Speaking on JioStar’s special show ‘Superstars', Patidar called the current bowling unit the best in RCB history and highlighted how smart planning and squad balance have made a difference this season.

RCB have already secured a place in the playoffs and are placed second on the points table. They are set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial encounter on Friday in Lucknow - a game that was originally scheduled to be held in Bengaluru but was shifted due to "weather conditions".

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has said that he will retire from Test cricket after playing in the side’s first game of a five-match series against Bangladesh, set to happen in Galle from June 17-21. In 118 Tests, Mathews has amassed 8167 runs at an average of 44.62, while picking 33 wickets.

“It is time for me to say goodbye to the most cherished format of the game, International Test Cricket! The past 17 years of playing cricket for Sri Lanka has been my highest honour and pride. Nothing can match that feeling of patriotism and servitude when one dons the National Jersey.

Former India and Bengal wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha has been appointed mentor of the Siliguri Strikers ahead of season 2 of the Bengal Pro T20 League, scheduled for next month.

A stalwart behind the stumps in 40 Tests, 9 ODIs, and 255 T20s, Saha will guide both the men’s and women’s squads and advise Servotech Sports on talent development. His expertise will be important as the Siliguri Strikers looks to go one step ahead in the second season.

Speaking about joining Siliguri Strikers, Saha said, "I’m delighted to join the Servotech Siliguri Strikers as mentor. I look forward to sharing my experience with the talented players and helping them perform at their best on the big stage."

Servotech Sports, director, Rishabh Bhatia said aded, "His technical knowledge and leadership will be invaluable to our franchise. His dedication on the field perfectly aligns with our vision for Season 2, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Strikers family."

New Zealand allrounder Hayley Jensen has has announced her retirement from international cricket, bringing down curtains to her 11-year career.

Jensen, who debuted for the White Ferns in white ball formats against West Indies in 2014, became a regular feature in the squad after selection for the 2018 ICC T20 World Cup, and went on to represent New Zealand on 88 occasions in 35 ODIs and 53 T20Is, scoring 1,988 runs and taking 76 wickets.

Jensen said it felt like the right time to step away from international cricket.

“Ever since I was 10 years old, I came home from my first cricket tournament and knew I wanted to be a WHITE FERN. To have had the chance to live that dream is something I’ll always treasure.

Novak Djokovic celebrated his 38th birthday with hard-fought revenge at the Geneva Open. The second seed held firm for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matteo Arnaldi to reach the semi-finals at the clay ATP 250 event for the second consecutive year.

Djokovic, who fell to Arnaldi at the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid last month, reeled off five straight games from 1-4 in the second set to seal a one-hour, 40-minute victory.

“It’s great to be in the semi-finals again. Hopefully this year I can go at least a step further, that’s the goal. I think I’m playing really good tennis. A straight-sets win, but it was much closer than the score indicates. I was 4-1 down in the second, but somehow I didn’t lose a game.

“I found the optimal state and balance, mentally and emotionally, to be able to play my best tennis when it was most needed. Hopefully I can carry that into tomorrow," said Djokovic.

Punjab Kings co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has filed a legal case against her fellow co-directors Mohit Burman and Ness Wadia in a Chandigarh court. The three are directors of KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, the company that owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Punjab Kings.

Preity Zinta has challenged the legality of an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 21. She claims the meeting was held without following proper procedures under the Companies Act, 2013, and other secretarial rules. According to her, she had objected to the meeting in an email on April 10, but her objections were ignored. She alleges that Mohit Burman went ahead with the meeting with support from Ness Wadia.

Even though Zinta and another director, Karan Paul, attended the meeting, she has asked the court to declare it invalid. One of her main concerns is the appointment of Muneesh Khanna as a director during the meeting, which she and Paul opposed.

Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Thursday.

A win for GT will help them confirm a top-two finish in the IPL 2025 points table and feature in Qualifier 1 on May 29. GT will also be sporting a lavender kit as a mark of support for their cancer awareness programme.

“We'll bowl first, looks like a good wicket. It will be good to have a target on the board. We want momentum heading into the qualifiers, these two games are going to be equally important. The way we complement each other is great, we (him and B. Sai Sudharsan) don't have conversations about who will take down the bowlers. We just play with a positive intent and stay in the moment,” said Gill.

Veteran Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters after overcoming Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in the second round on Thursday.

Srikanth, currently ranked 65 in the world following a prolonged dip in form, battled for 59 minutes to register a 23-21, 21-17 win over the world No. 33.

In the quarterfinals, He will take on France’s Toma Junior Popov, who advanced after defeating India’s Ayush Shetty 21-13, 21-17.

HS Prannoy put up a determined fight but fell short against Yushi Tanaka, losing 9-21, 18-21 in the second round.

In the mixed doubles, the Indian duo of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila secured a place in the quarterfinals with a gritty 21-17, 18-21, 21-15 victory over France’s Lea Palermo and Julien Maio. They will next face the Chinese pair of Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin.

Captain Muhammad Waseem hailed the spirit of the UAE dressing room after a come-from-behind T20I series win against Bangladesh. It’s just the second time UAE have claimed T20I series against a Full Member, with the first back in 2021 when they defeated Ireland, also 2-1.

Originally slated as a two-match T20I series, the two nations agreed to schedule a third contest, giving the UAE extra incentive having gone 1-0 down on Saturday.

The UAE completed the comeback on Wednesday evening, chasing down Bangladesh’s 162 in the final over of the match, powered by an unbeaten 87-run stand from just 51 balls between Sharafu and Asif Khan.

The series win is more remarkable considering the inexperience of the home side, naming five uncapped players before the series started, and skipper Waseem, who also claimed Player of the Series honours, sang the side’s praises.

Tottenham Hotspur have qualified for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League after winning the UEFA Europa League final 1-0 in Bilbao with a goal by Brennan Johnson in the 42nd minute.

With Spurs set to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League, there will therefore be six English teams in the 2025/26 league phase for the Champions League. They will be joined by the teams who finish in the top five of this season's Premier League

It means the Premier League will have SIX clubs in the Champions League next season, the first time any league has had more than five clubs in Europe's leading competition in the same campaign.