The cricketing carnival has finally begin! IPL 2025 has started on an enthralling fashion, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) humbling the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with an easy seven-wicket win. However, captain Rajat Patidar threw a surprise when he benched veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar in place of a rookie Rasikh Salam Dar. Earlier in the day, we had the massive news of Shardul Thakur joining the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in place of an injured Mohsin Khan. Meanwhile, the wait has been finally over for the Delhi Capitals (DC), who have seen the arrival of KL Rahul. On that note, let us look at the top six cricketing stories from March 22, Saturday.
Shardul Thakur to LSG – Here. We. Go.
Shardul Thakur, who went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction, has been signed by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for Rs 2 crore. Thakur replaces Mohsin Khan, who is injured and hasn’t received clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). With over 100 IPL games under his belt, Thakur is expected to lead LSG’s injury-stricken bowling unit. His signing also means he will miss his County Cricket stint with Essex. While it isn’t confirmed yet, Thakur is already at LSG’s camp in Vizag where they play the Delhi Capitals (DC). Read more here.
KL Rahul joins Delhi Capitals camp
After a long wait, KL Rahul has finally joined the Delhi Capitals (DC) camp in Vishakhapatnam, after initially training in Mumbai with India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. Rahul, who declined the captaincy role, will start his IPL journey with DC against Lucknow Super Giants on March 24. With Axar Patel as captain and Faf du Plessis as deputy, Rahul is expected to be a leader in the team despite not having a formal leadership role. Read more here.
Why no Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RCB?
RCB had a near-perfect game but they threw a massive surprise. RCB captain Rajat Patidar omitted Bhuvneshwar Kumar from the playing XI in their IPL 2025 opener against KKR. Virat Kohli opened the batting, while Tim David and Krunal Pandya were included in the lower order. Josh Hazlewood was deemed fit to play, and J&K pacer Rasikh Salam Dar was also included. It was quite fascinating for SRH to bench Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was signed a whopping Rs 10.75 crore. Read more here.
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Venues for Women’s ODI World Cup in India!
India is set to host the Women’s ODI World Cup in September, with the opening match and ceremony taking place in Visakhapatnam. Other venues for the tournament include Mullanpur, Indore, Trivandrum, and Guwahati. The decision was made at the BCCI apex council meet, where it was also announced that the Indian men’s team will play a home Test series against the West Indies in October, with matches in Mohali and Kolkata. Read more here.
Mayank Yadav to miss 1st half of IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been hit with a series of injuries to their pacers. Mohsin Khan is already out, while Mayank Yadav will miss the first half of the IPL 2025 season due to a lower back injury. Avesh Khan and Akash Deep will also miss the first three matches, but are expected to return against Mumbai Indians on April 4. LSG mentor Zaheer Khan acknowledged the uncertainty, saying they are working with the NCA to manage the situation. Read more here.
Venues and Dates for IND vs SA
India has a packed cricket schedule ahead, with 23 T20 internationals lined up before the T20 World Cup 2026. Post-IPL 2025, India will tour England and Bangladesh, followed by the T20 Asia Cup in September. India will also host South Africa for a multi-format series, featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is, in December. Venues and dates for the entire South Africa series has been announced! Read more here.
