The T20 cricket 2026 IPL season is nearly here, which is an exciting time for big fans of the international sport. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will collide with the Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first match of the new season. Here are the latest news and rumors on Navdeep Saini, Pat Cummins, and the PSL.
Navdeep Saini Named Replacement For 2026 IPL Squad
The Kolkata Knight Riders have officially named a replacement for one of their injured members. The IPL announced two replacement signings earlier on March 25th, 2026.
Navdeep Saini was named the replacement for Harshit Rana of the KKR. The media advisory reveals that Navdeep was signed for INR 75 Lakh.
The other injury replacement that was revealed was for the Gujarat Titans. They have signed Kulwant Khejroliya to replace Prithviraj Yarra for INR 30 Lakh.
Saini most recently played in the IPL during the 2023 season. He played two matches for Rajasthan Royals, taking three wickets in 36 deliveries.
Saini certainly brings the pace to the pitch, as he can clock deliveries in excess of 140 km/h.
As for Kulwant, he has played in the IPL for four seasons but has appeared in only eight matches. However, he has taken six wickets in total, with 2/33 his best figures.
When Pat Cummins Will Return
Pat Cummins was recently on the Business of Sport podcast. While appearing on that podcast, he revealed to the co-hosts his plan to return to playing.
“I’m back bowling. I’m bowling basically every third day at the moment,” he said to the hosts. “We’ve mapped out a plan to get me right by the middle of the tournament. So hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, I’ll play the back half plus the finals.”
In 2025, Cummins was one of the top bowlers in the IPL. He scalped 16 wickets in 14 matches, which was good enough for 12th overall amongst all bowlers.
Additionally, he recorded a 9.06 Economy, with a standout figure of 3/19.
Pakistan Super League 2026 Launching Tomorrow
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will run from March 26th to May 3rd, 2026. There will be a total of 44 matches across this season of PSL.
The festivities kick off on March 26th with the Lahore Qalandars vs Hyderabad Kingsmen. Just like the IPL, the PSL are launching their season with the reigning champions playing the first match.
The league just expanded to eight teams prior to the beginning of this season.
Sahibzada Farhan led the PSL in runs, knocking 449 across 12 matches in 2025. Additionally, he ripped 52 boundaries and 21 sixes. Farhan hit a high score of 106.
Despite being so prolific with the bat, Farhan was not the leader of the PSL in sixes. That honor belongs to 24-year-old Hasan Nawaz, who hit 28 sixes over 10 innings.
As far as bowling goes, Shaheen Shah Afridi led the PSL with 19 wickets taken in 13 matches. Despite this impressive total, it was Faheem Ashraf who was the lone bowler to record a five-wicket haul during the season.
Only eight bowlers recorded a maiden during the 2025 PSL season. Sikandar Raza, Mir Hamza, Naseem Shah, Ali Raza, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammad Nabi, Khurran Shahzad, and the aforementioned Afridi.
Afridi also recorded the best figures of the tournament, with a 3/3 performance.
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