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Hardik Pandya fit again, set to lead Mumbai Indians against RCB in Raipur
Hardik Pandya has reportedly recovered from his back spasm issue and is all in likelihood to be back to leading Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 54 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, May 10, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur.
Hardik had missed the MI's previous fixture against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium due to the back issue that he sustained during the preceding clash with Chennai Super Kings. In his absence, vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav had stepped up to lead the side against LSG, as MI clinched a comfortable win to keep themselves alive in the race for the playoffs.
Hardik was not seen at the Mumbai airport's departure terminal ahead of the squad's planned travel to Raipur for the upcoming clash, which indicated that he may continue to be out of action. However, The Times of India has reported that Hardik will be reaching the host city on Thursday, May 07, alongside a few other members of the squad. zeppelin.cool
Meanwhile, Suryakumar, who had filled Hardik's void in the previous clash, is likely to be unavailable for the Raipur encounter. The Indian cricketer is expecting the delivery of his first child with wife Devisha Shetty and may be with the family for the special occasion. As a result, fans can expect at least a couple of forced changes in MI's playing XI for the Sunday tie.
Hardik's is one of the multiple injury blows the Mumbai-based franchise has dealt throughout the season thus far. Apart from a few cases of players being ruled out of IPL 2026, MI also missed the services of Rohit Sharma after the RCB clash in Wankhede. He returned to action against LSG and entertained the crowd with a superb knock at the top to help MI chase the daunting total with seven balls to spare.
Mumbai Indians predicted playing XI vs RCB
Ryan Rickelton (wicketkepeer), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Robin Minz, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Raghu Sharma, Shardul Thakur, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah
Impact Player: Rohit Sharma
Jamieson, O’Rourke return as New Zealand name squad for Ireland, England Tests
Wellington [New Zealand], May 7 (ANI): New Zealand have recalled fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and William O’Rourke for the upcoming Test tours of Ireland and England, while uncapped allrounder Dean Foxcroft earned his maiden call-up in a 19-man squad announced by New Zealand Cricket.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the former captain Kane Williamson was also included as New Zealand prepare for a one-off Test against Ireland in Belfast from May 27, followed by a three-match series in England beginning at Lord’s on June 4.
The four-day Test match in Belfast will be New Zealand’s first Test on Irish soil and will not be a part of the current World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.
Jamieson returns to the Test setup for the first time in more than two years after recovering from a back stress fracture suffered in early 2024. The tall seamer has been carefully managed since his return and featured in limited domestic red-ball cricket for Canterbury during the Plunket Shield season.
O’Rourke also makes his comeback after an extended layoff due to a back injury and recently returned to competitive action during New Zealand A and ODI assignments.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter named an extended pace-bowling group that includes Matt Henry, Ben Sears, Zak Foulkes, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner. Sears, Kristian Clarke and Michael Rae will feature only for the Ireland Test, which is outside the World Test Championship cycle.
Batter Henry Nicholls returned to the squad after a prolific domestic season for Canterbury, while Foxcroft was rewarded for consistent performances in domestic cricket and on the recent white-ball tour of Bangladesh.
New Zealand will be without allrounder Michael Bracewell, who has opted to step away from red-ball cricket, while pacer Jacob Duffy misses the tour as he awaits the birth of his first child.
The England series will also mark the second edition of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, introduced in 2024 in honour of Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe.
New Zealand Test squad: Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Kristian Clarke (Ireland Test only), Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae (Ireland Test only), Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (Ireland Test and travelling reserve for England Tests), Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young (Ireland Test only). (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
Virat Kohli`s U-19 teammate Amanpreet Singh Gill dies at 36
Former India U-19 and Punjab medium pacer Amanpreet Singh Gill died at the age of 36 in Chandigarh on Wednesday, leaving the cricket fraternity in mourning.
The cause of death is not yet known.
Gill, who was Virat Kohli`s U-19 teammate, featured in six first-class matches for Punjab, picking up 11 wickets.
He was also part of the Punjab franchise (Kings XI Punjab) in the inaugural Indian Premier League season, and later served as a member of Punjab`s senior selection committee.
"Punjab Cricket Association deeply mourns the sad demise of Amanpreet Singh Gill, former Punjab cricketer and Member, Senior Selection Committee Punjab," the Punjab Cricket Association announced on X.
Punjab Cricket Association deeply mourns the sad demise of Amanpreet Singh Gill, former Punjab cricketer and Member, Senior Selection Committee Punjab.
— Punjab Cricket Association (@pcacricket) May 6, 2026
He served Punjab cricket with dedication and passion, representing teams including India Under-19s, Kings XI Punjab and Punjab.… pic.twitter.com/tpr0EwEprk
"Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones. May Waheguru grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family in this difficult time."
Two-time World Cup-winning India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also paid tribute to Gill.
"Deeply saddened to hear about Amanpreet Singh Gill`s passing. Shared the dressing room in our early days, he was a quiet, hardworking cricketer who loved the game. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace Om Shanti," Singh posted on X.
Deeply saddened to hear about Amanpreet Singh Gill’s passing. Shared the dressing room in our early days, he was a quiet, hardworking cricketer who loved the game. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace 🙏🏻 Om Shanti#AmanpreetSinghGill@pcacricket
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) May 6, 2026
Gill played five Youth ODIs and one Youth Test for India in 2007.
In the longer format, he claimed the wicket of former Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera.
However, he did not make the Virat Kohli-led India U-19 side that went on to win the 2008 World Cup.
"Deeply saddened by the passing of Amanpreet Singh Shergill, who proudly represented Punjab and was a part of the Punjab Kings family. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire cricketing fraternity," Punjab Kings posted on their official Instagram account.
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IPL 2026: RCB look to roar back to form vs struggling LSG
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to rediscover their batting rhythm after a rare collapse in their previous outing as they aim to strengthen their play-off push against bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants in a reverse leg IPL match here on Thursday. RCB are currently placed second on the table but remain tied on 12 points with four other teams. They will need to regroup quickly after suffering a four-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
RCB`s batting imploded dramatically in that match, slipping from 79 for 2 to 96 for 6 in the space of three overs before being bowled out for 155. Despite the collapse, RCB`s batting this season has largely revolved around aggressive intent. Virat Kohli has been in sublime form with 379 runs, while Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Rajat Patidar have also made important contributions.
With regular opener Phil Salt ruled out due to a finger injury, the responsibility of providing explosive starts alongside Kohli will rest on Jacob Bethell. Bethell showcased his immense talent during the recent T20 World Cup and it is only a matter of time before unleashes his full range of strokes in the IPL. Having had a week`s break, RCB will head into the contest fresher than their opponents. In contrast, LSG are languishing at the bottom of the standings after losing five of their last six matches.
Their lone success in that period came against Kolkata Knight Riders via a Super Over in a tied game, but it failed to arrest their slide as they were comprehensively beaten by Mumbai Indians by six wickets in their previous outing. LSG`s campaign has unravelled due to inconsistent performances, tactical instability and repeated failures to close out matches. Key batters such as Mitchell Marsh, skipper Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran have struggled for consistency, while frequent reshuffling of the batting order has further compounded their problems.
Pant, in particular, finds himself under scrutiny over his white-ball form. LSG`s batting line-up now faces a formidable RCB bowling attack spearheaded by veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood. The experienced duo have operated effectively in tandem this season, notably dismantling Delhi Capitals for just 75 on April 27. Seamer Bhuvneshwar has been among the leading wicket-takers, making the most of the new-ball, while Hazlewood has consistently delivered high-impact spells.
Krunal Pandya too has enjoyed an impressive campaign, claiming nine wickets and troubling batters with an effective bouncer variation. Suyash Sharma and Romario Shepherd also impressed in the previous game, although RCB`s batting collapse proved decisive in the defeat to GT. For LSG, Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan have been the standout bowlers with 13 and 10 wickets respectively.
Mohammed Shami started the season strongly but has struggled for consistency and leaked runs in recent matches. LSG`s pace attack has repeatedly lost control in the death overs, allowing opponents to accelerate sharply and will face a tough task when they face RCB batters. RCB had defeated LSG by five wickets in the first leg and will come into the match with a lot of confidence.
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IPL 2026 | Sanju Samson: Stick to basics, and trust your hands to do the rest
Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson underlined his growing stature in Chennai Super Kings’s line‑up with a match‑winning 87 not out, leading them to an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals. Samson said his calm approach and sticking to basics have been key to him making runs in the yellow jersey this season.
“They’re calling me Chetta, but I like Sanju more. You try to see what works well, stick to the basics, and trust your hands to do the rest. I just stuck to the process, and it’s working out well.
“I’ve been doing it for the last 3-5 years, it’s a tactical bit as well, I move around a bit according to the bowlers. I’m always like this. The biggest change is you’re seeing more of me, but I’m always calm,” Samson said after being named Player of the Match.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever