Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar on Sunday said Virat Kohli is "used to doing great things" and his presence in the dressing room was invaluable after they won their second successive Indian Premier League title. The 37-year-old Kohli anchored Bengaluru's chase of 156 against Gujarat Titans in the final with an unbeaten 75 to steer the team home with two overs to spare in Ahmedabad. Bengaluru and Kohli, who finished the season with 675 runs including one ton and five half-centuries, have dominated the T20 tournament since they won their first IPL crown at the 18th attempt last year. "If I speak about Virat Kohli, I don't have words to explain him. He is used to doing great things," Patidar told reporters. "He is a great player, everyone knows him - the way he bats. We all have an opportunity to learn from him on and off the field. We spend lot of time with him and try to learn whatever he says, regarding cricket or anything else....
Spencer Johnson is poised to take centre stage for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their critical bottom-of-the-table match against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Bowling coach Eric Simmons hinted at Johnson's potential inclusion due to Khaleel Ahmed's injury. Khaleel had to leave the field before finishing his overs in CSK's last game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This situation led the team to consider Johnson, who was signed for Rs 1.5 crore as a replacement in their bowling lineup. His addition comes at a time when injuries have heavily impacted Chennai's season.
“Khaleel Ahmed & Anshul Kamboj have been really good for us. Spencer Johnson (Khaleel's replacement) will be in our starting XI tomorrow night," Simmons said on the eve of the match.
CSK has faced challenges all season, starting with three straight losses to Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They briefly revived their season with wins over Delhi Capitals and KKR, but then experienced another setback with a 10-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Mumbai's performance has also been shaky. After starting their season with a win against KKR, they lost to DC, RR, RCB, and PBKS before getting back on track with a second win against the Gujarat Titans.
Apart from Johnson, former skipper Dhoni, 44, has already started light training, including his first wicketkeeping session of IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, after missing CSK's first six matches.
With only two wins from six games, CSK is currently in eighth place in the points table. Their matchup on April 23 against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians is crucial as they aim to turn their season around.
The Mumbai Indians have finally found their feet with a fine performance against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, with pacer Jasprit Bumrah claiming his first wicket of the season in their sixth match. In between, the Mumbai Indians also lost opener Rohit Sharma to a hamstring injury in his right leg. He had retired hurt in the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and skipper Hardik Pandya said he will miss the next two matches
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