The skipper and talismanic batter of the Punjab Kings (PBKS), Shreyas Iyer found himself in a very precarious situation. Much to the scare of the team's fans, their leader suffered a nasty blow to the index finger of his hand during a practice session one day before the match. He was seen chatting to the head coach, Ricky Ponting, about it and looked in disbelief. He, however, didn't pull out, and as captains are, gritty and dogged, he went along with it. The ice pack and magic spray came to his rescue for the time being, and only he knew for how long. 

Iyer usually bats one down in the order, but came further down. He could be seen struggling with donning his gloves, and eventually came in the middle at the fall of the third wicket of his team. He faced difficulties in timing the ball and was more often than not in a tentative state while batting in his brief and slow innings of 30 runs in 25 balls. His injured finger made him bat unlike his intrinsic self, and it was a worrying sign for everyone in the dugout and all of Punjab's faithful. 

In the second innings, the explosive batter didn't take the field. He was instead substituted, and Shashank Singh, the finisher, was handed over the captaincy duties. The stand-in captain was helped by Ricky Ponting and Shreyas too from the dugout. Punjab, in the end, managed a victory by 10 runs, and a favourable result in the match, scheduled later in the day, confirmed their playoff spot. 

🚨 A BIG SALUTE TO SHREYAS IYER 🚨

- Shreyas Iyer injured his index finger while training yesterday, he was in pain but played the important game for Punjab Kings. [Sahil Malhotra from TOI] pic.twitter.com/YHbskGnIbH

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2025

Shreyas Iyer is giving regular inputs to the players from boundary rope 👌

- Injured but giving everything for his team. pic.twitter.com/XQjI7KhmBt

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2025

See Also: IPL 2025: Why was Shreyas Iyer substituted in match between RR vs PBKS?

Shreyas has been in impeccable form this season, both with the bat and while leading the team. His bowling and fielding changes have been immaculate, and that has fetched the team immense success this season. He is also their second-highest run scorer after Prabhsimran Singh, and his impactful knocks have dealt an irreplaceable punch to the opposition. In an unfortunate scenario, if his finger is unable to heal in time for the rest of the matches in the season, PBKS will have a tough time in his absence and might have to rope in strong replacements.

While Shreyas Iyer is by far an irreplaceable asset for the Punjab Kings, here's a look at a few players who can potentially fill in his shoes for the remainder of the season -

Sarfaraz Khan

India's relatively newer test entrant was unlucky to miss out in the auction. He went unsold at a base price of Rs 50 lakhs, while his brother Musheer bagged a deal with PBKS. He has not had great IPL returns over the years, but his recent exploits with the Indian test team might bring about a change in his attitude and produce the explosive best out of him, if recruited by the Punjab franchise. It is also the time to reward him for his stringent fitness regime that he has been on, off-season.

Anmolpreet Singh

Prabhsimran Singh's cousin went unsold in the auction at a base price of 30 lakhs. Just a few weeks after that, he smashed the quickest List A hundred by an Indian, in 35 balls, and guided Punjab to a comprehensive victory over Arunachal Pradesh in a Vijay Hazare match. Previously, he has been a part of the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad, but without much impact and a low average. 

KS Bharat

Once in and out of the Indian test team, but still featuring in the World Test Championship final 2023, and now completely off the cards, Bharat can be a decent backup. Bharat, however, has not had many good moments in his IPL career and went unsold this time. His experience is a guarantee, and he has previously represented the Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, and Kolkata Knight Riders. If brought in, he can play an anchor as well as an explosive innings. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player and captain Rajat Patidar has brought smiles to the faces of the fans as he was seen practicing batting in the nets on May 15, 2025, even though there were previous worries regarding a finger injury he got while playing against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 3 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The injury had compelled Patidar to don a splint, and he was about to miss RCB's match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with Jitesh Sharma filling in as the stand-in captain. The IPL 2025 season was, however, halted on May 9 for a week when cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan resulted in a suspension, giving Patidar some timely recovery time.

The IPL is now scheduled to resume on May 17, with RCB taking on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home in what promises to be an important match. RCB are second in the points table with 16 points from 11 games (eight wins and three losses), and a win in one of their remaining three matches would see them book a playoff berth for the fifth time in six seasons. A new video going viral on social media has assuaged the fears of fans, with the 31-year-old Madhya Pradesh batter smilingly facing a fast bowler in the nets, which means he might have recovered and could possibly lead RCB against KKR.

Patidar's performance this year has been one of two halves; he began well, accumulating 186 runs in his opening five innings at a 37.20 average and 161.73 strike rate, but in the followingx, he struggled to make just 78 runs at a 13 average and 100 strike rate. His return to the nets is welcome news for RCB, who seek to sustain the momentum they've gained following an impressive start to the tournament, including victory against KKR at Eden Gardens on the season's opening weekend.

A Pivotal Fixture for RCB's Playoff Ambitions

RCB will look to finish a double over KKR, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, in their next match on May 17 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Win or lose, it would not only confirm their playoff spot but also give them a confidence boost going into the knockout stages, where they have traditionally failed to perform well despite being regular league-stage performers.

The split is off. Just a few tapes, and Rajat Patidar is batting at the RCB nets. pic.twitter.com/NsWMr1Jtfl

— Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) May 15, 2025

Also Read: WATCH: Sunil Gavaskar honoured with ‘10000 Gavaskar’ boardroom at BCCI HQ for Test cricket milestone

Patidar's possible comeback can prove to be the game-changer for RCB, particularly with his leadership and contributions in the early stages of batting. With other big guns such as Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell on the team, RCB stands a good chance of making a concerted bid for the IPL 2025 championship, now rescheduled to be wrapped up on June 3, as they seek to make the most of their home ground against KKR.

The Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as a cover for the injured Glenn Phillips for the rest of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Phillips, signed by GT for Rs 2 crore in the auction, injured his groin during the Titans' encounter against SunRisers Hyderabad on April 6. While the New Zealand international did not have a chance to play for the playing XI this season, he was a common sight taking the field as a substitute. He has now headed home for recovery, and the franchise hopes to see him back in cricket soon.

As a response, GT has re-signed a familiar name in Shanaka, who was earlier among the team members for IPL 2023. The Sri Lankan all-rounder played three games during his earlier stint, scoring 26 runs at a strike rate of 100, but did not get a chance to bowl. Shanaka offers a bucketload of overseas experience to the team. The 32-year-old has played 102 T20Is for Sri Lanka, scoring 1,456 runs and taking 33 wickets. He also has experience in 71 ODIs and six Tests.

ALSO SEE: IPL 2025: Heinrich Klaasen’s glove mistake turns Ryan Rickelton’s dismissal into costly No-Ball

Shanaka's Recent Form and Potential Impact

He joins the IPL after a winning campaign with the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, where he performed crucially in allowing the team to claim the title. Shanaka accumulated 164 runs from 10 matches and added four wickets, demonstrating his worth in pressure games. He also played for Sri Lanka's domestic red-ball competitions this year.

With GT fighting to find consistency this year, Shanaka may find himself in for a more significant role under captaincy from Shubman Gill. His addition brings depth and flexibility into a team that aims to build up its middle order.

Updated Gujarat Titans Squad: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (Captain), Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Dasun Shanaka, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Karim Janat.

Young all-rounder Raj Bawa stepped in for Rohit Sharma, but Mumbai Indians couldn’t keep their winning run going. Hardik Pandya’s side lost to Lucknow Super Giants by 12 runs, marking their third defeat of the season. Hardik picked up his first-ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket and Suryakumar Yadav scored a fighting fifty, but it still wasn’t enough.

One of the big moments in the game was Tilak Varma being called back as “retired out” after struggling to score during the chase of 204. Even though Rohit hasn’t been in top form recently, Mumbai clearly missed his experience at the top of the order. Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton, who opened in his absence, were dismissed early, which put MI under pressure right from the start. Naturally, the team will be hoping to have their former captain back as soon as possible.

Rohit Sharma with Mumbai Indians Assistant Physiotherapist Amit Dubey last night after the practice session.

"Rohit is not playing today's match due to a knee injury he suffered during practice last night but he has almost recovered and will be fully fit for next match." pic.twitter.com/RWkLNK2jsR

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) April 4, 2025

Will Rohit Sharma play the next match for Mumbai Indians?

There’s no clear word yet on whether Rohit will be fit for Mumbai’s next game, but head coach Mahela Jayawardene shared a quick update. “Rohit took a hit on his knee, near the IT band. He tried to bat yesterday but couldn’t put any weight on it. He did a fitness test again today but still felt discomfort, so we didn’t want to take any chances. We felt it’s better to give him a few more days to recover,” Jayawardene said after the match.

ALSO READ: IPL 2025 SRH vs GT : Player battles to watch out

Going by that, there’s hope that Rohit might be fit in time for Mumbai Indians’ next match a home game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday (April 7). If he doesn’t make it for that one, he’s likely to return in the following match against Delhi Capitals on Sunday (April 13), which gives him some extra time to heal.

In a big blow to the Pakistan cricket team, opener Fakhar Zaman has been out of the big match against India on Sunday after suffering an injury in the first match of the Champions Trophy. Zaman walked off the field clutching his lower back after making a fielding attempt to stop the ball from reaching the boundary.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman will not be traveling with the team to Dubai for the highly anticipated showdown against India ❌

The aggressive left-hander suffered an injury in the opening game against New Zealand and is now likely to miss the remaining two… pic.twitter.com/nKGAmNYPOB

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) February 20, 2025

Despite the injury, Zaman batted for a while but could not open the innings. He came in to bat at No. 4 but his battle with injury seemed apparent. His agonizing stay lasted 41 balls during which he made a free-flowing 24 before being caught by Michael Bracewell.
The India-Pakistan encounter is scheduled for Sunday (February 23) in Dubai. It is a virtual elimination match for Pakistan to remain alive in the competition.

ALSO SEE:  Cricket who are the Goku, Naruto and Luffy?

New Zealand Overwhelm Pakistan
New Zealand comprehensively won the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025 by 60 runs. Tom Latham (118) and Will Young (107) played outstandingly to lead the side to 320/5 in their 50 overs.

Pakistan, who are already down one game, would play India in a do-or-die encounter in Dubai with full knowledge that their tournament may be over if they lose. The India game will be played on February 23.

The 31-year-old Indian right-arm fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is leading the Indian team in the ongoing five-match Test series decider in Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, brought bad news to the Indian cricket dressing room on the second day of the Sydney Test as he went for the scan. Here, we are coming with all of Jasprit Bumrah's updates on his injury.  

Although Jasprit Bumrah delivered eight overs on the second day of the ongoing Sydney Test, including an over in the second session of the day, he went sideline multiple times. During the second session, he was seen to go to the hospital in a car for a scan. 

See Also: Rohit Sharma clears his present status in Test cricket

Jasprit Bumrah had a back spasms

During the third session of the day, Bumrah returned to the dressing room. After the end of the second day in the Sydney Test, Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna, who is playing in the ongoing Sydney Test, said that Bumrah had back spasms.

Prasidh Krishna said, “He (Jasprit Bumrah) had a back spasms. The medical team is monitoring him. He had a scan. The medical team will update."

Update: Jasprit Bumrah is back in the dressing room. Would have rushed back after seeing India four down. Hope nothing serious and he puts the pads on for some wild swings

— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) January 4, 2025

Nothing serious at the moment

Later, a Times of India report claimed that a well-placed source in the Team India dressing room clarified the present situation of the injured Bumrah. The Sydney Test captain hasn't had any serious injury yet, as he was taken for a precautionary scan after a back spasm. The source further added that Bumrah would be okay to bat while his bowling would be totally dependent on how he would feel on the third day morning. 

The TOI report claimed, “Bumrah was taken for a precautionary scan after a back spasm, but nothing serious at the moment. He should be okay to bat, but a final call on bowling will be taken on basis of how he feels in the morning.” 

Australia’s dynamic all-rounder and current T20 captain, Mitch Marsh, is back in action after a challenging hamstring injury. This recovery comes just in time for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a critical event for the Australian cricket team. His return not only boosts Australia’s prospects but also adds a layer of excitement and anticipation for fans worldwide.

Mitch Marsh’s Injury

Marsh’s journey to recovery began with an untimely hamstring injury during the early stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for the Delhi Capitals, Marsh’s injury was a significant setback, as he had to withdraw from the tournament just as it was gaining momentum. The injury was severe enough to sideline him completely from professional cricket for several months.

See Also: Who says what after KKR’s third IPL title win

Recovery Journey

Marsh and the medical team initially believed the injury would require a three-week recovery period. However, tendons can be unpredictable, and Marsh’s recovery took longer than anticipated. The extended time off allowed him to heal thoroughly, avoiding the risk of further complications.

“It’s been progressively slow, but I’m finally getting there now and looking forward to getting stuck into the tournament. Initially we thought it was a three-weeker, but with tendons, they can take a little bit longer and you’ve sort of got to go on feel. Once I was ruled out of the IPL, we’ve certainly taken our time to get right. And I feel lucky that I’ve had that bit of extra time, a little bit of time at home to refresh,” Marsh told Cricket Australia.

Training and Preparation

Marsh rejoined his teammates in Trinidad, where he participated in intensive training sessions. His performance during these sessions has been promising, indicating that he is ready to take on the competition. The focus has been on regaining full fitness and ensuring his hamstring is up to the rigors of international cricket.

“Probably still a little while off. I’ll start bowling hopefully soon. Get through these practice games as a batter and then we’ll ramp it up. But it’s one of the beauties of being captain now, I don’t have to bowl myself. We’re lucky that we’ve got so many options with ball and so much talent, Stoin (Marcus Stoinis) and Greenie (Cameron Green), and we’ve got a lot of options. So, all our planning, it allows me to be really clear on that. I’ll bowl when I need to bowl, but outside that, it’s always team first,” Marsh noted.

Australia’s All-Rounder Strength

Australia is fortunate to have a wealth of all-rounders. Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green are two such players who can fill in with both bat and ball. This depth allows Marsh to focus on his batting while gradually easing back into bowling.

“Guys have been at the IPL and they have been playing a lot of cricket, so we’ve prioritised giving them a couple of days at home to see their family, refresh and play the long game for this tournament. We’re going to be undermanned a little bit (against Namibia), but it is a practice game. And the guys that need to play will play as much as they can and we’ll figure it out from there, ”Marsh said.

Warm-Up Matches

Warm-up matches are crucial for any team’s preparation, offering a chance to experiment with different combinations and strategies. The game against Namibia will be a vital opportunity for Marsh and his team to assess their readiness and make necessary adjustments before the tournament.

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling Reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short