One of the mysteries of the match between MI and KKR on Sunday, March 28 during the IPL 2026 competition was Cameron Green not bowling. Green was bought by KKR for Rs 2 crore. 25.2 crores and was expected to be Andre Russell’s replacement for the franchise.
Russell is the second-highest wicket-taker for KKR with 122 wickets, and Green has done well with the ball, taking 16 wickets in the 30 matches he has played. Still, it seemed strange that the Australian all-rounder was not given the ball. Actually, Green has bowled only 7.1 overs in 7 matches this year.
Ajinkya Rahane has now revealed why Green is still not an option. KKR captain, After losing to MIrevealed that they have not yet received approval from Cricket Australia to field Green as a bowling option.
“That’s the question you should ask Cricket Australia (why Green can’t bowl yet),” Rahane said.
‘Once green bowls, the combination will be different’
KKR bowlers were given a tough challenge by the MI batsmen, especially Ryan Rickleton and Rohit Sharma during the contest. Varun Chakraborty did not get any wicket and gave 48 runs in his four overs. Vaibhav Arora gave 52 runs in four overs and Blessing Muzarabani gave 34 runs in his three overs. The lack of an additional option like Green was felt on the day and Rahane said that once the all-rounder starts bowling, the combination will get better for Kolkata.
“I think when, hopefully, Green starts bowling, the combination will be a little different. Right now, we have to look at the balance, people who can bowl well for us, batting-wise, like I said, we batted really well, but it’s really important to have balance with the ball. So hopefully Green starts bowling soon,” Rahane said.
KKR will be without the services of Harshit Rana and Akash Deep for the season and Mathisha Pathirana is still not ready to play. Despite gaining good experience as the season progressed, Rahane supported an inexperienced bowling attack.
“We batted really well but then it was a really inexperienced bowling attack, these boys will learn. I mean playing against MI, strong batting line-up. Apart from Vaibhav, Karthik and Muzarabani are again new to the IPL. Two experienced spinners but I thought Mumbai Indians batted really well. So, the out bowlers will definitely learn,” Rahane said.
KKR will need to regroup quickly and head back home where they will face SRH in their next match on April 2.
Sunil Narine Entered his name in the record books during the Indian Premier League 2026, and became the foreign player with most appearances in the history of the tournament.Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder made his 190th appearance IPL match during their clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, surpassing the long-standing record of Kieron Pollard (189).
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Most matches by a foreign player in IPL190 – Sunil Narine*189 – Kieron Pollard184 – AB de Villiers184 – David Warner161 – DJ BravoNarine now tops the elite list that includes AB de Villiers (184), David Warner (184) and Dwayne Bravo (161).Since making his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals in 2012, Narine has been one of the most consistent performers in the league. Over the years, he has scored 1780 runs at an average of 17.62 and a whopping strike rate of 166.51, while also taking 192 wickets at an excellent economy of 6.8.The mystery spinner has been the cornerstone of KKR’s success, playing a key role in all three of their IPL title wins. Notably, he also holds the record for the most Player of the Tournament awards in IPL history, having won it three times in 2012, 2018 and 2024.Notably, Narine has spent his entire IPL career with KKR and has become one of the most loyal and influential overseas players in the league.As Narine continues to perform well with both bat and ball, this latest milestone further cements his legacy as one of the greatest overseas players in IPL history.Teams:Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani.Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dheer, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markandey, AM Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.
Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag was heavily criticized by fans on social media for taking several digs at Ravichandran Ashwin, who made his commentary debut in the Indian Premier League on JioStar on Saturday, March 29.
What started as banter between Sehwag and Ashwin, with both players trying to pull each other’s leg, soon turned sour after repetition. Instead of analyzing the match, Sehwag started telling personal stories, some of which were targeted at Ashwin.
Fans were particularly unhappy with one incident that has since gone viral. Reportedly, during the match, Sehwag had asked Ashwin to use his brain less while commentating. What initially started as a joke turned into an awkward silence when Sehwag took the matter out of proportion.
The former India off-spinner, known for his wit, did not tolerate this and continued the conversation. Things went a little awry when Sehwag reportedly took another dig at Ashwin and suggested that one should not analyze the game too much on the commentary panel.
Sehwag said, “Today we will not talk through logic or thinking, but from the heart.”
Ashwin reacted immediately.
Ashwin replied, “My parents have always taught me to think before speaking and never say anything without thinking. But you are asking me to do exactly the opposite.”
Sehwag then made a comment that appeared to be a direct dig at Ashwin and his YouTube and Instagram followers over the years.
Sehwag reportedly said, “Some people deliberately think before speaking. They say, ‘This player has more fans.’ If I speak negatively about him, my followers will decrease. If I speak positively, my followers will increase.”
It is pertinent to mention that India Today was not able to verify the exact sequence of events.
Fans reacted strongly to this exchange, with what they saw as a poor level of narrative from Sehwag and other Hindi commentators in the opening game of the season. This comes on the backdrop of criticism from commentators like Navjot Singh Sidhu and Aakash Chopra, who have faced criticism in recent times.
In fact, Chopra had issued a public statement during the World Cup alleging that a targeted hate campaign was launched against him.
This episode once again focused on the balance between entertainment and analysis in live commentary, with viewers expecting sharp insight rather than extended personal banter, especially in a high-profile broadcast like the Indian Premier League.
PM Modi lauds Jammu and Kashmir’s historic Ranji Trophy win
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Jammu and Kashmir cricket team praised for winning for the first time ranji trophyHe described it as a proud and emotional moment for the region. He said that this victory, coming after almost 70 years, reflects the hard work and dedication of the players and has brought happiness to the people of the entire Union Territory.
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‘Speaking inmind matter‘, Modi highlighted the major contributions of the team. He said, “It is great to know that after a long wait of almost seven decades, the team has achieved its first Ranji Trophy title. This unprecedented success is the result of the players’ continuous efforts over the years.”He also praised the captain Paras Dogra For his leadership and mentioned young bowler Aaqib Nabi, whose 60 wickets have caught the attention of the country. “This victory has thrilled the players and coaching staff as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.Modi said this victory will inspire more youth to join sports. He said, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have tremendous passion for sports. I am happy that it is now becoming a hub for major sporting events.”He pointed out that places like Gulmarg are already hosting major events and football is also popular among the youth. He said, “I hope that this winning streak of the players of Jammu and Kashmir will continue in the future also.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) started their title defense with a 6-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the season opener, thanks to a brilliant start from New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy. The Kiwis took 3 important wickets of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy in their four overs, while conceding only 22 runs.
While the Chinnaswamy Stadium had already got a new favorite in Duffy, Who did more than just fill in for Josh Hazlewood who has yet to be clearedRCB captain Rajat Patidar praised the New Zealand fast bowler for taking advantage of the opportunity. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Patidar stressed that both he and the team management had full confidence in Duffy’s T20 bowling abilities.
“As we all know, he is a specialist T20 bowler,” RCB captain Rajat Patidar said in the post-match press conference. “We have a lot of confidence in him and that’s why we have given him a chance. The way he has been performing well and showing his skills, I think it was tremendous.”
How Duffy stole the show in RCB vs SRH
Duffy, who had endured a tough outing in the T20 World Cup final against India just three weeks before the IPL opener where he took 0 for 42 from three overs, decided to stick to his strengths.
“I tried to keep things quite simple,” Duffy said after receiving player of the match for his powerful opening spell. “The plan was to use the new ball, especially since it works a bit in Bengaluru. We talked a lot about the length and what works on this surface.”
While Duffy’s spirited debut was the story of the daySome credit for RCB’s bowling performance against SRH also goes to Hazlewood himself. Duffy himself has acknowledged the stature of the Australian fast bowler, who is currently working his way back to full fitness after battling a hamstring injury and Achilles problems that ruled him out of the domestic Ashes and the recent T20 World Cup.
“Josh Hazlewood had a really good season here last year, so it was about taking what he did well and trying to replicate it in his own way,” Duffy said.
Despite not being available for selection, Hazlewood played an important role behind the scenes after joining the team ahead of the opener.
“In the last practice session before the game, I think Hazlewood spent a lot of time with the fast bowlers and his inputs definitely helped him (in his performance against SRH),” Patidar said during his press conference.
Duffy’s impressive spell, which included key wickets of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, ensured that SRH could never fully recover from the early shock. His ability to hit tough lengths, gain bounce and make quick adjustments when put under pressure came to the fore, giving RCB not only a short-term replacement but also a genuine bowling option when Hazlewood returned.
New Delhi: Two years after retiring from international T20 cricket, Virat Kohli Continues to prove that he is far from “finished” in the shortest format of the game. In the IPL 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, he scored an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore, leading his team to a stunning win.
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His recent form has been excellent, with consistent high scores in white-ball cricket, leaving critics with nothing to say.
Debate has erupted on Kaif’s post
Former cricketer Mo after the match Mohammad Kaif Shared a post defending Kohli and reminding fans of his strong performance. Expressing his views on Ax, he wrote, “Imagine, after two zeros in Australia, they said Virat Kohli is finished. His last 10 scores in white-ball cricket are: 74, 135, 102, 65, 131, 77, 93, 23, 124 and 69 in this match.”While the message praised Kohli, many fans questioned its timing. They felt there was no need to defend him now as he was consistently performing well. Some also pointed out that earlier criticism was mostly about his struggles in Test cricket, and not limited overs formats.
Kohli keeps making records
Kohli also made major achievements during the game. He became the first player IPL Created history by scoring 4000 runs while chasing the target and went ahead of Shoaib Malik in T20 run chart. He scored his 64th IPL half-century and finished the match in spectacular fashion.Along with him, Devdutt Padikkal played a quick innings and RCB achieved the target of 203 runs in just 15.4 overs, increasing their net run rate at the start of the tournament.
Kohli and the nation rejoiced with joy on social media. As soon as cricket returned to Bengaluru on Saturday after a difficult yearThe city’s adopted son came and put on a show, offering a semblance of normalcy at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
69 runs on 38 balls. A soaring drive of rare, shimmering quality, even by Virat Kohli’s stratospheric standards. There were animated celebrations, fiery farewells, a dropped catch and another chasing clinic. While they walked away with silverware after the clinical wicket of Jacob Duffy and an early blitz from Devdutt Padikkal, it was Kohli, working at his self-proclaimed 120 per cent, who dominated the lens and ensured that the fans got a full return on their emotional investment.
The face of the IPL’s most valuable franchise once again demonstrated why rivals with some playing experience are seeing him in full flow at Chinnaswamy.
“My ear almost burst,” said Dale Steyn, who was near the dugout when the crowd erupted after seeing Kohli coming out for the toss. Kohli looked simultaneously battle-ready and comfortable, echoing the supporters who had waited 12 months to see him in the red at RCB.
From the first delivery, he was on. Despite his return to competitive cricket after a two-month sabbatical, there was no sign of rust.
After years as India’s all-format engine room, carrying the weight of a relentless global schedule, Kohli has entered a new, more selective chapter. And he seems to be relishing it. After moving away from the rigors of Test and T20 International cricket, the 36-year-old is managing a sophisticated workload and focusing his international energies on ODIs. The extra breathing room has allowed him to readjust physically and mentally.
When he arrived for India’s 2025-26 season a few months ago, the results were surgical: three centuries in nine matches, a cold reminder of his enduring class. Was there a danger of him arriving half-baked in the new IPL season? For a man who regarded preparation with the sacredness of a ritual, this was never a realistic concern. He came 120 percent prepared.
“You know, the kind of schedule we’ve had over the last 15 years, and the amount of cricket I’ve played, there was always a risk for me of being tired rather than half-baked. So these breaks have helped me a lot,” he told broadcasters after anchoring his match-winning 69. RCB chased 202 runs in just 15.4 overs.
“I stay fresh, stay excited. Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120 per cent. I’m not coming back with less preparation. In fact, the extra rest helps me stay fresh mentally. As long as you’re physically fit and you’re mentally excited, these two things come together well, and then you’re able to contribute for the team. That’s what you want to do as a player – you’re at some position. But you don’t want to stay, you want to stay, perform and keep working for the team.”
remember virat
As New Zealand’s stalwart Jacob Duffy dismantled the Sunrisers’ top order, Kohli watched with obvious delight. At one point, he almost attracted the umpire’s attention by giving a particularly forceful message to Travis Head.
Kohli does not forget.
It was Head who systematically demolished RCB last time out in Bengaluru 2024 by scoring 102 runs in 41 balls. When the Australians got out cheaply on Saturday, Kohli made sure the dismissal was done properly.
For most of the first innings, Kohli was deployed in the depth, giving the new players a chance to shine. Phil Salt, a wicketkeeper by profession but a livewire in the outfield, patrolled the boundary with the kind of athleticism that evoked memories of a young Brendon McCullum. To dismiss Ishan Kishan, who had revived the Sunrisers’ innings with a quickfire 80 after being reduced to 29 for 3. Salt took a brilliant catch from the airEarly contender for best of the season.
The spotlight was back on Kohli when he grassed a sitter to remove lower-order batsman Aniket Verma in what was a regulation chance. Fortunately for the RCB talisman, the mistake proved to be inconsequential.
Virat Kohli dropped the catch of Aniket Verma on Saturday (PTI photo)
Did the fall affect Kohli who came to bat after crossing the rope? Not even a bit.
play second fiddle
He was content to play second fiddle early on as Devdutt Padikkal, promoted to No. 3, made consistent attacks on the stands with ease. Kohli sat quietly at the end of the fourth over with 7 runs in 6 balls, but he closed the gap by thrashing a length ball from Jaydev Unadkat into the midwicket tier for his first maximum, followed by a quick surgical boundary.
Kohli understood that he did not need to be the sole hero of the evening. He gave Padikkal a chance to dominate. Even after the young left-hander was dismissed for 61 off 26 balls, Kohli avoided Rajat Patidar, who came in a destructive mood. Patidar’s knock of 31 off just 12 balls ensured that the chase only went in one direction – fast towards the finish line.
Yet, even in a supporting role, Kohli ensured that he owned the aesthetic charm of the night.
Tournament shot?
Virat Kohli has now scored more than 4,000 runs as an opening batsman in IPL (PTI Photo)
In the seventh over, he produced the best shot of the tournament, a lofted drive off a fuller ball from Ehsaan Malinga that cleared long-off. The entire face of the blade was presented like a calling card; It was smooth, accurate and a perfect economy of motion.
Then came the wrists. Facing his former teammate Harshal Patel, Kohli smashed a ball into the stands with a dismissive roll of the forearms. How do you set the fields for that? Why resort to the frenetic world of ramps and reverse-sweeps when your wrists can do the heavy lifting?
Kohli later admitted that he was relying only on his muscle memory.
He said, “I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t normally play. So I knew as long as I have the rhythm and I’ve done enough work physically behind the scenes with my fitness, things should go well. Tonight was another chance to start strong.”
RCB lost both Patidar and Jitesh Sharma on consecutive balls in the 13th over. While the asking rate was firmly under control, Kohli ensured there was no oxygen for panic. When the final moment came, he won in emphatic fashion by dismissing Harshal with three fours and a six in the 16th over.
He graced the evening by giving his wife Anushka Sharma a flying kiss in the audience gallery – a gesture which was returned with equal warmth. The king had returned to his counting house, his home away from home.
It may not have been the perfect preparation for the return of IPL cricket in Bengaluru, but Virat Kohli made sure the night was his, and normal service well and truly resumed in his world.
Virat Kohli celebrates his half-century during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI photo)
Bengaluru: The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was bathed in red on Saturday night – not just in colour, but in the brilliant form of defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore as they began their IPL campaign with a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.After fast bowler Jacob Duffy (3/22) set up the game with a dream start, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli Who started chasing. Padikkal’s 61 off 26 balls and Kohli’s unbeaten 69 off 38 balls ensured that RCB easily chased down the 200-run target and reached home with 26 balls to spare.
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Playing in his backyard, Padikkal looked in complete control. Fresh from an impressive domestic season, in which he played a key role in taking Karnataka to the Ranji Trophy final, the left-handed batsman carried that form into the night.Walking in after the early dismissal of Phil Salt (8), Padikkal wasted little time in settling down. Jaydev Unadkat’s trademark flick of six runs set the tone. His bowling against left-arm fast bowler David Payne was particularly impressive, including a six off his knees.Often criticized for staying at the crease, Padikkal showed better footwork and brought up his half-century with a brilliant straight drive, while Kohli provided excitement from the other end. Padikkal, looking to play a big innings against Harsh Dubey, failed to get past the mid-off region as Klaasen took a regulation catch. Kohli, who was on 30 when the partnership ended, changed gears. He carried on with the innings amid a brief wobble, with captain Rajat Patidar (31) and Jitesh Sharma (0) falling to consecutive balls from Payne. When the finish line was in sight, Kohli and Tim David (No. 16) completed it without any problem.
Duffy, Ishaan Show
The initial narrative was of the debutants – one dominating the IPL, the other leading a team for the first time in the competition.RCB fast bowler Jacob Duffy made a spectacular debut in style, demolishing SRH’s top order. But Ishan, who was captaining SRH for the first time, stood strong against the initial setbacks and counter-attacked, scoring 80 runs in 38 balls to get his team out of trouble.SRH recovered from early setbacks and credited their total to Ishan’s composure and late breakthrough from Aniket Verma (43 runs from 18 balls).Duffy made an immediate impact. Leading the bowling attack in the absence of Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood, the New Zealand pacer broke the back of SRH’s explosive top order in his second over. Abhishek Sharma gave wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma a chance to pull. Five balls later, Travis Head fell to a short ball, which went straight to Phil Salt at deep backward square leg. Nitish Reddy followed soon after with another short delivery to Abhinandan Kumar at midwicket.While wickets were falling around him, Ishan maintained his composure. The left-handed batsman found his rhythm against medium pacer Abhinandan Kumar in the sixth over and signaled a change of pace by scoring 6, 4, 6.Fresh from a strong T20 World Cup campaign, Ishan maintained that form with ease. Ishan found an able ally in Heinrich Klaasen (31) and the two made a vital partnership of 97 runs for the fourth wicket.Just as Ishan looked set for a century, his 74-minute stay ended in dramatic fashion with Salt taking a brilliant one-handed catch at the boundary to become Abhinandan’s first IPL wicket.
Virat Kohli praised Devdutt Padikkal after his stellar performance to help Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) start their IPL 2026 campaign with a win. On Saturday, March 28, RCB defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and started their title defense in style.
Padikkal, who came in as an impact sub for Jacob Duffy, brought RCB under control by scoring a half-century in 21 balls. The left-handed batsman scored 61 runs in 26 balls with the help of seven fours and four sixes, as RCB achieved the target of 202 runs with 26 balls remaining.
Kohli praised Padikkal’s extraordinary innings and said that he wanted to keep him on strike from the beginning. Padikkal’s aggressive batting, which came after the dismissal of Phil Salt, did not give Sunrisers any scope to breathe in the first match of IPL.
Kohli told broadcasters after the match, “Excellent innings. Right from the start, I had planned to be aggressive in the powerplay, but when I saw him play, I just wanted to keep him on strike, hit the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition.”
“I remember after hitting a six over mid-on on a slower ball I told him, just keep going, you are hitting the ball very well, keep going and take the game away from the opposition. We finished with 25-26 (26) balls, and we are going to increase the net run rate as well,” Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 69, said.
‘Sheer genius’
Padikkal entered the IPL on the back of a stellar Ranji Trophy season and scored 543 runs at an average of 60.33, including a top score of 232 against Uttarakhand. Kohli said he was not surprised by Padikkal’s explosive innings, adding that his confident performance reflected his world-class talent and exceptional batting ability.
Kohli said, “His innings were tremendous. I have watched him closely and the skill he has is incredible. His timing, head position and balance were all world class in a brilliant domestic season with the red ball. I knew what he could do if he had the confidence and tonight was a display of his talent.”
Padikkal, Kohli and RCB will aim to maintain their winning streak in their next encounter against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5.
Royal Challengers Bangalore players clashed with each other (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
Bengaluru: Ten months after the last Indian Premier League Cricket returned to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s home ground with renewed vigor on Saturday, with the match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium – and the matchday experience for fans all over again.Yet, amid the discussion, memories of last year’s tragedy resurfaced. 11 seats dedicated to those who lost their lives during RCB’s victory celebrations stood at the front – enclosed within a picket fence and decorated with floral motifs against a white background – a sober reminder in a charged atmosphere.Outside the stadium, activity quickly increased. As soon as the gates opened at around 3.30 pm, spectators started arriving, many arriving early enough to get into the modified entry system without any last-minute hassles.The excitement was not limited to local fans. Curtis P, an Infosys employee from Florida, was one of a group of five colleagues from across the United States who planned their travel around the match.“I’m a big fan of cricket and have been coming to India to watch games for some time. We had planned a working visit and timed it to coincide with this match,” said Curtis.For many regulars, the changes turned out to be a seamless experience. Vishwanath Reddy, a retired army officer and long-time attendee, was impressed.He said, “In more than three decades, this was probably the most seamless entry experience we have had. The police ensured that only valid ticket holders were allowed near the gate and people were allowed to move forward instead of allowing crowds to form. I hope this will become the norm.”However, not everyone had a smooth start. For some people, unfamiliarity with the updated security protocols caused discomfort.Vinaya V, who had come with her daughter Myra, found the restrictions disappointing. “We didn’t know that digital watches were not allowed. We had to walk a long distance to deposit it at the baggage counter and then return,” he said.RCB fan Santosh Udupa also had a similar experience. “I was shocked when they said I couldn’t take my keys. After some discussion, they allowed me to keep my house keys, but due to censoring I had to surrender my car keys,” he said.Many others, who ignored the fine print on prohibited items, were seen discussing with security personnel after being stopped from carrying items like bags, perfumes and cosmetics inside.Despite these minor setbacks, the overall system improved significantly. Over 2,000 personnel, including city police, CCB, traffic and civil defense personnel, were deployed to control the crowd.The mock drill conducted over the last 10 days appears to have been a success, with entry points largely functioning without any glitches and security personnel ensuring there is no loitering around the stadium premises. With access via Cubbon Road largely streamlined, Queens Road was free of its usual match day crowds.Before the start of the game, the packed stadium stopped in honor of the victims. Both teams and fans observed a minute’s silence while the message “Forever in our hearts” was displayed on a large screen – a moment of collective remembrance before cricket took center stage.See also: ipl score
