Sports

IPL 2025: KKR and Royals Look to Bounce Back in Familiar Ground Following Opening Losses

Published

1 year ago

March 26, 2025

As the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look to leverage local support and bounce back from their opening loss, Rajasthan Royals face a challenging matchup in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Wednesday. Both teams are eager to recover from disappointing starts; KKR fell to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets, while Rajasthan suffered a 44-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

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Both teams entered the season with high hopes but faced tough lessons in their initial games, struggling with their star-studded line-ups failing to perform effectively with bat and ball.

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While Rajasthan’s bowlers might find excuses in the flat wicket of Hyderabad, KKR’s bowling performance at Eden Gardens offered no such respite. Outside of Sunil Narine, the bowling unit faltered, with Varun Chakravarthy, a crucial component, being taken apart by Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, raising concerns about his current form.

KKR hopes that Chakravarthy can regain his edge on Guwahati’s pitch, which usually provides more grip. They are also keeping an eye on Anrich Nortje’s fitness after he missed the first match due to a back issue. A fit Nortje could replace Spencer Johnson and enhance their pace attack significantly.

In terms of batting, KKR showed promise initially, led by Narine and captain Ajinkya Rahane, but a middle-order collapse led to a subpar total. Players like Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell fell to ill-advised shots, and a more disciplined approach will be necessary this time.

A player to watch is Rinku Singh, renowned for his finishing prowess but currently struggling for runs. A strong performance in Guwahati could restore his confidence.

For Rajasthan, the issues extend beyond the scoreboard. Their bowlers, including Jofra Archer, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Maheesh Theekshana, were dismantled by the Sunrisers’ top order, with Archer facing a particularly tough outing, conceding a record 76 runs.

Leadership is another concern, with stand-in captain Riyan Parag expected to exhibit more clarity and decisiveness against a KKR side eager to recover.

Both teams are keen to reignite their campaigns, making Wednesday’s match in Guwahati a high-stakes encounter—where a win can set a positive tone while a second loss could increase early pressures.

Teams:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya.

Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (stand-in captain), Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.

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Sports

Tim David Faces Criticism for Obscene Celebration against Mumbai Indians

Published

1 week ago

May 11, 2026

Namma Kudla

IPL 2026 : In a dramatic IPL 2026 clash, Royal Challengers Bengaluru player Tim David has landed in controversy for allegedly making an obscene gesture after his team’s thrilling win against Mumbai Indians.

The incident took place during the 54th match of the Indian Premier League in Raipur. Batting first, Mumbai Indians scored 167 runs in 20 overs and set a competitive target for RCB.

While chasing the target, Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 15 runs in the final over. The match went down to the last ball, where RCB required two runs for victory. Rasikh Dar helped the team secure a thrilling win in the final delivery.

Soon after the victory, Tim David, who was in the dugout, was seen allegedly showing his middle finger towards the Mumbai Indians camp during the celebrations. The video of the incident quickly went viral on social media and triggered criticism from cricket fans.

Reports suggest that match officials could take disciplinary action against the Australian batter. Under the ICC Code of Conduct, obscene or offensive gestures are considered a serious offence.

Such behaviour usually falls under Level 1 or Level 2 breaches of the ICC rules. Players found guilty can face fines ranging from 50 percent to 100 percent of their match fees. Demerit points may also be added to their disciplinary record. Repeated offences can even lead to suspension from matches.

Similar incidents have happened in the past as well. In 2012, Virat Kohli was fined 50 percent of his match fee for showing the middle finger to spectators during a match in Sydney.

Cricket is widely known as a “gentleman’s game,” and players are expected to maintain discipline and respect on the field. Tim David’s celebration has now sparked debate among fans and experts about sportsmanship in modern cricket.

Sports

Pooran Super over Call Sparks Criticism

Published

3 weeks ago

April 27, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports: Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant faced criticism after a failed Super Over decision against Kolkata Knight Riders. LSG sent Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram to bat, with Pooran on strike against Sunil Narine.

Pooran was bowled on the first ball, leading to heavy criticism from fans. Many questioned the decision, especially because Narine had earlier troubled Pooran in a past Super Over.

LSG coach Justin Langer defended the move. He said the team trusted Pooran as he has faced Narine many times and has a strong record against him. He added that teams must back their best players even in difficult moments.

Langer also said Pooran is one of the best T20 players in recent years but is currently low on confidence. He assured that the team is working hard to help him regain form

Despite being at the bottom of the table, LSG remains hopeful. Langer said the team will use the break to improve and aim to win their remaining matches.

Sports

King Kohli Creates Two Records in One Match

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Namma Kudla

Bengaluru: Virat Kohli made history in a match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium against Gujarat Titans. He achieved two big records in a single game.

Kohli became the first player in Indian Premier League history to hit 800 boundaries. He now has 807 fours. Shikhar Dhawan is second with 768, followed by David Warner and Rohit Sharma.

He also became the third player to hit 300 sixes in IPL. He reached this mark with his first six in the match. Chris Gayle leads with 357 sixes, while Rohit Sharma has 310.