Cristiano Ronaldo has eased concerns over his fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after sharing positive injury details on social media. The Portugal captain posted a photo of himself working out during training and recovery, suggesting his return is not far off.
Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal team For the upcoming March friendlies against Mexico and the United States after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for Al Nassr in late February. Speaking during the team announcement, head coach Roberto Martínez explained that the decision to rest Ronaldo was precautionary, aimed at avoiding any long-term setbacks:
Ronaldo’s update suggests he is actively working on his recovery, providing reassurance to fans amid growing concerns over his availability.
Portugal are scheduled to face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on March 28 before taking on the United States in Atlanta on March 31. The coaching staff have opted to manage the workload carefully, with Bernardo Silva among the notable absentees, as the focus remains on long-term fitness rather than short-term stability.
Ronaldo is expected to recover over the next few weeks, allowing him to return in time for the World Cup starting in June. Portugal begin their campaign on June 17 in Houston as they aim for a strong performance in the tournament.
Will Ronaldo be fit for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Despite early concerns, all signs suggest Ronaldo will be fit in time for the World Cup. The injury has been described as manageable, and the decision to rest him for the friendly matches is part of a wider strategy to ensure he is fully prepared for the tournament.
At the age of 41, Ronaldo continues to make history as he eyes a record sixth World Cup appearance. Having achieved almost everything in the game, the elusive World Cup title remains a big trophy missing from his collection.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, Akshar Patel has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Impact Player rule, admitting that he is personally not a fan of this regulation. The Delhi Capitals captain believes that this rule reduces the importance of all-rounders in the tournament starting on March 28.Introduced in 2023, the Impact Player rule allows teams to bring in a specialist batsman or bowler as a substitute during a match. However, Akshar feels that this has brought about a lot of changes in the team composition. “To be honest, I don’t like this rule because I am an all-rounder. Earlier, you used to choose an all-rounder for batting and bowling.
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Akshar Patel raises questions on impact player rule: ‘The value of all-rounders decreases’
“But because of this rule, the team management picks a particular batsman or bowler, thinking ‘why do we need an all-rounder?’ Since I am an all-rounder, I don’t like this rule. Besides, rules are rules and we have to follow them. However, from a personal point of view, I don’t like this rule,” he said during a pre-season press conference.Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1. This is not the first time Akshar has raised concerns about the rule. In 2024, when he served as vice-captain, he had mentioned that the impact player rule had affected his batting position.Despite maintaining a career IPL economy rate of 7.3, Axar endured a difficult bowling season in 2025, which was his least effective since joining Delhi in 2019. He gave runs at the rate of 8.5 per over and could take only five wickets in 11 innings. However, he clarified that his struggle was due to a finger injury suffered during India’s successful 2025 champions trophy Campaign, not Impact Player rules.“It was just before the 2025 Champions Trophy IPL. During the whistle, I got a cut on my spinning finger: as I was bowling, it was getting cut further because of the seam of the ball. It turned into a deep wound. Because of this I could not create pressure and rotation on the ball.“I was bowling less because of this and was thinking about bowling only where needed and saving my finger. After seven matches, when my finger healed, I started bowling again. It was not because of the Impact Player rule,” he said.While his bowling numbers declined, Axar compensated for it with the bat, enjoying one of his most productive IPL seasons in 2025. He scored 263 runs at a strike rate of 158 in 11 innings, including four scores above 30, and maintained a strike rate of 159 in the middle overs to provide the momentum for Delhi.
Delhi Capitals are set to offer KL Rahul a permanent opening spot in the Indian Premier League 2026 season, the franchise confirmed in its pre-tournament press conference on Monday, March 23. Speaking ahead of their opening game, head coach Hemang Badani and director of cricket Venugopal Rao stressed that DC are looking to improve their top-order issues this season.
Last season, Delhi used seven opening combinations in the IPL. He started with Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, but the Australian’s poor form forced a rethink. Frequent cuts and changes led to instability, with the team making 13 changes at the top.
This inconsistency affected his debutOften the middle order is left with a lot to do. Speaking ahead of their opening match against Lucknow Super Giants, Badani said that in the last two years, opening partnerships have become a game-changing factor in T20 cricket. Keeping this in mind, he confirmed that the team will retain KL Rahul at the top this season.
Opening combination of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025
Faf du Plessis – Jake Fraser-McGurk
Faf du Plessis- KL Rahul
Abhishek Porel – Karun Nair
Abhishek Porel – Jake Fraser-McGurk
Faf du Plessis-Abhishek Porel
KL Rahul – Jake Fraser-McGurk
Faf du Plessis – Karun Nair
KL Rahul’s white-ball form
KL Rahul has been released by Lucknow Super Giants After the conclusion of the IPL 2024 season. The franchise bought Rishabh Pant for a record fee, while Delhi bought Rahul to strengthen its batting line-up. Rahul started in the middle-order, but was gradually pushed into the top three last season.
Over the last one and a half years, Rahul has worked on developing his power-hitting game. In IPL 2025, he scored 539 runs at a strike rate of 150 – his best since IPL 2022, when he scored over 600 runs despite a lower strike rate.
Rahul’s improved power game is expected to give DC a more dynamic presence at the top. However, the team will still need to finalize their opening partner with options including Pathum Nissanka, Abhishek Porel and Prithvi Shaw.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya wants to win the sixth Indian Premier League title for his team this season. Pandya, who returned to captain MI after a successful title defense in the T20 World Cup, has talked about building his legacy and wants MI to play their best cricket this season.
After a quiet 2024 season, where Hardik returned to the franchise, MI had a strong performance last season and reached the playoffs. However, the campaign ended tragically as the franchise was defeated by Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 of the tournament.
Speaking to Cricbuzz ahead of the season, Pandya said he wants to carry on Mumbai’s legacy as a team that supports young talent and helps them grow to their full potential.
The Mumbai Indians captain said in an interview, “The ultimate dream is to win the IPL for the sixth time.”
“At the same time, it’s about building a legacy. Mumbai Indians already have an incredible legacy, but I still remember when I was the new kid – the passion, the hard work and how the team supported me and helped me grow,” he said.
“Moving forward, I want that culture to continue – where players step up, work hard and play the best kind of cricket. I want us to represent the best cricket Mumbai Indians have ever played and the best cricket I have ever played. That’s the legacy I want to leave – for myself and for the franchise,” Pandya concluded.
The fast bowling all-rounder has recently been criticized by some sections of fans for his larger than life lifestyle. However, that lifestyle has not affected his performances, which was evident in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, Where Pandya maintained patience in the death overs To achieve a crucial win against the aggressive Jacob Bethel, who almost took the game away from India.
Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard pointed towards this and said that Hardik Pandya remains one of the most hardworking players of the team. Pollard recalled Hardik’s early years and said that Pandya had a larger-than-life personality when he first came into the MI setup, but he never let his work ethic diminish – something that now inspires the younger generation.
Pollard said, “The bravery and youthful spirit that these players bring is remarkable. I think it all started when this guy (pointing to Pandya) came into our setup – larger than life, but someone who works incredibly hard and performs well on the field. That’s what the next generation is looking for.”
“When they come to our camp, they are fearless – and that’s what we want. That’s what Mumbai Indians is about: a fearless brand of cricket. These guys are ready from the start, and that excites me a lot,” concluded the legendary former MI star.
Mumbai Indians will play their first IPL 2026 match on March 29, when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.
Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings will once again begin their quest for a maiden Indian Premier League title when the 2026 season begins on March 28. Despite almost two decades in the competition, both the franchises are yet to lift the trophy.Former Indian all-rounder Irfan PathanThose who have represented both the teams reflected on their journey and highlighted the key reasons behind their prolonged title drought.
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Speaking on JioStar, Pathan explained that Delhi struggled with talent identification in the early 2010s, which hindered their progress.“When I was in Delhi, Eric Simmons, who is now with CSK as bowling coach, was the coach, and efforts were made to bring stability. But when you let players like AB de VilliersAnd you have Andre Russell, starting from scratch is not easy. I played with Russell in the same dressing room and there was a lot of discussion about giving him more chances, but they couldn’t make a place for him in the playing eleven consistently. So, talent identification is very important, and I think Delhi used to lag in that area,” Pathan said.Punjab, on the other hand, have shown signs of progress in recent seasons. Ahead of IPL 2025, franchise makes significant changes by appointing Australian great ricky ponting As head coach and signing Shreyas Iyer For ₹26.75 crore. The team enjoyed a strong campaign and reached the final before falling short against Royal Challengers Bangalore.Pathan credited his superior leadership and strategic planning for Punjab’s revival.“Leadership has played a big role in Punjab’s turnaround. You win half the IPL at the auction table. Big purses don’t always mean you get what you want, but they did and they reached the final. Even in the mini-auction, they took bold but important decisions, like dropping players who were not performing well, like Glenn Maxwell,” he explained.He also mentioned the situation involving Josh Inglis, noting how the circumstances affected his plans.Pathan said, “They were a bit unfortunate because of Josh Inglis’ situation because he will miss most of the season, but then you see another team going after him for a huge price. In that regard, they are making a lot of right decisions.”According to Pathan, another important improvement is Punjab’s focus on strengthening the depth of its team.“Look at the backup players. In the past, Punjab had to struggle with this when the focus was solely on building the first XI, but now you see a young Indian batting core along with all-rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen and Marcus Stoinis. Also, after they decided to make Shreyas Iyer the captain, they were going all out for him. So, there is clarity in thought, and I think Punjab has started moving in the right direction,” he concluded.As IPL 2026 approaches, both Delhi and Punjab will aim to finally break their title drought, armed with lessons from the past and renewed optimism for the future.
Arsenal’s unfortunate pattern has begun to take shape again, and this time it comes with silverware on the line. Mikel Arteta’s side lost 2–0 to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, with Nico O’Reilly scoring twice in four minutes of the second half to decide the game.
For a team leading the Premier League, in the Champions League quarter-finals against Sporting CP, and still in the FA Cup, this was an obvious result. Instead, their quadruple hopes are dashed, and questions about handling big games are back.
The first half was controlled but flat. Arsenal had more possession but did little with it. The city stood tight and waited for errors.
Just after the hour mark the game turned, and quickly.
Kepa’s scary night at Wembley
Arteta stuck with Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had played every round of the competition. The decision did not work.
Kepa looked uncertain early in the second half when he ran in and fouled Jeremy Doku, earning him a yellow card.
In the 60th minute he made an even bigger mistake. A routine cross slipped through his hands and fell to Nico O’Reilly, who gave City the lead.
After four minutes the score was 2-0. Matthias Nunes delivered a cross and O’Reilly scored again with a clean header.
Arsenal pushed forward but lacked quality in the final third. He hit the bar late on but couldn’t do enough to trouble City.
Kepa’s errors changed the game and Arsenal never recovered.
Nico O’Reilly extends Dream Week
Nico O’Reilly made the difference.
The 21-year-old scored both goals in quick succession to book a place in the final. His first reaction came by reacting to Kepa’s mistake. The second was a well-timed header from Nunes’ cross.
It’s been a strong week for the youngster after joining the England squad and celebrating his birthday.
For Guardiola, this is his fifth League Cup title, the most by any manager in the competition.
City won their first trophy of the season.
Arsenal remain in the race for the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles. But this result ruins their chances of winning it all and the focus turns to how they perform in the deciding games.
Chennai Super Kings A major milestone in their history was established by the inclusion of Sunday Suresh Raina And Matthew Hayden In the franchise’s inaugural Hall of Fame induction. The honor was announced during their fan engagement event “Roar’26” held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.Raina, one of the most iconic figures in CSK’s journey, represented the franchise from its inception in 2008 till 2021. He played a central role in four title-winning campaigns in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. Popularly known as ‘Chinna Thala’ among supporters, he was also a part of the team’s Champions League T20 wins in 2010 and 2014. Where he scored 234 runs and later earned the Player of the Tournament award.He remains CSK’s leading run-scorer, having scored 5529 runs in his entire career with the franchise, which includes two centuries and 38 half-centuries.Meanwhile, Hayden was associated with CSK between 2008 and 2010 and contributed to their early success. The former Australian opener was part of the 2010 IPL-winning team and had previously won the Orange Cap in the 2009 season by scoring 572 runs, becoming the first CSK player to achieve the feat.In his time with the franchise, Hayden scored 1117 runs while registering eight half-centuries.The event also saw the presence of several former CSK players, including Muttiah Muralitharan, Ambati Rayudu, Lakshmipathy Balaji, S Badrinath and others. michael husseyAdding to the celebratory atmosphere on the historic occasion of the franchise. CSK will take on Rajasthan Royals in their opening match on Monday, March 30 in Guwahati.
There was a festive atmosphere at the MA Chidambaram Stadium ahead of Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2026 home game in the city. On Sunday, the five-time champions hosted a special event for their fans, bringing together their former players – the OGs – under one roof. It was a day that brought back memories when players like Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo, Muttiah Muralitharan, Murali Vijay, Parthiv Patel, S Badrinath and Suresh Raina once again donned the yellow jersey and walked on the iconic Chepauk.
As expected, MS Dhoni stole the show. The 44-year-old took to the field on Sunday afternoon with a thunderous background score, much to the delight of fans who had bought tickets for the special event, which will be followed by a concert by Academy Award winner AR Rahman.
A fan was seen crying as he saw Dhoni walk onto the field to begin the fun-filled training session. Titled ‘Roar 26’, CSK hosted the special evening to honor its former cricketers as well as the World Cup winners from the current team.
While the loudest cheer was reserved for Dhoni, Suresh Raina, one of CSK’s greatest players, was welcomed with a huge roar by the crowd. Sanju Samson, who will join the CSK squad in IPL 2026 after his departure from Rajasthan Royals, also got a warm welcome.
Dhoni appeared to be enjoying while getting wickets to some of his former teammates. He saw Michael Hussey dancing on the track and sending captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s part-time off-spin into the stands.
When Samson came back and hit a six off Muttiah Muralitharan, Dhoni was also behind the stumps.
As usual, Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo were engaged in a light banter on the field. When Dhoni had a chance to stump Bravo, who was dancing on the track and missed a big shot, he decided not to do so. Later in the evening, Bravo entertained the Chepauk crowd by singing a song before walking up to Dhoni and sharing a warm embrace with his former captain.
Dhoni honored Samson
MS Dhoni with Sanju Samson in Chepauk (Courtesy: @ChennaiIPL/X)
Dhoni then honored India’s T20 World Cup heroes – Shivam Dubey and Sanju Samson with special mementos. Dhoni also honored Ayush Mhatre, who led India’s Under-19 team to win the World Cup earlier this year.
Dhoni later attended the felicitation ceremony along with CSK OGs and the current team of players and thanked the fans who came in large numbers. He was also seen hitting tennis balls into the stands, ensuring that supporters went home with special memories.
This was the first time CSK hosted a ticketed event for fans at the start of the IPL season. The franchise ensured the presence of many former superstars. Despite their commitments with other IPL teams, Bravo (KKR mentor), Hayden and Parthiv (Gujarat Titans coach) attended the event in Chennai.
All eyes were on Dhoni amid speculations that the event, featuring many CSK greats, could signal the beginning of his final season as a player. However, there were no signs of a farewell as the 44-year-old donned the gloves and enjoyed his time on the field.
While Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue to lead CSK, it remains to be seen how involved Dhoni will be this season. There is a school of thought that he may limit himself to playing as an impact player. However, if indications from the training sessions are anything to go by, Dhoni may take over the wicketkeeping duties ahead of Samson.
Dhoni’s performance with the bat in IPL 2025 was not good and he scored 196 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 135.17. It was a tough campaign for the team as Dhoni took over the captaincy after Ruturaj was injured midway through the season, leading to CSK finishing at the bottom of the points table for the first time in IPL history.
However, Dhoni is training hard for IPL 2026 starting from March 28. After starting his preparations in Ranchi in early February, he joined the CSK camp in Chennai in the first week of March and has been training intensively since then.
CSK will start their campaign on Monday, March 30 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. They will play their first home match on Friday, April 3 against Punjab Kings.
Stand-in Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Ishan Kishan Teammates found themselves at the center of a fiery moment on the field during a practice game on Saturday Zeeshan Ansari Gave him an animated farewell after getting him out.This incident came to light in the eighth over of the second innings. Kishan, who was looking in great touch early on, attacked the 26-year-old leg spinner and hit two sixes and two fours in the first four balls. However, the final decision was Ansari’s. He deceived the wicketkeeper-batsman with a full ball, leading to a mistimed shot which was caught safely at deep square leg.This was followed by an aggressive reaction from the bowler, who signaled Kishan to go back to the pavilion. However, the SRH captain decided to take it as a game and responded with a smile, reducing the tension.The moment comes as Kishan has been handed leadership responsibilities for the initial phase Indian Premier League 2026 season. The franchise named him interim captain Abhishek Sharma As his deputy, serving as regular captain pat cummins His recovery from a lower back stress injury continues.Cummins’ injury had already ruled him out of a significant portion of the recent Ashes in Australia and he was also sidelined during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Confirming the leadership change, SRH said that Cummins will miss a few matches, but did not clarify the exact duration of his absence.Kishan stepped into the role on the back of his stellar performance in the T20 World Cup, where he played a key role in India’s title-winning campaign. The left-handed batsman finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer with 317 runs in nine matches at an average of 193 and 35.22, which included three half-centuries.His performances have taken him to No. 2 in the ICC rankings for T20I batsmen, a chart currently topped by his SRH teammate Abhishek Sharma. Earlier in the domestic season, Kishan had led Jharkhand to their first title in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, underscoring his growing credentials as a leader.
