Sunrisers Hyderabad have promoted Ishan Kishan to the role of stand-in captain ahead of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League, the franchise announced on Wednesday, March 18. The team confirmed that regular captain Pat Cummins will miss the first few matches of the tournament due to a lower back injury.
While Kishan has been given the captaincy, aggressive opening batsman Abhishek Sharma has been made the vice-captain. Kishan’s promotion comes after a sensational T20 World Cup 2026, where he scored 317 runs at a strike rate of 193. He was a vital presence in the powerplay, even as Abhishek performed poorly for most of the tournament.
Despite 2026 being Kishan’s second season with the team, the top-order batsman has been handed the leadership role. The decision could be taken from his recent captaincy success with Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led the team to the title last season.
This marks a significant turnaround for Kishan, who had fallen out of favor with the Indian national team at the end of 2022 and was later dropped from the central contract after being out of domestic cricket for a period.
After some time away from the game, Kishan ensured that the break did not hamper his development. The wicketkeeper-batsman developed into a leader to watch, leading Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2025. Kishan scored 517 runs in just 10 matches at a tremendous strike-rate of 197. He was the top scorer of the tournament.
Kishan led from the front in the final against Haryana. Starting the innings, He scored a century in just 49 ballsA brilliant 69-run victory and underlined his value beyond his role behind the stumps.
Kishan’s return to India
After an incredible domestic season, Kishan was brought back into the Indian team. Kishan grabbed the opportunity and was included in India’s playing eleven for the T20 World Cup. After a disappointing start against USA in the first match, Kishan scored two consecutive fifties against Namibia and Pakistan.
His innings against Pakistan was particularly impressive and proved to be the difference between the two sides. Kishan also played a quickfire inning of 54 runs in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand and led India to the highest score in the history of the tournament final.
Cummins took part in only one match in the Ashes and took six wickets in Australia’s victory over the England cricket team, before being rested for the remainder of the series. He was also ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026, although SRH say he is expected to be fit in time for the latter stages of the IPL.
Virat Kohli Having reached Bengaluru well ahead of the upcoming IPL season, Royal Challengers Bangalore have been in attendance as they look to defend their title.The star batsman was at the heart of RCB’s historic win last season, scoring 657 runs at a strike rate of 144.71 and an impressive average of 54.75, which included eight half-centuries. His consistency at the top played a huge role in ending the franchise’s long wait for silverware.RCB finally broke their 18-year title drought Rajat Patidar Stepping up as a leader during the campaign. Having achieved that milestone, the focus now turns to repeating the success in what promises to be a challenging title defence.Kohli had already retired from T20 and Test. With only ODIs and IPL left, the importance of each appearance has now increased.Even at the age of 37, Kohli’s excellent performance continues. His statistics from last season underline his enduring quality, as he is one of the most complete batsmen in the format, capable of anchoring and adding pace as required.His recent ODI form further highlights his consistency. Against South Africa, Kohli scored 135 runs from 120 balls, 102 runs from 93 balls and 65 not out from 45 balls in the three-match series. After this, he scored 93 runs on 91 balls in the first ODI against New Zealand and 124 runs on 108 balls in the third ODI.RCB will begin their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.Kohli also enters this season as the IPL’s all-time leading run-scorer, with 8,661 runs in 267 matches, including a record eight centuries.
Bangladesh Sports Minister Aminul Haq plans to form a second committee to investigate why Bangladesh could not participate in the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka this year. Haq said a second committee would be formed to look into the call for a boycott and whether withdrawing from the event was a failure of sports diplomacy.
Bangladesh decides to ignore T20 World Cup They were forced to change the venue to India after Mustafizur Rahman’s unceremonious exit from the IPL. The ICC decided to reject Bangladesh’s request and this forced the BCB to continue its stance of boycotting the tournament. Their place in the tournament was taken by Scotland.
Haq said that the matter will be investigated after Eid and such mistake will not be repeated in future.
“We will try to find out why we did not go to the World Cup. We have to understand why our sports diplomacy was weak. We will form an inquiry committee on this subject after Eid. We have to strengthen our sports diplomacy and ensure that we do not repeat this mistake in future.”
ICC will decide the future of BCB?
On 11 March, the Sports Ministry decided to form an inquiry committee to investigate allegations of irregularities, abuse and manipulation of power during the BCB elections last year. The board reacted strongly to this, saying that the move to form a committee was tantamount to government interference. Haq said that once the committee submits its report within 15 working days, he will discuss the matter with the ICC.
“We are all aware of the direct interference of our previous government in the BCB elections last year,” Haq said. “I have spoken about it on several occasions. Following the allegations from Dhaka clubs and districts, we have formed an inquiry committee. I will read their report, but my next step will be after speaking to the ICC.”
There were strong allegations that former captain Tamim Iqbal and a large group of Dhaka Club officials had planned the elections. Before the elections, allegations were also leveled against BCB President Aminul Islam. A few weeks before the elections, Aminul had written a letter to the Sports Ministry urging the replacement of councilors from select districts. Tamim also claimed that the BCB revised the nomination deadline on two separate occasions.
Haq said investigators would look into the process through which district administrators changed their nominations before the elections.
“The inquiry committee will talk to the BCB election commissioners, the current board chairperson, BCB directors and CEO. It will also contact the district administrators who nominated the BCB councillors,” Haq said. It is alleged that many of these district administrators sent the name of a new councilor after receiving a letter already nominating one. [from Aminul]. I believe that these cases should be investigated impartially.”
Bangladesh recently defeated Pakistan in the three-match ODI series.
New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last month removed the A+ category from its players’ retainership system, saying there were not enough candidates to qualify for the gradation. However, TOI understands that the board may be forced to re-look at the evaluation structure of the existing gradation of contracts to ensure that players who have consistently performed well do not lose out on the money they received last year. India’s leading fast bowlers are at the top of this list. Jasprit BumrahWho have consistently received Grade A+ contracts since the start of the 2018–19 season. It is learned that the board has not officially informed about the value of the contracts for this season. As per the previous system, Grade A+ players received Rs 7 crore, while Grade A, B and C players received Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively. BCCI did not mention the amount for each category while announcing this year’s retainership. It is learned that the players have also not yet been officially informed about the value of their contracts.
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Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag watching West Ham vs Man City in London
Grade A+ was reserved for players who had made it to all three formats and achieved a world ranking in the top 10 in any one format. since Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Also retired from two formats Ravindra Jadeja After his retirement from T20, only Bumrah is left on the board. The clash with the current contract system starts here as despite holding all three formats, Bumrah was kept in Grade A by default this year. Currently, Grade A includes only Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. The board is trying to figure out how Bumrah can be compensated. It is understandable that it would be unfair to reduce his fee from Rs 7 crore to Rs 5 crore. There are some other players who have gone down a grade despite performing well. There could be revisions in the valuation of contracts,” a BCCI source told TOI. The other name that is being debated is that of India’s T20I vice-captain Axar Patel, who has been an integral part of the T20I and ODI set-up in the 2024-25 season. Akshar has been given a Grade C contract, which was worth Rs 1 crore till last year. India are set to taste one of their most successful years in white-ball cricket in the 2024-25 season, with contracts awarded for the 2024-25 season. Test cricket has seen a decline at home and in Australia, with a five-Test series in England tied in between. TOI has acquired the official norms that were prepared when Grade A+ was introduced in 2018-19. According to the document, for a Grade A contract, a player must fulfill any two of the following four criteria: any two formats, automatic selection in the team, top 15 in the world ranking, automatic selection in the Test team with 40 or more matches. A Grade B contract requires the player to fulfill any two of the following criteria: any two formats, automatic selection in the team, top 20 in the world rankings, automatic selection in the Test team with 60 or more matches. Interestingly, Axar was the world No. 11 all-rounder in T20Is in 2025 and also played a key role in India’s win, which makes him two of the four to qualify for a Grade A or Grade B contract. Even though the BCCI has changed the criteria over the last three years, a minimum Grade B contract seemed viable. It will be interesting to see if the board has revised the criteria for this year also. Apart from Bumrah and Akshar, there are other players like KL RahulMohammad Siraj, hardik pandya And Rishabh Pant has been pushed from Grade A to Grade B. It should be noted that Rahul has been performing consistently in Tests and ODIs, while Siraj and Pant had exceptional Test tours of England. Pandya has also been a key member of India’s ODI and T20 teams. The BCCI has historically considered player injuries and has ensured that players are not penalized for leaving cricket due to injuries.
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was in London last week watching West Ham hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium. At first glance, an IPL captain attending a Premier League game seems like nothing more than a holiday. But Parag was not there just to watch football. He came there to learn.
This was perhaps an odd choice for the game. West Ham are in the midst of a relegation battle with just 29 points from 30 games, with every match now carrying the weight of the result. When City took the lead through Bernardo Silva, the 60,000 Hammers fans did not panic.
Four minutes later, Bowen turned a corner, a moment of chaos ensued in the box and Mavropanos headed home.
West Ham secured a point against one of Europe’s finest teams by refusing to concede defeat until the final minute in a resilient defensive display. The draw not only helped them gain a point against the City team but more importantly kept them alive in the Premier League, their battle to last at least another week.
By Parag’s own account, the stadium was deafening from start to finish, with every tackle and clearance demanding effort and delivering it in equal measure. And while watching from the stand something clicked.
Pollen’s West Ham parallel
During his visit to London, the newly appointed Rajasthan Royals captain sat with West Ham skipper Jarrod Bowen. The conversation went somewhere most pre-arranged interviews don’t, moving away from rehearsed answers to something more honest, more difficult to articulate.
Riyan Parag at the London Stadium. (Image: Premier League)
The Indian batsman, who is an avid fan of the Premier League, asked him the question he really came to ask: how do you keep the dressing room alive when the season is already gone? How will you care about the players when the points table has already moved up without them?
Parag knew what it felt like to see a season slip through one’s fingers. Rajasthan’s stand-in captain last season, Parag faced a tough campaign, with his team losing close games on several occasions, often finding ways to miss out at crucial moments.
And in the IPL, when you lose that many games, it’s hard to bounce back, and even harder to avoid quietly losing confidence.
“Last year we were ninth,” Parag said. “How do you motivate your players to come out and perform every time, knowing that you will not win the trophy, knowing that you will not qualify, but still go out there and put on a show for all those who have paid their hard-earned money?”
In a select media interaction organized by the English Premier League, Parag revealed that Bowen apparently had the answers.
“The way he has handled himself, the way he has given messages and motivation to his team, without being arrogant, without coming in the wrong direction, it is something that I can learn from,” Parag said. “I’m really glad I had this conversation. If we’re ever in a similar situation in the IPL, this year, next year, whenever, it’s going to be really helpful.”
It’s one thing to ask those questions in a room. Then it’s another thing to go out and see a team live out those principles in real time.
A franchise is still waiting
To understand why it resonated so deeply, you need to understand what the pollen is doing.
Rajasthan Royals won the first IPL title in 2008. The so-called misfit team led by the late great Shane Warne defeated Chennai Super Kings in what remains one of the great underdog stories in the history of the tournament. No one saw this coming. Rather this was the point.
Eighteen years later, many superstars later, they’re still chasing that feeling, still looking for a season where everything aligns the way it once did.
Over the past decade, a young Sanju Samson raised hopes for the franchise, and became the face of the club during seasons that promised a lot and delivered very little, often carrying the weight of expectations through inconsistency. But Samson has now moved on and with him a certain era has also gone.
The reins have been handed over to Parag, who has been at the club since 2019, and he has been promoted to a position where he is expected to take the franchise into a new phase, not just as a player. It is a loaded legacy.
Two clubs, one story
West Ham is a club that has an equally complex relationship with its history. A cult following, never a champion of England, and yet a consistent producer of world-class talent. Frank Lampard, Declan Rice and Michael Carrick all came through East London. The pedigree is real, but the trophy cabinet tells a different story.
This season, they find themselves languishing in the Championship, with relegation a real possibility, with every game now a lead that goes beyond points. Parag saw something of Rajasthan in all this.
“I didn’t see a single supporter who was a fan of Haaland or Doku or Foden,” he said. “Everyone wanted West Ham to win.” For a young captain who is about to lead a franchise still in search of its second title, that kind of unconditional support was something that lingers long after the final whistle.
the lesson he’s taking home
The trip to England means that, beyond Bowen, Parag also came away with two other reference points for the upcoming season, small but important pieces in shaping the kind of leader he wants to be.
Bruno Fernandes has remained steadfast at Manchester United through managerial changes and a difficult campaign, continuing to demand standards regardless of the circumstances. And Haaland, for his brutal efficiency every time he gets the chance, has the ability to reduce the chaos of the game to moments that can be decided in an instant. “Those three attributes will help me in my season this year,” Pollen said.
Ryan Pollen in conversation with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen. (Image: Premier League)
The broader point is simple. Parag went to London not as a tourist, but as a student of leadership, willing to keep his eyes and ears open, willing to learn what was put before him.
He saw the side threatened with relegation keep their composure against the best. He sat there as a captain holding things together, anchoring a season that could have easily gone away.
As Rajasthan’s quest for the title begins, Parag hopes that, like Bowen and West Ham, he can provide that glimmer of hope where no one expects it, and more importantly, his lessons will matter when they are tested most.
Rohit Sharma of Mumbai Indians (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)
Mumbai: Like Mumbai Indians head coach, Mahela Jayawardene Very happy to enter IPL 2026 starting from 28th March. Four MI players-India’s T20 captains Suryakumar Yadavpace leader Jasprit Bumrahcaptain hardik pandya And batsman Tilak Verma played a key role in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup victory.“Our boys will always inspire cricketers. And I am very proud of players like Rohit, Hardik, Surya, Tilak, Jassi, Booms. It is an amazing group of players, and we are privileged to have them at Mumbai Indians,” Mahela said during the MI Junior season finale at the MIG Cricket Club Ground on Tuesday.
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Mithali Raj on the rise of Indian women’s cricket
“I think in the World Cup, everyone has to raise their hand because it is a tough tournament. I mean, every game was tough. So, there were different players who raised their hand and performed. And that’s why you win the World Cup because everyone is in form. Obviously, in the end, they performed really well. I am happy that we have four guys from Mumbai (Indians) playing in the T20 World Cup (for India). So we are very excited about it.” Thrilled,” he said. Added.‘Extended break given to T20 World Cup winners’The MI head coach revealed that the franchise has given an “extended break” to four of its World Cup-winning players, and the quartet are set to join the camp next week.“Every year, our target is to get there (win the IPL trophy). But I know it’s a long season. So the pre-season will start the same way we usually start, working hard, getting new boys into the setup. And with our (T20) World Cup guys, we’ve given them a bit of an extended break so that they join us next weekend. The overseas guys also got home and then they’ll join us. But before the first game they should have a good week with us.” Will get training,” Mahela said.England all-rounder Will Jacks also impressed in the T20 World Cup, while the presence of players like Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock adds depth to the squad.“Absolutely,” he said, “but I’d rather have that headache than not having a headache. Not just Jackie, but (there’s) Sherfane, Ryan (Rickelton), Quinny (Quinton de Kock). Everyone has also forgotten Santner, who is the New Zealand captain. So I think it’s a great group that we’ve put together. We did all that before the T20 World Cup.“So I’m happy to have them all. It’s going to be a healthy headache for me. But everyone knows how we work in the camp. So, at the right time, we will take decisions. It will be tough decisions, but we will make sure the best decisions are being taken.”Suryakumar’s support, Bumrah’s praiseDespite some criticism of Suryakumar’s form, Jayawardene strongly supported him. He said, “I think Sky is not too worried about it (his form). He is a class operator. He is always going to get there. When it matters he has contributed. Yes, consistency is something he would like to improve on.”“I think the way he led the (Indian) team and put everything together… he had to take some tough decisions during the season. And in the (T20) World Cup, he did that. Hats off to him. I am sure he will get a good break and will join the camp with a smiling face.About Bumrah, he said, “I think Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) is always a special, special player. And it’s just his work ethic and the way he thinks about the game that matters too. I think the way he performed in the crucial moments for India in the (T20) World Cup was something special.”Rohit’s role and Sri Lanka’s campaignJayawardene indicated that Rohit Sharma Praising his superior fitness, he cannot be used solely as an impact player.“He hasn’t done that, but I think he has done a lot of work behind the scenes. He did a lot of skill work last week. He joined us on the very first day for our training camp. He looked good in the nets, which is great. (We are seeing) a new version of Rohit too… very fit, very committed. So (we are) expecting him to lead us from the top.”On Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup performance, Jayawardene said, “I think Sri Lanka played some really good cricket. They had some tough games that they missed. I mean, it’s a World Cup. I think every match is important. It could have gone either way.”
Pratika Raval reflects on India’s historic Women’s World Cup final last month, where the team defeated South Africa to lift the ICC title for the first time. She missed the final after being ruled out of the tournament due to ankle and knee injuries sustained in the league match against Bangladesh.
Despite not playing, Pratika attended the function in her wheelchair After India’s victory. She experienced an emotional whirlwind during the final in Navi Mumbai and admitted that she did not see the last ball, when Harmanpreet Kaur took the decisive catch to dismiss Nadine de Klerk.
“Sitting out and watching the Indian players lift the trophy – I still feel great because my team did something that had not been done before,” Pratika said at the RevSports Conclave in Kolkata.
“I had a lot of emotions surging through my mind. I didn’t see the last ball. Someone from the management said, ‘Let’s go down.’ I saw it later in highlights. And then, my father went crazy. This was a game-changer for women’s cricket. I have no words,” said Pratika.
When did Pratika make a comeback?
Despite missing the semi-finals and final, Pratika played a key role in India’s World Cup campaign and was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament. In seven matches, the Delhi batsman scored 308 runs at an average of 51.33. Which also includes the highest score of 122 runs against New Zealand.
She is one of only two Indian batsmen, along with Smriti Mandhana, to score 1,000 or more runs in ODIs in the same calendar year.
Following her injury, Pratika was sidelined for almost four months and was also unable to participate in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 despite being selected by UP Warriors.
He returned to India’s ODI team for the Australia tour and scored 79 runs in three matches. Pratika later made her Test debut in the pink-ball Test at the WACA in Perth and scored 63 runs in the second innings, although India lost by 10 wickets.
David Warner, Steve Smith and the flag of Pakistan
New Delhi: Australian Stars steve smith And David Warner faces increasing uncertainty over his participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as security concerns in the region continue to impact the tournament.According to a report by Australian outlet Codesport.com, a number of Australian players and coaches, including Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne, are expected to feature in the PSL starting on March 26.
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Jay Shah described 2019 to 2026 as the golden period of Indian cricket.
However, rising tensions in Pakistan and neighboring regions have prompted serious discussions behind the scenes. Players have reportedly been briefed about security risks, including conflict-related disruptions and travel complications. Flights in and out of the region have already been affected, adding to the uncertainty. The biggest concern is over a scheduled match in Peshawar, a city currently classified as “do not travel” by the Australian government due to security threats.Despite these risks, teams are continuing preparations, with some Australian players expected to reach Pakistan soon. The situation has put many professional commitments against personal safety.To address the concerns, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed contingency measures, including the possibility of evacuating players via private jets if the situation worsens. While the tournament is still set to go ahead as planned, the final decision of players like Smith and Warner may depend on how the security situation evolves in the coming days.
Devon Conway scored consecutive 60 runs as New Zealand bowlers defeated South Africa by 68 runs in the second T20 match on Tuesday to level the five-match series 1-1.
Asked to bat at Seddon Park, New Zealand scored 175 for 6 on a surface that became increasingly difficult as the game progressed. South Africa were never able to chase the target and were all out for 107 runs in 15.3 overs.
Conway provided the backbone of the innings, determining the square of the wicket and holding things together when conditions became tough. Tom Latham used the ramp shot to create the early momentum by hitting a six and a four as New Zealand reached 43 without loss in the powerplay.
But scoring runs became difficult in the middle overs. Latham fell for 11, while Nick Kelly (21 off 12) and Mitchell Santner (20 off 14) started without converting them. Conway, who opened the innings, eventually fell trying to accelerate.
A late cameo from Josh Clarkson, who scored 26 off just nine balls, gave New Zealand a strong finish, with 24 coming in the final over.
South Africa’s goal never progressed. The pitch had variable bounce and pace and New Zealand’s fast bowlers took full advantage of this. With wickets falling regularly, Ben Sears (3-14) and Lockie Ferguson (3-16) took charge.
All ten of South Africa’s wickets came via catches, highlighting their struggle to time the ball. The visiting team lost six wickets for 40 runs and the innings ended soon.
George Linde provided brief resistance, scoring 33 runs from 12 balls with three fours and three sixes, but Ferguson dismissed him to end any hope of a fight.
South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj said his team expected dew to make batting conditions easier but misjudged the pitch.
“I thought we bowled really well up to a point and then lost our way with the bat,” he said. “We thought dew would be a big factor… but the wicket got a bit rough.”
The third T20 match will be played in Auckland on Friday.
