The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder made his second IPL fifty after helping restrict DC to 162 for 8

Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Apr-20252:31

Bangar: Kohli was supporting, it was all Krunal from the other end

A sensational all-round display from Krunal Pandya led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the IPL 2025 table as they outbowled and outbatted Delhi Capitals in a tense clash on a tricky, two-paced surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.A strong display with the ball set things up, as RCB sent DC in and restricted them to 162 for 8, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood picking up five wickets between them, and Suyash Sharma and Krunal strangling with spin through the middle overs. The chase was never going to be straightforward, though, given the conditions and DC’s attack, and RCB duly slipped to 26 for 3 after four overs.Krunal, though, hauled RCB out of the mire and put them in front, over the course of a 119-run fourth-wicket stand with Virat Kohli, who made his sixth half-century of the season, and his fourth in a chase.The recovery came in two phases. By the 10-over mark, Kohli and Krunal had put on 40 in 36 balls, and neither batter was looking fluent. But Krunal found his hitting range, and took off. Having been on 17 off 21 balls at one stage, he hit 56 off his last 26 balls. Kohli fell for 51 off 47 with RCB needing 18 off 13. There was no late twist, though, as Tim David finished with a flurry of boundaries, sealing victory with nine balls remaining.7:49

Bangar: RCB picking Indian internationals has worked beautifully

Strong start, strong finish, not too much in the middleAbishek Porel struck the ball sweetly at the start of DC’s innings to score 28 off 11 balls, and Tristan Stubbs made an innovative 34 off 18 at the finish, but DC’s other batters struggled, scoring just 96 off 92 balls between them.Faf du Plessis, returning from a groin injury and playing his first game since April 10, and KL Rahul struggled for fluency in particular, scoring 22 off 26 and 41 off 39 respectively.Related

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The surface was partly responsible for this, with the ball gripping and occasionally staying low too, and RCB’s bowling played its part too, with Suyash and Krunal especially suffocating through the middle overs, bowling at high pace into the pitch and keeping width to a minimum.And DC suffered two crucial jolts.First, just when Axar Patel was beginning to look dangerous, having slogged Krunal for a six in the previous over, Hazlewood came back and bowled DC’s captain in the 14th. This took some pressure off Suyash and Krunal – who may not have relished bowling to the left-handed Axar – and they finished their quotas by conceding a combined 13 runs across the 15th and 16th overs, against Rahul and a new-to-the-crease Stubbs.Then, when Bhuvneshwar dismissed Rahul in the 17th, DC sent in Ashutosh Sharma as their Impact Player. They had named a bowler-heavy XI despite batting first, with the hope that they could bring in the extra bowler if their top order enjoyed a good day. As it happened, they were forced to bring in a batter, and he was out third ball, bowled by a legcutter from Bhuvneshwar.Stubbs and Vipraj Nigam then provided the spark that DC had sorely lacked up to then, using the V behind the wicket smartly to collect a combined 36 runs across the 18th and 19th overs. Bhuvneshwar, though, cut short the fireworks with a superb 20th over, dismissing Stubbs and only conceding six runs (one of them off a leg-bye) despite bowling with an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle with RCB having run into an over-rate penalty.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Brave Axar, electric NairReplacing Phil Salt, who was out with fever, Jacob Bethell played a short and exciting innings on IPL debut. He flicked Mitchell Starc for a six and a four off successive balls in the second over, before being done in by the slowness of the pitch, miscuing a pull off Axar to deep midwicket in the third over.Despite the presence of the left-handed Bethell, Axar had bowled the first and the third overs. He ended up dismissing not one but two left-handers, with Devdutt Padikkal, RCB’s Impact Player, chopping on while attempting a cut two balls later.Karun Nair had taken an excellent catch in the deep to send Bethell back, and he was soon in play once again when Kohli clipped one in his direction at midwicket and seemed to take off for a single before coming to an abrupt stop. Rajat Patidar hared out of his crease at the other end, and it was too late by the time he turned back and dived, with Nair’s direct hit finding him well short.Krunal and Kohli turn it aroundThe first part of RCB’s recovery wasn’t pretty. The pitch was still a tricky one for run-scoring, and one moment summed it up perfectly. A short ball from Nigam seemed ripe for pulling, but it lost so much pace off the pitch that it was on its way down by the time Kohli met it with his inside edge.For all their lack of fluency, though, Kohli and Krunal were ensuring RCB had wickets at the back end, and at the halfway mark they needed 99 off 60 balls.1:41

Jaffer: Bhuvneshwar’s variations crucial to his success

It was Krunal who switched gears, and he did it dramatically, whipping Dushmantha Chameera for a leg-side six in the 11th over and clearing the boundary twice off Mukesh Kumar in the 13th: the last of these hits, a length ball launched over long-off with a full extension of the arms, showed just how much Krunal had got to grips with the conditions.And in the next over he showed he could do it against spin too, going over extra-cover off Kuldeep Yadav when he floated one into his arc.DC’s last chance to get back in the game came in the 16th over, when Starc forced Krunal to miscue a pull with a sharp short ball angled across the left-hander from left-arm around. Running in from deep midwicket, Porel put down a sitter. Before this ball, RCB needed 40 off 25 balls.By the time Chameera broke the partnership with a slower legcutter to Kohli in the 18th, DC were almost out of it. David then hurried RCB over the line, going 6, 4 (plus no-ball), 4, 4 as Mukesh’s attempted yorkers in the 19th over ended up as a succession of full-tosses and half-volleys.

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a £60m opening bid for a “sensational” English star, who could now be open to a move to N17.

Tottenham looking to bolster attacking options despite Simons capture

Tottenham managed to get a deal for Xavi Simons over the line in the final stages of the summer transfer window, with Thomas Frank eager to bring in a new playmaker, given that James Maddison has been ruled out with an ACL injury.

However, Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has since suggested there are some doubts over the signing of Simons, given that he was not always consistent enough in an RB Leipzig shirt due to concerns about his attitude.

Tottenham confirm takeover "interest" after Levy exit, several parties keen

There have been suggestions that ENIC could look to sell Tottenham Hotspur…

ByDominic Lund Sep 8, 2025

It remains to be seen whether the Dutchman can adapt to life in the Premier League, but it appears as though ENIC are pressing ahead with a move for a different attacker regardless.

According to a report from The Boy Hotspur, Tottenham are now plotting a £60m opening bid for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers, who is capable of playing on both wings and through the middle.

Spurs are said to be implementing a more aggressive transfer strategy following the departure of Levy, and they are now planning to test Villa’s resolve, although Unai Emery’s side are probably not inclined to accept £60m, given that they value Rogers at £100m.

The English attacker could now be open to a move to north London, with Frank’s side taking more concrete action towards securing his signature than Chelsea, who have also been named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Rogers could kickstart new era at Tottenham

While ENIC have made it clear they have no plans to sell, Levy’s departure marks the start of a new era for Tottenham, who are now expected to be more willing to spend big in the transfer market.

As such, Spurs may be able to compete for Rogers’ signature, and there is every indication he could be a fantastic acquisition, having once again performed very well for Villa last season, picking up 19 goal contributions in 37 Premier League games.

Journalist Eduardo Hagn lauded the England international as “sensational” back in April, and he also proved himself in the Champions League, picking up four goals and three assists in 12 outings.

Rogers is clearly ready to take the next big step in his career, and with Tottenham planning to be more ambitious following Levy’s exit, a move to N17 could be ideal.

Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell believes that Arne Slot is 'lucky' to have inherited this title-winning Liverpool squad. Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp as Reds boss last year and won the Premier League title in his debut season at Anfield. By comparison, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has had to build his squad as the north London side look to pip the Reds to first this season.

Getty Images SportSlot turned Klopp's Liverpool squad into champions

Slot succeeded Klopp at the Liverpool helm last summer after the German's nine-year stint on Merseyside drew to a close. Klopp won his only Premier League title in the 2019/20 'Covid' season, and the Dutchman matched his predecessor's triumph in his first year at Anfield.

Liverpool made few changes to the Liverpool squad last year, with Federico Chiesa the only senior arrival in Slot's first summer at the club. However, as Klopp's Liverpool finished third in his final season in charge, Slot pipped both Manchester City and Arsenal to top spot in 2024/25.

The Reds have spent big this summer as they look to successfully defend their Premier League crown, bringing in the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. Campbell, though, is more impressed with Arteta's Arsenal rebuild as the Gunners seek to secure a first domestic title in over 20 years.

Advertisement'He hasn’t changed much. He’s lucky.'

The ex-Arsenal centre-back believes that Slot is 'lucky' to have inherited the squad the Klopp assembled, and has hinted he is more impressed by Arteta's rebuild, saying: "I think slow is good sometimes. Some people are lucky. Arne Slot inherited a fantastic side and won the league. He hasn’t changed much. He’s lucky. A new manager, good bounce, players responded. Arteta had to get rid of some players, the deadwood.

"The last couple of years, he’s had pretty much the team. The centrepiece is the centre forward. Finally, they’ve got someone [Viktor Gyokeres, who joined from Sporting over the summer], but they’ve got to find out how to play him. But you have to build it.

"[William] Saliba wouldn’t have signed the contract [until 2030] as well if he didn’t believe Arsenal can win. They just have to win. This year they’ve got to win by hook or by crook – but you have work to get a lucky break."

Getty Images Sport'The belief is there They know they can do it'

Arsenal went into the international break top of the Premier League following their 2-0 win over West Ham and Liverpool's late 2-1 loss at Chelsea last weekend. Estevao's second half injury time strike condemned the Reds to a third successive competitive defeat for the first time since 2023.

However, Campbell believes that the understanding in the Arsenal defence will be key as the Gunners look to top the Premier League pile next May, reserving praise for Jurrien Timber in the process.

On Timber, Campbell said: "I think Jurrien Timber is probably one of the best right backs in Europe at the moment. He’s incredible, can score goals, good in one-on-one scenarios. He’s definitely lost a little bit of time from his injury but he’s a top, top player."

And on Arsenal's defence, he added: "I think it comes down to the back five. They know what they’re doing now. They’re young, but it’s the maturity of their play now. The belief is there. They know they can do it."

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Arsenal have a favourable run coming up

Arsenal sit top of the Premier League table after seven games having collected 16 points so far. Victory over West Ham means they went into the international break ahead of Liverpool by a point after Slot's side fell to back-to-back late league losses.

And the Gunners have a favourable run of games following the domestic hiatus as they take on Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland before the November internationals. Arteta's men are also up against Atletico Madrid and Slavia Prague in the Champions League and Brighton in the EFL Cup over the coming weeks as the north London side seek to secure major silverware this season.

To some, Arsenal are now favourites to win the Premier League and Champions League having invested heavily over the summer, landing the likes of Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze, among others.

MatériaMais Notícias

A principal torcida organizada do Palmeiras comunicou nesta segunda-feira (8), que vai buscar o ônibus do Palmeiras na Academia de Futebol mais uma vez nesta próxima quarta-feira (9), horas antes da bola rolar no Allianz Parque para Palmeiras x Atlético-MG, pelas oitavas de final da Libertadores 2023.

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+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Além do tradicional corredor alviverde que já virou rotina em jogos decisivos do Verdão dentro de casa, a maior organizada do clube também planeja outra surpresa para os mais de 40 mil palmeirenses que vão empurrar a equipe nos 90 minutos diante do time de Luiz Felipe Scolari.

A concentração do corredor está marcada para às 19h (horário de Brasília), na frente da Academia de Futebol, e o ônibus com a delegação deve partir para o estádio restando um pouco mais de duas horas para a bola rolar no Allianz Parque.

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+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Os ingressos para Palmeiras x Atlético-MG estão esgotados desde a última sexta-feira (4) e o Verdão conta com o apoio da torcida para segurar a vantagem que construiu em Belo Horizonte e garantir a sua vaga entre os oito melhores times do continente.

Harry Kane created England history during Tuesday's 5-0 win over Latvia, as the Bayern Munich striker scored more than one goal for the 13th time in his Three Lions career. His brace in Riga beat Nat Lofthouse's record of 12 times achieving the feat, and took the 32-year-old to 76 England goals in 110 appearances. The Three Lions' record goalscorer looks set also to become record appearance maker before too long.

• Kane double seals another spot in the history books

  Kane’s latest record was reported following victory in Latvia. He continues his impeccable record for England, which has only become better under Tuchel. He has struck seven goals in seven games under the German, linking up well with his former Bayern manager to continue his record-breaking form in front of goal.

  Kane has at times been criticised for England in recent major tournaments, though, particularly in Euro 2024 when his off-ball work was seen as a hindrance to the team. The Three Lions reached the final and Kane was joint Golden Boot winner with three goals, but there were still some fans who called for a new face in attack.

  Just over 12 months on, Kane is in as good a run of form as he has ever been. He has begun the new season for the German champions in scintillating fashion, scoring 18 goals and laying on another three assists in just 10 matches.

  He won the European Golden Shoe after scoring 36 Bundesliga goals in his debut campaign in 2023-24, and currently looks set to be in a tense battle with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland for this season’s award. Kane truly is on top of his game.

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  England captain speaks after thumping Latvia victory

  Kane said after the game, in which England secured World Cup qualification with two matches to go: "Another tournament! I said it before, we make it look easy but these games can be tough.

  "These groups can be tough and we have to be fully focused in every game we play and I thought today we were at a very high level. We talk about no matter who we play, setting a high standard to keep the momentum we've built and I think that showed this week.

  "Qualifying with two games to go is a great achievement. Zero goals conceded and we're playing some great football. We can only take care of the opposition in front of us and we've done that very well so far.

  "I'd say [I’m feeling good], the numbers are, obviously. The way I'm feeling on the pitch seeing the passes and the runs, physically I'm in a good place and hopefully I can keep it going."

• Competition for places and away support also hot topics

  "You want competition in every place, every position and I think we have that," Kane continued. "We've still got some fantastic players who aren't here who will be itching to get back in the squad in November and we're going to need them as well.

  "As we know, going up to major tournaments, there's going to be chop and change, we've got some fantastic players who aren't quite fit and should be fit next month. That's the competition, keep pushing each other and see where it takes us.

  "I don't think you can question away support ever, the way they were tonight was fantastic. We've qualified for another major tournament, and we know the England fans enjoy going out. America's going to be a special place to play in and we've got something to look forward to now, so credit to them for travelling out here and showing the noise they did."

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  Kane and England prepare for North American summer

  Kane and England will now look forward to November’s international break, knowing their qualification is now secured and Tuchel will have the chance to try out new faces and truly get to grips with all the talented players he has at his disposal. With the likes of Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer still to return to the set-up and young stars such as Adam Wharton waiting for their chance to make an impression, it is an exciting time for the Three Lions.

  As for Kane, he has undoubtedly silenced his critics with his recent form for both club and country. With the former Tottenham Hotspur hero still on the top of his game, the Three Lions have a much better chance of going all the way next summer. If Tuchel’s side are to make the World Cup a special one, captain Kane looks set to be right at the centre of it all.

خطف النصر فوزًا قاتلًا من الفيحاء، بهدفين لهدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري السعودي.

والتقى النصر مع الفيحاء، في الجولة السابعة من مسابقة الدوري السعودي على ملعب الأول بارك.

طالع.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري السعودي بعد هدفي رونالدو أمام الفيحاء

وافتتح جاسون ريميسيرو، أهداف المباراة لصالح الفيحاء في الدقيقة 13 بعد صناعة من زميله محمد البقعاوي.

وتعادل النصر عن طريق كريستيانو رونالدو في الدقيقة 37 من عمر المباراة، بينما جاء الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 103 عن طريق رونالدو من ركلة جزاء.

وشهد اللقاء تسجيل كينجسلي كومان، هدفا في الدقيقة 20 قبل الغاءه بعد العودة إلى تقنية الفار.

ورفع النصر رصيده إلى 21 نقطة في المركز الأول من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري السعودي، بينما الفيحاء تجمد رصيد عند 8 نقاط في المركز العاشر. أهداف مباراة النصر والفيحاء

أهداف مواجهة #النصر_الفيحاء 🎥⚽️@AlNassrFC 2️⃣ – 1️⃣ @AlfayhaSC#دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/QAbBWYKJug — رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) November 1, 2025

One Aston Villa gem has signed a Villa Park contract which the club seemingly decided against posting on social media.

Unai Emery linked with surprise Aston Villa exit

It has been an unusual start to the Premier League season for Villa and Unai Emery, who finally picked up their first three points of the season at the sixth time of asking on the weekend.

After falling behind to Fulham, Villa scored their first home league goals of the campaign to win 3-1 and move out of the relegation zone.

Former transfer chief Monchi has also left the Midlands, and now, Emery is being linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who are on the search for a new manager after parting ways with Laurent Blanc.

Following Monchi’s exit, Emery was asked last week if he is more committed than ever to Villa, to which he said: “More speculation? I know it’s a different speculation. The reality is we drew and in the league we are not performing well.

“We have to work and work hard. With the players I have meetings after the game and talk about how we want to be, tactically and with the demands we have.”

Emery added: “We are starting the season with the problems we had, the problems before, with the transfer window. Some players joined us late. We are trying to recover our performance.

“Now we are a different team, our emotions and our emotional moments are becoming better. I will want to show how we’ve improved in everything.”

Aston Villa now racing Tottenham and Man Utd to sign £70m Premier League star

The Villans have joined the race for a new forward, who has made a very impressive start to the season.

ByDominic Lund Sep 30, 2025

Away from the speculation, though, Aston Villa have moved quietly to secure the services of a potential future star.

Aston Villa teenager pens first professional contract

It was announced on Aston Villa’s website on Tuesday that young defender Finlay Barnard has signed his first professional contract.

The club said they are pleased the U18 ace has committed his future at Villa Park after agreeing scholarship terms having signed over the summer Tottenham.

The update wasn’t posted on Villa’s X social media, so it is news that may have gone under the radar.

A versatile defender, Barnard will be looking to breakthrough into the first-team setup over the coming years, and continuing to impress Harrison will only help his case.

The prize money for the winners is more than double of what it was in the previous two editions

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2025The winners of the World Test Championship (WTC) final, to be played between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s starting June 11, will secure a prize money of USD 3.6 million, more than double of the winners in the last two cycles. The runners-up, meanwhile, will bag more than USD 2.1 million, while the prize for the same in the previous editions was USD 800,000.The winners in the last two cycles — New Zealand and Australia — had earned USD 1.6 million each.”The increase in prize money exhibits the ICC’s efforts to prioritize Test cricket as it looks to build on the momentum of the first three cycles of the nine-team competition,” the ICC said in its release.India, who finished third on the table, will receive over USD 1.4 million, while fourth-placed New Zealand get USD 1.2 million. Even the prize money for teams finishing fifth (USD 960000) and sixth (USD 840000) — England and Sri Lanka — is more than what it was for the runners-up in the previous editions.ESPNcricinfo LtdSouth Africa topped the table in the 2023-25 edition with eight wins from 12 games, and were the first team to seal a final spot with a dramatic two-wicket win over Pakistan. Defending champions Australia got through by pipping India to the second spot after winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 at home.Both teams have named their squads for the final. The focus for South Africa will be on their pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada after his one-month ban for failing a drug test, while Cameron Green makes his return to Australia’s Test side after undergoing a lower spine surgery last year.

The match officials are yet to take any immediate action as the protocol requires the on-field umpires to submit a report before any sanctions can be announced

Mohammad Isam28-May-2025

Tshepo Ntuli got into a scuffle with Ripon Mondol during a four-day match between Bangladesh Emerging Team and South Africa Emerging Team in Dhaka on Wednesday. The match officials however are yet to take any immediate action as the protocol requires the on-field umpires to submit an official report before any sanctions can be announced.The incident occurred after Ripon struck Ntuli for a straight six. As he walked over to his batting partner Mehidy Hasan, Ripon appeared to exchange glances with Ntuli, who then charged towards him.The two players first shoved each other before Ntuli pulled Ripon’s helmet. Umpire Kamruzzaman tried to intervene but Ntuli tugged at the helmet again, before the umpire managed to separate them. On-looking South Africa Emerging players didn’t stop Ntuli, with couple of the them also appearing to charge toward Ripon, who had by then removed his helmet. The scuffle drew sharp reactions from the TV commentators.”This is extreme, this is unacceptable. Normally we see verbal altercations in a cricket field but we don’t often see a scuffle. Ntuli struck Ripon’s helmet at one point,” Nabil Kaiser, one of the on-air commentators, said.Three balls after the incident, Ntuli threw the ball back at Ripon after the batter had defended it back to the bowler. Ripon managed to fend off the throw just in time.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the match referee will submit reports of the incident to both the BCB and CSA, who are expected to take action, especially as this is the final game of the tour.Tensions had already flared between the two sides during the one-day leg of the tour in Rajshahi. Andile Simelane and Jishan Alam were both suspended following incidents in the second one-day match, causing them to miss the third game.The ongoing four-day match is the second and final game of the tour for the South Africa Emerging side. They lost the one-day series 2-1, while the first four-day match in Chattogram ended in a draw.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) might have qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs for the first time in 11 years, and topped it up by sealing a top-two spot, but for head coach Ricky Ponting, they “haven’t achieved anything yet” with the “big games” still to come.PBKS moved to the top of the points table with a clinical win against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Jaipur and will now have two chances to make the final.”I’m obviously very pleased for the group,” Ponting said on the broadcast after the match. “It’s a lot of hard work that goes into being able to achieve something like this as a team. I think it’s pretty obvious to see that this is a really talented team that are all on the same page and heading in the same direction.”I mean, yeah, it’s a great achievement till now, but really, if you look back, we haven’t achieved anything yet. That’s the one thing I’ve been saying to the players since the moment we qualified.Related

• Shashank Singh: 'I'll tell you we are at the top of the world on June 3'

• Arya and Inglis – contrasting methods, near-identical results

• Arya and Inglis take PBKS to Qualifier 1 and send MI to the Eliminator

• IPL playoffs: How can RCB and GT make it to the top two?

• LSG in the way of RCB's top-two finish

“The vision for me was always to finish in the top two, and we’ve got there now. It’s a really happy group and we’ve enjoyed our time in each other’s company for the last ten weeks, but we’ve got another week to go yet.”Ponting heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer, with whom he has worked previously at Delhi Capitals (DC). Ponting said that he was determined to acquire Iyer at the last IPL auction, and that was visible with PBKS splurging INR 26.75 crore on him.”I was pretty keen to work with him [Iyer] again,” Ponting said. “It was pretty obvious that how much money I was willing to spend on him at the auction. We had a great working relationship in Delhi, we made a final [IPL 2020] in Delhi under his captaincy.”I’ve known him as a person and as a player for a long time. He’s a quality person and when you’ve got quality people around your team, when you’re trying to make a difference and you’re trying to change culture, that’s what you need. If you spoke to the players individually, I think every single one of them would give Shreyas a great rap because he has spent a lot of time with them.”He’s pumped them up, he’s given them a pat on the back when they needed it, and he’s given them a kick in the pants when they’ve needed it as well, which is a sign of a really good and strong leader.”

Iyer: ‘Ecstatic that everything is working’

Iyer spoke about his camaraderie with Ponting. “He just gives me that freedom to go out there and express myself, especially being decisive on the field,” Iyer said. “I tell him that ‘you do the thinking outside, let me go and execute things on the field’. So yeah, all these things have culminated in a great way and I’m kind of ecstatic that everything is working.”Ricky has been fantastic with the player management. And for me, it’s important to gain the trust of each and every individual. And that happened initially by winning the matches. And the more interactions you have with the players, the more confidence they get.”2:22

Is this finally PBKS’ year?

Iyer was also effusive in his praise of Josh Inglis, for whom he sacrificed his No. 3 spot. The wicketkeeper-batter did not disappoint as he struck a vital 42-ball 73 against MI, setting the platform for PBKS’ run-chase alongside Priyansh Arya.”Our plan was that since he loves to play new ball, he was the only batsman we were chopping and changing right from the game he played,” Iyer said. “So I wanted him to play more deliveries as much as possible. And we know he can be destructive and he can change the momentum of the game. It worked like wonder for us.”Obviously, he’s a big-match player and we saw that today. So yeah, fantastic attitude and I hope that he keeps continuing with the same.”It’s been a sensational season so far for PBKS as they end the league stage with nine wins in 14 games. What’s changed this time?”I personally feel that every individual stepped up at the right time,” Iyer said. “Starting from game one, we’ve been in that mindset that we have to win irrespective of whatever situation we’ve been provided. When we’re down in the dumps, someone will put their hand up and say that, ‘okay, I’m going to win the game from here’.”That has been happening. Kudos to everyone for the contribution and also the support staff and management. They’ve been tremendous.”