Lokesh Rahul’s 152 in vain after Punjab’s record chase against Delhi in IPL

DELHI, India (AP) — Delhi Capitals batter Lokesh Rahul hammered an Indian record 152 not out in 67 balls on Saturday but it proved in vain as the Punjab Kings won by six wickets to register the most successful run chase in IPL history.

Punjab charged to 265-4 in 18.5 overs in reply to Delhi’s 264-2 after opener Prabhsimran Singh had led the chase with 76 off 26 balls, including five sixes and nine fours.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer also bludgeoned 71 not out in 36 deliveries, with seven sixes, as Punjab surpassed its own record for the previous highest successful run chase, when it made 262-2 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. Priyansh Arya chipped in with 43 off 17 balls, including five sixes.

Earlier, opener Rahul notched the highest IPL score by an Indian batter, going past Abhishek Sharma’s 141 for Sunrisers Hyderabad – also against Punjab – in 2025.

Rahul smashed nine sixes and 16 fours in his sixth IPL century, while Nitish Rana hit 91 off 44 balls as Delhi scored its highest-ever total in the competition.

Prabhsimran and Priyansh Arya, who made 43 in 17 balls, then gave Punjab a speedy start.

The game was halted for 14 minutes when Lungi Ngidi suffered a head injury while fielding. The Delhi paceman was taken to hospital.

Punjab now has six wins in seven games this season, with one no-result. Delhi's loss was its fourth of the campaign as it slipped to sixth in the table.

In the evening game, Rajasthan Royals hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul celebrates his century during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul, right, celebrates after hits a six with batting partner Nitish Rana during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul, left, and batting partner Nitish Rana touch gloves during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul leaves the field at the end of the first inning of the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul celebrates after scoring one hundred and fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Islamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali's capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.

The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website Azallaq. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group.

Mali has previously faced insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.

The Malian army said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers.” It said in another statement later the situation was under control.

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali's air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.

A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, said he was woken by the sound of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati. The residence of Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, a nearby shopkeeper told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through Kati's deserted streets, while residents looked on fearfully.

Residents of Sevare and Mopti, two towns in central Mali, also reported attacks by gunmen.

Other videos in the northern towns of Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges in the streets, with dead bodies lying on the ground.

Insurgents entered Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, a former mayor of the town told the AP by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad movement, said in a post on Facebook that its forces had taken control of Kidal as well as some areas in Gao, another northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.

Kidal had long served as a stronghold of the separatist rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture marked a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.

Azawad separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali.

A resident of Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and could still be heard in the late morning.

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits,” the resident said by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity because of concerns for his safety. The resident said the gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are right next to each other.

Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said the assault seems to be the largest coordinated attack in years in Mali.

“It’s especially concerning that JNIM apparently has been coordinating today’s attacks with Tuareg rebels. Jihadists and Tuareg rebels teamed up in 2012 when they overran northern Mali, sparking the region's security crisis.” Laessing said.

Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants. But the security situation has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.

An ariel view of Bamako, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo)