-year-old decided to avoid surgery but has to wear a splint for eight weeks.
“Steve needs more time for the wound to heal, so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” Bailey said.
Without Labuschagne and Smith, the young and explosive Sam Konstas will earn his third Test cap after his enchanting display in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

Leeds (TIP)- Legendary Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson formally unveiled the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ahead of the opening match of the five-Test series between India and England, here on Thursday, June 19.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, a joint initiative between the two boards ECB and BCCI, hereon replaces the Pataudi Trophy (for series in England) and the Anthony de Mello Trophy (for series in India) for all India-England Test contests. The trophy launch was earlier scheduled for June 14 but it was pushed for a later date due to the tragic Air India aircraft crash in Ahmedabad.
The Pataudi family will continue to be honoured with a newly-commissioned Pataudi Medal to be presented to the winning captain of each India-England Test series.
The trophy features imagery of Anderson and Tendulkar in action, along with their engraved signatures — a tribute to two of the sport’s most iconic figures who also hold top two spots for most Tests played by any player.
While Tendulkar retired after his 200th Test more than a decade ago, Anderson played his 188th and last in 2024.
Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs. He made his debut at the age of 16 and went on to enjoy a distinguished 24-year international career.
In 32 Tests against England, Tendulkar amassed 2,535 runs at an average of 51.73, with a highest score of 193 at Headingley in 2002.
Anderson, one of the finest exponents of swing bowling, took 704 Test wickets which is the most for any fast bowler. He ranks third on the all-time list, behind only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708).
Anderson set his own standards in Test crickets against India, scalping 149 wickets in 39 matches at an average of 25.47, including six five-wicket hauls.
While unveiling the trophy, Tendulkar said Test cricket will continue to remain the pinnacle of the sport for him.
“For me, Test cricket embodies life — you give your best, and if things go wrong, it gives you another day to regroup, think, unlearn, and bounce back,” he said.
“It is the highest form of the game that teaches you endurance, discipline and adaptability, against all odds. I owe my foundation to Test cricket, as it has seen me grow from disappointments to triumphs, from aspirations to fulfilment,” he said.
The legendary batter said India and England have played pivotal role in shaping the future of Test cricket over the years.
“India and England have played a big role in shaping Test cricket in a way that it remains an evolving inspiration for subsequent generations.
“Now, as I share this recognition with my on-field challenger and an off-field gentleman James, I hope that the world celebrates the essence of Test cricket even more — allowing it to traverse boundaries yet untrodden,” Tendulkar said.
Anderson said the recognition is a real honour for him and Tendulkar. “It’s a proud moment for me and my family to have this iconic series named after Sachin and myself,” he said.
“The rivalry between our two nations has always been something special, full of history, intensity and unforgettable moments.”
“To be recognised in this way is a real honour. I’m looking forward to seeing the next chapter unfold in England this summer. It promises to be compelling, competitive cricket — exactly what you’d expect from two great sides. This is elite sport at its finest,” he said.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson said, “Jimmy and Sachin have given cricket fans around the world so many unforgettable moments, and it is fitting that their names will now be part of every men’s Test series between England and India.”

It rained gold for India at the Asian Athletics Championships on Thursday, May 29, as the country’s fastest woman hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, seasoned steeplechase runner Avinash Sable and the 4x400m women’s relay team delivered stupendous performances to finish on top here.
After Jyothi and Sable set the tone, the quartet of Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha and Subha Venkatesan clinched the gold medal in the women’s 4x400m relay event after clocking their season-best time (3:34.18sec) to extend India’s dominance on the third competition day of the continental championship.
Vietnam took silver with 3:34.77sec, while Sri Lanka settled for the bronze with 3:36.67sec.
This was the 10th gold overall for India in the event and first since 2013. Overall, India snared three gold, two silver and a bronze medal on Thursday taking their overall tally to 14 after proceedings were disrupted by a massive thunderstorm. India are currently placed second in the overall standings behind China, who have 21 medals including 12 gold. The men’s 4x400m relay team of Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Choudhary, Manu Thekkinalil Saji and Vishal TK also looked to be on course for a gold medal before settling for silver with a timing of 3:03.67sec which was their best performance so far.
Qatar (3:03.52sec) won the gold medal, while China (3:03.73sec) ended the race with bronze in the men’s 4x400m relay.
Earlier, on his way to victory with a season-best performance, Sable became the first Indian man in 36 years to win a gold medal in steeplechase at the Asian Championships.
“I was confident of winning gold as I was best in the field,” said Sable, who has already qualified for the World Championships in September.
Soon after, Jyothi produced a late burst to clinch her second straight gold medal in this competition with a new championship record of 12.96 seconds. The previous record was 12.99 seconds, achieved by China’s Su Yiping in the 2000 edition of the tournament.

Mumbai (TIP)- The mighty Mumbai Indians handled the nerves better on the big stage to outlast Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in a high-scoring IPL Eliminator despite a classy effort from Sai Sudharsan here on Friday, May 30.
Rohit Sharma (81 off 50) rode his luck to play a fine knock after Jonny Bairstow (47 off 22) made instant impact on his Mumbai Indians debut to push them to an imposing 228 five in 20 overs.
Titans, who were sloppy in the field and with the ball, were able to take the game down to the wire with sensational batting from Sudharsan (80 off 49) before falling short at 208 for six to exit the tournament.
In the end, it was Mumbai Indians who won the key moments to advance in the competition. The victory took them to Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Sunday when they take on Punjab Kings.
Despite heavy dew, overcoming a such a steep target in a knock-out game needed a special effort which came from Sudharsan who put his team on course for an improbable chase until his dismissal in the 16th over.
Bumrah removed Washington Sundar (48 off 24) with his trademark yorker before Sudharsan missed scoop against Richard Gleeson to see his stumps dislodged, bringing Mumbai Indians back into the game.
While it lasted, it was a delight to see Sudharsan go about his business. In a game of pure muscle, Sudharsan was a picture of elegance and found gaps all around the park with pinpoint precision.
The equation came down to 36 from 12 balls with two left-handers Rahul Tewatia and Sherfane Rutherford in the middle. Mumbai Indians debutant Richard Gleeson bowled the final over with Titans needing 24 runs and he bowled three immaculate deliveries to ensure victory before hobbling out due to hamstring issue. In fact, Suryakumar Yadav, the vice-captain was marshalling resources in the final over and it was a brave punt to bring Gleeson in for three deliveries knowing that he is in considerable discomfort. Once the target was out of reach, Surya took him off and asked left-arm seamer Ashwini Kumar to complete formalities.

Nottingham (TIP)- England’s flamboyant Joe Root shattered South Africa’s legendary Jacques Kallis’ record for the fastest to 13,000 Test runs and took a step closer towards dethroning India’s legendary Sachin Tendulkar from the summit of the highest-run scorer in the format during the opening day of their one-off fixture against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
In a high-scoring opening day where England’s top-order tormented the tourists, Root wasn’t at his best and notched 34 before surrendering his wicket to Blessing Muzarabani. In his 153rd match, Root stepped on the crease, 28 runs shy of the milestone.
In the 80th over of England’s first innings, he sprinted for a single off Victor Nyauchi to breeze past the iconic Proteas all-rounder’s record, who scripted the milestone to his name in the 159th match, six more than what Root took.
The 34-year-old’s exploits came to an end courtesy of Zimbabwe’s short-ball ploy. Muzarabani hit the deck and lured the English star to pull the ball away. Root couldn’t control the trajectory and holed it straight to Sean Williams.
As he returned to the dressing room, wondering if he had left runs on the field, Root became just the fifth batter to cross 13,000 runs in Test format. After adding another feather to his cap, Root stands 2,916 runs away from Sachin’s elusive tally of 15,921.
Throughout the opening day, Zimbabwe, hot on the heels after a Test win over Bangladesh, were tormented by England’s ‘Bazball’ playing top-order after opting to bowl on a dry surface. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley pounced on every loose delivery under Nottingham’s cloudy skies.
At exactly run a ball, Duckett brought up his fifth Test hundred. Crawley arrived at the three-digit mark for the first time since July 2023 and 28 innings ago. Crawley and Duckett expressed their knack for runs and raised a rollicking opening stand worth 231, England’s highest at home since 1960.

Ahmedabad (TIP)- Mitchell Marsh struck his maiden IPL century, while Nicholas Pooran hit his fifth half-ton this season as Lucknow Super Giants registered a consolation 33-run win over Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday, May 22.
LSG have already been eliminated from the tournament, while GT were through to playoffs even before Thursday’s match.
Sent in to bat, LSG rode on Marsh and Pooran’s whirlwind knocks to post a massive 235 for 2.
Marsh scored 117 off 64 balls, studded with 10 boundaries and 8 sixes, while Pooran made a blazing 56 not out off 27 deliveries as the duo shared a 121-run stand for the second wicket.
Marsh was especially harsh on GT spinner Rashid Khan in the 12th over, milking him for 25 runs, including two sixes and three boundaries, as the Australian reached the 100-run mark off 56 balls.
Earlier, Marsh also shared a 91-run opening-wicket stand with Aiden Markram (36).
Chasing, GT were restricted to 202 for 9 by LSG.
Shahrukh Khan (57 off 29) top-scored for GT, while Sherfane Rutherford made 38. Besides, skipper Shubman Gill made 35, while Jos Buttler scored 33 off 18 deliveries.
William O’Rourke (3/27) was the pick of the bowlers for LSG.
“Huge difference between 210 and 230”: GT skipper Shubman Gill
Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill reflected on the match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
He told the team conceded extra runs while bowling and highlighted the impact of the opponent’s scoring in the middle overs.
He acknowledged the positives, such as Rutherford and Shahrukh’s batting, and emphasised the importance of regaining momentum for the playoffs.
“We gave 15-20 runs extra. Wanted to stop them around 210. Huge difference between 210 and 230. We bowled well in the powerplay, didn’t get any wickets, but after the powerplay in the 14 overs, they scored around 180 runs, which was a lot. (On the positives) We were right in the game till the 17th over, but it was never easy chasing 240. Lots of positives for us – Rutherford and Shahrukh’s batting was a big plus. (Looking forward) Getting back some momentum would be key, and would want to get back to winning ways heading into the playoffs,” Shubman Gill said in the post-match presentation.

Novak Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 Geneva Open with a commanding straight-sets victory over Matteo Arnaldi on Thursday, May 22. The 24-time Grand Slam champion took just one hour and 39 minutes to dispatch his Italian opponent 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court.
The win also served as sweet revenge for Djokovic, who had lost to Arnaldi at the Madrid Open earlier this year. That match marked Djokovic’s fourth first-round exit in his last five tournaments in 2025. Notably, the Geneva win came on Djokovic’s 38th birthday.
In the opening set, Djokovic secured an early break to go up 2-1 and never looked back. However, the second set posed more of a challenge. Arnaldi broke early to lead 3-1, extending the advantage to 4-1 and appearing poised to force a deciding set.
But Djokovic responded in trademark fashion, reeling off five consecutive games to take the set and seal the match. Despite hitting two double faults, the Serbian star dominated on second serve, winning 78 per cent of those points (14 of 18), compared to Arnaldi’s 43 per cent (9 of 21).
Next up, Djokovic will face Cameron Norrie in the semi-final. Norrie booked his place by defeating Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 7-6(6), 6-4. Djokovic is now just two wins away from claiming his 100th ATP title, with his most recent title being the 2023 US Open.
Currently, without a coach after parting ways with Andy Murray earlier this month, Djokovic is also making his return following a brief absence from the Rome Masters.
In related news, the French Open draw was announced on Thursday, with Djokovic set to face Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. McDonald notably defeated Rafael Nadal, who retired last year after the Davis Cup tie against the Netherlands, at the 2023 Australian Open.

Chennai (TIP)- Pacer Harshal Patel made the best use of a sluggish Chepauk surface as Sunrisers Hyderabad put Chennai Super Kings on the brink of exit door by winning the battle of back-benchers by five wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Friday, April 25.
Harshal, a fine exponent of the slower delivery and the knuckle ball, took 4/28 as Chennai Super Kings endured another poor outing with the bat and were bowled out for 154 in 19.5 overs.
Despite getting assistance from the dew-laden surface, SRH made heavy weather of the chase before finally knocking off the target in 18.4 overs.
Ishan Kishan (44 off 34 balls), after his brain fade against Mumbai Indians, played a responsible hand at the top before Kamindu Mendis (32 not out off 22 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (19 not out off 13 balls) got the visitors two points with a 49-run stand. This was SRH’s first win at this venue.
With six points from nine games, SRH’s playoff qualification hangs by a thread as they need to win all their five matches and that too by a fair margin to end on 16 points, which is a safe cut-off.
SRH leapfrogged Rajasthan Royals to the eighth position in the 10-team table as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men remain at the bottom of the heap.
For CSK, their seventh defeat in nine games practically ends their hopes as they now need wins in the next five games and hope that the playoff cut-off remains at 14 for the fourth-placed team.
The confidence of CSK batters has been shot to pieces and the lack of a collective effort from their bowlers only compounded the problems. Harshal, who cleverly used the change of pace, was complemented well by skipper Pat Cummins (2/21), ambidextrous spinner Kamindu (1/26), veterans Mohammed Shami (1/28) and Jaydev Unadkat (2/21).
Dewald Brevis (42 off 25) was the top scorer while Deepak Hooda (22 off 21) played some lofty shots towards the end to take CSK past 150-run mark.
In his 400th T20 match, Dhoni failed to fire, falling for 6 off 10 balls. A visibly upset Dhoni later admitted that the below-par total wasn’t “justifiable” on a Chepauk surface that didn’t have any demons in it.
“I think we kept losing wickets and in the first innings, the wicket was slightly better and 154 wasn’t a justifiable score. It wasn’t turning a lot, may be a little two-paced but nothing out of the ordinary,” Dhoni said.
Dhoni felt that in the second innings, SRH batted on a slightly tackier surface. “Yes, second innings there was a bit of help. Our spinners, the quality was there and they were bowling in the right areas, but we were 15-20 runs short,” he said.
For Dhoni, the most frustrating thing is that there were too many loose ends. “In a tournament like this, if there are one or two areas to plug in the holes it’s good, but when a majority of the players are not doing well you need to make changes. You can’t just keep going. We are just not putting enough runs on the board,” he said.
Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings: 154 all out in 19.5 overs (Brevis 42, Mhatre 30; Harshal 4/28, Cummins 2/21, Unadkat 2/21); Sunrisers Hyderabad: 155/5 in 18.4 overs (Ishan 44, Kamindu 32*; Noor 2/42).

The unrelenting Josh Hazlewood fashioned Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first win at home this IPL season with an extraordinary penultimate over as his team beat Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs in a see-saw affair here on Thursday, April 24.
The defeat meant RR are out of the reckoning for a place in play-offs berth in the ongoing edition of the league. They have lost seven matches out of nine.
Coming on to bowl with RR needing 18 off 12 deliveries, Hazlewood (4/33) picked up two wickets in as many balls while giving away just one run, as the visitors were stopped at 194 for nine in a chase of 206 at a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Hazlewood’s heroics meant Yashasvi Jaiswal’s (49 off 19 balls) blazing knock at the top of the order and Dhruv Jurel’s (47 off 34 balls) valiant effort went in vain as RR suffered their fifth defeat on the trot.
This was after RCB star batter Virat Kohli (70 off 42 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (50 off 27 balls) controlled the middle overs with a partnership of 95 for the second wicket.
Set a target of 206, RR’s start was brutal with Jaiswal and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi amassing 52 runs in 27 balls before the latter was bowled by a Bhuvneshwar Kumar knuckle ball after the teenager went for one too many, having hit two sixes in his 16-run knock.

New Delhi (TIP)- Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra on Friday, April 25, said he has been bombarded with “hate and abuse” for inviting Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem to next month’s Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, clarifying that the Olympics champion’s presence was “completely out of question” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist and Paris Games silver winning star from Haryana said he was deeply hurt to see his and his family’s integrity being questioned in abusive social media posts.
Chopra invited Nadeem, who defeated the Indian in Paris last year to win gold, for the inaugural NC Classic to be held on May 24.
“After all that has taken place over the last 48 hours, Arshad’s presence at the NC Classic was completely out of the question. My country and its interests will always come first,” Chopra, who is a Subedar Major in the Indian Army, said in a lengthy post.
Nadeem had declined to come citing other commitments. The 27-year-old Chopra said he is well aware of the chatter surrounding his invitation to Nadeem after the Pahalgam attack.
“…most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven’t even left my family out of it,” said Chopra. “The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events,” he added.
Chopra said invites for NC Classic were sent out on Monday, a day before the Pahalgam terror attack.
Source: PTI

Arsenal defeated defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match where VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions. Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate after winning 3-0 in London last week, keeping alive its chances of winning Europe’s top club competition for the first time. It will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
Inter Milan advanced past Bayern Munich on Wednesday and will meet Barcelona in the semifinals.
There was no historic comeback for Madrid this time. No late goals, no high drama, no magic at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The 15-time European champions fell short of the last four for the first time since 2020, ending its shot at a third Champions League title in four seasons.
“There was a lot of talk coming here about (Real Madrid) coming back, because they’ve done it so many times before, but we had so much belief and confidence from that first game to come here and win,” Arsenal’s Declan Rice said. “We had it in our minds and now we’ve done it in real life.”
Madrid’s hopes of staging another comeback took a big hit when a five-minute VAR review overturned a penalty for a hold on Kylian Mbappé in the first half with the game tied 0-0.

Paris (TIP)- Retired 14-time champion Rafael Nadal will receive a tribute at the French Open on Court Philippe-Chatrier on May 25, the tournament’s opening day.
“Rafa has left his mark on the history of the French Open in so many ways, that’s why a tribute ceremony will be held in his honor,” French Open director Amélie Mauresmo said.
“We want the tribute to be special, exceptional. We want it to be a surprise for everyone.”
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion who retired in November, already has a statue rising in the alleys of the clay court Grand Slam. He will also feature in an exhibition in the tournament museum and lend his voice to the official French Open trailer.
“We wanted to do the tribute last year, to be transparent, but he refused at the time,” Mauresmo said. “He wasn’t sure that it was his last Roland Garros. Now that he is retired, he is happy to receive it.”
Nadal holds the record for the most French Open titles with 14. His last appearance at the tournament was in 2024 when he lost to Alexander Zverev in the first round.
“Rafael Nadal and Roland Garros are inseparable. We have a strong history together,” said Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation.
“Amélie and I went to see him not long ago because we wanted to do something important for him. We still had some frustration from last year.”
Organisers also plan to build on the success of the 2024 Paris Olympics by setting up a fan zone with giant screens showing matches. Located at Place de la Concorde in central Paris, the venue will be free and open to up to 5,000 fans. “We saw an incredible atmosphere last summer in Paris. We plan on surfing on this success,” Mauresmo said. Source: AP

Mumbai (TIP)- A sprightly Mumbai Indians continued their ascent in the Indian Premier League with a four-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a one-sided contest on a tricky wicket here on April 17. Led by Will Jacks who played a decisive role with a fine 36 (26 balls, 3x4s, 3x6s) after a crucial spell of 3-0-14-2, Mumbai Indians executed an all-round show to record their second consecutive win. The home side came on top for having assessed the Wankhede Stadium pitch accurately and adapting quickly to the conditions it presented, with each of the pieces falling in place for the five-time winners.
MI’s fast bowlers used the short and slower balls well throughout the first innings and nailed their yorkers perfectly. In the run chase, the MI batters showed a clear plan to keep finding the boundaries which kept them on top.
Chasing 163 on a pitch which had grip and turn, MI were also benefited by SRH’s reluctance to bring on spin in the powerplay, as the home side made 166/6 in 18.1 overs to record their third win of the season.
Even though Rohit Sharma endured another failure after a promising start in which he made 26 off 16 balls with three sixes, he gave MI the momentum with the bat and the others capitalised on it.
Opener Ryan Rickelton made a fluent 31 while Suryakumar Yadav hammered two sixes and as many fours to make 26 (off 15 balls) to provide a strong support to Jacks.
Captain Hardik Pandya played a crucial cameo of 21 off just nine balls to take MI to the threshold of victory. Tilak Varma (21 not out) then took MI over the line after a late minor hiccup as the home side reached 166 for 6 in 18.1 overs.
In the first half, Sunrisers Hyderabad found late momentum with the bat to fight their way through and post 162 for 5. With the surface at the Wankhede Stadium providing grip and turn for the spinners and slower deliveries giving dividends to the pace bowlers, Sunrisers Hyderabad batters struggled to adapt to the wicket for most part of the innings.
But a big finish — 57 runs coming off the last five overs — gave SRH some much-needed impetus towards the end.
MI bowlers were spot-on in formulating their plans and near-perfect in their execution with Jasprit Bumrah delivering a measly 4-0-21-1, Trent Boult nailing his yorkers again to return 4-0-29-1 and Will Jacks producing an impressive 3-0-14-2.
The SRH struggle was evident from the start even as Abhishek Sharma stroked his way to 40 off 28 balls with seven boundaries.
It all started with an eventful first over when the two SRH openers got a reprieve each off Deepak Chahar.
Abhishek went down the wicket, swinging his bat on the first delivery. The ball shaped away slightly to take the edge but Jacks failed to get hold of it.
On the fourth delivery, Travis Head played one straight to Karn Sharma at midwicket where he failed to pluck a low catch as the ball fell just short of him.
Abhishek looked to be hitting his strides when he smacked three fours off Chahar in the fifth over but there was just no momentum gained.
Raj Angad Bawa timed his dive to grab the ball to dismiss Abhishek off Pandya for the first breakthrough and by then it was evident that SRH would have to scrape their way through to a competitive total.
Jacks then had former MI player Ishan Kishan stumped for a mere two. Head was unable to open up even as he tried his best to cut loose. Despite having caught off a no-ball with Pandya overstepping, Head failed to capitalise as he fell for an ordinary 29-ball 28.
Such was the impact of MI’s control that the first six of the game came as late as in the 18th over — the best one of SRH’s innings — when Heinrich Klaasen (37 off 28 balls, 3x4s, 2x6s) took 21 runs to spoil Chahar’s figures (4-0-47-0).
In the final over, Aniket Verma hit a couple of sixes and Pat Cummins smacked one to take vital 22 runs off Pandya.

Ahmedabad (TIP)- Sai Sudharsan’s classy fifty combined with a collective bowling effort powered Gujarat Titans to a commanding 58-run win over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash here on Wednesday, April 9. Sudharsan lit up the evening with a dazzling 53-ball 82, while explosive cameos from Jos Buttler (36), Shahrukh Khan (36), and Rahul Tewatia (24) propelled GT to a formidable 217/6. The bowlers then kept chipping away, striking at regular intervals to keep Rajasthan on the back foot despite fighting knocks from Shimron Hetmyer (52) and skipper Sanju Samson (41).
The visitors were eventually bowled out for 159 in 19.1 overs.
Sudharsan was in sublime touch, effortlessly finding gaps and punishing anything loose. His fluent knock, laced with eight boundaries and three sixes, formed the bedrock of GT’s imposing total.
Defending 217, pacers Mohammed Siraj (1/30) and Arshad Khan (1/19) struck early to give GT the perfect start. Arshad drew first blood, removing the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal (6) who slashed at a wide one and picked out Rashid Khan at deep third.
In the very next over, Nitish Rana (1) attempted an upper-cut off Siraj but met the same fate, guiding it straight to the fielder at deep third man.
But Samson and Riyan Parag (26) launched a fiery counterattack. Parag smoked three no-look sixes, while Samson dispatched anything loose to the boundary with casual ease, taking RR to 57/2 in the powerplay.
The momentum swung again as Impact Sub Kulwant Khejroliya (1/29) had Parag caught by Buttler, before Rashid Khan removed Dhruv Jurel (5) to leave Rajasthan tottering at 68/4.
Samson and Hetmyer added 48 runs to keep hopes alive, but Prasidh Krishna (3/24) dealt the killer blow.
He first dismissed Samson as the wicketkeeper tried to steer one behind square but only managed to skew it high towards Sai Kishore, who held on calmly at the edge of the circle.
Krishna then returned to snare Hetmyer. Earlier, after leaking plenty of runs initially in the IPL, Jofra Archer (1/30) is well and truly back to his best.
With the new ball in hand, he cranked it up to 152.3 kph in his first over, then returned in his second to clean up Shubman Gill (2) with a steaming 147.7 kph inswinger that beat the inside edge and crashed into Gill’s off stump.
Archer then greeted Buttler with a sharp bouncer, but the former England captain responded a couple of balls later with a crisp four to the deep-cover boundary.
With Sudharsan taking charge, Buttler joined the party with back-to-back boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi (0/38) in the seventh over. In the next over, he sliced Maheesh Theekshana (2/54) through the off side for a four, before lofting him straight down the ground for another boundary.
But Theekshana had the last laugh, trapping Buttler leg-before, ending an 80-run partnership. Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson immediately turned back to Archer in a bid to stem the flow of runs, and the Barbados-born pacer repaid the faith with a tight over that went for just six.
But Shahrukh exploded into action in the very next over, slamming consecutive boundaries before muscling one over deep extra cover to inject some much needed momentum into the GT innings.

Punjab Kings batter Priyansh Arya expressed his joy for applause after his maiden century in the Indian Premier League 2025 against the Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, April 8, and said such performances boost his confidence.
“These things give me a lot of confidence. It’s a great feeling because I’m getting a name among all the legends. Well, I can tell you the first practice game we played…It feels really good. It’s an out-of-the-world feeling. Obviously, scoring a run is a different thing and scoring a hundred is a different thing. So it feels really good.” Priyansh Arya said per a video posted by IPL. He also spoke about the level of competition.
“I thought that if it was in my slot, I would take that shot. I would back myself. It’s not like I’m going to take a single. Even if the wickets fall, I’ll back myself. I mean, I think I can clear the boundary. It feels really good. There’s a little more pressure here. There’s a crowd. I mean, obviously, every bowler you’re getting internationally who’s been playing for many years, you’re getting legends,” he said.
“It feels good to perform against them. This is what I always learn. I mean, no matter how many times I get out, they don’t say anything to me. They’re always positive. They don’t teach me anything that I can do this. They used to say, if you get the next ball here, hit it out of the ground. So that gives me a lot of confidence. Everything is positive,” he added.