#5 Mohammed Siraj vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad Kicking off our top five list of the best bowling spells in the IPL this season, we have Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj, who bagged 4/17 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, restricting them to 152/8, while helping his side secure a seven-wicket victory on April 6.  The 31-year-old bowled in the power-play and death overs against SRH’s destructive batting order, but he maintained control throughout his four overs, while his speed and swing proved to be almost unplayable at times.  Siraj was named Player of the match for his performance and revealed during his presentation that despite being dropped from the national team ahead of the 2025 IPL, he was focused on improving his play to get back into the squad.  Siraj and co are in action on Friday against MI in the crucial Eliminator, and our Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians prediction for the match is now online, so be sure to check it out ahead of the toss.  #4 Hardik Pandya vs. Lucknow Super Giants Okay, so this may be a bit of a controversial shout as Mumbai Indians’ skipper Hardik Pandya’s excellent 5/36 against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 4 was the second-best bowling figures during the league phase of this season’s IPL.  However, despite dismissing Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant in his first spell before returning to knock over David Miller and Akash Deep at the death, the Mumbai Indians still lost the match by 12 runs.  Still, it was a bowling performance that deserves praise, and while Pandya was not awarded the Player of the Match, he still produced a proper captain’s effort, especially considering that he is widely regarded as a batting all-rounder.  More cricket news #3 Ashwani Kumar vs. Kolkata Knight Riders The IPL is where young cricketers’ dreams can come true, and that was the case for 23-year-old Ashwani Kumar, who made his debut this season for the Mumbai Indians against the Kolkata Knight Riders – and it was a day he will certainly never forget.  Bowling his first ever delivery in the competition, Kumar claimed the prized scalp of KKR’s skipper Ajinkya Rahane and went on to dismiss Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey and Andre Russell, helping bowl out the defending champs for just 116 runs.  The Mumbai Indian’s bowler ended the match with figures of 4/24 in just three overs and was awarded Player of the Match for his efforts. Additionally, Kumar now stands as the only bowler to bag a four-fer on debut in the IPL. #2 Noor Ahmad vs. Mumbai Indians  Few matchups in the Indian Premier League can get the blood pumping quite like the IPL’s El Clasico, and in the first instalment this season, we saw Chennai Super Kings’ spinner Noor Ahmad provide one of the most memorable performances of the campaign.  The Afghanistan international held his nerve in a pressure match, bowling with control and sharp turn to single-handedly demolish Mumbai’s middle-order of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Robin Minz ...

BCCI responds to India’s 2025 Asia Cup withdrawal rumours Given the recent tensions between Pakistan and India, which also forced the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League to be halted for a week, concerns began to surface around whether the Men in Blue would participate in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in September. Those concerns ramped up a notch after several reports a couple of weeks ago emerged saying that India had informed the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) that they would be withdrawing from both the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup and Men’s Asia Cup later in the year.  However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India have now responded to the claims, denying any decision or intention of pulling out of the upcoming tournament, or any ACC event in the foreseeable future. In an interview with the media, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said:  « Since this morning, it has come to our notice that some news reports have stated that the BCCI has decided not to participate in the Asia Cup and the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Such news is devoid of any truth. BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding the ensuing ACC events, let alone writing anything to the ACC. » Saikia went on to explain that the BCCI’s sole focus for now is on the ongoing Indian Premier League and the team’s tour of England next month, both of which we will be covering in our expert cricket predictions.  Pakistan and India have not met in a bilateral series in 18 years, with all matches between the teams restricted to only ACC and ICC events, though even those matches were played under hybrid models, such as in the 2025 Champions Trophy and 2023 Asia Cup.  2025 Asia Cup format and overview The 2025 Asia Cup is scheduled to run between September and October this year, with India set to host the competition as the defending champions. The tournament will feature eight teams and 13 matches, including a group stage, Super Four and the Grand Final.  The eight participating nations will be split into two groups, comprising four teams each, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the Super Four. A straight knockout match will determine the two teams that will battle it out in the final. The groups include:  Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Nepal Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong As is the case in most tournaments, India vs Pakistan is expected to gain the most interest, and as it stands, they are set to face off on September 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, though it remains to be seen if a change of venue may have to be considered. Check out our IPL predictions

Is this the year for King Kohli and RCB? The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are headed for their fifth Playoffs in six seasons, but despite their solid showings year-on-year, they have never won the Indian Premier League, finishing as runners-up on three occasions (2009, 2011 and 2016). Indeed, despite having won every ICC trophy globally, the IPL title is about the only accolade that Virat Kohli is missing from his collection and the Indian superstar looks determined to put that right this year, entering the Playoffs fifth in the Orange Cap standings, with 548 runs in 12 games.  RCB received a massive boost and one that could prove crucial in the knockouts, with Josh Hazlewood expected to return to the team. The Aussie paceman returned home during the league’s stoppage and has been the team’s chief contributor with the ball, notching up 18 wickets in just 10 games.  Qualifier 1 will take place on Thursday, May 29, and we will be covering every knockout match with our IPL predictions for the remainder of the season.  Punjab Kings set to return to IPL Playoffs At long last, the Punjab Kings are finally set to feature in the Playoffs of the Indian Premier League, having last reached the knockout stages of the competition in 2014. A balanced and cohesive team setup has been the key to PBKS’s success this season, but they have had a couple of standout performers too.  Ricky Ponting recently commended skipper Shreyas Iyer for his leadership in the competition. Iyer led KKR to the title last season and is the Kings’ leading run-scorer this year with 514 runs in 14 matches. His calming presence and experience will be crucial for the side over the next week. With the ball, Arshdeep Singh is proving once again why he is one of the best Indian bowlers in the shortest format, currently on 18 wickets. Singh’s ability to keep things tight in the death overs could prove pivotal for PBKS against the likes of Mumbai and Gujarat’s formidable batting lineups.  Gujarat Titans’ strength at the top of the order After a forgettable 2024, the Gujarat Titans claimed a Playoff spot in style this year, winning nine of their first 12 matches before conceding unexpected back-to-back defeats against LSG and CSK in their final two games in the league phase.  This season, GT have the most formidable opening pairing in the competition in the form of Sai Sudharsan and Subman Gill, who currently sit first and second in the leading run-scorer standings, with 679 and 649, respectively.  The Indian batting duo have posted the highest partnership this season of 205 against the Capitals on May 18 and enter the Playoffs with plenty of momentum. Prasidh Krishna also deserves a mention, having claimed 23 scalps, one less than Purple Cap holder Noor Ahmad. Yadav to lead Mumbai Indians’ star-studded cast On paper, the Mumbai Indians have the best team in the IPL. The five-time champions are set to be without Ryan Rickelton and Will ...

Awoniyi returns to City Ground for season finale After avoiding relegation from the Premier League by the slenderest of margins last season, Nottingham Forest were the most improved team in the English top flight in 2024-25 by some distance, but Reds’ fans were given a major scare in their penultimate home match of the campaign. During the Tricky Trees’ Monday night league fixture against Leicester City, Nigeria international Taiwo Awoniyi suffered what turned out to be a life-threatening abdominal injury after colliding with the upright in the dying moments of the team’s 2-2 draw against the Foxes, a result that defied most Premier League predictions.  With the score level and Nuno Espirito Santo’s team going all out for a go-ahead goal in hopes of keeping their Champions League qualification hopes alive, Awoniyi attempted to get on the end of a cross from Anthony Elanga, which led to him crashing into the opposition’s post.  The 27-year-old Super Eagles forward was treated by club medics on the field and was cleared to play. However, he was in visible discomfort for the remainder of the match and was taken to the hospital following the final whistle.  Awoniyi was rushed into an emergency surgery where he was put in an induced coma to undergo treatment for what was later revealed to be a ruptured intestine, which was considered a “life-threatening condition” by medical personnel.  Thankfully, the striker’s surgery was a success, and he was released from the hospital later in the week. Awoniyi took to Instagram following the incident, where he wrote:  « This season has been one of the most difficult of my career but through it all, I have felt the love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits. I’m with you all the way and I can’t wait to be back out there with the boys doing what I love. » Forest’s players donned club training kits with Awoniyi’s name on the back and the message “We’re all with you Taiwo” to show their support for the Nigerian striker in their final away game of the season against West Ham United, which they won 2-1 thanks to goals by Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic. From the verge of relegation to Europe Nottingham Forest entered the final day of the season right in the thick of the battle for Champions League qualification and set to face Chelsea, who were just one point above them in the standings.  The Reds started the match on the front foot, and they almost took the lead moments before the interval when Chris Wood was picked out with an inch-perfect cross by Ola Aina, but the New Zealander poked his effort over the crossbar, sending the teams into the break level.  Chelsea emerged from the tunnel and stepped up their performance in a big way in the second half, and within five minutes of the restart, Levi Colwill tapped into ...

#5 Ishan Kishan’s maiden IPL century  The Sunrisers Hyderabad have earned a reputation for being one of the most destructive batting teams in the Indian Premier League in recent years, now possessing the top four highest scores in the history of the competition, two of which were posted this season.  Our number five pick in this list comes from their first match of this season, where Ishan Kishan, on debut for his new franchise, announced his arrival in Hyderabad in style, smashing his maiden IPL century in just 45 balls.  Kishan put on an 85-run partnership with Travis Head, while blasting 11 fours and six maximums at a strike rate of 225.53 in that match to end with 106* in 47 deliveries, guiding his side to a 44-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals.  The group stage of the competition ends on Tuesday, and our Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru prediction is online, which you can use to see how our experts expect this match to pan out.  #4 Heinrich Klaasen helps SRH sign off in style It’s difficult to believe that the Sunrisers Hyderabad have produced so many incredible individual batting performances again this season, but only managed three wins in their first 11 games of the campaign, which ultimately saw them knocked out of the competition before their final three games. However, despite their disappointment, SRH were able to exit the tournament with their heads held high, off the back of a Heinrich Klaasen masterclass of 105 runs from 39 balls against KKR – his highest individual score in T20s – while the team total of 278/3 is the third-highest in the competition history.  Klaasen brought up his century in 37 deliveries, which is tied with Yusuf Pathan for the third-fastest in the IPL and the quickest for SRH, while the nine sixes he launched over the boundary are the most by a Sunrisers batter ever.  Check out our cricket predictions #3 GT opening pair’s flawless knock  Number three on our list of the most memorable innings in the IPL this season goes to the Gujarat Titans’ opening pair of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, who put together a first-wicket stand of 205 runs in 19 overs to secure victory against the Delhi Capitals on May 18.  The same match saw KL Rahul finish on 112* in 65 deliveries for the Capitals, but the Indian pairing’s double century partnership now stands as the sixth-highest ever in the IPL and the third-best for an opening pair. Incredibly, they also hold the second-highest opening wicket partnership as well.  Perhaps the major reason this stand gets into our top five is due to the importance of the innings, as the victory took GT to the top of the table and guaranteed them a spot in the Playoffs, while it also eliminated Delhi from top-four contention.  #2 Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaker against PBKS Yet another entry by the Sunrisers Hyderabad – our runner up goes to Abhishek Sharma, who etched his name ...

Mumbai Indians peaking ahead of IPL Playoffs Coming into the final weekend of the IPL group stage, the Gujarat Titans held a massive advantage in locking down one of the coveted top two places, which grants home advantage in the Playoff rounds.  However, there are now concerns that the wheels may be coming off for the Titans, as they lost their penultimate match of the group by 33 runs to the Lucknow Super Giants before alarm bells really started sounding following a thumping 83-run loss to basement team, Chennai Super Kings.  Similarly, the teams in second and third place also conceded disappointing losses in recent days, with the Punjab Kings going down by six wickets to the Delhi Capitals, while the Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost by 42 runs to second-bottom Sunrisers Hyderabad.  All the while, the Mumbai Indians have quietly crept up into the top four after a dismal start to the season, and if they win their final match of the group, the five-time champions could head into the Playoffs top of the table.  Our Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians prediction is available online, and Mumbai enter the fixture with all the momentum, having won seven of their last eight matches. The only exception was a three-wicket defeat to GT, which came about via the DLS method. As a result, the Hardik Pandya-led side now has the out-and-out best net run rate in the competition of +1.292, meaning that if they end level on 18 points with current leaders GT, whose net run rate is +0.254, Mumbai hold the advantage.  For now, though, Pandya and co. have to focus on the task at hand, beating the Punjab Kings on Monday. Both teams are set to be without key foreign players in the Playoffs, and this match will allow them an opportunity to give some of their extended squad some playing minutes.  Mumbai Indians permutations ahead of IPL group stage As things stand, the Gujarat Titans have completed their 14 group-stage games and lead the IPL standings with 18 points. The Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are on 17 points apiece with a game to play, while Mumbai are on 16 points.  Given their excellent net run rate, if the Mumbai Indians beat the Punjab Kings on Monday, they will finish in the top two. RCB can claim first place if they win their final match against LSG, while a loss for RCB and a win for MI will mean Mumbai will end top.  A loss for the Mumbai Indians will mean that first place in the group will come down to the Punjab Kings and RCB, with the former currently holding a slender advantage on net run rate. If Monday’s MI vs PBKS game is washed out, Mumbai will not be able to finish in the top two.  Check out our cricket predictions

Nawaz leads Gladiators to defendable target in PSL final Season 10 of the Pakistan Super League has now come to an end, and it truly was an exhilarating end to a tournament that was earlier marred by controversy and forced into a week-long delay due to off-field events.  The Quetta Gladiators had entered the Playoffs as the out-and-out favourites according to all the best online betting sites, having ended the group stage in first place with 15 points, three points clear of Islamabad United and the Karachi Kings in second and third, respectively. The Lahore Qalandars rallied late in the group stage, notching up three wins and a no-result in their final five games to clinch the final Playoff berth. They produced a stunning effort in the Playoffs, ousting the Karachi Kings on Thursday by six wickets chasing 190/8. Quetta came into the final with all the momentum after making light work of Islamabad, and things fell in place after winning the toss on Sunday and opting to bat first on a batsman-friendly Gaddafi Stadium pitch.  The Gladiators got off to a poor start, with skipper Saud Shakeel dismissed in the third over for just four runs, and he was followed back to the pavilion just three balls later by his opening partner Finn Allen, who made 12 runs in 11 deliveries.  However, Hassan Nawaz strode to the crease and produced one of the knocks of the tournament, blasting an incredible 76 runs in 43 deliveries, including eight fours and four sixes, at a blistering 176.74 strike rate.  Avishka Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal also made important contributions to support Nawaz, while Faheem Ashraf launched a powerful, quickfire 28 off a mere eight deliveries batting at number eight to help his side to a very defendable 201/9 in their 20-over allotment.  Perera, Raza produce dramatic innings to secure title for Lahore In the second innings, Abrar Ahmed made an early breakthrough for Quetta, claiming the prized wicket of the dangerous Fakhar Zaman in the third over, but Muhammad Naeem and Abdullah Shafique steadied the ship with 46 and 41 runs respectively. The match looked to be slipping from Lahore’s grasp in the second half of their innings. At 15 overs, the Qalandars called a strategic timeout with their score on 131/3 at a run rate of 8.73, but requiring 14.2 per over.  However, that also proved to be the turning point of the match, as Sri Lankan international Kusal Perera and Pakistani-born Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza teamed up to deliver an unbelievable final five overs, scoring 73 runs to lead their team to victory.  Perera was undoubtedly the standout performer with the bat and finished with 62 runs off just 31 deliveries at a strike rate of 200.00, while Raza smashed the winning runs, ending on 22 runs off seven balls at a strike rate of 314.29.  The match ended with incredible scenes at the Gaddafi Stadium, where the home crowd saw their underdog team claim their third title in four years, ...