DC Edge RCB, Axar's Injury And Kishan’s Unwanted Record- April 18 Cricket Highlights

Krunal Pandya, David Miller and Axar Patel [Source: AFP]

Sunrisers Hyderabad made a key replacement move while Delhi Capitals held their nerve in a nail-biting clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Injury concerns hovered, captaincy luck ran dry, and international duties reshaped squads across leagues.

Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Saturday, April 18.

Gerald Coetzee replaces David Payne in SRH squad for IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad have roped in Gerald Coetzee as a replacement for injured pacer David Payne for the rest of IPL 2026.

Payne, who had earlier replaced Jack Edwards, was ruled out with an ankle injury after a dismal campaign. Coetzee, who previously played for the Mumbai Indians had gone unsold in the IPL 2026 auction despite a base price of INR 2 crore.

However, his impressive recent form, including a strong showing against New Zealand, has earned him an IPL comeback.

DC edge past RCB in last-over thriller

Delhi Capitals pulled off a thrilling 6-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they chased 176 with just one ball to spare.

Tristan Stubbs anchored the chase brilliantly with an unbeaten 60 off 47 while KL Rahul set the tone with a rapid 57. David Miller provided the finishing touch with a blistering 22* off 10.

Earlier, Phil Salt smashed 63 for RCB but disciplined spells from Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Lungi Ngidi kept the total to 175/8.

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Relief for DC as Axar Patel’s injury not serious 

Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel gave fans a scare during the IPL 2026 win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru after retiring hurt due to cramps.

Axar played a handy knock of 26 off 19 balls following KL Rahul’s match-shaping fifty as he guided DC closer to the target before walking off with visible discomfort.

Post-match, team director Venugopal Rao confirmed it was only cramps and added that the southpaw is expected to be fully fit and available for Delhi’s next game.

Islamabad United sign Pavan Rathnayake as Airee leaves for national duty

Islamabad United have roped in Pavan Rathnayake as a replacement for Dipendra Singh Airee ahead of the business end of PSL 2026.

Airee has departed for national duty, set to captain Nepal in a historic T20I series against United Arab Emirates on April 20 and 21.

With leadership responsibilities calling, Airee shifts focus to international cricket and is expected to rejoin Islamabad United after completing the assignment.

Ishan Kishan creates unwanted IPL record with six consecutive toss losses

Ishan Kishan has etched his name in the record books for an unfortunate reason in IPL 2026 after losing his sixth consecutive toss.

While his performances on the field have been fairly solid, the coin flip has simply refused to go his way and it has turned into a bizarre streak that continues to haunt him game after game.

During the clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, Kishan once again failed to call it right. With that, he became the first captain in IPL history to lose each of his first six tosses.

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