The 16th edition of the Hellas Rally Raid 2026 got underway on Monday in the coastal town of Pefki on the Greek island of Evia, launching a week of intense rally raid competition featuring more than 220 riders from over 27 countries.

The opening stage challenged competitors with a demanding 100-kilometre route that tested navigation precision, endurance and river-crossing skills across varied terrain from the very first kilometres of the race.

Defending champion Jacopo Cerutti of Aprilia Racing claimed victory in Stage 1 after delivering a strong performance marked by accurate navigation and controlled speed throughout the course.

Thomas Marini finished second overall, while French rider Julien Jagu secured third place to complete the podium.

Greek riders Kimon Karampelas and Ioannis Sevastopoulos rounded out the top five, underlining the emergence of new local talent in the rally raid scene.

In the SSV category, the pairing of Galgani and Meffre posted the fastest time of the day with a consistent performance, finishing ahead of Lacam and Delfino in second place. Herbain and Durame completed the podium in third, just four minutes behind the leaders, setting up a competitive battle for the remaining stages.

Following the conclusion of Stage 1, riders gathered in the central square of the Municipality of Istiea for the official opening ceremony, where teams and competitors presented themselves ahead of six more days of racing across Greece’s rugged landscapes.

Organisers said the coming stages are expected to bring even greater technical and endurance challenges as the rally progresses through Evia.

Rajasthan Royals secured the final playoff place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a convincing 30-run victory over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Needing a win to stay alive, Rajasthan recovered from an early wobble to post 205, thanks largely to a brilliant late assault from Jofra Archer. RR lost three wickets in the powerplay, but Dhruv Jurel’s 38 kept the innings together before Archer smashed 32 off 15 balls, including three sixes, as Rajasthan hammered 73 runs in the final five overs.

Archer then struck twice with the new ball to remove Rohit Sharma and Naman Dhir, while Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma reduced Mumbai to 49/4 inside the powerplay.

Suryakumar Yadav fought back with 60 off 42 balls and Will Jacks added a quick 33, but Archer returned to dismiss Hardik Pandya at a crucial stage and halt the chase. Burger later removed Suryakumar as Mumbai were restricted to 175.

The victory sent Rajasthan into the playoffs, where they will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. Archer was named Player of the Match for his decisive all-round display.

Delhi Capitals finish strongly as KKR collapse at Eden Gardens

In the second match of the day Sunday, Delhi Capitals ended their IPL campaign with a dramatic 40-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

A rapid 60 from KL Rahul helped Delhi post 203/5 after useful contributions from Axar Patel, David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma.

Kolkata looked in control of the chase at 126/3 after 13 overs, with Ajinkya Rahane leading the way. But Kuldeep Yadav sparked a stunning collapse with two wickets in successive balls against his former franchise.

Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi then ripped through the lower order as KKR crashed from 126/3 to 163 all out, losing eight wickets for just 38 runs. Ngidi finished with 3/27, while Kuldeep claimed 3/29 to earn Player of the Match honours.

Delhi closed their season with three straight wins but still missed out on the playoffs, while Kolkata’s disappointing campaign ended with another collapse under pressure.