IPL Dispatch: Vaibhav Reiterates 'Ball, Not Bowler' Philosophy; Thushara Reportedly Says Sorry

Another day, another Vaibhav Sooryavanshi special. The 15-year-old is fast making pundits as well as journalists run out of adjectives to describe the refreshing irreverence with which he is dismantling bowling attacks. On Friday (April 10), his manic 26-ball 78 was the centrepiece of Rajasthan Royals' (RR) six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in match 16 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

ALSO READ: RR Vs RCB Highlights

Such was Sooryavanshi's ferocity that Dhruv Jurel's explosive knock at the other end almost went unnoticed. Batting at 78 off 25, it seemed like the teenager was going for Chris Gayle's fastest IPL hundred record (off 30 balls) when his innings was cut short by a smart catch from Virat Kohli.

The damage had been done by then, however, as the Royals marched to their fourth consecutive win and firmed up their lead at the points table summit. With that, let us take a look at some of the major talking points around IPL 2026 in the last 24 hours.

Hasaranga Out, Linde In

Ending the suspense over Wanindu Hasaranga's availability, Lucknow Super Giants signed South Africa all-rounder George Linde as his replacement. Hasaranga, who was acquired by LSG for INR 2 crore, has been sidelined with the hamstring injury he sustained during Sri Lanka's opening match of ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Linde, meanwhile brings significant experience in the shortest format. The 33-year-old will be entering the IPL arena for the first time, but he has competed in the SA20, the Hundred, Major League Cricket as well as the Pakistan Super League in the past 12 months. In 250 overall T20s, he has picked up 218 wickets at an economy rate of 7.42. With the bat, he has aggregated 2746 runs at an average of 19.47 and strike rate of 136.68.

Thushara Backs Down In SLC Stand-Off: Report

In a remarkable climb-down, Sri Lankan seamer Nuwan Thushara, who had taken his cricket board to court for denying him a No Objection Certificate for IPL participation, has now extended an apology to the governing body and is considering withdrawing his case, according to a PTI report.

The backdown came as the Sri Lanka Cricket earlier told the district court in Colombo that objections will be filed on Thushara's application for court intervention to enable his participation in IPL 2026. The pacer was to appear for RCB this season, having previously played in 2024 and 2025.

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Shimron Hetmyer had a great day in the field on Friday, claiming three catches in the outfield, two of which he completed while diving. But he had a polar opposite outing with the bat, as he essentially gave catching practice to the returning Hazlewood at short third to be dismissed for a first-ball duck.

It was a short delivery from Krunal Pandya outside off, and the way Hetmyer guided it to Hazlewood was almost comical. But the batter himself was understandably not amused, and he could not believe what he just did, throwing his bat in the air just like he had thrown his wicket away.

Sooryavanshi's Mantra For Success

After depositing Jasprit Bumrah for six off the first ball he faced from the world's best bowler, Sooryavanshi unleashed his wide range of strokes against Josh Hazlewood, who was playing his first IPL game of the season for RCB. Asked at the post-match presentation about his mindset, and whether he considers the reputations of stalwarts like Bumrah and Hazlewood, the Tajpur lad insisted that he "plays the ball" and "not the bowler".

"I try to execute what I practice and back my natural game. Yes, at the back of your mind, you know who the bowler (Bumrah or Hazlewood) is but you play the ball not the bowler," said Sooryavanshi, who hit the star Aussie seam bowler for three fours and a six off four consecutive deliveries.

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Just like he gets understatedly credited for Chennai Super Kings' conquests, head coach Stephen Fleming also has to face the music when the team is not doing well, as is the case right now. The only team yet to open their account this season, CSK lie at the bottom of the standings with three consecutive losses.

Fleming is not shying away from the brickbats. "Criticism is fair when you don't do well," the former New Zealand captain said at his press conference on the eve of their home face-off with Delhi Capitals. Fleming admitted that CSK were "off the pace" in the 2025 edition but said the team has since responded with a strategic reset, including the introduction of younger players.