RCB Director Of Cricket Delivers Blockbuster Statement After Defeat To DC

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's director of cricket Mo Bobat on Saturday said the team will make an "honest review" of the close six-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals, but will not "over-analyse" the result. The Royal Challengers crashed to their second defeat of the IPL 2026 after their batters produced a rather insipid effort in a total of 175 for six. "Yeah, we probably weren't as fluent as we normally are. Obviously, we've been a pretty strong batting unit so far in the games gone. I wouldn't over-analyse that too much. We'll review honestly like we always do," said Bobat in the post-match press conference.

"We'll always consider things that we did well and things that we could improve. Ultimately, we've been batting very well through this competition. So, we'll take some learning from this game and then we'll try and get back into our normal groove in the next one," he added.

Bobat candidly admitted that RCB batters were not able to negate a tacky Chinnaswamy pitch on this day.

"A couple of games on the pitch have been quite low and slow. So, we certainly found in the first innings today, it was a very slow surface, it wasn't coming on to the bat at all.

"So, look, it has been a little bit varied. But at the end of the day, our boys have got to figure things out there. They have to assess conditions and they have to put on a score. And we weren't quite able to do that today," he said.

Bobat said RCB took a calculated risk in bowling out frontline bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, leaving a part-timer like Romario Shepherd to defend 15 runs off the last over against two accomplished finishers in David Miller and Tristan Stubbs.

"Yeah, so there comes a point in the game where you feel like you're behind in the game. So, to get yourself back in that game or maybe even get ahead of the game, you have to use your champion bowlers. So we felt that we had to bowl both Hazlewood and Bhuvi when we did to make it as difficult as possible later in the game.

"Obviously, that involves a bit of a risk. It's a tough ask for Romario bowling that last over to two international batters and two international finishers. So it was always going to be a tough ask. But we had to take the game as deep as possible," he detailed. PTI UNG UNG AH AH

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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How CSK Gained One Spot In IPL 2026 Points Table Despite Loss Against SRH

In a rare incident, Chennai Super Kings gained one spot in the points table of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 despite losing a game to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ahead of the match, CSK held the eighth position in the points table, and the result of the match saw them rise to number seven. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side suffered a 10-run defeat at the hands of SRH at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Saturday night. Ideally, a team would slip or stay in the same spot after suffering a loss, but an unusual incident took place with CSK. This is how it happened.

Before the match, CSK held the eighth spot with four points and a net run rate (NRR) of -0.846. After the narrow defeat, CSK's NRR improved to -0.780. The change in NRR saw CSK replace Lucknow Super Giants at number seven. LSG too have four points to their credit. Their NRR of -0.804 is now poorer than that of CSK.

Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga's pinpoint yorkers found perfect support in unheralded left-arm wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar as Sunrisers Hyderabad edged past Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs in a gripping IPL 2026 thriller in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Chasing a victory target of 195, CSK finished on 184 for 8, largely due to Malinga (3/29 in four overs) and Shivang's (1/18 in three overs) superb execution in the post-powerplay overs.

CSK needed only 84 runs in the last 10 overs, perfectly gettable in this day and age of T20s, but Malinga's blend of yorkers, hard lengths and short balls really kept them quiet, while Shivang also got appreciable turn and bounce to make life difficult for the Yellow Brigade.

CSK have not chased a 190-plus target in the last eight years. CSK needed 18 off the last over bowled by Praful Hinge, who had gone for 50-plus in his first three overs, and the Vidarbha pacer kept his cool, giving away only seven runs while snuffing out the dangerous Jamie Overton.

(With PTI inputs)

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"Out Hai": Kohli Disagrees With Umpire's Decision; DRS Masterclass Follows

Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru could not register a win at their home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in an IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. RCB scored 175/8 in 20 overs while batting first. In reply, DC chased down the target in 19.5 overs. During the IPL clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Bengaluru, Virat Kohli scored 19 off 13 balls, hitting three fours at a strike rate of over 146. While the score was modest, his attacking intent was clearly visible. Kohli has developed a more aggressive approach in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years, marked by a significant rise in his attacking-shot percentage from 2021 to the current season.

Apart from his aggressive batting strategy, Kohli has remained sharp in the field. During the RCB vs DC match, he insisted on a DRS review off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling after the umpire had adjudged opener Pathum Nissanka not out. Kohli could be heard insisting, "Out hai." The review proved him right, with the decision overturned.

On-point delivery, on-point DRS! #PathumNissanka had no answers to @BhuviOfficial's inswinger & credit to #RCB for the timely review! #TATAIPL | #IPLRivalryWeek 2026 #RCBvDC | LIVE NOW https://t.co/tCvyn0XFNx pic.twitter.com/dqE7oQNxee

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 18, 2026

Since 2021, there has been a steady shift towards a more aggressive batting approach from Kohli in the IPL. In 2021, his attacking-shot percentage stood at 40.6 per cent, which rose to 50.3 per cent in 2022. The numbers jumped further in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons, registering 62.5 per cent, 64.3 per cent and 68 per cent respectively. In IPL 2026, his attacking-shot percentage has crossed into the 70s, standing at 72.8 per cent.

In six innings so far this season, Kohli has scored 247 runs at an average of 49.40 and a strike rate of 157.32, including two fifties, with a highest score of 69*. He is currently the second-highest run-scorer of the season.

Turning to the match, DC won the toss and opted to bowl first. Phil Salt and Virat Kohli (19 off 13 balls, with three fours) put together a 52-run opening partnership. Salt (63 off 38 balls, with four fours and three sixes) was the standout performer with the bat, while the other RCB batters failed to capitalise on their starts. RCB were eventually restricted to 175/8 in 20 overs.

For DC, skipper Axar Patel (2/18), Kuldeep Yadav (2/32) and Lungi Ngidi (2/39) picked up two wickets each, ensuring that RCB could not fully exploit their promising beginnings.

With ANI inputs

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Jensen Huang Slams Dario Amodei's 'Nukes To North Korea' AI Chip Analogy

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has pushed back against Anthropic boss Dario Amodei's comments that selling AI chips to China was like selling nukes to North Korea, calling the analogy "lunacy." In a wide-ranging interview with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Huang argued that "victimising" China or treating the nation as an "enemy" was a flawed strategy. He emphasised that China already possesses the domestic capacity and computing power to be a major player in the AI race, suggesting that isolationist policies might be counterproductive.

Following intense lobbying by Huang, the Trump administration authorised sales of NVIDIA's H-200 chips to China, reversing earlier Biden-era national security restrictions. The approval permits sales of these high-end, yet older-generation, processors, provided that the US government receives a 25 per cent fee on all sales.

Playing the 'devil's advocate', Patel asked Huang what would happen in the hypothetical scenario if China, using the chips supplied, were able to train models on par with Claude Mythos, which might threaten US national security and corporate dominance.

"First of all, Mythos was trained on fairly mundane capacity, and a fairly mundane amount of it. By an extraordinary company. The amount of capacity and the type of compute it was trained on is abundantly available in China. So you just have to first realise that chips exist in China," said Huang.

"Victimising them, turning them into an enemy, likely isn't the best answer. They are an adversary. We want the United States to win. But I think having a dialogue and having research dialogue is probably the safest thing to do."

The Jensen Huang episode.

0:00:00 – Is Nvidia's biggest moat its grip on scarce supply chains?
0:16:25 – Will TPUs break Nvidia's hold on AI compute?
0:41:06 – Why doesn't Nvidia become a hyperscaler?
0:57:36 – Should we be selling AI chips to China?
1:35:06 – Why doesn't Nvidia… pic.twitter.com/ezDkUmoFWM

— Dwarkesh Patel (@dwarkesh_sp) April 15, 2026

Amodei's Analogy

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Amodei said selling the chips to China was like "selling nuclear weapons to North Korea".

"It would be a big mistake to ship these chips. I think this is crazy. It's a bit like selling nuclear weapons to North Korea," said Amodei.

Responding to the analogy, Huang replied: "Comparing AI to anything that you just mentioned is lunacy. It's a lousy analogy. It's an illogical analogy."

During the tense exchange, Huang also addressed concerns about whether exporting Nvidia chips to China would undermine America's competitive edge.

"The premise that even if we competed in China, that we're going to lose that market anyways. You're not talking to somebody who woke up a loser. That loser attitude, that loser premise makes no sense to me," said Huang.

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Jay Shah, Ganguly Watch IPL Game In The Stands. Internet Can't Stop Praising

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah and former Indian cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly were spotted watching the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans from the stands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. It came as a surprise to many people that the duo was not in the VIP area and was seated with the fans during the match. High-profile attendees are not a surprise during IPL matches, but it is not common for them to be seated among the general crowd. Social media users were left impressed by Ganguly and Shah ditching 'VIP culture'.

A superb recovery led by Cameron Green's 79 off 55 balls was undone by a dramatic late-order collapse as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were bowled out for 180 in their 20 overs against Gujarat Titans (GT).

ICC Chairman Jay Shah and Legendary Sourav Ganguly at Ahmedabad Watching IPL in the middle of Crowd. pic.twitter.com/Ca6JN8YoD0

— Sonu Jaat • Cricket (@TheSonuJaat) April 17, 2026

Despite Green's fine knock, laced with seven fours and four sixes, KKR lost their last six wickets for just 33 runs in the final phase of the innings. Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers for GT, returning figures of 3-33, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna played vital roles in stifling the KKR batters, though Ashok Sharma and Rashid Khan were expensive.

Jay Shah and Sourav Ganguly enjoying the IPL atmosphere with fans

Cricket, fans, and legends all in one photo. pic.twitter.com/KHUJ9fpOpj

— Cric Score (@TheClearPost) April 17, 2026

Pushed into bowling first after KKR elected to bat, Siraj struck in the very first over as skipper Ajinkya Rahane skewed an outswinger to mid-on and fell for a golden duck. Rabada then doubled the misery in the second over by having Angkrish Raghuvanshi nick behind to the keeper. When Tim Seifert (12) slapped a short delivery from Siraj straight to point, KKR were reeling at 32/3 in four overs.

KKR's recovery was initially sparked by Rovman Powell, who hit a cameo of 27 off 20 balls, including two massive sixes, shifting the pressure back onto the GT bowlers. His 55-run stand with Green, who timed the ball really well, steadied the ship before Ashok Sharma deceived him with a 107kph slower ball.

Green, who was struggling on 27 off 29 balls at one stage, suddenly found his groove in the 12th over by launching Rashid for a six and a four. He took a particular liking to the spinners, scoring 33 off just 18 balls against them. His 60-run partnership off 23 balls with Anukul Roy saw KKR gallop from 87/4 to 139/4 in the space of three overs.

However, the dismissal of Roy (9) by Prasidh Krishna in the 15th over triggered a sensational slide. Rinku Singh's poor run continued as he fell to Rabada, while Ramandeep Singh (17) holed out after a brief flurry of boundaries.

In a bizarre final stretch, Green, who had reached 75 off 44 balls, became a virtual spectator at the non-striker's end as wickets tumbled, with the seam-bowling all-rounder facing only two of them during that sequence.

Green managed only four runs off his final 11 deliveries before being caught behind off the last ball of the innings off Rashid. From a position where 200 looked certain, KKR finished with 180 - a total that looks below par on a pitch favouring good strokeplay.

(With IANS inputs)

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Ram Gopal Varma Claims Dhurandhar 2 Got Dawood Ibrahim Act Wrong

Ram Gopal Varma has been one of the most vocal admirers of Dhurandhar 2, showering the Aditya Dhar directorial with glowing praise ever since its release. 

However, despite his overwhelming appreciation, RGV has now opened up about the one aspect of the film that did not sit right with him.

RGV On Dawood Ibrahim's Depiction

In a recent conversation with writer Hussain Zaidi on his YouTube channel, RGV spoke at length about what impressed him in Dhurandhar 2. While he lauded the film's craft and storytelling, he admitted to having reservations about the portrayal of Dawood Ibrahim.

"The only element I disagree with is that. I feel that the portrayal of Dawood Ibrahim... They might have their own sources (but) I think it is being shown incorrectly," he said.

In the film, the notorious gangster is referred to as 'Bade Sahab' and is depicted as the mastermind orchestrating terror operations in India from Pakistan. However, RGV suggested that this interpretation may not align with what he believes to be true.

RGV's Clarification

The Satya director clarified that while he does not claim absolute authority on the subject, the film's narrative does not match his understanding of Dawood's current status.

"It's not like I can say that with authority. But it is not falling in line with what I know," he explained.

RGV added that, based on what he has heard over the years, Dawood has been largely inactive. "He is inactive by choice, because he stopped doing anything. I believe he retired from criminal activities 20 years ago," he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged the ambiguity surrounding such figures, noting that no one can definitively confirm or deny the truth. "Nobody can be an expert, nobody can know this is the truth. We all think Dhurandhar has shown something... I can't disprove it, and the director can't prove it as well," he concluded.

About Dhurandhar 2

The sequel to Dhurandhar follows the rise of Ranveer Singh's Hamza Ali Mazari as Sher-e-Baloch and the undisputed king of Lyari. It also traces his journey from becoming Jaskirat Singh Rangi to Hamza, the man who intrudes into Pakistan as a spy to avenge the terrorist attacks in the nation.

The spy-action thriller also brings back the talented supporting cast, including Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor, and Sara Arjun.

ALSO READ: Dhurandhar Is Now India's Biggest Franchise, With Rs 3,000 Crore And Counting

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Live: Pakistan Army Chief Meets Iran Speaker Ghalibaf

US Iran War, Peace Talks LIVE Updates: The leader of Iran's joint military command threatened Wednesday to halt trade in the Gulf region if the U.S. does not lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Even so, US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was "very close to over" in an interview that aired Wednesday.

Separately, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the US is preparing to ramp up economic pain on Iran by levying secondary sanctions on financial institutions that do business with the Middle Eastern nation. Bessent called the measure the "financial equivalent" of the bombing campaign.

Mediators' efforts to extend a US-Iran ceasefire made progress as the two sides are expected to hold another round of negotiations, regional officials said. But a senior US official said Washington has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire. A Pakistani delegation arrived for talks in Tehran in the latest diplomatic move.

Israel, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with its aerial and ground war against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, a day after the two nations held their first direct talks in decades.

Here Are The LIVE Updates of US-Israel Iran War, Ceasefire, Peace Talks

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