Good Monday morning to you. While the rest of the day is set to fly by, here’s a quick, two-minute sweep of what matters in the IPL world—Cricbuzz Pulse style. Let’s start with the action from yesterday.
IPL in focus: what happened yesterday
- In Lucknow, Gujarat’s top order dominated in a highly anticipated meeting, comfortably handling Lucknow’s early burst.
- Prasidh Krishna produced a devastating spell of 4 wickets for 4 runs, restricting Lucknow to 165.
- Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler then combined for an 84-run partnership, steering the chase home with momentum and control.
- In Mumbai, Royal Challengers Bangalore posted 240/4 after being asked to bat first.
- Phil Salt set the tone with a strike rate above 216, while Virat Kohli scored 132 and Rajat Patidar added 265, ensuring the chase never truly got underway.
The key difference between the two innings was spin. Mumbai’s spinners conceded at just 1 run per over across six overs, while RCB’s bowlers returned figures of 3 for 72 in eight overs, shifting the contest in their favour.
Off-field update: Pathirana clears the road to Chennai
KKR may have found a useful new option for the run-in. Matheesha Pathirana has received his No-Objection Certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket and is expected to join the squad. His availability could arrive as soon as the match against CSK in Chennai on April 14.
Pulse awards: moments that stole the spotlight
- Blinded brilliance: Glenn Phillips for managing to cling on to Ayush Badoni’s catch despite the sun shining directly into his eyes.
- Sibling rivalry: Krunal Pandya for celebrating Hardik Pandya’s dismissal with a burst of joy—even though he had no direct involvement in the wicket.
- Almost-but-not-quite: Romario Shepherd for striking two batters in consecutive deliveries, only for one dismissal to be ruled out by a no-ball and the other to arrive on a free hit.
- Even-gods-blink: Jasprit Bumrah—because even the GOAT can have a quiet day; he finished wicketless in this IPL, a reminder that even superstars have off moments.
Talking point: Prasidh Krishna’s middle-overs mastery
Prasidh Krishna has been doing something special in the middle overs. Since IPL 2025, he has taken 15 wickets in overs 7 to 15 — the most by any seamer in that phase. He’s averaged 17.93 and strikes a wicket every 15.2 balls. In Lucknow, he swung the game by removing Aiden Markram and Ayush Badoni in quick succession, helping keep LSG to 50/3 during the middle overs at a rate of 5.55 runs per over.
What stands out further is his approach: he consistently used hard lengths and short balls to pressure the batters. In that particular match, his plan translated directly into figures of 4/12.
Who said what: quotes from the dressing room
- Phil Salt said he’s coming to terms with the fact that he can’t score heavily every match, choosing instead to make his impact count when the opportunity is there. He also felt RCB have “a few more in the tank” with the bat.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar joked that he’s “learning” bouncers from Krunal Pandya, pointing to the season’s dressing-room humour about left-arm spinners apparently outdoing him in that department.
- Suyash Sharma, named in the starting XI for a change, explained his plan was to “bowl in the blockhole” to Ryan Rickelton and Tilak Varma—both left-hand batters he dismissed on a punishing Wankhede wicket.
- Hardik Pandya admitted that “a lot needs rethinking,” including the choice to chase. He noted that chasing hasn’t worked for them recently, even at Wankhede.
- Prasidh Krishna revealed he has put significant work into perfecting how to hit the pitch hard with his slower balls.
- Jos Buttler said “a few technical issues” crept into his game, affecting his ability to “see the ball well.” He added that stepping away helped him address the problem.
- Rishabh Pant reiterated that the batting group is “great,” but said they simply couldn’t post enough runs on the board.
Stat snack
RCB have now won 23 times in IPL when defending totals of 200-plus—matching CSK as the joint-most for such successful defences.
What’s the latest gossip?
There are whispers that Wankhede Stadium’s “chasing advantage” could be under threat even with dew helping at night. Curators reportedly made a trip to Bengaluru to study how to craft a pitch that becomes sticky for only a short window at the start. For immediate damage control, the North Stand may even be permitted to use lasers during the first innings to keep batters slightly distracted—just enough to help keep totals in check and make them more “chaseable.”
Tonight’s watchlist
The spotlight is on SRH versus RR. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the key name to track at a ground where 250 can feel reachable on certain days, and against a bowling attack that is still finding consistency this season.
Reckless prediction
Uppal could end up proving too tight a venue for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to work his magic.
