Cricket News & Updates

5/23/2026

SRH outclass RCB but fail to clinch top-two spot

Hyderabad, May 22 (PTI) Sunrisers Hyderabad maintained their now familiar hell-for-leather template, but even a thumping 55-run victory couldn't prevent Royal Challengers Bengaluru from topping the points table at the end of their IPL league stage engagement here on Friday. Abhishek Sharma's bat-swing, Ishan Kishan's daredevilry and Heinrich Klaasen's brute muscularity took SRH to a meaty total of 255 for 4. For RCB, the primary target was to score 166 to finish in top two and ensure two shots at qualifying for the IPL final and they did that with ease despite losing the contest by a big margin. They finished on 200 for 4. RCB (NRR +0.783), thus, topped the group league phase with Gujarat Titans (NRR +0.695) and SRH (NRR +0.524) finishing second and third respectively despite all three teams getting 18 points apiece. The chase was always out of question even as Venkatesh Iyer (44 off 19 balls) provided a solid start. Virat Kohli (15 off 11 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (21 off 14 balls) didn't get too many. Once RCB understood that they can't win the match, veterans Rajat Patidar (56 off 39 balls) and Krunal Pandya (41 not out off 31 balls) concentrated on the 'Magic Figure' of 166 with a 84-run stand. Once Patidar flayed Pat Cummins over deep point for a six, RCB ensured a top-two finish. He was out at the team score of 178, which was required to finish on top of the table. Among SRH bowlers, Eshan Malinga (2/33 in 4 overs) was once again brilliant with his lengths, while Bihar youngster Sakib Hussain (1/31) also didn't let the batters get away during middle overs. Earlier, when SRH batted, Abhishek (56 off 22 balls) scored another 20-ball half-century and nullified Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his first spell. Vice-captain Kishan found the gaps while displaying both precision and cheekiness to pummel his way to 79 off just 44 balls. Klaasen (51 off 24 balls), probably the most consistent batter across teams below No. 3, literally toyed with a world-class operator like Josh Hazlewood, taking as many as 27 runs off his third over and the team's 13th, as the Orange Army ensured that they would cross the 250-run mark on a batting featherbed. The mayhem was started by Abhishek when he elegantly lofted a Bhuvneshwar delivery over wide of long-off to get his first six. Bhuvneshwar, who found a second wind in this IPL, wasn't allowed to settle down as he flicked him twice -- once over square-leg and then over deep mid-wicket off back-to-back deliveries. Romario Shepherd's friendly, occasional medium pace wasn't suppose to trouble the world's No. 1 ranked T20 batter, and it didn't. He was lofted for a couple of straight sixes while Suyash Sharma's delivery was also sent soaring into the orbit with minimal footwork. While Kishan dropped anchor at one end while showing consistency that one expects from a talent like him, no words of praise would be enough for Klaasen, who doesn't play international cricket anymore but remains the most sought after gun for hire in the franchise universe. In case of Kishan, RCB bowlers were guilty of bowling into his pads, allowing him to chance his arms freely while Klaasen was neither disturbed by straight lines nor perturbed by the wide lines bowled at him. The manner in which he hammered Hazlewood was good enough to dismantle the strategy of Rajat Patidar while Nitish Reddy provided a final flourish with a 12-ball 29 not out. In all, SRH batters hit 20 boundaries and 16 sixes. PTI KHS KHS AH KHS AH AH

5/23/2026

From Mega Power Star to Folk Hero - How Peddi Could Become Ram Charan’s Most Brilliant Reinvention till date

For most of his career, Ram Charan’s stardom has been about his tentpole hits. From his explosive debut in Chirutha to the epic sweep of Magadheera, he was positioned as a star who is all for the grandeur. He is a performer with commanding physicality, screen presence and mass appeal. Films like Racha, Naayak and Yevadu strengthened that image further, leaning into his commercial heroism, swagger and larger-than-life energy. Also read: Raja Shivaji Success Party: Salman Khan Joins Film’s Big Celebration Even when Ram Charan evolved as an actor, the image remained intact In Dhruva, he embraced urban audiences. In Bruce Lee: The Fighter, the emphasis stayed firmly on stylised heroism. And with RRR, he reached an entirely new level of global visibility through the role of Alluri Sitarama Raju. The film turned him into the international face of Indian cinema, carrying him far beyond local audiences. Also read: Soniya Bansal Makes Cannes 2026 Debut In Radical Radha Rani Gown Which is exactly why Peddi feels like such a fascinating shift Instead of following RRR with another sleek pan-India spectacle, Ram Charan appears to be moving in the opposite direction — toward something local, earthy and rough around the edges. Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, Peddi strips away glamour and places the actor inside a world that has mud, sweat, physical labour and rural identity. The transformation is visible in the film’s promotional material The composed body language associated with many of Ram Charan’s earlier films has disappeared. In its place is a visibly weathered man with long hair, tired eyes, bruised skin and the posture of someone carrying years of struggle. The character resembles a worker, a wrestler, a village athlete. In many ways, Peddi feels like the natural continuation of what Rangasthalam began. Also read: Why Arjan Bajwa believes inner strength defines true fitness Sukumar’s 2018 blockbuster marked a turning point in Ram Charan’s career because it broke the distance between the star and the audience. He was imperfect, emotional, impulsive. The performance revealed a vulnerability that many viewers had not fully seen in Ram Charan before. More importantly, it proved that his strongest screen presence emerged from being grounded. Unlike the colourful nostalgia of Rangasthalam, however, Peddi looks harsher and heavier. The world of the film is driven by local sports culture, masculine pride, village politics and fight fo survival. The action is violent, muddy and messy. Even the cricket sequences shown in the teaser is unlike anything seen before in Ram Charan's repertoire. Also read: Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai Trailer Launch Cancelled at the Last Minute The traditional “mega hero” image in Telugu cinema often depends on distance when stars appear aspirational, untouchable and beyond ordinary life. But folk heroes function differently. They belong to the people watching them. Their appeal comes from familiarity, from feeling connected to the frustrations, rage and dignity of working-class life. That is what Peddi seems to be aiming for with Ram Charan. After years of playing a star, Peddi could become the film that transforms Ram Charan into something more - a hero who feels like he belongs to ordinary people standing in the front rows. Tags : Ram Charan film Peddi | Ram Charan latest news | Ram Charan new movie | Ram Charan Peddi | Mega Power Star Ram Charan | Ram Charan upcoming movies | Ram Charan Peddi Trailer | Ram Charan producer

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