Indian Premier League

Making his 50th appearance in the competition, Chahar helped ensure Punjab's innings never got going as they were restricted to 106-8.

He finished with 4-13 from four overs, including one maiden, Punjab never getting to grips with a challenging surface in Mumbai.

Faf du Plessis (36 not out) and Moeen Ali (46) combined for 66 to help CSK ease to their target with 26 balls to spare, winning by six wickets.

Mayank Agarwal went for a two-ball duck to Chahar in the opening over, misjudging a wondrous delivery that pinged the top off-stump.

A direct hit from Ravindra Jadeja saw KL Rahul run out before the West Indian pair of Chris Gayle (10) and Nicholas Pooran (0) each fell to Chahar before the end of the powerplay.

Deepak Hooda tamely chipped to mid-off for Chahar's fourth wicket, leaving Punjab on 26-5 in the seventh over.

Shahrukh Khan's 36-ball 47, which included two sixes, at least made sure Punjab had something to defend, but a lack of support from the lower order meant the target was always one well within CSK's grasp.

Moeen and Du Plessis extinguished any hopes of Punjab claiming an unlikely win, their second-wicket stand allowing the Super Kings to coast to victory despite a 15th-over blitz from Mohammed Shami that saw Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu dismissed.

Chahar makes mark on landmark appearance

Chahar let out a huge roar when he castled Agarwal and he had every right to do so after producing a delivery that nipped away from middle stump to deceive the opener.

The subsequent dismissals owed more to a fine catch from Jadeja to get rid of Gayle and batting errors from Pooran and Hooda, but nothing should be taken away from Chahar after he tilted the game firmly in CSK's favour.

Moeen gets things moving

Moeen and Du Plessis showed Punjab how to bat on the surface with an excellent partnership, the England all-rounder's 46 coming off 31 deliveries, his strike rate of 148.38 the best in the contest.

He recorded seven fours and one maximum, with Du Plessis' sole six coming off a scoop shot in the fourth over. The South African was still in at the end when Sam Curran wrapped things up after a brief wobble.

Woakes is on England duty in the West Indies so was tucked up in bed when he went under the hammer in Dubai, where the 34-year-old fetched a fraction under £400,000 (4.2 crore rupees) on Tuesday.

The player of the series in this summer’s drawn Ashes will have familiar company in the Kings dressing room next year, with Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow already retained by the franchise.

And linking up with Kings coach Bayliss is the cherry on top for Woakes, with the pair both instrumental in England’s white-ball transformation from also-rans to World Cup winners in 2019.

“It’s a nice feeling to wake up here in the Caribbean and see that I have been picked up by Punjab in the auction,” said the 34-year-old, who has not featured in the last two editions of the IPL.

“The IPL is obviously an amazing tournament to be a part of and we have a nice little contingent of England players in the squad with Jonny, Sam and Liam.

“It’ll be great to join up with Trevor Bayliss as well given the success I’ve had with him as a coach, so I can’t wait to get going.”

Harry Brook was another of England’s travelling contingent in the Caribbean to get picked up, signed for around £380,000 (4cr) by Delhi Capitals.

The fee is vastly reduced from the £1.3million he was paid by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2023 edition of the tournament, when he amassed one century but returned just 190 runs in his other 11 innings.

Nevertheless, Brook is relishing a return to the IPL and especially the chance to work with former Australia captain and now Capitals coach Ricky Ponting.

“Playing against the best players in the world is something I thrive off and the IPL is one of the biggest stages to play on,” said the Yorkshireman

“Delhi have some unbelievable players already and I can’t wait to work with Ricky Ponting and see if we can win a first title for the team.”

Quinton de Kock smashed 67 off 39 balls and a 78-run stand with Ishan Kishan (31) was fundamental in building the foundations for Mumbai's score of 208-5. 

Krunal Pandya's explosion in the final over, during which he battered Siddarth Kaul for 20 from four balls, helped Mumbai get to that tally, which seemed to be above par on a slow pitch. 

David Warner made a pedestrian start, though he picked up the pace to at least gave Sunrisers a fighting chance until his knock was ended on 60, departing in the 16th over to effectively end their hopes. 

There was little help in a disappointing middle-order showing, with pace trio James Pattinson (2-29), Trent Boult (2-28) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-41) doing the damage for Mumbai, who restricted Sunrisers to 174-7. 

Victory means Mumbai now have three wins and two defeats from five games to move top of the table, while a third loss for Sunrisers leaves them sixth.

QUINTON DE KOCK OF THE WALK 

Rohit Sharma (6) lasted just five deliveries but De Kock and Suryakumar Yadav (27) put on 42 before the big stand with Kishan boosted Mumbai. 

De Kock, who hit four fours and as many sixes, was the protagonist of the partnership, contributing 54 of the 78 runs. 

LACK OF SUPPORT FOR WARNER 

Pandya may have rued putting down Manish Pandey with a sitter at deep point when he went on to put on a 60-run partnership with Warner. 

But when Pandey clumsily chipped Pattinson to long off, Warner – who had five fours and two sixes in his 44-ball knock – was not helped by Kane Williamson (3) or Priyam Garg (8). 

When Warner got a thick edge to a slower one from Pattinson that was taken with a superb diving catch by Kishan at short third man, the game was up. 

A stingy innings in the field from the hosts was followed by an excellent knock from Devon Conway, who smashed 77 from 57 balls to give CSK their fourth win of the season.

Harry Brook (18) was the first to fall for Sunrisers after he made room for himself and attempted a big hit, only to slice it behind for Ruturaj Gaikwad to make a superb low catch.

Abhishek Sharma (34) and Rahul Tripathi (21) looked to be building a nice partnership before the both ballooned shots into the air for simple catches off the bowling of the impressive Ravindra Jadeja.

Captain Aiden Markram (12) did not have long at the crease with South Africa team-mate Heinrich Klaasen as he edged Maheesh Theekshana to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with the wicketkeeper also stumping Mayank Agarwal (2) soon after as Sunrisers fell from 71-1 to 95-5.

While they were able to stem the tide of wickets, Sunrisers struggled to find runs as CSK's bowlers kept their opponents on a leash, ultimately rewarded when Klaasen (17) fell to Matheesha Pathirana as Gaikwad snaffled another catch.

Marco Jansen (17 not out) and Washington Sundar (9) played out the remainder of the innings, with the latter being run out from the final ball as the Sunrisers scored just 37 from their last 36 balls to end on 134-7.

An opening partnership of 87 from the first 11 overs put CSK in control of the chase, before Gaikwad was run out by Umran Malik on 35.

Ajinkya Rahane (9) was dismissed by Mayank Markande, who also bowled Ambati Rayudu (9) with a superb delivery, but Conway and Moeen Ali (6 not out) eased their team home with eight balls to spare.

Conway shows the way

Sunrisers Hyderabad have still not won an IPL game against CSK at MA Chidambaram Stadium, losing all four, and Conway made sure that remained the case.

The New Zealand international hit 12 fours as he set about extinguishing any hopes the visitors had of ending that run, and recorded his third consecutive half-century, making him just the third CSK player to do so after Gaikwad and Faf Du Plessis.

Jadeja shines with the ball

Jadeja really did some damage with the ball, taking three wickets and conceding just one boundary from his four overs.

His figures of 3-22 were the fourth three-wicket haul from him in an IPL game on this ground, tied for the second-most by any bowler at the venue (behind Albie Morkel with 5).

Conway blasted top scored with 83 off 45 balls as CSK posted 226-6 in the southern derby at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Shivam Dube (52 from 27) also made a half-century.

A brutal onslaught from Glenn Maxwell (76 off 36) and Faf du Plessis (62 from 33) had RCB scenting an incredible victory, but they came up just short on 218-8 as CSK secured a third win.

Conway and Ajinkya Rahane (37) laid the platform for CSK by putting on 74 for the second wicket in quick time before the latter was bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga.

The in-form Conway faced only 31 balls to make it back-to-back half-centuries but missed out on three figures when he was cleaned up by Harshal Patel.

Dube and Moeen Ali ensured the runs continued to flow, before Virat Kohli fell in the first over of the run chase.

RCB were 15-2 when Maxwell joined Du Plessis in the middle and they produced an incredible exhibition of clean striking to put the game in the balance.

Their 126-run partnership was a franchise record for the third wicket and came in just over 10 overs, Maxwell blasting eight sixes and his skipper striking four.

Maheesh Theekshana was guilty of two of CSK's four dropped catches, but he removed Maxwell and Ali dismissed Du Plessis.

Dinesh Karthik (28) and Suyash Prabhudessai kept RCB in the hunt, but Tushar Deshpande took 3-45 as the Super Kings took the derby honours.

Conway leads the way

New Zealand opener Conway took the RCB attack to all parts, following his 50 against Rajasthan Royals with another explosive knock.

The left-hander struck six sixes and as many fours, laying the platform for a big CSK total.

As many as 72 per cent of Conway's runs came from boundaries in what was his fifth IPL half-century.

Du Plessis and Maxwell go berserk

They were certainly not queueing up to bowl when Du Plessis and Maxwell were cutting loose.

Du Plessis took over from Venkatesh Iyer as the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 259 at an average of 64.75, while Maxwell's explosive half-century was his second of the IPL season.

The competition, originally scheduled to begin in March, was suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic and it had been feared there would be no opportunity for it to take place this year.

However, Rahul Johri, CEO of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), underlined the governing body's desire for the IPL to go ahead.

The action would not be able to begin until after India's monsoon season, which runs until the end of September, which would put it in a scheduling conflict with the Twenty20 World Cup, due to start in October.

But Johri appeared confident over the prospect of the IPL going ahead, suggesting it would provide a boost for fans and the economy.

"IPL is one of the greatest engagers. More people watched the IPL last year than those who voted for general elections," he said at the TCM Sports Huddle Webinar.

"For sponsors, cricket is a leader and it will lead the way. The recovery will be sharper than a V-shaped recovery.

"We will be guided by the government guidelines. Our advisory says: IPL is suspended till further notice.

"We are engaging with various agencies. After the current phase of lockdown ends, there is the monsoon. Cricketing activities can start only after monsoon. By then, hopefully things will improve."

Johri was insistent that players from all over the world would have to be involved for it to constitute a proper IPL campaign, all but ruling out a league consisting entirely of homegrown talent.

"The flavour of IPL is that best players of the world come and play, and everyone is committed to maintaining that flow," he said.

"But it will be a step-by-step process. We can't expect normalisation tomorrow."

India is currently under government lockdown until May 31.

The latest edition of the IPL was due to begin on March 29, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India pushed the start date back due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Buttler, who was part of the England squad who flew home early from Sri Lanka due to the COVID-19 outbreak, is due to play for Rajasthan Royals once again.

Appearing on a Sky Sports podcast with former internationals Rob Key, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, the 29-year-old revealed he is yet to hear when - or indeed if - the tournament will start, but is optimistic even a shortened campaign may be possible this year.

"Nothing really at the moment," he replied when asked by Hussain if he was aware of any further updates on the situation.

"We saw that initially that it is going to be postponed until April 15, but at the moment everything seems very indefinite. It's hard to see this changing in the immediate future, so I don't see that as a possibility.

"But, as we know, things can hopefully change for the positive as well.

"That's such a massive tournament for world cricket, so hopefully there becomes a situation where some of it – or a shortened tournament – can go ahead."

England's tour of Sri Lanka was cut short midway through a warm-up fixture ahead of the first of two Tests against their hosts.

Buttler and his team-mates are now at home instead, though the 29-year-old is capitalising on some unexpected time off during his busy schedule.

"For me, actually, I'm just trying to make the most of this time and give myself a bit of a break, a mental break, and enjoy some time at home," he said.

The latest edition of the tournament was due to begin on March 29 with a rematch of last year's final between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, but the coronavirus pandemic has put the IPL - along with all other major sporting events - on hold.

India has a travel ban in place for all international flights until April 14, meaning Australian fast bowler Cummins remains in his homeland as he waits for an update on the situation.

Media reports in India have suggested organisers may shift the campaign to take place in October and November instead, though such a move could only be made if the International Cricket Council decides to cancel the Twenty20 World Cup, which is due to take place at a similar time in Australia.

"Everything is changing, literally every single day," Cummins said during a video conference call with reporters on Friday. "The last I spoke to them (the Knight Riders), they said they're still really confident and hopeful it will be on at some stage.

"They obviously haven't cancelled it or anything like that yet. It's still a bit of a holding pattern, so we're in contact with our teams every few days.

"Obviously everyone is still really keen for it to go ahead, but the priority is to minimise risk of this spreading.

"It's going to be pretty tight, I think the travel ban (in India) is in place until April 14, so I don't expect anything too soon to happen."

While disappointed at not being able to play for the Knight Riders right now, Cummins - who became the IPL's most expensive overseas signing at December's auction - is making the most of the unexpected break following a hectic 12 months.

The bowler was part of Australia's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England and then also the Ashes series that followed, while he was a regular in all formats throughout a busy summer schedule on home soil.

"The preference would be to be over there (at the IPL) playing, but I think the silver lining is we do get a bit of a break," Cummins told the media.

"We're lucky in cricket, that it [the IPL] is right at the end of the season. We've played basically our whole season out, except for the last couple of games (against New Zealand) and we're always looking for those small breaks to refresh.

"But it almost feels like the start of an off-season at the moment, albeit we're all training by ourselves at home rather than going to the team gym."

The coronavirus crisis has ground the vast majority of sport to a halt worldwide, with many events cancelled or suspended.

It was not possible to get the IPL under way at the end of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but organisers are still hopeful of rescheduling the extravaganza for later in the year.

There are also doubts over whether the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled for October and November, will go ahead.

India head coach Shastri thinks it is too early to be thinking about staging major international tournaments.

He told the Times of India: "I wouldn't put too much emphasis on world events right now.

"Stay at home, ensure domestic cricket comes back to normal, cricketers at all levels - international, first-class, et cetera - all get back on the field. That's the most important bit. Second: Start with bilateral cricket.

"If we had to choose between hosting a World Cup and a bilateral tour, obviously, we'd settle for the bilateral.

"Instead of 15 teams flying in, we'd settle for one team flying in and playing an entire bilateral series at one or two grounds.

"When cricket resumes, we could give the IPL a priority. The difference between an international tournament and the IPL is that the IPL can be played between one or two cities and the logistics will be easier to manage.

"The same thing with bilaterals - it'll be easier for us to tour one country and play there at specific grounds than 15-16 teams flying in during these times. The International Cricket Council needs to look at this objectively."

The 13th edition of the world's premier Twenty20 competition was due to begin this week, but it was postponed until April 15 at the earliest due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Badale, one of the co-owners of Rajasthan Royals, revealed one of the mooted options has been contesting fixtures without fans present, which he feels may be a necessary evil.

"Both conversations between the owners and the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India], that's already been discussed," Badale told BBC 5 live.

"As with the English Premier League, the atmosphere is a huge part of the spectacle, but, again, these are unprecedented times and sport needs to be put in the right perspective overall.

"If the way of ensuring the cricket economy survives is by playing behind closed doors, so be it."

There have been only 1,251 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India, fewer than Luxembourg.

So, while staging the IPL in the coming weeks would seem unfathomable to many in Europe, Badale said there is still a belief the tournament could be held in two months' time.

"In India the COVID phenomenon has only really just landed so when we have our owners' conference calls, there's still an expectation that there may be a way of the games being played in June," he added.

"Personally I can't see it happening until much later in the year."

That would have an impact on an already congested cricket calendar, especially as the T20 World Cup is due to start in October.

Yet Badale emphasised the financial value of the IPL to the sport.

"Fundamentally, to the cricket economy - not just to the Indian cricket economy, but to the global cricket economy - the IPL is incredibly important," he said.

"Not just what it means for players, but what it means for the supply chain that a $600m-a-year tournament creates."

A statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the decision on Thursday, with the governing body adding the campaign will only commence "when it is safe and appropriate to do so".

The latest edition of the Twenty20 tournament was due to begin on March 29, only to be postponed as the country was placed under a travel ban for all international flights until April 14.

India's prime minister Narendra Modi extended the national lockdown to May 3 earlier this week, leading to the BCCI announcing a further delay in proceedings.

"Due to the evolving global health concerns regarding COVID-19 and lockdown measures implemented by the government of India to contain the spread of the pandemic, the IPL governing council of the BCCI has decided that the IPL 2020 season will be suspended till further notice," the BCCI said.

The health and safety of the nation and everyone involved in our great sport remains our top priority and as such, the BCCI along with the franchise owners, broadcaster, sponsors and all the stakeholders acknowledge that the IPL 2020 season will only commence when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

"The BCCI will continue to monitor and review the situation regarding a potential start date in close partnership with all of its stakeholders and will continue to take guidance from the government of India, state governments and other state regulatory bodies."

Media reports in India had suggested organisers may look to shift the entire season to October and November instead.

However, such a move could only be made if the International Cricket Council cancels the Twenty20 World Cup, which is due to take place at a similar time in Australia.

A host of leagues and competitions, across multiple sports and continents, have been cancelled or postponed this week in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IPL was due to begin on March 29, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now pushed that start date back by two and a half weeks.

A statement from Indian cricket's governing body read: "The BCCI has decided to suspend IPL 2020 until 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

"The BCCI is concerned and sensitive about all its stakeholders, and public health in general, and it is taking all necessary steps to ensure that all people related to IPL including fans have a safe cricketing experience.

"The BCCI will work closely with the government of India along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and all other relevant central and state government departments in this regard."

While the IPL will be delayed, the Pakistan Super League is set to continue as scheduled, for the time being at least. However, a host of players - predominantly from England - have confirmed they will take no further part in the competition.

Following a conference call with team owners, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement on Friday, which read: "The HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 will proceed as planned, including tonight’s Multan Sultans versus Peshawar Zalmi match, which will commence at the National Stadium at 8pm.

"The match will be played behind closed doors and only event accredited personnel will be allowed to enter the venue. All players and players support personnel have been given the option to withdraw from the HBL PSL 2020 should they wish to do so."

Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, James Vince, Tom Banton, Carlos Brathwaite, Liam Dawson, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Jason Roy and Tymal Mills were confirmed as the players to have already pulled out, along with Peshawar coach James Foster.

The PCB's statement added: "No player has to date tested positive for coronavirus. The PCB will continue to assess and monitor the situation and make decisions as appropriate in consultation with the team owners.

"No discussion has taken place as yet with regards to the upcoming Pakistan Cup one-day tournament and home international matches against Bangladesh."

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said: "As stated previously, we will continue to assess and review the situation and will not hesitate to make what we believe are the right decisions for everyone involved.

"Ensuring that the players feel comfortable remains paramount to the PCB. As of now, it is important to emphasise and clarify that the main concern of many of the 10 players and a coach, who have chosen to return home, revolves around avoiding a potential situation where they might become stranded either due to flight cancellations or border closures in their own countries."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) last week stated it is still planning for the World Cup to start in Australia on October 18, but other options are being explored due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It has been reported that the competition will be put back to next year, with the IPL - which could not get under way as scheduled in March - taking place instead of the global event.

Smith, who returned to training with New South Wales on Monday, would prefer to play in a World Cup, but the former Australia captain would also relish the opportunity to lead the Rajasthan Royals later this year. 

The top-ranked Test batsman in the world said: "I think when you're playing for your country at a World Cup, that's the pinnacle for one-day or T20 cricket, so of course I'd prefer to play in that.

"But if that doesn't happen and the IPL's there, and they postpone [the T20 World Cup], then so be it. IPL's also a terrific tournament as a domestic tournament. 

"That's out of everyone's control at the moment, players are just doing what we're told and going where we need to go and playing whatever's on at that stage.

"I guess there'll be some more news about it soon, probably some decisions to be made soon, so I'm sure we'll all find out and know where we're going to be.

"I personally haven't really thought about it, I think it'd just be going off the advice of the professionals and the governments and essentially doing what we're told.

"If that happens then great, if not then there's just so much going on in the world right now that cricket kind of seems a little bit irrelevant. So, we'll get back when we're told to and until then it's sit tight, get fit and strong and freshen up mentally."

Cricket Australia are also considering a request from the England and Wales Cricket Board to tour England for a limited-overs series in September, two months later than planned.

The KL Rahul-led franchise, which also features Chris Gayle, has had a tough start to the new season after winning only one of their first four matches.  In the last fixture, a 48-run loss to Mumbai Indians, Rahul raised eyebrows with his death bowling selection.  Rahul chose K Gowtham to bowl the last over against Mumbai, with the in-form Cottrell left to watch.

Gowtham gave away 25 runs, one of the reasons the Rohit Sharma-led side managed to post a hefty total.

Cottrell had earlier claimed the wicket of Quinton de Kock and conceded just 20 runs in his four overs.  The fast bowler had recovered from a tough outing against Rajasthan Royals',  where Rahul Tewatia smashed 5 sixes off one of his overs during a record run chase. 

Despite the circumstances, Cottrell, however, insisted he remained confident in Rahul’s decisions.

"Honestly, I back my skipper (KL Rahul) 110%. Whatever his decision is, I'm going to back it. It was a decision he felt was best for the team. It didn't work today (Thursday), unfortunately, but on another day I'm sure it will work," Cottrell said.

As for the tough outing against RR, the bowler insisted he never lost confidence and backed the team, to much like he has, recover from a slow start.

"My comeback was excellent. My confidence was always there. But I wish my bowling effort could have helped Kings XI cross the line. I'm feeling pleased about my performance," he added.

"I have been working hard on death bowling, and so have my bowling partners. We're getting there and we've been learning from our mistakes and practising it on the training grounds. I'm sure we're going to pull it off very soon. I wouldn't say worrying, it's just a matter of time for us.”

KKR will be out for revenge at the Wankhede Stadium on March 26 after the Super Kings won the 2021 final by 27 runs in Dubai last October.

There will be a first double-header in the 15th edition of the tournament the following day, when Delhi Capital take on Mumbai Indians at Brabourne before Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore do battle at the DY Patil Stadium.

New franchises Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants meet in their first IPL match at Wankhede Stadium on March 28.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals contest the first game at the MCA Stadium in Pune on March 29.

There will be 70 matches in the regular season following by four play-off showdowns in a tournament that will be staged over 65 days, with the final taking place on May 29.

Jadeja was named skipper just before the tournament started last month after the long-serving Dhoni opted to relinquish the captaincy.

Defending champions CSK are second-bottom of the table with only two wins from eight games.

Jadeja has taken only five wickets – three of those coming in one match against Royal Challengers Bangalore - and scored just 112 runs at an average of 22.40.

The Super Kings on Saturday announced that the India all-rounder has decided to hand over captaincy duties in order to try and rediscover his form.

A statement released by the franchise said: "Ravindra Jadeja has decided to relinquish captaincy to focus and concentrate more on his game and has requested MS Dhoni to lead CSK.

"MS Dhoni has accepted to lead CSK in the larger interest and to allow Jadeja to focus on his game."

Former India captain Dhoni led CSK from the start of the IPL in 2008 before bringing his reign to an end, guiding the franchise to four titles and losing five finals.

The 40-year-old wicketkeeper-batter lifted the trophy in Dubai last year after his side beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final.

Both sides needed an emphatic win in their last match of the regular season to stay in the hunt for a place in the last four and it was KKR who delivered.

Morgan's side are up to fourth and must now wait for the outcome of the clashes between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday and Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians the following day to see if they qualify.

England ODI captain Morgan top scored with 68 not out off 35 balls to get the Knight Riders up to 191-7 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Shubman Gill (36) and Rahul Tripathi (39) also chipped in, while Rahul Tewatia was the pick of the bowlers with 3-25 and Jofra Archer (1-19) was outstanding yet again.

The Royals could only muster 131-9 in reply, paceman Cummins doing the bulk of the damage with 4-34.

Defeat for Steve Smith's men leaves them bottom of the table despite a late resurgence, Shivam Mavi and Varun Chakravarthy taking two wickets apiece as they fell well short of their victory target.

MORGAN GIVES STOKES A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE

Gill and Tripathi put on 72 for the second wicket in eight overs after Archer had Nitish Rana caught behind for a golden duck in the first over.

Tewatia got rid of Gill and Sunil Narine in a ninth over that went for just six runs, but skipper Morgan flexed his muscles in dewy conditions and Andre Russell smashed 25 off 11 balls.

Ben Stokes had a day to forget, Morgan hitting his England team-mate for back-to-back sixes in a penultimate over that cost 24 runs, with the left-hander – who cleared the rope six times – also setting about Shreyas Gopal.

RAPID CUMMINS RATTLES ROYALS

The Royals needed their key men such as Stokes and Smith to fire, but their tournament was all-but over when they were 41-5 at the end of the powerplay.

Cummins steamed through the top order, removing Robin Uthappa, Stokes, Smith and Riyan Parag.

Jos Buttler made 35 and Tewatia 31 but Rajasthan were never going to recover from Australia paceman Cummins' devastating early hostile burst.

The Indians posted 161-4 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Suryakumar Yadav top scoring with 52 off 36 balls with support from Tilak Varma (38 not out) and Kieron Pollard (22no).

Mumbai looked to be on course for their first win of the tournament when KKR were 101-5 in the 14th over, but Australia Test captain Cummins had other ideas.

The paceman matched KL Rahul's record for the fastest IPL half-century from 14 balls and put the Knight Riders top by hitting Daniel Sams for six to seal victory with four overs to spare, Venkatesh Iyer also playing a big hand with an unbeaten 50.

The England all-rounder, fresh from a standout white-ball performance at the T20 World Cup that saw him named Player of the Tournament, is returning to Punjab Kings for 2023.

Curran was the subject of a record bid from Punjab, eventually selling for an all-time high 18.5 crore (£1.85million) in Friday's auction.

"I'm absolutely overwhelmed and incredibly humbled to receive that bid," he told Star Sports. "Punjab is where I did my debut season a few years ago.

"I feel confident going into this tournament. We had a fantastic World Cup. I'm incredibly excited to come to India for this big opportunity.

"There's so many things running through my mind. I knew this morning about the auction, but I was struggling to find a stream. It wasn't on TV.

"I saw the bids coming from Mumbai, then Chennai. Having played for Chennai earlier, it was cool to see them, [and then] I got a call about joining Punjab."

The 10 franchises have varying amounts of cash to splash in Kochi, where some big names will be up for grabs.

Stokes opted out of the IPL this year, but England's Test captain and Curran, the player of the tournament in their recent World Cup triumph, are two of the 19 overseas players with the highest base price of 2.0 crore – worth just over £200,000.

Chris Morris was sold for a record 16,25 crore in February 2021 and it would be no surprise if that is broken as ambitious franchises shape their squads for the 2023 edition of the tournament.

There are a total of 87 slots to be filled, with up to 30 of those available for overseas players.

Stats Perform highlight what to look out for in the latest auction for a competition that was won by debutants the Gujarat Titans this year.

Sunrisers have money to burn

Sunrisers Hyderabad wielded the axe following a poor 2022 IPL season, having finished down in eighth place.

They suffered eight defeats and reacted by releasing 12 players, including captain and most expensive player Kane Williamson.

Sunrisers have the most money to spend in the auction, with 42,25 crore burning a hole in their pockets. On the other end of the scale, Kolkata Knight Riders only have 7,05 crore to play with.

Hyderabad could opt to re-sign Williamson on a less lucrative deal for the New Zealand skipper.

Curran to break the record?

England all-rounder Curran was outstanding in the T20 World Cup, taking 13 wickets – including 3-12 against Pakistan in the final last month.

Possessing great variation and giving little away, the left-arm seamer is sure to be in demand and could be in for a huge early Christmas present.

Stokes, Williamson, Cameron Green, Rilee Rossouw, Jimmy Neesham and Jason Holder are among the other overseas players with a base price of 2,0 crore.

With a base price of 1,5 crore, Harry Brook could also earn a big pay day for what would be a first IPL after a dream start to his England career.

Pandey and Agarwal under the hammer

Manish Pandey and Mayank Agarwal are the two Indian players with the highest base price in the auction.

The first Indian player to score an IPL century, Pandey has a base price of 1,0 crore and the same goes for fellow batter Agarwal.

Pandey was released by Lucknow Super Giants, while Agarwal was allowed to leave by Punjab Kings.

Record-breaking teenager Ahmed to cap a dream week

What a story it would be if Rehan Ahmed is picked up in the auction after making history in England's Test win over Pakistan in Karachi.

The 18-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder became the youngest man to make his England Test debut as they secured a 3-0 whitewash and the teenager made a big impact.

Ahmed became the youngest man to take a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in the second innings and would cost at least 0.5 crore – although there are due to be discussions over what his schedule will be after his incredible start on the international stage.