Former cricketer Anil Kumble. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble has urged caution amid the growing clamour to fast-track Vaibhav Suryavanshi into the Indian team even as he acknowledged the 15-year-old’s remarkable consistency and temperament.
Speaking at a Barclays event on the power of global sport to drive community impact and opportunity at the Cricket Club of India, the former India captain and coach drew parallels with Sachin Tendulkar’s teenage exploits while emphasising the need to allow Suryavanshi the time to grow.
Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the IPL match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati. (Image: ANI)
NEW DELHI: Aditya Thakur, 20, is a budding cricketer. He is currently travelling between cities to improve his batting so he can make it into the Bihar U-23 side for the 2026-27 domestic season. But whenever the Rajasthan Royals play, he makes sure to watch the game because his younger brother, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, plays for the franchise.Aditya hails from Ramapur Maheshpur, a village next to Sooryavanshi’s village, Tajpur, in Samastipur. He has been Sooryavanshi’s side-arm thrower for the past five years. He is not surprised by the way the teenager is batting: with clarity and intent from ball one.
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“I am not surprised at all,” Aditya, who is currently training in Jaipur, told TimesofIndia.com.After taking on Mumbai Indians’ Jasprit Bumrah a few days ago, Sooryavanshi tore apart Royal Challengers Bengaluru seamers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as well on Friday evening. He does not bother with reputations or resumes.“Every time he picks up the bat, it is like Diwali. The shots he plays do not surprise me. I have worked with him for the past five years, and this is just the beginning,” he said.When asked if it is like Diwali in Tajpur every time he walks out to bat, Thakur replied, “Pathaake footte hi rehte hain (It feels like firecrackers keep bursting all the time).”Sooryavanshi smashed Bumrah for two sixes in his last match, and on Friday evening, in Guwahati, he went after Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar. He teed off with a boundary off Bhuvneshwar’s inswinging yorker.
Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026. (Image: ANI)
“His back-lift is just incredible. When you pick up the bat, it usually does not go past your right shoulder. His bat not only passes his right shoulder, it goes past his head, which is absolutely rare. In fact, if you bowl him a straight yorker at 150, technically he should miss it because bringing the bat from in front of your head and then going all the way back and coming down again is very tough. But he does it naturally,” Zubin Bharucha, Vaibhav’s mentor, had explained last year in a chat with this website.He saved the best for Hazlewood, greeting him with a deft touch towards square third man. He tonked the next ball over mid-on and completed a hat-trick of boundaries with an exquisite cover drive. But the cherry on the cake was the pull shot over deep square leg for a maximum. He looted 19 runs off Hazlewood’s over, and then, with back-to-back sixes off Bhuvneshwar, he completed his fifty in just 15 balls.
Every time he picks up the bat, it is like Diwali. The shots he plays do not surprise me
Aditya Thakur
“I think we could not have done much. The way he is hitting shots, he is not slogging. He is playing proper shots. For a 15-year-old, he is too mature. I think we should give him credit for the way he is batting. He is batting really well and deserves all the credit,” Bhuvneshwar told reporters after the match.Aditya shared an interesting story about how Sooryavanshi trains at home on a cement pitch.“He trains three hours every day in the morning and three hours in the evening. Last year, before the IPL, he got hit on his helmet and went down. His father (Sanjeev Sooryavanshi) who was watching from behind the nets, did not rush. I was scared and ran to him. He got up by himself and did not flinch. For safety purposes, we took him to Patna for an MRI. Everything was fine, and he asked the doctor, ‘Sir, kal se cricket khel sakte hain?’ (Can I play cricket from tomorrow?). He is a special boy,” said Aditya. At 15, while most are still learning the game, Sooryavanshi is already dictating terms to some of the best in the business. The fearless strokeplay, the clarity of thought. If this is only the beginning, Indian cricket may well be witnessing the rise of a once-in-a-generation talent.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in game 18 of IPL 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, April 11. This will be the evening match of a double-header. CSK are languishing at the bottom of the points table, with three losses in three games. As for DC, they are in fourth place, with two victories and one defeat.
CSK completed a hat-trick of defeats when they went down to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 43 runs at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Fielding first, CSK gave away 250 runs and managed only three wickets. In the chase, they scored 207 as Sarfaraz Khan clubbed 50 off 25. However, CSK need to make significant improvement in their overall game.
As for DC, they suffered a one-run defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) in their previous outing. Bowling first, the Capitals conceded 210. In the chase, KL Rahul smashed a brilliant 92 off 52, while David Miller hit 41* off 20, but DC fell tantalizingly short of the finish line.
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai weather report for CSK vs DC match 18
The CSK vs DC IPL 2026 match at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will begin at 7:30pm IST. The toss will be held at 7pm. As per AccuWeather, conditions in the evening will be clear and breezy, with the temperaure around 30 degree Celsius. The probability of precipitation and cloud cover will be zero percent, while the humidity level will be 80 percent.
in the night, conditions will be breezy and clear, with the temperature falling slightly to 28 degree Celsius. The probability of precipitation is one percent, while the cloud cover prediction is six percent. During daytime, conditions in Chennai will be sunny and hot, with the temperature around 35 degree Celsius. The probability of precipitation is one percent, while the cloud cover is likely to be five percent.
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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in match number 18 of IPL 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, April 11. CSK are at the bottom of the points table, with three consecutive losses. On the other hand, DC are fourth, with two wins and one defeat.
CSK suffered a 43-run loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their previous match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bowling first, Chennai struggled and conceded 250 runs, while picking up only three wickets. With the bat, they posted 207. There were some positives as Sarfaraz Khan hammered 50 off 25. However, CSK’s overall effort yet again left a lot to be desired.
DC went down to Gujarat Titans (GT) by one run in their previous match. Chasing a target of 211, KL Rahul scored a stunning 92 off 52, while David Miller slammed 41* off 20, but Delhi narrowly failed to get over the line.
Chennai Super vs Delhi Capitals IPL 2026 match details
Match: Chennai Super vs Delhi Capitals, Match 18, Indian Premier League 2026
Date and Time: Saturday, April 11, 7:30pm IST
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Chennai Super vs Delhi Capitals pitch report
The pitch at Chepauk is expected to be good for batting. The venue is known for producing slow, spin-friendly surfaces. However, in IPL 2026 scores in excess of 200 have been produced.
Chennai Super vs Delhi Capitals weather forecast
The weather in Chennai for the CSK vs DC match is expected to be clear and breezy in the evening. There is no prediction for rain.
CSK vs DC probable XIs
Chennai Super Kings
Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Matt Henry, Noor Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj
Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Suryavansh in action against Mumbai Indians at the Barsapara ACA Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, on Tuesday 07, April 2026.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene conceded that his team’s bowling plans failed, particularly early on, in its IPL 2026 defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.
Royals’ openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi blazed their way to 80 runs from just five overs in the rain-shortened game. The away team never recovered from the early burst and later slid to a 27-run defeat.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match number 12 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens on Monday, April 6. KKR have made a poor start to the edition, with two losses in two matches. On the other hand, PBKS have got off to an excellent start, with two wins in two games.
KKR went down to Mumbai Indians (MI) by six wickets in their opening game and then suffered a 65-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Bowling first against SRH, KKR gave away 226. Their bowling, including Varun Chakaravarthy’s form, is definitely a concern. Chasing the big total, KKR were knocked over for 161. Like their bowling, their batting is also a worry.
PBKS beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets in their previous match at Chepauk. Bowling first, PBKS conceded 209-5. However, they chased down the target in 18.4 overs as Shreyas Iyer slammed 50 off 29, while the top three batters also made crucial contributions.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings head-to-head record in IPL
Punjab and Kolkata have met 35 times in the IPL, with KKR having a 21-13 lead in the head-to-head battle. One match between the two teams ended in no result.
Here’s a look at their overall head-to-head record:
Matches Played – 35
Matches won by Kolkata Knight Riders – 21
Matches won by Punjab Kings – 13
Matches with No Result – 1
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings head-to-head record at Eden Gardens
KKR and PBKS have played 14 matches at Eden Gardens, with Kolkata winning nine games and Punjab four. Their scheduled clash at the venue last season ended in no result.
Matches Played – 14
Matches won by Kolkata Knight Riders – 9
Matches won by Punjab Kings – 4
Matches with No Result – 1
Last five Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings matches
PBKS have won three of the last five matches played against KKR in the IPL. Kolkata’s last win over Punjab came in 2023 when they registered a five-wicket win off the last ball at Eden Gardens.
Here’s a summary of the last five Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders games:
PBKS (201/4) vs KKR (7/0) – No result, April 26, 2025
PBKS (111) beat KKR (95) vs 16 runs, April 15, 2025
PBKS (262/2) beat KKR (261/6) by 8 wickets, April 26, 2024
KKR (182/5) beat PBKS (179/7) by 5 wickets, May 8, 2023
PBKS (191/5) beat KKR (146/7) by 7 runs [DLS method], April 1, 2023
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NEW DELHI: Indian teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is quickly becoming one of the biggest talking points in cricket. The teenage batter has been in explosive form in the IPL, delivering performances that are far beyond his age. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal believes this is just the beginning. He feels Sooryavanshi is already ready for the international stage and could soon represent India.
“In just 8 IPL games, he has been piling records — he already has a hundred. I think in the coming international games for India, he will get a chance after IPL. He will become a young player of the T20 international team. He has proved himself in every place. If he continues to perform,he will definitely get the chance,” Akmal said on Gameplan.
Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise
Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach has stood out. Even in a low-scoring match, his aggressive innings made a big impact. Akmal highlighted his maturity, saying, “His presence of mind, game awareness, the way he plays — he has a counter to everything at such a young age. This is remarkable … We are discussing his performance more because it was a (low-scoring) match of 128. But his performance is visible because he scored 50 runs on 15 balls.”Behind his success is strong support from family and coaches. “His family and his father should be proud — the way he has worked with him, the way the others too like coaches who have taught him in school cricket, in club cricket,” Akmal noted.With such performances already under his belt, expectations are soaring. As Akmal summed it up: “I am afraid when he is 25, the bowlers will not know what to do with him.”From smashing a century in just 35 balls to hitting a six on the very first ball of his debut, he has consistently grabbed attention. His latest knock, a blistering 15-ball fifty against Chennai Super Kings while chasing a small target of 128, only added to the buzz around him.
Great Britain’s Adam Gemili has announced his retirement from athletics after 14 years at the top of the sport
In the space of a few months, Adam Gemili went from playing for Dagenham and Redbridge academy to becoming World Junior 100m champion and stepping onto the start line at the London 2012 Olympics.
Gemili had left Chelsea’s academy at 15 after training alongside the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and three years later was racing against Jamaican legends Asafa Powell and Yohan Blake at the Olympics.
Now, as the Londoner announces his retirement from athletics, he will be sharing his wisdom with the current Chelsea youngsters as he joins the Premier League club part-time as a speed coach.
Gemili made his Olympic debut at 18 and raced Jamaican Yohan Blake
“I dabbled a little bit in athletics, but I didn’t really try properly, and I remember just suddenly getting into the sport in training, and I just picked it up so quickly,” Gemili said.
“I was winning races and next thing I know, six months later, it’s a home Olympics and I’m lining up for GB thinking ‘what am I doing here?’
“Honestly, it the most imposter syndrome I’ve ever had, I was thinking ‘how does this happen to me?’
“Six months prior, no one had ever asked for my autograph or asked for a picture with me and now all of a sudden I’m at a home Olympics.
“Everyone sort of knew who I was, I was the young sprinter on the block, it was a really crazy time, not just for myself, for my family as well.
“I’d seen Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Yohan Blake on the TV, then suddenly, I’m in the call room, looking across and Usain’s sitting there.
“I remember thinking to myself ‘lock in, come on, focus’ – I was fangirling.
“I was in the Olympic Village in London walking around and Serena Williams walked in front of me and I was like ‘what’s happening? I was playing at Dagenham five, six months ago’. I didn’t really feel like I belonged.”
Gemili’s major breakthrough into the sport came within three years of leaving the Chelsea academy
Now as Gemili retires with a plentiful collection of medals, including a 4x100m gold from the London World Championships in 2017 and four European golds, he returns to where it all started to help the next generation at Chelsea.
“I’m just a normal guy from Dartford, we didn’t grow up with a lot,” Gemili added. “We just worked hard and I committed to my sport.
“I just hope one or two of them [the academy players] take some inspiration from that and say ‘you know what, it doesn’t matter if I can’t do it in this way, I’ll always find a way to be successful’.
“It doesn’t matter what you do. My story is my own and I hope a lot of these guys can create their own stories.
“I really hope they will go on and become super famous, rich, successful footballers that I can ring up and say ‘oh, I need some tickets for this game’, but the reality is it might not happen.
“But they might then be able to go ‘Adam used to do that and then he became a professional athlete in another sport, maybe I can do that’.
“These kids are so talented, they’re going to be talented no matter what they do – these 12, 13, 14-year-olds, they are just a different breed.
“It’s more brutal to be amongst [academy football] now, social media wasn’t a thing when I was growing up and now everything you do is online.
“Everyone can judge everyone, so the pressure, the performance, you’ve got to be on it.”
Gemili placed fourth at the 2016 Olympics and 2019 World Championships over 200m, and in 2023 in the 4x100m
Through his background in football and athletics, Gemili can provide a unique perspective on improving your speed and emphasises that while all sports are different, the key is to learn was ‘fast’ feels like.
He’ll be setting up his own ‘academy’ to help sprinters, footballers, and young athletes from other sports learn how they can optimise their speed.
“Knowledge is power and if I’m able to teach these kids everything that I know, I can die happy,” he added.
“I hope even just one or two of them can feel some sort of inspiration from my story because football is very tough sport – like, I never planned to become an athlete.
“For a lot of these guys they won’t make it to the top level, they won’t make it to the top of the Premier League.
“But if I can teach them the skills that I got, one or two of them might even come into athletics, you never you never really know.”
Home World Championships ‘inspire a nation’
Gemili won gold at the London 2017 World Athletics championships in the 4x100m alongside Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, CJ Ujah and Daniel Talbot
The bidding process for the 2029 World Athletics Championships is ongoing, but British Athletics’ bid has been hit by reports West Ham are yet to agree to the London Stadium’s use.
Gemili said the impact of a home championships cannot be missed, as he reflected back on his experience competing in the stadium in 2012 and at the 2017 World Championships.
“It gives athletes a great opportunity, but also it inspires a city, inspires a nation,” he said.
“Who knows in 10 or 15 years, that moment might make the future because there would definitely have been people in that 2017 stadium that were inspired by performances there that are now on British teams.
“I really hope they can come to an agreement, because sport should be celebrated and – football, athletics – there’s so much joy and brilliance that it brings to people.
“It brings such community in it, and especially London, it brings such a city together when especially over the last couple of years, it’s felt quite divided.”
The FIA has confirmed meetings will take place in April to discuss Formula 1’s new regulations following Oliver Bearman’s crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
