The Indian Premier League season has just started and there is a flurry of news that has shocked the Cricket world as the season heats up.
The standings currently are as follows:
- Gujarat Titans – 8 Points
- Delhi Capitals – 8 Points
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 8 Points
- Lucknow Supergiant’s – 8 Points
- Kolkata Knight Riders – 6 Points
- Punjab Kings – 6 Points
- Mumbai Indians – 4 Points
- Rajasthan Royals – 4 Points
- Sunrisers Hyderabad – 4 Points
- Chennai Super Kings – 2 Points
Ball tampering Scandal
Two of the league’s most pristine teams, the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super King, started the IPL season against one another. This was a normal match until it was not, as controversy began to spark. A video of CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad appeared to put something in his back pocket when he was facing away from the camera. Many are accusing Chennai of cheating by tampering with the ball. However, the BCCI has taken no action and there has been no official statement on the incident despite the internet outrage.
What has happened to the Chennai Super Kings
As we just touched upon, the Chennai Super Kings have been the talk of the league this season for all the wrong reasons. They are the worst team in the PLL by far and have had an abysmal start, only recording two points. Both their run rate and economy rate have dropped over 10% from last year, which is a very troubling sign. If they want to start going in the right direction, the team will need a complete reset with bowlers and batsmen and shift their focus towards winning games.
A season for top-order batters
In 2025, batters have been on a hot streak, as four batters in the top three have had great starts to their seasons. Priyansh Arya, Nicholas Pooran, Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma have all been red hot, facing 75-plus deliveries and having a strike rate of over 200. Abhishek was the only batter to achieve this feat last year after 29 games.
MI finally gets the ball rolling again
The Mumbai Indians, one of the most storied franchises in the IPL, have gotten off to a slow start. So, when a victory came versus the undefeated red-hot Delhi Capitals, it came as a relief for their fans and players. For Mumbai, this was their second win in six games as they leaned on their stars to carry them to victory. Mumbai was also helped in this one with a new IPL rule change that helped them switch balls after 11 overs to get some relief before the 14th. The relief turned into joy, as just three balls in from that point, Tristan Stubbs made four wickets in four overs. Delhi responded as their batters got going, with Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam starting the comeback efforts. However, they fell short as Mitchell Satner closed the door on Delhi. The Capitals lost by 12 runs as their undefeated season went up in flames.
Mumbai Indians 205 for 5 (Tilak 59, Rickelton 41, Kuldeep 2-23) Delhi Capitals 193 (Nair 89, Porel 33, Karn 3-36) by 12 runs
Down Goes the Captain
Super Kings Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is out for the season after he fractured his elbow against the Rajasthan Royals. This is a massive loss for the team, as he is one of their most experienced and well-proven players. They will now need to fill the roster spot for the remainder of the season and there are some key names to keep your eyes on. The players include Lhuan-dre Pretorious, Ayush Mhatre and Alex Carey, who could all be viable options to fill in.