MATCHES TODAY – PUNJAB KINGS VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS AT 7:30 PM

New Delhi, April 27: Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode a storm of sheer pace fury to annihilate Delhi Capitals by nine wickets in their IPL clash here on Monday, after unleashing a powerplay spell so vicious that it virtually ended the contest within the first three overs.
It was carnage of the highest order, a powerplay ambush so brutal that the DC never quite recovered as RCB unleashed a devastating new-ball spell to script one of the most dramatic openings in the IPL history.
Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) turned the powerplay into a demolition act, ripping through Delhi with two ruthless three-over bursts that left the hosts gasping at 13 for six. Only Abhishek Porel (30), David Miller (19) and Kyle Jamieson (12) reached double-digit scores. The home team scored eight fours and a six.
All Delhi could manage was 75 in 16.3 overs but eventually deflected the ignominy of posting lowest IPL score. RCB had managed 49 in 2017 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Chasing a modest target, RCB openers Virat Kohli (23) and Jacob Bethell (20) ensured a smooth start.
There were no hiccups except that Bethell was done in by an exceptional catch by T Natarajan off Kyle Jamieson.
Devdutt Padikkal scored a fluent 34 as some solid RCB batting took the game away from Delhi in no time..
Kohli’s trademark composure combined with Padikkal’s free-flowing strokeplay made the chase a mere formality as the duo raced past the finish line with ease in 6.3 overs, capping off a dominant night for the visitors.
The packed house came to watch their favourite batter but Kohli didn’t get the opportunity to enthrall his fans much due to a small target. The local boy, ended the match with consecutive sixes off T Natarajan.
From the dizzying high of piling up 264 in a batting spectacle that still somehow ended in defeat against Punjab Kings, the fall for Delhi was dramatic.
The same batting unit that was brimming with intent suddenly appeared tentative, brittle, and out of answers, undone by relentless pressure and disciplined bowling.
It was a stark reminder of the format’s unforgiving nature, where dominance can swiftly give way to disarray, and confidence can evaporate almost overnight.
The RCB bowlers reduced Delhi to survival mode inside the first three overs, their relentless accuracy and movement turning the contest one-sided almost instantly.
The mayhem began as early as the second ball of the innings when Bhuvneshwar produced an in-dipping yorker to uproot debutant Sahil Parakh’s middle stump, setting the tone for what followed: absolute destruction.
If that was a warning shot, Hazlewood turned it into a full-blown collapse. The Australian quick sent shockwaves through the packed stadium by removing last-match centurion KL Rahul (1) and Sameer Rizvi (0) off successive deliveries.
Rahul miscued a pull after the ball grew big on him, while Rizvi edged one as he played away from his body without any visible footwork.
There was no respite. Bhuvneshwar, in complete command of swing and seam, returned to deepen Delhi’s misery by dismissing Tristan Stubbs (5). Stubbs tried to jab at a length delivery and the outside edge flew safely into the hands of Padikkal at slip.
Moments later, the carnage reached its crescendo. Delhi skipper Axar Patel (0) fell without troubling the scorers, nicking a teasing outswinger behind as stunned silence engulfed the home crowd.
In the blink of an eye, the Capitals were reduced to an unthinkable 8 for 5 in just three overs and soon 9 for 6, a collapse so surreal it felt scripted for drama rather than sport.
The RCB pacers had not just struck but dismantled, humiliated, and completely outplayed a batting line-up that looked shell-shocked and bereft of answers.
Only one boundary, coming from the bat of Stubbs, was managed in the Powerplay as the hosts reeled at 13 for six, with Nitish Rana (1) being another victim of Hazlewood.
It was only apt that the Aussie quick ended the Capitals innings by castling Porel. (PTI)

BRIEF SCORES
DC: 75 all-out in 16.3 overs (Abishek Porel 30; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/5, Josh Hazlewood 4/12).
RCB: 77/1 in 6.3 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 34; Kyle Jamieson 1/42)

MATCHES TODAY – PUNJAB KINGS VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS AT 7:30 PM

MATCHES TODAY – PUNJAB KINGS VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS AT 7:30 PM

Mumbai, April 27: South African spin-bowling all-rounder Keshav Maharaj on Monday replaced New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner in the Mumbai Indians’ squad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League. Santner has been ruled out owing to a shoulder injury which he sustained during the team’s last match at Wankhede Stadium against Chennai Super Kings.
“Mumbai Indians (MI) have signed South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj as a replacement for Mitchell Santner, who has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 owing to a left shoulder injury,” the IPL said in a statement.
“Santner sustained the injury during MI’s last home game against Chennai Super Kings while attempting a catch near the boundary.” “Maharaj, an experienced left-arm spinner, recently featured in the T20I series against New Zealand. He has featured in two IPL matches, representing Rajasthan Royals in 2024. He joins MI for a fee of INR 75 lakh,” it added. (PTI)

MATCHES TODAY – PUNJAB KINGS VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS AT 7:30 PM

Mullanpur, April 27: Riyan Parag, a captain short of runs, will need to lead from the front to challenge a peerless Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.
In the Shreyas Iyer-Ricky Ponting era that began last year, Punjab Kings have scripted a sensational turnaround, making them the most consistent and assuring unit in the competition, attributes they longed for ages.
Virat Kohli owned the tag of chase-master with his remarkable consistency over the years and now Iyer too is on that path. As a leader and batter, he has displayed commendable calm in high-pressure situations to help Punjab Kings stay unbeaten in the tournament thus far.
Iyer has led brilliantly but the team as a whole too has functioned like a well oiled unit.
Last season, they managed to defend the lowest total in IPL history and on a scorching Saturday in New Delhi, Iyer and Co. gunned down a record 265-run target with ridiculous ease.
The six wins in seven games (one washout) has also been made possible by the destructive opening duo of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who put their team on course for a historic chase at Kotla by hammering 116 runs in the powerplay.
Punjab Kings bowlers took a beating in that match but considering the batting friendly conditions and small ground dimensions, they could not be blamed much.
Playing their last game of the season here before hosting their final three league games of the season in Dharamsala, Punjab Kings will be expected to steamroll Rajasthan Royals.
The Royals have lost momentum in the middle phase of the tournament having won their first four games. While teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has produced jaw dropping performances, the team has not been able to maintain consistency.
Eight games into the season, captain Parag has failed to deliver in the middle order, collecting just 88 runs in eight innings at an underwhelming strike rate of 112.82. The pressure on him is mounting with every game.
Sunrisers Hyderabad were able to chase down 229 against the Royals comfortably in the night game on Saturday. Their fielding too left a lot to be desired.
“I think different venues everyday, different games, different ways to approach it. I feel we don’t know how Chandigarh is going to be as of now. I mean, they chased down a big score, yes, in Delhi, but Chandigarh is a new ground and a new wicket, a new soil. So hopefully, it doesn’t go to that extent,” said Parag.
Batting first, Punjab Kings had pummelled 254 in their previous game at their home ground.
The Royals would be hoping to bowl first considering the phenomenal chasing abilities of Iyer and his team. (PTI)

MATCHES TODAY – PUNJAB KINGS VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS AT 7:30 PM

Lucknow, April 27: Kolkata Knight Riders batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi was on Monday fined 20 per cent of his match fee for his emotional outburst after being given out for obstructing the field during his side’s IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants here.
KKR won the game via Super Over on Sunday night.
“Angkrish Raghuvanshi, batter & wicket-keeper, Kolkata Knight Riders, has been fined 20% of his match fee and has also accumulated one Demerit Point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 38 against Lucknow Super Giants,” read an IPL statement. “Raghuvanshi was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match.”
The incident occurred in the fifth over, when, after being given out for ‘obstructing the field’, Raghuvanshi struck the boundary cushion with his bat in an aggressive manner and subsequently threw his helmet into the dugout. (PTI)

MATCHES TODAY – PUNJAB KINGS VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS AT 7:30 PM

Angkrish Raghuvanshi became only the fourth player in 19 years of the IPL to be given out obstructing the field, against LSG on Sunday. And despite all the remonstrations from the batter and the KKR coaching staff, the third umpire Rohan Pandit was spot on with his decision.
That the deliberations in the decision-making process were heard live on the broadcast was actually an educative experience for those willing to learn. Pandit didn’t burden himself with questions of intent, but was instead bothered with establishing only two fairly objective events: did Raghuvanshi change direction significantly and did he do it without probable cause? Once the answer to both these questions was yes, Pandit didn’t really have a choice.
In fact, Pandit went beyond the letter of the law to give Raghuvanshi every chance of surviving. He even checked if the batter was watching the line of the throw to rule out lack of “probable cause”. He might even have allowed Raghuvanshi probable cause had he not been aware of the probable path of the throw.
The relevant part of the law seems to have been deleted from the MCC website by what is likely an accident, but the IPL 2026 playing conditions have retained it. Clause 37.1.4 says: “For the avoidance of doubt, if an umpire feels that a batter, in running between the wickets, has significantly changed his direction without probable cause and thereby obstructed a fielder’s attempt to effect a run out, the batter should, on appeal, be given out, obstructing the field. It shall not be relevant whether a run out would have occurred or not.”
Sanjay Bangar and Carlos Brathwaite make a good point that you can’t expect a batter to make a 180-degree turn, and that there is bound to be a natural turning radius. However, there still was significant change in direction in addition to the turning radius.
Raghuvanshi’s last step towards the non-striker’s end was bang in the middle of the pitch, in line with the stumps. (Agencies)

The real final?

PSG vs Bayern would be many people’s choice of the ideal final, after their majestic displays in the quarterfinals to eliminate, respectively, Liverpool and Real Madrid. They are the tournament joint top scorers this season, each with 38 goals.
It was the final in 2020 when Bayern became European champion for the sixth time and PSG lost its first title match appearance.
That game in Lisbon was the strange climax to the delayed, pandemic-affected season – played in an empty stadium in mid-August. It was decided by Kingsley Coman, the former PSG trainee who eventually starred in Munich.
It was also the only time Bayern advanced to the final in its last six semifinal appearances. The five losses were against Spanish opponents and the one victory was against a French team. Lyon was beaten in a single-leg game at the lockdown Lisbon mini-tournament.
Bayern won on its trip to Paris in November. Luis Diaz scored twice then was sent off before halftime for a tackle on Achraf Hakimi.
Still, PSG under coach Luis Enrique peaks in the second half the season, finding a new level since signing Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January last year.
The return game is on Wednesday next week in Munich, where PSG routed Inter Milan to win its first European title.

PSG raring to go against Bayern

Enrique joked that picking his team against Bayern Munich will be like a “lottery” because he finally has a full-strength squad to choose from.
That means midfielder Vitinha could start against the six-time champion in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal in Paris on Wednesday. He missed the last two Ligue 1 games with a right heel injury sustained during a 2-1 loss to Lyon.
“It’ll be a lottery. Everyone’s ready,” Luis Enrique said Tuesday at a pregame news conference. “But be warned, we’ll need all the players who are apt to play, and on that point I think we’re more than ready.”
With so many players pushing for places, rather than recovering from injury like earlier in the season, Enrique was faced with a new task. “It’s all about calming everyone down,” he said.

Bayern must adapt without coach Kompany

Vincent Kompany’s influence as coach is a key reason Bayern Munich is in the Champions League semifinals. Now Bayern will have to manage without him.
Bayern is preparing for arguably its toughest game of the season so far with its head coach suspended and assistant Aaron Danks reportedly due to take over.
Kompany was still involved in training Monday before Bayern’s departure for Paris, but he’ll be barred from the team’s locker room and bench at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
“We’ll miss him on the touchline. He’s our boss, a coach who’d love to be out there with us,” Harry Kane has said.
It’s all because Kompany was booked in Bayern’s thrilling quarterfinal win over Real Madrid for disputing the referee’s decision to allow Madrid to play on and score after a hard tackle on Bayern defender Josip Stanisic.
That was Kompany’s third yellow card in what was Bayern’s 12th Champions League game of the season. He argued UEFA should relax the rules now there are more games than ever.
“It’s an extended format and it’s the strictest-ever ruling with a lot of interpretation from referees, where sometimes you can get a yellow card wrong as well. So what happens then?” Kompany said after the game.
“I’m not happy because of this, but it’s not important. The team can do it and I’m there for the return game. I have total faith in the team, the staff, to not just continue but also gain strength and motivation out of it.”

A-game in Madrid

Arsenal’s record as the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League will be tested in the intense atmosphere of the Metropolitano Stadium.
Arsenal has conceded just five goals in 12 games so far, the kind of record associated with Atlético during coach Diego Simeone’s long reign of mostly feisty football.
This is a more expansive Atlético version, with a surprising 26 goals conceded in 14 Champions League games this season. Julian Alvarez has got nine of the 34 scored at the other end.
The semifinal pairs two of Europe’s long-serving top-tier coaches: Simeone in a remarkable 15th season – often described as the highest paid club coach in world football, earning about $35 million – and Arteta in his seventh with Arsenal.
Still, Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Atlético in October feels a long time ago. A four-goal burst in 15 second-half minutes, including two from Viktor Gyokeres, showed a freedom Arteta’s team has found hard to recapture in a tense second half the season.
Atlético’s path to the semifinals has been taking first-leg leads – ambushing Tottenham at home then winning at Barcelona – before riding out severe pressure in the return game. (AP)

Relegation fight

In the fight against relegation, Sevilla’s struggles continued as it conceded two late goals in a 2-1 loss at Osasuna.
Neal Maupay put the visitors ahead in the 69th but ninth-placed Osasuna rallied with goals from Raul Garcia in the 80th and Alejandro Catena deep into stoppage time.
It was the fifth loss in six matches for Sevilla.
“We had the chance of winning at a tough place,” Sevilla coach Luis Garcia Plaza said. “The team played well but again it was for nothing.”
The coach loudly complained about the nine minutes of stoppage time.
Osasuna had won only one of its last seven matches.
Earlier, Elche moved further away from the drop zone with a 2-1 win at last-placed Oviedo.
It was the fourth win in five matches for Elche, which reached 38 points, four more than 18th-placed Sevilla. Sevilla was one point behind Mallorca, the first team outside the drop zone.
Oviedo stayed seven points from safety.
Barcelona increased its league lead to 11 points by winning 2-0 at Getafe on Saturday. Second-place Real Madrid drew 1-1 at Real Betis on Friday.
Third-place Villarreal had a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo, giving American defender Alex Freeman, son of former Super Bowl winner Antonio Freeman, a victory in his first La Liga start.

Game ends in brawl

A second-division football game in Spain ended in a brawl after Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada punched Huesca defender Jorge Pulido in the face.
Huesca goalkeeper Dani Jimenez was later sent off for punching Andrada during the melee on Sunday.
The match was in its final minutes when Andrada shoved Pulido to the ground when he approached the Argentine goalkeeper.
After the referee showed Andrada a second yellow card for the shove, the goalkeeper ran after Pulido and hit him in the face with a powerful right-hand punch.
An altercation between players and staff members from both teams ensued. Andrada was in the middle of the brawl when Jimenez came running and hit him on the back of his head.
Zaragoza’s Dani Tasende also was sent off.
Huesca won the match 1-0. (AP)