DRS, May 22: Worry over Rohit Sharma’s fitness, Agarkar slammed for S…

After MI and LSG, CSK are eliminated from IPL 2026. The BCCI is worried about Rohit Sharma’s fitness. Ajit Agakar’s comment on Mohammed Shami hasn’t gone down well. KKR’s playoffs chances might’ve taken a hit. Shubman Gill has reinvented himself in T20 cricket. And Afghanistan’s refugee cricketers will tour England. sportbet.reviews

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BCCI worried about Rohit Sharma

Selectors are worried about Rohit Sharma’s fitness after he was included in India’s squad for Afghanistan ODIs with an asterisk. Rohit has missed 5 matches for MI in IPL 2026 and hasn’t fielded once. Although he has reduced his weight, there’s doubt over whether he will make it to the ODI World Cup. BCCI has picked Ishan Kishan due to concerns over Rohit’s fitness, as he can bat anywhere from one to six. The board is also not worried about Virat Kohli, as he has been a livewire in the field for RCB and continues to dominate.

Agarkar grilled for Shami fitness claim

Wasim Jaffer is miffed over the reasoning behind Mohammed Shami’s exclusion. Ajit Agarkar had stated that the medical team doesn’t believe that Shami is fit for ODI or Test cricket. Jaffer labelled Agarkar’s comment as ‘nonsense’ since the veteran pacer played the entire Ranji Trophy season for Bengal. The former India opener believes the selectors should just say they’ve overlooked him rather than talk about his fitness.

KKR’s injury woes

Angkrish Raghuvanshi might miss out on playing KKR’s last league stage match of IPL 2026. The wicketkeeper batter had suffered a concussion against MI and was subbed out. As per ICC protocols, a player can’t take the field for 7 days after a head injury. Meanwhile, Varun Chakaravarthy will play the DC game despite a hairline fracture in his left foot as he desperately wants KKR to make the playoffs.

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CSK out of IPL 2026

CSK has become the third team to be eliminated from the playoffs race. A defeat against GT in Ahmedabad means CSK finishes with 6 wins after 14 matches and will likely end in 7th spot, if not lower, on the points table. GT scored 229, and in reply, CSK were all out for 140 in 13.4 overs.

Shubman Gill’s T20 transformation

Shubman Gill’s transformation as a T20 opener has become evident. After missing out on playing a home men’s T20 World Cup, the GT captain has upped his intent in the powerplay. Gill’s strike rate in the 1-6 overs last season was 143.20, which has gone up to 165.14. In fact, three of Gill’s last six powerplay scores are 43 (18), 32 (15), and 35 (18).

Afghanistan refugee team in England

Afghanistan’s refugee women’s cricket team will tour England to play T20 matches and train at high-performance facilities as part of the MCC and ECB’s initiative. They’ll also be in attendance for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at Lord’s on July 5. The team has been in exile since the Taliban came into power in August 2021.

The post DRS, May 22: Worry over Rohit Sharma’s fitness, Agarkar slammed for Shami comments & KKR in Playoffs trouble appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Last night in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans (GT) outclassed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and knocked the five-time champions out of the playoff race. With that win, they also confirmed a top-two finish for themselves. CSK’s elimination means it now comes down to the four teams still in contention for a playoff spot. Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are the four teams still fighting for the remaining playoff spot alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), GT and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Here is a look at what each side needs to do to secure the last playoffs spot:

RR: It could go down to the final day of the league stage. On Sunday, RR play their last match against Mumbai Indians. Since it is an afternoon game, the picture will become clearer by the evening regarding which team qualifies. An RR win would take them through. The margin of victory would not matter in that case, as they would reach 16 points, which none of the other three teams can match. GT’s victory also ruled RR out of contention for a top-two finish. Their best possible outcome now is to beat MI and qualify for the playoffs in either third or fourth place. Whether they finish third will depend on the result of the SRH vs RCB clash. For RR, it is effectively a must-win encounter at the Wankhede Stadium. A loss to MI would still keep them in contention, but then PBKS and KKR would both need to lose their respective final matches. In that scenario, RR’s net run rate (NRR) would come into play.

PBKS: If RR lose their final match, victory in their last game against Lucknow Super Giants would put PBKS in a strong position to qualify. PBKS have a net run rate (NRR) of +0.227, which is better than KKR’s +0.011, and they would need to win by a margin that KKR cannot surpass if the Knight Riders also win their final match. A defeat would confirm PBKS’ elimination.

KKR: The Ajinkya Rahane-led side also have a viable chance of making it to the final four. If both RR and PBKS lose their matches, a win would take the three-time winners through. If RR lose and PBKS win, KKR would need to win their final match by a big enough margin to overturn the deficit in net run rate against PBKS. As with PBKS and DC, a defeat would end KKR’s campaign.

DC: DC are on the brink of elimination and have only a faint chance of reaching the playoffs. Even if both RR and PBKS lose their final matches, DC would still need to beat KKR by a massive margin to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Another battle is also unfolding among the teams that have already secured qualification. RCB, with 18 points and a net run rate (NRR) of 1.065, are strong favourites to finish in the top two alongside GT. However, SRH, on 16 points with a net run rate (NRR) of 0.350, still have a slim chance of overtaking RCB on Friday.

For that to happen, SRH would need to hand RCB a heavy defeat similar to the one GT inflicted on CSK, either by winning by 87 or more runs or by chasing the target in around 11 to 11.4 overs, depending on the opposition’s score.

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The post CSK Knocked Out as IPL Playoff Battle Reaches Final Stage appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

‘Kids, don’t take up sport. Take up baking or something. Die at 60 really fat and happy.’ Jimmy Neesham’s iconic tweet came after New Zealand’s heartbreaking loss to England in the 2019 ICC 50-over Cricket World Cup final. And he was bang on. Much like the ocean, sport takes away far more than it gives. But when the sport decides to return its due, something that had been pending for the last 22 years, the feeling, the emotion and the crescendo of it all feel breathtaking.

Much had been said and written about East Bengal’s poor Indian Super League (ISL) seasons over the years. To be fair, those criticisms were not wrong at all. They hurt, but they also showed that East Bengal had plenty of catching up to do. Some might argue that arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) had infrastructure and enormous financial backing which made life easier for them, but how long could that remain an excuse? East Bengal had to take giant strides merely to become half as good as the Super Giants.

After another disappointing ISL season, East Bengal found its Kabir Khan (please go and watch ‘Chak De! India’) in Oscar Bruzon, who took charge of the red-and-gold brigade. Promising signings, calculated tactics, shutting out the noise and focusing solely on the 90 minutes became key aspects of his coaching. He made one thing abundantly clear: ‘Iss team ka gunda main hoon.’ (I am the boss of this team.) Oscar neither shied away from controversies nor from fiercely protecting and trusting his players. Slowly but surely, the results became evident on the pitch and Thursday’s match was just another day in the Oscar Bruzon regime.

The calculations were clear. East Bengal had to beat Inter Kashi to end the 22-year drought. The team did not begin like champions. They missed sitters, conceded completely against the run of play and survived a couple of scares in the first half purely because of moments of individual brilliance. The pressure of the occasion had clearly affected them. The Kishore Bharati Stadium, Inter Kashi’s home this season, was painted entirely in red and gold as thousands of East Bengal supporters thronged the venue to witness history. The disappointment among the fans was evident during the first half. East Bengal trailed 1-0 in the all-important title decider.

Sitting still in my position in the VIP stands, I believed. I had to believe. There was no other option. I kept wondering what Oscar Bruzon would say to his players during the break. The famous ‘Sattar Minute’ speech from ‘Chak De! India’, perhaps? East Bengal emerged in the second half looking like a galvanised side. Sustained pressure on the Inter Kashi defence finally produced the equaliser and the entire stadium erupted as one. But it was far from over. East Bengal had to win this one.

Then came the history-defining moment from Mohammad Rashid, a Palestinian refugee. Does his identity really matter? Isn’t he as much a part of East Bengal as I am? It does matter, especially in India in 2026. A refugee club finally broke its curse courtesy of a Palestinian refugee. Yes, East Bengal is a refugee club, but it is as Indian a club as Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting.

‘I live in an area completely infested by Mohun Bagan fans. Every time I go out, I am taunted and teased. I am 62 years old and I never thought I would live to watch East Bengal become champions of India in my lifetime. I am so happy,’ said a supporter, weeping uncontrollably after the referee blew the final whistle and East Bengal etched its name into the history books.

Perhaps this is what sport is all about.

And about trailing 1-0 in the first half? Always remember what the ‘King’ once said: ‘Haar ke jeetne walon ko Baazigar kehte hain!’

Also Read: East Bengal End 22-Year Wait, Clinch Maiden ISL Title With Dramatic Win Over Inter Kashi

The post The Refugee Club’s Redemption: East Bengal End 22 Years of Hurt appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manish Pandey revealed that he stayed prepared and waited for his chance in the last four games before the opportunity finally arrived to deliver a crucial innings as the three -time winner defeated Mumbai Indians by four wickets at Eden Gardens.

Pandey played a composed knock of 45 off 33 balls on a difficult two-paced surface as KKR chased down 148 in 18.5 overs to keep their playoff hopes alive. He also stitched crucial partnerships with skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Rovman Powell during the tense chase.

Speaking after the match, Pandey said he remained mentally prepared despite spending the previous four games waiting on the sidelines as he was placed down in the order.

“Great opportunity for me, as you rightly said. For four games, I was padded up, waiting for my chances. But I think the way we batted the last four games was unbelievable, and you kept on pushing me down the order. That’s completely fine,” he told Abhishek Nayar in a video released by IPL on X.

"As we say, we keep changing, we use the opportunity left, right, and middle. That’s the game plan. When I was told I was batting at number three, I started preparing myself as soon as I was coming out of the ground," he added.

Pandey credited Rahane’s guidance during the chase and highlighted the importance of building partnerships on a challenging wicket.

“Talking to Ajju (Ajinkya Rahane), he kept telling me about having a small partnership and watching the ball closely. That’s what I did. The partnership between me and Ajju and then me and Rovman was really crucial. It took us to the stage where 25 were needed off the last 25 balls,” he added.

Pandey further spoke about his preparation and the importance of trusting the process despite limited opportunities earlier in the season.

"It’s an everyday process. Preparing for IPL, you’re coming after the domestic season. For me, it was about working on fitness and spending time on the wicket. I was preparing for a long time for this tournament,” he said.

"You guys had shown a lot of trust in me as well. I wanted to make sure I was preparing really well whenever the opportunity came. Process is very important. You keep playing well, you keep working because you never know when the chance comes, and you have to grab it from both ends," he added.

Earlier, KKR’s bowlers restricted the Mumbai Indians to 147/8, with Cameron Green and Saurabh Dubey picking up two wickets each. Powell later added a quickfire 40 before Rinku sealed the chase with a boundary as KKR stayed alive in the race for the playoffs.

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Sooryavanshi has taken the cricketing world by storm. The youngest IPL player ever has been making a killing in the cash-rich league, slamming world-class bowlers for massive sixes within the first ball or over at maximum. The 15-year-old has broken records in U19 ODI cricket, the IPL, T20s, and the List A format with his explosive batting, which, coupled with his exceptional game reading and temperament, makes him a child prodigy that the country has not experienced since the days of Sachin, who was India's youngest international cricketer when he made his debut in 1989.