IPL 2026: 'Always Wanna Come Here And Give My Best,' Says Marco Jansen

PCA New International Cricket Stadium: South African all-rounder Marco Jansen underlined his commitment to contributing to the teams success, saying his primary aim is always to give his best and help put the side in a winning position, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) start their campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. For me personally, it's just about always wanna come here and give my best and put the team in a winning position, Jansen said ahead of the match. The South African all-rounder added that his break after the T20 World Cup allowed him to spend quality time with family before returning to India. It was good. I spent some time with the family, my sisters, my mom, my dad, obviously my brother as well. He was playing cricket back home. And then yeah, went to the farm for a few days, spent some time in the bush. And then yeah, got back here to India, he said. Jansen also credited his development to working with different coaches and learning from teammates in franchise cricket. I think the coaching staff has helped me a lot. Dealing with different coaches, having to work with different coaches across the world, picking their brains. And obviously, the domestic players here in the IPL last year, especially has helped me a lot, Arshdeep in particular and Shreyas Iyer from a captaincy point of view, he added. Having featured in multiple IPL seasons, Jansen believes his understanding of Indian conditions has improved significantly over time. I think that's (having played cricket in India) helped me a lot in terms of how to play better or be more consistent in Indian conditions. I remember previously, when I was younger, I just struggled quite a bit with the bounce and then with the spin as well. And I think spending time here playing in the IPL for numerous years now has helped a lot regarding that, he said. Having featured in multiple IPL seasons, Jansen believes his understanding of Indian conditions has improved significantly over time. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Jansen also had a good season with the ball in IPL 2025, where he took 16 wickets at an average of 27.13. Article Source: IANS

IPL 2026: Boys In Good Place, Says Dushmantha Chameera As DC Set For Season's First Clash Vs LSG

With Delhi Capitals: With Delhi Capitals set to kick off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign with renewed focus and clarity, their Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera shed light on the teams readiness ahead of their opening clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday. Coming into his second season with the franchise, Chameera spoke about the continuity within the group and the work put in during the lead-up to the tournament. We had good preparation for a few days, we had two practice games, and I think the boys are in a good place now. For me, its always special because playing in the IPL is a dream. I was with the team last year as well, and if I get the opportunity this season, I just want to contribute to the teams success, Chameera said on the eve of their opening match on Tuesday. Highlighting the demands of bowlers in a high-scoring format like T20, Chameera said, Its always tough for fast bowlers in India. The wickets are good for batting, and the grounds are small, so you have to be mentally very strong. Preparation is not just about skills; its also about how you handle pressure in these conditions. If we execute our plans well, we can still do well even in these situations. Speaking about the fast-moving evolution of T20's and the Tigers' efforts to be up to speed with it, Chameera added, Compared to a few years ago, now even if you go for 8-9 runs in an over, it can still be okay depending on the situation. We discuss these things as a group, work on our plans, and focus on what is best for the team in that moment. Highlighting the demands of bowlers in a high-scoring format like T20, Chameera said, Its always tough for fast bowlers in India. The wickets are good for batting, and the grounds are small, so you have to be mentally very strong. Preparation is not just about skills; its also about how you handle pressure in these conditions. If we execute our plans well, we can still do well even in these situations. Also Read: Live Cricket Score We have discussed everything in the bowling group, and we have individual plans for different batters. In these kinds of conditions, execution becomes very important, especially for fast bowlers, so that is something we have focused on in preparation, he added. Article Source: IANS

PBKS bowl against GT, Ashok and Connolly make IPL debut

Glenn Phillips, meanwhile, makes his franchise debut for GT

IPL 2026: Punjab Kings Win Toss, Elect To Bowl First Against Gujarat Titans

PCA New International Cricket Stadium: Punjab Kings have won the toss and elected to bowl first against the Gujarat Titans in match four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, played at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Punjab Kings enjoyed a stellar campaign in IPL 2025, finishing as runners-up and marking one of their best performances in the tournaments history. On the other hand, the Gujarat Titans had a strong IPL 2025 campaign, finishing 3rd in the league stage under captain Shubman Gill. GT lost the Eliminator to the Mumbai Indians by 20 runs. These two sides began their seasons against each other in 2025 as well, with Punjab Kings triumphing by 11 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After winning the toss, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said, We're going to bowl first. I firmly believe that chasing gives you a fair idea about how to approach the target. And also, we played a couple of practice games, and whatever total was scored, I think it was easily chased down. So, thinking that at the back of my mind, I'm taking that decision. We had a phenomenal last season. We have to stay in the present. We didn't have to think about the past. We need to play our best brand of cricket. Cooper has come in. Stoinis, Bartlett, and Marco Jansen are the four overseas players. Meanwhile, after losing the toss, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill said, The wicket looks pretty good. It has been raining on and off over the last two days. Looks like a good wicket to bat on. Last year, we had a pretty good season. Two debutants -- Glenn and Ashok Sharma. We've got Jos, Glenn, Rashid, and Rabada. He (Buttler) is such an experienced player, I am sure he's going to have a great year for us. Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans have faced each other six times in IPL history, with both sides giving tough competition to each other, as the head-to-head record is tied with PBKS winning three encounters, and GT also came victorious on three occasions. Playing XIs: Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal Impact substitutes: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal Also Read: Live Cricket Score Impact substitutes: Prasidh Krishna, Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra Article Source: IANS

All eyes on fit-again Mayank as LSG kickstart season against DC

Rishabh Pant could bat at No. 3 for LSG, while Auqib Nabi is likely to make his IPL debut with DC

IPL 2026: When And Where To Watch LSG Vs DC, Know All Details

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari: Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will start their campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Axar Patel's side, Delhi Capitals (DC), at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Both Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals endured underwhelming campaigns in IPL 2025, missing out on playoff qualification. Delhi narrowly fell short, finishing fifth and just one point away from the top four, while Lucknow ended seventh after managing six wins in their 14 league matches. LSG boast a formidable top order featuring Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, complemented by a strong pace attack comprising Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Mayank Yadav and Avesh Khan, all capable of maintaining high speeds consistently. In contrast, Delhi Capitals appear more settled overall, with a solid top order led by KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw and Pathum Nissanka. Their middle order includes experienced names like David Miller, Tristan Stubbs and Nitish Rana. However, their pace unit looks slightly vulnerable in the absence of Mitchell Starc, although Lungi Ngidi and Kyle Jamieson remain reliable options in this format. When: Wednesday, April 1, 7:30 PM IST Where: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Where to watch: The LSG vs DC match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game. Squads: Where to watch: The LSG vs DC match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (C), KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Rana, Abishek Porel (WK), Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mukesh Kumar, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Auqib Nabi, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Sahil Parikh, Prithvi Shaw and Kyle Jamieson. Article Source: IANS