Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has come under scrutiny following the team’s dismal start to the IPL 2026 season. With just one win in five matches, MI languishes second from the bottom of the points table. On Thursday, the five-time champions were brushed aside at home by Shreyas Iyer‘s Punjab Kings (PBKS), marking their fourth defeat of the campaign. MI’s lone victory this season came against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, former India batter Manoj Tiwary criticised Hardik’s captaincy against PBKS, arguing that the all-rounder’s leadership has been below par since he took charge of the franchise.

“From where will ownership come? One has to look at oneself as well. You need to see how you have been playing. According to me, just because you are not having success this year doesn’t mean the mistakes happened only this year. You need to look at the root cause as well. From 2015-2023, Rohit Sharma helped the Mumbai Indians win several trophies,” said Tiwary.

Tiwary also urged Hardik to relinquish the captaincy and return it to Rohit Sharma, noting that the veteran batter led the franchise to five titles between 2013 and 2023.

“In 2023, there was no trophy. In 2024, there was no trophy, and the chances of the same happening are high this year too. I think the captaincy is weak. I don’t want to be harsh. But Hardik is not leading the team the way it should be. It’s very important to be proactive as a captain. I think that if a solution is needed, Hardik should step back from the captaincy and hand the responsibility back to Rohit. When you removed Rohit, you did an injustice,” he added.

Beyond the leadership change, Tiwary slammed Hardik’s tactical choices during the defeat to PBKS, specifically his decision to promote himself up the order ahead of Sherfane Rutherford. Furthermore, he questioned the move to open the bowling with Deepak Chahar despite the pacer’s recent struggles.

“Hardik shouldn’t have promoted himself against the Punjab Kings. He scored 14 runs off 12 balls. Sherfane Rutherford just got five balls. If Rutherford had played as many balls, he would have hit 3-4 sixes. Hardik Pandya thought he could do it. Yes, he could have done it. You should have pushed Rutherford up. And secondly, there is no point in giving Jasprit Bumrah the second over when you are not giving him the first. Deepak Chahar just isn’t able to swing the ball,” he said.

Featured Video Of The Day

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

Friday hits the newsstands with a wide variety of topics and the return of a familiar face to the front pages: Leo Messi.

The new adventure of the ’10’ makes him the owner of UE Cornellà. A development that is the main story of the day in the newspapers.

Advertisement

But there are also echoes of Real Madrid’s debacle in Munich. The next steps for Los Blancos are also one of the main talking points this Friday.

MARCA

AS

MUNDO DEPORTIVO

SPORT

SUPERDEPORTE

ESTADIO DEPORTIVO

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

After Saturday last weekend’s call-out, Anthony Joshua is under pressure to accept a mammoth fight against Tyson Fury. Now, super-middleweight icon Carl Froch has had his say on how he thinks the potential bout may play out.

Fury boxed his way to a comfortable decision win against Arslanbek Makhmudov, claiming a first victory since 2023 and doing so after 16 months of inactivity, in what he hopes will be the first outing of a two-fight year.

Post-fight, Fury heaped the pressure onto fellow two-time world champion Joshua, demanding that he and ‘AJ’ fight next, but the Londoner was unwilling to rush into annoucing the contest.

Instead, Joshua remained calm and collected, refusing to publicly agree to the fight but saying that he does believe it will happen this year.

Speaking to his YouTube channel, Froch said that he sees Fury as the favourite, impressed by his Saturday showing against Makhmudov.

“I think that AJ will be the underdog for this one. I think that Fury is the favourite, especially off the back of that performance; he eased in tonight, it was just steady, he took his time, still looks good.

“I envy that actually, 16 months out of the ring and he is able to come and do a performance like that. Okay, he was in with Makhmudov, he is not in with a world beater, but it was a good 12 rounds’ work.”

Joshua’s fight news is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with a lower level run out in July expected followed by the Fury fight around November.

Super Eagles forward Henry Onyekuru will not feature in Genclerbirligi’s league match against Galatasaray this weekend after being left out by the coaching staff.

The Nigerian joined Genclerbirligi last summer on a free transfer, but he has struggled to make an impact. He has not scored or provided an assist in 19 appearances this season and has only picked up one yellow card.

There have also been reports of problems off the pitch, including issues over unpaid wages earlier in the campaign. It was claimed that Onyekuru and some teammates refused to train at one point due to salary concerns.

Ahead of the match against his former club, coach Volkan Demirel asked Onyekuru to train separately from the rest of the squad. As a result, he has been ruled out of the game.

A report from the club’s technical staff described his recent performances as “inadequate and unmotivated”, with an official statement expected soon.

The decision comes at a difficult time for Genclerbirligi, who are battling relegation and sit just two points above the drop zone with five matches left.

Onyekuru’s situation has drawn criticism, with some observers questioning his commitment. His performances have not helped his case, as he has struggled to influence games under several different managers this season.

There has also been attention on his lifestyle off the pitch, with regular social media posts showing a luxurious way of life. While this does not directly affect his performances, it has added to the negative perception during a tough period for the club.

Despite the criticism, there are suggestions that the club may also be trying to move him on to reduce financial pressure. More details are expected soon, but for now, his future at Genclerbirligi remains uncertain.

NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer left everyone stunned with a remarkable display of athleticism at the boundary ropes, drawing amazed reactions not just from fans but also from the Mumbai Indians dugout, where Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were seen watching in disbelief.

The moment came in the 18th over during the IPL 2026 clash between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, when Hardik Pandya smashed Marco Jansen towards long-on.

What followed was pure athletic brilliance. Sprinting swiftly to his left, Iyer tracked the ball to perfection near the boundary rope. Realising he was about to lose balance and step over, he improvised mid-air, catching the ball with a reverse cup and, while airborne, flicking it back into play.

Xavier Bartlett, stationed nearby, completed the catch safely. While Bartlett’s name went into the scorebook, the effort was entirely Iyer’s creation.

After the stunning effort, Iyer celebrated in style.

Following Punjab Kings’ seven-wicket win, Ian Bishop asked Iyer, “At one stage Mumbai were looking for 200+, what was the key to pull the things back”.

Iyer didn’t minch any word and said: “I think my catch (laugh)”.

Prabhsimran Singh and Iyer struck fluent fifties as Punjab Kings continued their winning run with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians, who slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat in IPL 2026.

Chasing 196, Punjab Kings reached 198/3 with 21 balls to spare, as Mumbai Indians’ bowlers struggled collectively, with AM Ghazanfar’s 2/31 being the only notable effort.

“Confident and optimistic going forward. We’ve been playing phenomenally. We know each game is important, it’s a collective effort, glad to have a comprehensive win. Prabhsimran has raised his bar, considering the last season, where he swung wild, got runs and gave excellent starts. Now he’s got maturity and finishing off games. He’s maturing with each game”, Iyer said after the match.

“My catch was the key to pulling things back (laughs), but we have the tendency to do that. Did that even against SRH. We have to be present and enjoy the moment. We haven’t decided on how to set totals, lucky to have won tosses so far. We have a lot of positive players ready to go out there and express themselves. You need to keep getting better each game, focus on yourselves and that’s the recipe we’ve been following. I’ve seen crowd coming in numbers, the fan following is going high. Great to see fans showering their love”, he said.

Punjab Kings will next face Lucknow Super Giants on April 19.

A Florida-based team has represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final each of the last six years. The Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to extend the Sunshine State’s streak to seven this postseason.

Tampa Bay is the state’s only hope as the Florida Panthers, who appeared in each of the last three Stanley Cup Finals and won the past two, failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. The Lightning, who won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 before losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Final the following year, begin their quest in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens that gets underway Sunday.

The Lightning and Canadiens both finished the regular season with 106 points, but the former earned second place in the Atlantic Division by virtue of having more regulation victories. The clubs split their four-game season series, with Tampa Bay winning the first two meetings and Montreal taking the next two.

Fans who want to wager on the 2026 NHL Playoffs should check out the latest BetMGM promo code.

Neither team enters their fifth postseason matchup on a roll. The Lightning lost four of their final six regular-season games, while the Canadiens dropped two of their last three after going 10-1-0 over their previous 11 contests.

Tampa Bay won three of its first four playoff series against Montreal, beginning with a four-game sweep in 2004 en route to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. The Canadiens returned the favor 10 years later, but the Lightning won their showdown the following postseason and then defeated Montreal in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final in five games.

NHL betting odds at the major sportsbooks see the Lightning as the favorites in the first-round series, with futures betting odds in the -235 to -260 range. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are priced from +195 to +210. Learn how to read betting odds here.

Use the latest DraftKings promo code to wager on NHL games and playoff series.

Pick: Lightning to advance

The Canadiens had an excellent regular season, finishing with their highest point total (106) since recording 110 and winning the Atlantic Division title in 2014-15. However, they were defeated by the Lightning in six games during their second-round series that postseason.

And even though Montreal won the final two meetings between the division rivals this campaign, I can’t see that success continuing in this matchup. Tampa Bay has a plethora of offensive weapons that will be looking to atone for their subpar performance against the Panthers in its first-round loss last postseason.

Nikita Kucherov is a notorious playoff performer who owns numerous franchise postseason records, including most points in one playoff season (34 in 2020) and most overall playoff goals (53), assists (114) and points (167). But the 32-year-old Russian right wing, who eclipsed the 100-point plateau for the fourth consecutive season and sixth time in his career with 130 this campaign, registered only four assists in Tampa Bay’s five-game series defeat in 2025.

Bet on the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs with the FanDuel promo code.

Kucherov matched his career high with a team-leading 44 goals this season despite missing six games, while Jake Guentzel netted 38 goals and recorded a personal-best 88 points. Meanwhile, defenseman Darren Raddysh came up with the best offensive effort of his five-year career as he collected 22 goals, 48 assists and 70 points.

Montreal has a dangerous one-two punch with Nick Suzuki (career-high 101 points) and Cole Caufield (personal-best 51 goals, second in NHL entering Thursday), while Juraj Slafkovsky (30 goals, 43 assists, 73 points) and 2025 Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Lane Hutson (12, 66, 78) also set career highs. But 2021 Conn Smyth Trophy recipient Andrei Vasilevskiy will be in the crease for the Lightning, and his playoff credentials outweigh Canadiens rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes‘ accomplishments (29 wins, 2.78 goals-against average, .901 save percentage) this season. Tampa Bay should end its streak of three straight first-round exits.

Bet on NHL futures odds, including Lightning vs. Canadiens, with the latest Caesars Sportsbook promo code.

The longest no-hitter drought in baseball lives on. Cleveland Guardians rookie left-hander Parker Messick lost his no-hit bid against the Baltimore Orioles on Leody Taveras‘ leadoff single in the ninth inning Thursday night at Progressive Field (CLE 4, BAL 2). After another single, closer Cade Smith replaced Messick to finish the game.

The Guardians have not thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 15, 1981. Cleveland’s no-hitter drought is at 7,055 games and counting, far and away the longest in baseball. The Blue Jays are a distant second at 5,548 games. The only no-hitter in Toronto’s history is Dave Stieb’s against Cleveland on Sept. 2, 1990.

Here is Taveras’ leadoff single to ruin Messick’s no-hit bid. You can categorize this as well-placed, not well-struck.

Smith allowed both runners he inherited from Messick to score, so he finished the game with two runs on two hits and two walks in eight innings. He struck out nine and threw 112 pitches, the most by any pitcher in baseball this season. Messick has a 1.05 ERA in four starts and 25 ⅔ innings this season.

Messick, 25, ranked fourth in our rookie power rankings last week. The 2022 second-round pick out of Florida State made his MLB debut last Aug. 20 and pitched to a 2.72 ERA in seven starts and 39 ⅔ innings. Messick gave the Guardians a big lift down the stretch as they stormed to the AL Central title.

MLB’s no-hitter drought continues

There has not been a no-hitter since Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 4, 2024. There has not been a single-pitcher no-hitter since Blake Snell, then with the San Francisco Giants, no-hit the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2, 2024. The 2025 season was baseball’s first without a no-hitter since 2005.

Messick’s no-hit bid was easily the longest in baseball this season. No other pitcher or team has taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning in 2026. Last year, four no-hitters were lost in the ninth inning, most notably Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s against the Orioles on Sept. 6. The O’s made a dramatic comeback and won that game on a walk-off.

José Ramírez provided Messick with early run support with his first-inning two-run homer off Shane Baz. It was Ramírez’s 289th career home run. He is 11 homers and five stolen bases away from becoming the ninth player in history with 300 homers and 300 steals. Cleveland later tacked on runs in the fifth and sixth innings. 

Cleveland’s no-hitter drought is not the longest in baseball history. That record belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies, who went 8,944 games between no-hitters spanning 1906 and 1964.

Manchester City star Antoine Semenyo is looking forward to facing England at World Cup 2026. That’s despite the fact he could have been heading to the United States in white this summer had things panned out differently.

Semenyo, 26, will travel to the biggest sporting event of the year as one of Ghana’s crown jewels. It’s been almost exactly four years since the winger made his senior debut for the Black Stars and he’s since evolved to become one of the team’s greatest assets.

This summer will see Semenyo square off against his birth country, as well as Croatia and Panama in Group L. Looking back now, the Football Association may wish it showed a little more diligence in its recruiting after overlooking the £64million man.

You can listen to brand new episodes of In The Mixer on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

“I was never in the England rankings like that anyway,” he told In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet. “Ghana came [when I was] 20, 21? And I can’t turn down playing first team for Ghana, so it was such an easy decision.”

Born in London to Ghanaian parents, there was a major risk of Semenyo’s head being turned if his birth country came calling. However, there was one member of his family who has happier than most the phone never rang.

Speaking about his first Ghana cap in May 2022, Semenyo said: “My dad was so happy, celebrating. He was like, ‘Yeah, you don’t play for England!’

“Everyone in my family was so happy. They support Ghana…I couldn’t even tell you. They watch games and it’s crazy. Shouting, kicking stuff in the house. It’s serious.”

Semenyo’s father, Larry, was a footballer himself and played in Ghana’s top flight. He even shared the field with Tony Yeboah, who etched his name in the history books as one of the greatest finishers Africa has produced.

The Black Stars aren’t getting ahead of themselves in that Semenyo says the first priority is progressing out of their group. And he’ll have at least a couple of loved ones stateside to cheer him on.

“I imagine so, yeah,” he replied when asked if family will be flying out to watch him in action. “Mum and dad will be there, for sure. Uncles, aunties, they’ll probably be there too. There’ll be loads of them.”

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Asked whether he was looking forward to facing England in the second group game, he replied: “Yeah. It’s gonna be tough but yeah.”

The only previous meeting between England and Ghana was a 2011 friendly that ended as a 1-1 draw. Despite Thomas Tuchel‘s side coming through qualifying without a scratch, Semenyo and co would delight in staging one of the surprises of the World Cup when they meet at Gillette Stadium come June 23.

ANTOINE SEMENYO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: Subscribe now to be the first to watch the latest episodes of In The Mixer and other original shows, brought to you by Sky Bet. Watch All Out Football’s episode with Antoine Semenyo here.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Once again, a ‘like’ controversy has followed Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli, and social media is refusing to keep calm. In 2025, Kohli had mistakenly liked a photo of Indian model/influencer Avneet Kaur. The incident became a huge topic of debate among fans on social media, prompting Kohli even to issue a clarification. After a like from his profile was allegedly spotted on the Instagram account of model LizLaz, fans have set the internet on fire, suggesting it was another ‘algorithm’ issue with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart’s profile.

After the ‘like’ was spotted, screenshots began circulating on social media within seconds, turning a small action into a viral moment. The entire situation and the buzz around the topic is also being mocked by fans on the internet.

Kohli liked this Instagram post we have to bare another algorithm paragraph pic.twitter.com/DC0dVoxzC4

Advertisement

— mr. villa (@Luccydevil07) April 16, 2026

“Chain se like bhi ni krne deta ye samaaj,” one fan wrote on Instagram. “Relax guys, it’s algorithm,” wrote another one. 

During the Avneet Kaur episode, Kohli had issued a statement saying: “I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding”.

Some fans expect Kohli to issue another such statement, saying this was another ‘algorithm mistake’ and not something he intentionally did. 

Will we see this soon https://t.co/IJ6yYO8Oii pic.twitter.com/PVnNANLlGR

— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) April 17, 2026

As for the on-field affairs, Kohli has looked in sublime touch this season for RCB. In the previous match against the Lucknow Super Giants, the opening batter played as an Impact Player for the first time in his career. He was dismissed just 1 run shy of a half-century, though his contribution was enogh for RCB to secure an easy victory over LSG.

Featured Video Of The Day

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

In other news, the two Europa League semi-final fixtures are now known. Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike has spoken for the first time since sustaining a serious injury on Tuesday evening in the Champions League match against Liverpool, which rules him out of the World Cup with the French national team.

The French striker ruptured his Achilles tendon and will be sidelined for many months. In tennis, Arthur Fils comfortably reached the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 in Barcelona, getting his clay-court season off to a perfect start with Roland Garros just a month away.