New Delhi: Riyan Parag launched a concerted defense of the players after Rajasthan Royals‘The seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur urges commentators and experts to stop personal criticism and focus on the game.The RR captain, who missed the match due to a hamstring problem and remained among the impact substitutes, said players often face unfair judgment from outside despite preparing for several days for every game. “We perform as per the expectations of the audience. So I think we all should love cricket and look at it the same way. The players are working very hard,” Parag said after the win. “It is very easy to say, if a team is all out for 75 or 80 runs, they do not know how to play or do not have the mentality to play. But there is 3-4 days of preparation before that match to ensure how we can score 200-250. But sometimes this does not happen.“‘Commentators should talk about cricket’Parag, who has often been in the headlines this season for reasons beyond his performances, including an off-field controversy, said criticism crosses the line when it becomes personal.He said in the post-match press conference, “We are also human beings and we also make mistakes. So, I think the more that is coming out, especially the commentators, their voices are reaching the people. I would request them to love cricket. Talk about cricket.”The 24-year-old player, who was recently named vice-captain of the India A team for the Sri Lanka tri-series, said the game deserves more respect from those who shape public opinion.“The game, which is the most important game in the country, and the one in which we are the best, should be treated with some respect. We should only talk about cricket.” We shouldn’t be talking about anything else,” he said.Parag said that he has learned to control external noise.Parag said, “In the last four years, I have understood one thing – no matter what I do, there will be conversations. I have also understood that whatever conversations are happening, it should not affect my game, my form or my mentality because keyboard warriors are outsiders.”

Riyan Parag Jai Ho Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Parag also gave special praise to 15-year-old opening batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who scored 93 runs in 38 balls to chase down the target of 221 runs.“I think that was his best innings,” Parag said. “When he was on 5 at 10 or 11, there were always two ways to go. But he took his time. That first big shot from Mayank Yadav over cover gave me the satisfaction that he may be short, but he has a great understanding of the game.”

09:35 IST:

Pitch Report – Athar Ali Khan is inspecting the conditions in Sylhet. He says the surface has been good throughout and should continue to be good in this final season. He said that the big question is whether Pakistan can create history. It is said that such a big target has never been chased on this ground and it is the biggest target ever set by Pakistan here. On Bangladesh’s bowling strategy, he points to the last two overs before the break as a masterclass in length control. He elaborated that out of the 12 balls bowled, nine or ten hit the true good-length mark, completely closing down the scoring options. He says that this is excellent Test match bowling and Bangladesh would like to repeat exactly the same discipline from here. He said that all eyes for Pakistan are on Babar Azam. He says that he has gone 31 innings without a Test century, which means there is a lot of pressure on him, yet his class is beyond question. Further adding that as his looks settle in, he has the full potential to master this surface and post a big one, just like Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das did in the first match. Adds that a chase of this magnitude requires someone to stand up and handle the innings, someone cut from the cloth of Younis Khan or Mohammad Yousuf. It ends by saying that whether Pakistan has that steel today or not remains to be seen.

Rajasthan Royals Batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi said he doesn’t plan his celebrations and likes to do something new in every match, as his 93-run innings helped RR beat Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets in the IPL on Tuesday.Suryavanshi played an inning of 93 runs in 38 balls, helping Rajasthan Royals keep their playoff hopes alive by achieving the target of 221 runs in 19.1 overs. During his innings, he celebrated his half-century with an unusual hand gesture – an inverted V with a finger crossed.Asked about the post-match celebration, the left-handed batsman said, “I don’t know. I do something new in every match. I don’t really plan it. There is no meaning behind it. Even the celebration I did in the last match had no meaning.” “I just keep trying new things.”The young player also said that he does not pay attention to external things around him. “I don’t read any newspapers. This is just the beginning. If I have a long career, people will always say something about me.”Earlier in the match, Michelle Marsh After being sent in to bat, Lucknow Super Giants scored 96 runs in 57 balls and scored 220 runs for five wickets.Marsh added 109 runs for the first wicket with Josh Inglis, who scored 60 off 29 balls. He later made another partnership of 64 runs with captain Rishabh Pant, who scored 35 runs.In response, the stand-in RR captain Yashasvi Jaiswal Scored 43 runs and made an opening partnership of 75 runs with Suryavanshi. After Jaiswal’s dismissal, Suryavanshi added 105 runs with Jitesh Sharma, who remained unbeaten on 53 runs.Suryavanshi moved to second place in the all-time list of most runs scored in the powerplay in an IPL season. He scored 25 runs off 16 balls during the first six overs of RR’s chase.Most powerplay runs in an IPL season:467 – David Warner (2016)426 – Vaibhav Suryavanshi (2026)*402 – Travis Head (2024)402 – Sai Sudarshan (2025)382 – Adam Gilchrist (2009)

Rishabh Pant’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season suffered another painful collapse on May 20, when Lucknow Super Giants suffered another defeat, this time at the hands of Rajasthan Royals and 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi. However, the LSG captain still refused to stop supporting his struggling side.

a few moments later LSG’s crushing defeat against Rajasthan RoyalsPant dropped the F-bomb live on television, while passionately insisting that his team was still a “good team”. Speaking at the post-match presentation after another painful night for LSG, Pant tried to defend the dressing room despite the growing criticism around the team.

IPL 2026, RR vs LSG: highlight | Achievement:

Watch the video here:

“As I said, we are proud as a team, no matter what our position is right now,” Pant said.

“The kind of team we have, we know we can win it. Whatever happens, we are quite confident as a team and as individuals. It hasn’t gone our way and everyone knows that,” Pant said.

“But that doesn’t take away from the fact that we’re a good team,” he said.

Jaipur’s defeat officially brings Lucknow to the bottom IPL 2026 table with just eight points from 13 matches, concluding a season that has spiraled badly for Pant and coach Justin Langer. And time made things more drastic. Earlier in the day, Pant had already lost India’s Test vice-captaincy and was also dropped from the ODI squad altogether for the Afghanistan series.

Pant’s own IPL 2026 campaign has mirrored the chaos that LSG is in now.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 286 runs in 13 matches at an average of 28.60, but his batting rhythm, captaincy calls and overall body language have been under constant scrutiny. Even against Rajasthan, his 35 never looked entirely credible despite Marsh doing most of the damage at the other end.

How Vaibhav Suryavanshi and RR went through LSG again

For a while, Lucknow really looked set to end the season with a stellar performance.

Mitchell Marsh scored a blistering 96 off 57 balls, while Josh Inglis scored 60 off 29 balls, helping LSG reach 220 for five in Jaipur.

But Rajasthan Royals never really allowed that score to put pressure on the scoreboard.

After being dropped from his ODI team at the beginning of the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal came out aggressively and dismissed Akash Singh for 23 runs in the very first over. Once Jaiswal was out for 43, the game soon became another Vaibhav Suryavanshi show.

The 15-year-old sensation scored 93 runs off just 38 balls and completely tore apart the LSG bowling attack. His innings took him to the top of the Orange Cap standings and once again showed why he has become one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026.

Dhruv Jurel finished things off calmly with an unbeaten half-century as Rajasthan chased down the target of 221 with five balls to spare to stay in the playoff race.

However, for LSG, the defeat sums up their entire season.

Huge sums have not been enough. Individual talent has been wasted time and again. And every time it seemed that Lucknow would finally stabilize itself, another collapse arrived.

They now head into their final game against Punjab Kings with nothing but pride and a chance to avoid finishing the season at the lowest ever level.

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New Delhi: Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again made headlines as the 15-year-old played a brilliant inning of 93 runs in just 38 balls. Rajasthan Royals Easy win by seven wickets over Lucknow Super Giants in an important match of IPL 2026 in Jaipur. The win has kept Rajasthan firmly in the race for the playoffs, with the team now needing another win against Mumbai Indians to strengthen their qualification hopes.While chasing the huge target of 221 runs, Rajasthan looked fearless from the beginning. Suryavanshi hit 10 sixes and attacked almost every bowler, making the difficult target look surprisingly easy. He first made a quick partnership with the acting captain Yashasvi Jaiswal Before making another big stand with Dhruv Jurel, who remained unbeaten with a half-century. Although the teenager missed his century by just seven runs, he had already taken the game away from Lucknow.Former cricketer Ian Bishop aptly described the youngster’s talent in the commentary, saying: “He’s ready.”First, Michelle Marsh Lucknow was taken to 220/5 with a stormy inning of 96 runs in 57 balls. Josh Inglis also played aggressively and scored 60 runs and the pair gave LSG a great start with an opening partnership of 109 runs. Even after Inglis was out, Marsh continued the attack and hit boundaries around the ground and missed a century.However, Rajasthan’s bowlers struggled for most of the innings, with only young spinner Yashraj Punja managing to exert some control by taking two wickets. Jofra Archer’s disciplined final over also helped limit further damage.The young batsman has now come close to several IPL records, including Chris Gayle’s record of hitting most sixes in a season. His fearless batting also put pressure on India’s fast bowler Mayank Yadav, who gave away a lot of runs in one over.While Lucknow’s playoff hopes ended with the defeat, Rajasthan now head into their final league match with qualification still within reach.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed that he will miss this year’s Wimbledon Championships as he continues to recover from a wrist injury. Alcaraz was already Withdrew from the French Open earlier this monthHe also missed the clay-court majors due to injury.

The Spanish star injured his right wrist during the Barcelona Open in April. Since then, Alcaraz has also withdrawn from the Madrid Open and Italian Open to focus on recovery.

In a post on social media, Alcaraz said that the decision to skip Wimbledon was made to avoid further aggravating the injury and to ensure that he returned fully fit for the remainder of the season.

“My recovery is going well and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to play, and that’s why I’ve had to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen’s and Wimbledon. They’re two really special tournaments for me and I’ll miss them a lot. We’ll keep working to get back as soon as possible!”

no syncraj at wimbledon

Alcaraz was injured during the Barcelona OpenWhere he was forced to retire from the match against Otto Virtanen. Since then, the Spaniard has been sidelined, missing the opportunity to defend his title at the Madrid Open, Italian Open and now the French Open.

Alcaraz’s withdrawal from Wimbledon also means fans will have to wait longer for another chapter in the much-anticipated Sincaraz rivalry. The two last met in a Grand Slam in the US Open final last year, where Alcaraz emerged victorious at Flushing Meadows.

Alcaraz’s rivalry with Sinner has become one of the biggest attractions in men’s tennis, making his absence from the next two Grand Slams a major shock for fans and broadcasters. The pair produced a memorable French Open final last year, with Alcaraz recording a comeback victory, in response to which Sinner defeated her in the Wimbledon final.

Earlier this year, Alcaraz became the youngest person to complete a career Grand Slam by defeating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. However, he lost the world No. 1 ranking to Sinner after his defeat in the recent Monte Carlo Masters final. After Alcaraz missed Wimbledon, Sinner now has a golden opportunity to strengthen his hold on the top spot in the ATP rankings.

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RR vs LSG Live Score, IPL 2026: A high-pressure encounter awaits on Tuesday when Rajasthan Royals take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, which could play a decisive role in shaping the IPL playoff race. With the league stage entering its final stages, every result now holds great importance and both teams approach with contrasting momentum.

Lucknow Super Giants are coming into the contest against Chennai Super Kings on the back of an emphatic win, which has resulted in new confidence in the team. Their performance reflected poise and authority, starting with Akash Singh’s brilliant spell of 3/26, which dismantled the CSK top order and changed the momentum early in the contest. Chasing the target, Mitchell Marsh produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting, scoring 90 off just 38 balls to lead LSG to a comfortable seven-wicket win.

The win not only revived Lucknow’s campaign but also highlighted their ability to perform under pressure during the business end of the tournament. Under the leadership of Rishabh Pant, LSG will now aim to maintain that momentum by avenging their previous defeat to Rajasthan this season.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have returned to Jaipur looking for an immediate turnaround after their poor form. Their recent defeat in Delhi, a high-scoring thriller, was their third consecutive defeat and added to the pressure on the team. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Royals will be desperate to value home conditions and gain confidence heading into the crucial stage of the competition.

With both teams chasing crucial points and momentum becoming increasingly valuable, fans can expect an intense and fierce contest under the lights in Jaipur.

RR vs LSG Squad:

Lucknow Super Giants Team: Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (WK/Captain), Mukul Chaudhary, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav, Josh Inglis, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, George Linde, Anrich Nortje, Matthew Britzke, Mohsin. Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Arshin. Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari

Rajasthan Royals Team: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ryan Parag (captain), Ravi Singh, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Joffra Archer, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Yashraj Punja, Dasun Shanaka, Luan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Aman Rao Perala, Ravindra Jadeja, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron. Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Berger, Kuldeep Sen, Yudhavendra Singh. Singh Charak, Kwena Mafaka, Vignesh Puthur

Mumbai Indians have been dealt a double blow as Quinton de Kock and Raj Angad Bawa have been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026, the franchise confirmed on Tuesday.

De Kock has been ruled out due to a tendon injury in his left wrist, which Mumbai Indians said he suffered before their home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The absence of the South African wicketkeeper-batsman is a blow for the five-time champions, who lose an experienced top-order option for the final stages of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Bawa has been ruled out due to a ligament tear in his right thumb during the Mumbai Last match against Punjab Kings. The injury to the young all-rounder has further weakened the team’s depth, especially in the all-round department.

In an official statement, Mumbai Indians said that both players will continue their rehabilitation from their respective homes, with the support and guidance of the franchise’s medical team.

“Both Quinton and Raj Bawa will continue their rehabilitation at their respective homes with the support and guidance of the Mumbai Indians medical team to help them return to playing as soon as possible,” the franchise said.

Mumbai also wished both players a speedy recovery and confirmed that replacements will be announced accordingly IPL guidance.

Mumbai are already out of the playoff race due to injuries, ending a disappointing campaign for the franchise. With only two league matches remaining, the focus will now turn to finishing the season on a positive note while assessing options for the future.

Mumbai are scheduled to face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, May 20, before concluding their season at home against playoff hopefuls Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, May 24.

While De Kock’s departure removes an experienced international presence from the batting group, Bawa’s absence also removes a developing domestic option who could have provided valuable opportunities in the final matches.

with their Playoff hopes are already over, Mumbai can now use the final two fixtures to test bench strength and provide opportunities to fringe players before focusing on rebuilding for the next season.

The announcement of replacements will be closely watched, although with only two matches remaining, any incoming players may have a limited impact on the campaign.

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With three playoff spots already locked by RCB, GT and SRH, the fight for the last remaining spot has been reduced to five teams. Rajasthan Royals In the best position, Punjab Kings still control most of their own destiny, while Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings Both victory and outside help are needed.With only seven league games remaining, every result now directly changes the equation for someone else.

Rajasthan Royals: One win may be enough, but two wins seal it

RR are in the strongest position among the chasing pack as they still have two matches left and already have 12 points. Wins against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians will take them to 16 points, which almost guarantees qualification regardless of other results.The big question is whether one win in two can still be enough. If RR beats LSG in Jaipur, they move to 14 and immediately put pressure on PBKS, KKR, DC and CSK, none of whom can comfortably afford another defeat.In that scenario, RR would want:

The ideal RR scenario is that they claim two wins and reach 16 points, thus eliminating every other team from contention, regardless of their results.The matter of concern for Rajasthan is speed. They have lost four of their last five matches and their NRR of 0.027 offers a bit of respite if many teams finish on 14 points. A heavy defeat in any of the remaining games could drag them into dangerous territory.

Punjab Kings: Beat LSG and hope the chaos continues behind them

PBKS have 13 points from 13 matches, which makes their equation deceptively simple: beat LSG in Lucknow and they have 15 points.This number could be quite a lot as none of KKR, DC or CSK can go beyond 15. But if RR gets two wins in its remaining two matches then PBKS will become vulnerable. Other than that, both in terms of form and scheduling, PBKS is on a good track. They have lost five consecutive games and will be playing after many of their direct rivals have already completed their matches.Best case for PBKS: :

However, a defeat to LSG almost certainly ends PBKS’s campaign. They will remain on 13, RR and CSK can cross this figure with one win each, and KKR can move ahead with two wins.

Chennai Super Kings: Hinges on math more than speed

After CSK’s defeat to SRH they need the most mathematically impossible combination of results among the teams still alive.They have 12 points from 13 matches and with a win against GT in Ahmedabad they can only reach 14 points.But 14 alone is unlikely to be enough unless everything else goes in their favour.They need this to give CSK a real chance: :

This is already a narrow path, and yet the net run rate could complicate matters. CSK’s NRR of -0.016 is better than DC and slightly better than KKR, but not strong enough to feel comfortable with many teams finishing at 14.The biggest problem for CSK is that they no longer completely control the roof of the rival teams. RR can still reach 16, PBKS 15 and KKR 15.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Two wins or nothing

Apart from RR, KKR is the only other team in the target-chasing group with two matches left. With 11 points from 12 matches, they cannot afford to lose.KKR will get 15 points if they win against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. Anything less is eliminated.But even two wins cannot resolve the matter completely. KKR’s qualification chances are largely linked to RR and PBKS.The ideal KKR scenario looks like this: :

If all this happens, KKR will finish 15th and possibly grab the fourth position.There is also a scenario where KKR ends up tied with PBKS at 15. In that case, the net run rate decides the final position. KKR’s current NRR of -0.038 means they simply can’t muster a win; Margins can matter.What helps KKR is pace. Unlike others around them, they have won four of their last five matches and suddenly it looks like the team is peaking at the right time.

Delhi Capitals: Beat KKR and pray for collapse elsewhere

DC have the toughest equation among the realistic contenders as they have only one match left and a low net run rate.With 12 points from 13 matches, a win over KKR also takes them to 14 points. This means Delhi cannot qualify on its own terms.To qualify DC, they need to: :

But still, NRR can become a major factor. DC’s current NRR of -0.871 is the weakest among all the contenders. If the qualifying points are tied, Delhi will almost certainly suffer a loss.The irony is that DC may still have a big role in deciding the playoff race even if they fail to qualify. A win over KKR knocks Kolkata out and potentially opens the door for RR or PBKS. Meanwhile, a defeat could directly hurt KKR.

India’s squad for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan is expected to be announced later today, but uncertainty remains over the availability of senior players Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya for the three-match ODI series of the tour.

As new captain Shubman Gill is set to lead India in the ODIs, the focus has turned to the fitness status of two experienced campaigners whose availability remains unclear ahead of selection.

India Today has learned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to take a final decision on the inclusion of both Rohit and Hardik, as assessment over fitness concerns is ongoing.

Afghanistan is to tour India from 6 to 20 June. The series will consist of a one-off Test in Mullanpur followed by three ODIs in Dharamshala, Lucknow and Chennai.

Rohit is still yet to meet the fitness standards

Rohit’s availability is under scrutiny as he is yet to meet the high-speed running and fielding standards set by the BCCI, which are part of the selection criteria for ODI cricket.

The former India captain has been largely portrayed as a Impact options during the current IPL seasonLimiting your workload in the field. Although there is no indication of any major injury concerns, the selectors are understood to be assessing whether he can meet the physical standards required to return to full ODI duties.

His possible absence will be a significant talking point given his experience at the top of the order, although India’s leadership change in the format has already begun with Gill taking charge.

Hardik is waiting for fitness clearance

It is understood that Hardik’s condition also remains uncertain due to fitness issue. Dealing with lower back stiffness.

Although sources say that he is expected to play in the coming days, his availability for the Afghanistan series will depend on whether he is able to successfully complete the required fitness assessments.

Hardik remains a key figure in India’s ODI setup as he provides balance as a fast bowling all-rounder, making his fitness status a major concern for the team management.

With the squad expected to be announced later in the day, clarity on Rohit and Hardik will be closely watched as India prepare for Gill’s first ODI assignment as captain and begin the next phase of his white-ball transition.

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