Big picture After galloping to four wins, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have suddenly found themselves in choppy waters with back-to-back defeats to struggling teams. And it’s a pattern that feels eerily familiar to them. In 2024, they soared to eight wins in their first nine games, only to lose their way entirely – going five matches…
Big picture: A tale of two top orders Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are neck-and-neck on the points table, but their top-order approaches couldn’t be more different: SRH’s top three have been the most explosive in IPL 2026, scoring at a run rate of 11.65, while DC sit ninth on that chart at…
Big Picture – Khaleel a big miss for CSK Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings are level on four points, but a big gap in net run rate separates them. A win for SRH strengthens their position at No. 4, while CSK can possibly jump from No. 8 into the top four if they notch…
Bangladesh’s chance to down NZ In the absence of the first-choice players, who are away at the IPL or PSL, New Zealand have arrived in Bangladesh with one of their most inexperienced sides. For the first ODI in Dhaka, the visitors will be without eight players who were in the New Zealand XI in the…
Big picture: Can MI match PBKS’s batting firepower? Since Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) last met in the second Qualifier last year, when the two teams weren’t too far apart, they have taken completely different paths. If PBKS have smashed their way to second spot (before Wednesday’s game) and are the only unbeaten…
Big Picture: Batting leaders vs laggards Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the best batting side so far in IPL 2026. Their top six has the highest run-rate (11.1), the highest average (45.2), and hits boundaries more frequently – every 3.6 balls on average – than the other nine teams in the league. Their opponents on Wednesday,…
Big picture: Once were finalists Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have faced each other in two IPL finals and one Champions League T20 final. They are two of the only three sides with multiple IPL titles. Now they face each other, trying to get out of the bottom spot, in danger of being…
Big picture – Which team is in rhythm? Both Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans meet after finishing on the right side of last-ball thrillers against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. In a tournament moving at breakneck speed and leaving little time for reflection, those are the nights that can have a positive…
Big picture: How to recover from mistakes There’s this thing in gully cricket in India. The first ball is just for fun. “Trials, all reals” is the standard schoolboy war cry, and it might be one that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) adopt for the rest of IPL 2026. Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad, in particular,…
Big Picture – A battle of two unbeaten teams In the days leading up to IPL 2026, the conversation around Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) revolved around valuations, ownership, and their much-talked-about sale. Within weeks, though, the focus has shifted to on-field performances and the excitement these two sides have elicited. Their…