Under the glaring afternoon sun on Saturday, Urvil Patel faced throwdowns for more than 30 minutes in preparation for Gujarat’s Ranji Trophy duel against Delhi. For much of the net session at the Palam ground, the 28-year-old honed his attacking strokes.

He did so whilst donning yellow-coloured batting gloves, a not-so-subtle reminder of his association with Chennai Super Kings since the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Afterwards, the Gujarat wicketkeeper-batter spoke enthusiastically of the confidence that the CSK stint has infused. In the 2026 IPL, he notably took just 13 balls against Lucknow Super Giants to bring up a half-century, the joint-fastest in the T20 league’s history. M.S. Dhoni’s guidance from close quarters was the icing on the cake for Urvil.

“After playing in the IPL, confidence is high. Just seeing Mahi bhai around gives confidence. I was fortunate to have my seat next to his in the CSK dressing room,” Urvil told the media on Saturday.

With the added exposure, he is aware of the enhancements needed in his game. Despite his blazing 23-ball 65 versus LSG, he compiled just 129 runs in seven games this year.

“I was not satisfied with my overall performance. I reviewed how the season went and I’m working on the things that I have identified,” he admitted.

In the Ranji Trophy too, Urvil isn’t wary of taking the aggressive route. Last week, he hammered a 67-ball 85 against Odisha. “I look to be clear in my mindset. If I decide to attack, I show full conviction. I don’t have self-doubt.”

Saurabh Tiwary was one of the hardest hitters of his time, but he reckons he could not have competed with today’s batters.

“I won’t even be in the top 100 when it comes to hitting ability,” Saurabh tells The Hindu with a smile on a hot afternoon at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur.

“Every second batter is hitting so well. Even a 15-year-old boy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, is dominating the IPL today.”

He says cricket has become almost a game of power-hitting. “Not just T20s, but One-Dayers as well,” he said.

“People are getting double hundreds in 43 or 44 overs.”

Saurabh — whose M.S. Dhoni-like long mane also caught the eye as much as big sixes — played three ODIs for India and made a mark at the IPL in its early days, also has an excellent record in First Class cricket, in which he scored more than 8,000 runs (22 hundreds and 34 fifties) at an average of more than 47.

After his career ended a couple of years ago, he moved to administration, taking over as the secretary of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association last year.

“When you have played cricket for 24 years, you know what a cricketer needs, and I have been trying to help the players from Jharkhand,” he said.

“I believe a cricket association comes up from cricketers; it is not a case of cricketers coming up from associations. So I ensure our players are given all the opportunities; since we don’t have facilities, our players, male or female, are free to use the Ranchi stadium whenever they want.”

He wants to achieve as an administrator what he could not as a player. “I have won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but never the Ranji Trophy or the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” he said. “I want Jharkhand to win those tournaments.”

Saurabh has won a bigger trophy, though. He was part of the Indian team that won the under-19 World Cup in 2008 in Malaysia. Among his teammates were Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Abhinav Mukund and Manish Pandey.

“It was a dream come true, of course, but I was run out in the final (against South Africa),” he said.

“I remember Kohli used to play with the same hunger. If he bats tomorrow, he will play with the same passion. He plays his cricket with so much passion and honesty. Even then he had so much focus and dedication”.

Hardik Pandya could be at the centre of the Indian Premier League’s biggest trade story ahead of the 2027 season, with Mumbai Indians considering a significant overhaul after enduring its longest title drought in the competition.

While no trade has been officially confirmed, conversations around Hardik’s future had gathered momentum even before the conclusion of IPL 2026.

Chennai Super Kings has emerged as a possible next stop for the India all-rounder — and, given his profile, there would be no shortage of suitors if he does become available — while Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals have also been understood to be considering the Hardik option.

The speculation comes after three contrasting seasons for MI. After a disastrous 2024 campaign, the five-time champion recovered to reach the playoffs in 2025 before another underwhelming performance in 2026 prompted a comprehensive review within the franchise.

“Our post-season review is currently on and we are looking into all aspects. Contrary to reports, we are not engaged in conversations with regard to player trade. The same is only possible once the review is complete,” an MI spokesperson told The Hindu on Saturday. “A range of options and ideas are being evaluated, which require time… hence no decisions have been made.”

That review extends well beyond the captaincy. Sources close to the franchise indicate MI is evaluating its leadership group, coaching staff and overall cricket operations as it looks to rebuild a side that has failed to challenge consistently for the title in recent years.

Despite the growing buzz, Hardik’s exit is far from certain. His decision to part ways with MI’s talent management arm has fuelled speculation, but it is not being viewed as a complete break with the franchise.

Historically, MI has retained its core players for long periods and continues to be regarded as one of the strongest player-management ecosystems in Indian sport, making any move involving its captain a complex one.

The trade market, meanwhile, remains in its early stages, with most franchises still conducting post-season reviews before finalising their plans — meaning multiple scenarios will likely continue to circulate across the league in the coming weeks.

Whether Hardik leaves or not, one thing appears increasingly clear: Mumbai Indians is unlikely to head into IPL 2027 with the same core that has represented the franchise over the last three seasons.

And if the India all-rounder does switch teams, it could prove to be the defining move of this trade window.

After a decade of playing for Himachal Pradesh, Mayank Dagar wants to make a mark for Delhi — his city of birth — in the upcoming domestic season.

The left-arm spinner, who represented India in the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the concerned parties in January, paving the way for a switch ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The 29-year-old will kick off the new season by making a maiden appearance in the Delhi Premier League. The tweaker, who has claimed 137 wickets in 51 First Class matches, will turn out for North Delhi Strikers in the third edition of the T20 competition.

For the experienced operator, the change is to find a route back into the Indian Premier League. He played three games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023 and five for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the following season, but hasn’t featured since.

“I have played for Himachal for a long time and I’ve done well as well. I was just looking for opportunities to get back into the IPL circuit. If I perform well on a platform like the DPL, somebody or the other will notice me. That is my hope,” Dagar told The Hindu.

His presence in the DPL — he has represented Himachal right from the age-group level — may not have pleased some members of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) at the time of the auction earlier this month. Asked about the ‘outsider’ tag, Dagar, whose uncle is former India and Delhi opener Virender Sehwag, asserted that he belongs here.

“My entire family is from Delhi. I’ve come to Delhi because I wanted a change in my career. My job is to work hard and try to win matches if I get to represent Delhi,” Dagar said.

Ayush Badoni has had five seasons with Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League. Over the past 12 months, he has also featured regularly for India-A across formats. The opportunities are a reflection of his potential as a hard-hitting middle-order batter and a part-time off-spinner, but it hasn’t yet translated into match-defining performances.

The 26-year-old from Delhi admits he was subpar in the most recent IPL. Despite getting to bat higher up the order, his returns were a meagre 215 runs in 10 matches at an average of 21.5. It was followed by three outings for India-A in a 50-over tri-series involving Sri Lanka-A and Afghanistan-A in June, where his scores read 24, 0 and 15.

“Definitely, I feel I can perform better. The best is yet to come,” Badoni, who will lead South Delhi Superstarz in the third edition of the Delhi Premier League from Friday, told reporters at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.

Badoni’s floundering form during IPL 2026 was compounded by LSG’s wooden-spoon finish. “It is challenging to be consistent as a player when the team is losing matches. The motivation goes down. Next year, we will hope to make amends,” he said.

Badoni remains determined to turn things around, for he knows that the national selectors are taking note of his contributions. “Playing for India-A gives you exposure and boosts your confidence. The selectors have told me to focus on my consistency as much as possible and to keep working on my bowling,” informed Badoni.

Less than a week after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League’s 19th season, the Indian team will be switching to the classical format when it takes on Afghanistan in a one-off Test at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium from Saturday.

Such little turnaround time between formats is a persistent demand of modern-day cricket for Indian players in particular, but head coach Gautam Gambhir said that the focus from now will be on ensuring more extensive preparation leading up to a Test assignment.

India’s fortunes in the longest format have plummeted over the last two years. Having been whitewashed by New Zealand at home in 2024, the subcontinent giant suffered a similar fate at the hands of South Africa last November. In the current World Test Championship cycle, Shubman Gill & Co. are languishing at sixth in the standings.

While India is expected to brush aside Afghanistan easily, it has challenging away tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand later in the year.

“Look, we are a little fortunate that we have got enough time before Sri Lanka. After the white-ball tour of England, we have about a 15-day break before Sri Lanka. So that is enough time to prepare for those two Tests,” Gambhir told reporters on the eve of the Test against Afghanistan.

“We might have to prepare a little differently for New Zealand. Because between the last ODI there and the first Test in Wellington, there is a three-day gap. So we will have to pull out ODI players who are part of the Test squad.

“Because one thing we realised is that we need to start preparing better in red-ball cricket. And that was something that was lacking against the West Indies and also against South Africa. And that is something which we are going to do going forward,” the 44-year-old added.

Dashing keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been relieved from Lucknow Super Giants’ captaincy after a disastrous 2026 IPL season where they finished last among 10 teams.

As a batter, it turned out to be a woeful season where he got only 312 runs in 14 innings. On May 14, the PTI had reported that Pant was set to lose captaincy, something which was reiterated by LSG’s Director of Cricket Tom Moody.

“Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) wish to formally announce that Rishabh Pant has requested to be relieved of his captaincy duties with the franchise, and the franchisee has accepted his request with immediate effect,” the franchise said in an official statement.

“Rishabh approached the franchisee with this request and we have respectfully accepted it,” Moody was quoted as saying in the media release.

“These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards,” the former Australian all-rounder added.

Moments after Rajasthan Royals sealed the final Indian Premier League playoffs berth with a convincing win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (May24, 2026) night, head coach Kumar Sangakkara passionately defended captain Riyan Parag, insisting the young allrounder remains the “absolute right guy” to lead the franchise despite a turbulent IPL 2026 season.

Parag’s maiden full season as captain has been marked by inconsistent batting returns, recurring fitness concerns and off-field scrutiny, including repeated social media criticism following the vaping incident in the dressing room during a match. Yet, Sangakkara made it clear that the Royals management remains firmly invested in the 24-year-old.

“I have seen very few players who have been criticised like Riyan has been for about seven years now,” Sangakkara said. “Ever since I came to the franchise, there have always been people who liked Riyan, but there are a lot who didn’t really like him, especially on social media. But that’s the reality of the modern game.”

The former Sri Lankan captain revealed that Rajasthan never doubted Parag’s leadership credentials when handing him the captaincy before the season.

“When we decided to offer Riyan the captaincy, he was the absolute right guy to lead this franchise. I have no doubt in my mind,” Sangakkara said.

Despite battling physical niggles through parts of the campaign and enduring fluctuating form with the bat, Parag continued to front up for the Royals during their successful late push towards qualification. Sangakkara particularly praised the batter’s resilience and commitment.

“The confidence with which he drives himself, sometimes almost on one foot to come and play, there is a huge amount of positivity,” Sangakkara observed. “I think he has captained exceptionally well.”

Sangakkara also stressed that Parag commands complete respect inside the dressing room, irrespective of outside noise.

“Sometimes what you see on the outside is not Riyan Parag,” he said. “He is a lovely, soft, gentle, really determined, smart young man. He has learned a lot in the last few years and he will continue on that journey.”

Shreyas Iyer picked the perfect evening to score his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) ton as he powered Punjab Kings to a comfortable seven-wicket win over the Lucknow Super Giants.

“He’s a tremendous leader of many. He reads the game well,” said PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin after the game.

“There are two main things that I think I enjoy most about him. One is his care for his players, and the other is his appetite for the big moment. He’s seen that tonight. He wanted to be the one to make the difference, and that’s what you want from your leaders, whether it’s for the IPL or for your country,” added the 48-year-old.

Haddin emphasised that the team’s overall execution in high-pressure situations has been a major focus behind the scenes.

“I think as any coaching staff, you have to identify moments where you need to get better, and that’s what we’ve done. A lot of the games we lost went to the last over and a couple to the last ball where we were close, but we probably weren’t identifying those big moments,” he said.

Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant in action during the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Twenty20 cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 23, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

While one captain delivered when it mattered, his counterpart, Rishabh Pant, had little to show for his efforts — either on Saturday (May 23, 2026) or across a grueling season.

LSG’s Global Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, felt his captaincy and batting are correlated. “From a captaincy point of view, he’s found it challenging, obviously, and the results reflect that. And you have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected with his performance with the bat,” he said.

“And certainly when it comes to the leadership of the franchise, it’s something that we’ll be giving some very serious consideration to what it looks like in the future,” he added.