Thursday, July 09
MS Dhoni advised young Indian batters like Vaibhav Suryavanshi to maintain consistency and stay calm under pressure. Despite CSK's loss to RR, Dhoni acknowledged early wickets put pressure on the team. Sanju Samson praised Suryavanshi's mature innings and game awareness, highlighting his promising future and the coaching staff's role in developing young talents.
James Hopes credits Ricky Ponting's relaxed environment and Shreyas Iyer's tactical captaincy for Punjab Kings' playoff success after 11 years. Hopes praises Arshdeep Singh's coachability and believes both Iyer and Singh deserve spots in the Indian squad for the England tour. He also highlights the team's focus on making impactful moments rather than dwelling on high scores.
Rajasthan Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings by six wickets, chasing down 188 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Vaibhav Suryavanshi's impressive 57 off 33 balls and Yashasvi Jaiswal's quick 36 set the stage for the victory. CSK's batting inconsistency, despite Ayush Mhatre's 43, led to their fifth loss while defending a total, increasing the risk of finishing last.
Sumit Nagal faced a setback, exiting the French Open qualifiers in the second round after a loss to Jurij Rodionov, marking his first Grand Slam main draw miss this year. Yuki Bhambri and Robert Galloway also experienced an early defeat at the Geneva Open, losing to Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner despite their recent runner-up finish in Bordeaux.
Following Rajasthan Royals' victory over Chennai Super Kings, young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, known for his record-breaking century, displayed remarkable respect by touching MS Dhoni's feet. This heartwarming gesture resonated deeply with fans, overshadowing the match's playoff implications. Suryavanshi's humility and talent continue to impress, marking him as a rising star in cricket.
The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, held in Pakistan and the UAE, achieved record-breaking global viewership, marking a 19% increase from 2017. India's victory over New Zealand in the final became the most-watched Champions Trophy match ever.
Rahul Dravid's unique score-keeping method drew attention amidst Rajasthan Royals' disappointing IPL 2025 season. Despite investing in youth like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, RR finished ninth, in stark contrast to their 2022 performance. While Suryavanshi and Jaiswal shone, the team struggled with chasing targets and missed experienced players like Jos Buttler. They will finish the season with just 8 points.
With 8 games remaining in the league stage, CSK, RR, SRH, KKR and LSG are already out of contention for the playoffs. GT, RCB and PBKS are sure to make the playoffs, while MI and DC contend for a spot with tonight's match between them a must-win for DC. There remain 256 possible combinations of results, so nothing is for sure yet in terms of who finishes where at the end of the league. We look at the probabilities:
With 617 runs, Sai Sudharsan is the leading run-scorer in IPL 2025, forging a formidable opening partnership with Shubman Gill for Gujarat Titans. TimesofIndia.com delves deep into how the southpaw worked on his T20 batting with the help of power-hitting coach Shanon Young at the Cricket Performance Lab in Melbourne during the India A tour of Australia in November last year.
