The IPL was due to get underway at the end of March, but that was not possible due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Brijesh Patel, chairman of the IPL's governing council, on Friday revealed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at the September and October window for staging a rescheduled tournament.
Gavaskar believes it would make sense for the competition to be played overseas if that window is possible due to the weather in India at that time of year.
The India legend said: "If the IPL is held in Sri Lanka from September then it might be possible. If you play somewhere overseas, then the home and away factor won't be there.
"So instead of the 14 matches per team, the tournament will be reduced to maybe seven matches per team. That might be possible and only then maybe the IPL can happen.
"Then we can have IPL in September-October, not in India because there can be monsoon at that time. Maybe, Sri Lanka or UAE can host the IPL."
Gavaskar, however, says increased optimism that the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia can take place as scheduled could mean there is no IPL this year.
He added: "After hearing what the Australian government said, it seems like the T20 World Cup can happen. Players will have to reach Australia earlier than usual for the 14-day quarantine period and then for the practice matches.
"If the ICC accepts that the tournament will have to happen then it will be difficult to hold the IPL. If the T20 World Cup got cancelled, then only the IPL window was possible.
"The T20 World Cup can happen but there will be 16 teams in the tournament with 15 players each including their support staff, doctors, et cetera.
"It will be difficult to hold but if the Australian government says it can happen, then it can happen maybe in October-November. There is still some time, may be the curve in India also will flatten by then."
An extraordinary Indian Premier League match saw both sides post 176-6, with KL Rahul making a terrific 77 for Kings XI, before the teams then managed just five runs each in the first series of extra overs.
Chris Jordan gave away 11 to Mumbai as the second round of Super Overs began, helped by a magnificent piece of boundary fielding from Agarwal who denied Pollard a six from the final ball.
Agarwal caught the ball while in mid-air over the ropes and threw it back into play, athleticism that saved four runs, and after Gayle blasted Trent Boult for six at the start of KXIP's second extra over, it was Agarwal who finished the match with back-to-back boundaries.
Jasprit Bumrah (3-24) had earlier ended Rahul's innings with a scorching delivery at a pivotal point in KXIP's run chase, and Jordan was run out from the final ball of their 20 overs, chasing a second run for victory.
Bumrah limited Kings XI to just 5-2 in six balls of the first Super Over, before Mohammed Shami incredibly kept Mumbai to 5-1 thanks to a set of super yorkers.
After just two wins from their previous eight games this season, the Mohali-based Kings XI had looked poised for more disappointment as momentum repeatedly appeared to swing to their second-placed opponents, only for Gayle and Agarwal to produce the late heroics.
Quinton de Kock made a team-high 53 in Mumbai's innings, which benefited from an explosive seventh-wicket partnership of 57 between Kieron Pollard and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who only came together midway through the 17th over.
Jordan's turning circle
Had Jordan turned and run straight back on a batsman's usual path, he would surely have made his ground for the second run in that 20th over. Instead he swung around in a wide curve at the non-striker's end and ended up charging back bizarrely wide, seemingly taking several unnecessary strides that cost him his wicket. Somehow, he finished on the winning side nonetheless.
Living on the edge
Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma could have found himself facing questions if his early call in KXIP's innings proved pivotal. Boult drew a thin edge from opener Agarwal in the first over that was not spotted by the umpire, and there was no obvious shout from De Kock who gathered the ball safely behind the stumps. Boult was convinced and replays confirmed what he had seen, but Sharma declined the bowler's call for a review. Agarwal perished for 11, presumably sparing Sharma a post-game inquisition.
In reply to 149-9, Kings XI made a somewhat inauspicious start, but Gayle's entrance provided the required spark and subsequently seemed to inspire Mandeep, who was visibly emotional as he passed 50 just a few days after the death of his father.
KKR's bowlers failed to match the performance of their counterparts, Kings XI sealing an impressive victory that puts them fourth.
A dreadful start by Kolkata left them staring at a tricky innings as they found themselves 10-3 having lost Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi and Dinesh Karthik in the first two overs.
Shubman Gill (57) and Eoin Morgan (40) soon steadied the ship with a stand of 81, but the tide turned again as Kings XI's spinners took charge.
Lockie Ferguson (24 not out) was the only other batsman to reach double figures, Varun Chakaravarthy – the last to fall – summing up their struggles as he hit an attempted reverse sweep into his own stumps.
Kings XI might have been accused of being a little conservative in their chase given they were at 47-1 at the end of the eighth over, when captain KL Rahul fell, but that was the turning point.
Gayle entered the crease and quickly turned on the style, his successive sixes soon followed by another as he began to toy with the Knight Riders.
Mandeep reached his half-century in the 16th over to draw rousing applause from his team-mates and finished unbeaten on 66, helped by eight fours and a pair of sixes.
Gayle was halted on 51 when caught by Prasidh Krishna, but at that point Kings XI needed just three runs and Nicholas Pooran saw them home.
GAYLE TURNS IT UP A NOTCH
While Mandeep will deservedly get much of the attention for the quality of his performance, even more so given his personal situation, Gayle's entry was undoubtedly a key factor.
Until then, Kings XI had looked a little lacklustre even if they were performing solidly. The 'Universe Boss' provided the oomph they had been missing.
SPINNERS LEAD THE WAY
The target of 150 always looked an entirely reachable one, and for that, much of the credit must go to the Kings XI spinners. That includes Glen Maxwell, who opened the bowling and claimed 1-21.
Rahul's in-form side have now won five on the spin, quickly moving them up the standings at a crucial time in the season.
Kings XI narrowly missed out on securing an Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff spot after finishing 6th in the overall standings. The team, however, got plenty of plaudits for an improbable run, which saw it win five games in a row after getting off to a 1-6 start.
Kings XI’s rapid ascent from the bottom of the table was fueled by the re-introduction of Gayle into the line-up. The West Indian had been left on the bench for the first seven games of the season. He was not picked for the first five, with a bout of food poisoning ruling him out for the next two. Gayle fired immediately once he was inserted into the line-up, ending with 288 runs at an average of 44.14 and a high score of 99.
“The team management did what it thought was best for the team. It is important to back experienced players and Gayle has demonstrated that he should play every game next season,” Wadia told the Press Trust of India (PTI).
The owner also had high praise for team captain and leading scorer KL Rahul, suggesting that some of Kings XI’s struggles could be based on the fact that it is a newly assembled unit.
“It’s a new captain, new team with lots of fresh faces, sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t. The auction is coming up soon and we would be looking to plug gaps in the middle order and our bowling,” Wadia said.
“K L has been with is for three years and there was a reason we went after him so aggressively. He has proved us right.”
Kings XI have found wins hard to come by in 2020 but have now triumphed in both games with Bangalore, albeit only after surviving a late wobble on Thursday.
Gayle made 53 from 45 balls but was run out from the penultimate delivery with the scores level. That left Nicholas Pooran to come out and face one ball, which he proceeded to launch down the ground for six.
The eight-wicket victory gives Kings XI renewed hope for the season, though they remain bottom of the table.
Rahul – who made 132 not out in the previous meeting of the two franchises – finished up unbeaten on 61, in the process extending his lead at the top of the run-scoring table.
Opening partner Mayank Agarwal weighed in with 45 as Bangalore's total of 171-6 was not quite enough, despite the unexpected final-over drama.
Virat Kohli had top-scored with 48 but the Royal Challengers struggled to pick up the run-rate, making the decision to leave AB de Villiers down at six in the order even more surprising.
The South African made just two but compatriot Chris Morris was far more successful in the closing stages, an eight-ball cameo seeing him make 25 not out.
DE VILLIERS MADE TO WAIT
De Villiers was at his explosive best against Kolkata Knight Riders last time out, smashing an unbeaten 73 from 33 balls.
Despite that explosive display of hitting, Bangalore sent both Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube in ahead of him, before he eventually came out with four overs to go.
THE UNIVERSE BOSS IS BACK!
Gayle's involvement in the tournament was delayed by food poisoning, leading to a spell in hospital. He batted in the unfamiliar position of three for Kings XI, coming in after the opening duo had put on 78.
After a cautious start, the left-hander cut loose with a solitary four and five sixes. Even his demise added a little drama, but Pooran finished the job in style with a maximum off Yuzvendra Chahal.
Gayle surpassed 1,000 career maximums in Twenty20 cricket - the first player to reach that number - before being dismissed for 99, bowled by Jofra Archer (2-26).
The left-hander's wonderful 63-ball knock, coupled with a late cameo from fellow West Indian Nicholas Pooran (22), powered Kings XI to 185-4.
However, the Royals overhauled that total with seven wickets in hand, moving them level with their fourth-placed opponents on 12 points as the round-robin stage draws towards a close.
Ben Stokes led the way in the chase with a 26-ball 50 at the top of the order, while Sanju Samson made 48 and Rajasthan skipper Steve Smith finished up unbeaten on 31.
Jos Buttler hurried his team to their target with two late sixes as he made 22 not out from 11 deliveries, the Royals clinching victory thanks to a Chris Jordan wide midway through the 18th over.
GAYLE LAUNCHES INTO ROYALS
There was to be no 23rd T20 century for Gayle, though the 41-year-old still reached a notable milestone during his innings. He boosted his career sixes total with eight more on Friday, including one off Archer in the 20th over that took him to 1,001.
However, the bowler got his revenge with the next ball, aided by a deflection off bat and pad. Gayle threw his bat after falling just short, then shared a handshake with Archer before departing.
ROYALS RUNNING INTO FORM
Having returned figures of 2-32 with the ball, Stokes gave Rajasthan's reply the early impetus it required. His half-century here followed on from an unbeaten 107 against Mumbai Indians last time out.
The England international appears to be coming into form at the perfect time for the Royals, though they still remain outside the top four in the table. They have one game remaining - against fellow play-off hopefuls Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday - and the fight to qualify could well come down to net run-rate.
Both sides had lost their first game of the tournament and it was KKR who got up and running at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, where Sunrisers could only post 142-4 after David Warner won the toss and opted to bat.
Manish Pandey top scored with 51 from 38 balls and Warner made 36, but Pat Cummins (1-19) and Varun Chakravarthy (1-25) were the standout bowlers in a fine performance in the field from the Knight Riders.
KKR stayed ahead of the run-rate in reply, but there was work to do when they were 53-3 in the seventh over in Abu Dhabi.
Star spinner Rashid Khan trapped captain Dinesh Karthik leg before for a duck to leave the Knight Riders three down, Sunil Narine having also gone without scoring and Nitish Rana (26) caught behind off Thangarasu Natarajan.
Gill (70no from 62) and Eoin Morgan (42no off 29) then combined for a match-winning unbroken stand of 92 to get Kolkata home with two overs to spare.
That leaves Sunrisers as the only team without a point early in the tournament.
CUMMINS SPOILS BAIRSTOW'S BIRTHDAY
Jonny Bairstow was unable to celebrate his 31st birthday with an explosive knock, departing for only five off 10 balls.
The England batsman might have thought it was his day when he successfully reviewed after being given out to Cummins, but he was cleaned up off the next ball from the Australia quick.
Cummins, who went for 49 from three overs in a loss to Mumbai Indians three days earlier, was outstanding and deserved more than just the one wicket, bowling 11 dot balls in four excellent overs.
Bairstow's opening partner Warner was looking in great touch until he was caught and bowled by Chakravarthy.
YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE GET KKR HOME
The 21-year-old Gill reached his half-century off 42 balls and saw it through with great support from the vastly experienced Morgan.
Gill and England's ODI World Cup-winning captain Morgan both struck two sixes as they took the game away from Sunrisers.
The powerful Morgan finished the game in the style, dispatching Natarajan over long-on for six and hitting the next ball for four to finish it off.
Gill, who also found the rope five times, was named man of the match after giving another demonstration of his considerable promise.
The two competition debutants have enjoyed sparkling first seasons in the league and each went into this game with just three defeats.
But the Titans comfortably had the upper hand on Tuesday, cruising to victory despite being restricted to 144-4 with the bat.
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 63 got them to that total, before Rashid Khan (4-24) starred with the ball as the Super Giants crumbled to 82 all out in reply.
Gill hit seven fours as his impressive form continued, the opener anchoring the Titans' innings and combining for critical partnerships of 52 with David Miller (26) and 41 with Rahul Tewatia (22 not out).
Lucknow would likely have been confident of a successful chase despite those stands; however, their hopes soon diminished as they lost four wickets in under eight overs.
Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore took a tricky catch to dismiss Quinton de Kock (11) one delivery after he had top-edged Yash Dayal for six. Dayal removed Karan Sharma after Mohammed Shami took the key wicket of KL Rahul, with Rashid then ending Krunal Pandya's brief innings as he was stumped by Wriddhiman Saha.
Saha stumped Ayush Badoni and ran out Marcus Stoinis before Jason Holder and Mohsin Khan fell within an over of each other to Sai Kishore and Rashid respectively.
It was Rashid who finished things off with the wickets of Super Giants top-scorer Deepak Hooda (27) and Avesh Khan (12), who had hit him for successive sixes before being given out caught behind on review.
Shubman succeeds again
Shubman backed up his half-century against Mumbai Indians last time out with another here. It marked the fourth of the tournament for a player who is fourth on the list of top run-scorers with 384.
Gujarat book their place
Gujarat will finish among the final four after moving onto 18 points from 12 games. The only question remaining for the Titans is whether they will secure top spot to ensure they will get two attempts to make the final.
Inspired by Shubman Gill's third half-century of the season, the Titans swatted aside Mumbai by 55 runs on Tuesday.
Gill scored 56 from 34 deliveries before he was dismissed by Kumar Kartikeya in the 12th over, with the Titans on 91-3.
David Miller (46 from 22) and Abhinav Manohar (42 from 21) picked up the slack, driving Gujarat to 207-6 from their 20 overs.
Mumbai's chase started badly – captain Rohit Sharma caught and bowled by Hardik Pandya (1-10) in the second over, with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma succumbing to Rashid Khan (2-27) in the eighth.
Cameron Green plundered 33 but his stand came to an end three overs later, with Noor Ahmad picking up the first of his three wickets.
Nehal Wadhera's 40, which included six boundaries, offered Mumbai some slim hope, but his dismissal in the 18th over all but ended their chances, with the Indians limited to just 152-9.
Gill keeps up sparkling form
No IPL player has scored more half-centuries than Gill this season, while his knock on Tuesday came at a strike rate of 164.7 – the second-highest of his campaign.
Slow starts stalling Mumbai's progress
The Indians managed just 29 runs during the powerplay, the second time they have scored such a measly total in the powerplay this season.
Rajasthan Royals are the only team to score fewer runs in a powerplay in 2023. That low score of 26 also came against the Titans.
There is only one place in the last four up for grabs after Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified on Sunday and KKR are primed to extend their season after this victory at the Dubai International Stadium.
Rooted to the bottom of the table with only two wins, Sunrisers could only post 115-8 after Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bat first.
Williamson top scored with only 26 and Abdul Samad made a quickfire 25, with Tim Southee (2-26) Shivam Mavi (2-29) and Varun Chakravarthy 2-26 restricting Hyderabad to a below-par total.
Shakib Al Hasan marked his first appearance since the tournament resumed in the UAE by running Williamson out with a direct hit and the all-rounder also took 1-20.
Gill struck 57 from 51 balls with support from Nitish Rana (25) and Dinesh Karthik made an unbeaten 18 as the Knight Riders got home with two balls to spare
The win moves Eoin Morgan's fourth-placed side two points clear of Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians with a superior run-rate.
Rajasthan and defending champions Mumbai have a game in hand ahead of KKR's final match of the regular season against the Royals in Sharjah on Thursday.
Southee sets the tone
New Zealand paceman Southee went for 40 from four wicketless overs in a loss to Punjab Kings on Friday.
He charged in to put that behind him two days later, trapping Wriddhiman Saha leg before first ball off the second delivery of the match.
Southee also saw the back of Samad after he had hit three sixes, with Varun and Mavi also impressing along with the returning Shakib.
Composed Gill fits the bill
Calm heads were needed in the run chase with so much at stake as the play-off battle hots up, with the Royals knowing a second successive defeat could be so costly.
Opening batsman Gill delivered, laying the foundations with a composed knock that included 10 boundaries.
Siddarth Kaul had Gill caught by Jason Holder, who took 2-32, in the deep in the 17th over, but Morgan's men were well on their way to victory by then.
Green underwent surgery after breaking his right index finger during a victory over South Africa in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Starc damaged his middle finger in the same match in Melbourne, with both players missing out as Australia attempt to secure a 3-0 whitewash of the Proteas at the SCG.
Australia start the first Test against India in Nagpur on February 9 and Green believes that contest could come too soon for himself and paceman Starc.
He told SEN WA: "I think me and Starcy are maybe touch and go for that first one but obviously we'll give ourselves the best chance.
"[It's] going well. Had successful surgery in Sydney and the surgeon is really happy with how it went. I think he did Tim Paine's successful surgery, so it fills me with a lot of confidence.
"The rehab is having two weeks of time [off], then two weeks to start running and get the shoulder and back moving just to double-check they haven't frozen over. Then probably at the four-week mark I'll try and hold a ball and see how that works.
"Try and hold a cricket bat and see how it feels. At the moment [the finger] feels really good, pain-free, so that gives me a bit of confidence in four weeks' time that it will be all good.
"We meet over in Sydney for the Allan Border Medal [ceremony], then we leave the next day to go to India."
Starc also dismissed talk that he may not be able to bowl for the Mumbai Indians at the start of his first Indian Premier League campaign.
He said: "No, that's not correct. I've heard about this for quite a while now. I don't know where it's come from. We've spoken to the selectors. I've heard that I'm 100 per cent available for both skill sets in the IPL at the start, so I'm not too sure where that's come from.
"Obviously my first priority is the Test series that's beforehand, getting myself right for the first Test."
The all-rounder became the most expensive Australian player in competition history when he was sold for 17.5 crore (£1.75million) to Mumbai Indians, trailing only England's Sam Curran (18.5 crore, £1.85m) overall.
Green followed up his giant fee with a blockbuster red-ball performance to reinforce his credentials on Monday as well, with a five-for on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at the MCG.
But Green acknowledged he was yet to feel as if he had lived up to his price-tag, while thanking his team-mates for ensuring his feet stay earthbound.
"To be fair, I think I didn't do much to kind of earn that," he said. "I just put my name into the auction, and it just happened.
"It doesn't change who I am or how I think and all the confidence I have in my cricket. Hopefully, I didn't change too much.
"The players [here] can bring you back down pretty quickly. It's a good group that we've got at the moment. Everyone gets around you when they need to and can bring you back pretty quickly when they want to.
"I think everyone was focused on Boxing Day. It's a fixture that you point out at the start of the year, and you look forward to, so now that takes your focus 100 per cent."
Green's effort with the ball could be essential for Australia going forward, after Mitchell Starc suffered a finger injury while fielding on day one.
The fast bowler faces a wait to discover if he will be able to take part in the rest of the Test match against the Proteas.
Things looked bleak for the Titans when they saw their top order dominated early on, but Hardik's magnificent 87 helped them to 192-4, before the Gujarat attack blitzed their rivals midway through the Royals innings.
Lockie Ferguson and Yash Dayal finished with three wickets apiece as the Royals could only muster 155-9 in reply, sending the Titans two points clear at the top of the IPL table.
The Titans elected to bat after winning the toss but made a dreadful start when both Matthew Wade (12) and Vijay Shankar (2) went early on, the former being run out by Rassie van der Dussen and the latter caught by Sanju Samson.
They steadied themselves to reach 53 before Shubman Gill was dismissed for 11 in the sixth over, before captain Hardik, supported well by Abhinav Manohar (43) and David Miller (31 not out) dragged them back into contention with an outstanding batting display.
Hardik was undoubtedly the star of the show, his 87 off 52 balls almost single-handedly setting a difficult target of 192 as the Royals attack struggled in the absence of fast bowler Trent Boult.
Jos Buttler (52) drove Rajasthan to a decent start with the bat, hitting eight fours and three sixes either side of partner Devdutt Padikkal being dismissed for nought with the very first ball he faced.
Replacement Ravichandran Ashwin went for eight shortly after and the wickets began to tumble in quick fashion once Buttler was finally bowled out by Ferguson, with Samson (11), Van der Dussen (6), and Shimron Hetmyer (29) all walking for the addition of 60 runs.
The below-par Royals eventually lost nine wickets without threatening the target of 193, as Ferguson and Dayal helped themselves to three dismissals each.
Hardik drives Titans with spectacular display
Hardik's brilliant display with the bat drove the Titans to a strong position after a difficult start, falling just five runs short of recording his best IPL showing with a haul of 87.
Debutant Dayal blitzes poor Royals
Three wickets from Dayal on his Titans debut, as well as three from Ferguson, made the win more comfortable than it could have been, with the Royals' final three wickets falling for just 17 runs.
The Royals had been hoping to enjoy a first IPL final success since 2008 but once again came unstuck against Gujarat, who produced a professional display in front of a home crowd in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat beat the Royals by 37 runs in April and by seven wickets just last week, with the latter result repeated on Sunday.
There was a sense the Royals were waiting for the in-form Jos Buttler to provide inspiration, but shortly after seeing Devdutt Padikkal (two) slice to Mohammed Shami at short third man, the England international came up short on a delivery from the excellent Hardik Pandya (3-17), going for 39.
The Royals looked in trouble at 79-4 in the 13th over and their position did not get much stronger.
With Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2-20) also impressing with the ball, no one else managed more than 15 runs after Buttler's dismissal, with their score of 130-9 the second-lowest first innings total ever in an IPL final.
The Titans were fortunate in the first over of their chase as Yuzvendra Chahal inexplicably dropped Shubman Gill, who went on to make the Royals pay.
While the wickets of Prasidh Krishna (five) and Matthew Wade (eight) tumbled, Gill proved to be the backbone of the Titans' tilt with an unbeaten 45, aided by Hardik (34) for a while.
Chahal made amends to a degree with a classic leg spinner's dismissal of Hardik in the 14th over, giving the Royals a glimmer of hope.
But David Miller's emphatic unbeaten 32 off just 19 balls sealed the Titans' success with 11 balls to spare.
Buttler or bust
Buttler's angry reaction to being dismissed said it all. After a brilliant season in which he plundered four centuries, it ultimately felt like his campaign ended with a bit of a whimper.
While his 39 was only bettered by Gill, the scalp of Buttler was clearly decisive given the lack of runs elsewhere for the Royals.
Catches win matches
It is impossible to say how things would have turned out if Chahal had held on to that catch on the fourth ball of the Titans' chase, but considering it let Gill – the top scorer in the match – off the hook, it is difficult to look at that moment as anything other than key.
You could have sympathy with Chahal had it been a tricky one, but it looked routine and he simply appeared to misjudge the flight, almost jumping over it.
Despite Hardik Pandya (67) racking up another half-century for the leaders, Andre Russell's (4-5) superb late display wrecked the Titans' bottom-order to limit them to just 156-9.
However, Kolkata's attempts to chase down that seemingly achievable target were left in disarray after early exits for Sam Billings (4), Sunil Narine (5), and Nitish Rana (2).
Russell (48) fell just short of a half-century with the bat as he attempted to single-handedly drive his side to victory, but Lockie Ferguson's excellent catch sent him packing in the 19th over and sealed a hard-earned victory for the Titans.
Titans skipper Hardik elected to bat after winning the toss, going on to hit 67 in another outstanding knock as his side targeted a third consecutive IPL win.
Shubman Gill was removed for just seven runs early on, but Hardik's excellent showing led the Titans to 83 before Wriddhiman Saha (25) was dismissed by Umesh Yadav.
David Miller (27) supported Hardik well, but after the duo were caught in the 16th and 17th innings respectively, the wickets fell in rapid fashion as Russell took charge.
He dismissed Rahul Tewatia (17), Abhinav Manohar (2), Ferguson (0) and Yash Dayal (nought) to bag four wickets in a remarkable final over, but a nightmare start to the Knight Riders' own innings saw their hopes of a first win in four IPL matches dissipate.
Billings, Narine and Rana all fell for single figures as the Knight Riders toiled to 16-3, although Rinku Singh's knock of 35 then dragged them back into the contest.
The outstanding Russell then hit 48 off 25 balls to set up tense finale, but was caught by Ferguson two balls into the final over as the Knight Riders fell to a demoralising fourth consecutive loss.
Russell runs riot with the ball, and goes close with the bat
Russell was incredibly unlucky to finish on the losing side, registering a terrific performance with the ball and then almost dragging his team-mates to victory after taking up the bat, only to be felled just two runs short of his half-century.
Hardik show proves vital
Hardik's 67 looked to be in vain for much of the contest, but the skipper's performance eventually proved crucial, accounting for over a third of his team's score before the Kolkata top-order collapsed.
The English batter had been due to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in a tournament that starts on March 26.
Hales on Friday revealed he will not travel to India due to the strains of spending so much time in bio-secure environments due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He tweeted: "I am sad to announce that I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the forthcoming IPL.
"Having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio bubbles and having tested positive for COVID myself in Australia, I don't feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period within a secure environment.
"It wouldn't be fair on the team or myself if I wasn't able to perform to the level expected of me as a result of ongoing bubble fatigue.
"I am truly gutted to have to turn down one of the best opportunities of my career due to the toll that the last two years of bubble life has taken on my mental well-being.
"I'll now take some time to rest and recharge ahead of the summer."
Bransgrove is widely credited for rescuing Hampshire from the brink of bankruptcy when he first joined in 2000 and oversaw a period of great success for the club as chair before standing down last year.
It was reported last week he was in talks to sell his stake to GMR Group, part owners of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, and Hampshire have confirmed they are in “detailed negotiations” with new investors.
Mann would not be drawn on any specifics but, while he believes cricket must have more investment, any deal – especially with an Indian conglomerate – would not reshape the values of the club.
Speaking at the announcement of the club’s home ground being rebranded the Utilita Bowl, Mann told the PA news agency: “I don’t think anyone would argue private investment in Hampshire has been a bad thing.
“There wouldn’t be a Hampshire if there hadn’t been a private investor here so I think whatever we do with investment down the track, it’s about the quality of the person that you engage with.
“The game needs more investment and is crying out for it to underpin the viability going forward. But we’re the custodians for the time being and we’ve got the interests of that at heart more than anything else.
“Rod has been for 20-odd years, I’ve been here for 15 years; we’re very, very keen to protect the legacy we’ve built so we wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardise that.”
Bransgrove led the club’s move to a ground on the outskirts of Southampton, which is now a major international venue, regularly hosts England matches and will stage in 2027 its first Ashes contest.
Following the end of a longstanding union with Ageas, Hampshire have found a new naming rights partner, agreeing an eight-year partnership with energy supplier Utilita believed to be worth seven figures.
As well as pushing charitable ventures to make a bigger impact on the local community, Mann admitted the “real clincher” was the sustainability angle in which Hampshire will attempt to become the world’s greenest cricket ground.
The first step towards this ambition is the installation of 1,000 solar panels that could produce up to a quarter of the electricity used in the ground annually and save the club a six-figure sum each year.
Mann said: “This aspiration to be the greenest venue is something we’re able to back up with real tangible assets that are going to deliver measurable returns. It’s an exciting time.
“I’m not going to say we’ll be net zero by 2040, I want us to say something that we can back up with hard data and reducing your actual energy use by a quarter is hard data.
“Over time, if we can make other improvements to make another big hole in that, that’s how we’ll be able to say that we’re unique and doing stuff that nobody else is doing.
“We’ve got a massive footprint here as well – there’s 200 acres on the Utilita Bowl site so we can do things with tree planting, how we collect and use water and a whole range of other things.”
The experienced seamer was handed the ball for the final over as Rajasthan needed 20 runs for victory, and despite conceding 10 runs from the first three deliveries, Harshal then applied the brakes, dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin on the way to completing figures of 3-32.
RCB lost Virat Kohli to a first-ball duck as the match began, pinned lbw by Trent Boult, but it got better for them. They totted up 189-9 to set a testing target, with their innings propped up by the twin pillars of Faf du Plessis (62) and Glenn Maxwell (77). Du Plessis and Maxwell collaborated for the highest third-wicket partnership for RCB in the IPL, putting on 127 runs.
Both thrashed the ball around with gusto, probably wondering why nobody else was following suit as Dinesh Karthik, who made 16, was the only other home player to reach double figures.
Mohammed Siraj then bowled Jos Buttler for a duck in the first over of Rajasthan's reply. A second-wicket stand of 98 between Yashasvi Jaiswal (47) and Devdutt Padikkal (52) looked to have tilted the match Rajasthan's way, but the end of that alliance heralded a slowing of the run rate.
Captain Sanju Samson fell for 22 and Rajasthan needed 61 from the final four overs, with their task made all the more difficult when Shimron Hetmyer was brilliantly run out by Suyash Prabhudessai.
Dhruv Jurel (34no) went on the attack and the Royals required 20 from the last set of six, which soon became 10 runs from three balls, but then Ashwin holed out to deep midwicket to give Harshal his third wicket, and a pair of singles from the next two balls left Rajasthan short.
Royals rolled over
This defeat at M Chinnaswamy Stadium means Rajasthan, who led the IPL at the start of the day, have followed a run of three wins with back-to-back defeats, having also lost last time out against Lucknow Super Giants. Home hero Harshal was introduced to this contest as an impact substitute for Du Plessis, having been unable to bat because of a finger injury, and he made his mark in grand style by removing Jaiswal and Samson before completing the job.
Maxwell and Du Plessis dominate
Maxwell's third fifty-plus score of this IPL season was the pivotal performance, with his 77 runs coming in just 44 balls. His previous two fifties came in losing causes, so this will have come as sweet relief. Du Plessis is enjoying a stunning campaign and showed his pedigree again, extending his lead in the list of the IPL's top run-scorers with his fifth half-century of the 2023 tournament, moving to 405 from seven innings.
CSK had got back to winning ways on Sunday in their first game since MS Dhoni returned as captain, but this time they fell victim to the bowling efforts of Harshal Patel (3-35).
RCB, who had lost three on the spin, were restricted to 173-8 with the bat, but that tally proved beyond CSK despite Devon Conway's second successive half-century.
It means RCB move back into the top four with 12 points with three games to go. CSK have a game more to play but are six points further back in second bottom.
Moeen Ali was excellent with the ball for the Super Kings and stunted RCB's early progress by ending the 62-run opening stand between Faf du Plessis (38) and Virat Kohli (30).
Du Plessis was caught at deep midwicket by Ravindra Jadeja off Moeen who, after Glenn Maxwell was run out, then bowled Kohli through the gate, leaving the former India captain shaking his head and RCB on 79-3.
But Mahipal Lomror (42) rebuilt RCB's innings through partnerships of 44 with Rajat Patidar (21) and 32 with Dinesh Karthik (26 not out).
CSK's once-promising chase lost impetus that primarily came from Conway's 37-ball stay.
He hit six fours and a pair of maximums before picking out deep backward square leg at the start of the 15th over. The impressive Harshal dismissed Jadeja for just three before claiming the key wicket of Moeen (34), who was undone by the slower ball one delivery after hitting his second six.
Dhoni (2) misjudged a pull shot from Josh Hazlewood as CSK lost their seventh wicket, Dwaine Pretorius (13) left with too much to do as his exit at the hands of Harshal effectively ended the contest.
Moeen continues Kohli hoodoo
Kohli has fallen to Moeen 10 times in international cricket and the spinner again worked his magic against the India great in the IPL with a superb delivery outside off that turned past the inside edge and clattered into the stumps.
Fifth title a long shot for CSK
Last season's crown marked the fourth in IPL history for the Super Kings but their hopes of equalling Mumbai Indians' record of five look to be all but over after they let some promising positions slip against RCB.
Defending champions Mumbai collapsed from 94-1 after 11 overs to 159-9 after being put in by Virat Kohli, all-rounder Harshal taking 5-27 in Chennai on Friday and Chris Lynn top-scoring with 49.
Four wickets fell in the final over of the holders' innings at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, with Harshal claiming his maiden five-wicket T20 haul in the first match of his second spell with RCB following his Delhi Capitals exit.
Bangalore were cruising with Kohli (33) and new signing Glenn Maxwell (39) at the crease, but it was game on when they were 122-6 in the 17th over after losing four wickets for 24 runs.
AB de Villiers looked set to see them home, but RCB were left needing two off as many balls for victory when the maverick wicketkeeper-batsman was run out for 48.
Harshal held his nerve to take a single off the final delivery from IPL debutant Marco Jansen (2-28), sealing a dramatic two-wicket win for big-spending RCB.
Five-time champions Mumbai, bidding to become the first team to win the tournament three times in a row, were ultimately made to pay for scoring only 25 runs in the last four overs of their innings.
Late Harshal burst rocks Mumbai
The holders appeared set to post a challenging total with Indians debutant Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav at the crease after Rohit Sharma was run out for 19, but they capitulated in spectacular fashion.
Powerful new recruit Lynn struck three sixes as the Australian and Suryakumar (31) put on 70 for the second wicket before they were removed by Washington Sundar and big-money signing Kyle Jamieson (1-27) respectively.
Paceman Harshal then took centre stage, trapping Ishan Kishan lbw before dismissing Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Jansen in an incredible final over that ended with Rahul Chahar being run out.
De Villiers delivers, Harshal the hero
Maxwell put on a show along with Kohli after Sundar and Rajat Patidar fell cheaply, clearing the rope twice.
The Australia all-rounder was on his way when he ramped Jansen to Lynn at short fine leg and the South African paceman struck for a second time in the 15th over to send Shahbaz Ahmed packing.
De Villiers made it advantage RCB as 15 runs came off the 18th over from Trent Boult and although he was run out by Krunal after hitting a couple of sixes in a brilliant 27-ball knock, Harshal ensured his innings was not in vain.
