The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have finally kicked off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign. After two stuttering defeats, Riyan Parag has tasted success for the first time, beating the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six runs in Guwahati. Nitish Rana hit a magnificent half-century to set up the win before the bowlers contributed massively in front of the Assamese crowd. They even got to witness MS Dhoni smacking boundaries. While Ruturaj Gaikwad’s fifty came in a losing cause. However, Sanju Samson faltered again, and so did Yashasvi Jaiswal. Elsewhere, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were in the news. Also, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya was fined again by the BCCI. Why? Catch all this and much more below.
Good news for KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Sunil Narine is set to return after missing the last match due to illness. Head coach Chandrakant Pandit confirmed that Narine is “100% fit” and has recovered well. The veteran spinner has been practicing hard at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of KKR’s clash against the Mumbai Indians on March 31. Read more here.
Trouble for Sanju Samson?
Sanju Samson’s struggles continue, and might place in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad is under threat. Despite a promising start, Samson failed to capitalize against Chennai Super Kings, scoring just 20 off 16 balls. This was his second consecutive failure. With Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Dhruv Jurel breathing down his neck, Samson needs to deliver match-winning performances to stay in contention. Read more here.
Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya fined
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has been fined Rs 12 lakhs for maintaining a slow over rate in their match against Gujarat Titans (GT). This is not Pandya’s first offense, having been fined twice in IPL 2024 and earning a one-match ban for a third offense. However, new rules mean captains will no longer face match bans for slow over-rate offenses, instead receiving demerit points and a match fee deduction. To make matters worse, MI lost against Pandya’s former team, GT. Read more here.
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Bad news for KKR?
Bad news for KKR! Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee has made it clear that the franchise has no say in how the pitch is prepared, despite their requests for a spin-friendly surface. Mukherjee cited BCCI guidelines, stating that he’s accountable and can’t accommodate KKR’s entire request. This means KKR may not get the home advantage they’re looking for at IPL 2025. Read more here.
New IPL hero, Aniket Verma
Aniket Verma stole the show with a scintillating 74 off 41 balls, smashing 5 fours and 6 sixes. His knock was the silver lining for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their 7-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals. Aniket’s performance was praised by SRH captain Pat Cummins, who called it “super impressive”. Despite the loss, Verma’s impressive knock has given SRH a glimmer of hope. At just Rs 30 lac, Aniket looks a perfect buy for SRH. For five years, SRH persisted with Abdul Samad, but he never really flourished in the role. Now, this looks like a match made in heaven. Read more here.
MS Dhoni checks upon Rahul Dravid
MS Dhoni’s heartwarming gesture has stolen the spotlight. Despite Chennai Super Kings’ loss to Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni took a moment to visit injured RR coach Rahul Dravid, who’s been on crutches due to a leg injury. The pictures of MS Dhoni talking to Dravid right after the match went viral on social media quickly. The RR head coach has been on his electric wheelchair since he got a leg injury while playing cricket just before the IPL 2025. Read more here.
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