Lucknow Super Giants coach Justin Langer declined to comment on where captain Rishabh Pant will bat ahead of their clash against Delhi Capitals in Lucknow on Wednesday, April 1. Pant had an indifferent 2025 season, where he was bought by LSG for a huge sum of Rs. 27 crores.

This also partly had to do with how he was constantly moved around the batting order. The LSG captain batted at number 4 during four of the five matches. He did not come to bat in the high-scoring game against KKR and even batted coincidentally at No. 7 against DC in Lucknow.

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He got success at No. 3 when he scored a century against RCB in the final league game. There was a report before the new season Having said that, Pant will be handed the No. 3 role ahead of Nicholas Pooran, who performed brilliantly at No. 3, scoring 466 runs in 12 matches with five fifties.

Langer admitted that it is a struggle to meet Pant, Pooran, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh in the top four, given that they are all amazing players. But he admitted it was a good headache ahead of the new season.

Especially about Pant he said that he would not give anything to escape DC is planning well before the game.

“I’m not telling you. Well, the truth is I’m not going to sit here and tell you where Rishabh Pant is going to bat tomorrow. I appreciate you asking, but if you want a straight answer, I’m not going to tell you where he’s going to bat tomorrow because then DC knows where he’s going to bat, and then they have to deal with it not tomorrow but tonight at 7:30. However, thanks for asking, you’ll be waiting like everyone else And we will see.” Langer.

Pant’s record at number 3 in IPL

Pant has scored 558 runs in 15 matches, during which he has scored one century and two half-centuries. His strike rate is 172.75 and average is 46.5. Last season, Pant was able to score only 269 runs in 14 matches and he will be hoping to make a comeback this time.

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Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Cameron Green finds himself under scrutiny in IPL 2026, with questions being raised over his role and impact after the defeat to Mumbai Indians. However, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has backed the 26-year-old, highlighting the weight of expectations that comes with being a high-priced all-rounder.

Green was bought by KKR for Rs 25.2 crore. Did not bowl in the opening match of the season at Wankhede, Where the KKR attack struggled to defend 220 runs. His absence as a bowling option was glaring as MI chased the target comfortably, exposing the lack of depth in KKR’s attack.

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MI vs KKR, IPL 2026: Update | Achievement:

However, Andrew McDonald suggested that expectations from Green may be too high, while supporting the 26-year-old to find his balance soon.

Speaking on SEN Radio, McDonald said, “There are huge expectations within the IPL, and there are huge expectations from any all-rounder who shapes up the Australian team. It’s not unreasonable, but there is an expectation from all-rounders to contribute in a certain way.”

He said, “It’s almost as if they want his average to be below 45 with the bat and 30 with the ball. And there are very few who do that. I’m sure his career will go upwards… We know he is very good. He just has to balance all those expectations, and especially, play in all three formats, which is a significant challenge for any cricketer.”

Why is Cameron Green not bowling for KKR?

Questions raised over Green’s absence with the ball in the openerEspecially after KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane showed signs of improvement in the team combination after starting the bowling.

It was later clarified by Cricket Australia that Green is currently suffering from a back problem, which will keep him away from bowling for approximately 10 to 12 days. The KKR management is fully aware of the situation and their workload is being managed carefully.

This ban significantly affected KKR’s balance against MI, especially as the team is already missing key bowling options like Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, while Mathisha Pathirana is unavailable.

Without Green’s extra overs, KKR bowlers came under immense pressure. Varun Chakravarthy remained wicketless while Vaibhav Arora and Blessing Muzarabani were dismissed by the MI openers.

Green also performed well with the bat and scored 18 runs in 10 balls before being dismissed by Shardul Thakur.

Despite the underwhelming start, McDonald’s endorsement underscores the belief that Green’s long-term value goes beyond immediate returns. For KKR, his return as a complete all-round option could be crucial in restoring balance in the coming games.

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Suryakumar Yadav (Photo courtesy: SKY’s X post)

Mumbai: Many fans were surprised to see India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav I’m playing as an impact option Mumbai Indians‘IPL opener against Kolkata Knight Riders here on Sunday, but MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene Putting an end to the speculations, he said that this was just a precautionary measure due to the injury suffered by the legendary batsman after leading India to victory in the T20 World Cup.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Jayawardene insisted that there were no “unwanted stories” here. SKY did not field for MI in their first match of the season, however he scored 16 runs from 8 balls as the hosts defeated KKR by six wickets, recording their highest successful run chase in IPL history. “I hope we don’t create unwanted stories. The camp is happy. He wanted a few extra days off. His back was a bit tight and he was fielding and so on, but I knew we had five more days from this game to the next game. I just wanted to give him a little extra time.When Jayawardene was asked if Suryakumar was being used as an impact option just like the MI captain, Jayawardene told reporters, “He was keen to field for three-four overs at the end, but I said that’s fine.” Rohit Sharma Had no fielding role in the previous season. “So please don’t make up any stories. I have to be careful.”Jayawardene said, “These are very valuable players and I want their support throughout the season. These are conscious decisions taken by the management and there is nothing beyond that.” Jayawardene was pleased that Mumbai Indians finally ended their initial IPL winning streak, which ran from 2013 to 2025.While he praised the batsmen, the former Sri Lankan captain did not seem completely satisfied with the bowling. “Yes, it’s fantastic. It was a good wicket to bat on. When they got to 220, I thought we were a bit weak in execution. We probably gave away 20 runs extra. But the way Rohit (Rohit) and Ryan batted, it was worth watching. “It was also tactical, because if we use Allah (AM Ghazanfar) and Hardik up front, we can’t have too many new-ball bowlers. I needed options in the middle and end, and that was the thinking when we traded Shardul. It is about thinking differently with our bowling combinations to suit different opponents and how we want to go about it,” he said.

R Praggnanandhaa continued his steady start at the FIDE Candidates Tournament as he played out an easy draw with black against Wei Yi in the second round on Monday to remain on the joint lead by 1.5 points.

After a strong early win over Anish Giri, Praggnanandha once again looked in control and put little pressure on the French defense despite playing with the black pieces. However, Wei Yi chose a safer route, leading to simplification of the game as pieces were exchanged at regular intervals.

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The game eventually turned into a bishops endgame of the opposite color, where Praggnanandhaa had an extra pawn but could make no further progress. With White’s position strong, the players agreed to a draw after 46 moves.

While the initial round had produced three decisive results, the second round saw a more cautious approach across the board. Giri played out a draw with Fabiano Caruana, while Javokhir Sindarov shared a point with Matthias Bluebaum.

In another game, Hikaru Nakamura was playing a theoretically prepared rook-and-pawn endgame against Andrey Esipenko.

What happened in the Candidates Women category?

In the women’s event, Divya Deshmukh missed a golden opportunity to take the sole lead after slipping from the winning position against compatriot R Vaishali.

Divya had a strong tactical idea in time crunch, but faltered in execution, allowing Vaishali to escape with a resourceful counter that included a queen sacrifice to force a draw.

Xiner Zhu also failed to convert a near-win situation against Katarina Lagno, who saved a draw through a timely rook sacrifice under pressure.

Elsewhere, Bibisara Asoubaeva played out a draw with Alexandra Goryachkina, while Zhongyi Tan shared points with Anna Muzychuk.

Notably, there is no conclusive result yet in the women’s category after two rounds.

The Candidates Tournament, held every two years, determines the challengers for the world title. The winner of the open section will face De Gukesh later this year, while the winner of the women’s section will take on Xu Wenjun.

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