New Delhi: Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the initial rounds of the IPL 2025 matches for Mumbai Indians as the star pacer is still recovering from the lower back injury that rendered him out of action since January.

Bumrah suffered the injury during the second day of the fifth Test against Australia at Sydney and did not bowl in Australia’s second innings where they chased 162 successfully to emerge a six-wicket winner.

Bumrah, who had taken 32 wickets from five matches in that series, has been sidelined ever since, and has also missed India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign.

He was named in India’s provisional squad for the ICC showpiece, but could not attain the optimum fitness level in time, as mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was drafted into the side.

“His recuperation is going well. But at this stage it is better to give him some more time to return to peak fitness, considering India’ Test series against England in June,” a source close to the development told PTI.

The IPL 2025 is scheduled to end May 25.

It has also been learned that the physios at the BCCI Centre of Excellence has not set a specific time frame for him to return to action, even though Bumrah has been steadily increasing his workload at nets and match simulations.

Earlier, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Bumrah had been advised five weeks of complete “off-loading” until the last week of January to reduce the stress on his injured back.

It was a mandatory step because Bumrah had suffered a similar injury in 2023, and had undergone surgery in March that year, which cost him considerable match time.

The possible unavailability of Bumrah is a huge blow to Mumbai Indians in their quest to regain the IPL title after finishing 10th on the points table in IPL 2024.

In Burmah’s absence the Hardik Pandya-led side will have to rely massively on pacers Trent Boult, Corbin Bosch and Deepak Chahar to deliver till he returns.

Hardik will also have to shoulder more bowling responsibilities in the absence of the 30-year-old.

The Mumbai outfit will begin their campaign against Chennai Super Kings March 23 at Chennai before travelling to Ahmedabad to face Gujarat Titans March 29.

Then the five-time champions will return home for the match against Kolkata Knight Riders March 31.

They will take on Lucknow Super Giants April 4 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru April 7, and as things stand at present, Bumrah is unlikely to feature in any of them though he might link up with the squad in the first week of April.

New Delhi: India all-rounder Axar Patel was Friday appointed captain of Delhi Capitals for upcoming IPL on expected lines pipping another senior player KL Rahul, who has joined the team this season.

Currently team’s longest serving player, having played six seasons for Delhi since 2019, the 31-year-old was DC’s top retention for INR 16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last November. In 82 games for Delhi, he has scored 967 runs and picked up 62 wickets at a fantastic economy rate of shade over 7.

While his IPL captaincy experience is limited, he led Gujarat in domestic cricket including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024-25.

He also served as India’s T20I vice-captain earlier this year and in their recent triumph in Champions Trophy Axar played a key role, taking five wickets at an economy of 4.35. He also played a key role at No 5 and scored 109 runs at 27.25.

“It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners and support staff for placing their faith in me,” stated Axar in a media release.

Axar will replace Rishabh Pant at the helm with the flamboyant keeper-batter exiting the franchise before the mega auction, and will now lead Lucknow Super Giants.

The team has seasoned players like Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc in the leadership group, and it remains to be seen how Axar brings out the best in them to drive Delhi Capitals forward.

“I’ve grown as a cricketer and a human being during my time here at the Capitals, and I feel ready and confident to lead this side going forward.

DC, one of the three original IPL franchises yet to win a title (along with Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru), finished sixth last season with an equal win-loss record.

For IPL 2025, they have a revamped coaching setup with GMR taking management control for 2025 and 2026 season as per their understanding with co-owners JSW.

The support staff is headlined by Kevin Pietersen along with head coach Hemang Badani, director of cricket Venugopal Rao, assistant coach Matthew Mott and bowling coach Munaf Patel. Venugopal Rao’s brother Gnaneshwar Rao has also been included in the coaching set-up.

“Our coaches and scouts have done a superb job at the mega auction by putting together a balanced and robust squad which has tremendous potential.

“We have plenty of leaders in the group which is also very helpful for me, and I can’t wait to join the team as we look forward to a very successful season.”

Last season, he scored 235 runs at an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets at an economy of 7.65.

A veteran of 150 IPL matches, Axar has 1653 runs and 123 wickets to his name, which includes a stunning hat-trick in 2016 when he took 4 wickets in 5 balls for the Punjab franchise.

DC chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi and co-owner Parth Jindal backed his appointment, highlighting his leadership qualities and contributions to the franchise.

“I have witnessed Axar’s progression as a cricketer and a leader first-hand at the Delhi Capitals,” stated Jindal.

“My relationship with him is one that goes beyond cricket. He is a much-loved character in the dressing room and is someone who I am sure will motivate the players in the squad.

“Axar has blossomed into a brilliant, mature cricketer whose all-round prowess was on full display in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy winning campaigns recently.

“With seniors like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc being part of our leadership group, I believe this is the start of something special for the Delhi Capitals.”

“This decision reflects the natural progression for him as a leader — from being our vice-captain for two seasons to now leading the team, he has always stepped up to the occasion for us,” stated Grandhi.

With Axar’s appointment, all five IPL teams who needed new captains after the mega auction have finalised their leaders: Rajat Patidar (RCB), Ajinkya Rahane (KKR), Rishabh Pant (LSG), and Shreyas Iyer (PBKS).

Delhi Capitals will kick-start their IPL 2025 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam March 24.

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that Ishan Kishan has the biggest opportunity to revive his career in the upcoming IPL 2025 after being picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the mega auction.

Chopra expressed his surprise at how Kishan has completely disappeared from the national selectors’ radar, despite his proven ability with the bat.

“For whatever reason, he has completely disappeared from the radar. It seems like no one is talking about him or understanding his importance. He even played in the Ranji Trophy and scored runs there, he is doing everything, but no one is even talking about him,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Kishan, who was released by Mumbai Indians (MI), was bought by SRH for Rs 11.25 crore in the IPL auction last November. However, SRH already has a strong opening combination in Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, who were among the most explosive openers last season. This means Kishan could be slotted into the No. 3 position, a role he has played occasionally but is not his natural position.

Despite scoring a record-breaking ODI double century (210 off 131 balls) against Bangladesh in December 2022, Kishan was dropped from the playing XI, with Shubman Gill preferred as the opener. Since then, he has struggled to find a place in the squad across all formats.

In the wicketkeeper-batter category, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Sanju Samson have been preferred over him in international cricket. Kishan also lost his BCCI central contract last year.

“You can come in reckoning once again. A keeper-batter who can open or bat in the top order, that is beautiful. Gautam (Gambhir) is anyway saying that they are all bogeys in a train; everyone has to go to the same destination, and it doesn’t make a difference whether a bogey is in front or at the back. That basically means batting order does not exist in Indian cricket anymore,” Chopra elaborated.

New Delhi: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid, who joined the team’s preparatory camp in Jaipur a week after suffering an injury on his left leg during a club match in Bengaluru, arrived at the training session on crutches.

In a video shared by RR, Dravid can be seen coming on a golf cart with a medical boot to attend a training session and switching to crutches when he got off the cart. Despite carrying the injury and relying on crutches for his mobility, the head coach was actively involved in the training and closely monitored the entire session.

Dravid had injured his left calf muscle while playing for Vijaya Cricket Club against Jayanagar Cricketers in the Karnataka State Cricket Association Group I, League III semifinal for the Sri Nassur Memorial Shield.

The Royals shared a photo of Dravid Wednesday, in which he was wearing a cast on his left leg, and captioned the post, “Head Coach Rahul Dravid, who picked up an injury while playing Cricket in Bangalore, is recovering well and will join us today (Wednesday) in Jaipur.”

Former India head coach Dravid made a surprise return to the cricket field by playing alongside his younger son Anvay in a KSCA Group I, Division III league match in the Nassur Memorial Shield February 22.

Dravid and his son Anvay represented the Vijaya Cricket Club (Malur) in a 50-over match against the Young Lions Club at the SLS Kreedangana cricket ground in Bengaluru.

The Indian cricket legend came into bat at No. 6 and made an eight-ball 10 in the match before being dismissed by spinner AR Ullas as the father-son duo forged a brief 17-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Dravid played his second match of the tournament in the semifinal against the Jayanagar Cricketers. When the Vijaya Cricket Club were battling at 12/3 in the seventh over, Rahul joined his son Anvay at the crease.

Two deliveries into his stay, the 52-year-old appeared in discomfort, his leg troubling him, but he continued to play and stitched a 66-ball 43-run partnership with Anvay for the fourth wicket.

The Indian legend battled the injury and played until he had to be helped off the field. But his courage failed to lift the fortunes of the Vijaya Cricket Club, Malur, in the semifinal.

The Rajasthan Royals, who won the title in the inaugural year in 2008 and reached the final again in 2022, will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium March 23.

IANS

Lucknow: India’s fastest bowler Mayank Yadav is unlikely to be available for Lucknow Super Giants’ first few games of the upcoming Indian Premier League as he is yet to be declared fit by the medical and sports science team at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru.

Mayank, who made his T20I debut for India last year against Bangladesh, came into limelight for his scorching pace that touched nearly 97 miles per hour, hurrying batters for pace.

“Mayank is expected to get fit in some time but he might have to miss the first few games of the Indian Premier League. As of now it could be first two to three games. He has just started bowling at NCA and will slowly be building his load,” a BCCI source told

New Delhi: After playing a pivotal role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph with his all-round skills, Axar Patel is now likely to be appointed as the new Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The all-rounder had stepped in to be DC’s captain in IPL 2024 when his predecessor Rishabh Pant was not allowed to play in a crucial game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) due to an over-rate offence.

“Yes, Axar Patel is likely to be named as Delhi Capitals skipper for IPL 2025. The franchise had asked for KL Rahul to be the team’s captain, but he very much wishes to contribute for the side as a player in the upcoming tournament,” sources told IANS Tuesday.

Axar has been with DC since 2019, and was retained for a whopping Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In his IPL career of 150 games, Axar has scored 1653 runs at a strike rate of 130.88 while picking 123 wickets with his left-arm spin bowling at an economy rate of 7.28.

Axar had been India’s vice-captain during their 4-1 T20I series win over England at home this year, but his possible elevation as DC’s captain for IPL 2025 is going to be a major test of his leadership skills, especially with the franchise still looking for their first-ever championship win.

Rahul was also a leadership contender after being roped in by the franchise for Rs 14 crore at the mega auction last year. The wicketkeeper-batter had previously led Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two seasons each in the IPL, with the latter entering the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 season under his leadership.

But as per the sources, he will now feature for DC minus the leadership role. DC’s opening match of IPL 2025 will be against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam March 24. The side is scheduled to have a short three-day training camp in New Delhi this week, before leaving for Visakhapatnam March 17.

Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals celebrated International Women’s Day by unveiling a striking all-pink jersey for their highly anticipated Pink Promise match in IPL 2025.

The Royals Pink Promise is to continue supporting women-led transformation in Rajasthan. Taking this commitment to the grandest stage, Rajasthan Royals will host the Pink Promise Match against Mumbai Indians May 1 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

“The Royal Rajasthan Foundation (RRF), the CSR arm of Rajasthan Royals, also celebrated International Women’s Day with the launch of a powerful #PinkPromise campaign film, ‘Aurat Hai Toh Bharat Hai’. Last year, the ‘Pink Promise’ campaign, along with support from partners like Luminous, illuminated thousands of lives by bringing light to over 250 homes,” the IPL franchise said in a release.

Speaking about the initiative, Kumar Sangakkara, Director of Cricket, Rajasthan Royals, said, “Through ‘Pink Promise’, we strive to create a lasting impact – not just on individuals, but on their families and communities, inspiring change that ripples far beyond. Last year, we witnessed firsthand how this initiative transformed lives, and that is something we hold deeply. As a team, we take immense pride in being part of this journey, spending meaningful time at the foundation to truly understand the work being done. ‘Pink Promise’ is more than a campaign; it is a cultural commitment that shapes our values and defines the standards we stand for.”

Speaking about the initiative, Jake Lush McCrum, CEO, Rajasthan Royals, said, “While our foundation has been transforming lives in Rajasthan for over six years, ‘Pink Promise’ took our mission to a global stage, inspiring millions to be part of this journey. From illuminating 260 homes through solar power to expanding our reach beyond the Sambhar block, our vision is to create a movement that drives change across India. This isn’t just about what we do alone – it’s about bringing together like-minded partners like Luminous, who share our purpose and commitment”

To continue driving on-ground impact this year, the Royals will contribute Rs 100 for every ticket purchased for the RR vs MI match toward women-led rural transformation in Rajasthan. Additionally, all proceeds from the sale of the special all-pink Royals’ jersey will go directly to the Royal Rajasthan Foundation (RRF) to support its social impact initiatives.

Furthermore, for every six hit in the match by either team, Rajasthan Royals and RRF will commit to lighting up six homes in the Sambhar region with solar power, ensuring real-time impact with every boundary.

New Delhi: India batter Ajinkya Rahane was Monday assigned captaincy of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League after a remarkable run in the domestic T20 competition.

The 36-year-old Rahane, who has played majority of his international cricket in whites, has reinvented himself in the shortest format which was evident in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy wherein he emerged as the leading run getter with 469 runs at a strike rate of 164.56.

In the IPL, the right-handed batter had also given a good account of his transformation while playing for Chennai Super Kings.

Rahane replaces Shreyas Iyer as KKR skipper, with the latter set to lead Punjab Kings this season. Iyer and KKR had surprisingly parted ways after a triumphant campaign in the last edition.

Venkatesh Iyer, who was also in the reckoning to lead KKR, has been made Rahane’s deputy.

Rahane has played for KKR in the past and the franchise bought him for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore at the mega auction.

“It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL. I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title,” said Rahane in a statement.

Rahane, who captained India to a historic Test series in Australia in 2020-21, led Mumbai to the semifinals in the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy.

In IPL, he has previously captained Rajasthan Royals where he was replaced by Steve Smith in the middle of the 2019 season.

KKR did not have too many captaincy options in the squad. Among the Indian players, they had to choose between Rahane, Venkatesh and Rinku Singh.

KKR will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL season-opener at the Eden Gardens on March 22.

New Delhi: Delhi Capitals (DC) have appointed Matthew Mott as assistant coach ahead of IPL 2025, the franchise announced Tuesday.

Mott will assist Hemang Badani, who was named new head coach in October last year. The franchise also has Venugopal Rao as director of cricket and former India pacer Munaf Patel as their bowling coach.

Previously, Mott served as assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when John Buchanan was the head coach in the first two seasons of the tournament, in 2008 and 2009.

Mott’s last big-stage job was as the white-ball coach of England men’s national team. He played a key role in England’s 2022 T20 World Cup triumph but stepped down in July last year after a mixed tenure. Following his exit from the England white-ball job, Mott was appointed as an assistant coach by Sydney Sixers in the BBL on a three-year deal last September.

The Australian remains one of the most successful coaches in women’s cricket during his tenure from 2015 to 2022. He led Australia’s women to two T20 World Cups and a 50-over World Cup titles. Under his tenure, Aussie women remained unbeaten in four Ashes series.

DC, who have only reached the final of the IPL once in 16 editions of the league in 2020, finished sixth in the last edition. After letting go of most big-ticket players, DC retained only Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel. They then added star players like KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc in the mega auction last November.

The franchise, however, is yet to name their captain for the upcoming IPL edition.

Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2025 campaign March 24 against Lucknow Super Giants at Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Mumbai: Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have unveiled their official jersey for the 2025 edition, starting from March 22.

“The jersey retains the iconic blue and gold palette symbolic of Mumbai Indians’ essence. Blue represents trust, confidence, and the team’s boundless potential, while gold signifies glory, achievement, and the relentless pursuit of excellence,” MI said in a release.

MI captain Hardik Pandya shared a heartfelt message for the fans on the occasion, promising to uphold the proud legacy of Mumbai along with the team’s core of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.

“Dear Paltan, 2025 is our opportunity to bring the legacy where it belongs. With the blue & gold on us, we will take the field to Play like Mumbai. This is not just our jersey. This is a promise to you. Chala bhetu, Wankhede la (Let’s meet, at Wankhede)!” he said.

MI, the joint-most successful team in the competition’s history, finished on the bottom of the table in the 2024 edition, winning just four matches of the total 14 league stage games in Pandya’s captaincy return to Mumbai.

They will aim to leave the struggles of the 2024 campaign behind and embark on their quest for a record sixth title, fuelled by a renewed spirit. The Hardik-led side will kickstart the IPL 2025 with an El Clasico against the Chennai Super Kings March 23, scheduled to take place at the Chepauk.

The cricketing extravaganza will kick off March 22 when the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) host the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata March 22, 2025.

The ten-team tournament will begin almost two weeks after the Champions Trophy endsMarch 9. The 74 matches of the season will be played across 13 venues and will include 12 doubleheaders.

IANS

New Delhi: Ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have named Rajat Patidar as their new captain. Former skipper, Virat Kohli expressed his admiration for Patidar’s journey and assured him of his full backing.

“Rajat, firstly, I want to congratulate you and wish you all the very best. The way you have grown in the franchise and the way you have performed, you have really made a place in the hearts of all the fans of RCB, all over India,” Kohli said in a video posted by the franchise. “They get excited to watch you play. So, this is very well deserved. Myself and the other team members will be right behind you, and you’ll have all our support.”

Patidar takes over from Faf du Plessis, who led RCB for the last few seasons but was not retained ahead of the 2025 auction. The 31-year-old batter’s rise in RCB’s ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. After his breakthrough performance in the 2022 season—where he smashed a scintillating century in the playoffs—Patidar has evolved into a key figure for the franchise.

Kohli, who captained RCB for nearly a decade before stepping down in 2021, acknowledged the weight of responsibility that comes with the role but expressed confidence in Patidar’s leadership. Although this will be Patidar’s first time leading a team in the IPL, he has already captained Madhya Pradesh during the 2024-25 season in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (where they finished as runners-up) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. These tournaments marked his first full-time leadership role in domestic cricket.

“To grow into this role, of course, is a big responsibility. I have done this for many years, and Faf has done it for the last few years. To be seen as the guy who will take this franchise forward, I am sure this is a great honour for you. I am very, very happy for you. You’ve earned the right to be in this position, and I am sure you will grow from strength to strength,” said Kohli in the video.

Patidar’s leadership skills have already been on display in domestic cricket, where he has played a crucial role for Madhya Pradesh. His consistent performances in the IPL and his ability to handle pressure have made him a natural choice to lead RCB into a new era.

Kohli reflected on Patidar’s growth as a cricketer, highlighting how his game has reached new heights in recent years.

“I have seen Rajat evolve as a player in the last couple of years, got the chance to play for India. His game has improved many levels in the last couple of years,” he said. “The way he has led his state team and the responsibility he has taken, you’ve shown everyone what it takes to lead this amazing franchise.”

With Patidar at the helm, RCB will be hoping to finally break their IPL title drought. The franchise has come close on multiple occasions but has fallen short at crucial moments. Kohli also had a message for the RCB fanbase, urging them to rally behind their new leader.

“I just wish him all the very best, and I would request all the fans to support him, get absolutely behind him. We know that he will do what’s best for the team, and what’s best for the franchise, and we must all get together to support him. Regardless of what happens, and who does what, the most important thing is the team and franchise. We all have that responsibility to work towards the growth of this amazing team and franchise,” Kohli added.

Patidar finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 428 runs in nine innings with an impressive average of 61.14 and a striking rate of 186.08. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he accumulated 226 runs at an average of 56.50 while maintaining a strike rate of 107.10.

Bengaluru: India batter Rajat Patidar has been appointed captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2025, starting March 21.

RCB made this announcement at an event in Bengaluru Thursday, with Patidar, director of cricket Mo Bobat, and head coach Andy Flower in attendance.

Patidar will replace former South African batter Faf du Plessis, who captained the side from 2022 to 2024 but was not retained in last year’s IPL mega auction.

The right-hander was one of the three players retained by the franchise along with former India captain Virat Kohli and pacer Yash Dayal. It will be his first leadership role in the IPL while on the domestic level, he captained his state Madhya Pradesh in the 2024-25 seasons of the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The 31-year-old has played three seasons for the franchise since joining RCB in 2021 and has become a vital player for the side. He has scored 799 runs in 28 matches at a strike rate of 158.85.

On Patidar’s appointment as RCB, Kohli congratulated him, saying, “Rajat, firstly I want to congratulate you and wish you all the very best. I want to tell you that the way you have grown in this franchise and the way you have performed, you have made a place in the hearts of all the fans of RCB all over India. They get excited to watch you play, so this is very well deserved. I want to tell you that I and the other team members will be right behind you and you’ll have all our support to grow into this role.

“Of course, it’s a big responsibility. I’ve done this for many years and Faf’s done it for the last few years. To be seen as the guy who will take this franchise forward, I’m sure it’s a huge honour for you and I’m very, very happy for you. You have earned the right to be in this position and I’m sure you will grow from strength to strength,” he added.

Patidar was the second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 428 runs in nine innings at an impressive average of 61.14 and a strike rate of 186.08. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 226 runs, maintaining an average of 56.50 and a strike rate of 107.10.

“I’ve seen Rajat evolve in the last couple of years as a player. He’s got the chance to play for India. His game has improved many levels in the last couple of years – the way he has led his state team as well and the responsibility that he’s taken and shown everyone that he has what it takes to lead this amazing franchise,” Kohli said.

“I just wish him all the very best and I would request all the fans to show him absolute support, get right behind him and know that he will always and always do what’s best for the team, what’s best for this franchise.

“We must all get together and support him because regardless of what happens, who does what the most important thing is the team and the franchise. We all have a responsibility to work towards the growth of this amazing team and franchise. Sending my best wishes to him and sending all the fans lots of love and looking forward to seeing you all soon and having Rajat start the season with a bang,” the former RCB captain signed off.

Despite being finalists three times, RCB are yet to win the IPL title, with their last appearance in the final coming in 2016. They’ve reached the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including in 2024, when they secured a spot in the top four by winning their last six league matches, only to lose in the eliminator.

With Patidar’s appointment, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals remain the only teams yet to announce their captains for the upcoming season.

Shreyas Iyer, who captained KKR last year, will now lead Punjab Kings, while former DC captain Rishabh Pant will captain Lucknow Super Giants.

IANS

Kolkata: Dynamic keeper-batter Rishabh Pant was Monday named the captain of Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming IPL and he vowed to give his “200 percent” to win the team’s maiden title.

Pant was picked at the mega auction for an IPL record Rs 27 crore by the franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka.

“I will give my 200 percent. That’s my commitment to you. I will try whatever is there in my power to repay the faith. I am really excited and looking forward to new beginning and new energy. And have a blast out there with lot of fun,” Pant told mediapersons after being unveiled as the new skipper.

“We start with new hope and aspirations. And most importantly, new confidence. I wanted to introduce you all to our new captain Rishabh Pant,” Goenka said.

New Delhi: IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is likely to announce its new captain ahead of the 2025 season when it holds a special press conference at the RPSG headquarters in Kolkata Monday.

But the franchise, in its official communication, didn’t state the nature of the topics of the press conference, which is expected to be addressed by Sanjiv Goenka, the LSG principal owner and Chairman of the RPSG Group.

After making the playoffs in the IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons, LSG missed the playoffs for the first time in 2024, as they finished seventh on the points table with a poor net run rate.

Some franchise officials IANS spoke to have said either of the two things or both could happen in Monday’s press conference: the announcement of a new LSG captain or unveiling of the franchise’s new jersey, considering that some players of the team are likely to be in attendance.

Read Also: IPL 2025: LSG ropes in Zaheer Khan as new team mentor

In the IPL mega auction in Jeddah last year, LSG left everyone astonished by roping in India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player ever sold at an IPL auction. With KL Rahul, their captain since the 2022 season, leaving the franchise ahead of the auction and moving to Delhi Capitals, LSG is highly expected to name Pant as their new captain.

Pant had been DC’s captain from 2021 to 2024 editions of the IPL, barring the 2023 season, which he missed due to recovery from various injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022. But ahead of the retention deadline, he was released by DC, ending his nine-year association with them and was picked up by LSG in the mega auction.

Other captaincy candidates which LSG have in their team are swashbuckling West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran, who was the side’s top retained player for Rs 21 crore and even captained them once in Rahul’s place, as well as South Africa T20I captain Aiden Markram and Australia T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh.

In a previous press conference in August last year, LSG unveiled former India left-arm fast-bowler Zaheer Khan as the side’s new mentor. Zaheer was previously associated with Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022 as director of cricket and head of global development.

New Delhi: Punjab Kings have named Shreyas Iyer as captain for the IPL 2025 season. In an unparalleled move, the announcement was made by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on the reality TV show ‘Bigg Boss’ Sunday.

Iyer, Shashank Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal were present on the sets of the show with Salman to make it more exciting for the fans.

The 30-year-old expressed gratitude to the Punjab Kings management and vowed to repay the faith.

“I am honoured that the team has reposed its faith in me. I am looking forward to working again with Coach Ponting. The team looks strong, with a great mix of potential and proven performers. I hope to repay the faith shown by the management to deliver our maiden title,” Iyer said.

Head coach Ricky Ponting said, “Shreyas has a great mind for the game. His proven capabilities as captain will enable the team to deliver. I have enjoyed my time with Iyer in the past in IPL, and I look forward to working with him again. With his leadership and the talent in the squad, I am excited about the seasons ahead.”

Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon added, “We had identified Shreyas as our captain and were delighted with the auction result. He has already proven himself to master the format, and his vision for the team aligns perfectly with our goals. With him and Ponting joining hands again, we are confident our team has a solid leadership group to guide us to our first title.”

In 2024, Iyer had a banner year. He was part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji and Irani trophy. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders in their victorious 2024 IPL campaign. Under his leadership, Mumbai won their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Iyer was expected to be named Punjab Kings captain in IPL 2025 after being acquired for a staggering Rs 26.75 crore during the IPL Mega Auction in November last year.

Punjab came into the auction having retained just two players – Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh – and a maximum purse of Rs 110.5 crore, aiming to build from scratch with new head coach Ricky Ponting in charge. They snapped Arshdeep Singh after deciding to exercise their Right-to-Match (RTM) card against the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s final bid of Rs 18 crore.

Kings broke the bank for Iyer and bagged him for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore, the second most expensive purchase of the auction after Rishabh Pant, who was sold for a jaw-dropping price of Rs 27 crore to Lucknow Super Giants.

“The auction has gone great. It probably couldn’t have gone much better, to be honest. It’s been a lot of work and a lot of team effort. The analysts have done a terrific job, providing me with much information on the local players. Obviously, I know a lot about the overseas guys,” Ponting said after the auction.

Punjab Kings squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey.

IANS

New Delhi: The IPL 2025 is scheduled to begin March 21, with Eden Gardens hosting both the tournament opener and the final May 25

As per a report by ESPNcricinfo, the WPL 2025 will take place from February 7 to March 2. In an unprecedented move ahead of the mega auction in November, the IPL shared the windows for the next three seasons (2025-27) with the franchises. For 2025, the window was set between March 15 and May 25. However, to accommodate the Champions Trophy final, scheduled for March 9, the IPL decided to keep a close to two-week gap and set the start date for March 21. The full IPL schedule is expected to be released later this month.

As usual, the defending champions’ home venue will host both the opener and the final, which this year will be Eden Gardens, the home ground of Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the IPL 2024.

The 2025 season will feature 74 matches, the same as the previous three seasons. However, this is ten fewer than the 84 matches originally listed in the IPL’s 2022 media rights tender for the 2023-27 cycle. The tender mentioned varying match numbers per season: 74 games for 2023 and 2024, 84 games for 2025 and 2026, and up to 94 games for 2027.

For the 2025 WPL, the BCCI has decided to introduce two new venues, alongside Mumbai and Bengaluru. The league will also be held in Baroda and Lucknow this year. The specific number of matches at each venue is yet to be confirmed, as the WPL schedule is yet to be announced.

IANS

Ahmedabad: Former Indian wicketkeeper batter Parthiv Patel has been appointed as the new assistant and batting coach of Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

“The Gujarat Titans are pleased to announce the appointment of Parthiv Patel as their new Assistant and Batting Coach. With a distinguished 17-year career as a former Indian wicketkeeper-batter, Parthiv brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team,” read a statement from the franchise.

Parthiv’s journey in the IPL began in 2008, when he made his debut with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Over the years, he has evolved into one of the league’s most seasoned players, featuring in 139 matches and amassing 2,848 runs at an average of 22.60. His consistency with the bat includes 13 half-centuries, with a top score of 81 runs, alongside an impressive tally of 365 fours and 49 sixes.

Parthiv has also played for multiple IPL teams including Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He is also a two-time IPL champion, having won titles with CSK and MI.

Beyond his playing career, Parthiv has served as a talent scout for Mumbai Indians for three seasons. He also took the role of batting coach for the Mumbai Emirates in 2023.

Parthiv has featured in 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and a couple of T20Is for India. In domestic cricket, he featured in 194 first-class matches for Gujarat, scoring 11240 runs.

Kolkata: Dwayne Bravo, who just announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, is all set to join Kolkata Knight Riders as team mentor in 2025, the IPL franchise said Friday.

He will now be involved with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in UAE’s ILT20, Los Angeles Knight Riders in USA’s Major League Cricket and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League as a mentor.

Earlier, the West Indies great was Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) fast bowling coach in the last two seasons of the IPL and was mentor of the Afghanistan team in their run to semifinals of Men’s T20 World Cup.

Bravo, renowned for his exceptional career in all formats with the West Indies, has become one of the most successful T20 specialists in history. Over his illustrious career, he has played 582 T20 matches, taken 631 wickets, and scored nearly 7,000 runs.

Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders Group, said, “DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development. His relentless drive to win, along with his vast experience and deep knowledge, will greatly benefit our franchise and players. We’re also pleased that Bravo will be involved with our other franchises globally, including CPL, MLC, and ILT20.”

DJ Bravo also expressed his enthusiasm for this new chapter, “I’ve been part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for the last 10 years in the CPL. Having played for and against the Knight Riders in various leagues, I have a lot of respect for how they operate.

“The owners’ passion, the professionalism of the management, and the family-like environment make it a special place. This is the perfect platform for me as I transition from playing to mentoring and coaching the next generation of players.”

New Delhi: India wicketkeeper and Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant was left surprised with his possible link-up with Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. However, Pant reacted strongly to the social media post and called it ‘fake news’.

A social media user on X claimed that Pant thought his manager approached RCB earlier this week “as he foresees a captaincy vacancy there but got declined by RCB’s management”. “Virat doesn’t want Pant in RCB due to his Political Tactics in the Indian team as well as in DC,” the post further added.

Meanwhile, the Indian star was quick to confront the X user and lashed out for spreading “misinformation” and creating an “untrustworthy environment”.

“Fake news. Why do you guys spread so much fake news on social media? Be sensible guys so bad. Don’t create an untrustworthy environment for no reason. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last but I had to put this out. Please always re-check with your so-called sources. Every day it’s becoming worse. Rest it’s up to you guys. It wasn’t just for you it’s for a lot of people who are spreading misinformation. Tc,” Pant wrote on his X account.

Earlier this year, Pant made his return to competitive cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season after the horrific car crash that ruled him out of the entire 2023 season.

Recently, he made his return to the Indian setup in all three formats by featuring in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, where he smashed his sixth Test century.

The 26-year-old attacking batter has only played for Delhi Capitals in the IPL since making his debut in the 2016 season. He has played 111 matches for the franchise and amassed 3,284 runs including 18 half-centuries and a single hundred. He was appointed captain of the side ahead of IPL 2021.

On Pant’s comeback Test century against Bangladesh last week, Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal lauded the wicketkeeper batter, reflecting his long-term association with the Delhi-based team.

“The greatest Indian Test wicketkeeper is back – very happy to see your comeback @RishabhPant17 – keep it going – our country has missed you!” Jindal wrote on X.

IANS

New Delhi: Former India left-arm fast-bowler Zaheer Khan has been appointed as mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in a formal event held at the RPSG Group Headquarters in Kolkata Wednesday.

“All your anticipation ends here! The King of reverse swing, Indian legend #ZaheerKhan takes charge as the mentor of @LucknowIPL,” wrote the RPSG Group, owners of the LSG franchise, on their ‘X’ account.

https://x.com/LucknowIPL/status/1828737471451943005

Zaheer will be filling in the mentor role left vacant at LSG after Gautam Gambhir’s exit post IPL 2023. Gambhir later became Kolkata Knight Riders’ mentor this year, and led them to their third IPL title in Chennai. In July, he succeeded Rahul Dravid to become India men’s head coach.

The 45-year-old Zaheer joined LSG’s coaching set-up featuring Justin Langer as head coach, along with Lance Klusener and Adam Voges as assistant coaches. The side doesn’t have a bowling coach yet after Morne Morkel left the role to take up same position with the Indian team.

As a player, Zaheer represented Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Delhi Capitals, playing 100 matches, and taking 102 wickets at an economy rate of 7.58.

Various reports have also mentioned that Zaheer, a member of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup winning team, would also be the franchise’s talent development programme head, although an official word on this is yet to come.

He was previously involved with the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise from 2018 to 2022, where he first served as director of cricket and then head of global development.

IPL 2023 and 2024 seasons saw the former pacer be a member of the commentary team for digital broadcasters JioCinema.

LSG was bought by Sanjiv Goenka in 2022 for INR 7090 crore and have their home ground at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The side reached the playoffs in IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons, before bowing out of competition in the eliminator clashes twice.

LSG missed out on a playoff spot in IPL 2024 due to a negative Net Run Rate (NRR), leading to them finishing in seventh place in the points table.