Yuvraj Singh and Marcus Stoinis (Agency Image)

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has heaped praise on former India star Yuvraj Singh, describing him more as a mentor than a teammate and saying he commands “nothing but absolute respect.” “I played with Yuvraj Singh in the IPL. Although I was playing with him, I describe him more as a mentor. I was quite young, and he was obviously very experienced,” Stoinis said in a recent video released by the ICC.

He went on to highlight Yuvraj’s supportive nature, calling him “very helpful” and a “nice guy.” “Super talented, elegant, powerful. Not the typical power that maybe is on highlight around the world today. It was a more relaxed, rhythmical power. Very nice guy, very helpful. I mean, to a young overseas player coming to the IPL, he was very good to me. Nothing but absolute respect,” Stoinis added. Turning to Australia’s current form, the team has struggled at the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and is already out of the tournament. After starting with a convincing 67-run win over Ireland in the 14th match at R Premadasa Stadium, the Aussies were stunned by Zimbabwe in their next game, failing to chase 170 and being bowled out for 146. The struggles continued against co-hosts Sri Lanka, with Australia losing by eight wickets as Sri Lanka chased down 182 in just 18 overs. Their qualification hopes then depended on Ireland defeating Zimbabwe, but the match was washed out, giving one point to each team and ending Australia’s campaign prematurely. Australia will now take on Oman in their final group-stage match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Friday, aiming to finish the tournament on a positive note.

awai Mansingh Stadium (BCCI Photo)

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Royals are standing firm on prioritising fan safety ahead of IPL 2026 and will only proceed with hosting home matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS) here only if the Rajasthan government provides an indemnity waiver. This formal assurance would protect the franchise from liability in the event of any untoward incident, accident or loss of life during their home games, ensuring accountability remains with the venue authorities for any pre-existing safety shortcomings beyond the Royals’ control.This demand stems directly from a comprehensive 700-page independent audit commissioned by the Royals and conducted by Tata Projects, which assessed the stadium’s condition and identified serious deficiencies.

The Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) has largely dismissed most of the audit’s safety concerns, maintaining after its own review that issues are minor and fixable with routine repairs, and that the stadium is fully prepared for IPL duty.A source in the know said that in light of the tragic crowd crush outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium in June last year, it is entirely reasonable for the Royals to exercise extreme caution. “It’s obvious to refuse to overlook potential risks at their home venue in the wake of such a recent and devastating incident,” the source said.The BCCI has faced venue uncertainties for both the Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of IPL 2026. However, while defending champions RCB have now received formal clearance from the Karnataka government to host their matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royals continue to be locked in a standoff over their Jaipur base.A BCCI source has underscored ongoing issues at SMS Stadium, calling it ‘significantly lagging behind all other IPL venues in terms of modern facilities, overall fan experience and essential amenities’.The source added that RSSC received a one-time dispensation to host matches in 2024 due to the absence of a functional Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), with this extended for 2025, but this cannot become a permanent arrangement. “It’s the franchise, the state cricket body, and the IPL Governing Council that collectively organise and take responsibility for IPL matches. They need to recognise this reality,” the source added.