A century of rivalry bound by respect - said a giant tifo featuring Tutu Bose and Paltu Das, two of the deceased legendary administrators of Mohun Bagan Super Giants and East Bengal, respectively. If it drew most eyeballs from the ‘Mariners Arena,’ as Mohun Bagan supporters are now known as, a stunning one at their rivals’ end was the one depicting how displaced people from the east Pakistan found a resonance in the club’s roots.

The tifos have been, for the last few years, a welcome addition to the fandom of two of the oldest extant clubs in Asia – while the Kolkata derby remains the most important football fixture of the country without a doubt. They have often taken a political hue, like the demand for justice for the junior doctor allegedly raped and killed at R.G.Kar Hospital or in recent times, an ode to the late actor and podcaster Rahul Arunodoy Bandopadhyay, a sworn East Bengal fan who had a tragic death in end-May.

The atmosphere was simply electric (no surprises there) as more than 60,000 fans filled up the terraces at the Salt Lake Stadium, the biggest football venue in the country, as the Indian Super League (ISL) title hinged on the big game for the first time in its 12-year history. While Mohun Bagan has won the title multiple times (both in their avatar as ATK Mohun Bagan or Mohun Bagan Super Giant), it had been an uphill struggle for their archrivals – who had been finishing in the lower lungs of the table since their bow in the elite league.

All that could change on Thursday (21 May), when East Bengal look virtually set to lift the crown as they play a rudderless Inter Kashi on the last day of ISL. A thrilling 1-1 draw on Sunday have now thrown open the league with the Big Two now on 23 points from 12 matches, but East Bengal remain on top due to a superior goal-difference of 18 compared to Mohun Bagan’s 13. Mumbai City FC and Punjab FC are also on 22 points with the two sides set to meet on 21 May. 

East Bengal can hence clinch the crown if they beat Inter Kashi in their final match, given that Mohun Bagan will have a mountain to climb to overcome at least a six-goal difference against SC Delhi on the same day and kick-off time. The title now is East Bengal’s to lose and no wonder Oscar Bruzon – their Spanish coach who scripted the turnaround after taking charge of a relegation-threatened team in the previous season – is not willing to take anything for granted. ‘’The mission is still on, and we’ve got one more game to prove it. Joy East Bengal,’’ Bruzon said on his X-handle.

Sergio Lobera, the Spanish counterpart of Bruzon who took charge of a high-flying club by replacing the decorated coach Jose Mollina, said: ‘’I think it was a very good day for both teams. They played well also. But maybe we deserve a little bit more. This is my feeling as a coach, I want to watch the game again but my feeling now, our plan worked and we had the chances to win the game. With maximum respect, I think it was more of our mistakes than the plan of the opponent.’’

The timeless appeal of this fixture – which the administrators of the game have failed to cash in on over the years – manifested in no uncertain terms again. For the statistically inclined, here’s a look at the head-to-head after Sunday which underlines the history and richness of the fixture: the two Kolkata giants have now met 349 times across competitions with East Bengal leading the head-to-head record with 129 wins to Mohun Bagan’s 105 while 115 matches have ended in draws.

East Bengal has scored 324 goals in the derby compared to Mohun Bagan’s 286. Their previous meeting had ended in a goalless draw in the Super Cup at Margao on 31 October 2025. Let the show continue!

When Bhuvneshwar Kumar first won the purple cap in IPL 2016 for being the highest wicket taker, a certain Shubman Gill was yet to turn an adult, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a five-year-old. The 36-year-old master of seam and swing, who last donned India colours back in 2022 and was being considered a washout by most, has really re-invented himself in the current season, so much so that he is well poised for another tilt at said cap.

Last night in Dharamsala, Bhuvi — as the self-effacing allrounder is popular as — breached the usually compact defence of Gujarat Titans skipper Gill and added another one in the qualifier 1 as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into their first back-to-back final. At 26 wickets with an economy rate of 8.07, the canny Bhuvi is very much at the top of the race, with the final to come on Sunday, 31 May.

Chasing him in second spot is South African Kagiso Rabada, who is also sitting on the same number of wickets for Gujarat Titans but with a marginally poorer economy of 9.18. The Titans, who were walloped in qualifier 1, will have another crack at a final berth against the winner of the eliminator — which means Rabada can look at another two matches if things go their way.

A purple cap after a gap of nine years (Bhuvi won it back-to-back in 2016-17 for Sunrisers Hyderabad) would be an extraordinary feat for any pace bowler, but the sense of satisfaction would be no less for the Meerut-born cricketer even if he ends second in the race.

Back in the day, Bhuvi and Rashid Khan were key to the Sunrisers’ successful template of defending small targets in an eight-team competition for several seasons. The going has only got tougher since then for a senior pro like Bhuvi, with more matches, introduction of ‘impact players’ — with the current season proving to be a bowler’s nightmare with an overall run-rate of 9.85 until last week, the highest in IPL history.

The question is: how did Bhuvi manage to do it in such an unfavourable ecosystem for bowlers, having to shoulder the tag of being the leader of the pace bowling unit in the absence of Josh Hazlewood in the initial stages? Bhuvi’s arsenal was a time-tested one which relied on control over length and a mix of swing and seam, not to speak of ice in his veins during the death overs.

Trying to decode his senior pace bowler’s craft, RCB’s talismanic Virat Kohli said in his viral podcast recently: "When you have technical abilities in place, you can always adjust. And especially when you are going through a tough phase, it is easier for the guys who have a technical foundation to a way to score runs or get wickets.

What is Bhuvi doing? He is not bowling banana in-swing, banana out swingers.

‘’He (Bhuvi) is bowling at a length that is telling the guys: I am good enough to hit this length everytime. It is the most length to hit and I am just gonna keep hitting this length. Are you good enough to take me on or not?’’

A total of six three-wicket hauls in RCB’s first 11 games, not to speak of the epochal feat of being the first pace bowler to claim 200 IPL wickets, was possibly just reward for Bhuvi’s craft and resilience.

It has been nothing short of a dream season for the earnest speedster — who works on a self-starter and is not vocal at all on any comeback ambitions on the international stage. This, of course, didn’t stop him from becoming only the third bowler, the first Indian, to claim 25-plus wickets for multiple IPL teams, the other two being Dwayne Bravo and Rabada.

 Nice guys, as his saga tells you, need not always finish last.

When co-hosts Mexico and South Africa set the ball rolling for the ‘biggest’ World Cup a little after midnight (IST) at the historic Azteca Stadium tomorrow, 11 June, it will mark the biggest gamble on the part of FIFA in the history of the game. As the jury is out on whether a 50 per cent increase in teams (48 from 32) at one go and a quantum leap in the number of matches will make the sport more inclusive, there are several points to ponder.    

It was nine years back during a FIFA Congress in 2017 that it had voted to make the World Cup a 48-team affair from the existing 32, which had been in place since 1998. ‘’This is a historic decision to shape the World Cup of the 21st century. Football is more than just Europe and South America and it should give more countries the chance to dream,’’ said Gianni Infantino, the then newly appointed FIFA president replacing the long-serving Sepp Blatter who exited amidst charges of large-scale corruption.

The expansionist plans of Infantino, with an eye on the windfall that TV revenue could generate if there were 104 matches instead of 64, has polarised the football world since then. The footballing elite of Europe — particularly La Liga and Bundesliga bosses — had resisted even as the Asian and African blocs lauded the move.

Infantino, however, tried to push the envelope a bit too soon when he advocated the expanded format from Qatar 2022 itself, but was shot down on the grounds that the small Gulf kingdom would not have the wherewithal to play host at such short notice.

If the upcoming edition of what’s billed as the ‘greatest show on earth’ can smoothly merge economics with fan engagement, Infantino will certainly be hailed as a game-changer. In sheer scale, it is expected to shatter all attendance and broadcasting records, generating an estimated $9 billion in revenue for FIFA and injecting billions into local economies across 16 host cities. However, it’s the governing body’s desperate gesture of trying to woo US President Donald Trump (remember the peace award during the World Cup draw?) which has struck the biggest discordant note so far.

The important question on the pitch, meanwhile, is whether a bigger World Cup will necessarily mean better quality of competition. There could be a flicker of hope for Indian fans in future — however long the shot — as Asia now gets nine spots instead of the earlier six, while there has been a proportionate increase in berths for Africa and North and Central Americas. This has paved the way for fairytale debuts for nations like Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and the Caribbean nation of Curaçao — the last named being the smallest to qualify for the event.

While there is a possibility that some of the matches could be lopsided contests, avid watchers of the tournament's evolution will vouch for the fact that there was a similar apprehension when the number of teams was increased from 24 to 32 in 1998. A World Cup, to fall back on Infantino’s famous words, cannot continue to be a preserve of Europe and Latin America at a time when other popular sporting disciplines are vying for new markets. 

The depth of field in the beautiful game, or Pele’s jogo bonito if you like, is such that despite an increase in the quota of three teams for Europe (16 countries), four-time champions Italy still failed to qualify for the third straight edition. There were heartbreaks for other major football powers like former Euro champions Denmark, and Hungary, while 'Super Eagles' Nigeria failed to earn a place among 10 African nations.

Talk of individual players, and it’s a pity that someone like Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — who played a key role in PSG’s back-to-back Champions League titles, will be missing out as his country failed to make the cut from the European zone.    

The format, meanwhile, will be bit of a culture shock for World Cup watchers. The top two teams from each of the 12 four-team groups will qualify for the round of 32, along with eight best third-placed finishers, leading to an extra round where the champions will have to play a maximum of eight matches instead of seven as in the past. The presence of eight best third-placed teams, however, minimises chances of a good team missing out, while even so-called underdogs only need a few good days to trigger chaotic, memorable upsets.

However, there are tangible concerns as to whether the length of the tournament — which now stretches over 39 days instead of the time-tested 30. With club football driving the ecosystem these days, top-tier international stars have arrived in North America after gruelling seasons, and forcing them to play eight matches does raise legitimate questions about burnout.

One thing is for certain — if Qatar 2022 had tested the response of football aficionados to a first-ever World Cup in winter, the 2026 edition may be the precursor to the tournament's future avatar. The question is: how many host countries will be capable of staging the tournament on such a scale on their own? The next one in 2030 has the trio of Spain, Portugal and Morocco but then, Saudi Arabia is due to host the next one.

Host cities in each country

Mexico: Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City

Canada: Toronto and Vancouver

US: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.

Will the change of regime in Bengal cast its shadow on the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), the most high-profile sporting body in the state? Tongues have started wagging with the news that the Z category security ring around Sourav Ganguly, former India captain and now in his second innings as CAB president, has been downgraded to Y with immediate effect.   

It was back in 2023 that the Trinamool Congress government had upgraded Dada's security profile to the stature of a VVIP — which entailed a bigger police deployment for his movements as well as at his residence at Behala's Biren Roy Road (East). Sources conversant with the development confirmed that the state's new BJP-led government had arrived at the decision after stock taking at an administrative meeting because of no 'real threat perception’ for the cricket icon.

The decision looks like a routine one upfront, but the catch is Ganguly’s well-known proximity to previous chief minister Mamata Banerjee — whom he accompanied on a business trip to Spain two years ago. Ganguly, whose presence is heavily sought after in Kolkata's elite social gatherings, had been named the state’s brand ambassador a few years ago, and was a regular speaker at the opening ceremony of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).

CAB head honchos have, over the years, always maintained a close proximity with the corridors of power for the smooth execution of marquee matches, and Ganguly was no exception, often terming his proximity with the previous CM as a "personal equation" untouched by any latent political ambitions. However, it hasn’t exactly been a secret that the BJP had unsuccessfully wooed Ganguly to join its bandwagon ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, which it lost heavily.

There have been several examples of former international cricketers taking up key roles in state administrations. Venkatesh Prasad, for instance, a former teammate of Ganguly's, is now president of the high-profile Karnataka State Cricket Association. However, Ganguly is not just another former international, and the state’s cricket circles are keeping a close watch on his moves in keeping with the dramatically changed political landscape.

The CAB annual general meeting scheduled later this year could test the charismatic former captain's diplomatic skills but a lot can happen between now and then. Ganguly has been playing his cards right in the past month, during which he invited Dilip Ghosh — a senior BJP minister and cricket buff — to watch an IPL game and felicitated him on his new responsibility.

With the IPL season now over, the CAB is bracing for the third edition of its own Bengal T20 League which starts on Friday, 5 June but has been beset with teething troubles. Among the discordant notes is Sourashis Lahiri, former Bengal spinning allrounder and a successful coach at the age-group level, who pulled no punches in accusing CAB selectors and top brass of favouritism in the selection of coaches and players.

Speaking to National Herald over phone, Lahiri said: ‘’I stick to my position that despite delivering results and getting enough recognition to work with the BCCI’s next generation of coaches at the Centre of Excellence, my candidature as Under-19 Bengal coach was rejected. I would like to know what else I need to do to qualify for the job.’’

There is surely a lot on the plate for the man who knows Eden Gardens like the back of his hand. The pitch may be holding up a bit for now and it remains to be seen how Ganguly negotiates the turn and bounce. 

Remember Jacob Bethell, the 23-year-old with bleach blonde hair, who sent shivers down India’s spine with a 105 off 48 balls during England’s T20 World Cup semi-final? Now in his second season of IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore, he admits of spending quality time by watching the senior pros upclose and adapting to a high tempo of the game.  

Speaking to the official YouTube channel of his franchise, Bethell said how watching teammate Virat Kohli at work can be a masterclass for any batter aspiring for excellence.  “Watching Virat chase, you understand the art of batting, how to control a chase and stay not out. It’s about shifting gears based on the situation,” said Bethell, being heralded as a future superstar of world cricket.

How has the demanding environment of IPL been treating him so far? The overseas quota of four players in playing XI means Bethell has to be patient in waiting for his place, but he has created an impact with the 33-ball 55 in a recent win over Chennai Super Kings. The champions, in a middle of a strong season so far where they are second in the table, will be taking on Lucknow Super Giants next on Thursday and he wants to leave a bigger footprint in his second season.

“I wanted to be better than last year,’’ says the youngster. ‘’Whether you play a few games or many, it’s about hunger. This is the marquee tournament, if you don’t improve here, when will you?” he says. ‘’When I got to RCB first, I was curious about the experience. Watching Virat, Rajat (Patidar) and speaking to DK (Dinesh Karthik), I realised the game shifts here. It’s played at a high tempo; you have to be aggressive and brave,’’ said Bethell, who has whipped up a strike rate of 171-plus in IPL.

The fans in India, according to him are hands-on and can be extremely demanding. “Walking out with Virat, hearing the crowd, it was loud. You have to stay completely switched on,” remarked Bethell, who had been a Warwickshire man since 2021. “People here love talking about cricket. It’s more hands-on with more information shared. The passion and volume of cricket at a young age is incredible.” 

Asked to share his comments about the coaching group in RCB, Bethell remarked: “Andy (Flower) observes and speaks only when needed; you listen when he does. DK is excellent at spotting things and identifying scoring areas quickly.” 

Flower, a former England coach, underlined Bethell’s potential when he said: “My first sight of Bethell was in the Under-19 World Cup, a very talented batsman with real flair. We targeted him straight away. He’s got a mature cricketing brain and won’t be cowed or bullied by anyone, which is a trait you see in top players.

‘’ One of the key skills at this level is filtering information well, and he does that exceptionally. The IPL and RCB environment will stand him in really good stead, I expect great things from him. He’s ready not just to compete with the best, but to thrive in that company.”

Looking back on his journey so far, Bethell reflected: ‘’I grew up in Barbados, always with a bat and ball. Around 10–12, I started taking it seriously. I moved to England for school, progressed to Warwickshire and signed my first contract in 2021. A stress fracture set me back but I came back strong, earned an England call-up and then arrived in Bengaluru.” 

How does he enjoy the star boy adulation so far? “The limelight is a funny thing, life is still the same but when people want to watch you play, it’s a privilege. I don’t know how many people in India would be calling me starboy. It’s pretty incredible,” he added.

The die has been cast for Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, as they lost their eighth game out of 11 so far and become the second team to be knocked out of any play-off chances in IPL 2026. The sense of despondency among the Mumbai Paltan, who began the season on a winning note at home, is understandable -  while the knives are once again out for the beleaguered skipper Hardik Pandya.

It’s been three seasons now that Pandya had completed the controversial trade-off from Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai camp again – with reports of an undisclosed sum of money changing hands over and above the transfer fees. While the first season in 2024 under him had been a disaster with the team finishing last in the table, they regrouped well last year to make the play-offs before slumping into inconsistency again this time.

After the 2025 season saw a rejuvenated Hardik after emerging as the MVP in India’s T20 World Cup triumph the previous year, much was expected of him after yet another critical role by him behind the Men in Blue retaining the crown last March. However, call it the fatigue factor (which has seen a number of the World T20 winning members enduring a poor IPL season) or any form of niggle, Hardik had been far from his best – scraping together 146 runs from the eight matches he played and only four wickets. 

The buzz on social media on Monday was that the captain had distanced himself from the franchise by 'unfollowing' them on Instagram and deleting the squad photos from his account. While it was not true as MI returned as one of his 'followed' accounts after a brief absence, informed sources reveal that the equation between the star allrounder and the management has entered an uncomfortable phase due to some non-cricketing issues. The last match in Raipur on Sunday, which MI lost narrowly in the last over to RCB, saw Pandya missing the third game on the trot owing to a ‘back issue,’ but it has set the tongues wagging.

‘’Hardik had developed a back issue – we will monitor it on a day-to-day basis,’’ said head coach Mahela Jayawardene after the defeat. The Sri Lankan legend, brought back into coaching operations from a global role after the MI floundered under Mark Boucher, was at a loss to explain the team’s early ouster.

‘’It’s difficult for me to sum up the season at this stage, but we were not just good enough. We were not good with bad or ball and we were not consistent,’’ remarked Mahela. A series of injuries including Rohit Sharma, Hardik and the lacklustre form of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma (barring a century) did not help MI campaign – while what hurt them especially was Jasprit Bumrah suddenly losing his venom in the earlier part of the tournament.

‘’We still have a few games left and have to continue with the season,’’ said Mahela as their next game is against Punjab Kings on 14 May.  While the mild mannered chief coach was protective about the ‘core group’ in his team – an educated guess is that the team management may be looking for a change at the helm for the next season if not for the three remaining games as well. With Rohit Sharma possibly staring at his last couple of seasons in IPL and Surya suffering a prolonged drought with the bat, Tilak Varma’s name is being aired as an incumbent for the future.

For now, the best MI can hope for is a late push to finish at mid-table and then take a fresh guard for the next season!

The Kishore Bharati Krirangan, on the eastern fringes of Kolkata, is a modest football venue by any stretch of the imagination, with a capacity of around 10,000 fans. However, it turned into an emotional cauldron on a sultry Thursday night when the Indian Super League (ISL) champions were decided there for the first time on the final day of the 2025–26 season, as East Bengal ended an agonising 22-year wait for a national league title.

No wonder the floodgates of emotion opened as soon as the final whistle blew, as the red-and-gold brigade secured all three points in a nervy encounter against Inter Kashi. The victory helped them edge past arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant on goal difference to lift the biggest prize in Indian football. If the 22-year wait sounds familiar, it is because Arsenal had ended a drought of the same duration before clinching the Premier League title on Tuesday.

Tears flowed and red-and-gold scarves swirled in the air as East Bengal underlined their status as first-time champions of the elite league — a triumph that also earned them the right to represent India in the AFC Champions League.

“It seems we have a connection with Arsenal,” club supremo Debabrata Sarkar joked after the winners’ trophy was handed over to the players at the stadium clubhouse.

The photo booth set up for the team members to pose with the trophy soon became irrelevant as pandemonium broke loose after the final whistle. Fans invaded the pitch, while the police on duty eventually gave in to public demand and allowed supporters onto the ground for a closer glimpse of their heroes.

The free-for-all inside the ground became alarming after a point as the nightmarish memories of Messi’s visit to Salt Lake Stadium last December was still fresh in memory. Kalyan Choubey, the president of All India Football Federation (AIFF) who was in attendance to present the trophy, finally did the honours within the confines of the clubhouse to prevent any untoward crowd frenzy.

The last national league East Bengal had won a national league was the erstwhile I-League in 2004 when the likes of Baichung Bhutia, Alvito Da Cunha of an earlier generation used to ply their trade. The elite ISL was introduced with much fanfare in 2014, where East Bengal made a late entry and could never match the strength of Mohun Bagan’s financial muscle and started losing ground – having to rebuild their team from scratch thrice and being constantly on the hunt for a stable sponsor. 

It’s in this backdrop that the title assumes remarkable significance for a team which prides on it’s ethnic origins of being a voice for the displaced people from across the border. ‘’For a club like East Bengal, it was heartbreaking to keep missing out on a national league year after year – and concede ground to our arch rivals. If you look at the head-to-head clashes over the years and across tournaments, East Bengal are still far ahead but when it comes to ISL, we have never been able to beat them. However, this title could be a gamechanger for the future,’’ remarked Rupak Saha, the club secretary.

The curtains hence came down on a truncated version of the elite league which till this January, looked a non-starter with no commercial partner in sight alongwith no confirmation of the official broadcaster. The question mark over the fate of the league, not to speak of the funding of the champion side, who are being bankrolled by the Emami Group at the moment, are also major talking points for the coming months.

There is hence no doubt that their title could not have come at a better time for the historic club. For now, they can savour a well-earned title earned Oscar Bruzon, a journeyman Spanish coach, who turned around the club from the brink after taking charge only last year! 

The 40,000-odd fans who made their way to Eden Gardens on an extremely humid evening on Wednesday, 20 May, must have wanted to see home team Kolkata Knight Riders win to stay alive with a slim chance of making the IPL 2026 play-offs. If there was anything else on their agenda, it was also to see Rohit Sharma provide some fireworks in what could arguably be his last innings in competitive cricket at this venue.

However, there was disappointment on that front as the ‘Hitman’ was foxed by a change of pace from rookie left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey, holing out beyond mid-wicket for Cameron Green to complete an extremely well judged catch to trigger an early collapse. A laboured innings of 15 off 13 balls, which included two of his trademark effortless sixes, hence came to an end.

The question, which weighed in the minds of some of Rohit’s fans at the clubhouse during a lengthy rain stoppage was whether the white ball giant — who will be 40 next year — be back at this venue where he is called the ‘King of Eden.’

Technically speaking, Rohit along with Virat Kohli is in the running for berths in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe (October-November), but it remains to be seen how he would figure in the MI management’s scheme of things next year.

The MI management is believed to be extremely unhappy at the way the season had panned out for them for they were the first team to go out of reckoning. A rash of injuries, including a hamstring issue for Rohit, along with a captaincy crisis of sorts did not help the campaign.

It’s not for nothing that Rohit considers Eden his ‘second home’ after Wankhede Stadium — as it has been witness to a number of his career landmarks. The greatest of them was in 2014, when a young Rohit shattered the record for the highest individual score in ODI history with a mammoth 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens.

The year before, he scored a magnificent 177 on his Test debut against the West Indies at the venue in 2013. There have been a number of memorable moments for him in IPL as well as back in 2012, he struck his first-ever century in the T20 league — an unbeaten 109 against the Knights. He had also led the Mumbai Indians to two of their IPL title victories in finals played  here in 2013 and 2015.

There may be several talking points about the IPL 2026 eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in New Chandigarh on Wednesday, but there are no prizes for guessing as to who will be the biggest crowdpuller of them all.

Can Vaibhav Sooryavanshi get going once again after tasting a rare failure against Mumbai Indians in their crunch final league game last Sunday?

The 18-year history of IPL has seen it’s quota of extraordinary entertainers, master seam bowlers and spinners – but one has not come across anyone quite this 15-year-old. ‘’He’s not real but AI,’’ joked Jos Buttler and one understands where he is coming from. The past year or so had seen the wonderkid take a quantum leap in stature in leaving his imprint in different parts of the world, so much so that the national selectors didn’t have an option but to fast track him in the India A squad for their Sri Lanka tour next month.

‘The Vaibhav effect’ had been so overpowering for the last two months that it provoked comparisons between him and Sachin Tendulkar at his age – what with the Little Master making his Test debut at age of 16 years in 1989.

The boy from Samastipur in Bihar is the product of a completely different generation alright, but the way he has redefined high tempo batting that Pat Cummins & Co will want to see his back early on in the powerplay when the ball does a bit at the north Indian venue.

Getting behind the euphoria, how does one break down the exploits of Vaibhav this season?

A total of 583 runs from 14 innings may see him lying in fifth position in the Orange Cap race behind Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill, Heinrich Klaasen and KL Rahul in that order – with three of them oozing class and being a treat for the eyes. What, however, sets Vaibhav apart was the clip at which these runs have come with his strike rate of 232 being the best among them, Finn Allen of KKR at the next best at 214.11.

Abhishek Sharma, the world No.1 T20I batter, who will trying to match the rival openers’ firepower in the company of Travis Head in the eliminator, has had a strike rate of 208 while being in the seventh position in the Orange Cap race with a total of 563.

Vaibhav has alone contributed 26 per cent of Royals’ runs in wins this season, the highest share for the franchise. Out of the 583 the opener has scored this season, 348 have come in wins but his most outrageous innings -- a 36-ball ton came in a loss, one of the rare occasions his brilliance wasn’t enough to drag RR over the line.

Trying to break down Vaibhav’s craft, Trevor Penny, assistant coach of Royals and one of the journeyman in the circuit said at the last pre-match press conference: ‘’I think he’s definitely never seen a 15-year-old bat like that. Even if he was 25, I think we’d be talking about him. I think age hasn’t come into it.

 ‘’He (Vaibhav) goes from ball one and he’s got all the shots. I think this year, compared to last year - I did watch on TV - he might have matured a bit on what shots he can play, where the bowlers think there’s a weakness. So he’s adapting to that and then playing accordingly,’’ the Zimbabwean said.

What is extraordinary about Vaibhav is while he is often as respectful as a normal teenager in a middle class Indian household, touching the feet of legendary cricketers in a pranam – he seems to be in no awe of any elite international bowlers. One recalls the Royals’ home game early on in the season against Mumbai Indians in Guwahati when Vaibhav greeted Jasprit Bumrah’s first delivery (mind you, he was facing Bumrah for the first time in his career) for a six over long on. The third ball he faced, Sooryavanshi pulled Bumrah's off-pace delivery for a six over deep-backward square leg.

Looking ahead, Vaibhav is also within a striking distance of the ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes (59) smashed in a single IPL season – a feat which he achieved for RCB in 2012. The young Royal, who has already become the first Indian to clobber 50 sixes in one edition, is six short of Gayle’s mark but has a maximum of three more games in a best case scenario.

If he manages to strike it, it will be another feather in the boy’s cap!

Catch the match 

IPL eliminator

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals

Venue: New Chandigarh

Start: 7.30 pm

Let the figures speak for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who fell short of what would have been a second IPL century for him this season, by just three runs. A 97 off 29 balls (yes, you read that right), studded with 12 sixes and five fours at a strike rate of 334.48, saw him gallop past the likes of Sai Sudarshan and Shubman Gill to the top of the orange cap race with 680 runs and counting, as there are still a possible two more matches to go for his team Rajasthan Royals.

The 12 sixes which the wonderkid slammed against Pat Cummins & Co. in their eliminator at New Chandigarh saw him shatter a 14-year-old record of Chris Gayle for maximum sixes in an IPL season. The ‘Universe Boss,’ as Gayle was known, hit 59 of them in 2012, but his 15-year-old usurper now has a tally of 65, and it’s anybody’s guess as to where the barrage will stop.

Expectations were sky-high from Vaibhav in what’s a must-win eliminator, but the teenage sensation seemed to bring out that extra something, the hallmark of a quality player. He raced to his half-century in just 16 balls and in the process, became the batter with the most sixes ever recorded in a single IPL season. Here’s a breakdown of his season so far: 680 runs in 15 innings; the best strike rate of 242.85 and 65 sixes till date.

The march of milestones did not stop there as Vaibhav also became the youngest player ever to complete 600 runs in a single IPL season, breaking the previous record of Rishabh Pant (for Delhi Daredevils in 2018). Incidentally, before IPL 2026, no batter in the tournament’s history had scored 550 or more runs in a season at a strike rate above 200, underlining the value he brings for as long as he is at the crease.

As a hush descended upon the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium when Vaibhav eventually left, the astute Cummins must have been ruing his decision to send his opposition in. The scoreboard was then reading 125 for one after 8 overs, with Vaibhav’s senior partner Yashasvi Jaiswal looking the novice. The Royals finally threw the gauntlet to an equally explosive batting line-up with a total of 243/8.

While Rajasthan entered the contest under pressure after losing twice to Hyderabad earlier in the season, Vaibhav showed no signs of nerves, taking apart the SRH attack from the word go. The knock further cemented his status as the breakout superstar of the 2026 season, and it's just the beginning...

Most sixes in an IPL season

65 - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (2026)

59 - Chris Gayle (2012)

52 - Andre Russell (2019)

51 - Chris Gayle (2013)

45 - Jos Buttler (2022)

Back in the day, the result of a Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant (erstwhile Mohun Bagan) and East Bengal decided the fate of the Calcutta Football League more often than not. The footballing fortunes have now changed with the emergence of Indian Super League (ISL) beyond recognition – but the clash on Sunday, for the first time in this elite competition, seems like a throwback to those days.

Call it the Super Sunday for Indian football if you like as the Big Two, two of Asia’s oldest extant clubs are toe-to-toe in occupying the top two spots in the table with Mumbai City third on goal-difference with all three on equal points (22) in this truncated edition of the league. The fans of red-and-golden brigade have, in particular, reasons to be upbeat as it’s been a long wait for them which has seen the club finishing in the lower lungs of ISL several times.

What’s more, East Bengal could never replicate their success rate against their traditional rivals in ISL– failing to win a single of their 10 meetings in this league with a 2-2 draw in 2023-24 being the only time they have got a point. The uncertainty over sponsors, management woes have seen them building the team from scratch on at least three occasions but the current lot under coach astute coach Oscar Bruzon looks to be made of sterner stuff who can challenge the defending champions.  

A remarkable aspect of ISL 2026, which looked a non-starter even till last January with no commercial partners in sight, is that as many as seven teams can theoretically the crown – as in till Friday. Full points on Sunday for either East Bengal or the defending champions MBSG will eliminate Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa. Either of Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC can, meanwhile, finish on 25 points which is also where the winners of the derby can end if they lose their last match.

With head-to-head record being the first tie-breaker in case of equal points, East Bengal would want to be level on points with Mumbai City FC. For Mohun Bagan, who have lost to Mumbai, Punjab FC would be the team they would want to be on same points to decide the season’s champions. However, neither Punjab nor Mumbai FC would be in the hunt if the Kolkata clubs get four points from the remaining two rounds.

If Mohun Bagan and East Bengal end on 26 points and Sunday’s derby ends in a draw, goal difference will be considered to decide on the winners. East Bengal, as things stand, have a comfortable plus-five lead there.

‘’It would be an apt tribute to Tutu da (Swapan Sadhan Bose) if we can win the big game on Sunday and ensure back-to-back titles,’’ remarked Subhasis Bose, Mohun Bagan skipper and leader of defence in a media interview. The former Mohun Bagan president, a larger-than-life figure in Kolkata maidan who has held different positions in the maroon-and-green camp, passed away at 79 on Tuesday.    

East Bengal coach Bruzon, however, insisted his side are embracing the occasion with belief rather than pressure while also acknowledging the expectations surrounding the defending champions. ''We don't take it as a responsibility. Probably, Mohun Bagan will have more tension because they need to defend the title. But we are having a dream. And when you have a dream, you can move mountains,” the Spaniard added.

Catch the match

Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal

Venue: Salt Lake Stadium

Kick-off: 7.30 pm

The crucial four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Wednesday, 20 May — which kept Kolkata Knight Riders’ heads above water — saw spin twins Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy sharing just one wicket between them. However, their impact in the middle overs of the rain-affected match — which saw some grip off the surface — reined in the likes of a Hardik Pandya or Tilak Varma, restricting Mumbai Indians to a modest total.

Much like KKR’s late-season upswing, the ‘odd couple’ of IPL folklore came into its own in the second half of the tournament. It’s something which Varun, a thinking cricketer, forecast more than a month back as he felt that the tiring wickets may offer some purchase for spinners later on. The wickets column may not match some of their prolific seasons in the past, but their commitment to the team cause has been exemplary.

While the ageless Narine has managed to retain his place among the top-10 with 15 wickets, Varun has had a chequered season and a brush with injury. The latest one grabbed eyeballs as he has now played back-to-back matches with an injured left toe, his limp conspicuous as he walked back to his bowling mark. His playing on despite injury has not escaped the BCCI's notice but then, the 34-year-old former architect from Chennai feels he owes it to the franchise, which picked him out of obscurity ahead of the 2020 season.

Last night, Varun may have gone wicketless but finished with figures of 4-0-28-0 to keep things tight. Waxing eloquent, assistant coach Shane Watson said at a late-night media conference: ‘’I’m not exactly sure of where he is on his rehab journey at the moment. All I do know is he’s obviously playing through a bit of pain at the moment, which just shows how brave he is and how much he wants to be here to be able to contribute for KKR.

‘’He’s still bowling beautifully. It’s been brilliant to be able to see just the turnaround from the first few games of the season to the impact he’s been able to consistently have every single game. We are so lucky to be able to have someone of Varun’s skill and also his desperation to be able to be here and want to play for KKR because with the pain that he’s managing... We’re very grateful for everything that he continues to do for KKR.’’

The KKR management, on their part, have been unwavering in their faith and have retained the duo time and again despite criticism from a section of fans. When Narine was barred for bowling with a suspect action, they had his back, and the West Indian made his 200th appearance this season apart from becoming the first overseas bowler to claim 200 IPL wickets.

Varun, on the other hand, became the third KKR bowler to claim 100 wickets after Narine and Andre Russell this season. He is another KKR legend in the making as the Narine-Varun combine has been one for the ages for the Purple Army.

It’s been a team effort on the part of KKR, which has now won six of its last seven matches — with the likes of Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell or the forgotten Manish Pandey putting their hands up. However, the ‘old firm’ of Narine — now in his 14th season for KKR — and Varun has been its go-to when it comes to applying the brakes or providing breakthroughs.