All posts tagged: defending Champions

RCB eye back-to-back IPL titles on a pitch that already beat them once this season

RCB eye back-to-back IPL titles on a pitch that already beat them once this season

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5 min readAhmedabadUpdated: May 30, 2026 07:44 PM IST As the sun set over the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday evening, Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal were still on the ground, working through their drills under Dinesh Karthik’s eye. The intensity was evident. So was the composure. That combination – urgency without anxiety – has become the defining characteristic of this RCB side over two seasons. They arrive at Sunday’s final as defending champions. They also arrive at a venue that has already beaten them once this season – bowled out for 155 here in April, a total Gujarat chased with four wickets in hand. The final was originally scheduled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB’s home, before the BCCI moved it to Ahmedabad citing logistical requirements. So the defending champions will play for the title not on their own ground but on Gujarat’s, on a pitch they know can undo them. Ahmedabad is hosting the IPL final for the fourth time in the last five seasons. RCB are the only side arriving without …

In the face of squad challenges and stronger opposition, can Royal Challengers Bengaluru hold on to their long-awaited maiden title?

In the face of squad challenges and stronger opposition, can Royal Challengers Bengaluru hold on to their long-awaited maiden title?

Published by Webster

5 min readUpdated: Mar 27, 2026 08:17 PM IST After 17 seasons of waiting, heartbreak, and near-misses, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally enter an Indian Premier League season as defending champions. For years, they were cast as the bridesmaid – the team with star power and expectations, but without a trophy to validate it. That narrative changed in 2025. But with that comes a different kind of burden. IPL success does not offer comfort – it invites scrutiny. Every defending champion becomes the benchmark, the side everyone prepares for a little more intensely. And history suggests that staying at the top is significantly harder than getting there. “We are the holders but this is a brand new year, and we’re looking forward to the challenge. We are a different group now, the players are a year older, and our opponents have evolved in certain ways. Conditions might also be different, so the challenge of this IPL will be completely different to the last one,” RCB head coach Andy Flower said on the eve of the …

Anil Kumble predicts RCB to stick to same starting XI with Devdutt Padikkal instead of getting in Venkatesh Iyer

Anil Kumble predicts RCB to stick to same starting XI with Devdutt Padikkal instead of getting in Venkatesh Iyer

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3 min readMar 13, 2026 04:57 PM IST Venkatesh Iyer, after receiving a humongous bid in the 2025 auction, went to Kolkata Knight Riders, but was not able to justify the price he was paid. However, come the auction for the 2026 season, his price had fallen significantly to 7 crores from 23.5 crores and was acquired by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Former player for the franchise, Anil Kumble, predicted that Iyer might not start in the playing XI for RCB in the upcoming season. “Not the starting XI. I don’t think he would be because you would still want the same starting XI. Devdutt Padikkal should play in the XI. He missed out on the last couple of important games for RCB because of injury. He is in outstanding form. So he will certainly take that role of that impact player, Devdutt batting and Suyash Sharma probably bowling,” the former RCB captain responded on Star Sports. “That was how they had structured last season’s lineup. So in that lineup, unlikely, unless they look …

Dhoni on T20 World Cup: ‘India are one of most dangerous teams, but one factor really scares me’ | Cricket News

Dhoni on T20 World Cup: ‘India are one of most dangerous teams, but one factor really scares me’ | Cricket News

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3 min readFeb 4, 2026 12:24 PM IST Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes that the Indian cricket team will be “one of the most dangerous teams” at the upcoming T20 World Cup, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka. When asked about India’s chances at the T20 World Cup, where they are also defending champions, the India cricket legend said: “India is one of the most dangerous teams. They would have already started their preparations, whether batting or bowling, but what’s really needed for a good team? Everything is there. They have the experience—especially in this format—the experience is vast. They have played under pressure. Whoever is playing, and whatever roles they are assigned, they have been in those specific situations for a considerable period of time.” India find themselves in Group A with Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. As things stand, India are already assured a victory by forfeit since Pakistan have announced that they will boycott the game against their arch-rivals. ALSO READ | ‘Age is not a criteria’: …

Defending Champions India cruise to easy win over West Indies

Defending Champions India cruise to easy win over West Indies

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Defending champions India kicked off their 2025 ICC Women’s U19 World Cup campaign in commanding fashion, securing a comprehensive victory over the West Indies at the Bayeumas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, India put in an exceptional all-round performance. The West Indies team were bowled out for a mere 44 runs, with Indian bowlers and fielders making crucial contributions. Joshitha VJ was the standout performer, taking two wickets in her second over, dismissing West Indies captain Samara Ramnath and Naijanni Cumberbatch. Spin duo Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia further tightened India’s grip, the latter finishing with a three-wicket haul. India’s fielding was also top-notch, with three run-outs contributing to the West Indies’ downfall. Chasing a paltry total of 45, India made light work of the target, reaching it in just 4.2 overs with nine wickets in hand. The victory came after strong performances in their warm-up games, where they defeated South Africa and Scotland. With the aim of initiating the U19 T20 #WorldCup campaign on a high …

Odisha FC to kick off their campaign against Gokulam Kerala

Odisha FC to kick off their campaign against Gokulam Kerala

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The 2024-25 Indian Women’s League (IWL) season is set to kick off with a thrilling encounter between defending champions Odisha FC Women (OFCW) and Gokulam Kerala FC on January 10, 2025, at EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala. The match promises to be a high-stakes battle between two of the league’s top contenders, with both teams looking to make an early statement. Odisha FC Women enter the season as the defending champions, having dominated the 2023-24 IWL season with 31 points from 12 matches. Under the guidance of Coach Crispin Chettri, the team secured 10 wins and one draw, dethroning Gokulam Kerala FC, who finished second with 29 points. Despite losing a few key players, Odisha FC remains a formidable force, thanks to the arrival of several promising young talents. Coach Chettri shared his thoughts on preparing for the season, saying, “This year, we have a very young side with only a few players remaining from last season. But we are growing as a team every day, and we are confident we can defend our title.” …

Satwik-Chirag bow to come back stronger after Thomas Cup setback

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Defending champion India bowed out of the Thomas Cup in the quarter-final and finished the tournament without a medal after losing to China on Thursday. One of the primary reasons behind India’s loss was the poor performance of the former world number one doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The duo didn’t look at their best after making a comeback from injury where Satwik was injured and had skipped the Badminton Asia Championships last month. Talking about their gameplay in Thomas Cup, Satwik said,” We just kept pushing ourselves even though we were not playing to the best of our abilities. But if you want to beat them, you have to play at a much better level than this. We’ll take a lot of learning from this and come back stronger.” It was their second loss in two days and the Indian pair said it would come back stronger. 🇮🇳 0️⃣-2️⃣ 🇨🇳 India trails as SatChi lose the crucial first MD against the WR no. 1️⃣ (15-21, 21-11, 12-21). Some thrilling moments but things …

Defending champion India knocked out of Thomas Cup

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As Dhruv Kapila watched the shuttle fall on his side in the quarter-final of the Thomas Cup, hopes of the Indian badminton fans and the dream to defend the title also fell along. Despite putting up some fight, the Indian men’s team lost 1-3 to hosts China on Thursday and will return without a medal this time from the prestigious tournament. After losing to Indonesia in the last group game, the defending champions went with a different team and replaced Kidambi Srikanth with Kiran George for the third men’s singles. It was a rematch of the 2023 Asian Games team final which India lost 2-3 to sign off with a maiden silver. HS Prannoy started well against Shi Yu Qi and stunned him with his deceptions. With the home crowd rallying behind him, Shi made a comeback and Prannoy’s spirited fight concluded with a 21-15,11-21,14-21 loss in a match that went for 66 minutes. In the second match, former men’s doubles world number one Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty took on current world number one Liang Wei …