During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Qualifier 2 T20 cricket match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, the captains of the two teams, Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya, were fined for their teams' slow over-rate. Shreyas was fined Rs 24 lakh, while Hardik was docked Rs 30 lakh. This comes as a reminder to teams to maintain a good over-rate in the fast-paced T20 format.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-octane Qualifier 2 clash to secure a spot in the IPL 2025 final. The match, delayed due to rain and marred by slow over-rates, resulted in significant fines for both teams from the BCCI. PBKS’ captain Shreyas Iyer led the way with a sublime unbeaten 87 to steer his side to victory and set up a final showdown against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3.
Mumbai Indians' quest for a sixth IPL title came to a disappointing end as they were defeated by Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2. Despite a strong performance in the playoffs, MI were unable to overcome PBKS' batting prowess and were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate. PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 87 off 41 led his team to victory, securing their spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. MI all-rounder Hardik Pandya praised Iyer's outstanding batting as the key factor in PBKS' win.
On the evening of Wednesday, Mumbai's suburban train services on the Western Railway were significantly disrupted due to various incidents. These included tree branches falling onto the overhead electric wires and a piece of cloth found hanging on the wires between two stations. While officials promptly responded and restored the affected lines, the disruptions caused a cascading effect resulting in delays on both fast and slow line services until late evening. Similar delays were also experienced on the central line.
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson praises Axar Patel's impressive performance as captain for Delhi Capitals, leading the team to a convincing win over Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. Despite a slow start, Axar bowled four overs straight and finished with figures better than LSG's star spinner Kuldeep Yadav. With the bat, Axar provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 34 off 20 balls, while teammate KL Rahul sealed the win with an unbeaten half-century, also becoming the fastest player to reach 5000 runs in IPL. Watson commends both players for their composure and adaptability, highlighting their contributions to Delhi's success.
Deepak Hooda, who was bought by CSK for INR 1.7 crore at the IPL 2024 mega auction, drew criticism from fans for his sluggish knock of 22 runs off 21 balls in their IPL 2025 match against SRH. This was following his poor performance in the previous three games for the team. Despite his overall record of 1494 runs in the IPL, Hooda's strike rate and consistency have been questioned by fans. Meanwhile, Harshal Patel's 4/28 helped SRH restrict CSK to 154, with debutants Dewald Brevis and Ayush Mhatre contributing 42 and 30 runs, respectively.
As Delhi Capitals continue their impressive run in the ongoing season of the IPL, captain Axar Patel talks about his captaincy style and how he focuses more on understanding the situation rather than relying on data. Despite a slow start with the ball, Patel's contribution with both bat and ball has been crucial in the team's success. With matches against MI and SRH coming up, all eyes will be on Patel and his unique leadership approach.
After leading the Indian cricket team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli has announced his next big goal - winning the ODI World Cup in 2027. Amid speculation about his potential retirement, Kohli made it clear that he is not looking to slow down anytime soon. Meanwhile, other Indian players, including Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, are set to retain their A+ grade contracts.
RCB put on a dominant performance against CSK, with a strong batting display and a disciplined bowling effort. Their stellar performance started right from the PowerPlay, with Phil Salt setting the pace with a quickfire 32. Despite a slow start from captain Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar made CSK pay for their fielding errors in the middle overs, with a flurry of boundaries to boost RCB's run rate and set them up for a big finish. In the end, RCB emerged victorious with a 50-run victory over CSK.
The MLS reigning champions, LA Galaxy, are set to face off against St. Louis City SC in a highly anticipated match. Galaxy has had a slow start to the current campaign, with three consecutive losses, while St. Louis has shown stronger form with draws in their first two games. The Brazilian winger for Galaxy, who was a key player in their success last year, will be a player to watch as he aims to lead his team to victory once again. St. Louis, on the other hand, will rely on their solid defense, led by Henry Kessler, who has been pivotal in keeping two clean sheets in their first two games. With a few players unavailable due to injury, both teams will have to dig deep to secure a much-needed win.