As the dust begins to settle on the recently concluded World Test Championship 2025 Final, the focus now turns to yet another blockbuster Test clash that will be hosted in less than a week's time. The five-match Test series between India and England is just around the corner, and the series promises to bring viewers a lot of thrill and entertainment. For the first time, India will have a new captain in the form of young Shubman Gill, who will be leading the side in the absence of premium Indian stalwarts like Virat and Rohit. Moreover, there is also a growing possibility of seeing Arshdeep Singh make his maiden appearance for India in whites as well as the comeback of Karun Nair into the Indian Test squad after nearly nine years. 

Prior to the buildup to the highly anticipated Test series, JioHotstar has unveiled a power-packed commentary panel across several languages. The one for English comprises nine swashbuckling personalities from India and England. Ravi Shastri, Dinesh Karthik, Navjoot Singh Siddu, Sanjay Manjrekar, Anil Kumble, and Abhinav Mukund are some of the highly renowned voices in the field of cricketing broadcasting in India, who have managed to make it to this panel. Besides, the likes of legendary Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton will oversee the English commentary from an English point of view, along with former English pacer Stuart Broad, who is just beginning to make early marks in his young broadcasting career.

See also: England announce squad for 1st Test against India, Surprise picks

English commentary panel for the Ind-End Test series:

🚨 COMMENTARY PANEL OF ALL LANGUAGES FOR INDIA Vs ENGLAND TEST SERIES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/sSW6yf0h9x

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 14, 2025

This English commentary panel showcases a rich diversity and includes some very highly renowned names who have an accomplished track record in the field of commentary. While the likes of Siddhu and Shastri can add a punch of humor and keep the viewers entertained with their commentary, someone like Atherton and Nasser can bring the game to life by delving into the deep intricacies of the game. On the other hand, DK and Broad are the youngest members in the commentary panel. Although after formally retiring from all formats now, both DK and Broad will be in a much better position to relate to the current happenings on the field of play in a very meaningful way, since they played the game professionally not so long ago, unlike other commentators. 

Away from all the madness that has ensued in the ongoing IPL edition, the Royal Challengers Bangalore were seen having a light moment ahead of the grand final on June 3. The team celebrated the birthday of their skipper, Rajat Patidar, and their batting coach, Dinesh Karthik, on June 1. Notably, RCB became the first team to qualify for the final this season.

Three cakes were arranged to kick off the celebrations. The entire team, including the coaching staff, sang along as both Rajat and DK went about cutting them amid "Happy Birthday" chants. It turned out to be an extravagant cake facial-fest. In no time, the birthday celebration turned messy. Cakes were being smeared around on the faces of Patidar and DK by their teammates. In addition, Jitesh Sharma and a few others also received cake facials, and the mood in the entire RCB camp appeared bright. 

See also: WATCH: Rahul Vaidya makes bold statement for RCB ahead of IPL 2025 finale

Watch how the celebration unfolded:

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@royalchallengers.bengaluru)

RCB face one of the stiffest challenges of their entire IPL history on June 3. For the first time, the cricketing fraternity will see a new title winner. PBKS will lock horns with RCB one final time at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Hyderabad. Although RCB tasted initial success by dismissing PBKS cheaply in Qualifier 1, PBKS did manage to demonstrate their resilience by getting back to winning ways in Qualifier 2. On the back of a convincing win against MI, PBKS enter the final with a renewed sense of hope and positivity. 

Rajat Patidar was appointed as the captain of RCB prior to the commencement of the IPL 2025 season. He has performed exceptionally well in his inaugural season as captain, leading the team not only to the playoffs but also to the finals.

The race for the top two in IPL 2025 has reached an exciting stage. On Monday, Punjab Kings defeated Mumbai Indians in their last league match and entered Qualifier 1. Now, everyone is waiting to see which team will take the second spot. This will be decided on Tuesday in the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants. If RCB wins, they will finish the league in the top two. But if RCB loses, they will have to play the eliminator match against Mumbai.

Before the match against Lucknow, RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik told the team to win at any cost. He said, "It is very important to be in the top two. This is what we wanted, so we are working hard for it. We had different goals at different times, but a few games ago, we decided to focus on finishing in the top two. Now we are doing everything possible to achieve that."

Also Read -MI vs PBKS: Shashank Singh Reveals Team's WhatsApp Manifestation Behind Top 2 Finish

RCB is currently third in the points table with 17 points. If RCB wins this match, they will have 19 points from 14 matches and will move ahead of Gujarat. Gujarat has 18 points from 9 wins in 14 matches and is now in second place. If RCB loses, Gujarat will stay in second place. But if RCB wins, it will reach the top two for the first time since 2016.

If Gujarat wants to stay in the top two, they will have to hope that Lucknow defeats RCB. If this happens, Punjab will play against Gujarat in Qualifier-1, and Mumbai will face RCB in the Eliminator. In IPL, the top two teams get two chances to reach the final.

RCB has performed very well this season and is looking to win its first IPL title. If RCB wins the match against Lucknow by a big margin, it can even finish above Punjab and be at the top based on net run rate. But they just need a win to make it into the top two. Lucknow has nothing to lose in this match, but they can surely become a hurdle in RCB's way.

Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik spoke about the global surprise after the former Indian captain Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket. In the meantime, Kohli's former national and IPL teammate, who is also the present RCB batting coach, also respects the former Indian skipper's retirement decision.

While India are ready to tour England for a crucial five-match Test series, which is also India's first assignment in the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship, the captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli both recently announced their retirements from Test cricket. Kohli, who is now only active in the ODI format in international cricket, was one of the greatest Test cricketers in the modern generation.

See Also: After Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, another cricket legend bids farewell to Test cricket

Virat Kohli was a legend in Test cricket

Kohli strongly promoted Test cricket in his career. The right-handed batter scored 9230 runs in 123 Tests with an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. He also recorded seven Test double-centuries, a record by a Test captain. As Kohli was recently struggling with the bat in red-ball format, his Test cricket future became doubtful, and before the completion of the IPL 2025, the former Indian skipper announced his retirement from the longest cricket format.

Virat is at his happiest best now: Dinesh Karthik

Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik played 72 international matches together, including two Tests. Present RCB batting coach Karthik, who played 180 international matches, including 26 Tests, spoke about the importance of self-realization and self-decision while enjoying the sport. 

Karthik said, "It came as a shock to the outside world, so we just observing what Virat is up to. He is at his happiest best now, he is enjoying the sport, he is really wanting to spend his time with his family. It’s a personal decision, we respect it and as everyone else, oh this is happening, but the fact is it’s great to see him happy and ready whenever we want him to play. The key is to keep him in good spirits."

In the ongoing IPL 2025, while RCB are battling for the top two places in the final points table, Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer for his team with 548 runs in 12 innings with an average of 60.88 and a strike rate of 145.35, including seven half-centuries. 

Virat Kohli, one of cricket’s greatest icons, recently announced his retirement from Test cricket after a stellar 14-year career where he amassed 9,230 runs in 123 Tests. Following that announcement, there has been much speculation about where he goes next; some are saying pickleball may be in his future. The former Indian captain was spotted playing the game with his wife, Anushka Sharma, at a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team event inu, which made for quite the buzz, especially the sight of Kohli having fun with a teammate, Dinesh Karthik, and squash star Dipika Pallikal.

The pickleball event came about due to a rainout of an RCB practice session and included Kohli enjoying the game with teammate Karthik and Pallikal. Based on his behavior at the event, Kohli may be interested in the game. Fans posted on X about Kohli playing pickleball, with one person mentioning, “Bro already started playing a new sport!” The nature of pickleball makes it perfect for retired sports stars; it is good on the body and does not require as much physical strain as other sports. The parallel to Kohli’s competitive nature seems to be potentially aligning with the sport of pickleball, and it is growing fast, which has started to attract athletes from all sports. Overall, the sport should be enticing to Kohli. There are reports that many Bollywood and Hollywood stars or former tennis players have taken an interest in pickleball, which may influence Kohli's attention to the sport.

While Kohli has stated he wants to take a considerable amount of time off after retiring, his recent night out playing pickleball indicates that he will at least be testing the waters of new sports after retirement. A 2024 interview with RCB stated he will have no regrets in his career, which could indicate a new direction that would allow him to participate in something competitive without the full-fledged violence and expectation of professional Cricket. If pickleball is an avenue he explores seriously or just to have fun, he already created some buzz with his appearance in the sport. 

Kohli’s Potential Pickleball Journey

Kohli's capabilities as a hardcore-nose athlete and relentless effort could make him a force in pickleball. His hand-eye coordination, quick reaction time, and game plan from years of Cricket would allow him to dominate the sport's chaotic back-and-forth rallies. If he decides to pursue pickleball competitively, he could go the route of former Tennis stars, use his world fame to help elevate the sport in India.

Also Read: What is pickleball? The sport Virat Kohli was seen playing – rules and how to play

However, Kohli has also alluded to spending time with family and privacy after retirement and going to London with Anushka and their kids. While pickleball offers a fun, less demanding outlet, his focus may remain on business ventures and philanthropy. Only time will tell if Kohli will paddle his way into pickleball’s competitive scene or keep it as a casual pastime.

Kohli Willingness to Improvement Has No Limits

He still has goals he wants to achieve even later in his career. “Even now, when I was coming for the press conference, Virat Kohli told me that he wants to work on one more shot,” says Dinesh Karthik. This statement shows his constant drive to become better.

Dinesh Karthik said, "Even now when i was coming for the press conference Virat kohli told me that he wants to work on one more short."
Sadly, A few months ago, his own fans were questioning his hunger towards cricket 💔
pic.twitter.com/0gkUmG1qDD

— leisha (@katyxkohli17) March 27, 2025

Changing Expectations and Criticism 

A few months back, some of Kohli's supporters said that he had lost his desire in sports. The most vocal of his self-proclaimed fans believed that he had completely given up on playing. Regardless, Kohli came public and proved everyone wrong by demonstrating his love for the game

Also read:-CSK vs RCB : Match 08 Weather and Pitch report IPL 2025

Kholi is a champion. His enormous dedication towards the sport endured great loss along the way and showed rest of us that what a true champion is. Champions never settle, they just keep evolving. Greatness is not about achieving lofty goals, but in fact constantly pushing the boundaries and further stretching one’s

 limits.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a stage for explosive batting, and the 20th over often decides the fate of matches with its high-stakes drama. Here’s a look at the top players with the most sixes in the 20th over, based on balls faced.

Leading the pack is the legendary MS Dhoni, reigns at the top of the chart with 69 sixes out off 330 balls. The nickname, "Captain Cool," that he has earned is due to his strength of the capability to end games with those big strikes which has made him the most favored player and the most fearful of bowlers in the death overs.

Following him is Kieron Pollard, who has succeeded in hitting 33 sixes off 189 balls. This West Indian at many times has been the individual who gets the advantage of the match to the side of Mumbai Indians by his extraordinary magnitude.

Most 6s in 20th Over in IPL

69 - MS Dhoni (330b)
33 - Kieron Pollard (189b)
30 - Ravindra Jadeja (181b)
28 - Hardik Pandya (117b)
23 - Rohit Sharma (91b)
21 - 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 (106b)*
20 - Dinesh Karthik (136b)
19 - AB Devilliers (88b)#DCvsLSG

— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) March 24, 2025

Also Read: Krunal Pandya’s birthday celebrated in RCB camp amid IPL 2025

Next Ravindra Jadeja who has hit 30 sixes in 181 balls, & he is an epitome of versatility among cricketers. And Hardik Pandya’s 28 sixes in 117 balls prove how he always drives the onlookers to the edge of their seats. Rohit Sharma (23 sixes off 91 balls) and David Miller (21 sixes off 106 balls) contribute their part, with Miller still playing and setting his sights on the list’s ascension. Also on the list are Dinesh Karthik (20 sixes off 136 balls) and AB de Villiers (19 sixes off 88 balls) to complete the picture, the accolade of a game changer being appropriate for them.

Also Read: Nicholas Pooran's smashing over: 28 runs in just six balls!

Their ability to maintain their cool is what sets apart in these high octane encounters. Classic moments from IPL history such as Dhoni’s helicopter shot and Pollard’s majestic lofts coupled with de Villiers’ 360 degree innovation will always remain in our memories. While Jadeja and Pandya have took the baton and established themselves as the new age phenomenal finishers with unmatched accuracy and power.

We might see new people on this list with the evolution of T20 cricket, but thoes names will always be remembered.

Top Ducks in IPL History

Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most thrilling cricket league in the world. Numerous players have played excellently in the past years, and some of them have also gone through rough patches. The worst IPL record is maintaining the highest number of ducks (getting out without running even once). In this article, we will consider the players who hold the highest number of ducks in IPL history.

What is a Duck in Cricket?
A "duck" in cricket is when a batsman gets bowled out without earning even a single run. It is one of the most frustrating ways in which a player can get out. Ducks can happen due to good bowling, bad shot selection, or bad luck.

ALSO READ:Dropped but Not Defeated: Ishan Kishan’s Stunning Comeback
Top Ducks in IPL by Players
At present, three of the greatest cricketers of all time have the highest number of ducks in IPL history. They are:

1. Dinesh Karthik - 18 Ducks Dinesh Karthik is an experienced wicketkeeper-batsman who has featured for several teams in the IPL. Despite scoring several match-winning innings, he also holds the record of making 18 ducks. His attacking style of play at times leads to premature dismissals.

2. Glenn Maxwell - 18 Duck
Glenn Maxwell, a destructive batsman, has also not been spared in the IPL. Even though one of the most destructive batsmen, he has been dismissed for zero 18 times. His attacking game style leads to premature dismissals

3. Rohit Sharma - 18 Ducks Rohit Sharma, as great a batsman and captain as he is, also holds this record. Even though he has scored more than 6,000 IPL runs, he has been bowled out without scoring on 18 occasions. He often gets tough bowling attacks as an opener, which results in early dismissals.

Nidahas Trophy is a tri-nation series conducted by Sri Lanka on their occasion of Independence which was first played in 1998 marking their 50th independence anniversary. In Sri Lanka Nidahas means freedom. The first edition of the Nidahas trophy was played between India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the matches were played in round robin format where each team will face the other team twice. 

After the round robin stage the final two teams with highest points will play the final against each other. The 1998 Nidahas trophy final was played against India and Sri Lanka where Sri Lanka became the winner with the brilliance of Sanath Jaysuriya batting. After that there were no matches happened after that. In 2018 it, was inaugrated by Sri Lanka once again. 

Read More: Rishab Pant Has To Score Big To Get Into Indian Team

Nidhas Trophy Of 2018

In remembrance of their 100th anniversary of independence, Sri Lanka hosted the Nidahas trophy where this time India, Srilanka and Bangladesh were invited and the same round-robin round was inducted. India was led by Rohit Sharma for the first time in the tri series. It was the starting stage of Rohit Sharma's captaincy, At the end Bangladesh and India reached the final of the Nidahas trophy, earlier where Sri Lanka was beaten up by Bangladesh and they booed with naagin style dance. 

That semi final match and the type of celebration were on hurtbreak for Sri Lankan fans and they supported India in the final against Bangladesh which happened in colombo. Even the main stream of highlight was Dinesh Karthik who was making his comeback after a period of decade which was rare to seen in Indian cricket team. 

Read More: Aakash Chopra Shows His Concerns On Making Rahane As Kolkata Captain

That final Hit By Karthik

Nidahas Trophy final was held on today exactly 7 years ago where Bangladesh won the toss and choose to bat first and posted a total of 167 runs. It became a tricky chase for India where India lost top few wickets at early but the middle order came into the resuce though the job was not yet finished and then came Dinesh Karthik at number 6 but it was to much of a score to chase. 

On this day in 2018, Dinesh Karthik Anna silenced the Nagins 🐍
Most viewed Cricket Moment on YouTube till date.pic.twitter.com/lBzGWFyAvB

— Abhishek (@vicharabhio) March 18, 2025

India required 34 runs in 2 overs where Dinesh Karthik took things under his shoulders he pounded the bowlers for sixes and fours, and a stage came where 5 runs required off 1 ball , Somya Sarkar bowled a full-length delivery slides wide and Karthik slashed the ball over mid-on and the ball travelled over the rope for six and Bangladesh was silenced in their every style

The Indian Premier League has not only provided a platform for young players but has also allowed some out-of-turn careers to resurrect themselves after injuries or even a slow phase. There have been countless names over the years who have taken benefits out of IPL to reignite their careers, catching the eye of the national team, thereby slowly gaining back their lost legacy. Here is a brief about a few biggest names who have turned around their careers, thanks to the IPL.

1. Shane Watson (Australia)

Before joining the Rajasthan Royals in the first season of the IPL in 2008, Shane Watson struggled with injuries and inconsistencies in international cricket. However, his all-round performances in the IPL renewed him into relevance, which included winning the Player of the Tournament award in 2008. He then went on to become a mainstay once again for Australia and later slayed in the 2018 IPL final with a match-winning century for Chennai Super Kings.

2. Robin Uthappa (India)

Robin Uthappa's on-and-off relationship with the Indian national unit was cleared up by his IPL success, putting him back in the spotlight. He represented multiple franchises, but his best was in 2014 with the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he won the Orange Cap and helped KKR win the title. It was this performance in the IPL that saw a brief return for him to the Indian team.

3. Chris Gayle (West Indies)

Before the 2011 IPL, this West Indies player lost his central contract and, in the auction, didn't find a buyer. And then Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) called him a replacement player, and the rest is history. He thrashed the league, culminating in the 175 off 66 balls in 2013, for the highest individual T20 score. His IPL resurgence also saw him returning to the West Indies squad, where he became the winning captain of the 2016 T20 World Cup.

4. Dinesh Karthik (India)

Dinesh Karthik's career has been marked by multiple comebacks, with each of them largely glamorous and IPL nursed. They achieved their greatest delight, owing to IPL 2022, with RCB, wherein he played the finisher role and forced his way back in to India's T20I squad for the T20 World Cup 2022.

Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar Raises His Concerns On PCB Missing The Champions Trophy Ceremony

5. Pat Cummins (Australia)

Pat Cummins had been tormented by injuries throughout the early stages of his career, forcing him onto the sidelines for years. In 2020, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹15.5 crore, and his performance in IPL assisted him in getting his mojo back. Later, he became Australia’s Test captain and led them to more than one ICC trophy.

6. Rahul Tewatia (India)

Before he hit five sixes in one over against the Punjab Kings in IPL 2020, Rahul Tewatia was an unknown name; he became an overnight sensation when his consistent performance for Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans surely made him one of the top Indian all-rounders in the IPL.