New 2025 Indian Premier League schedule announced After being suspended for a week due to the tensions between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday that the 2025 Indian Premier League will resume this weekend, May 17. The official statement read:  “After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season. The BCCI takes this opportunity to once again salute the bravery and resilience of India’s armed forces, whose efforts have enabled the safe return of cricket.” The BCCI’s decision came shortly after Pakistan and India announced a ceasefire and following consultations with the Indian government. The first match will see RCB and KKR face off at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and our IPL predictions will be available ahead of the toss.  Given the league’s stoppage, the IPL season will end later than the originally planned date, which was May 25 in Kolkata. Now, the Playoffs are set to commence on May 29, while the final will be held on June 3.  The biggest issue stemming from the change of schedule is that the tournament will now directly overlap with the West Indies’ tour of England, which causes an issue for players from those teams if they reach the knockout stages of the IPL. While England has yet to announce their squad for the Windies series, the likes of the RCB trio, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell and Liam Livingstone, and the Mumbai Indians pair, Will Jacks and Reece Topley, are expected to be a part of the English team, but also seem likely to qualify for the knockout rounds in the IPL.  The team from the Caribbean, on the other hand, have made their squad selection for the tour of England, which features Sherfane Rutherford (GT), Shamar Joseph (LSG) and Romario Shepherd (RCB), all of whom also look destined to reach the Playoffs.  The Gujarat Titans are arguably the side least affected, as the majority of their team continued training as normal in Ahmedabad over the last week, while the Mumbai Indians have more time than others to assemble, with their next game scheduled to be played on May 21.  Revised IPL 2025 schedule:  Venues for the remainder of IPL matches following resumption While the IPL will resume this weekend, the BCCI are still doing everything in their power to ensure the safety of players, officials and fans for the remainder of the tournament. As a result, they have decided to stage the rest of the competition across only six venues.  The six cities to host the final 13 group-stage matches include Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Notably, this means that the Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad will not play at their respective home grounds again this season.  Additionally, the final was originally scheduled to take place at the iconic Eden Gardens, but it remains to be ...

Why did Kohli call time on his Test career? India’s star batsman Virat Kohli made a gobsmacking announcement on Monday, May 12, by revealing that he is retiring from Test cricket with immediate effect, just one month before the Men in Blue travel to face England in a five-match Test series.  Kohli’s decision came just a week after another India great, Rohit Sharma, decided to call time on his career in the longest format following rumours that national team selectors were considering stripping him of the captaincy for the upcoming clash against the Three Lions.  The RCB batter will continue to represent the Men in Blue in limited-overs matches, with their next series set for August against Bangladesh. However, he will resume action this weekend in the Indian Premier League, and our IPL predictions will be available ahead of the tournament’s resumption.  In an emotional social media post, Kohli wrote:  “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no-one sees but that stay with you forever. As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.” The 36-year-old batsman had previously mentioned in an interview that mental fatigue and injuries could force him to retire from Tests, but there is a case to be made that his recent form in the red-ball format also played a significant role in his decision.  During his peak, Kohli averaged in the mid-50s with the bat in Test matches, but since the start of 2023, that has dropped to the low-30s. Like Sharma, his performances over the last two years received additional criticism after India suffered a 3-0 series sweep against New Zealand and lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1.  Barring a century in the first Test against the Baggy Greens, Kohli only managed to score 90 runs in eight innings during the series. It is understood that he made the BCCI aware of his decision to quit Test cricket shortly after the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January.  ‘King Kohli’ was the 269th player to represent India in Test cricket, and across his 14-year stint, he scored an incredible 9,230 runs in 123 matches, which places him fourth in India’s all-time highest run-scorers in the five-day format.  Kohli Test records and reactions to retirement Following Kohli’s announcement to retire from Test cricket, several former India greats took to social media to voice their thoughts and appreciation for his contribution to the country and Indian cricket as a whole over the last decade.  « As you retire from Tests, I’m reminded of your thoughtful gesture 12 years ago, during my last Test. You offered to gift me a thread from your late father. It was something too personal for me to accept, but the gesture was heartwarming and has stayed with me ever since. » – Sachin Tendulkar. « Can’t believe you are done. ...

Musa Recalled To National Team For Exhibition Tournament After over a year, Ahmed Musa is set to feature once again for the Super Eagles this month, as the team gears up for the 2025 Unity Cup, which will run from May 26 – 31 at the Gtech Community Stadium – home of English Premier League team Brentford.  Musa last played for Nigeria during a pre-AFCON 2023 friendly international against Guinea back in January 2024. While he was a part of the silver-winning squad in the Ivory Coast last year, he did not play in any of the team’s games during the tournament.  The 31-year-old is the country’s most capped player with 110 appearances spanning well over a decade, but his role with the Super Eagles has reduced in recent years, largely owing to the emergence of younger stars, such as Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.  Having struggled to secure a European contract at the start of this season, Musa returned to the Nigerian Premier Football League with Kano Pillars. He had a solid season and helped the team to a top-half finish, though they were unable to challenge league champs Remo Stars, who confirmed our NPFL predictions to win the title.  Sai Masu Gida confirmed Musa’s selection for the upcoming tournament via a post on the club’s official X account, which read:  “Captain Ahmed Musa is set to lead the Super Eagles at the Unity Cup Four-Nation Tourney from May 26-31, 2025, at Brentford Stadium, London. Musa has been in top form for Sai Masu Gida, with eight goals and two assists in the ongoing 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League.” The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not made its final decision around the squad that will travel to London for the 2025 Unity Cup, but there is a belief that the team will be made up predominantly of locally-based players, and you can follow the competition using our football livescore tool here on SportyTrader. Unity Cup 2025 Overview and Fixtures The Unity Cup is set to return after a 21-year hiatus, having last been held in 2004 at The Valley, where it featured three teams, Nigeria, Jamaica and the Republic of Ireland, with the Super Eagles emerging as the tournament winners.  This year, the competition has expanded to four teams: Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, intending to bring together elite footballing talent from Africa and the Caribbean, while also celebrating the cultural and sporting connections between the nations.  Nigeria will get their Unity Cup tournament underway with a clash against long-time rivals Ghana, while the Dwight Yorke-led Trinidad and Tobago will face Jamaica in their opening match. Below is the schedule of the tournament:  Fixtures: Tuesday 27 May – Semi-final 1: Trinidad and Tobago vs. Jamaica Wednesday 28 May – Semi-final 2: Nigeria vs. Ghana Saturday 31 May – Third Place Play-off & Final Check our football predictions

Gill, Pant Emerge As Frontrunners for India Test Captaincy  After a tough run of results, including their first Test series loss at home in over a decade against New Zealand before a poor showing at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there were plenty of rumours that India were set to replace Rohit Sharma as captain for the tour to England next month. Sharma has also been struggling with his own form in the five-day format, scoring just one half-century in his last 12 innings, and before a final decision around the captaincy was made, the 38-year-old opted to call time on his career in the longest format of the game over the weekend.  Jasprit Bumrah led the Men in Blue in Sharma’s absence in Australia and was widely expected to take up the role following Sharma’s departure, but it is understood that he has made selectors aware that he may not be able to play all five games against the Three Lions due to his workload management.  As a result, the shortlist of candidates for the Test captaincy is now believed to be led by Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, with the former rumoured to be the favourite. Whichever is not selected is expected to become the team’s vice-captain.  Gill was recently named as India’s ODI vice-captain ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, while he has also impressed many onlookers at the Indian Premier League this season, where he captains the Gujarat Titans, who are one of the most fancied teams to win the competition, according to the best online betting sites.  Another name that came up in recent reports was KL Rahul, but there is an understanding that the Delhi Capitals’ batsman has now been ruled out of contention, given that he is already over 33 years of age and his form has been erratic in recent years.  England vs. India Test Schedule Despite their recent struggles in the white-ball format, India have been the dominant force in Tests against England in recent years, with the most recent series ending in a 4-1 victory during the Anthony de Mello Trophy at the start of last year.  The Men in Blue drew the Pataudi Trophy series 2-2 in August 2022 in England, while the last time the Three Lions defeated India in the longest format was back in 2018. Below is the match schedule for the upcoming series:  First Test: June 20 – June 24 – Headingley Second Test: July 2 – July 6 – Edgbaston Third Test: July 10 – July 14 – Lord’s Fourth Test: July 23 – July 27 – Emirates Old Trafford Fifth Test: July 31 – August 4 – The Oval India is expected to announce their final squad as well as their new Test captain for their tour to England on May 24. Our cricket predictions

UAE Declines PSL Hosting Due To “Worsening Situation” On Thursday last week, the 2025 Pakistan Super League was suspended amid the rising tensions between India and Pakistan surrounding the territory of Kashmir, and due to safety concerns of players and fans at the ongoing tournament. In their official statement, the PCB said: « The last 24 hours have seen a worsening of the situation on the LOC, increased incursion of 78 drones, and the firing of surface-to-surface missiles from India. The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. Initially, the PSL had confirmed that the competition, which still has eight games remaining, would be moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, citing player concerns and the need to prioritise safety.  The plan to relocate the PSL came after a drone fell inside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium just before the commencement of a match between Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars, which would feature several international players. However, the latest decision to postpone the competition indefinitely was taken following reports that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) declined to host the PSL owing to security concerns, while wanting to avoid straining ties with the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).  A further report from an ECB official revealed that Jay Shah, Chairman of the board of directors of the ICC, played an influential role in the ECB’s decision to reject hosting the PSL in Dubai, while there was also mention that the rental fee provided to the PCB was too high, given their current financial constraints.  As it stands, there is no confirmed timeline for the resumption of the 10th edition of the PSL. At the time of the stoppage, the Quetta Gladiators had already secured their spot in the Playoffs and were the tournament favourites according to all the best online betting sites.  The Gladiators amassed 13 points in nine PSL games and hold a four-point lead over the Karachi Kings and defending champions, Islamabad United. The Lahore Qalanders and Peshawar Zalmi were on nine and eight points, respectively, while the Multan Sultans were the only team eliminated from the tournament with just two points.  Matches Remaining in PSL 10  Ahead of the PSL’s postponement, there were still four more league-stage games and four knockout matches to play. The final eight fixtures included:  Karachi Kings vs. Peshawar Zalmi Peshawar Zalmi vs. Lahore Qalandars Islamabad United vs. Karachi Kings Multan Sulatans vs. Quetta Gladiators Qualifier Eliminator 1 Eliminator 2 Final  If the PCB is unable to find a suitable venue for the remainder of the competition, the 10th edition of the PSL is at risk of being abandoned.  Our cricket predictions

Sharma Retires From Test Cricket Ahead of England Series Back in 2013, a 26-year-old Rohit Sharma managed to break into the Indian Test squad in a series against the West Indies, and his first match almost immediately suggested that we were witnessing the start of greatness.  In front of a packed Eden Gardens, Sharma produced a stunning knock on debut of 177 runs, and since then, he has gone on to feature in 67 Tests, amassing 4,301 runs, including 12 centuries at an average of 40.57. His best was 212 off just 255 balls against South Africa in 2019.  His impressive performances at the top of the order earned him captaincy in 2022, and he won 12 of the 24 matches he led the team in, which is the second-best win percentage of any Indian Test skipper behind Virat Kohli.  Additionally, the Mumbai Indians batter led the Men in Blue to the World Test Championship in 2023 against Australia, but was beaten in the final. He has now called time on his career in the longest format ahead of the England Test, which is the start of the new World Test Championship cycle for India.  Sharma announced his retirement on social media last week, posting on Instagram:  « Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It has been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all of the love and support over the years. » The 38-year-old had retired from T20 internationals after leading India to the T20 World Cup title last year, but he will still continue to captain the team in ODIs, with their next assignment coming against Bangladesh in August, and our cricket predictions will be available ahead of the series commencing.  Why Did Sharma Decide To Retire From Test Cricket? Following Sharma’s announcement to retire from Test cricket, there was widespread speculation over the reason behind his decision. While the now-former Test captain has not revealed a specific reason for his choice, it likely comes down to his performances in recent times.  Across his last six Tests, Sharma oversaw the team during a 3-0 thrashing by New Zealand, which was their first Test series loss at home in over a decade, before suffering a 3-1 series defeat to Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.  During that period, Sharma averaged just 15.16 against the Black Caps and 6.20 against the Baggy Greens before being dropped for the final Test of the series Down Under. He had only scored one half-century in his last 12 matches in the longest format.  Another potential contributing factor to his decision is that reports in India last week emerged suggesting that the team’s selection committee were set to appoint a new Test captain for the upcoming series against England due to Sharma’s recent dip in form.  It remains to be seen who will be handed captaincy of the Indian Test team for the foreseeable future. Jasprit Bumrah led the team in Sharma’s ...

AmaKhosi Aim To End Dismal Season On A High There is always a buzz of anticipation when Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates face off, but this time it feels a little different, with this match marking the first time these great rivals will meet in any final since 2014, while the last time they locked horns in the Nedbank Cup final was two decades ago.  AmaKhosi enter this match as the underdogs according to the best online betting sites, and rightfully so, given their downward spiral in recent years. They are in ninth place in the PSL standings with just 30 points in 26 games, almost half the points tally that the Bucs have posted in just 23 league matches to date.  Additionally, Chiefs have not won silverware in 10 years, and there has been very little consistency in the team this season, with Nasreddine Nabi forced to chop and change his starting lineup almost weekly in search of improved combination play.  Thus, given the team’s underwhelming league performance, this final means everything to Chiefs fans, who have waited patiently for their heroes to give them something to cheer about again following years of heartache and disappointment.  En route to the final, the Glamour Boys secured a 4-0 victory against lower-division Free Agents in the round of 32 and took down Chippa United 3-0 in the last 16. However, their best performances came in the quarters and semis, where they ousted Stellies 3-1 before a stunning 2-1 victory over perennial PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns last month.  Buccaneers Eye Nedbank Cup Treble This Weekend Standing in Kaizer Chiefs’ way is their cross-town rival, Orlando Pirates, who come into this final in solid form and looking to win their third consecutive Nedbank Cup title, having lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2024, and our experts’ Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates prediction suggests that they are the team to beat.  The Buccaneers are enjoying another impressive season, currently in second place in the league standings, while they have already won silverware this term, beating Stellenbosch in the MTN 8 final at the start of the campaign.  The Sea Robbers also delivered on the continental stage, reaching the semi-final of the CAF Champions League before suffering an agonising defeat against Pyramids, with Fiston Mayele scoring a late goal to secure victory for the Egyptian Premier League outfit.  Over the past few years, Pirates have earned the nickname “SA’s Trophy Kings”, having won each of the last five finals they played in, and they also enter this match with a massive psychological advantage following their 2-1 victory over Chiefs in the PSL a week ago.  The Bucs have been the dominant force in the Soweto Derby in recent times, winning each of the last five clashes across all competitions, including in this very tournament last year, when they took down AmaKhosi 2-1 in the semi-final.  Pirates will also be bolstered by the return of Nkosinathi Sibisi for the final, with the central defender having now completed ...

India Sweep Medal Tally At Asian Yogasana Sports Championship The 2025 Asian Yogasana Sports Championship was the second edition of the competition and was hosted at the KD Jadhav Arena, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, with participants spanning a total of 21 countries entering this year’s Championship.  The likes of Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uzbekistan, among others, were represented, but it was Team India, who were the favourites with all the best online betting sites, that made history by winning a staggering 83 gold medals, 80 more than Japan in second place. Among the Indian medalists was Vishal Gawas, who represented Goa on the international stage. The Sattari-native has dedicated his life to yoga, and his victory marks a significant achievement in his career.  Other medalists included the Odisha pair of Nibedita Sahoo, who won gold in the senior traditional category, while Om Kumar Patra triumphed in both the sub-junior rhythmic and artistic categories.  These athletes’ achievements at the Asian Yogasana Sports Championship highlight yogasana as a growing sport globally and also add to India’s growing recognition in the field, which were sentiments shared by the Secretary General of the World Yogasana Federation, Dr Jaideep Arya, during his speech at the closing ceremony.  Asian Yogasana Sports Championship Medal Tally India – 83 Gold; 3 Silver; 1 Bronze Japan – 3 Gold; 3 Silver; 4 Bronze Mongolia – 1 Gold; 11 Silver, 6 Bronze Oman – 1 Gold; 27 Silver; 12 Bronze Nepal – 0 Gold; 27 Silver; 12 Bronze  More sports news