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IPL 2025: Bowlers, Salt shine as Royal Challengers Bengaluru march into IPL final

Published

7 months ago

2025/05/30

Priyan

Rajat Patidar and Phil Salt wrapped the chase [Cricinfo]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) waltzed their way into their first IPL final since 2016 as they blew Punjab Kings (PBKS) away for 101 on a surface with seam and extra bounce. Batting didn’t get any easier in the second innings, but Phil Salt broke the back of the small chase in the powerplay that went for 61 despite a wicket-maiden in it.

The RCB fast bowlers kept bashing the hard lengths as PBKS refused to dial down the aggression on the challenging surface, taking seven wickets between them. The legspinner Suvash Sharma was the beneficiary of some reckless sweeping; the PBKS batters didn’t pick any of the wrong’uns, losing three wickets to him.

The ball bounced and moved more in the second innings than the first, just the time for Salt to unleash his quickest fifty in the IPL – off just 23 balls – to take RCB home with a whole ten overs to spare.

Even before the nature of the pitch made itself apparent to the outside eye, Priyansh Arya failed to keep a drive down. It wasn’t as much failing to keep it down but not even going up and over. Prabhsimran Singh, the other part of the dynamic opening partnership, charged Bhuvenshwar Kumar twice and hit two fours. At the third time of asking, Bhuvneshwar shortened the length, the ball seamed, and took the edge.

It was when the returning Josh Hazelwood took the ball in the fourth over that it became clear it was a difficult track. Shreyas Iyer, only 25 runs to his name in four innings in New Chandigarh, tried to pull Hazlewood in front of square and edged him to the keeper. Josh Ingis tried a more regulation pull in Hazlewood’s next, and the extra bounce took the top edge.

This was the time that PBKS could have perhaps lowered their sights and aimed for 160 or so. In hindsight, when the ball hooped around in the second innings, this seems like the right thing to have done. But when things are happening so quickly in T20 cricket, it can’t be easy to have that kind of foresight.

However, it is easier to watch the ball closely and pick the wrong’un. RCB kept pace on for eight overs for excellent results of 59 for 5. The first sight of spin brought out the reckless side of PBKS. Shashank Singh tried to slog-sweep Suyash, and lost his middle stump to a wrong’un.

A dramatic move to bring in another batter – Kyle Jameison was listed at No. 10 – brought naught. Literally. Musheer Khan, playing for the first time all season, failed to pick a wrong’un but survived before getting out lbw to a legbreak.Marcus Stoinis, who looked like in the best touch of all the PBKS batters, again failed to pick the googly and was bowled comprehensively on the slog-sweep.

The ball kept seaming appreciably even when Romario Shepherd came on to bowl the 14th over, hitting Harpreet Brar on the elbow en route to the stumps. Hazlewood came back to mop up the innings.

It was a brief innings but Virat Kohli set the tone with an emphatic pulled four first ball. By the time he got out – reprising one of his Border-Gavaskar Trophy dismissals – for 12 off 12 balls, RCB had already taken off 30 runs from the already paltry target. However, in that over, Jamieson looked unplayable. He went past Mayank Agarwal’s outside edge in three balls out of four. The average swing for PBKS was 1.7 degrees, for RCB it was 0.7.

Then again, PBKS didn’t have any total on the board, and needed every good ball to take the edge and go to hand. That almost never happens. After a string of good balls, the moment they erred, Salt came down on them with great fury. Jamieson’s next over went for 21 runs. It included a ferocious cut, an emphatic pull, and a drilled extra-cover drive.

The last of PBKS’ chance to reprise their successful defense of 111 at the same venue gone, Rajat Patidar finished off in style with a massive slog sweep for six.

Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 106 for 2 in 10 overs (Phil Salt 56*, Virat Kohli 12, Mayank Agrawal 19, Rajat Patidar 15*; Kyle Jamieson 1-27, Musheer Khan 1-27) beat Punjab Kings 101 in 14.1 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 18, Marcus Stoinis 26, Azmatullah Omarzai 18; Bhuvenshwar Kumar 1-17, Suyash Sharma 3-17, Josh Hazlewood 3-21, Yash Dayal 2-26, Romario Shepherd 1-05)by eight wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Level III landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Matale extended

Published

14 hours ago

2025/12/10

Priyan

The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has extended the Level III RED landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Matale until 1600hrs on 11th December 2025.

Accordingly,
The LEVEL III RED landslide warnings issued to the the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Kundasale, Pasbage Korale, Medadumbara, Ganga Ihala Korale, Hatharaliyadda, Pathadumbara, Doluwa, Panvila, Gangawata Korale, Ududumbara, Akurana, Yatinuwara, Harispattuwa, Deltota, Thumpane, Poojapitiya, Udapalatha, Udunuwara, Minipe and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Aranayaka, Yatiyanthota, Rambukkana, Bulathkohupitiya and Mawanella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Mawathagama and Rideegama in the Kurunegala district, and Rattota, Laggala Pallegama, Ukuwela, Matale, Wilgamuwa, Pallepola, Naula, Yatawatta and Ambanganga Korale in the Matale district have been extended.

LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Ella, Haputhale, Lunugala, Welimada, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Warakapola, Galigamuwa, Kegalle, Dehiowita, Ruwanwella and Deraniyagala in the Kegalle district, Polgahawela and Alawwa in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale East, Walapane, Thalawakele, Nuwara Eliya, Kothmale West, Nildandahinna, Mathurata, Ambagamuwa Korale, Hanguranketha and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district. and Kolonna, Godakawela and Kahawaththa in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Divulapitiya, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, and Kiriella, Eheliyagoda, Balangoda, Kaltota, Openayake, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Ayagama, Kuruwita, Kalawana, Elapatha, Pelmadulla and Ratnapura in the Ratnapura district.

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Russia gifts 35 tonnes of Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka

Published

15 hours ago

2025/12/10

Priyan

The handover of 35 tonnes of Russian Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka, recently affected by the cyclone «Ditwah», took place at Katunayake today (10th December)

The shipment was welcomed at the Katunayake airport by Ambassador of Russia Levan Dzhagaryan, Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka and Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).

Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan: said “This delivery is a reflection of long-term friendly relations between Russia and Sri Lanka and reaffirms Moscow’s commitment to support countries in a difficult humanitarian situation.”

The supplies brought by the EMERCOM (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations) aircraft comprised a movable 60 kW electric power station, Pumping equipment for water drainage, Summer tents (10-person capacity) and Food supplies (sugar, vegetable oil, rice)

The total cargo weight is 35 metric tonnes. The aid will be distributed among the most affected regions.

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Sri Lanka squad named for ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup

Published

16 hours ago

2025/12/10

Priyan

Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee has named a 15-member squad to participate in the upcoming ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup (50 Over).

The team will depart for the United Arab Emirates today [0 December 2025] and has been placed in Group B, alongside Nepal, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.