Anushka Sharma has once more become the star of attention of cricket fans, this time for all deserved reasons. Having previously received criticism online or trolling with digital harassment whenever Virat Kohli played poorly following a poor run, Virat Kohli’s actress has now found the applause of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s “lucky charm” and earned the team the IPL title once more for a second consecutive time. The IPL final was held in Ahmedabad, where Anushka is photographed in India standing right beside an impressive line at the final in Ahmedabad, where it could be seen that Virat Kohli played a big part in taking the trophy to RCB. 

As soon as the winning team clinched the victory, social media was inundated with pictures and videos where Anushka jubilantly enjoyed that historic moment celebrating them. From a few years Anushka's presence at the games of India's traditional cricket has received much unsolicited interest. During Virat Kohli’s formative years in the international cricket and the IPL, some fans unfairly blamed the actress whenever the star batter fell short. She was often singled out by trolls who claimed she was "unlucky" for Virat and his teams. 

But times have changed a lot since then. Today the very fans are singing the praises of Anushka and praising her for giving both Virat Kohli and RCB good vibes and making things happen. A few fans shared their love on social media. When Anushka Sharma is in the stadium, it's harder for other teams to curb RCB, one fan wrote. She was also referred to by another, another supporter as the team’s lucky charm and also congratulated the team for winning back to back IPL trophies. Most fans also noted that Anushka has been attending more matches all through the past two seasons. From 2021 to 2024, the actress made fewer appearances at cricket stadiums as she focused on raising her children, Vamika and Akaay. RCB fans have been telling me that her recent success comes on the heels of returning to the stands, which is why she's such a fan of the franchise. 

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are one of India’s most adored couples with a romance that never goes away. The couple hit the road together some time around 2013, while filming a television spot. They quickly formed a relationship and while the public eye dwelled on them and rumors broke up, they took each other's backs at every stage of life. Virat and Anushka celebrated their wedding ceremony at Lake Como, Italy, through a highly secretive ceremony in 2017. Family and friends joined in on the small jubilation. They have since become one of India's most popular power couples. The couple are today proud parents of two children, Vamika and Akaay. News reports suggest they spend considerable time in the United Kingdom where they have more quiet and quiet time as a couple away from public life and with less drama. 

Professionally Anushka Sharma's only other recent cast member was in the movie Qala. Her most recent big acting job was in the 2018 movie Zero. Chakda Xpress is just a bit out now, fans wait on her much-pushed biopic, about a former Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami. But as RCB reels off another IPL title and Virat Kohli excels on the cricket field, it just goes to show, Anushka Sharma has gone from being vilified and unfairly blamed to one of the most loved stars in RCB by many fans.

This victory not only marked RCB’s second IPL title but also brought the organization its fourth trophy in Indian franchise cricket, which includes two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.

Kohli Leads Chase in IPL Final

Chasing a target of 156, RCB showcased their strength to secure their second consecutive IPL title. Kohli’s performance was especially remarkable, as he battled through pain from injuries to achieve the fastest half-century of his IPL career.

RCB’s chase began on a solid note, with a strong 62-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer, who scored 32 runs off 16 balls, and Virat Kohli. Although the Titans fought back and reduced RCB to 132 for 5 at one stage, Kohli kept his composure, ultimately guiding RCB to victory with two overs to spare, as they crossed the finish line at 156 runs. It was a match filled with excitement and a testament to the team's resilience and skill.

Titans Struggle Against RCB Bowling Attack

Batting first, the Gujarat Titans managed to score 155 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs. Washington Sundar was the standout performer for GT, scoring an unbeaten 50 runs off 37 balls, backed by Nishant Sindhu, who contributed 20 runs off 18 balls. 

RCB's bowlers, including Rasikh Dar Salam (3 wickets for 27 runs), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2 for 29), and Josh Hazlewood (2 for 37), kept the pressure on the Titans by taking wickets at crucial moments.

Kohli Praises Team's Calm Approach

Virat Kohli said, "I said to a few of the boys that it doesn't feel like the same pressure. We topped the group and said one thing, if we stick to our cricket we are the best in the comp. The skillsets, the maturity and composure, shone through tonight in a clinical performance. We had a couple of losses after the break, it was a tricky week but the belief kicked back in after that win over KKR."

He added, “We've had to wait so long, and now you step to the ground and so many guys behind you, you don't need to step up everytime. So many man of the match awards spread through. World class bowling like Hoff, Bhuv, Duff, Krunal, Rasikh was brilliant this season. Batting chipped in everywhere too.”

Playing XI's: GT AND RCB

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing Xl’s: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazelwood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Impact Subs: Venkatesh Iyer, Kanishk Chohan, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

Gujarat Titans Playing Xl's: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Holder, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj

Impact Subs: Prasidh Krishna, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

Rishabh Pant also shook things up after more than two poor seasons for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), resigning as franchise captain. The change was to stem an end of a tough IPL campaign much less than expected after LSG finished at the bottom of the points table. Pant's decision to step down from captain was no surprise to many within the franchise. Tom Moody -- the LSG director of cricket -- confessed to talk of the need for the club to move some of its stars in the wrong direction, and spoke of the need for a leader change as a means of seeking ways to come back in with more of a winning programme if such a team were to perform well next season to come. Wicketkeeper-batter: he was under tremendous pressure throughout the season in terms of performance, not only because of the team’s bad results but also because of how he always feels about the bat. Price is a barreling with its high, as one of the most expensive players in IPL history for ₹27 crore. 

But none of Pant or the team achieved what fans were hoping for. Tom Moody approved Pant for stepping down from the position of captain. Moody told me the Indian phenom must now turn all his attention to his batting and get back into the unashamed mode of cricket that turned him into one of world cricket’s more exciting players. Moody observed that the past two years were tough for Pant personally and professionally. Removing the weight of leadership, he said, would enable the player to get back to being his best game. And the former Australian cricketer added that a leadership reset was already something his team had found necessary, he added. Lucknow Super Giants have been poor in the past few years with finishes of 7th, 7th, and at last 10th in the standings. In the process, it forced the management to examine every detail of the organization and its overall plan. Moody said he had only recently assumed his position within the franchise and was hoping to conduct an internal evaluation of everything going on with cricketing.

The ambition is to have LSG emerge as a viable contender in the IPL finals again. One of the most important questions right now: Whether Lucknow Super Giants have the right, with Rishabh Pant, to hang out with them next season. Although fans wanted to find out what will become of him, Moody was hesitant to come clean about the player’s future and future in terms of the team, and therefore made no solid recommendations. He said the IPL season had recently come to a close and that the franchise would first undergo what he described as a “high-level” inspection of all that has transpired with the team’s performances, balance in the squad and outlook moving forward. 

The team will not be making any decision about player retention or team strategy until this evaluation is complete. Talk of Pant’s future has already been fanfare amongst both cricket fans and academics. Instead, the emphasis, for the time being, is on re-establishing some confidence in the star batter and regaining the attacking spirit that saw him emerge as a match-winner for India and of his IPL clubs alike. As Lucknow Super Giants set in motion a new chapter, Pant's decision marks a turning point. Whether he sticks with the team and/or looks to explore new opportunities, his next step will be closely watched by cricket fans around the world.

Gill Hits Century in Big Chase

Gill, who captains the team, played a spectacular innings, hitting 104 runs off just 53 balls, which included 15 fours and three sixes, all while chasing a huge target of 215. Notably, he became the first captain to score a century in the IPL playoffs.

Joining him in a remarkable opening partnership was Sai Sudharsan, who contributed a solid 58 runs off 32 balls. Together, they forged an impressive 167-run partnership, setting the stage for the Titans' success. Washington Sundar added to the excitement with a quick cameo, while Rahul Tewatia's strong finish ensured the Titans crossed the finish line with eight balls to spare. This marks the third time the Gujarat Titans have reached the IPL final since the franchise was established in 2022, highlighting their consistent performance over the years.

Sooryavanshi Breaks Major IPL Record

Earlier in the match, the Rajasthan Royals posted a commendable score of 214/6. The spotlight was on the young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 96 runs off just 47 balls. His incredible performance made him the fastest player to reach 1,000 IPL runs, achieving this milestone in only 440 balls and breaking Andre Russell's previous record of 545 balls. He also made history by becoming the first player to score 500 runs in the Powerplay during a single IPL season.

After the early dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, Sooryavanshi rebuilt the innings brilliantly alongside Ravindra Jadeja, who finished unbeaten at 45. Donovan Ferreira then provided a thrilling late surge, hitting four sixes off Rashid Khan in the final over, finishing with an impressive 38 runs off just 11 balls.

Shubman Gill Praises Batting Performance 

Gujarat Titans Skipper Shubman Gill said, “There was some confusion there (On the Toss Fiasco), but happy to get a win. I think we complement each other very well ( On Partnership with Sai Sudharsan). We understand each other's game very well. And when we are batting out there, our communication is very good. We know one of us has to take down one of the bowlers. And I think we are very good in deciding who's going to take down what bowler,” regarding the match.

“I'm very fortunate, you know, we got a target of 220. At one point it looked like we were gonna restrict them around 180-190, but we got a total and once we got off to a start, we spoke about, I actually wanted to finish the game, quite sad how I got out,” he added.

Playing Xl's: GT AND RR

Rajasthan Royals Playing XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma and Yash Punja

Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj

Rajasthan Royals won the toss in Mullanpur, however it was only a re-spin. It was Shubman Gill who was the tipper, but Riyan Parag’s call did not carry enough noise for the match referee Prakash Bhatt, leaving everyone in shock. Ravi Shastri suddenly declared that the toss would be carried out again. The toss occurred this time around and RR went in to bat first.

Gill seemed a little frustrated by what had happened at the toss, saying he either would have elected to bat, too, and that it was unfortunate that the match referee couldn’t hear the call. On the first occasion, once the toss was taken off, it fell on tails (for GT) after Riyan called heads. 

Rajasthan Royals did not get a good start with a pair of quick wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, but Ravindra Jadeja drew on all his experience to counterattack with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. In the nick of time the innings settled, Jadeja had to retire hurt, sending the Royals into a collapse between 101/2 and 118/5. 

Vaibhav hit a stunning 96 off 47 balls — as he kept attacking the bowlers. Jadeja came back to provide much-needed stability with some important contributions afterwards. Donovan Ferreira's devastating 38 off just 11 deliveries gave the Royals a late push that may be needed to bring some change. 

Gujarat Titans will regret the repeat of failure to realize in their crucial moments. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada hit early in the Powerplay, and the shorter ball plan against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi appeared effective enough at first. Titans also held off well into the middle overs, with Jason Holder’s 2/27 topping the charge. But Sai Sudharsan’s late, failed catch on 46 proved costly as Sooryavanshi paid for it with a stunning knock prior to Rabada finally taking him out on 96. Rashid Khan had the last leg of the game left with Shubman Gill's trust, but the spinner conceded 27 runs — giving Titans the huge chase with a whole different ball game. 

RR arrived for this match with a strong 47-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator on May 27 at the same venue. GT, in contrast, will be trying to bounce back from a devastating 92-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 on May 26. The Qualifier 2 winner will move into the IPL 2026 final against RCB at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31 as scheduled. 

When it comes to head-to-head records, GT has the upper hand over RR. In the IPL, the two teams have played 10 times and Gujarat has won seven matches while Rajasthan managed to beat Gujarat three times.

RR XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja

GT XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

The IPL 2026 playoffs are reaching their biggest moment as Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Gujarat Titans (GT) prepare for a massive Qualifier 2 clash. The winner of this match will directly face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2026 final.

RCB already booked their place in the final after defeating Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1. Now, GT will get one more chance to stay alive in the tournament, while RR will look to continue their impressive playoff run.

RCB Enter Final After Dominating GT

RCB looked unstoppable in Qualifier 1. Rajat Patidar played a stunning innings and completely changed the game with his aggressive batting. Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya also gave strong support at the top.

RCB’s bowling attack performed brilliantly as well. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy created pressure from the beginning and helped the team secure a huge win.

After years of heartbreak, RCB fans are now dreaming of winning the trophy again. 

Gujarat Titans Want Strong Comeback

Even after losing to RCB, Gujarat Titans remain one of the strongest teams in IPL 2026. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have been in excellent form throughout the season.

GT’s biggest problem, however, has been their middle-order batting. In the last match against RCB, the team collapsed badly after losing early wickets.

Still, Gujarat Titans have experienced players who know how to handle pressure matches. Their bowling lineup with Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj can trouble any batting order on their day.

Rajasthan Royals Carry Big Momentum

Rajasthan Royals are entering the match with confidence and momentum. Young players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal have played fearless cricket this season.

Riyan Parag has also delivered important performances in the middle order, while Jofra Archer’s pace attack has strengthened the bowling unit.

RR’s aggressive batting style could become their biggest weapon against Gujarat Titans.

Biggest Battle to Watch in RR vs GT

The main battle in this match will be RR’s explosive batting against GT’s powerful bowling attack.

If Rajasthan Royals get a strong start in the power play, they can put Gujarat under pressure quickly. On the other hand, GT bowlers will try to stop RR’s young batters early in the innings.

Fans are especially excited to watch the contest between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and GT’s pace bowlers.

Who Will Face RCB in IPL 2026 Final?

Both teams have strong chances of reaching the final.

Gujarat Titans have more playoff experience and a balanced squad. But Rajasthan Royals have momentum and fearless young players.

This makes the Qualifier 2 clash extremely exciting and difficult to predict.

One thing is certain — the winner will face a confident RCB side in what could become one of the biggest IPL finals in recent years.

India, in the first match of their Women’s T20I series against England, opened the match in a magnificent spectacle with a 38-run victory. The Indian side played up their all-around game and dazzled fans with strong batting, disciplined bowling and energetic fielding. Jemimah Rodrigues and young talent Nandani Sharma were the biggest stars of the game giving India a momentous victory over England. India won the toss and chose to bat first. 

This led to the start being consistent for the team with the likes of early batters, however, it was Jemimah Rodrigues who was to take the game in her confidently aggressive and assertive innings. She hit elegant shots all over the ground and kept the scoreboard functioning with boundaries at critical moments. Nandani Sharma also grabbed attention with her fearless batting performance. The youngster was so much more mature than her age and helped support the innings beautifully. She came in attacking her team, allowing India to compile a strong total that put pressure on the England bowlers. Indian batting seemed confident all the way through the innings. Smart running between wickets and powerful hitting in the middle overs helped the team score a tricky number. 

It soon became difficult for England’s bowlers to block the flow of runs as Indian batters asserted themselves. England, with enthusiasm only, was responding with a more positive head-on start, but lost wickets quickly to India’s disciplined bowling attack. Indian bowlers kept their lines short and their lengths rigid and it was tough for England batters to score freely. Turning points also resulted from India's pick up of quick wickets during the middle overs and England completely losing all chance during its last game in any game. 

Fielders also gave a supportive playing style, with some extraordinary catches made by some very sharp fielders. England tried to recover through partnerships, however, the required run rate was getting higher and higher. Indian bowlers stayed calm and held the game until the last overs. Finally, England lost by 38 runs to allow India a significant triumph in the inaugural T20I, so that Indian women’s cricket teams were buoyed before the next series matches. And the success of young players like Nandani Sharma also brightens prospects for Indian women’s cricket. 

Supporters and experts in cricket lauded India’s balanced team effort. Jemimah Rodrigues received special praise for the match-winning knock, and Nandani Sharma was celebrated for her fearless approach under pressure. The win also underscores India’s emerging power in women’s cricket on the world stage. With both seasoned players and young stars proving up to the plate, the team now appears far stronger and more confident than ever. And India will now look forward to playing in the next series with England, hoping to finish the series with a memorable outing.

Sooryavanshi was at the door to making history by scoring 97 from 29 deliveries, a sum that could have meant he scored the fastest century of all time in IPL. It was one of the deadliest knocks in IPL playoff history. 

Sooryavanshi Breaks Gayle’s Six-Hitting Record

The left-handed opener was sensational with his 97 off only 29 deliveries, where he hit 12 sixes and 5 fours on a magnificent strike rate of over 334, a knock that took RR to a total of 243/8 in 20 overs. While he narrowly missed a ton, Vaibhav became the first batsman to hit a record number of sixes in a single IPL season (Chris Gayle had 59 in 2012), when he rose as IPL 2026’s breakout figure. 

Sooryavanshi narrowly missed another record, this time with the fastest century in IPL. Chris Gayle still held the record of hitting his ton in 30 balls, but the 15-year-old fell short on 97 off 29 deliveries. 

Chris Gayle Applauds Vaibhav’s Innings

The wicket received many responses from the cricket fraternity as many thought he was about to pen yet another chapter in IPL history, only to get out at the last minute. Gayle himself did post an acknowledgment of Vaibhav’s record-breaking performance and congratulated the RR youngster after a knock took his team to the playoffs. 

“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New Six machine," Gayle said on social media platform X.

Rayudu Predicts First T20 Double Century

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu praised the teen and mentioned that Vaibhav could be the first player in T20 history to score 200 runs in an innings. 

He said, "I think a 200 is around the corner. If he keeps going this way, we'll see a 200 very soon. He has not premeditated a single ball except for one ball where he tried to reverse sweep in one of those games earlier. Other than that, he just seems to watch the ball and react to it. His talent is so good that he can react to any ball the way he has been reacting. He's hitting everything for a six,” on ESPNCricinfo.

Vaibhav Leads Orange Cap Race

Vaibhav debuted in IPL last year and immediately drew headlines with a 35-ball century on the big stage. But, this season the 15-year-old has become a hero in the IPL. Now he is at the top of the Orange Cap standings with 680 runs in 15 matches at an average of 45.33 with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 242.85. 

Rajasthan Royals Score 243 Runs

The star of the match was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made a sensational impact after arriving early to the game. His explosive innings of 97 runs off just 29 balls completely dismantled the Sunrisers' bowling attack and set the stage for the Royals' success. Dhruv Jurel also played a crucial role in maintaining the team's momentum from the middle order. However, the Royals stumbled after Jurel's departure, finishing their innings at 243 for 8.

Hyderabad Top Order Fails

In response, Hyderabad had a daunting target of 244 runs but were bowled out for 196 in just 19.2 overs, despite some spirited performances in the middle order. Abhishek Sharma's early dismissal for a duck was a significant blow to their chances. Ishan Kishan showed promise but fell victim to Jofra Archer, who then added to his tally by claiming Travis Head’s wicket.

With the top three back in the pavilion, all eyes were on Heinrich Klaasen, but Yash Raj Punja's dismissal of him put Sunrisers firmly on the back foot. As wickets continued to fall, Hyderabad's hopes dwindled, and they were ultimately all out for 196. 

Parag Praises Bowlers For Effort

Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals captain said, “Yeah, a good game. Again, I think I like to be a perfectionist. I know it's not going to be a perfect game altogether. But even today, we should have gotten 260, right? So a bit to work on that. How to finish off innings after we get a start like Vaibhav did. But with the ball, I think I was really impressed. I think we held our calm. They got a lot of runs in the second over or the first, once Ishan and Travis added a few boundaries, but I think we came back really well and a good performance altogether,” regarding the win.

Playing Xl's: SRH AND RR

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja

Kohli is one of the famous athletes in the world. He is always on camera during games, practice. Even when he is not playing.. He said that it is not always easy for players to have all these cameras around them.

He was talking on the RCB Podcast.Kohli said that practice should be a thing where players can try new things without worrying about what others think.

He said "You go to practice and there are six cameras following you. It does not feel good all." Kohli explained that players need to be free to try things and get ready for games without being watched all the time.

If everything is recorded players start to worry about what others think, during practice. This takes away their freedom to try things.

Kohli said that players should only be judged on how they play in games not on how they practice. What happens in practice should stay private. Not be talked about in public.

He said "I will not be able to try things in practice because I know everyone will be talking about it tomorrow." This shows how much pressure players are under because of media and always being watched.

Virat Kohli also talked about how big social media's in sports now. He said it is good for fans and for teams to promote themselves. It needs to be used carefully so players do not feel overwhelmed.

He thinks that the people in charge of the Premier League and the teams should make sure that players are comfortable with being filmed before they put cameras around them.

Kohli told a story about Kane Williamson.

 He said that when players are just talking the media can make it into a big thing because there are always cameras around.

He also talked about a robot that is used in Premier League games. It interrupted a conversation he was having with Williamson.

With all these concerns Virat Kohli is still playing very well. In the Indian Premier League season he has scored a lot of runs and i

His comments have started a discussion among fans and experts about how to balance entertainment, media coverage and player privacy in cricket.

Virat Kohli said that the Indian Premier League should make sure that players have some privacy. He said that players should be able to practice without being filmed all the time.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru player said that this would help players to feel more comfortable and play better.

Virat Kohli is right that players need some time to themselves to get ready, for games. The Indian Premier League should listen to what Virat Kohli has to say.

Gujarat Titans Post Huge Total of 229

Yashasvi Jaiswal is leading the Rajasthan Royals for the first time this season with Riyan Parag being ruled out with a hamstring problem. Jaiswal won the toss and chose to bowl against Shubman Gill led Gujarat Titans.

GT's batting line-up dominated with Gill scoring 84 off 44 balls, including nine boundaries and three sixes. Despite receiving some treatment for a discomfort in his left foot, he was brilliant, and Sai Sudharsan finished with an unbeaten 55. The opening pair put on 118 runs for the opening wicket and GT crossed the 100-run mark in the 9th over. GT's scoring was then strengthened by the sixes of Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar (37) as they finished 229/4.

RR Collapse After Strong Powerplay Start

The RR chase started on a positive note with a six hit by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the first ball of the innings, and followed up by some attacking play by Dhruv Jurel that got them to 62/2 in five overs.

Then, Rashid Khan completely altered the course of the game. He took the wickets of both Jurel and Donovan Ferreira in one over, then pinned Ravindra Jadeja lbw to end with figures of 4/33. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada picked up the other vital wickets and Jason Holder ensured it was an early end to the RR innings, claiming 3/12.

Gill Satisfied With Team Effort

Gujarat Captain Shubman Gill said, “I think this was a clean win for us. Definitely. I think we got above maybe 10-15 runs extra on the board. We thought there was a little bit in for the spinners in the middle. It wasn’t easy to hit sixes or get the boundaries. The ball was gripping a little bit. We got 230 runs on the board. We always knew, if we get a couple of wickets in the powerplay, we’re going to have a good game.”

“And I know there was a phase, I think, for about a couple of overs where we didn’t get the boundary in the 17th, 18th over. But I think we covered it well in the last over. We believe it’s important to hold the fort up front. That’s where the thought process comes from,” regarding the match.

Playing Xl's: GT AND RR

Gujarat Titans- Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj

Rajasthan Royals- Yashasvi Jaiswal(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.

Hyderabad Post Huge Total of 235 Runs

Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan hit fifties as SRH managed 235/4 after being asked to bat. Abhishek Sharma was sent back after scoring just 35 off 13 balls while Travis Head 38 off 19 balls. The duo put on a 54-run opening stand off 3.3 overs. Ishan Kishan followed with 55 off 32 balls while Klaasen scored a brilliant 69 off 43 balls helping SRH set a huge total. 

Punjab Collapse Early In Big Chase

PBKS were off to a bad start (4/2 in 1.1 overs and 23/3 in 3.2 overs) in the second innings and never managed to recover from there. Punjab never looked on track during the chase with SRH skipper and pacer Pat Cummins striking for the hosts in the first over of the match, dismissing Priyansh Arya for a duck and Nitish Kumar Reddy striking on the very next ball to remove Prabhsimran. 

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals with Marcus Stoinis (28) and Suryansh Shedge (25) losing their wickets to Shivang Kumar and Cummins respectively. Connolly battled it out on his own at the other end and had a 68-run stand with Marco Jansen (19) but the stand only went to reduce the margin of defeat for the hosts. Hyderabad bowlers stopped Punjab at 202-7 in the end despite Australia's Cooper Connolly striking a century at his maiden T20 ton of the career in the IPL. 

SRH Tops As Punjab Slip Down to Second

The win for SRH takes the PBKS's spot at the top of the table after spending the first week of April there and the third loss for Punjab in a row, placing them one point above Gujarat Titans and in danger of missing out on the 2026 Indian Premier League Playoffs. 

Topping the table is SRH with 14 points in 11 matches and are winners in 7 and lost in 4 matches with a good net run rate of +0.737. Punjab Kings are in second place with 13 points in 10 matches with six wins, three losses and one no-result along with a strong NRR of +0.571 in spite of this loss.

Playing Xl's: PBKS AND SRH

Punjab Kings- Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sunrisers Hyderabad - Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Ravichandran Smaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain.

Gujarat Dominates Punjab in Last Over Thriller

Suryansh Shedge smashed an impressive 57 from 29 balls as PBKS recovered from a disastrous start to score 163 for 9. Batting first, Punjab were reeling at 47/5 within the 9th over of the innings. However, Suryansh Shedge brought Punjab back with a partnership of 79 runs off 44 balls with Marcus Stoinis (40) for the 6th wicket. As soon as the pair got out, Punjab lost momentum. 

For Gujarat, Jason Holder had an impressive bowling spell of 4 for 24, Kagiso Rabada (2 for 22) and Mohammed Siraj (2 for 28) took two wickets each. In the run chase, Said Sudharsan's well paced innings of 57 off 41 kept Gujarat in the chase but once they were dismissed, Punjab pulled themselves back into the game as they managed to pressure the batting side and the game was taken down to the final over. GT required 3 runs of two balls, they won with the help of Washington Sundar smashing a six to end the game.

Gujarat Move Closer in Tight Playoff Race

Punjab Kings currently stand at top of the table however, their lead is beginning to shrink and there are now four teams who share 12 points from second to fifth position. Gujarat Titans are finally beginning to find their groove at the right time along with some teams in the mid table.

GT are the only team within the top 5 who currently have a negative NRR which seems to be down to their approach of batting and problems with the middle order. If the chase for fourth position comes down to NRR, they are not in a very strong position. Though the three consecutive wins at this moment puts GT firmly in the race for the playoffs.

Gill Praises Calm Chase and Sundar’s Finish

Shubman Gill, GT captain said, “I think in chases like these, we would have liked to not take it as deep as it went but two crucial points. This is not the kind of wicket where we'll chase in 15-16 overs. So we thought maybe one over before or a couple of overs before. That was the talk. If someone is set they should go deep because it's not easy to hit from ball 1. Length balls weren't coming the way they do on other wickets. It was important for the batsman who is set. Luckily we had Washi and he finished the game for us. Just sent the best batter that we thought in that situation,” regarding the match win.

Playing Xl's: GT AND PBKS

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh(w), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar

KKR Deliver Complete Team Performance

Sunil Narine (2 for 31) and Varun Chakravarthy (3 for 36) led with the ball, cutting down SRH to 165 all out in 19.4 overs. Narine’s second wicket in the fourth over marked his 200th in the IPL, making him just the third bowler after Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to reach that milestone.

Chasing 166, KKR lost Finn Allen in the fourth over at 49, but captain Ajinkya Rahane held things together with a solid 43 from 36 balls. Angkrish Raghuvanshi chipped in with a steady 59 off 47, and together they put on 84 for the second wicket. Rinku Singh then finished it off, blasting 22 from just 11 balls and staying unbeaten.

KKR Strengthen Playoff Hopes

KKR now has 7 points from 9 matches, riding high on three wins in a row. If they win their remaining games, 17 points pretty much guarantees a Top 4 spot. If they win four out of five, though, their Net Run Rate will decide if they reach the 2026 IPL playoffs.

Rahane Credits Spinners and Preparation for Win

KKR Skipper Ajinkya Rahane said, “Very good game. The way we came back with the ball. Looked like they will get 190-200. It was a good wicket to bat on. 190-200 would've been challenging to chase. But credit to our bowling unit, especially the spinners. They kept taking wickets. Those small moments are really important, really happy with the win. The bowling unit has been doing really well last 5-6 games. Credit to our bowling coaches - Bravo and Southee. During practice sessions, lot of talking, lot of planning, different oppositions, different grounds. It's all about planning and executing. Here and there you will go for runs, but as long as you're clear in your head, that's important,” regarding the match win.

Playing Xl's: KKR AND SRH

Kolkata Knight Riders - Ajinkya Rahane (C), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy

Sunrisers Hyderabad - Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Ravichandran Smaran, Pat Cummins (C), Harshal Patel, Shivang Kumar and Eshan Malinga

MI Lose Momentum After Strong Start

MI captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bat first against CSK. MI got off to a bright start as they reached 57 for 1 in the powerplay with the help of boundaries from Ryan Rickelton and Naman Dhir. However, CSK pulled it back in the form of Noor Ahmad who picked up Rickelton's wicket at a crucial time.

Ramakrishna Ghosh then grabbed his first wicket in the IPL and dismissed Suryakumar Yadav. Things were not in favour of MI as Tilak Varma then departed due to a mistimed shot. Hardik Pandya struggled to find the boundary as he only scored 18 in 23 balls as MI looked to be lacking momentum despite Dhir's half-century. The visitors were still able to score 159 with Anshul Kamboj chipping in with 3 wickets in the end for MI.

Gaikwad and Kartik Seal Easy Chase

CSK's reply began with a brisk start before their first big star Sanju Samson departed to Jasprit Bumrah. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad held his nerve in the chase and hit 6 off Boult as CSK kept their required rate below 7 an over.

Kartik Sharma steadied the innings with a half-century. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma then got hold of the run-chase with a composed partnership that gave them a win with the pair both getting past the half-century mark as the CSK skipper ensured the chase did not slip away from them.

Playing Xl's: CSK AND MI

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary

Mumbai Indians: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar

Parag, Ferreira Rescue Rajasthan After Early Collapse

The Rajasthan innings had stuttered, losing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal early to reach 12 for 2. Parag, coming in at this stage, had nerves but it was not long before he rose to the challenge of a struggling team with his 90 off 50 balls helping the Royals reach a strong total of 225/6 against Delhi Capitals. 

Parag brought up his fifty in 32 deliveries and formed a crucial 102 run partnership with a steady Dhruv Jurel (42). He would continue to hold one end after Jurel had fallen, and formed a partnership with Ravindra Jadeja although the both fell in their cause. The strong finish to the innings, however, was down to Donovan Ferreira's quick fire 47 off only 14 balls, which took the Royals past 220.

Axar Patel Praises Team After Victory

Axar Patel , DC captain said, “Even in the last interview, I have kept telling you have to keep doing the right things, happy with the way the boys played. We executed our plans and as a captain I can't be happier, in the powerplay you take the game away from them then it makes me happy. He is a legend, after three months he's playing and to put in such a performance, shows why he's such a great player. I was playing as a leader in the Indian team, the decision making is something you have to work on and the coaches helped me as well. It is fine, icing has been done. Sorry for your loss and I would like to dedicate this win to the Delhi fans” regarding the win.

Playing Xl's: DC AND RR

Delhi Capitals - KL Rahul (WK), Pathum Nissanka (In for David Miller), Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel (C), Ashutosh Sharma (In for Sahil Parakh), Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Starc (In for Dushmantha Chameera), Kuldeep Yadav and T Natarajan

Rajasthan Royals - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey (In for Dasun Shanaka), Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi (In for Yash Punja), Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma

RCB Collapse Amid Bowling Pressure

Gujarat bowled first after winning the toss, and stopped the opponents at 155 in 19.1 overs. Virat Kohli took 5 boundaries off one over but was bowled in his next delivery. The middle order continued to fall apart for RCB, who lost wickets at an astonishing clip. RCB scored just 155 off 19.2 overs.

GT Captain Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler both played an impressive yet short innings against RCB. Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept RCB in the chase for a while. He took three wickets and slowed the scoring temporarily. Romario Shepherd’s spells added two more but was not enough to win RCB the game. Rahul Tewatia smashed his way and made Gujarat Titans win the game by four wickets.

Controversy Erupts Over Rajat Patidar’s Dismissal

Before being caught in the deep square leg, Rajat Patidar had been in a partnership of 44 runs with Devdutt Padikkal for the third wicket when Holder bowled the RCB captain in the eighth over. But, slow-motion replays revealed that perhaps Holder had grassed the ball one too many times. 

The TV umpire Abhijit Bhattacharya could have thought Holder had control and bowled Patidar out. Several RCB players were furious with Holder making gestures as if he had dropped the ball and Kohli appeared to argue with the reserve umpire Parashar Joshi. RCB coach Andy Flower was later caught in an argument with the reserve umpire too.

Gill Credits Fielding and Team Effort

Shubman Gill, GT captain said, "Feels very satisfying, you know, on a wicket like this, restricting a team like them under 160 was a tremendous job by the bowlers. (reason for the win tonight?) I think our fielding was one of the things, it's something I think at phases, we haven't fielded that well in the game. And I think today was one of those days, everyone came together. The energy in the field was very, very nice, especially after the second over, Virat bhai hit us for some runs and how we all came back together. That was very crucial for us" regarding the win.

Playing Xl's: GT AND RCB

GUJARAT TITANS: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood