Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 68.
Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant's woeful form with the bat and Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer's sublime touch have made Sunday's mid-table clash an engrossing contest -- one that could decisively shape the fortunes of either side as the IPL enters its business end.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer called Yuzvendra Chahal "one of the best bowlers" in the Indian Premier League and revealed that he told the seasoned leg-spinner to always look for wickets instead of worrying over leaking runs during a "personal chat".
Punjab Kings' owners will feel the Rs 26.75 crore they splurged on Shreyas Iyer was money well spent after the 30-year-old demonstrated selfless leadership in Tuesday's Indian Premier League (IPL) victory against 2022 champions Gujarat Titans.
Shreyas Iyer's brilliant 97 not out helped Punjab Kings to an 11-run victory over Gujarat Titans in their Indian Premier League (IPL) opener.
Shubman Gill, who has been India's stand out batter in the tournament, was the only one who did not turn up for practice.
Harbhajan, however, felt the current crop of spinners lack aggression.
'Arshdeep, Shami can make impact in Bumrah's absence'
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.
It may be a matter of celebration in the Indian dressing room but there is something that has not gone down too well with cricket fans.
ICC ODI Player of the Year Afghanistan's Azamatullah Omarzai would be able to join Punjab Kings only on March 20.
Arshdeep accepts the success that has come his way in the IPL but says he really had to 'earn everything'.
While CSK dropped as many as five catches, a couple of them sitters, Punjab were not too far behind as they floored four chances.
Royal Challengers Bangalore faced criticism from fans on social media after three of their high-profile English recruits struggled in the first T20I between India and England
Shami last played for India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad after which he was sidelined because of an ankle injury which needed surgery.
Skipper Shreyas made an excellent fifty to support Yuzvendra Chahal's hat-trick as Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by four wickets in their IPL match here on Wednesday.
Rishabh Pant's IPL 2025 campaign hit a new low -both statistically and symbolically - on Sunday, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.
Hyderabad FC played out a 1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters FC in their final Indian Super League match of the season.
Shubman Gill's fluent century and a clinical performance from their bowlers helped India trounce England by 142 runs in the third and final ODI on Wednesday, to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
Punjab Kings' skipper Shreyas Iyer scored a brilliant 85 runs off 41 balls during his side's intra-squad practice match ahead of their IPL campaign.
Suryakumar expressed excitement over Shami's return.
Indian batter Abhishek Sharma and bowler Varun Chakaravarthy retained their career-best number two positions in the latest ICC T20I rankings.
Jaffer appreciated Ashwani's skill-set, as someone capable of bowling close to 140 kmph, having a great bouncer and yorker.
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
With Mahendra Singh Dhoni being the same player and no one to "bell the cat", CSK are in unusual mess with a mis-firing top-order where the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has had to give up his opening slot.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at the Chinnaswamy stadium, in Bengaluru on Friday
Prabhsimran Singh - Punjab Kings' pint-sized powerhouse whose explosive batting, sharp game sense, and newfound maturity have made him the breakout Indian star of the tournament.
'We're just starting to scratch the surface. So let's keep working hard together as a family, as one. And we're going to get better every day.'
Former India opener WV Raman, one of the most respected coaches in the country, feels experience will be a key factor which should go in favour of the Punjab pacer.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
The importance is to win the trophy. There is no pressure (of Punjab having never won the IPL). It is an opportunity, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said in a joint media interaction with Head Coach Ricky Ponting.
India may be one of the favourites, but Uthappa said they will have their task cut out in their opener against Bangladesh.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 55.
Although India are playing a strong brand of 50-overs' cricket of late, they have some selection riddles to solve before they face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for their first Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Thursday?
Arshdeep Singh starred as India ended their wait for a major ICC trophy win with victory in the T20 World Cup last year.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI against Pakistan on Sunday?
Gambhir has backed young pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, along with the experienced Mohammed Shami, to step up in Bumrah's absence.
Padikkal's innings against Punjab Kings wasn't just a return to form -- it was a powerful reminder of his talent, timing, and temperament.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances