Rishabh Pant has stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain following the IPL 2026 season. During his two-year stint, LSG failed to secure a playoff berth, managing only 10 wins under his leadership. The franchise finished seventh last season and ended this year at the bottom of the table. He was bought for INR 27 crore and was immediately handed the captaincy baton, but absolutely nothing worked well for the franchise since then.

“Lucknow Super Giants wish to formally announce that Rishabh Pant has requested to be relieved from his captaincy duties with the franchise, and the franchise has accepted the request with immediate effect,” LSG’s statement read. 

Young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came agonisingly close to scripting history after falling just three runs short of the fastest century in the tournament. The explosive batter was dismissed for a breathtaking 97 off only 29 balls, leaving fans stunned and the opposition relieved.

Sooryavanshi smashed 97 off just 29 balls in the Eliminator, one of the most pressure-cooker situations in the IPL, dismantling a bowling attack led by Pat Cummins at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday, May 27.

From the very beginning of his innings, Vaibhav displayed fearless intent. He attacked both pacers and spinners with remarkable confidence, turning the match into a one-sided spectacle. Boundaries flowed freely from his bat as he dismantled the bowling attack with powerful strokeplay and innovative shot selection.

With every over, anticipation grew around the possibility of a record-breaking hundred. The crowd sensed history in the making as Vaibhav raced through the nineties at an incredible strike rate. However, just when he seemed destined to reach the landmark, he lost his wicket on 97, missing the record and a memorable century by the narrowest of margins.

Despite the disappointment, the innings underlined his immense talent and temperament. Scoring 97 runs in just 29 deliveries is a rare feat, especially under pressure in a major tournament. His aggressive approach and ability to dominate quality bowling reflected the confidence of a player ready for the biggest stage.

Cricket experts and fans alike praised the youngster for his fearless batting. Many believe that performances like these are signs of a bright future and that it may only be a matter of time before Vaibhav achieves even greater milestones.

Although the record slipped away, the innings will be remembered as one of the most destructive knocks of the tournament. More importantly, it announced Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as one of the most exciting young talents in Indian cricket.

MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals rode on Jofra Archer’s all-round brilliance to book the fourth and final play-off berth with a 30-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

Archer returned with splendid figures of 4-0-17-3 after his 15-ball 32 helped Royals reach a fighting 205 for 8 after 20 overs.

It was 73 runs in the last five overs bowled by Mumbai Indians which proved to be decisive as Mumbai Indians could manage only 175 for 9 in 20 overs.

The IPL 2026 playoffs begin with Qualifier 1 between RCB and GT – the teams that finished No. 1 and 2 in the points table – in Dharamsala on May 26; the winner of that match will progress directly to the final on May 31 in Ahmedabad.

The team that loses Qualifier 1 will have a more hectic schedule. They travel from Dharamsala to New Chandigarh to play Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator.

SRH and RR, the teams that finished third and fourth in the league stage, contest the Eliminator on May 27 in New Chandigarh. The team that loses the Eliminator exits the competition, while the winner progresses to play Qualifier 2 on May 29 in New Chandigarh against the team that lost Qualifier 1.

With only a day’s gap between Qualifier 2 and the final, the winner of Qualifier 2 will travel to Ahmedabad on May 30 to play the final against the winner of Qualifier 1 on May 31.