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IPL 2025: Clinical Mumbai’s sixth straight win gives them top position and knocks out Rajasthan Royals

Published

1 year ago

2025/05/2

Priyan

Deepak Chahar dismissed Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a duck [Cricinfo]

Mumbai Indians (MI) came into this game having never won in Jaipur since 2012. They must not have liked that very much because first, they posted the joint-highest IPL total at this ground, then trounced Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 100 runs and finally got back up on their perch on top of the points table RR, meanwhile, were knocked out of the playoffs race

The first three overs were eerily quiet. Just 16 runs came off them and Rohit Sharma survived an lbw dismissal thanks to a very late call for DRS. “Ooooooh YESSSS,” he said, throwing his head back and smiling as he saw green instead of red on ball-tracking.

A switch must have flicked because the last three overs of the powerplay went for 42. Rohit’s runs were almost secondary to the way he was batting. He figured out what Jofra Archer was trying to do with both his boundary riders on the leg side. Bowl straight. So he made room and immediately a ball on top of leg stump became cuttable. He cut it for four.

RR tried taking pace off but Maheesh Theekshana and Fazalhaq Farooqi were both too full. Once again, Rohit moved to leg and opened up unguarded parts of the off side. Clear methods. Lovely timing. Smooth progress. He went past 6000 runs for MI.

At the other end, RR tried to take away Ryan Rickelton’s arms, cramping him with their lines. But he one-upped them with his short-arm pulls. Then they tried their slower balls into the pitch, but the batter held his shape nicely and swung through. He was being asked to hit to the long leg-side boundary. He took up the challenge and cleared it. Rickelton made 34 of his first 51 runs on the leg side in just nine balls.

The opening partnership broke at a good time for MI because it still left 8.1 overs for Suryakumar Yadav to have an influence. His team had set him up – 116 runs were already on the board – so he wasted no time. Suryakumar attacked six of the first seven balls he faced. The one he didn’t was one he couldn’t. It was wide, a mistake that he invites from the bowlers as they try to keep it off his hitting arc.

Suryakumar finished with 48 not out, an IPL record considering it was his 11 consecutive score of 25 or more. In an innings full of intent – he tried to hit a boundary off every other ball he faced – 13 attempts in 23 deliveries – there was always going to be jaw-dropping moments and one of those happened in the 19th over when he nailed a full-speed Archer attempted yorker which became a full toss for four over short fine. He was rolling around on the floor, bat out of his hands, but he had done the job.

Hardik Pandya was just as destructive. His methods involve staying deep in the crease and exploiting the balls that miss the blockhole. He hit Farooqi for three fours and a six in the 18th over, over the course of a third-wicket partnership that yielded 94 runs in 44 balls. This was the first time four MI batters had made 40-plus in the same innings in the IPL.

Cricket had the chance to avoid a cliche tonight. But it didn’t even try. The last time RR had to chase down a 200-plus total, IPL history was made with 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi scoring a 35-ball century. Here, the first time he goes for a big shot, he got out for a duck. This game just can’t help but be a leveller.

A measure of the lasting impact of that innings was the Jaipur crowd having their hands on their heads and the MI coach punching the air in the dugout. Men celebrating a boy’s downfall but he is no ordinary boy.

Trent Boult began his work getting hit for sixes. It didn’t faze him. He has 115 games’ worth of experience and 68 distinct moments that prove just how good he is with the new ball in the IPL. He added Yashasvi Jaiswal to his ever-growing list of powerplay wickets and enjoyed it so much he indulged in a one-handed, finger-gun send-off.

At the other end, Jasprit Bumrah came on and peppered Riyan Parag with bouncers. When the batter tried to take him on, he couldn’t get his hands high enough to control the pull shot. Even as the ball was still up in the air, Parag shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “did I even have a chance?” Bumrah bowled nine short balls and conceded just one run.

This was the third time this season that MI had picked up four or more wickets in the first six overs. (KKR home, SRH away, RR away). They had only taken five in their other eight games.

RR came out of the field restrictions with a score of 47 for 5. At the timeout, Hardik stood in the middle of an MI huddle and some amateur lip-reading was enough to see him say “finish them”. His bowlers took those words to heart. RR were bowled out for 117 in 16.1 overs. Archer was their top-scorer and their highest partnership came for the 10th wicket.

Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 217 for 2 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 61, Rohit Sharma 53, Suryakumar Yadav 48*, Hardik Pandya 48*; Maheesh Theekshana 1-47, Riyan Parag 1-12) beat Rajasthan Royals 117 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 13, Riyan Parag 16, Druv Jurel 11, Shubhan Dubey 15, Jofra Archer 30; Deepak Chahar 1-13, Trent Boult 3-28, Karn Sharma 3-23, Jasprit Bumrah 2-15, Hardik Pandya 1-02) by 100 runs

[Cricinfo]

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Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrives in Colombo

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

The Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrived in Sri Lanka today, 9 September 2026, on a replenishment visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in accordance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.

‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is a 180m long Landing Helicopter Aircraft Vessel commanded by Captain Marco GUERRIERO.

During the ship’s stay in Sri Lanka, the Commanding Officer of ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is scheduled to call on the Commander Western Naval Area.

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England Women appoint Leah Poulton as managing director

Published

12 hours ago

2026/09/9

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Leah Poulton will become Managing Director, England Women [Cricinfo]

Leah Poulton the former Australia batter turned coach and administrator, will join England Women as managing director, succeeding Clare Connor.

Poulton will be charged with overseeing the success of the international team and pathways after the ECB cited her “impressive track record driving women’s cricket forward in Australia”.

Poulton earned 90 caps for Australia before retiring in 2015 and has spent the past six years as head of elite female cricket at Cricket New South Wales. There, she oversees cricket performance operations across two WBBL franchises, women’s state cricket and one of the world’s largest women’s cricket talent pathways.

Before that, she spent three years at Cricket Australia as a High Performance Coach, where she was instrumental in setting up Australia’s enviable women’s high-performance pathway, which included developing the Australia A and Under-19s women’s teams.

In her new role, she will be accountable for the performances of England Women, England Women A, England Women Under-19s and the overall women’s high-performance system.

Poulton will start in her new role in November with England set to host the Women’s Ashes next summer. She fills the role vacated by Connor, who announced earlier this year that she would be leaving the ECB after a career spanning 18 years, and will work closely with England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.

“I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be joining England, and to have the opportunity to help shape our programmes and, most importantly, invest in our people,” Poulton said. “I’m looking forward to working with Charlotte, Nat and the wider team, building on the strong foundations already in place and taking the programme forward.

“I know how vital strong pathways and a healthy domestic game are to sustained success, so I’m looking forward to connecting with people across the game and helping give the next generation of English players every opportunity to thrive. It’s a huge privilege to be part of England Women, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Richard Gould, the ECB’s CEO, said that with the senior women’s team had made under Edwards, appointed last year, and having reached the final of their recent home T20 World Cup, England Women were well placed for a successful era.

“I’m delighted to welcome Leah on board to help us build on this and take us to the next level,” Gould said. “She has a deep understanding of international cricket from her playing career and has built an impressive reputation in her time in administration.

“I believe she and Lottie will be a formidable combination, and will continue the team’s progress and development as we compete for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy and Women’s Ashes in 2027.”

[Cricinfo]

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Avindu makes history with first World University gold for Sri Lanka

Published

14 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

University of Sri Jayewardenepura weightlifter Avindu Liyanagedara made history yesterday by becoming the first Sri Lankan university student to win a gold medal at a World University sports event, as Sri Lanka made a spectacular start to the 2026 World University Weightlifting Championship in Doha, Qatar.

‎Liyanagedara won the men’s 60kg title, while Sabaragamuwa University’s Nipun Dissanayake added a bronze medal in the 65kg category on the opening day of the championship.

‎Liyanagedara lifted 105kg in the snatch and 132kg in the clean and jerk for an impressive combined total of 237kg.

‎Spain’s Gomez Martinez took the silver with 228kg, while Chun-Yen Tang of Chinese Taipei won bronze with 227kg.

‎Dissanayake also secured a podium finish in the 65kg class with a total of 220kg, comprising a 100kg snatch and a 120kg clean and jerk.

‎Iran’s Mohhadov Tehran won the gold with 289kg, with Moldova’s Ion Badanev taking silver with 288kg.

‎Liyanagedara’s achievement represents a landmark breakthrough for Sri Lankan university sport. His gold is the first gold medal won by a Sri Lankan university student at a World University sports event, while Dissanayake’s bronze further strengthened the country’s historic opening-day showing.

‎The Sri Lanka University Sports Association has entered five male and two female athletes for the championship, with University of Colombo’s Sujan Walgampaya serving as team manager and coach.

‎The championship continues in Doha until September 12, with Sri Lanka already assured of a memorable place in the history of World University sport through Liyanagedara’s historic gold medal.