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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh for 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in recognition of his extraordinary performance in IPL 2025. Vaibhav, playing for Rajasthan Royals, made history by scoring a blistering century off just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans, becoming the youngest player ever to score a century in senior T20 cricket and the fastest Indian to reach an IPL hundred. His innings featured 11 sixes and 7 fours, helping Rajasthan Royals secure an emphatic eight-wicket victory. Nitish Kumar personally congratulated Vaibhav and spoke to him over the phone following the match. The Chief Minister expressed pride in Vaibhav’s talent and hard work, recalling a meeting with the young cricketer and his father in 2024 when he wished him a bright future. He hailed Vaibhav as a new hope for Indian cricket and wished him success in creating new records and bringing glory to the country. Vaibhav hails from Motipur in Bihar’s Samastipur district, and h...

Rajasthan Royals’ bowling coach Shane Bond publicly acknowledged their playoff elimination after managing just 4 points from 9 matches (2 wins), admitting the team was “probably out” mathematically. Speaking ahead of Monday’s clash against Gujarat Titans, Bond stressed the need to salvage pride in their remaining fixtures. “We’re 2–7… jeez, where we could sit on the table,” Bond said, reflecting on missed opportunities, including collapses in three winnable chases. Injuries, notably Sanju Samson’s absence, and middle-order frailty under Riyan Parag’s leadership exacerbated their woes. Despite the bleak outlook, Bond emphasized professional pride: “There’s a lot to play for — pride, contracts, fans.” RR’s five-match losing streak, their worst since 2009–10, has left them 9th with a -0.625 NRR. With a maximum of 14 points possible, RR’s fate hinges on miraculous rival collapses, but Bond’s focus remains on regaining competitiveness: “We’ll get stuck into the next four or five games.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their three-match home losing streak in IPL 2025 with an 11-run win against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Virat Kohli (70 off 42) and Devdutt Padikkal (50 off 27) propelled RCB to 205/5 with a 95-run second-wicket stand, while Josh Hazlewood (4/33) and Krunal Pandya (2/31) starred with the ball. Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed 49 off 19 balls (7 fours, 3 sixes), helping RR reach 72/2 in the powerplay. Nitish Rana (28) and Riyan Parag (22) kept hopes alive before Hazlewood’s double-wicket 19th over (1 run, 2 wickets) sealed the game. Dhruv Jurel fought with a 34-ball 47, but RR finished at 194/9, suffering their fifth straight loss and elimination from playoff contention. Hazlewood’s penultimate-over heroics, including the wickets of Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer, left RR needing 17 off the final six balls, which proved insurmountable. The win kept RCB’s playoff hopes alive, while RR’s campaign ended with 2 wins in 8 matches.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar acknowledged the Chinnaswamy Stadium’s unpredictable pitches but refused to use them as an excuse for the team’s three consecutive home losses in IPL 2025. Despite a flawless five-match away winning streak, RCB’s home struggles have raised concerns, with Patidar admitting, “We haven’t played good cricket here.” Ahead of their April 24 match against Rajasthan Royals, Patidar emphasized adapting quickly to conditions: “The toss isn’t in our control, so we focus on batting first effectively. The wickets are tricky, but that’s no excuse.” RCB’s home games have seen collapses, including a 95/9 debacle against Punjab Kings, where Tim David’s late surge (50 off 26) averted total embarrassment. Patidar stressed learning from errors while staying present-focused: “In this league, you move on quickly. We don’t dwell on past losses.” RCB’s away dominance, including wins over Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, contrasts sharply with th...

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has launched a new Super Kings Academy in Puducherry, marking a significant expansion of the franchise’s cricket development initiatives beyond Tamil Nadu. This move follows the establishment of 12 centers across Tamil Nadu and recent launches in other regions, including Delhi NCR. The Puducherry academy aims to provide aspiring cricketers with access to world-class training facilities and coaching methodologies inspired by the CSK franchise. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who recently took over the CSK captaincy, expressed his enthusiasm about the academy’s launch, encouraging young boys and girls in Puducherry to begin their cricketing journey and "Train Like a Super King." The academy is designed to nurture local talent by offering professional coaching, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and exposure to the Super Kings’ successful cricketing philosophy. CSK CEO KS Viswanathan highlighted that the academy’s expansion into Puducherry an...

Indian cricket stars Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana have been named Wisden’s Leading Cricketers in the World for 2024, a prestigious recognition announced in the 2025 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. Bumrah received the honor in the men’s category, while Mandhana was recognized as the leading woman cricketer, marking a landmark achievement for Indian cricket. Bumrah’s 2024 was exceptional across formats. He took 71 Test wickets at an average of 14.92, the most wickets by any bowler in a calendar year at such an economy. He became the first bowler to reach 200 Test wickets at an average below 20, an unprecedented feat.  His match-winning spells included dismantling England’s top order and delivering crucial performances in India’s T20 World Cup victory, where he was named Player of the Tournament with 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.17. His leadership cameo as stand-in captain in Perth also drew praise. Smriti Mandhana set a new record by scoring 1,659 internationa...

The home team, KKR, is coming off a disappointing defeat to Punjab Kings, where they were bowled out for a mere 95 while chasing just 112. Despite being heavy favorites at 62/2, they suffered a surprising collapse, thanks to quality bowling from Yuzvendra Chahal and pacers Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen.  This loss exposed KKR’s vulnerability under pressure and their inconsistent batting. However, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Harshit Rana have impressed with the ball, especially in the middle overs. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side is currently in sixth place with three wins from seven games. On the other hand, the Gujarat Titans have been a solid unit this season, especially with their batting. In their latest clash, GT chased down a 204-run target against Delhi Capitals, thanks to Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 97 off 51 balls. His knock was instrumental in scripting GT’s first successful chase of a 200+ target.  Valuable support from Sai Sudharsan and Sherfane Rutherford help...