Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 105 to lead defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the IPL table with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. Kohli returned to form after back-to-back ducks as he steered his team home in a chase of 193 in Raipur with an excellent 60-ball innings. The 37-year-old scored his ninth IPL hundred, hitting 11 fours and three sixes. Bengaluru notched their eighth victory in 12 matches this season to usurp Gujarat Titans at the top of the 10-team table on net run-rate, moving closer to securing a playoff spot. 

Generally, teams with 16 points make it to the Playoffs and RCB are all but in. On the other hand, KKR are on the verge of elimination from the Playoffs race as they can now reach a maximum of 15 points. 

Here’s the updated points table of IPL 2026 after RCB vs KKR match: 

Three-time champions Kolkata suffered their sixth defeat in 11 matches as their slim chances of making the playoffs suffered a blow.

The top four will make the playoffs, with the final to be played in Ahmedabad on May 31.

Kohli got off the mark with a single in the first over of the chase, punching the air in mock celebration after his successive ducks.

He lost his opening partner Jacob Bethell for 15 but put on 92 runs with Devdutt Padikkal, who made 39, for the second wicket.

Kohli was dropped on 21 and made Kolkata pay, bringing up his fifty in 32 balls.

Bengaluru lost Padikkal, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and then Tim David to a stunning one-handed diving catch at backward point by Manish Pandey.

But Kohli kept calm to reach his first hundred of the season, soaking in the applause before wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma hitting the winning runs.

Earlier, Kolkata posted 192-4 after a 46-ball 71 by Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Raghuvanshi put on strong partnerships including with Cameron Green, who scored 32, and Rinku Singh, who finished with a flourish in his unbeaten, 29-ball 49.

Pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam took one wicket each.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

Todd Pollard has enjoyed a dream launch to training, though Wednesday’s Ipswich card brings an unfamiliar twist in 2026.

The Brisbane-based newcomer deploys Subterrain and All Kinds Of Folk together in one race for the debut time, targeting the sixth event, a $38,000 TAB Class 4 Handicap at 1680 metres.

Recent winners both, they head in strongly, but Pollard wishes to avoid the head-to-head.

“I’d love to be splitting them if I could, but there’s just limited options for these sort of horses,” Pollard said.

“There are not enough races for them on a Saturday at the moment, so you’ve got limited options on the Wednesday meetings and I think they’re both definitely midweek metro horses.”

His prior position with Annabel and Rob Archibald exposed him to handling several runners per race before he ventured alone this year.

Boasting a 35 percent hit rate with six wins from 17 starts in under two months, the 31-year-old Kiwi thrives early.

“I couldn’t be happy with how it’s all panned out,” he said.

“Obviously we’re not going to keep that strike-rate intact, but it’s been a very good start and the horses have been running well,” he said.

“You can’t win them all and you lose more than you win in this game, but it’s a healthy strike-rate and a good way to kick things off.

You need those results straight away to get you off the mark and we’re just lucky we’re having a good run of it at the moment.”

Subterrain’s Eagle Farm 1400m win on March 25 was Pollard’s second starter success, followed by Gold Coast repeat April 10.

Transferred from Wangaratta’s John and Chris Ledger, All Kinds Of Folk won at Sunshine Coast 1400m on Anzac Day in her Pollard bow.

The four-year-old placed second in Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) last April and drew ideally in barrier two with Ryan Maloney for Wednesday’s favourite status.

“She’s a horse that’s going to go through the grades up here and hopefully from a good gate tomorrow, she gets every chance and if any rain did come, that would really bring her into it as well,” Pollard said on Tuesday.

Pollard freshened the unplaced-free three-from-five Subterrain post-last run, aiming for victory before spell and bigger aims after Winter Carnival.

“We just backed off him a little bit, he’s a bit of a lightly-framed horse, so we waited for this,” Pollard said.

“He could have run last week, but we decided to wait for this race and he’s probably a horse that we’ll give him this run and then a bit of a freshen up and he can come back after the carnival’s over.”

Barrier seven sees Subterrain with Ben Thompson, top jock in Brisbane.

Discover racing betting markets via betting sites ahead of the TAB Class 4 Handicap at Ipswich.

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome and Javee Mocon during a game against Magnolia Hotshots in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Former Meralco import Allen Durham was in attendance for the Bolts’ PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals game against Magnolia.

His watch party, however, did not have the happy ending he had hoped for as fifth seed Magnolia escaped with a 95-89 win at Ninoy Aquino Stadium to force a do-or-die game for a semifinals berth.

Having been in the same situation before during his stint with the Bolts, Durham knows what the Bolts need to do for their rubber match against the Hotshots.

“I think they just have to come out and play aggressive from the start,” he told the Inquirer at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday.

“I think them building back up took so much energy, so once it got down to the last three minutes, they had already spent so much energy trying to come back into the game.”

Meralco trailed by as many as 19 points before storming back and trimming the deficit to one late in the fourth quarter.

But the Bolts ran out of steam in the closing minutes, allowing Magnolia to stay alive in the series.

One player who struggled for Meralco was import Marvin Jones, who finished with 16 points and six rebounds while shooting just 3-of-15 from the field.

Despite the rough shooting night, Durham still believed Jones did his part.

“I think he played pretty good. He just missed shots that he normally makes. He had a couple bunnies but if those bunnies fall, it’ll be a completely different game,” Durham said.

A score of 0, a duck, is a rarity for Virat Kohli. Two ducks? Before IPL 2026, it had happened only once, in 2022. So when Kohli was out on 0 against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, his fans couldn’t be faulted for being concerned. Even Kohli might have felt the bit. As he did when he scored a single in the first over of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 193-run chase off Saurabh Dubey – the crowd celebrated, so did Kohli.

Celebrate every run like Virat Kohli 😅

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A sublime half-century from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, followed by a late onslaught from Rinku Singh, powered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a formidable 192/4 in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Raipur on Wednesday. Raghuvanshi led the charge with a fluent 71 off 46 deliveries, studded with seven fours and three sixes, while Rinku Singh provided the finishing flourish with a blistering 49 off 29 balls, featuring three boundaries and two maximums.

After being put in to bat first, Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen opened the innings for KKR. Allen launched an early assault on Jacob Duffy in the second over, hammering 14 runs. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck back in the very next over, dismissing Allen for 18 and bringing young Angkrish Raghuvanshi to the crease.

After the early setback, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane counterattacked, putting the RCB bowlers under pressure with a flurry of boundaries. However, Hazlewood broke the stand by dismissing KKR skipper Rahane for 19, paving the way for Cameron Green to join Raghuvanshi at the crease.

KKR ended the powerplay at 56/2. Despite the early loss of both openers, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green steadied the innings with a crucial rebuilding stand. The duo helped KKR recover strongly to reach 86/2 at the halfway mark.

Green accelerated in the 12th over, smashing a six off Krunal Pandya to bring up the 50-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Rasikh Salam Dar struck in the very next over, dismissing Green for 32 and bringing Rinku Singh to the crease.

In the 14th over, Raghuvanshi brought up a well-crafted half-century, marking his fourth fifty of the season. With four 50-plus scores in IPL 2026, Raghuvanshi now holds the record for the most such scores by a KKR batter at the age of 21 in a single edition of the tournament.

The duo kept the pressure firmly on the RCB bowlers with an aggressive counterattack, powering KKR to 172/3 at the end of 18 overs. Josh Hazlewood then delivered a tidy 19th over, conceding just 10 runs to keep the scoring in check.

Rinku Singh launched a six in the final over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but the experienced pacer responded brilliantly by restricting the damage and conceding only 10 runs in the over.

KKR eventually posted 192/4, setting RCB a target of 193 for victory. For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam Dar scalped a wicket each.

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Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash

The debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has defined an entire era of soccer. The two legends have spent nearly two decades pushing each other to historic heights.

Now, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, fans are preparing for the final chapter of the sport’s greatest rivalry. 

So, who has the edge heading into their final World Cup appearance?

Messi vs Ronaldo in 2026 So Far

Messi is 38 years old right now and Ronaldo is 41 years old, despite their age both players continue producing elite numbers on the field.

Messi got 11 goals and three assists in 15 appearances for Inter Miami CF in 2026 so far. He also leads in minutes per goal compared to Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has scored 14 goals in 20 appearances for Al Nassr team, and still remains one of the most dangerous finishers in the world despite his age.

Based on stats alone, Ronaldo currently holds the edge in total goals, while Messi leads in assists.

Who Has the Better Overall Resume?

Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League titles, multiple La Liga crowns, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina. 

On the other hand Ronaldo remains the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football and the only player to score in five different World Cups. He has also won five Champions League titles and multiple league trophies across England, Spain, and Italy.

Right now both the stars are looking to add the World Cup trophy to their resumes. 

One major reason that this debate between two superstars never truly ends is because they both dominate in different ways.

There is a realistic possibility that Argentina and Portugal could meet during the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Depending on how the groups unfold, Messi and Ronaldo could potentially face each other in a blockbuster quarterfinal or even the final.

Messi recently described the rivalry as “beautiful,” insisting there was always mutual respect between the two icons despite years of comparisons.

As both the stars prepare to play on the world’s biggest stage, one thing is certain that this matchup, if it happens, is going to be legendary. Regardless of who fans believe is better, one thing is certain: soccer may never witness another rivalry quite like Messi vs Ronaldo again.

 

Former Spain and Sevilla FC captain Sergio Ramos is reportedly close to becoming the new owner of his boyhood club in a takeover deal valued at more than €400 million. The proposed acquisition marks one of the biggest ownership moves involving a former footballer in recent years and could signal a major turning point for the struggling LaLiga side.

How the deal was structured

According to reports from Spain, Ramos is the leading public figure in a consortium backed by investment firm Five Eleven Capital. The group entered an exclusive negotiation period with Sevilla’s shareholders in January, allowing them three months to work toward a final agreement.

That exclusivity period now appears to have produced a breakthrough, with reports claiming that an agreement with the club’s shareholders was reached on Tuesday. The overall valuation of the transaction is believed to be as high as €440 million, although Sevilla’s existing financial liabilities and debt are also part of the package.

Ramos’ long history with Sevilla

The proposed takeover carries extra emotional significance because of Ramos’ deep connection with Sevilla. The legendary defender began his youth career at the club before making his senior breakthrough in the early 2000s.

His performances quickly attracted the attention of Real Madrid, who signed him in 2005. Ramos went on to become one of the most successful defenders in football history, winning multiple UEFA Champions League titles, LaLiga trophies, the FIFA World Cup and two European Championships with Spain national football team.

After nearly two decades away, Ramos returned to Sevilla in 2023 for a one-season spell before later joining Mexican club CF Monterrey. Across his two stints, he made more than 60 appearances for the Andalusian club.

What still needs to happen before the takeover is finalised?

Despite the agreement in principle, the deal is still subject to regulatory approval. Both LaLiga and Spain’s National Sports Council must approve the transaction before ownership can officially change hands.

The consortium is also expected to complete the capital transfer process over the coming month.

If approved, Ramos would become the latest former football star to move into club ownership. Former Spain teammate Gerard Piqué previously purchased FC Andorra through his Kosmos group and also helped launch the Kings League competition.

Why the timing matters for Sevilla

The takeover discussions come during a difficult period for Sevilla. Despite winning the UEFA Europa League seven times, most recently in 2023, the club has struggled badly in LaLiga over the past two seasons.

Sevilla currently sit just above the relegation zone with only a few matches remaining in the campaign after narrowly avoiding relegation last season as well.

For many supporters, Ramos’ potential arrival as owner represents not just a business move, but a symbolic return of one of the club’s most iconic figures at a time when stability and rebuilding are desperately needed.

Chennai Super Kings’ Jamie Overton (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings suffered another major setback in their injury-hit IPL 2026 campaign after confirming that all-rounder Jamie Overton will return to the UK to assess a right thigh injury.The England international has been one of CSK’s key performers this season, contributing with both bat and ball. In 10 matches, Overton claimed 14 wickets and scored 136 runs, emerging as a crucial overseas option in a campaign already disrupted by multiple injuries.