Is Chris Gayle supporting Punjab Kings or RCB? Cricket icon's look in turban goes viral ahead of IPL final
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
West Indies cricket legend Chris Gayle has thrown his support behind both Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) — his former IPL teams — ahead of their high-voltage IPL 2025 showdown at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.In an Instagram post, Gayle was seen donning a turban to show his backing for PBKS, while also sporting an RCB jersey and customised shoes in the iconic Red and Gold, reflecting his bond with the Bengaluru franchise."Let The Game Begin! RCB v PBKS #OneIndia #IPL #Finals #2025," posted Gayle on Instagram.https://www.instagram.com/p/DKcHEfIOE_J/?hl=en&img_index=1Gayle has represented both RCB and PBKS in his illustrious IPL career. For RCB from 2011-17, Gayle scored 3,163 runs in 85 matches and 84 innings at an average of 43.33, with a strike rate of 152.73. He scored five centuries and 19 fifties, with the best score of 175*.In 41 matches and innings for PBKS for 2018-21, he scored 1,339 runs at an average of 36.19, with a strike rate of over 143.21. He scored a century and 10 fifties for RCB, with the best score of 104*.Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the first team to qualify for the final. They finished the league stage in second spot with 19 points from 14 games before beating Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 to book their berth in the final.Virat Kohli has been RCB's go-to man with the bat this season, having accumulated 614 runs at an average of 55.82 and a strike rate of 146.53 this season, with eight half-centuries.On the bowling front, Josh Hazlewood has been their leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps in 11 games at an average of 15.80 and an economy of 8.30.Punjab Kings, meanwhile, topped the league stage with 19 points from 14 games and a better net run rate than RCB.However, PBKS lost their Qualifier 1 game against RCB, and faced Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 clash, which they won by five wickets to secure their spot in the summit match.Skipper Shreyas Iyer has been Punjab Kings' best batter this season with 603 runs at an average of 54.82 and a strike rate of 175.80.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Blessing Muzarabani, Nuwan Thushara, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan SinghPunjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
11 minutes ago
- NDTV
This South Indian Restaurant Has Been Ranked No. 1 In New York For 2025
An Indian restaurant in New York has just been named the best in the city for 2025. This is a historic achievement by Semma, a Michelin-starred establishment that serves diverse South Indian delicacies. Semma topped the prestigious annual list of 100 best restaurants by The New York Times. This year, only the top 10 restaurants in the city have been ranked. The remaining 90 have been named but do not have a specific ranking, unlike previous years. Following Semma on the 2025 list are Atomix, Le Bernardin, Kabaw, Ha's Snack Bar, King, Penny, Sushi Sho, Szechuan Mountain House and Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi. In 2024, Semma occupied the 7th position. It was one of four Indian restaurants that made it to the list of 100 best. This year's list was curated by the New York Times' interim restaurant critics, Priya Krishna and Melissa Clark, along with editor Brian Gallagher. The trio revealed that they picked the final 100 from a total of more than 20,000 restaurants in the city. They noted, "Of course, there are more than 100 amazing restaurants in New York. But these best answered the questions: Where would we send our friends? Which places are worth a splurge? Worth an hour-long subway ride?" About Semma New York Semma in Greenwich Village is helmed by Chef Vijay Kumar, who hails from Tamil Nadu. The restaurant spotlights lesser-known dishes from different parts of South India in order to celebrate its rich culinary heritage. While describing Semma, The New York Times' food critic Priya Krishna states, "New York is teeming with Indian restaurants. Yet before Semma, a deeply personal tribute to the chef Vijay Kumar's upbringing in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the city's diners had never seen Indian food like this. Punctuated with chiles, coconut and earthy curry leaves, Semma's flavours are lingering and loud, yet restrained. Its dosa is the best in the city: a crisp specimen that's heady with fermentation and slicked with ghee and fiery gunpowder spice. Semma altered the course of Indian dining here, and four years on, Mr. Kumar's food continues to feel fresh." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Semma (@semmanyc) Semma has won several other accolades in the past. It currently holds its Michelin star for the third consecutive year. While there are several acclaimed Indian restaurants in New York, Semma is the only one in the city with a Michelin star at present. Semma is part of the Unapologetic Foods restaurant group, which also includes Dhamaka (another popular Indian restaurant in New York).
NDTV
11 minutes ago
- NDTV
In A Year Of Surprise Winners, South Africa Aims To End Trophy Drought In WTC Final
South Africa batter Aiden Markram hopes a run for underdogs continues in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, according to the ICC website. Markram hopes a run of sporting trophy droughts broken in 2025 rings true at the World Test Championship 2025 Final, with the Proteas taking on defending champions Australia from June 11. In the cricket world, Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally tasted men's IPL success, beating Punjab Kings in the tournament final, while in football, Paris Saint Germain lifted the UEFA Champions League earlier this month for the first time. While Markram acknowledged it hasn't been a storyline taken on by the Proteas looking to finally break their duck, the right-hander hopes it may just be an omen for his team. "(There's) not much chat along those lines in terms of watching the other events, but hopefully that trend can continue," Markram told ICC Digital ahead of the Final. Obviously, we've been chasing it now for many years as a squad," Aiden Markram said. "Across all formats, we've probably improved slightly throughout and had sniffs to win it. If we can get ourselves into a position over the five days of the Test match to win, we'll push really hard for that." South Africa has been in the mix across formats at ICC events in recent years. Last year, it reached the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final but fell at the final hurdle to India. The side also reached the semi-final stage at both the 2023 Cricket World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, and came into the Lord's final having topped the table. Markram gives insight into South Africa's mindset by saying each player has received clear instructions in pursuing the mace. "I think it's the collective decision for each guy to bring their best skill. It's going to be a tough game." "It's a Test match, of course, against Australia and a Dukes ball, Lord's, all those sorts of things, but ultimately, the guys have a skillset that have got them here, got them selected, throughout the cycle performed as well, doing those skills," he added. "So it's about backing that, our best skill versus their (Australia's) best skill, and we'll see where it lands us at the end of the day." Australia stands as an imposing opponent. They are the defending champions and sealed their Final spot after a series win over giants India on home soil. The Proteas fell 2-0 to the Aussies on tour in the 2021-2023 cycle, though Markram believes there is little he and his side haven't seen from their opponents. "We pretty much know what the Australians are all about and their skill levels, their characters and all those sorts of things," Markram said. "It's always a challenge that we get really excited for, and we generally get up for it and look forward to it. I've got no doubt this time it'll be any different." In their quest for victory, the Proteas have set up in Arundel, taking on Zimbabwe in a warm-up match, before travelling to Lord's to join England fast bowling legend Stuart Broad, who comes in as a consultant for the team's fast bowling battery. Markram says vibes in the camp are positive ahead of the Final. "The energies have been good, obviously lots of excitement in the air for the time being. (I'm) sure when we get a bit closer to the game or a few nerves will start kicking in," Markram said.
NDTV
11 minutes ago
- NDTV
Major Lapses Emerge During Bengaluru Stampede, Medical Centre Was Shut
Bengaluru: Major lapses have emerged in organising the felicitation ceremony in Bengaluru that was marred by a deadly stampede last evening. While the focus remained on ensuring security for the VVIPs, including the players and their families, a serious lack of adequate police and medical staff at the stadium has now been flagged. The stampede that claimed 11 lives yesterday occurred when thousands of fans tried to force their way inside the packed M Chinnaswamy stadium through narrow entry points to attend the felicitation of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players, who had brought home their first ever IPL trophy in 18 years. Lack of Medical Support Cricket matches in India are an extensive affair. Multiple arrangements are made for the spectators at the stadium, including the deployment of adequate police and medical staff. They are usually present at every stand to provide support to anyone in a time of need. However, on June 4, ground staff and police officials at the Bengaluru stadium suggest there wasn't enough support staff. In Pics: How Celebrations Turned Into Tragedy In Bengaluru NDTV also visited the medical command centre located near the stadium's main entry. It was not operational yesterday. It remained empty when injured fans reached there in search of water and first aid. However, no such facility was available there yesterday, according to several support staff. Inside the medical room, different items, including a blood-stained handkerchief, were strewn on the floor, indicating that it was a site of struggle during the stampede. Inadequate Police Cover Even the police presence outside the stadium was not on par with match days. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium expects a turnout of around 35,000 attendees on match days, which is its maximum capacity. However, the number far exceeded yesterday as the RCB's maiden victory had become an emotive issue in the state. The lack of adequate police presence on the ground could be attributed to the need for additional security at the Vidhan Soudha, which hosted several VIPs, including the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, yesterday. The players, too, went to the Vidhan Soudha for the official felicitation event. This likely divided the police resources. Sources say the police had advised the RCB franchise and the government against organising the felicitation ceremony on Wednesday. They had insisted that it be held on Sunday, but the RCB's management reportedly argued that by then, the overseas players would leave and be unable to attend the ceremony. On June 4, when the celebrations went on inside, chaos erupted outside. With entry being made free, a huge crowd turned up, choking the stadium's gates. Desperate to attend the ceremony, thousands tried to jostle their way inside, leading to the stampede. Apart from 11 deaths, dozens were injured, and many fainted. A blame game has also erupted over the stampede, with the BCCI and IPL washing their hands off the incident, leaving the RCB franchise to face the blame. The opposition BJP has also targeted the ruling Congress over the stampede. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an investigation. His deputy, DK Shivakumar, has also apologised for overcrowding the venue.
