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By K.R. Nayar  How did Gujarat Titans (GT) win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets to reach the final? What was visible and prominent were Shubman Gills’ knock of 104 and Sai Sudharshan’s 58 and their 167 runs opening partnership. But what was invisible was the brilliant thinking from GT to shake off the impact of their team’s defeat in qualifier 1 and conquer RR that has been riding high on the unbelievable knocks from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. They were aware that it may not be possible to stop Sooryavanshi. So even though he hit 96 runs, they controlled all the other factors to carve out a creditable win.  Gone are the days when cricket is only played on the field. While as pre-match practice is important, equally vital is planning the match – the ifs that will have to be overcome in case the match begins to slip out of hand. Matches are now won in pre-match analytic rooms than on the pitch and surely GT made it happen in this match. They played the silent...

By K.R. Nayar The Indian Premier League is the world’s most popular franchise cricket tournament, but will it be a 15-year-old kid who will decide the winner this season? Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit a breezy 97 to help Rajasthan Royals (RR) knock Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) out of the tournament and reach Qualifier 2 to take on Gujarat Titans (GT). It is evident that unless GT manages to stop Sooryavanshi, they may find it difficult to reach the final. And should RR reach the final, then Royal Challengers Bangalore will be able to retain the title only if this boy is prevented from running amok. Team meetings will no longer be about strategy but on “How to outlive Sooryavanshi.” This is a fact and not a child’s play. Whenever Sooryavanshi has hit a whirlwind knock, his team has won. He cannot even be called the Man of the Match because he is still a young boy. If he continues to play such knocks, all that the opposing teams can do is to return home saying “better luck next time.” Very s...

By K.R. Nayar  Rajat Patidar’s unbeaten 93 that carried Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) into the final was not just a captain’s knock. It was much more than a match-winning innings played by a captain to book his team’s place in the final. It was majestic and explosive. From being an anchor, he turned into an accelerator. He transformed the name of Royal Challengers into royal conquerors. While admiring the brilliance of his knock, we may have overlooked a few things. The margin of victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) was 92 runs, one run less than his 93, which came off just 33 balls with nine sixes and five boundaries. But more valuable than the runs he scored was how it boosted his team’s total and put GT under pressure. So sharp was Patidar’s intent towards setting a big total that throughout his knock there was only one dot ball, and that too fetched his team a bye. Very few may have noticed that his strike rate of 281.81 is the highest strike rate for any captain sco...

By K.R. Nayar  A lot has been discussed about the salient qualities and common factors among the four teams that qualified for the Indian Premier League 2026 playoffs. It might also be interesting to examine what these teams did not do, which carried them into the final four. One important factor was their controlled panic under pressure. They avoided reckless performances like trying to win the match in one over. One did not see them change plans every three balls, and most importantly, they had captains who avoided brain fades like overlooking their strike bowlers’ quota. The IPL is entertainment, but some analyse it like a Test match. It is so funny that on numerous occasions, teams that were talked and written about as having the best top order lost all their top batters before the 50-run mark. Again, one cannot be sure that all of these four teams will have great performances in the playoffs. Take Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), for instance. They ensured that cricket...

By K.R. Nayar  There are many cricketers with enormous skills, but not many possess nerves of steel. Shreyas Iyer stands tall among them. His unbeaten 101 to steer Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 23, 2026, was a brilliant captain’s knock. It was his maiden ton in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but it will glitter as an innings soaked in determination. Reaching his century through a six also reflected his authority with the signature of mastery over the toughest of moments. The world has seen many captain’s tons, but the best are those played during a must-win match. Iyer led the way with unwavering vision. All his 11 boundaries and five sixes, after coming out to bat with his team’s score at 22 for 2, were shots that felt louder than the blast from a cannon. The task before him was daunting - to end his team’s six-match losing streak, and he achieved it.   Unfortunately, in less than 24 hours, Rajasthan Royals clinched the...

By K.R. Nayar Strange, truly strange, are the debates that the Indian Premier League (IPL) throws up. One suggestion wondered whether the remaining IPL matches should be played without spectators—to conserve fuel. Another claimed that, thanks to the rush of 200-plus scores, spectators are now suffering from something called ‘sixer’ fatigue. Packed stadiums for IPL in every match Both can be laughed off, but there are many who believe that these are serious matters. With fuel prices going up, some believe that it is foolish to keep spending on fuel, especially to watch cricket matches. Traffic swells during every match, resulting in a huge consumption of fuel. The sixer fatigue is because in many of these matches an average of close to 30 sixes have been hit, and some spectators are bored to see bowlers look helpless. In a country where IPL matches have turned out to be the biggest entertainment, stopping spectators to conserve fuel seems impossible. Thankfully, a suggestion t...