Aakash Chopra has weighed in on the role of Rohit Sharma at Mumbai Indians, stating that the veteran opener should remain involved for the entire duration of a match rather than being utilised only as an Impact Player in the Indian Premier League.Sharing his views, the former India opener said that if Rohit is fully fit, it would be more logical for him to take part in the game from start to finish instead of appearing solely as a batting substitute. According to Chopra, limiting a player of Rohit’s calibre to just a few overs with the bat does not maximise his overall contribution to the team.“Logically, if you are fit, you should play the whole game and not be substituted. Especially when you are batting second, you shouldn’t come in as an impact player. An opener is not used to watching 20 overs of the match from the dugout,” Chopra told Jio Hotstar.Chopra further explained that opening batters generally prepare for a match by staying involved in the game from the beginning, which helps them get into the right mindset before heading out to bat.“Opening batters are used to staying on the field, preparing accordingly and then hitting the ground running. Rohit Sharma is the fittest, meanest and maybe the strongest at this point in time, so he should be on the ground for all 40 overs. That’s actually how Mumbai Indians will be able to make full use of Rohit Sharma,” he added.Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh also shared a similar opinion, suggesting that Rohit’s experience and leadership qualities make him far too valuable to be restricted to a substitute role. He emphasised that Rohit’s presence on the field could prove crucial for captain Hardik Pandya, especially during pressure situations.“Rohit Sharma has been used as the 12th man who just bats, but I feel that the kind of leader he has been, a player like him should be on the field. In tough matches, when you need to take certain calls, when a captain sometimes needs a shoulder to lean on, Rohit Sharma can do that for Hardik Pandya,” Harbhajan said.Rohit, who led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles during his captaincy stint, was frequently used as an Impact Player by the franchise during the 2025 season. The move had sparked debate among fans at the time.The seasoned opener endured a difficult campaign last year, managing only 240 runs across the tournament. As the new season approaches, Rohit will be keen to turn things around and make a stronger impact with the bat.

Abrar Ahmed and Kavya Maran (PTI/IPL Photo)

NEW DELHI: The signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred has sparked debate online, but the BCCI, through its vice president Rajeev Shukla, has distanced itself. The franchise, owned by the Sun Group, which also runs Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, bought Abrar for GBP 190,000 (around Rs 2.34 crore) during Thursday’s auction after a bidding battle with Trent Rockets. The tournament will take place from July 21 to August 16.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla made it clear that the Indian board does not control decisions made in overseas leagues. “It doesn’t concern us. It’s not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other overseas leagues, we have nothing to do with it,” Shukla told PTI.Abrar’s signing triggered backlash on social media, and the Sunrisers Leeds X account was suspended briefly. The reaction reflects the long-standing absence of Pakistani players in the IPL since 2009, when worsening diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan effectively ended their participation in the league.Sunrisers Leeds came under the Sun Group’s control last year after it bought a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire for about GBP 100 million. Sunrisers CEO Kavya Maran attended the auction.Interestingly, Abrar wasn’t the only Pakistan player picked in the auction. Mystery spinner Usman Tariq was earlier bought by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000, though that team has no IPL links.Despite the IPL ban, Pakistani players have still appeared in overseas leagues for teams connected to IPL owners. Recently, Several Pakistani cricketers have played for Indian-owned or co-owned franchises in overseas T20 leagues.Imad Wasim featured for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 in 2023–24 and later for Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket in 2024 and 2025, a team co-owned by the Delhi Capitals’ GMR Group. Zaman Khan also played for Seattle Orcas in MLC 2024. The same year, Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq played for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, a franchise owned by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Two assistant coaches of the New Zealand national cricket team, Luke Ronchi and Jacob Oram, have been allowed by New Zealand Cricket to take up coaching roles with Islamabad United in the 2026 edition of the Pakistan Super League starting March 26.Ronchi will serve as the head coach of the PSL franchise, while Oram will work alongside him as an assistant coach. However, since the tournament runs until late April, both coaches will miss New Zealand’s upcoming international assignments, including the series against South Africa national cricket team and the tour of Bangladesh national cricket team. New Zealand’s five-match T20I series against South Africa is scheduled to begin on March 15.

New Zealand Cricket says it supports the move because it will help the coaches gain valuable experience in global leagues. Mike Sandle, performance manager at NZC, said the opportunity will benefit both the individuals and the national setup.“This is a great chance for Luke and Jake to further their coaching experience and grow their skills outside of the New Zealand cricket environment,” Sandle said, as quoted by Cricbuzz. “Just like our players, our coaches are in demand around the world, and we believe Luke and Jake will not only personally benefit from their time at the PSL, but they will also be able to bring back knowledge and IP that can aid the BLACKCAPS and NZC in the future.”During their absence, other coaches from the NZC system will step in. Jonny Bassett-Graham and Graeme Aldridge will assist head coach Rob Walter for the South Africa series, while Brendon Donkers will join the staff for the Bangladesh tour.Sandle added that the arrangement also creates opportunities for other coaches to gain international exposure.“One of the added bonuses of Luke and Jake heading to the PSL is the opportunity it affords other coaches in the NZC network,” Sandle said. “It will be great to have Jonny, Graeme and Brendon join the BLACKCAPS and I’m sure they will get a lot of out their time in the environment and the experience of working alongside our players and support staff.”

Sanju Samson and MS Dhoni (BCCI/IPL Photo)

Chennai Super Kings will enter the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season with hopes of securing a record sixth IPL title. The five-time champions have strengthened their squad with the arrival of Sanju Samson, and former India all rounder Irfan Pathan believes that support of Dhoni and Samson’s help could play a crucial role in CSK’s campaign.

Irfan Pathan: Samson’s presence will ease pressure on Ruturaj Gaikwad

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared views, explaining how Samson’s arrival could benefit CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.

“Sanju Samson’s arrival at CSK will allow Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to express himself a bit more. We have seen him grow as a leader. It is not easy leading in the IPL while also taking forward the legacy of MS Dhoni. That is one of the toughest things to do in your career. But Dhoni’s support, along with the help Sanju Samson brings, will always benefit Ruturaj,” Pathan said.Pathan also pointed out that CSK appear to be shifting from their traditional strategy of relying heavily on experienced players.“Looking at the squad and imagining the playing combination are two different things. CSK’s success mantra in the past was to bank on experienced players. Now, they have made a change in approach and are going for younger, less experienced players. They are building for the future too,” he added.He also expressed excitement about young talents in the squad, including Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan.

Piyush Chawla backs Samson’s aggressive batting

Chawla also described Samson as a natural match-winner who has silenced his critics with impressive performances in recent matches. “Sanju Samson is a match-winner in himself. He proved his doubters wrong with three back-to-back impactful knocks against West Indies, England and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup. CSK will be very happy with his form because Samson has peaked right before the start of the IPL. That is great news for their fans,” Chawla said.He further added that the Chennai pitch conditions could help Samson flourish at the top of the order.“Coming to Chennai, the way the wicket plays there will definitely suit his game. Opening the innings, his aggressive style will benefit CSK a lot.”Samson could solve CSK’s opening problemsThe former spinner also highlighted how CSK struggled to get quick starts in the previous IPL season.“Last season, they struggled to get quick starts. Only after Ayush Mhatre arrived did CSK start scoring runs in the Powerplay. Now, with Samson in, their opening problems will finally be solved. They need that experienced opener alongside Ayush Mhatre. Samson’s trade move to CSK is going to be a blockbuster one,” Chawla said.

CSK aim for record sixth IPL title

After finishing at the bottom of the table last season, CSK will be eager to bounce back strongly in IPL 2026. With a refreshed squad and Samson’s attacking presence at the top of the order, the Chennai-based franchise will hope to rediscover their winning formula and mount a strong challenge for the title.

India’s Preeti Pal (PTI Photo/Salman Ali)

India produced a commanding performance at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, finishing the competition with a remarkable medal tally as Preeti Pal stole the spotlight with a dominant sprint display on the final day.Double medallist at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Preeti delivered another impressive performance by clinching gold in the women’s 200m (T35–T37). The 25-year-old from Meerut clocked 30.26 seconds to finish comfortably ahead of the field, adding the title to the 100m gold she had secured a day earlier.Russia’s Karina Machulskaia took the silver medal with a time of 32.22 seconds, while India’s Bina Shambhubha completed the podium with bronze after finishing in 32.35 seconds.India ended the meet with an extraordinary haul of 208 medals — 75 gold, 69 silver, and 64 bronze — in a campaign that underlined the country’s growing strength in para athletics, even though the field featured relatively limited international participation. Russia finished second overall with 35 medals (15 gold, 14 silver, 6 bronze), while Bosnia and Herzegovina placed third with three medals (one gold and two silver) among the eight competing teams.Reflecting on her performance after securing her second gold medal, Preeti admitted she narrowly missed the mark she had set for herself.“I narrowly missed the target I was aiming for at the Grand Prix by a microsecond. Overall, things are going well. In four days, I will be heading to the Nationals, and since this is the off-season, I am satisfied with my performance,” said Preeti after clinching her second gold here.She also revealed that her training performances suggest she is capable of running even faster times.“My personal best is 30.03 seconds, and in practice I have already clocked 29.6 seconds, which is encouraging. However, I noticed that I get tired as I approach the finish line, something that didn’t happen before. I am currently working on improving that,” she added.India also enjoyed success in the field events, sweeping all three medals in the men’s shot put F57 category. Shubham Juyal secured gold with a throw of 14.45 metres, while Bhagat Singh claimed silver with 13.29 metres and Priyans Kumar took bronze with 13.07 metres. Juyal’s performance marked a significant improvement from his throw of 13.72 metres at last year’s World Para Athletics Championships, highlighting the steady rise of para athletes from the Indian Army.In the men’s 200m T35 event, Vinay won gold with a time of 28.18 seconds, finishing ahead of Anubhav Choudhary, who took silver in 29.49 seconds. Hong Kong’s Chui Yiu Bao secured the bronze medal.India produced another clean sweep in the men’s 200m T37–T44 category. Rakeshbhai Bhatt won gold in 25.20 seconds, followed by Siddharth Manju Bellary with silver in 28.23 seconds and Ravikiran Asarelli with bronze in 31.50 seconds.The hosts also dominated the men’s 800m T53–T54 race. Manojkumar Sabapathi claimed gold with a timing of 1:57.41, while Manikandan Jothi took silver in 2:11.14 and Kamalakanta Nayak secured bronze in 2:20.83.

Simran hopeful she will not be stripped of Worlds medals

Meanwhile, Indian visually impaired para-sprinter Simran Sharma expressed hope that she will retain the medals she won at last year’s World Para Athletics Championships despite the suspension of her guide runner.Simran had won gold in the women’s 100m (T12) and silver in the 200m at the championships. However, her guide runner Umar Saifi was provisionally suspended after testing positive for drostanolone, a banned anabolic steroid, according to the list released by the National Anti-Doping Agency on October 9, 2025. The test was reportedly conducted during the Delhi State Open on September 7, 2025.Under International Paralympic Committee regulations, guide runners in T12 events are classified as “athlete support personnel”, which means a doping violation by the guide can potentially lead to the athlete’s results being disqualified.Simran, who is currently sidelined with an injury and therefore not competing at the ongoing Grand Prix, said she remains optimistic that her medals will not be taken away.“I am very hopeful that I will not lose my medals. I worked really hard for them. There are examples where athletes have not been stripped of their medals even when their guide tested positive for a banned substance,” Simran said on the sidelines of the Grand Prix.She has since moved on from Saifi’s suspension and is now working with a new guide runner as she prepares for the Asian Para Games scheduled to be held in Japan later this year.Asked when a final decision on her appeal might be made, Simran said the timeline remains unclear.“I don’t know yet, but I am continuing my preparations for the Asian Para Games. I did not compete in the inaugural Grand Prix of the season in Dubai last month, or in the ongoing competition here, as I want to keep my body injury-free for the Asian Para Games,” she said.

NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Shivam Dube went viral on social media after sharing an emotional moment with his father following India’s victory at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Dube shared pictures and a video of himself placing his winner’s medal around his father’s neck. His father, wearing an India jersey, appeared visibly proud as he held the medal. Dube captioned the post, “The real hero of my life,” which quickly resonated with fans online.

Dube played an important role in India’s title-winning campaign, especially in the final against the New Zealand national cricket team, where he smashed 26 runs off just eight balls. Throughout the tournament, he contributed with both bat and ball as India secured their third T20 World Cup title.After the celebrations, Dube had an unusual journey home. Unlike most international cricketers who travel by chartered or business-class flights, he had to take a 3rd AC train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai because all flights were fully booked. Speaking about the experience, he explained that he had tried to arrange flights for himself and his family but couldn’t find any seats.“There were no flights available, so I decided to take an early morning train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. We could have gone by road, but the train was quicker,” Dube told The Indian Express.To avoid attention at the station, he disguised himself with a cap, mask and full-sleeved T-shirt. He also planned his timing carefully to avoid crowds. “I told my wife I would wait in the car until five minutes before the train’s departure, then rush to board,” Dube added.Soon after reaching Mumbai, he celebrated the historic win with his family, sharing the special moment with the man he calls his biggest inspiration.