R Ashwin’s big endorsement for RCB skipper Rajat Patidar (Image: X)

Rajat Patidar produced one of the finest knocks of his IPL career in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans. The RCB skipper smashed a sensational unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls, powering his side to 254/5 — the highest total in IPL playoff history. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was full of praise for Patidar after the innings.Royal Challengers Bengaluru marched into their second consecutive IPL final after crushing Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala. Patidar was undoubtedly the star of the night, dismantling the GT bowling attack with a breathtaking innings filled with fearless strokeplay.The RCB captain hammered nine sixes and five boundaries at a staggering strike rate of 281.82. One of the highlights of his innings came when he took 28 runs off a single over from Kulwant Khejroliya.However, the standout moment came in the 17th over against Kagiso Rabada. Just after bringing up his blistering 21-ball half-century, Patidar produced a stunning backfoot six off a high-paced delivery outside off stump. Instead of defending, he stayed deep in the crease, opened his arms, and launched the ball over the cover boundary with incredible power and timing.Ashwin called it the “shot of the day” and even suggested it could be the “shot of the tournament.”

“That backfoot six Rajat hit off Kagiso Rabada was straight-up shot of the day, probably even a contender for shot of the tournament. How he even managed to generate that power from there is beyond me,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.“Before this knock, Shreyas Iyer was probably a bit ahead in the captaincy and batting conversations, but after tonight, Patidar is right up there,” Ashwin added.“We all know how good Rajat Patidar is against spin, but the way he handled fast bowling today was seriously impressive too. And those sixes he hit off Rashid Khan… I’ve seen very few batters who can get onto the front foot, get right to the pitch of the ball, and still loft Rashid over extra cover for six like that. Pure class. Cometh the man, cometh the hour,” he added.

The Pac-12 and Mountain West reportedly reached a settlement, one that would favor the Pac-12 from a financial standpoint.

Will this make any MW programs get jumpy?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin discusses the potential for Stanford to rise in the recruiting landscape.

Can the Cardinal become relevant in the ACC?

Tulane was the highest-ranked G6 team from the 2025 season and lost HC Jon Sumrall to Tulane for their trouble.

The Green Wave might be in a tough spot in 2026.

00:00 PAC12’s potential Mountain West expansion
05:53 PAC 12 expansion speculation
11:01 Stanford football’s potential comeback
15:31 Surprising recruitment success at Stanford
18:39 Stanford recruiting prospects discussed
21:53 Tulane’s head coach decision
26:59 Concerns about the Green Wave program

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Former Team India batter Subramaniam Badrinath advised the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowlers to dish out full yorkers to the in-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on May 27. Badrinath also laid out a plan for Vaibhav’s opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, urging the SRH bowlers to bowl short deliveries at his body.

The explosive opening duo has been key to RR’s march to the playoffs, combining for almost 1,000 runs in 28 combined innings. While Jaiswal has scored at almost a 160 strike rate, Vaibhav boasts a remarkable strike rate of over 232.

Talking about SRH’s bowling plans for RR’s openers, Badrinath said on Star Sports (3:00):

“Go for wickets as it’s impossible to contain such aggressive batters. To Suryavanshi, they should bowl full yorkers as he has been dismissed that way several times. For Jaiswal, it has to be the short ball into the body. Though these balls can go for boundaries, the chances of taking wickets increase.”

Badrinath called RR’s No.3 batter, Dhruv Jurel, the perfect foil to their two openers, saying:

“He has been the perfect understudy to the two explosive openers. He is a more complete player now as an all-format player. A player like him helps the franchise build the team around him. Though his flamboyance and strike rate aren’t high, his average is excellent. He lends the perfect balance to the batting lineup.”

Jurel has been Mr.Reliable for RR this season, scoring 458 runs at an average of over 38 and a strike rate of almost 150 in 14 matches.

“He has really evolved in terms of maturity this season” – S Badrinath on Ishan Kishan

Subramaniam Badrinath praised SRH’s No.3 Ishan Kishan for his evolution in terms of maturity in the ongoing IPL 2026. The southpaw has been the heart and soul of SRH’s batting lineup, amassing 569 runs at an average of 40.64 and a strike rate of over 178 in 14 outings.

“Kishan was always known for his talent and flamboyance, but he has really evolved in terms of maturity this season. He now knows when to attack and hold back. My favorite knock of his was against CSK. On a slow wicket, it’s not easy to chase 180+. But Kishan took his time, yet made up the strike rate at the end. It showed he has the ability to soak up the pressure and play with composure,” said Badrinath (via the aforementioned source).

Badrinath finally concluded by advising RR to push for wickets against SRH’s devastating top four.

“It’s hard to sketch a plan for someone like Kishan and that’s why he is a special player. But the theme against all of SRH’s top four has to be the same, which is taking wickets. They are anyway going to come after you, so the bowler and field that can get you wickets have to be top priority against them,” he stated.

SRH won both their meetings against RR in the league stage, with Kishan scoring half-centuries on both occasions.