mumbai indians – Artifex.News

IPL 2026: Rickelton, Rohit combine to power MI past LSG

admin — Mon, 04 May 2026 19:16:00 +0000

Rohit Sharma in action during the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 4, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

After three weeks on the sidelines nursing a hamstring injury, Rohit Sharma made a grand return to IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Rohit wasted little time reminding everyone of his class, producing 84 off 44 balls (6×4, 7×6) to breathe life back into Mumbai Indians’ flickering playoff hopes and script a commanding six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants.

Published – May 05, 2026 12:54 am IST

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IPL 2026 | There is light at the end of the tunnel: LSG’s bowling coach Arun

admin — Sun, 03 May 2026 15:16:00 +0000

Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant and Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma during a the practice session ahead of their IPL 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

The road to the IPL 2026 playoffs may seem distant for Lucknow Super Giants, which sits at the bottom of the table.

However, bowling coach Bharat Arun believes all is not lost yet. “There is light at the end of the tunnel. For us, there’s no other way. Every game is a knockout for us right from here,” Arun said.

Published – May 03, 2026 08:46 pm IST

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IPL 2026 | The angle of invention: how Kamboj answered CSK’s death-bowler SOS

admin — Sun, 03 May 2026 12:10:00 +0000

CSK’s Anshul Kamboj bowling against DC during the TATA IPL 2026 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The adage ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ stands true for Anshul Kamboj and his emergence as a bankable death-bowler.

From bowling just three deliveries in overs 16 to 20 in his first two IPL seasons to being the first to take 10 wickets in that phase in the 2026 edition, Kamboj’s evolution has come at the right time for Chennai Super Kings.

Published – May 03, 2026 05:40 pm IST

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IPL 2026 MI vs SRH | Inconsistent Mumbai Indians takes on settled Sunrisers Hyderabad

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:46:00 +0000

Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya in action during an IPL 2026 T20 cricket match. File.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

Mumbai Indians finds itself staring at an all-too-familiar mid-season abyss. Two wins in seven games, a churn of combinations and a campaign yet to find rhythm — the five-time champion heads into Wednesday’s (April 29, 2026) clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium with its back firmly against the wall.

In contrast, SRH has surged into the top four, riding on a settled combination and an imposing batting unit, with the exception of Travis Head. The contrast in trajectories could not be starker.

Published – April 28, 2026 07:23 pm IST

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IPL 2026 | We don’t doubt Ruturaj and he doesn’t doubt himself, says CSK bowling coach Simons

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:31:00 +0000

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad at a training session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, April 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

A captain, they say, must lead from the front. By that measure, Ruturaj Gaikwad has endured a quiet start to the Indian Premier League 2026. But Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach Eric Simons insists there is little concern within the camp over the skipper’s lean run.

“It’s a cliche that class is permanent. Tilak (Varma) had been struggling, hadn’t he? And then he has gone and played an incredible knock. We don’t doubt Rutu at all and he doesn’t doubt himself,” Simons said on Wednesday, on the eve of CSK’s marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.

Published – April 22, 2026 08:01 pm IST

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IPL 2026 | Capitals, MI keen to show their prowess in afternoon clash

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:35:00 +0000

MI’s Surya Kumar and DC’s Rahul exchange pleasantries during a practice session on Friday, April 03, 2026, ahead of theor IPL match at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY

In a tournament as long as the Indian Premier League, a franchise’s opening fixture isn’t necessarily indicative of how the season will transpire. At this early stage, there is plenty of room for lessons to be gleaned, plans to be fine-tuned and combinations to be tweaked.

Mumbai Indians’ Surya Kumar Yadav during a practice session on the eve of the IPL T20 Match at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on April 03, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY

That said, a win to begin proceedings certainly settles the nerves and spreads positive vibes. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, which will meet at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Saturday afternoon, will attest after victories in their opening fixtures.

While DC overcame a jittery start to a chase of 142 to register a six-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants, Hardik Pandya’s men never looked in strife in pursuit of 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Delhi Capitals’ K.L. Rahul during a practice session on the eve of the IPL T20 Match at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on April 03, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY

For the five-time champion, a leaner and fitter Rohit Sharma was in full flow against KKR, scoring 78 and stitching together an opening stand of 148 runs with Ryan Rickelton. With the 38-year-old’s involvement at the international level confined to the 50-over format, he was available for the entirety of MI’s pre-season preparations this time.

“He joined us on day one of our camp. We did a lot of simulations, we had quite a few practice matches that we played, so he was part of all that. The hand speed was pretty good,” said MI coach Mahela Jayawardene on Friday.

“We play with heart, we play with passion.”

Skipper and team back home pic.twitter.com/qkU3hnpKkS

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 3, 2026

In marked contrast to MI’s opening pair, DC’s top-order appeared shaky at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. If Capitals still emerged unscathed, it was owing to Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs forging a fine alliance from 26 for four.

The surface for Saturday’s fixture is expected to be full of runs. Jayawardene sees it as par for the course in the early part of the campaign. “The wickets will get slower as the season progresses. You have to let that natural process happen and not worry too much about the first few games,” he said.

Published – April 03, 2026 07:05 pm IST

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IPL | KKR coach Nayar bets on Varun bouncing back

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:06:00 +0000

Kolkata Knight Riders’s Varun Chakaravarthy bowls during a practice session on the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 cricket match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Kolkata, Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
| Photo Credit: K.R. DEEPAK

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday expressed confidence that spinner Varun Chakaravarthy would bounce back in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Varun conceded a lot of runs in the T20 World Cup and in KKR’s IPL opener against Mumbai Indians (0/48 in four overs) at the Wankhede Stadium the other night.

However, Nayar solidly backed the spinner. “He has gone through a lot more than this. He has accomplished a lot over the past year, which has increased expectations…Statistically, he’s pretty much bowled the similar speeds that he always has.

“Hawkeye suggests he has bowled the same lengths, but sometimes players play you better,” Nayar said on the eve of KKR’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“It (Wankhede) was a pitch that challenged all spinners…and Varun bowls (in) those phases where he’s always going to be challenged. As a franchise, as support staff, we back him. Teams are playing him well. Doesn’t mean he can’t come back. It just means that it’s another challenge in his life.

“At times you want to protect a bowler and bring him at a time where you feel he can be more effective. But the nature of the game is (such) that sometimes you want to put your best players in a position to perform. If he picks up wickets there, he’s a different bowler.”

Nayar said the support staff, including mentor D.J. Bravo and bowling coach Tim Southee, had been working with the less experienced bowlers in the side to bring out the best in them.

Published – April 01, 2026 08:28 pm IST

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WPL 2026: Giants break MI jinx, seal spot in Eliminator

admin — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:51:00 +0000

Gujarat Giants’ captain Ashleigh Gardner, right, celebrates as her Mumbai Indians’ counterpart Harmanpreet Kaur looks on.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Opponents can never rest easy till Harmanpreet Kaur is at the crease. So was the case in the Women’s Premier League on Friday (January 30, 2026), but Gujarat Giants managed to overcome the Mumbai Indians skipper’s unbeaten 82 off 48 balls to clinch a nerve-racking 11-run win at the Kotambi Stadium.

The victory helped the Giants seal the second spot in the standings and progress to the Eliminator on February 3. MI’s fate hinges on the final league fixture between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz on Sunday (February 1).

After the Giants rode on a 71-run stand between Ashleigh Gardner (46, 28b, 7×4, 1×6) and Georgia Wareham (44 n.o., 26b, 4×4, 2×6) to score 167 for four, MI was restricted to 156 for seven. Wareham and Sophie Devine picked up two wickets apiece. This is GG’s first victory against Harmanpreet and Co. in nine outings.

MI’s hopes in the chase rested squarely on Harmanpreet’s shoulders. With the visitors reduced to 37 for three, the skipper had to find a balance between not losing further wickets at that stage and not letting the asking rate get out of hand. Amelia Kerr lent some support in a 45-run stand, but she was caught behind off Wareham in the 12th over.

Harmanpreet picked her moments to find the boundary and ease the pressure, but with support not forthcoming from the other end, she was left with too much to do in the end.

Missed chance

Giants could have sealed the contest in the 16th over had Beth Mooney collected a leg-break from Wareham cleanly to stump Harmanpreet on 38.

Considering the high stakes riding on this contest, Giants skipper Gardner elected to bat and set a target — notably, the first time since the 2024 final that a captain was doing so upon winning the toss.

After Mooney’s dismissal in the third over, the Giants were given a solid base through Devine and Anushka Sharma’s 48-run association for the second wicket.

The Aussie pair of Gardner and Wareham came together at 71 for three in the 11th over. The two batters sized up the surface before finding a few productive overs to deliver a robust finish.

Published – January 30, 2026 07:34 pm IST

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Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham Star As Gujarat Giants Edge Mumbai Indians To Seal Eliminator Berth

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:48:00 +0000

Skipper Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham starred with bat and ball as Gujarat Giants finally broke their jinx against defending champions Mumbai Indians with an 11-run victory to seal a spot in the Women’s Premier League Eliminator here on Friday.

Gardner smashed a counter-punching 46 off 28 balls and Wareham struck a brisk 44 from 26 as the duo stitched together a crucial 71-run stand to rescue Gujarat from a mid-innings slump and lift them to a competitive 167 for 4 after opting to bat.

Chasing 168 on a tricky surface in a high-pressure contest proved challenging for Mumbai Indians, who were restricted to 156/7 despite skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s valiant unbeaten 82 off 48 balls (8×4, 4×6).

It was Gujarat’s first win over the reigning champions after eight successive defeats and could not have come at a better time, securing their place in Tuesday’s Eliminator.

Mumbai’s fate will be decided on Sunday when Delhi Capitals take on UP Warriorz in the final league match. A Delhi win will confirm their Eliminator berth, while a victory for bottom-placed UP Warriorz could open the door for Mumbai.

UPW, who have the worst net run rate of -1.146, still have an outside chance but would need a massive win to overhaul MI’s run rate of 0.146.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have already booked a direct place in the final after topping the five-team standings with six wins from eight matches.

Mumbai endured a poor start as Sophie Devine (2/23) cleaned up Hayley Matthews (6) with a delivery that stayed low in her opening over and then dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt (2), with Anushka Sharma taking a fine catch near the deep square-leg boundary.

ALSO READ: Australian Open 2026: History-Chasing Novak Djokovic To Meet Carlos Alcaraz In Men’s Final After Epic Wins

Sajeevan Sajana (26) briefly counter-attacked, lofting Kashvee Gautam over deep midwicket and smashing her through point, but the young seamer had the last laugh, dismissing her off the final ball of the over.

Wareham then tightened the screws in the middle overs, returning figures of 2/26, removing Amelia Kerr (20) and Sanskriti Gupta (0) to peg Mumbai back further. Gardner also picked one wicket (1/26) from three overs.

Needing 37 runs off the final two overs with Harmanpreet well set and bringing up her third fifty of the season, Mumbai still fell short. The skipper smashed Gardner for two sixes in the last over, but the target proved beyond reach as they slumped to their first-ever defeat against Gujarat.

Earlier opting to bat, Giants looked in trouble after losing two set batters — Anushka Sharma (33) and Sophie Devine (25) — for the addition of just two runs as the run-rate dipped sharply with disciplined bowling from Amelia Kerr (2/26) and Shabnim Ismail (1/29).

With momentum slipping away, skipper Ashleigh turned the tide dramatically in the 16th over, taking Hayley Matthews to the cleaners for 19 runs.

She began with a powerful hit over deep midwicket and followed it up with three consecutive boundaries. She then attacked Shabnim, smashing four boundaries in a 17-run over. The onslaught spoiled Shabnim’s otherwise economical spell after conceding just 12 runs in her first three overs.

The New Zealand leg-spinner Kerr, however, had the final say, deceiving the GG skipper in flight with a fuller delivery that led to a sharp stumping to end her onslaught.

Gardner struck seven fours and a six in her brisk knock as GG struck 61 runs in the last five overs.

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How Can DC, GG, UPW, MI Join RCB In Playoffs? WPL 2026 Qualification Scenarios Explained

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:11:00 +0000

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is now moving closer to the playoff stage, with 16 group-stage matches completed as of Monday, Jan. 26. Now, only four matches are left. It must be noted that only the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have secured a spot in the playoffs. They are sitting on top of the table with 10 points from seven matches.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) moved up to second place with six points after their win against RCB on Jan. 26, but MI have played one more match than the other teams below them.

Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Giants (GG) are also in contention for the playoffs. Both have six points from six matches, the same as MI, but with one extra game in hand. UP Warriorz (UPW), with four points from six matches, have the toughest path to the next stage.

Updated Points Table As Of Jan. 27:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, Net Run Rate +0.947, Points 10

Mumbai Indians: Played 7, Won 3, Lost 4, Net Run Rate +0.146, Points 6

Delhi Capitals: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3, Net Run Rate -0.169, Points 6

Gujarat Giants: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3, Net Run Rate -0.341, Points 6

UP Warriorz: Played 6, Won 2, Lost 4, Net Run Rate -0.769, Points 4

Playoff Qualification Scenarios:

Mumbai Indians (MI)

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side can finish the league stage with a maximum of eight points and could end as high as second in the points table. For the Mumbai Indians to secure a top-three finish, they must beat the Gujarat Giants in their final league match on Friday, Jan.30, and hope that UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals lose both of their remaining games. If that happens, MI will finish in the top three with eight points, while UPW and DC cannot exceed six points.

ALSO READ: MI Qualification Scenario Explained In Detail

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi Capitals, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, are currently third on the points table with six points from six matches. After a slow start, losing three of their first four games, they have staged a strong comeback with back-to-back wins against MI and RCB. With two matches remaining, the team controls its own destiny. Winning both will ensure a spot in the playoffs.

Gujarat Giants (GG)

Gujarat Giants, led by Ashleigh Gardner, are also in contention for the playoffs despite a mixed run in the middle of the season. They began the campaign with back-to-back wins but managed only one victory in their next four games. The team can secure a place in the next stage by winning both of their remaining matches. Even a single win could be enough if UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians lose at least one more game each.

UP Warriorz (UPW)

UP Warriorz, led by Meg Lanning, are at the bottom of the points table with just two wins this season. They also have the lowest net run rate among the five teams. To stay in contention, they must beat both RCB and DC by large margins in their final two matches to reach eight points and improve their net run rate. A win and a loss would leave them virtually out of the playoff race, even if they remain mathematically alive.

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