IPL Dispatch: Lalit Modi Rubbishes KP's The Hundred Comparison; Varun Strikes Defiant Note

Jubilation was Kolkata's for the first time in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as the Knight Riders (KKR) finally registered their first victory of the season on Sunday (April 19). The win was made doubly special by Varun Chakravarthy's return to form and Rinku Singh's responsible fifty against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Eden Gardens.

In the second game of double-header Sunday, the joy spread from Kolkata to New Chandigarh as table-toppers Punjab Kings maintained their unbeaten run, notching up their fifth win in six games via a 54-run hammering of Lucknow Super Giants. With that, here is a look at some of the major IPL 2026 talking points in the past 24 hours.

Lalit Modi Vs Kevin Pietersen

Ever the provocateur, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has reacted strongly to England cricket legend Kevin Pietersen’s prediction that in three years, The Hundred will become the "UK’s version of the IPL". “Not in this lifetime will ANY T20 tournament will be like the IPL my friend,” Modi wrote on X before presenting six reasons to back his assertion.

Modi wrote that the UK doesn’t consider cricket as a "premier sport", adding that the country doesn’t have the die hard fan base, the population to support it, the advertisers to back it, or the Indian players. He further stated that the 18 counties will find it hard to come to an agreement.

Ayush Mhatre Injury Update

Already dealing with MS Dhoni's calf strain, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a big blow to their IPL 2026 campaign as rising star Ayush Mhatre sustained a significant hamstring injury during Saturday’s clash against SunRisers Hyderabad. The 18-year-old, who was in prime form, now faces a prolonged period on the sidelines.

"Obviously a hamstring tear. I don't know how bad it is. I'm sure we'll scan him probably tomorrow or the next day," CSK batting coach Michael Hussey said at the press conference after the game. "It looks pretty bad, unfortunately. And he's going to be a big, big loss because he's been in really nice touch for us."

Photo Of The Day

Making his IPL debut, Yash Raj Punja snared the key scalp of Ramandeep Singh during the KKR vs RR match in Kolkata. The 19-year-old leg-spinner was acquired by the Royals for a base price of INR 30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction. Punja, who hails from Mangalore, caught many an eye when he became the second-highest wicket-taker at the Maharaja Cup 2025, where he picked 23 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 12.48.

Ruturaj's 'Mind A Bit Cluttered', Feels Ashwin

India off-spin great Ravichandran Ashwin believes CSK's under-fire skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad missed a great opportunity to regain form in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, after Mhatre set the tone with his explosive cameo. Ashwin said on JioHotstar: "It was right there for Ruturaj to take some time, score some runs, and come back into form.

"After Ayush Mhatre's wicket, Ruturaj got a very good ball, it's not easy to beat him on the pull. I just feel he is under immense pressure, and his mind appears to be a bit cluttered." Ruturaj is currently experiencing one of his most difficult periods in the IPL, with only 82 runs in his first six matches of the 2026 season. This poor form has seen him average just 13.67 with a strike rate of 112.33.

Quote Of The Day

Chakravarthy on Sunday struck a dismissive note on his recent struggles, attributing them to unhelpful pitches rather than any "mistakes" in his bowling, while also brushing aside outside criticism. On a sluggish Eden Gardens surface in the IPL afternoon match, Chakravarthy returned to form with figures of 3/14.

“Just because I’ve taken three wickets today, I don’t want to make a sweeping statement. That’s the nature of the game," he told reporters after the match. The India spinner added: “In the next match, if the wicket has nothing in it, that’s going to happen to every spinner. As you saw, initially every spinner was struggling. That’s how it is.

"I wasn’t making any mistakes -- it was because of the pitches. I’m very tough on myself; if I don’t do well, I analyse what went wrong. But the pitches earlier had nothing for spinners. If you see other spinners, it was the same for everyone. It’s good that there is something in the pitch now."

Elsewhere...

The controversy around Blessing Muzarabani and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was reignited on Sunday as the Zimbabwe fast bowler's agent Rob Humphries tore into the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a social media post. Humphries said that Muzarabani never held a contract with PSL team Islamabad United, and called the two-year ban imposed on the seamer "incredibly excessive".

Humphries further urged the PCB to gracefully withdraw the ban and accept this situation risen out of an administrative error at their end. Muzarabani was acquired by Islamabad as a replacement for West Indian pacer Shamar Joseph for USD 40,000, but he ended up joining KKR instead in the IPL.