KKR, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, now has 11 points after 12 matches. KKR’s win has cost Delhi Capitals (DC). DC has now slipped one spot in the points table to eighth. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) remains in first place with 16 points from 12 matches.

Despite their defeat against KKR, Gujarat Titans remain in second place in the points table. GT has 16 points from 13 matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad is in third place with 14 points from 12 matches. Punjab Kings is in fourth place with 13 points from 12 matches. Rajasthan Royals is in fifth place with 12 points, while Chennai Super Kings is in sixth place with 12 points. Delhi Capitals has 10 points from 12 matches. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have already been eliminated from the playoff race.

Batting first in the match played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, KKR posted 247 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 20 overs. Finn Allen played another explosive innings for the team, scoring 93 runs in just 35 balls. Allen hit 4 fours and 10 sixes in this innings. Meanwhile, Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored an unbeaten 82 off 44 balls with the help of 4 fours and 7 sixes, while Cameron Green remained unbeaten on 52 off 28 balls.

Chasing the target of 248 runs, Gujarat Titans could only manage 218 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs. Captain Shubman Gill scored 85 runs off 49 balls, while Sai Sudarshan made 53 runs off 28 balls. Jos Buttler contributed 57 runs off 35 balls. However, despite this, the team fell 29 runs short of the target. Sunil Narine bowled brilliantly in this high-scoring match, taking 2 wickets for 29 runs in 4 overs.

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After winning the toss, Gill said, “We will bowl first. There was some rain yesterday. We hope the conditions will improve in the second innings. Our bowling unit has been tremendous. The momentum is with us. This is not the time to take any team lightly. If you finish in the top two, you get an extra match. We will play that team.”

KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said, “We’re taking each match one by one. We need to win three matches and then see what happens next. We’ve played some good cricket in the last five matches. We were also looking to field first. There’s a bit of moisture on the pitch. I don’t think it will make much of a difference. Varun is fit and back in the team.”

KKR is eighth in the points table with nine points from 11 matches, having won four and one point from a cancelled match. The team hasn’t officially been eliminated from the playoffs yet, but reaching the playoffs is almost impossible. However, KKR will certainly want to win their remaining three matches by a big margin, starting with a win against GT.

Under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, GT has won its last five matches. The team is second in the points table with 16 points from eight wins in 12 matches. GT will look to officially secure a playoff berth with a win against KKR.

GT won the first match of the season against KKR by 5 wickets.

KKR Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi.

GT Playing XI: Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj.

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Debutant Ryan Williams scored early in the match, while left-back Akash Mishra strengthened the team’s lead in the second half. These goals helped the Blue Tigers register their first win of the qualifying campaign. India finished the campaign with 5 points, having won 1 match, drawn 2, and lost 3. Singapore topped the group with 14 points and qualified for the Asian Cup.

India started the game brightly, with Ryan Williams scoring in the fourth minute to make his debut memorable. During a quick move from the right flank, Abhishek Singh Tekcham delivered a precise pass that found Manvir Singh. Manvir passed the ball to Williams, who beat the goalkeeper and headed the ball into the net to open the scoring.

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It is noteworthy that on March 29, Karachi Kings needed 14 runs from the last six balls against Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium. Just before the start of the last over, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman were standing together and discussing the ball in their hands. Fakhar was seen scratching the ball.

The on-field umpire determined that the condition of the ball had been deliberately tampered with. Consequently, Lahore Qalandars were penalized 5 runs and the old ball was replaced with a new one. With this, the match’s equation changed, and Karachi Kings needed just 9 runs from 6 balls to win. Abbas Afridi hit a four and a six to give the team a 4-wicket victory.

The charge against Fakhar Zaman relates to a violation of Article 2.14, which relates to altering the condition of the ball. Fakhar was charged by on-field umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Afridi, TV umpire Asif Yaqoob, and fourth umpire Tariq Rashid. However, Fakhar denied the offense and decided to challenge the charge, following which a disciplinary hearing was held.

A Level 3 offense carries a ban of at least one match and a maximum of two matches. Under the Pakistan Super League’s Code of Conduct, players have the right to appeal to the tournament’s Technical Committee within 48 hours of receiving the match referee’s written decision.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama made the decision after reviewing the evidence and hearing Fakhar. Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, team director Sameen Rana, and manager Farooq Anwar were present during the hearing.

Lahore Qalandars will play against Multan Sultans on April 3 and Islamabad United on April 9, in which Fakhar Zaman will not be allowed to play.

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After winning the toss, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said, “We will bowl first. We had a great season last season. We have to focus on the present. We don’t need to dwell on the past. We have to play our best cricket. Cooper Connolly has come into the team. Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, and Marco Jansen are also in the squad.”

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill said, “This wicket looks pretty good. It’s been raining intermittently for the past two days. It looks like a good wicket to bat on. Last year, we had a very good season. Two new players, Glenn Phillips and Ashok Sharma, have been added to the team. In addition, we have Jos Buttler, Glenn Phillips, Rashid Khan, and Kagiso Rabada.”

Shubman Gill is the captain of the Gujarat Titans, while Shreyas Iyer leads the Punjab Kings. Two key players in India’s white-ball cricket will be the main attractions of this match.

The two teams have played six matches in IPL history, with the Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings winning three each. The Gujarat Titans won the IPL 2022 title and then reached the IPL 2023 final, where they lost to the Chennai Super Kings. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, reached the finals in 2014, 2017, and 2025, but missed the chance to lift the trophy each time.

Gujarat Titans’ Playing XI: Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj.

Punjab Kings’ Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vishak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

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New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first. The Kiwis got off to a good start, with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen adding 64 runs for the first wicket in 6.6 overs. Seifert scored 35 runs off 25 balls with the help of 3 fours and 2 sixes. Finn Allen contributed 29 runs off 19 balls.

Rachin Ravindra also failed to perform well with the bat, falling to Rehan Ahmed for 11 runs. Mark Chapman was dismissed after scoring 15 runs off 9 balls. Daryl Mitchell also departed cheaply. Glenn Phillips top-scored for New Zealand with 39 runs. Phillips hit 4 fours and a six in his innings. Mitchell Santner remained unbeaten on 9 runs off 5 balls. Cole McConchie contributed 14 runs off 12 balls. New Zealand lost wickets at regular intervals, failing to post a large total.

For England, Will Jacks took 2 wickets for just 23 runs in 4 overs. Rehan Ahmed also took 2 wickets for 28 runs, while Adil Rashid also took two wickets.

England, captained by Harry Brook, fielded Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid.

New Zealand, captained by Mitchell Santner, fielded Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, and Lockie Ferguson.

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New Zealand has made no changes to its playing XI. England, meanwhile, has made one change to its final XI, replacing Jamie Overton with Rehan Ahmed.

After winning the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, “We want to bat first. If you want to win the World Cup, you have to win matches. We know what we need to do on this wicket. We haven’t made any changes to our playing XI.”

After losing the toss, English captain Harry Brook said, “We would have batted first if we had won the toss. New Zealand is a strong team, and we will try to defeat them in this match. If we succeed in doing so, it would be great. I think I will bat at number three. Jamie Overton is out, and Rehan Ahmed is playing in his place.”

New Zealand must win against England at all costs to secure a place in the semi-finals. New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 61 runs in their last Super 8 round match. Tim Seifert has been in good form with the bat. Seifert has scored 181 runs in five matches so far, playing at a strike rate of 161. Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra has been making significant contributions with both bat and ball.

Against Sri Lanka, Rachin scored 32 runs and took four wickets for 27 runs in his four-over spell. Meanwhile, Matt Henry’s performance with the ball was excellent in the last match, taking two wickets for just 3 runs.

On the other hand, England have already qualified for the semi-finals. The team has won both of their Super 8 matches so far. In the last match against Pakistan, captain Harry Brook performed brilliantly, scoring a century. Brook also became the first captain to score a century in T20 World Cup history.

On the bowling front, the team’s spinners are consistently performing well. Liam Dawson took three wickets against Sri Lanka, while Adil Rashid has been successful in controlling the runs in the middle overs and taking wickets. Jofra Archer is also taking wickets with the new ball.

England’s playing XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.

New Zealand’s playing XI: Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (captain), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.

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The first match is from Group B, which will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Australia and Zimbabwe will face each other in this match. This is the 19th match of the tournament. The match will start at 11:00 am IST.

Both teams have started their campaigns with wins. Australia defeated Ireland by 67 runs in their first match, while Zimbabwe defeated Oman by 8 wickets. This match could prove crucial for the top spot in Group B.

The second match is from Group D, which will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. This match will be between Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The match will begin at 3:00 PM IST.

Both teams lost their first match. Canada was defeated by South Africa by 57 runs, while the United Arab Emirates lost by 10 wickets against New Zealand. The losing team in this match could face a difficult path to the next round.

The third match will be played between the United States and the Netherlands. This match will begin at 7:00 PM IST at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The Netherlands defeated Namibia in their second match after losing to Pakistan. Meanwhile, the United States has lost both of its matches so far. They lost the first match against India by 29 runs, and the second match against Pakistan by 32 runs. If the United States loses this match as well, it will be almost impossible for them to reach the next stage.

Thus, Friday will be a crucial day for the tournament, as these matches will determine the future course of action for many teams.

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The Indian team started the third day’s play at 145 runs for three wickets. Rahul and Pant played the first session brilliantly. Both scored runs and also saved wickets. But in the last over of the session, there was a misunderstanding between the two batsmen, due to which Pant had to suffer the consequences in the form of a run out. Pant, who was suffering from a finger injury, played a good innings this time too. He scored 74 runs in 112 balls with the help of 2 sixes and 8 fours. Pant shared an important 141-run partnership with Rahul for the fourth wicket.

KL Rahul was unbeaten on 98 runs off 171 balls till lunch. He completed his century off Archer’s ball at the start of the second session. Rahul played this innings with the help of 13 fours on 176 balls. This is Rahul’s 10th century in Test cricket and the second century of this tour.

Rahul has been batting since the last session of the second day. During his batting, Rahul has shown patience and restraint and has held one end firmly. If India has to take the lead over England in the first innings, then Rahul will have to play a big century innings. At the time of writing the news, Ravindra Jadeja was supporting Rahul on a personal score of four runs.

Earlier, the Indian team had scored 145 runs for three wickets till stumps on the second day. Yashasvi Jaiswal 13, Karun Nair 40 and Shubman Gill were dismissed for 16 runs in the last session of the second day.

England won the toss and batted first and scored 387 runs in the first innings. Joe Root played an innings of 104 runs. Apart from this, Jamie Smith scored 51 and Brydon Carse scored 56 runs. Jasprit Bumrah took 5 wickets for India.

The five-match Test series is currently tied at 1-1. England won the first match of the series, after which India made a strong comeback in the second Test match and won for the first time at Edgbaston. The third Test is being played at the historic cricket ground Lord’s.

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RCB made its place in the title match after 9 years. Earlier this team has reached the finals of the years 2009, 2011 and 2016.

Punjab Kings could face only 14.1 overs in Qualifier-1 played in Chandigarh. The team scored a modest score of 101 runs, in which 8 of its batsmen could not even touch the double digit mark.

In response, RCB, chasing a modest target of 102 runs, won in just 10 overs. This is the record for winning with the most balls remaining in the playoffs in IPL history.

RCB won this match with 60 balls remaining, while in the year 2024, the KKR team has won the playoff match against Hyderabad with 57 balls remaining.

This is also the second fastest win while chasing a target of more than 100 runs. Earlier in the year 2015, RCB had won against KKR in just 9.4 overs while chasing a target of 100+ runs, which is the joint fastest win in IPL history in this case. In that match, RCB had achieved the target of 112 runs. In the year 2024, the Sunrisers Hyderabad team has also won in 9.4 overs while chasing a target of 166 runs against Punjab Kings.

The third fastest win in IPL history while chasing a target of 100+ runs belongs to KKR, who achieved the target of 104 runs in 10.1 overs against Chennai Super Kings in the year 2025.

In the match played on Thursday in Mullanpur, Marcus Stoinis scored the highest 26 runs for Punjab Kings. Apart from him, Prabhsimran Singh and Azmatullah Umarzai contributed 18-18 runs to the team’s account. Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma took 3-3 wickets from the opposition camp.

Chasing the target, RCB opener Philip Salt scored an unbeaten 56 off 27 balls with the help of 3 sixes and 6 fours. Apart from these, captain Rajat Patidar scored an unbeaten 15 and Mayank Agarwal scored 19 runs.

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