Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Ashwani Kumar’s four-wicket haul helps Mumbai secure first IPL win

The 23-year-old dismissed Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell in an impressive spell.

Ashwani-Kumar-Getty

Kumar’s 4-24 helped restrict Kolkata to 116, which Mumbai chased down comfortably with more than seven overs to spare. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

MUMBAI INDIANS secured their first win of the IPL season on Monday, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets, with debutant medium pacer Ashwani Kumar playing a key role.

Kumar’s 4-24 helped restrict Kolkata to 116, which Mumbai chased down comfortably with more than seven overs to spare.


The 23-year-old dismissed Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell in an impressive spell.

"I didn't have anything for lunch, I just had a banana. There was a little pressure. I wasn't feeling hungry," said Kumar.
"But still, I played well, so it's good.

"(Captain) Hardik Pandya said that since it's your debut match, enjoy yourself. Just keep bowling the way you have been," he added.
Pandya credited Mumbai’s scouting team for unearthing Kumar.

"We thought Ashwani can come in on this pitch and bowl the way he bowled. It is all the scouts – they picked him," Pandya said.

"They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action, and he was a leftie."

Ryan Rickelton led Mumbai's chase with 62 off 41 balls, hitting five sixes.

Playing their first home match of the year, Mumbai made an early impact as Trent Boult dismissed Sunil Narine in the first over.

Kolkata’s batting struggles

Narine’s opening partner, Quinton de Kock, was caught trying to loft Deepak Chahar. Rahane followed soon after, slicing a wide delivery from Kumar to deep backward point for 11 off seven balls.

Venkatesh Iyer struggled for three runs off nine balls, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s fluent 26 ended before he could build on it, leaving Kolkata at 45-5 in seven overs.

Manish Pandey (19 off 14) and Rinku Singh (17 off 14) provided brief resistance, but Kolkata never recovered.

Ramandeep Singh’s 22 off 12 helped push the total past 100 before the innings ended in the 17th over.

"Collective batting failure, it was a good wicket to bat on, and 180-190 would have been a good total on this pitch," said Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

Mumbai’s chase

Mumbai started quickly but lost Rohit Sharma for 13 off 12 balls.

England allrounder Will Jacks, replacing Sharma, pulled his second ball for six, dashing any Kolkata comeback hopes.

Jacks (16 off 17) and Rickelton put on 45 runs, bringing Mumbai close to victory.

Suryakumar Yadav’s 27 off nine balls ensured they reached the target with ease.

(With inputs from AFP)

More For You

KL-Rahul-Getty

This was Rahul’s third half-century of the season, and the knock took him past 5,000 runs in the IPL. (Photo: Getty Images)

KL Rahul leads Delhi to eight-wicket win over Lucknow in IPL

KL RAHUL hit an unbeaten 57 to help Delhi Capitals beat Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets in the IPL on Tuesday.

Delhi were chasing 160 and reached the target with 13 balls to spare. Rahul shared a 69-run partnership with Abishek Porel, who made 51, and remained not out to see his team through.

Keep ReadingShow less
virat-kohli

Kohli hit his fourth half-century of this season and shared a 103-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal.

Getty Images

Kohli, Rohit lead Bengaluru and Mumbai to IPL wins

VIRAT KOHLI and Rohit Sharma played unbeaten knocks to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians to victories in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Kohli scored 73 not out as Bengaluru chased down 158 to beat Punjab Kings by seven wickets in Mullanpur. Rohit hit 76 not out in the second match of the day, helping Mumbai secure a nine-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wadhera-IPL-Getty

Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis of Punjab Kings celebrate their team's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, 2025, in Bengaluru. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Punjab beat Bengaluru by five wickets in rain-shortened IPL game

PUNJAB KINGS defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by five wickets in a rain-affected IPL match on Friday.

The game, reduced to 14 overs per side, saw Punjab restrict Bengaluru to 95-9 before chasing down the target with 11 balls remaining.

Keep ReadingShow less
“Cricketers sent me nude photos”: Anaya Bangar, Sanjay Bangar’s child, opens up on gender transition

Anaya also highlighted the issues of toxic masculinity and insecurity within the cricketing environment

Instagram/ anayabangar

“Cricketers sent me nude photos”: Anaya Bangar, Sanjay Bangar’s child, opens up on gender transition

Anaya Bangar, the child of former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, has shared her journey of gender transition, including hormone replacement therapy and gender reaffirming surgery. Previously known as Aryan, Anaya is currently based in Manchester, United Kingdom, and has spoken openly about the challenges she has faced, both personally and professionally, since coming out.

Anaya, an athlete and left-handed batter, once followed in her father’s footsteps by playing age-group cricket. She has represented clubs such as the Islam Gymkhana in India and the Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire. However, she revealed that pursuing a cricket career after her gender reaffirming surgery has come with several hurdles.

Keep ReadingShow less
Will-Jacks-Getty

England all-rounder Will Jacks played a key role, picking up two wickets to help restrict Hyderabad to 162 for five and then scoring 36 off 26 balls during the chase. (Photo: Getty Images)

Will Jacks leads Mumbai to four-wicket win over Hyderabad in IPL

MUMBAI INDIANS registered a four-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League on Thursday, with contributions from both their batters and bowlers.

England all-rounder Will Jacks played a key role, picking up two wickets to help restrict Hyderabad to 162 for five and then scoring 36 off 26 balls during the chase.

Keep ReadingShow less