Tag: IPL 2026

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has criticized the pitches used in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Livingstone, who turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad, called the run-fests ‘boring’ and said there was little skill involved when batters were repeatedly clearing the boundary.

“We were playing Mumbai, and we chased 230 or 240 in 18 overs. I thought it is actually quite boring. Just watching people go 6, 6, 6. There is no real skill involved,” he said during the Stick To Cricket podcast.

He described the pitches as extremely flat and said high-scoring matches were common despite the presence of big boundaries.

“The pitches were so flat and the Impact Player just comes in. The boundaries are big enough but the pitches are so flat. At Mumbai, the ball just absolutely flies. In Hyderabad, he played at the same pitch maybe five or six times,” he added.

The 32-year-old heaped high praise on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, noting that he had never seen a player like him in IPL.

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“I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’ve been there; this year was my seventh IPL. And I’ve played with and against some very good players, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

Livingstone praised Sooryavanshi’s clean ball-striking ability, noting that his six-hitting prowess makes bowlers clueless.

Livingstone praised Sooryavanshi’s clean ball-striking ability, noting that his six-hitting prowess constantly puts bowlers under pressure.

“He’s just like the way he hits a ball, he hits a ball so clean, yeah. He never really mis-hits a ball, never really mis-hits a ball the whole time. And wherever the ball, the first time we got him out with a bouncer, first ball he hit it straight up.”

But then the development that he made as a player from the start of that tournament to the end was like… we were bowling bouncers, and he was hitting it over third man, and then you’d bowl this side, he’d hit it there; you bowl full, he hit it there; bowl a low full toss, he’d flick it over there. And you’re like, ‘Well, hold on a minute, where do we bowl?'” he concluded.

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New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has claimed that the Mumbai Indians paid him only half his salary after he suffered an injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The all-rounder was bought by the Mumbai Indians at the IPL mega auction in 2025 for INR 20 million and was retained by the franchise for this year’s edition.

Santner’s IPL 2026 campaign in disappointment as he managed to play only a few matches before getting ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.

Initially, the 34-year-old was expected to be out of action for eight weeks. However, he recovered in time and was later included in New Zealand’s squad, after which several allegations regarding his injury emerged.

Santner addressed the allegations of faking his injury to leave IPL 2026 on Grade Cricketer Podcast.

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“Well, they gave me half my cash, so that actually hurt a little bit,” Santner revealed.

The New Zealand skipper shared that he suffered two separate injuries and was unable to put his body through an intense workload during the IPL.

“I got there, missed the first game, birth of my second child, got there straight off the plane, played Delhi, did [injured] my right shoulder, out for kind of week,”

“I came back a couple of games later, did [injured] my left and went home. So I did [injured] two shoulders in the space of kind of two weeks. So I thought I was putting my body on the line for them, but obviously not.”

For the unversed, IPL 2026 was marred by controversies from players breaching the code of conduct, resulting in stricter actions from the BCCI.

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AHMEDABAD: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David has been handed a one-match suspension for the start of the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season after breaching the tournament’s Code of Conduct during the final of the 2026 edition.

The disciplinary action stems from an incident that occurred during RCB’s title-winning clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

According to an IPL media release, the Australian batter reacted angrily to an umpiring decision during the 10th over of Gujarat Titans’ innings.

The incident involved a catch attempt by Jordan Cox off the bowling of Washington Sundar, which was ultimately ruled not out.

Frustrated by the decision, David threw an ice bag in the direction of on-field umpire Nitin Menon, an act that resulted in a breach of Article 2.9 of the IPL Code of Conduct.

The article relates to throwing a ball or any other item of cricket equipment at or near a player, official, umpire, match referee or any third person in an inappropriate or dangerous manner during a match.

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David admitted the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Javagal Srinath. The offence carried additional significance because it marked David’s third disciplinary breach of the season.

As a result, his accumulated demerit points reached five, automatically triggering a one-match suspension under the IPL’s disciplinary regulations.

The punishment means the hard-hitting batter will miss Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s opening fixture of the IPL 2027 season.

Despite the controversy, RCB ended their campaign on a historic note by defeating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final to successfully defend their crown.

The triumph made Royal Challengers Bengaluru only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles, joining Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in the exclusive club.

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AHMEDABAD: Teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi capped off a sensational Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign by sweeping the tournament’s major individual honours, including the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Although Rajasthan Royals fell short of reaching the final after suffering defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, the 15-year-old emerged as the undisputed star of the season with a series of record-breaking performances.

Sooryavanshi completed the tournament with 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike-rate of 237.30, securing the Orange Cap as the leading run-scorer of IPL 2026.

He also collected the Best Emerging Player award, becoming the first cricketer in IPL history to win both the MVP and Emerging Player honours in the same season.

The teenage sensation narrowly missed guiding Rajasthan Royals into the final despite producing a blistering 96-run knock off just 47 deliveries in Qualifier 2.

However, the Gujarat Titans edged past the Royals to book their place in the title clash, where they were eventually defeated by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary season saw him rewrite several IPL records. His tally of 72 sixes established a new benchmark for the most sixes in a single IPL edition, surpassing the previous record of 59 set by Chris Gayle.

He also became the first batter since Gayle in 2011 to finish an IPL season with both the highest run aggregate and best strike-rate.

Reflecting on his remarkable campaign, Sooryavanshi admitted that the attention surrounding his success has brought a new challenge.

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“It feels nice, but there is pressure because I am doing interviews. It is a proud moment, and I will try and do well next season too,” he said after receiving his awards.

The youngster credited his fearless approach and ability to adapt to different match situations as key factors behind his success.

“I try to back my game, and if the ball is there to be hit, I go all out for it and just try to play that way.

“How to play the pressure game, how to change myself every game, you can’t play every game in one mode, you need to read the game situation and play according to the team’s requirements. These are my learnings from this season.”

He also highlighted fitness as an area of focus moving forward.

“If I have to play long, I have to stay clear of injuries and work on my fitness and have to focus more,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada claimed the Purple Cap after finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 29 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 9.68.

It marked the second time Rabada won the award, having previously achieved the feat with the Delhi Capitals in 2020.

On the batting charts, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill finished second behind Sooryavanshi with 732 runs, while opening partner B Sai Sudharsan occupied third place with 722 runs.

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AHMEDABAD: Virat Kohli starred with an unbeaten half-century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched back-to-back IPL titles with a win over Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

Chasing a stiff 156, RCB secured the victory in 18 overs, losing five wickets in the process.

Kohli sealed victory with a six to cap a magnificent 42-ball innings featuring nine fours and three sixes, then pointed to the stands as Bengaluru players sprinted out to celebrate.

Bengaluru and Kohli have been on a roll since they won their first IPL crown at the 18th attempt last year at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Kohli’s iconic number 18 jersey dominated the stands at the world’s biggest cricket ground, which recorded an official attendance of over 90,000 spectators on Sunday.

Kohli and fellow opener Venkatesh Iyer, who hit 32 off 16 balls, got Bengaluru off to a flying start in a 62-run partnership.

Mohammed Siraj broke the stand as he dismissed Iyer and Kagiso Rabada removed Devdutt Padikkal from the other end.

Rashid Khan struck twice in one over to send back skipper Rajat Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya to raise Gujarat’s hopes.

But Tim David and Kohli put on 41 runs to steady the chase. David fell for 24 but Kohli saw the team through with Jitesh Sharma for company.

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Bengaluru’s quicks set up the victory as Rasikh Salam stood out with 3-27 in a disciplined attack alongside Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who both took two wickets each.

The trio justified the decision to put Gujarat in to bat, striking early and regularly. Only Washington Sundar offered much resistance as he scored a defiant 50 not out.

Hazlewood landed the first blow as he dismissed skipper Shubman Gill for 10 with Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar taking a fine running catch.

Kumar dislodged the other opener, Sai Sudharsan, for 12 in the next over.

Both Gill and Sudharsan were in the race for the Orange Cap awarded to the top scorer in the IPL season, but Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ended top of the list with 776 runs.

Gill (732) and Sudharsan (722) finished second and third. Kohli was fourth with 675 runs, including one century.

Nishant Sindhu, who made 20, and Jos Buttler attempted to steady the Gujarat innings but struggled against a miserly attack and soon Salam removed Sindhu.

Krunal Pandya had Buttler stumped for 19 with his left-arm spin and Gujarat slumped to 73-4 in 12.1 overs.

Wickets continued to fall but Sundar stood firm to reach his fifty in the 20th over.

The effort was not enough as Gujarat ended runners-up for the second time in three finals, with their only triumph coming in their debut season in 2022.

READ: David Warner praises Arafat Minhas after record debut

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be eyeing their second straight IPL title against an upbeat Gujarat Titans in the final at the 130,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Kohli has been central to Bengaluru’s efforts since their first title in the T20 tournament last year.

Batting great Kohli will be back at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s biggest cricket ground and the venue of Bengaluru’s triumph in 2025.

Bengaluru topped the 10-team table at the end of the league stage and beat Gujarat in the first play-off to secure direct entry into the final.

However, Gujarat bounced back from their defeat in style as they hammered Rajasthan Royals in the last play-off to qualify for their third final in five years, winning the title in 2022.

“In the IPL and actually in any form of cricket, you have to remain reasonably level regardless of the result,” Gujarat’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki said.

“If you come off the back of a defeat, you can’t get too low, because, more often than not, you’re preparing for the next game.”

Skipper Shubman Gill, who is also India’s Test and ODI captain, hit 104 in New Chandigarh on Friday. The 26-year-old has scored 722 runs, putting him second in the batting chart behind Rajasthan’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on 776.

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Gill’s opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, is third with 710 runs. The pair have laid the foundation of Gujarat’s success.

“I can only imagine all of the work that Shubman has put in throughout his career to get to where he is, as far as batting is concerned,” said former England batter Solanki.

“He’s an exceptional young man. To be playing the cricket that he is, to be batting the way he is, is just phenomenal.”

Virat Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, has scored 600 runs this season, including one century and four half-centuries, at an average of 50.00 in 15 matches.

Bengaluru’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, said: “Everybody understands what Virat Kohli brings, his intensity, his fight, his hunger”.

“Experience counts for a lot in pressure games, but I think it also speaks volumes for their personalities and character,” Bobat said.

Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar stepped up his game in the first qualifier, hammering an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls. His knock, after Kohli’s attacking 43, paved the way for Bengaluru’s mammoth total of 254 in a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat.

“Any team whose captain is playing well gets greater confidence from that,” said Bobat.

“We’re becoming accustomed to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but also really the aggressive intent… that’s leading by example.”

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s latest extraordinary innings was hailed by cricket greats on Thursday, as calls grow for the 15-year-old phenomenon to be propelled straight into the senior India team.

The teenage opener hit 12 sixes, including three in a row off Australia captain Pat Cummins, before he was out for 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals in Wednesday’s playoff win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Yeah, he played pretty well,” said a shell-shocked Cummins, who was launched into the stands four times in all by the left-hander.

“The margins are so small. You miss your yorker by a little bit and he doesn’t tend to miss them. So, yeah, fair play.”

Sooryavanshi hit seven boundaries in a row to reach 97 off 28 balls.

But he was caught in the deep attempting another that would have broken Chris Gayle’s record of 30 balls for the fastest IPL century.

On the way he smashed the West Indian’s 12-year-old record of 59 sixes in a single edition of the IPL.

He has cleared the ropes 65 times and is in possession of the Orange Cap for the most runs in the IPL season, with 680 at an average of 45.33.

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Past master Gayle called Sooryavanshi the IPL’s “new six machine”.

“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man!” he posted on social media.

Sooryavanshi was crestfallen when he was out.

But he has a chance for more fireworks against Gujarat Titans in the final playoff match on Friday. The holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru await the winners in Sunday’s final.

Calls for Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked into India’s team have accelerated since he slammed a 17-ball 52 to start his IPL season.

“He is the best T20 opener in the World… India have to pick him,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said on X on Wednesday.

India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar lauded Sooryavanshi’s technique calling the innings “simply spectacular”.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been exceptional,” he posted.

“What stands out even more is the way he effortlessly clears his front foot to make room for deliveries targeting his pads.

This gives him the freedom to play his natural game.”

Comparison with Tendulkar, who made his full international debut aged 16, have been inevitable.

But former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik warned against heaping expectation on young shoulders.

“What Vaibhav is doing is very special, but what I don’t want the people to do is tag him as the next Sachin because he is just 15 years old,” Karthik said on the Quest Talk podcats.

“I think what Sachin did was extraordinary. Vaibhav’s challenges will be completely different.”

Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag said he didn’t need to offer much advice to the fearless youngster.

“That’s the thing we don’t have any conversations,” Parag said.

“He likes batting. Just leave him alone, let him go and have fun.”

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Rajat Patidar led from the front with an unbeaten 93 to help defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) storm into the IPL 2026 final with a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat Titans on Tuesday.

Captain Patidar’s 33-ball knock steered Bengaluru to 254-5 and then their bowlers combined to bowl out Gujarat for 162 in 19.3 overs in the first qualifier in Dharamsala.

Gujarat will have another shot at making the final when they go into Friday’s second qulifier in Chandigarh where they will face the winner of the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

The final takes place in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Star batter Virat Kohli hit 43 to lay the foundation for Bengaluru’s mammoth total — the highest ever in an IPL play-off — after being invited to bat first.

The 37-year-old Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who made 30, put on 72 for the second wicket before Jason Holder hit back for Gujarat with two wickets in three balls.

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Holder got Virat Kohli to drag the ball back onto his stumps and then had the left-handed Padikkal caught behind by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

But Bengaluru quickly rebuilt the innings with Patidar and Krunal Pandya putting together a counter-attacking stand of 95 off 47 balls.

Both Patidar and left-handed Pandya hit a flurry of fours and sixes, including in a 28-run 15th over, as Gujarat faltered with dropped catches and sloppy ground fielding.

Kagiso Rabada dropped Patidar on 20 and a few fielding blunders let Bengaluru race away before Pandya top-edged Rabada to deep midwicket.

Patidar kept up the charge as he reached his fifty off 21 balls with a six off Rabada.

Patidar lost another partner in Tim David, bowled by Prasidh Krishna for four, but finished with a flourish alongside Jitesh Sharma who hit 15 off five balls.

In reply, 2022 champions Gujarat were never in the chase after being reduced to 51-5 inside six overs.

Gujarat started briskly with in-form opener Sai Sudharsan starting with two successive fours off New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy.

But the bowler had his revenge in a lucky manner in the next over when Sudharsan was out hit wicket, the bat slipping out of his hand and hitting the stumps as he played a sparkling cut to the cover boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled skipper Shubman Gill for two and Josh Hazlewood rattled the stumps of Buttler, who departed for 29.

Wickets kept tumbling as pace bowler Rasikh Salam struck twice in one over and the writing was on the wall.

Impact substitute Rahul Tewatia made 68 to save Gujarat the blushes after they slumped to 88-8 in 11.2 overs.

READ: WATCH: Sai Sudharsan bowled after bizarre bat incident in IPL 2026

DHARAMSHALA: Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan was cleaned bowled in one of the unluckiest ways during IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday.

Following RCB’s record score of 254 in the playoffs, a flying start was required from the inform Titans openers, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.

Sudharsan, coming off five consecutive fifties, started aggressively, hammering two boundaries in the opening over from Jacob Duffy before adding another four when the pacer returned for his second spell.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically following a bizarre incident.

Duffy delivered a short-of-a-good-length ball, and Sudharsan went for a cut shot towards point after staying deep in the crease. But while completing the shot, his bat slipped from his hands, flew behind him, and ricocheted onto the stumps.

Initially unaware of what had happened, Sudharsan had already set off for a run. But after turning back and noticing the disturbed stumps, the GT opener was left stunned.

The left-handed batter shut his eyes in frustration and disbelief before making the long walk back to the pavilion following one of the unluckiest dismissals in IPL playoff history.

With this, he became the first batter to be hit-wicket twice in the tournament’s history. He is also second after Kusal Mendis to be out in this fashion in the IPL playoffs.

Earlier, RCB posted a mammoth total, thanks to Rajat Patidar’s brilliant 93 off 33 balls, including nine sixes and three fours. Virat Kohli also chipped in with a quick-fire 43 off 25, hitting five fours and a six.

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England’s Jofra Archer starred with bat and ball as Rajasthan Royals sealed the last play-off spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with a 30-run win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday.

Archer struck a 15-ball 32 after being promoted to number seven in the batting order to lift Rajasthan to 205-8 from a precarious 119-5 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

He then turned up in his primary role as a fast bowler, taking 3-17 as Mumbai finished on 175-9 despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 60.

Former champions Rajasthan, who have been driven by strong performances including by their 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Soorayavanshi, knocked Punjab Kings from fourth place to complete the play-off line-up with 16 points.

Punjab ended the league stage with 14 points and needed Rajasthan to lose the game to prolong their season.

The result also ended Kolkata Knight Riders’ slim chances.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, and Sunrisers Hyderabad had already booked their play-off spots.

Bengaluru will face Gujarat in the first qualifier on Tuesday, and the winner will reach the final to be played in Ahmedabad on May 31.

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Hyderabad and Rajasthan will clash in the eliminator on Wednesday, with the loser out of the tournament and the winner heading into the second qualifier.

Put in to bat first, Rajasthan lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal, for 27, and teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi, for four, to England spinner Will Jacks and Indian seamer Deepak Chahar.

Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel hit 38, and Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka struck 29 off 15 balls before Rajasthan were five down in the 13th over.

Archer walked in two places above his usual number nine, and counter-attacked with three sixes and a four.

He departed in the 18th over but inspired Ravindra Jadeja, who hit an 11-ball 19, and Nandre Burger, who struck 10 off three balls, to help Rajasthan plunder 73 runs from the last five overs.

An upbeat Archer then rattled Mumbai with the ball as he sent back Rohit Sharma, caught behind for a fourth-ball duck in the first over.

He bowled Naman Dhir for six and fellow quick Burger dismissed Ryan Rickelton for 12 as five-time champions Mumbai soon slipped to 38-4.

Suryakumar put on key stands including a sixth-wicket partnership of 48 with skipper Hardik Pandya, who made 34, to keep Mumbai in the contest.

Archer broke the stand with the wicket of Pandya and Suryakumar’s departure in the 18th over cleared Rajasthan’s path to the play-offs.

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