Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know Kohli And Duffy Star As Defending Champions RCB Overpower Hyderabad Kaif And Chawla Back Sooryavanshi For Fast-Track To India T20 Squad I ndia great Virat Kohli and New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy led from the front as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru opened their 2026 IPL campaign with a commanding six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. Kohli stamped his authority early in the 202-run chase alongside local favourite Devdutt Padikkal as the duo kept the scoring rate firmly under control, with Benga- luru posting 76-1 in the powerplay and wrapping up the chase in 15.4 overs. Put in to bat, Hyderabad slipped to 29-3 inside the powerplay as IPL debutant Duffy took three early wickets, before a resilient partnership between stand-in captain Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, backed by lower- order cameos, lifted the visitors to 201-9. Bengaluru made light work of the target as Kohli and Padikkal punished Hyderabad’s bowlers and exposed the void left by the absence of injured ace pacer Pat Cum- mins. Kohli, who now features only in one-day internation- als, was given a reprieve on 28 before making Hyderabad pay, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, including five fours and five sixes as the home crowd roared on the team and chanted his name. “Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120%. I’m not com- ing back underprepared,” Kohli said. “As long as you’re physically fit and you’re excited mentally, all those things come together nicely and then you’re able to contribute for the team’s cause and that’s what you want to do as a player. You don’t want to hold on to a spot.” Padikkal was equally fluent, smashing seven fours and four sixes in his 61 off 26 balls, while captain Rajat Patidar added 31 to keep the runs flowing. Earlier, pacer Duffy dismantled Hyderabad’s top order, removing attacking openers Abhishek Sharma (7) and Travis Head (11) in quick succession. Sharma, who endured a lean patch in the T20World Cup, failed to find form again, while fellow opener Head perished attempting an aggressive stroke, picking out Phil Salt at deep square leg. Salt impressed in the field, taking three sharp catches near the boundary rope as Hyderabad’s batters struggled to pierce the field. The 31-year-old Duffy, who was picked in the absence of Australia quick Josh Hazlewood, also dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy for one before finishing his four-over spell with impressive figures of 3-22. “I am just keeping the big fellow’s (Hazlewood) seat warm,” said Duffy, who was named player of the match. “I just wanted to bowl the hard lengths, just keep the ball there…We talked about the lengths and stuff, what works here. Just build on what Josh did.” Kishan top-scored for Hyderabad with 80 off 38 balls, including eight fours and five sixes, while Klaasen added 31 and Aniket Verma blasted a rapid 43 off 18 to give the innings late momentum. Bengaluru will look to build on their winning start when they host Chennai Super Kings at their home ground on April 5, while Hyderabad will play Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday. -Reuters F ormer India players Mohammad Kaif and Piyush Chawla would love to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who turned 15 on Friday, fast-tracked into India’s Twenty20 squad following the teen’s latest heroics in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sooryavanshi had a sensational debut season in the IPL last year, hitting the first ball he faced for six and later smashing a 35-ball hundred in another match. He was the player of the tournament in India’s Un- der-19World Cup victory earlier this year and struck a 15- ball half-century to power Rajasthan Royals to an eight- wicket victory against Chennai Super Kings on Monday. “Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was get- ting hyped way too early,” former India batter Kaif wrote on X. “An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no haste in fast-tracking young players. But a year later, I think he is ready to graduate to the next level. The 15-year boy can entertain and play match-winning knocks.” Former India player Chawla echoed that view. “If he plays like that, would love to see him fast- tracked,” the former leg-spinner told ESPNcricinfo website. “Over the last year, in Under-19, domestic…whatever he has played, he went there and he scored hundreds. And it’s not only hundreds, he scored big hundreds.” Former India player Ambati Rayudu was also con- vinced of Sooryavanshi’s talent. “He looks a cut above a lot of youngsters in the coun- try, and he’s a talent that will definitely do wonders for Indian cricket. I don’t know when, but definitely in the future,” Rayudu told ESPNcricinfo. Rayudu, however, felt breaking into a T20 squad, which successfully defended theirWorld Cup title earlier this month, would not be an easy task for the teenage opener. “Don’t forget, our Indian team is a world champion team. It’s won the T20World Cup. So to replace somebody in that side is not easy,” Rayudu said. “To me, there are a few players ahead of him at the moment, because you tend to pick and build your teams ahead of the next ICC competition.” -Reuters PHOTO:REUTERS/PRIYANSHU SINGH Cricket – Indian Premier League – IPL – Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Sunrisers Hyderabad – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India – March 28, 2026 Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli in action. By Suramya Kaushik By Amlan Chakraborty Ashwin Becomes First India International To Join US Major League S pinner Ravichandran Ashwin is set to become the first India international to appear in U.S.-based Major League Cricket (MLC), after San Francisco Unicorns announced his signing on Saturday for the Twenty20 competition’s 2026 season. Ashwin, who represented India in 287 matches across all formats and took 765 wickets, retired from inter- national cricket in 2024 and ended his Indian Premier League (IPL) career last year. The 39-year-old, India’s second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket behind Anil Kumble, was set to play for Syd- ney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League, but missed out due to a knee injury. “Taking on the mantle as the first Indian-capped play- er to compete in Major League Cricket is a major respon- sibility that I fully embrace,” Ashwin said in a statement. “My absolute focus is to help this franchise win games and push for its first championship, while also putting on a spectacular brand of cricket for the Bay Area fans.” The MLC begins its fourth season on June 18. -Reuters PHOTO:REUTERS/AMIT DAVE/ FILE PHOTO Cricket – Third Test – India v England – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, India – February 16, 2024 India’s Ravichandran Ashwin 20 SPORTS: CRICKET April 3, 2026