All posts tagged: Playoff

IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians’ play-off hopes all but over after Gaikwad, Kartik fire CSK to emphatic win | Cricket News

IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians’ play-off hopes all but over after Gaikwad, Kartik fire CSK to emphatic win | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Gaikwad and Kartik steady the ship as CSK beat stuttering Mumbai to keep play-off hopes alive Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by eight wickets to revive their play-off push. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unbeaten 67 and Kartik Sharma’s maiden fifty did the bulk of the work, chasing down 160 with 11 balls to spare. For Mumbai, another evening of squandered opportunity — 159 all but sealed their fate in a season that has consistently promised more than it has delivered. It was a night where Mumbai had themselves to blame. Winning the toss on a dry Chepauk surface, they lost Will Jacks in the second over without scoring. Ryan Rickelton and Naman Dhir steadied things, threatening a total in excess of 180. In the powerplay, Rickelton hit five sixes — three of them off a single Prashant Veer over — but strip those away and he made only seven off his remaining 19 deliveries. The platform was being laid, not built upon. CSK stayed patient, chasing wickets, fully aware that Mumbai’s brittle middle order could combust …

Gujarat Titans Clinch Four-Wicket Win to Boost Playoff Hopes After RCB Collapse

Gujarat Titans Clinch Four-Wicket Win to Boost Playoff Hopes After RCB Collapse

Published by Webster

A four-wicket victory from the Gujarat Titans against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 has kept their playoff hopes alive. By this win, the Gujarat Titans retained 5th position in the IPL 2026 points table. After being invited to bat first, Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli opened the innings while Mohammed Siraj opened the bowling attack. The duo made a decent start, scoring 34 runs for the first wicket. Siraj bagged the wicket of Bethell for 5 runs, where Rashid Khan picked the catch at mid-wicket. Rabada picked the wicket of Virat Kohli for 28 runs. He got dismissed on a short and quick delivery where the batter played across the line, but top edge made Rashid Khan picked the wicket at mid-wicket. However, Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar stitched a decent partnership as the side posted 59 runs in the powerplay. The third wicket came where Rajat Patidar got dismissed for 19 runs by Arshad Khan. He got dismissed on a short ball where he played for pull but got top edged and …

Kevin Pietersen picks top 4 teams for IPL 2026 Playoff after first-round matches: ‘This can all change with injuries’ | Cricket News

Kevin Pietersen picks top 4 teams for IPL 2026 Playoff after first-round matches: ‘This can all change with injuries’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readApr 3, 2026 12:10 PM IST Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has made an early prediction of the four teams who could make it to the IPL 2026 Playoffs, singling out MI, DC, RR and PBKS to make the cut after the first round of matches in the new season. The 44-year-old former batter, however, said that things could change if there are more player injuries in the later matches. “Having watched the first round of matches in the IPL this season, as it stands, just on observations, this could be the top 4. MI, DC, RR, PUNJAB. This can all change with injuries, etc., but that’s how I see it atm,” Pietersen wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. Having watched the first round of matches in the IPL this season, as it stands, just on observations, this could be the top 4. MI, DC, RR, PUNJAB This can all change with injuries etc, but that’s how I see it atm. — Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) April 3, 2026 Pietersen raised concerns about …

Iran conflict fallout: Airspace shut, Iraq’s FIFA World Cup playoff in doubt | Football News

Iran conflict fallout: Airspace shut, Iraq’s FIFA World Cup playoff in doubt | Football News

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3 min readMumbaiMar 5, 2026 09:49 AM IST The Iraq Football Association is holding urgent discussions with FIFA after major travel disruptions cast doubt over Iraq’s participation in the intercontinental FIFA World Cup playoffs scheduled to take place in Monterrey, Mexico later this month, according to the Guardian. Officials from the federation have been scrambling for solutions after receiving notification from Iraqi Airways and the country’s transportation ministry that Iraqi airspace will remain shut for at least four weeks. The closure means roughly 40 percent of the national team squad currently cannot travel to join preparations or reach the playoff venue. Head coach Graham Arnold is also affected by the disruption and remains stranded in Dubai. The only possible alternative for players inside Iraq would be a lengthy road trip of about 25 hours from Baghdad into Turkey through the country’s northern region. However, that route is considered potentially unsafe and may not be used. Complicating matters further, several members of the Iraqi squad and staff are still waiting for travel visas to enter Mexico …

Haryana Thunders knock Tiigers of Mumbai Capitals out of play-off contention

Haryana Thunders knock Tiigers of Mumbai Capitals out of play-off contention

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Haryana Thunders delivered a dominant and record-setting performance to defeat the Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals 6–3 in Match 11 of the Pro Wrestling League 2026, played on Sunday night at the Noida Indoor Stadium here. Coming into the contest placed third with four points, Haryana surged to the top of the table with a commanding 6-3 win, while Mumbai remained winless this season. The highlight of the night came early when Iryna Koliadenko shattered the fastest-win record of PWL, previously set by her captain, Yui Susaki, earlier in the season, by defeating Sarika Malik in just 28 seconds. Haryana’s dominance was underlined by their women wrestlers, who won all four bouts by fall or technical superiority, while even the fifth tie was claimed without conceding a single point. Yui Susaki was named Player of the Match, while Mukul Dahiya earned Fighter of the Match honours for Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals. Deepak, Mukul Dahiya, and Captain Aman Shehrawat got the win for Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals. Haryana set the tone immediately in the opening 76kg women’s …

WPL 2026: Sophie Devine’s all-round brilliance, Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s spin keep Gujarat Giants alive, dent UP Warriorz’ playoff hopes | Cricket News

WPL 2026: Sophie Devine’s all-round brilliance, Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s spin keep Gujarat Giants alive, dent UP Warriorz’ playoff hopes | Cricket News

Published by Webster

UP Warriorz’s playoff chances took another hit as Sophie Devine’s all-round show and Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s left-arm spin guided Gujarat Giants to a vital win. Two victories after three defeats on the trot at the start of their campaign had given UP Warriorz some semblance of hope that their Women’s Premier League (WPL) season had something to play for, but the 45-run reversal against Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Thursday – in which their batters failed miserably on an admittedly tricky pitch – put Meg Lanning’s team’s playoff chances in further jeopardy. A team is likely to feel satisfied if it restricts the opposition to 153/8 in the first 20 overs. The Warriorz would have fancied their chances at 39/1 and then at 57/2, but they faltered against the Giants’ mixture of seam and spin to fall well short, and Ashleigh Gardner’s side took a big step towards the playoffs. Kiwi all-in-one It would be tough to find a more versatile player in women’s cricket than Sophie Devine. The New Zealand legend can be considered at …

Ranchi Royals clinch 2nd spot after 3-3 draw against TN Dragons; three out of four playoff spots confirmed

Ranchi Royals clinch 2nd spot after 3-3 draw against TN Dragons; three out of four playoff spots confirmed

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Despite leading for most of the regulation time, Ranchi Royals were held to a 3-3 draw and then went on to miss out on the shootout bonus against Tamil Nadu Dragons in the penultimate group phase encounter of the Men’s Hockey India League in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. But the point that Royals earned was enough to confirm second spot on the points table, setting up a clash against Kalinga Lancers on Friday in Qualifier 1 of the playoffs. The result also meant that Hyderabad Toofans have booked their place in the playoffs. It now comes down to Soorma Hockey Club and HIL GC, with just one match to go. Soorma Hockey must win by a seven-goal margin in Thursday’s clash against bottom-placed SG Pipers to clinch the fourth playoff spot ahead of HIL GC. Having already been eliminated from the playoff race, the Dragons edged past the Royals 4-2 in a dramatic shootout after a pulsating encounter ended 3-3 at full time. Tom Boon struck twice for the Royals (9’, 35’), complementing Mandeep Singh’s (1’) opener in the …

Gautami Naik with the bat, Sayali Satghare with the ball star vs GG as RCB seal playoff spot

Gautami Naik with the bat, Sayali Satghare with the ball star vs GG as RCB seal playoff spot

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RCB continue on their winning ways and unearth new stars. Gautami Naik’s classy 73 takes them to a decent score before Sayali Satghare runs through Gujarat Giants top order. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are running through the Women’s Premier League like a juggernaut. After an all-win record at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, Smriti Mandhana and her troops began the Vadodara leg in similar dominant fashion, inflicting a 61-run defeat on Gujarat Giants to seal a spot in the playoffs. Once RCB had put 178/6 batting first, the chasing team was never in the game, after being reduced to 5/3 in less than three overs. New star rises Smriti and Grace Harris had often given express starts to the RCB team, whether batting first or chasing. Richa Ghosh and Nadine de Klerk were there to provide the subsequent firepower. But on Monday, little-known Gautami Naik stole the show with a 55-ball 73, which included seven fours and a six. RCB were reduced to 69/3 with the run rate at a little over six an over, …

Caleb Williams presents an elusive challenge for Jared Verse, Rams’ defense in their playoff meeting

Caleb Williams presents an elusive challenge for Jared Verse, Rams’ defense in their playoff meeting

Published by Parlour News

LOS ANGELES — When Jared Verse begins to elaborate on the methodology of sacking Caleb Williams, it’s quickly obvious the Los Angeles Rams star edge rusher has been thinking about this monumental task quite a bit. “You just have to keep rushing,” Verse said. “You have to keep running. Honestly, once you get your hands around him, if you can’t fully grab him, aim for his arm. He’s a throwing quarterback. Obviously, that’s all quarterbacks, but you have to aim for his arm. Just try to mess his throw up a little bit. It can’t just be like you’re getting him off the spot. He’s one of those quarterbacks … even if they’re off the spot, they’re still liable to make any type of play.” Williams’ clutch playmaking has driven the Bears to the NFC North title and homefield advantage in their divisional round visit from the Rams on Sunday night. The Rams’ success in containing the former Southern California star will be a determining factor in this matchup — particularly in the fourth quarter, …

Colts hoping to keep playoff hopes alive as Jags chase AFC South crown

Colts hoping to keep playoff hopes alive as Jags chase AFC South crown

Published by Parlour News

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox. BetMGM NFL odds: Jaguars by 6 1/2. Against the spread: Jaguars 9-5-1; Colts 8-7. Series record: Colts lead 28-21. Last meeting: Jaguars beat Colts 36-19 on Dec. 7 in Jacksonville, Florida. Last week: Jaguars beat Broncos 34-20; Colts lost to 49ers 48-27. Jaguars offense: overall , rush , pass , scoring . Jaguars defense: overall , rush , pass , scoring . Colts offense: overall , rush , pass , scoring . Colts defense: overall , rush , pass , scoring . Turnover differential: Jaguars plus-12; Colts plus-1. DE Josh Hines-Allen. In 11 matchups with Indy, Hines-Allen has 11 1/2 sacks — his highest total against any opponent — including at least one in four straight games. He’s also had 39 tackles, 20 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles against the Colts. The injuries to Indy’s offensive line could lead to another big day from the Jaguars defense and top pass rusher. RB Jonathan Taylor. The Pro Bowler looked as if he’d run away with his …