IPL 2025 Digest 30 April: Rohit Sharma Turns 38; KKR Slams Media; Kohli's Brother Targets Manjrekar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are the table toppers after match 48 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, and the tussle for the playoffs has started. No team has qualified for the playoffs yet, but no one is eliminated either. (Full Coverage | Schedule | Points Table | Cricket News)

Let's take a look at what has happened in the last 24 hours in the IPL 2025. Here's the IPL digest for the day:

KKR Slams Media Over Kuldeep-Rinku Slap Controversy

There was a video circulating in which Kuldeep Yadav was seen slapping his Uttar Pradesh teammate Rinku Singh twice. The fans on social media made that a big sensation, and some demanded BCCI ban Kuldeep for such behaviour. Many media channels also carried the news in a negative light.

But, Kolkata Knight Riders cooled down the buzz by issuing an official clarification. They called out media organisations who were making negative news out of one incident, which they labelled as a 'prank'.

Virat Kohli's Brother Takes Dig At Sanjay Manjrekar

Vikas Kohli, Virat Kohli's brother, criticised Sanjay Manjrekar on social media after Manjrekar suggested that Virat is past his prime. Vikas countered this by highlighting Manjrekar’s own ODI strike rate of 64.31.

Manjrekar also made controversial comments regarding the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and praised new-generation batters for their high strike rates, excluding Kohli from his list of top IPL players despite Kohli being the highest run-scorer.

In response, Vikas sarcastically remarked on Threads, “Mr. Sanjay Manjrekar, career ODI strike rate: 64.31. Easy to talk about 200-plus strike rates.”

Kohli has been in great form this IPL season, scoring six half-centuries in his innings.

Oscar Piastri Applauds Vaibhav Suryavanshi

In a rare cross-sport gesture, Formula 1 star Oscar Piastri applauded young cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi on Instagram. At just 14 years and 32 days old, Vaibhav stunned everyone with his incredible innings for the Rajasthan Royals against the Gujarat Titans, scoring 101 runs off only 38 balls. This achievement made him the youngest player in IPL and T20 history to score a century, featuring 11 sixes and 7 fours with a strike rate near 265, leaving fans and experts in awe.

Venky Iyer 'Trolled' For Underperformance

Venkatesh Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders' highest bid of the mega auction was acquired for a substantial sum of INR 23.75 crore. Unfortunately, he has continued to underperform, particularly in his recent match against the Delhi Capitals, where he only managed to score 7 runs. This brings his total to just 135 runs over nine matches, leading to significant online criticism regarding both his form and the high price tag associated with him.

One user commented on X, "I’m disappointed in you, Venkatesh Iyer. You are the weak link in this team. Everything was nicely set up, and you destroyed it—every bit of it."

Happy Birthday Rohit Sharma!

India captain and former MI skipper Rohit Sharma celebrated his 38th birth anniversary on Wednesday. The World Cup-winning India captain has led Mumbai Indians to the IPL title five times.

MI congratulated their valuable member of the family in style. They posted, "Happy birthday to the one & only - Rohit Sharma" on their social media handle X.

Chennai On The Verge Of Elimination

Chennai Super Kings are playing Punjab Kings on Wednesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This is a do-or-die match for the five-time champions. The MS Dhoni-led CSK desperately need a win to stay alive in the race for the playoffs.

If they lose this match, they will become the first team to be eliminated from the tournament. PBKS also need a win to take a big step forward for the playoffs.