Shubham Dubey underlined the importance of an Impact Player, Donovan Ferreira proved why Rajasthan Royals were keen to have him traded in, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooriyavanshi  continued their stellar run as RR handed Punjab kings their first defeat of IPL 2026. In another run-fest in New Chandigarh, where 222 played 228, Ferreira and Dubey added 77 runs off 32 balls for the fifth wicket to turn what looked like a tricky chase at one point into a cakewalk and secured victory with four balls to spare.

Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 3 for 36, while Marcus Stoinis bludgeoned an unbeaten 62 off 22 balls but their returns weren’t enough as RR moved to third place on the points table.

Priyansh Arya was coming into the game with a powerplay strike rate of 260.27. Within his first five balls, he showed why he is one of the most fearless batters going around. He started with a spliced pull off Nandre Burger, before flat-batting him through midwicket and then following up with two of the most audacious strokes. Burger bowled a back-of-a-length ball outside off stump and Arya stood tall and played a nonchalant on-the-up aerial back-foot punch over covers for a clean six. The next ball was carved over backward point, before some luck got him another four. RR had raced to 29 for 0 after two.

At the other end was Jofra Archer. He started the third over with a hard length outswinger, which Arya edged to the vacant slip area. Archer nearly yelled at his captain for not having a slip, but soon got his reward as Arya sliced a 150kph thunderbolt for mid-on. Prabhsimran Singh took on Burger but wasn’t his fluent self. Despite that, PBKS raced to 65 in the powerplay.

Cooper Connolly was off quickly, scoring 30 off 14 balls but he misread a Yash Raj Punja googly and shanked him straight up. Prabhsimran, meanwhile, reached his fifty off 35 balls, but the RR bowlers controlled the middle overs, majorly through their two spinners, Punja and Ravindra Jadeja. Through overs seven to 16, PBKS scored 95 runs, while losing Connolly and Prabhsimran.

Coming into this game, Stoinis had faced 26 balls this IPL. But he showed off once he got his chance. He smashed Archer for two sixes in the 19th over, but reserved his best for the last. Fast bowler Brijesh Sharma had gone for just 18 runs off his first three overs, his slower balls were gripping and hard to hit. But Stoinis smashed the bowler for 24 to power PBKS past 220 as they scored 62 in the last four overs.

Half-centuries from Harshitha Samarawickrama and Imesha Dulani propelled Sri Lanka to a 25-run win in the first T20I against Bangladesh. The home side’s batting woes continued as they failed to chase down 162 against an efficient bowling effort by the visitors in Sylhet.

Malki Madara, Mithali Ayodhya and captain Chamari Athapaththu picked up two wickets each as Sri Lanka restricted Bangladesh to 136 for 7 in the chase. Athapaththu was outstanding with her accuracy, conceding just 19 runs in her four overs for the two wickets. Bangladesh had been put in early trouble when they slipped to 44 for 4 in the sixth over, despite starting off rapidly with 39 for no loss in the first 3.3 overs.

Shorna Akter then struck 60 off 45 balls, with six boundaries including two sixes, but her knock was for a losing cause. There was no help from batters at the other end. Shorna stuck around even as Bangladesh kept losing wickets and was the last batter dismissed off the final ball of the innings.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were powered by Athapaththu, who cracked five boundaries and a six in her 32. After her dismissal in the tenth over, Dulani and Samarawickrama added 80 runs for the third wicket. Samarawickrama struck five fours and two sixes in her 61 off 35 balls, while Dulani slammed seven fours in her 55 off 40 balls.

Their approach derailed Bangladesh’s bowlers, with only offspinner Sultana Khatun putting in an impressive bowling display: she took 2 for 29. The remaining two T20Is in the series will also be held in Sylhet.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women 161 for 4 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 32, Imesha Dulani 55, Harshitha Samarawickrama 61; Marufa Akter 1-37,  Sultana Khatun  2-29, Nahida Akter 1-26) beat Bangladesh Women 136 for 7 in 20 overs (Dilara Akter 23, Juairiya Ferdous 16, Shobhana Mostary 16, Shorna Akter  60; Malki Madara 2-31, Mithali Ayodhya 2-34,   Chamari Athapaththu 2-19) by 25 runs

[Cricinfo]

Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva had outlasted three Executive Presidents – Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe – and looked set to see off the new ball from Anura Kumara Dissanayake as well. For a while, it seemed like he had the measure of every spell thrown at him. But this time, the batter has edged one and walked.

The new government, elected on a platform of transparency and good governance, had been accused of shadow batting when it came to cleaning up cricket. There were murmurs in the stands, and not without reason. Eyebrows were raised when political heavyweights like Wasantha Samarasinghe – who wouldn’t know a short leg from a fine leg – were regulars at SLC gatherings. It gave the impression that the field placements hadn’t changed.

But in the end, President Dissanayake played it late and played it well. Timing, as they say in cricket, is everything and this was a shot straight out of the middle.

The Island learns that the government had been itching to make a move earlier, but were wary of playing a false stroke. With Shammi’s close links to ICC chair Jay Shah, there was a genuine fear of another suspension – a scenario Sri Lanka had already endured two years ago when Shammi was removed. Rather than charge down the track, the government chose to bide its time, build its case and wait for the right delivery.

When the moment arrived, they didn’t swing wildly. Instead, they tossed the ball back into Shammi’s court and invited him to take the honourable route. He did and like a collapsing batting order, the rest of the committee followed him back to the pavilion.

Crucially, Sri Lanka Cricket avoids the follow-on of an ICC suspension. This was a resignation, not a dismissal, a technicality that could prove decisive. Shammi, who had just one year left in his term, was reportedly exploring ways to extend his stay at the crease. With some of the country’s top legal minds at his disposal, tweaking the playing conditions was child’s play for him.

Now the spotlight shifts to the government. They must make a watertight case to justify extending the three-month window for fresh elections. Others have trodden this path before, South Africa managed it successfully and Bangladesh are currently following suit with ICC backing.

If handled well, it could buy Sri Lanka the time needed to bring long-pending reforms into play notably the recommendations of the Justice Chithrasiri report, which has been gathering dust.

Attention is already turning to the next innings. Former cricketer and ex-parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne has emerged as the frontrunner to head the interim committee, especially after former NOC boss Suresh Subramaniam opted out due to health concerns.

Another name doing the rounds is Kushil Gunasekara, a respected figure in international cricketing circles. A former Ananda College cricketer, Gunasekara played a key role as head of the organising committee for the 2000 Under-19 World Cup and he is no stranger at ICC. His off-field work, particularly in his native Seenigama, has earned widespread admiration, including honorary life membership at Marylebone Cricket Club.

For now, though, the headline belongs to AKD. After a long watch and a patient build-up, he has finally broken through, a wicket that had been a long time coming. This is a big fish indeed.

by Rex Clementine