Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis were at the heart of a statement win for Punjab Kings, a seven-wicket demolition of Mumbai Indians that sealed a top-two finish and gave them a shot at a direct entry into the IPL 2025 final.
Chasing a potentially tricky target, the pair added 109 for the second wicket en route stunning half-centuries each to turn what could have been a tense contest into a canter. It meant Suryakumar Yadav’s 57 – a record 14th score of 25 or more in T20s – wasn’t anywhere near enough.
MI will now play in the Eliminator, with the final playoffs line-up to be decided after Tuesday night’s fixture. A Royal Challengers Bengaluru win over Lucknow Super Giants will set up their clash with PBKS in Qualifier-1. A defeat will see them meet MI in the Eliminator on May 30.
Arya, known as a powerplay dasher, began by hitting Trent Boult for three fours off his first four deliveries, but quickly showcased a new gear to his rapidly evolving game. Coming off three single-digit scores, he allowed Inglis to dictate the early tempo when PBKS needed momentum after the loss of Prabhsimran Singh had them 35 for 1 in five overs.
Once settled, Arya stamped his authority – none of his shots more emphatic than a short-arm jab off Hardik Pandya for six over wide long-on to raise a 27-ball half-century. That wasn’t it. He also hooked Jasprit Bumrah over fine leg for six at a time when he could’ve so easily afforded to play him out.
Inglis, for his part, was equally enterprising, marrying brute force with audacity. He countered Mitchell Santner’s threat early, by pulling him to the short leg-side boundary for six – his first two overs cost 23.
Along the way, Inglis also exhibited his flair for innovation. The knock featured a pair of audacious reverse scoops off Ashwani Kumar, including one against a slower ball, underlining his confidence and clarity.
It wasn’t just the rookie he was after. Inglis superbly ramped Hardik for six, and was equally authoritative against Bumrah, who he drove on the up through the line fearlessly, at no point showing any willingness to backdown against MI’s trump card. The effect of the second-wicket partnership meant Bumrah had bowled out by the 17th, with PBKS needing just 20 off 18.
Arya and Inglis fell with the target within touching distance, but Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera, formerly MI, saw PBKS home without any flutters.
MI’s misery was compounded by potential injuries to Deepak Chahar and Tilak Varma. Chahar had his right hamstring heavily taped one ball into his opening burst in the powerplay. He bowled three overs in all but was seemingly low on pace. Tilak, meanwhile, jarred his knee onto the turf while trying to stop the ball on the boundary rope and spent the remainder of PBKS’ chase off the park.
Suryakumar came in at No. 3 in the sixth over after MI were put into bat. He batted right through until the final over, helping ride through a wobbly middle phase, before accelerating superbly towards the end with Naman Dhir.
The penultimate over, Vijaykumar Vyshak’s fourth, went for 23 to raise hopes of a grandstand finish. But Arshdeep Singh then nailed his yorkers superbly in a gun final over that went for just three runs as PBKS closed out the innings superbly.
Suryakumar and Dhir aside, there was a key lower middle-order contribution from Hardik (26 off 15). This injected momentum before the final lift-off gave them a total to bowl at.
Playing his final game of the season before he leaves for national duties, South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton did the early running until Rohit Sharma caught up. Rohit, who had been dismissed by left-arm seamers four times this season struggled a touch early on against Arshdeep and Marco Jansen but seemed to get into his groove as he took the attack to Harpreet Brar in the powerplay.
He first stepped out imperiously to hit him over long-on and then lofting him inside-out over cover. It needed Wadhera’s stunner at long-on to send him back for 24.
Rohit’s dismissal followed a choppy middle phase where they lost two wickets in quick succession, before Hardik, who’d batted just 39 balls in the last six games, injected momentum along with Suryakumar, who brought up his half-century off just 34 balls.
Vyshak, playing only his third game of the season, was on track to be the pick of the bowlers until he leaked two fours and two sixes in his final finish with 2 for 44. Arshdeep and Jansen too picked up two wickets apiece.
While MI made 53 off the last five, there was a sense that they may have missed out on a few extra runs. Inglis and Arya proved that.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 187 for 3 in 18.3 overs (Josh Inglis 73, Priyansh Arya 62, Prabhsimran Singh 13, Shreyas Iyer 26*; Jasprit Bumrah 1-23, Mitchell Santner 2-41) beat Mumbai Indians 184 for 7 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 27, Rohit Sharma 24, Suryakumar Yadav 57, Will Jacks17, Hardik Pandya 26, Narman Dhir 20; Arshdeep Singh 2-28, Marco Jansen 2-34, Harpreet Brar 1-36, Vijaykumar Vyshak 2-44) by 7 wickets
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasooriya in her Environment Day message said that the environment is the foundation of our livelihood and called upon all Sri Lankans to come forward with the responsibility in mind to bequeath a secure a secure, prosperous and green planet to future generations.The PM’s Environment Day message:
“The environment is the foundation of our livelihood. It is the responsibility of the government to bequeath a secure, prosperous, and green planet to future generations.
In line with the global theme, “Urgent Climate Action,” and guided by the vision of “A Sustainable Biosphere – An Evergreen Life,” Sri Lanka commemorates World Environment Day this year at a critical moment. Drawing lessons from the climate-related challenges we have recently experienced, special attention has been directed toward protecting the water catchment areas of the central highlands and restoring ecosystems.
Under the theme “Dalulanna Idadenna” ( Let it Bloom), the Ministry of Environment has organized a series of programmes across the island to mark World Environment Day. These initiatives include environmental conservation inspired by religious values, awareness programmes on climate change, the protection of the Diyawanna Oya, the development of infrastructure in the wildlife sector, the conservation of water resources, and the promotion of medicinal plant cultivation, and through these efforts, it is evident that environmental conservation has evolved beyond a mere concept and become a practical and active commitment.
At this significant moment in our nation’s history, as more than 63,000 hectares of forest land have been gazetted as protected reserves through the “Wanaspathi” National Programme, which was launched last year, every citizen must resolve to live in harmony with the environment.
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were ordered to shelter in an attached spacecraft after the structure suddenly started leaking more air.
Five of the seven crew were directed to go into the docked SpaceX shuttle Dragon “Freedom” on Friday afternoon and were braced for a potential evacuation.
Meanwhile, two remaining personnel – a pair of Russian cosmonauts – attempted to repair a part of the Russian segment of the ISS, where the leaks had started increasing on Monday.
The repairs were paused and the crew ordered back onto the ISS by Nasa on Friday afternoon.
Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot and Andrey Fedyaev, who arrived on the ISS in February, had been sheltering on the docked ship, along with another astronaut Chris Williams.
They had been told to put on their spacesuits so they were ready to undock and return to Earth at short notice.
The Dragon effectively functions as a lifeboat – attached to the station but ready to detach the moment the order is given.
The trigger for the order was a worsening air leak in the transfer tunnel, known as PrK, leading to a section of the Russian segment of the station called the Zvezda service module.
Russian cosmonauts, station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev, attempted to fix the problem. Their escape route was the separately docked Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.
It is not the first time the station has had to deal with this problem – the cracks responsible have persisted on and off for around six years.
However, following the arrival of a Russian cargo ship last month, the Russian space agency Roscosmos noticed a fresh slow pressure drop in the tunnel, prompting the decision to move beyond patchwork fixes and attempt a more extensive repair operation on Friday.
(Left to right) Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, Nasa astronauts Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot [BBC]
But it was the method they were planning to use that prompted the order to take shelter, according to news agency Reuters.
Kud-Sverchkov and Mikayev were said to be using a saw to try and get into an area to access the crack that was leaking air.
Nasa disagreed with the method they were using and mission control in Houston ordered five crew to take “safe-haven” procedures on the Dragon ship.
When Roscosmos told their crew to pause repairs, Nasa instructed the astronauts to return to the station.
Nasa spokeswoman Bethany Stevens said on X: “Given this development, Nasa has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station.”
Russian news agency Tass, citing Roscosmos, reported that nothing had been threatening the safety of the crew or the ISS’s onboard systems.
The ISS, which spans the length of a football field, is the largest human-made object in space.
It has been continuously operated by a US-Russian-led consortium that includes Canada, Japan and 11 European countries since 1998.
Maja Chwalinska lost in the Wimbledon second round (2022) and Australian Open first round (2025) in her only two previous Grand Slam appearances (BBC)
Qualifier Maja Chwalinska is one win away from a fairytale French Open triumph after setting up a final showdown with Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.
The Polish world number 114, who had only ever won one match at a Grand Slam before this tournament, continued her astonishing run at Roland Garros by beating 25th seed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
Three weeks and nine matches after her French Open campaign began, Chwalinska dropped to the ground after firing in the 32nd and final winner of another scintillating display.
With that, she became the first qualifier in history to reach the women’s singles final at Roland Garros, and the crowd chanted her name as she spoke in her post-match interview.
On Saturday, she will attempt to become only the second qualifier in the Open era to win a Grand Slam after Britain’s Emma Raducannu at the 2021 US Open.
It would be a fitting conclusion to a French Open filled with spectacular shocks from the outset.
But, on the evidence of her dominant victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, the in-form Andreeva will provide the sternest test of her credentials to date.
A beaten semi-finalist in 2024, the 19-year-old was hugely impressive in a 6-1 6-3 victory that made her the third-youngest woman to reach the Roland Garros showpiece this century, after Coco Gauff and Kim Clijsters.
Should she prevail in her first major final, eighth seed Andreeva would become the third-youngest first-time Grand Slam champion this century, after Maria Sharapova and Raducanu.
