In the IPL 2025, Rajasthan Royals (RR) young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi has gained the attention of everyone, including India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi hailed the "Son of Bihar" for working hard with his skills and displaying the fearless brand of cricket in the cash-rich league. During the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar, the PM also spoke about Suryavanshi's skills in the IPL 2025. During the match against Gujarat Titans (GT), the 14-year-old smashed a 35-ball century. "I have seen in the IPL, the son of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi's spectacular performance. At such a young age, Vaibhav has set such a great record. There is a lot of hard work behind Vaibhav's performance," said Modi. Also Read: IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane surpasses Chris Gayle to become the ninth-highest run-getter Further, speaking about Suryavanshi's talent, PM Modi highlighted that playing at different levels helped the youngster taste success at the IPL level. "To bring his talent to the forefront, he has played many matches at different levels. The more you play, the more you will shine. Competing in matches and competitions as much as possible is very important. The NDA government has always given it the highest priority in its policies," Modi said. "The government's focus is on giving our athletes the opportunity to play new sports. That is why the Khelo India Youth Games included Gatka, Kho-kho, Malkhambh and Yogasana. In recent days, our athletes have performed very well in many new sports like Wushu, Lawn Balls, Roller Skating," he added. Modi further stated that sports holds a significant place in his government's policy-making. "There is a new national education policy, in which we have made sports a part of mainstream education. The aim of this policy is to create excellent sports professionals along with good players in the country. My young friends, we know that sportsmanship plays a very important role in every aspect of life. We learn team spirit in the field of sports. We learn to move forward together," he concluded. (With PTI Inputs)
05 May,2025 04:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAmid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that considering the political tensions between the two neighbours, it was unlikely that Pakistan would take part in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The 75-year-old also noted that BCCI follows the Indian government's directives, suggesting that political tensions might prevent Pakistan’s inclusion in the event. Following Gavaskar's comments, Pakistani cricketers have expressed disappointment over their national side's possible exclusion from Asia Cup 2025. Former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad said on telecomasia.net, “I can’t believe Sunny bhai said this. He’s a respectful, down-to-earth person who always stayed away from politics”. "Gavaskar is a responsible figure loved on both sides of the border. Politics should not mix with sports," said former spinner Iqbal Qasim. Also Read: IPL 2025 | "Aage isi tarah...": Ayush Mahtre's dad reveals pleasing words by MS Dhoni Basit Ali took a harsher stance, calling the remarks “stupid” and urging for evidence before levelling accusations. “Let the investigation conclude. Cricket should remain above political hostilities,” he added. Ex-leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed stressed the need for level-headedness from legendary players, quoting Hazrat Ali (RA): “Never decide in anger that forces you to regret.” He emphasised Pakistan’s importance in the cricketing world and warned against politicising the sport. Pakistan's incumbent ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan decided to stay neutral with his comments.“Whatever happens politically, cricket should go on,” he said.The Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to take place in September. Tensions between the two nations have flared following a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir, which left 26 dead. India has blamed Pakistan for supporting the terrorists, suspended the long-standing Indus Water Treaty, and hinted at broader retaliatory actions. Previously, following the attack, several former and current Team India cricketers, including Harbhajan Singh and KL Rahul, expressed their grief. The Indian cricketers are currently busy featuring in the ongoing IPL 2025. Later, they will lock horns with England for the five-match Test series, starting from June 20th. (With IANS Inputs)
05 May,2025 02:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the IPL 2025 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered a defeat by 37 runs. Following the loss, LSG skipper Rishabh Pant feels that dropping catches at the wrong time can hurt any side badly. "Definitely too many runs. When you drop crucial catches at the wrong time, it can hurt you badly. We thought it would do more, but we did not pick the length right at the start. But that is part and parcel of the game," said Pant during the post-match presentation. However, despite suffering six defeats in the ongoing IPL 2025, Pant is optimistic about his team's chances of making it to the playoffs. "The dream is still alive. If we can win the next three matches, we can definitely turn around and do amazing things," he said. Also Read: IPL 2025 | "Aage isi tarah...": Ayush Mahtre's dad reveals pleasing words by MS Dhoni "It makes sense when your top order is batting well. Every match, you cannot hope for them to come off. It is part of the game, we have to take it deep sometimes. We had too many runs to catch up on and that hurt us badly," the 27-year-old concluded. Meanwhile, the winning team's captain, Shreyas Iyer, said that everyone contributed to the team's victory. He also praised the team's opening batsman, Prabhsimran Singh, for his stunning effort of 91 runs in 48 balls. "Everyone stepped up at the right time, contribution was immense from everyone. The way he performed, it was exceptional and so pleasing to the eye," said Iyer after the match. He also stated that every individual knows their roles and they executed it perfectly. "Was not thinking about stats or what is a good score to defend. We have been lucky, but the luck has been because of the hard work. Each and every individual knows their roles precisely and the way they executed, it was top-notch," he said. Despite clinching a victory in the IPL 2025 match against LSG, the 30-year-old feels that his side still needs to work on their fielding. "The only thing we need to correct is the awareness (in the field) and the way we move - that is the only box we have to tick off. Just back yourselves and your instincts - that has been working for us, not think too much about stats," said Iyer. The victory has helped Punjab to secure the second spot on the IPL 2025 points table. Currently, they have registered seven wins and three defeats. (With PTI Inputs)
05 May,2025 02:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDelhi Capitals (DC) mentor Kevin Pietersen revealed that one of the deepest conversations he has had with premier batsman KL Rahul was how a batsman needs to keep changing gears during his innings and hold onto the momentum. "One of our deepest conversations was how difficult it must be to go from a guy that starts in the second, third, fourth gear, gets to the fifth gear, the sixth gear, and then no one can stop him... to a player who now needs to start in fourth gear, end up in fifth gear very quickly, and after five or six balls, be in sixth gear for the rest of the innings," Pietersen was quoted saying by ESPNcricinfo. Also Read: IPL 2025 | "Aage isi tarah...": Ayush Mahtre's dad reveals pleasing words by MS Dhoni He further hailed the modern batters' ability to change the approach of their game according to the demands of T20 cricket. "I just take my hat off to these players who have played a certain way for such a long time, because of the nature of where T20 cricket is now, have mentally said to themselves, 'I've got to change'...It's frightening to see how good these guys are - and KL in particular," said Pietersen. In IPL 2025, KL Rahul has been consistent with the bat, registering a strike rate of 146.06 — his highest in the last six editions of the cash-rich league. Having played nine matches in the ongoing league, the right-hander has amassed 371 runs, including three half-centuries. However, Rahul and DC are at risk of tailing off after a bright start: they won their first four games of the season but have lost four of the last six, and have recently slipped out of the playoff spots. Currently, the Axar Patel-led DC are placed fifth spot on the points table. The side will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their upcoming IPL 2025 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. (With ANI Inputs)
05 May,2025 02:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOpener Prabhsimran Singh starred with 91 off 48 balls as Punjab Kings beat Lucknow Super Giants by 37 runs in an IPL match here on Sunday. The pint-sized Prabhsimran packed a mean punch in his strokes as Punjab posted an imposing 236-5. In reply, LSG managed only 199-7 in the allotted 20 overs. Pacer Arshdeep Singh finished with impressive figures of 3-16 off four overs for Punjab. Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad top-scored for LSG with 74 and 45 respectively. Also Read: IPL 2025 | "Aage isi tarah...": Ayush Mahtre's dad reveals pleasing words by MS Dhoni Earlier, Prabhsimran, the wicketkkeeper-batter, should have got his second IPL hundred, but an ambitious switch hit off Digvesh Rathi saw him head back to the pavilion, nine runs short of what would have been a deserving milestone. Towards the end, Shashank Singh scored 33 off 15 balls to take Punjab to what looks like an unassailable total. There were 16 sixes hit by Punjab with 13 coming off pacers. Mayank Yadav, in fact, accounted for half a dozen of them going for 60 in his four overs. The LSG batting unit, which has performed well below par after the first stage of the tournament, will need to bat out of their skins to chase down the target. However, LSG had started on a confident note with Priyansh Arya (1) sent back to a well-thought plan with left-arm seamer Akash Singh bowling a nice outswinger, slightly out of his hitting arc. Priyansh plays with bare minimum footwork and Mayank Yadav at deep backward point held onto a sitter. Prabhsimran was initially a passive partner as it was Australian Jos Inglis who launched the first attack with a hat-trick of sixes off Mayank, whose speed has decreased by at least 15 kmph post his intense rehab. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 May,2025 08:21 AM IST | Dharamsala | AgenciesChennai Super Kings’s (CSK) young Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre, 17, came agonisingly close to what would have been his maiden IPL century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday, where he was dismissed for 94, after which CSK went on to lose by two runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, Mhatre received some precious words of encouragement from his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni after his 48-ball 94 (9x4, 5x6). “Ayush was happy with his innings, but wanted to win the game as they [CSK] were very close to beating RCB. But after the game, Ayush had an interaction with the legendary Dhoni, and was extremely thrilled,” Ayush’s father Yogesh told mid-day on Sunday. Also Read: IPL 2025 | "It’s about peaking at the right time": Karun Nair ahead of SRH clash Ayush Mhatre’s dad Yogesh Skipper’s calming words “Dhoni calmly said to Ayush, ‘Well played. Aage isi tarah achha karte rehna hai [in future you have to keep performing well just like this]. It may have been just a few words but, coming from Dhoni, who Ayush respects immensely, the words mean a lot. It felt that Dhoni was showing belief in Ayush’s ability by entrusting him with an important responsibility going forward,” added Yogesh. Ayush was dismissed off a slower delivery by pacer Lungi Ngidi and was caught at deep mid-wicket. Speaking about his son’s dismissal, Mhatre Sr said: “After the game, I congratulated Ayush for his fine knock of 94. We spoke quite a bit, but he did not sound disappointed about missing his century. I believe whatever happens, happens for the best, but Ayush was keen to see CSK win. He felt he hurried into playing the particular shot that caused his dismissal.” That Bhuvi over One of the highlights of Ayush’s innings was that he hammered RCB’s India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 26 runs in one over. Mhatre Sr admitted he never expected his son to achieve this against such a senior bowler. “Bhuvneshwar is a very experienced bowler and is known for his ability to move the ball sideways effectively and that too with immense control. So, I least expected Ayush to bat like that against him. But when he dispatched Bhuvneshwar’s first yorker in the cover region for four, I realised he was reading the deliveries perfectly. But I’m still surprised that he managed five fours and a six in a single over against a bowler of Bhuvneshwar’s stature,” said Yogesh. Given both Ayush and Rajasthan Royals’s dashing young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14) have grabbed everyone’s attention at this IPL with their opening heroics with the bat, a comparison is inevitable, but Mhatre Sr warns against it. He felt that the two India U-19 teammates are absolutely different batters. “I’ve told Ayush that he and Vaibhav are two very different batsmen and that if someone compares him with Vaibhav, he should not keep that in mind. I have also told him not to try to imitate Vaibhav or look to score a century like him. I believe there is absolutely no need for Ayush to take any pressure upon himself and try to do big things. He has a long way to go,” concluded Yogesh.
05 May,2025 08:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureIt’s a high-stakes match for Delhi Capitals. They have had a few setbacks in the last few matches and slipped down to fifth place. Therefore, a win against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday will boost their chances in the Playoffs race. Currently with 12 points, DC have four matches remaining, including this one against SRH. DC have tasted three defeats in four matches at home. The Axar Patel-led team will be keen to regain their winning momentum. Experienced batter Karun Nair said they had a good break from this game: “As a team, we have to reset and go back to the things that we were doing well. It’s about peaking at the right time and this is the perfect time to start.” Also Read: Darshit Jadhav’s brace helps UBI stun CTC 5-3 There were a few batting concerns, particularly against Kolkata Knight Riders, as Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma were out cheaply. The left-handed Porel has been in good touch, though. However, Nair has not been able to put up big scores in the last few matches. Faf du Plessis was the top scorer against KKR with 62 off 45 balls and skipper Axar has played an important role in the middle order. On the flat wicket here, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Mukesh Kumar, Vipraj Singh, Axar and Kuldeep Yadav have a big challenge in this crucial fixture. For the home fans, there is nothing much to cheer about. A win at Chennai and a good break from the game in Maldives did not help SRH’s cause against Gujarat Titans as they succumbed to their seventh defeat of the season and are on the brink of elimination, in ninth place. SRH coach Daniel Vettori said there are still 11 really good players that will take the park. “They’ve all had huge amounts of success, whether it be in IPL or in their international careers, and also at some stage throughout the season. So, we’ll lean on that and hope that they can make a difference tomorrow.” Mohammed Shami has been a disappointment for SRH and continues to leak runs in a big way. Vettori opined that Shami trained and prepared as well as he can. “I know that he had high expectations coming into the tournament based on how well he bowled in the Champions Trophy. If you look back two seasons ago, he was obviously the purple cap winner. So, we know that he’s been able to perform in IPL in the past and it just hasn’t come together for him this season.”
05 May,2025 08:13 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath DasAll-rounder Nilakshika Silva brought her years of experience to play during a counter-attacking 33-ball 56 as Sri Lanka humbled India by three wickets — their first win against their fancied rivals in seven years — in a women’s Tri-series match here on Sunday. Also Read: ‘We were nowhere near our standards’ The victory, the islanders’ second in the tournament, helped them inch closer to the final. This was India’s first loss in the event but they are still expected to make the title clash thanks to their convincing wins in the first two matches. Asked to bat, India posted a competitive 275 for nine riding on swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh’s 48-ball 58. Sri Lanka completed the chase with five balls to spare after slipping to 152 for four in the 33rd over. After Nilakshi flattened the India bowlers with her three sixes and five fours, Anushka Sanjeewani (23 not out off 28 balls) and Sugandika Kumari (19 not out off 20 balls) got the job done for Sri Lanka to push the third team South Africa on the verge of elimination. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 May,2025 08:09 AM IST | Colombo | PTIOpeners Anish Chaudhary (40-ball 86) and Vedant Murkar (39*) played vital roles as DTDC Express beat Mumbai Police B by nine wickets in the Corporation Shield final at the MCA-BKC ground on Tuesday. Also Read: Verstappen beats Norris to pole position in Miami Chaudhary and Murkar’s 127-run stand helped DTDC chase their target of 152 in 13.2 overs, with 40 balls to spare. Sachin Rao (62) was the top scorer for Mumbai Police B.
05 May,2025 07:58 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentSkipper Riyan Parag brought Rajasthan Royals back from the dead, but had to watch his team fall short by the narrowest of margins as Kolkata Knight Riders escaped to victory and kept alive their slender hopes of a berth in the IPL-18 Playoffs. Having put up a challenging 206-4 at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, the Knights had all but wrapped it up when they reduced the visitors to 71-5 in the eighth over. Parag, however, changed the script and inspired a breathtaking chase. Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag walks back disappointed after being dismissed for 95 vs KKR yesterday. Pic/PTI When he fell in the 18th over for a 45-ball 95, the chase continued, but RR were 205-8 when the overs ran out. “If I’m counting right, this is the fourth game in which we got into a position where we should have won, but were unable to finish off,” said RR batting coach Vikram Rathore. “Yeah, that’s the kind of season we’ve had so far.” Also Read: IPL 2025 | "To execute plan in front of biggest players is what I admire": Fleming on Ayush Mhatre Russell, Rinku make it count Opting to bat first, if the Knights did get past 200, much of it must be credited to Andre Russell, who came good at last. The final five overs produced 85 runs with the burly Jamaican remaining unbeaten on a 25-ball 57. It had 12 fours and six sixes. He had come to the match with just 72 runs from seven innings. Rinku Singh, who would later field like a tiger on the boundary, and effect the run-out that prevented the match from going into a Super Over, was unbeaten on a six-ball 19 that had a four and a couple of sixes. KKR’s Andre Russell during his unbeaten 57 off 25 balls Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44 from 31), Rahmanulla Gurbaz (35 off 25) and skipper Ajinkya Rahane (30 off 24) made substantial contributions, but Parag would upstage them. When all seemed lost, he hoisted six consecutive sixes, five in Moeen Ali’s third over and another off Varun Chakravarthy in the next. Moeen, who already had a couple of wickets under his belt, including the prized one of Yashasvi Jaiswal, conceded 32 in the 13th over. Parag, Hetmyer rescue RR Coming in at 8-2, Parag found a willing partner in Shimron Hetmyer. The two added 92 in 48 balls with Parag scoring 61 of them. Hetmyer scored a 23-ball 29 and when Parag fell, Jofra Archer and Impact Sub Shubham Dubey took the fight to the final ball. Teen talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed early again, Rahane pulling off a brilliant catch. RR failed to get the start they wanted but they almost got the finish right. “Such wins will give us momentum and the self-belief that we can pull off tight matches. “This is exactly what we needed. I’m hopeful that we can pull off the next three matches. We have done it before,” said Varun Chakravarthy, reminding that “every match is a knockout game for us”. Brief scoresKKR 206-4 in 20 overs (A Russell 57*, A Raghuvanshi 44, R Gurbaz 35, A Rahane 30; R Parag 1-21) beat RR 205-8 in 20 overs (Parag 95, Y Jaiswal 34; V Chakravarthy 2-32, H Rana 2-41, M Ali 2-43) by 1 run
05 May,2025 07:47 AM IST | Kolkata | Arup ChatterjeeOne team might be sitting at the top of the table and the other occupying the exact opposite end of the spectrum, but the gulf between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings was miniscule at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on a rocking Saturday night. Not just miniscule, almost non-existent. In the end, the margin was a mere two runs as Yash Dayal held his nerve and defended 15 runs in the final over, bowling the hosts to a popular victory. A cracking opening stand between Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli was backed up by a savage 14-ball 53 not out — the joint second-fastest IPL fifty — by Romario Shepherd, muscling RCB to 213 for five with 54 coming off the last two overs. But CSK weren’t going down without a fight. Also Read: PBKS vs LSG, IPL 2025: Ayush Badoni's 74-run knock in vain as Punjab win by 37 runs Ayush Mhatre, 17, and Ravindra Jadeja, more than twice his age, joined hands in a spectacular third-wicket alliance of 114 in just 64 deliveries, to keep the five-time former champions well in the hunt. Mhatre forced even the most loyal RCB fan to break out in applause as he became the third youngest IPL half-centurion before perishing for a wonderful 94. The faster bowlers were spectacular at the death. Lungi Ngidi on franchise debut took two wickets for just eight in the 17th and the left-armer Dayal closed out the game to take RCB to their eighth win in 11 outings. “It was a much better performance, but just a couple of areas where we lost concentration and they pounced, in particular the last two overs of the fielding effort,” CSK coach Stephen Fleming conceded. “We actually batted really well. It’s been one of our struggles this year, but there were a couple of individual performances that we’re really proud of. “It’s early days, but we have been very impressed with his skills right from when he trialled and was with us at the early part of the season,” Fleming said of Mhatre. “But more his temperament really. It’s one thing to have a lot of shots, but to be able to execute that game plan on a big stage in front of some of the biggest players in the world is what I admire.”
05 May,2025 07:39 AM IST | Bangalore | R KaushikADVERTISEMENT
