<p>The Australian cricketer almost took Chennai over the line in the Indian Premier League final against Mumbai but got run out in the last over.&nbsp;With two runs needed off the final ball, Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur leg-before to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-lift-4th-ipl-trophy-with-1-run-win-over-chennai-218193">secure Mumbai's win by one run</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Watson scored 80 off 59 balls, including four sixes and eight fours, before he was run out in the final over going for a second run, again diving to make his ground.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the tpurnament ended, Watson shared an emotional video on his Instragram account to thank his fans and supporters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said, "Hello everyone, I have just arrived home and want to thank everyone for the love, support and best wishes that you've given me over the last couple of days. We were so close to going past the finish line against Mumbai but it was an amazing final."</p>

<p>Watson also insured the fans that he would return to Chennai Super Kings&nbsp;with a bang in IPL 2020.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch the video:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxg2_a5Ayed/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Next year we will come back stronger #whistlepodu @chennaiipl 👊</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/srwatson33/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Shane Watson</a> (@srwatson33) on <time datetime="2019-05-16T06:34:27+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">May 15, 2019 at 11:34pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>"I am looking forward to come back next year to take that one step further. Thanks again, everyone for all the support. WhistlePodu!" Watson added.</p>

<p>Watson finished the 12th edition of the tournament with 398 runs and a strike rate of 127.56 from his 17 matches.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/respect-twitterati-hail-shane-watson-as-he-batted-with-bleeding-knee-in-ipl-final-218743">Watson injured his leg</a> while diving at the non-striker's end in the third over off Lasith Malinga, leaving the Brisbane-born with his yellow uniform stained red around the left knee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Australian won praise from the entire cricket fraternity and he seems to be touched by the love and support of fans.&nbsp;</p>


The Australian cricketer almost took Chennai over the line in the Indian Premier League final against Mumbai but got run out in the last over. With two runs needed off the final ball, Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur leg-before to secure Mumbai's win by one run.

The Australian cricketer almost took Chennai over the line in the Indian Premier League final against Mumbai but got run out in the last over. With two runs needed off the final ball, Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur leg-before to secure Mumbai's win by one run. Watson scored 80 off 59 balls, including four sixes and eight fours, before he was run out in the final over going for a second run, again diving to make his ground. After the tpurnament ended, Watson shared an emotional video on his Instragram account to thank his fans and supporters. He said, "Hello everyone, I have just arrived home and want to thank everyone for the love, support and best wishes that you've given me over the last couple of days. We were so close to going past the finish line against Mumbai but it was an amazing final." Watson also insured the fans that he would return to Chennai Super Kings with a bang in IPL 2020. Watch the video: View this post on Instagram Next year we will come back stronger #whistlepodu @chennaiipl 👊 A post shared by Shane Watson (@srwatson33) on May 15, 2019 at 11:34pm PDT × "I am looking forward to come back next year to take that one step further. Thanks again, everyone for all the support. WhistlePodu!" Watson added. Watson finished the 12th edition of the tournament with 398 runs and a strike rate of 127.56 from his 17 matches. Watson injured his leg while diving at the non-striker's end in the third over off Lasith Malinga, leaving the Brisbane-born with his yellow uniform stained red around the left knee. The Australian won praise from the entire cricket fraternity and he seems to be touched by the love and support of fans.

Shane Watson confident of Chennai coming back stronger in IPL 2020

<p>IPL 2019 is over, Rohit Sharma- led- Mumbai went on to win their fourth IPL crown beating Chennai in the finals.<br />
<br />
Dhoni's team would take some time to recover from this defeat as this narrow loss by 1 run is a bitter pill to swallow.</p>

<p>If we take a look at the last two seasons of the tournament, Chennai has proved that they are the best when it comes to making it to the finals of the tournament. They played back to back two finals just after being disgraced by a two-year ban (2016 and 2017).</p>

<p>In 2018, It was a dream comeback for Chennai Super Kings on the IPL horizon by winning the title.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For any sports fan, the thrill of following their favourite sports is not just contained to the live action of exciting matches and triumph of his or her favourite stars, but also in the stories that are retained and discussed over and over again with peers and future generations. &nbsp;</p>

<p>One such great story in the history of cricket will surely be the amazing comeback of Dhoni-led Chennai. It was a dark phase in the history of Indian cricket, marred by shadows of match-fixing and subversion of the spirit of cricket by personal interest and unabashed profiteering. Perhaps what hurt fans the most was that aspersions were cast over India's most successful captain - MS Dhoni.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni is blessed with one of the sharpest cricket brains. With his ability to read his opponent's&nbsp;mind and the game situation, Dhoni seems to be in a class of his own.</p>

<p>The roaring comeback of the franchise only goes to show that true genius will always find its way to the top, even though the worst of times. Of all the IPL franchises, Chennai is the only one which is without a true bona fide global superstar who is in his prime. MS Dhoni has passed his best, &nbsp;Raina can't find a place in the Indian team anymore, and a few fans across the world can put their hand on their heart and say that Du Plessis and Tahir will be sure starters in their world XI.<br />
<br />
The success of Chennai is not owed to the brilliance of individual talents, but to the fact that this carefully picked squad clicks together in the moments that matter. Indeed, none of the Chennai players features in the list of top 5 run scorers this season, yet they reached the final.</p>

<p>When this Chennai squad came together after the 2018 IPL auction, it was mocked by many as "Dad's army" for the absence of young blood in its core. However, the team stands vindicated and have indeed proven that experience and a sensible approach to situations can make all the difference even in a format as fast moving as T20 cricket.<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


IPL 2019 is over, Rohit Sharma- led- Mumbai went on to win their fourth IPL crown beating Chennai in the finals. Dhoni's team would take some time to recover from this defeat as this narrow loss by 1 run is a bitter pill to swallow.

IPL 2019 is over, Rohit Sharma- led- Mumbai went on to win their fourth IPL crown beating Chennai in the finals. Dhoni's team would take some time to recover from this defeat as this narrow loss by 1 run is a bitter pill to swallow. If we take a look at the last two seasons of the tournament, Chennai has proved that they are the best when it comes to making it to the finals of the tournament. They played back to back two finals just after being disgraced by a two-year ban (2016 and 2017). In 2018, It was a dream comeback for Chennai Super Kings on the IPL horizon by winning the title. For any sports fan, the thrill of following their favourite sports is not just contained to the live action of exciting matches and triumph of his or her favourite stars, but also in the stories that are retained and discussed over and over again with peers and future generations. One such great story in the history of cricket will surely be the amazing comeback of Dhoni-led Chennai. It was a dark phase in the history of Indian cricket, marred by shadows of match-fixing and subversion of the spirit of cricket by personal interest and unabashed profiteering. Perhaps what hurt fans the most was that aspersions were cast over India's most successful captain - MS Dhoni. Dhoni is blessed with one of the sharpest cricket brains. With his ability to read his opponent's mind and the game situation, Dhoni seems to be in a class of his own. The roaring comeback of the franchise only goes to show that true genius will always find its way to the top, even though the worst of times. Of all the IPL franchises, Chennai is the only one which is without a true bona fide global superstar who is in his prime. MS Dhoni has passed his best, Raina can't find a place in the Indian team anymore, and a few fans across the world can put their hand on their heart and say that Du Plessis and Tahir will be sure starters in their world XI. The success of Chennai is not owed to the brilliance of individual talents, but to the fact that this carefully picked squad clicks together in the moments that matter. Indeed, none of the Chennai players features in the list of top 5 run scorers this season, yet they reached the final. When this Chennai squad came together after the 2018 IPL auction, it was mocked by many as "Dad's army" for the absence of young blood in its core. However, the team stands vindicated and have indeed proven that experience and a sensible approach to situations can make all the difference even in a format as fast moving as T20 cricket. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The roaring comeback of Chennai: True genius always finds it's way

Mumbai team players celebrate IPL 2019 win at Ambani's residence Antilia

<p>The IPL prize distribution ceremony almost plunged into a controversy after CoA member Diana Edulji expressed her wish to give away the winners' trophy, going against the convention.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Eventually, as per existing convention, acting president CK Khanna handed over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-lift-4th-ipl-trophy-with-1-run-win-over-chennai-218193">winners' trophy to Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma</a>.</p>

<p>While Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai didn't attend the IPL final between Mumbai and Chennai, other two members Diana and Lt Gen (retd) Ravi Thodge were present in Hyderabad.</p>

<p>"Edulji gave away the winners' trophy at the Women's T20 Challenge in Jaipur and she wanted to give away the trophy here also.</p>

<p>However, it was learnt that Khanna showed an e-mail from acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhry to IPL COO Hemang Amin, stating that convention of president giving away the trophy could be followed," a BCCI official privy to the incident told PTI on the conditions of anonymity.</p>

<p>When Rai was asked for his view on the issue, he in turn asked whether there was any need to change the convention.</p>

<p>"It was Lt Gen Thodge, who categorically told the former India women's team captain that acting president Khanna should be allowed to handover the trophy and the matter should be put to an end. She was certainly not happy but had to go with the majority view in this case," said another BCCI source.</p>

<p>Rai and Edulji have had their share of differences on most of the issues and the CoA has been able to take a few concrete decisions of late after Lt Gen Thodge joined the panel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When Khanna was contacted, he refused to comment on the issue while calls to Edulji went unanswered.</p>


The IPL prize distribution ceremony almost plunged into a controversy after CoA member Diana Edulji expressed her wish to give away the winners' trophy, going against the convention.

The IPL prize distribution ceremony almost plunged into a controversy after CoA member Diana Edulji expressed her wish to give away the winners' trophy, going against the convention. Eventually, as per existing convention, acting president CK Khanna handed over the winners' trophy to Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma. While Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai didn't attend the IPL final between Mumbai and Chennai, other two members Diana and Lt Gen (retd) Ravi Thodge were present in Hyderabad. "Edulji gave away the winners' trophy at the Women's T20 Challenge in Jaipur and she wanted to give away the trophy here also. However, it was learnt that Khanna showed an e-mail from acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhry to IPL COO Hemang Amin, stating that convention of president giving away the trophy could be followed," a BCCI official privy to the incident told PTI on the conditions of anonymity. When Rai was asked for his view on the issue, he in turn asked whether there was any need to change the convention. "It was Lt Gen Thodge, who categorically told the former India women's team captain that acting president Khanna should be allowed to handover the trophy and the matter should be put to an end. She was certainly not happy but had to go with the majority view in this case," said another BCCI source. Rai and Edulji have had their share of differences on most of the issues and the CoA has been able to take a few concrete decisions of late after Lt Gen Thodge joined the panel. When Khanna was contacted, he refused to comment on the issue while calls to Edulji went unanswered.

Diana Edulji wanted to give away IPL winners' trophy but eventually convention followed

From Pollard's protest to thrilling final over, major takeaways from Mumbai's 1-run win over Chennai in IPL 2019 final

<p>Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma has explained why he picked Lasith Malinga over Hardik Pandya in the last over of the Indian Premier League 2019 final.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit's side <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-lift-4th-ipl-trophy-with-1-run-win-over-chennai-218193">defeated Chennai by one run</a>&nbsp;to lift the glorious trophy on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai's Shane Watson almost took his team over the line. In the last over, Watson got run out which ended his knock of 59-ball 80. With two runs needed off the final ball, Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur leg-before to secure Mumbai's win by one run.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit was ready to carry the cross had the decision to use Malinga backfired but had a gut feeling that the Sri Lankan will be able to pull it off as Mitchell Johnson did in the 2017 IPL final.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Malinga repaid the faith his skipper showed in him defending nine runs off the final over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit said, "Malinga is a champion, he has been doing it for many years for us. I was thinking of Hardik for the final over, but I wanted to back someone who has been in that situation for us before, and Malinga has been there many times."</p>

<p>"When the decision comes off, it looks all nice. It can backfire also. At that stage, I wanted to go with experience and Malinga has been in that situation a million times," the four-time IPL champion skipper said at the post-match media interaction.</p>

<p>"I am learning in every game, every time I take the field. I have to credit the team as well, it is up to the boys to step up otherwise the captain is made to look foolish," Rohit added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The 🏆 is back in Hitman's closet 💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketMeriJaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketMeriJaan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> <a href="https://t.co/i36At6BBUC">pic.twitter.com/i36At6BBUC</a></p>
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1127808187892162566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reactions on bagging the <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IPL</a> championship, straight from the 💙 of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketMeriJaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketMeriJaan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2019Final?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2019Final</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/69UQP3sFsF">https://t.co/69UQP3sFsF</a></p>
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<p>The situation was eerily similar to Rohit had faced in 2017 final when Mumbai&nbsp;beat the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants by one run in another thrilling finish.</p>

<p>Then it was former Australian pacer Johnson, who defended 11 runs in the final over to pull-off a one-run victory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was that deja vu moment for the Rohit Sharma.</p>

<p>"I clearly remember when we won here in 2017, it was Mitchell Johnson who bowled that last over and defended only 10 (sic) runs. So yes, sometimes you've got to go with only instincts, sometimes you've got to go a little backwards and think what these experienced players have done and what they bring to the table," Rohit said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma has explained why he picked Lasith Malinga over Hardik Pandya in the last over of the Indian Premier League 2019 final. Rohit's side defeated Chennai by one run to lift the glorious trophy on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma has explained why he picked Lasith Malinga over Hardik Pandya in the last over of the Indian Premier League 2019 final. Rohit's side defeated Chennai by one run to lift the glorious trophy on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Chennai's Shane Watson almost took his team over the line. In the last over, Watson got run out which ended his knock of 59-ball 80. With two runs needed off the final ball, Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur leg-before to secure Mumbai's win by one run. Rohit was ready to carry the cross had the decision to use Malinga backfired but had a gut feeling that the Sri Lankan will be able to pull it off as Mitchell Johnson did in the 2017 IPL final. Malinga repaid the faith his skipper showed in him defending nine runs off the final over. Rohit said, "Malinga is a champion, he has been doing it for many years for us. I was thinking of Hardik for the final over, but I wanted to back someone who has been in that situation for us before, and Malinga has been there many times." "When the decision comes off, it looks all nice. It can backfire also. At that stage, I wanted to go with experience and Malinga has been in that situation a million times," the four-time IPL champion skipper said at the post-match media interaction. "I am learning in every game, every time I take the field. I have to credit the team as well, it is up to the boys to step up otherwise the captain is made to look foolish," Rohit added. The 🏆 is back in Hitman's closet 💙#OneFamily #CricketMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #MIvCSK @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/i36At6BBUC — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 13, 2019 × Reactions on bagging the @IPL championship, straight from the 💙 of #OneFamily #CricketMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #IPL2019Final #MIvCSK https://t.co/69UQP3sFsF — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 13, 2019 × The situation was eerily similar to Rohit had faced in 2017 final when Mumbai beat the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants by one run in another thrilling finish. Then it was former Australian pacer Johnson, who defended 11 runs in the final over to pull-off a one-run victory. It was that deja vu moment for the Rohit Sharma. "I clearly remember when we won here in 2017, it was Mitchell Johnson who bowled that last over and defended only 10 (sic) runs. So yes, sometimes you've got to go with only instincts, sometimes you've got to go a little backwards and think what these experienced players have done and what they bring to the table," Rohit said. (With inputs from PTI)

IPL 2019 Final: Rohit Sharma explains his gamble of picking Lasith Malinga over Hardik Pandya in last over

<p>Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the skipper of Chennai team, has reached another milestone while playing the final of Indian Premier League 2019 against Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni became the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of IPL by taking his dismissals tally to 132.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni, who took two catches in the IPL final against Mumbai, has now taken 94 catches and 38 stumpings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He surpassed his Indian teammate Dinesh Karthik.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Karthik has 131 dismissals to his credit while Robin Uthappa has 90 scalps behind the stumps.</p>

<p>In the match, Dhoni took Quinton de Kock's catch off Shardul Thakur's bowling.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After that he reached the milestone with a diving catch off Deepak Chahar to dismiss Rohit Sharma.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MS Dhoni's involvement in getting rid of both the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> openers takes him to 132 dismissals in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> - setting a new record.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/dACuk70Akw">pic.twitter.com/dACuk70Akw</a></p>
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<p>Mumbai and Chennai have played a total of 27 matches out of which Mumbai won 16 and Chennai managed to win 11.&nbsp;</p>


Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the skipper of Chennai team, has reached another milestone while playing the final of Indian Premier League 2019 against Mumbai. Dhoni became the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of IPL by taking his dismissals tally to 132.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the skipper of Chennai team, has reached another milestone while playing the final of Indian Premier League 2019 against Mumbai. Dhoni became the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of IPL by taking his dismissals tally to 132. Dhoni, who took two catches in the IPL final against Mumbai, has now taken 94 catches and 38 stumpings. He surpassed his Indian teammate Dinesh Karthik. Karthik has 131 dismissals to his credit while Robin Uthappa has 90 scalps behind the stumps. In the match, Dhoni took Quinton de Kock's catch off Shardul Thakur's bowling. After that he reached the milestone with a diving catch off Deepak Chahar to dismiss Rohit Sharma. MS Dhoni's involvement in getting rid of both the #MumbaiIndians openers takes him to 132 dismissals in #VIVOIPL - setting a new record.#MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/dACuk70Akw — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 12, 2019 × Mumbai and Chennai have played a total of 27 matches out of which Mumbai won 16 and Chennai managed to win 11.

IPL 2019: MS Dhoni became most successful keeper in IPL history

<p>The stage is set for the final clash of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl-2019">Indian Premier League 2019</a>, there couldn't be&nbsp;a better ending of the tournament as the two most successful franchises will square off&nbsp;in what promises to be another thrilling clash and it will be interesting to see which team goes home with its fourth title.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumbai and Chennai have played a total of 27 matches out of which Mumbai won 16 and Chennai managed to win 11.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since 2015, they have played a total of nine&nbsp;matches and Chennai have defeated Mumbai just two times and Mumbai emerged victorious on seven occasions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They have met three times in IPL finals, and Rohit &amp; Co defeated Dhoni's side twice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai can certainly take confidence out of the fact that they have won three out of the four finals they have been part of, including the two against Chennai in 2013 and 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Previously, eight of the 11 finals have been won by the team that won the toss.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If Imran Tahir makes the Chennai's&nbsp;playing XI, he will be the first 40-year old to compete in an IPL Final.</p>

<p>Imran Tahir needs two more wickets to become only the second spinner in IPL history to bag the Purple Cap; the only spinner to finish as the season’s highest wicket-taker was Pragyan Ojha, back in 2010.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It can't be disputed that Mumbai go into the final as the favourites, having beaten Chennai as many as three times earlier in the tournament including in the Qualifier 1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, statistics count for little going into the title fight with both teams being in the situation before multiple times.&nbsp;</p>


The stage is set for the final clash of Indian Premier League 2019, there couldn't be a better ending of the tournament as the two most successful franchises will square off in what promises to be another thrilling clash and it will be interesting to see which team goes home with its fourth title.

The stage is set for the final clash of Indian Premier League 2019, there couldn't be a better ending of the tournament as the two most successful franchises will square off in what promises to be another thrilling clash and it will be interesting to see which team goes home with its fourth title. Mumbai and Chennai have played a total of 27 matches out of which Mumbai won 16 and Chennai managed to win 11. Since 2015, they have played a total of nine matches and Chennai have defeated Mumbai just two times and Mumbai emerged victorious on seven occasions. They have met three times in IPL finals, and Rohit & Co defeated Dhoni's side twice. Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai can certainly take confidence out of the fact that they have won three out of the four finals they have been part of, including the two against Chennai in 2013 and 2015. Previously, eight of the 11 finals have been won by the team that won the toss. If Imran Tahir makes the Chennai's playing XI, he will be the first 40-year old to compete in an IPL Final. Imran Tahir needs two more wickets to become only the second spinner in IPL history to bag the Purple Cap; the only spinner to finish as the season’s highest wicket-taker was Pragyan Ojha, back in 2010. It can't be disputed that Mumbai go into the final as the favourites, having beaten Chennai as many as three times earlier in the tournament including in the Qualifier 1. However, statistics count for little going into the title fight with both teams being in the situation before multiple times.

IPL 2019 Final: The Mumbai-Chennai rivalry in records and stats

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-defending-champions-chennai-defeat-delhi-to-storm-into-final-217611">Chennai defeated Delhi by six wickets</a> to secure their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final which will be played against Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After winning the match, batsman Shane Watson said that he is very grateful for the faith Chennai team has shown.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Very grateful for the faith CSK have shown in not just me, but all the players are grateful," said Watson in the post-match presentation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chasing a modest total of 148 runs, Chennai had a brilliant start as they witnessed an 81-run opening partnership between Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson. Both played some amazing shots and provided Chennai a scintillating start.</p>

<p>Watson also mentioned about the benefits of an experienced side, he said, "There are huge positives about age and experience. We have played well from the top with MS (Dhoni) and Fleming."</p>

<p>"When you have experienced players, you have an understanding of what to do. We are making the most of the experience we have had and we are going to make the most out of it on Sunday."</p>

<p>Watson also praised Dhoni, he said, "He always has the faith in the people all the way through. It's an honour to be playing with MS and I have learnt a lot from him."&nbsp;</p>


Chennai defeated Delhi by six wickets to secure their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final which will be played against Mumbai Indians. After winning the match, batsman Shane Watson said that he is very grateful for the faith Chennai team has shown.

Chennai defeated Delhi by six wickets to secure their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final which will be played against Mumbai Indians. After winning the match, batsman Shane Watson said that he is very grateful for the faith Chennai team has shown. "Very grateful for the faith CSK have shown in not just me, but all the players are grateful," said Watson in the post-match presentation. Chasing a modest total of 148 runs, Chennai had a brilliant start as they witnessed an 81-run opening partnership between Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson. Both played some amazing shots and provided Chennai a scintillating start. Watson also mentioned about the benefits of an experienced side, he said, "There are huge positives about age and experience. We have played well from the top with MS (Dhoni) and Fleming." "When you have experienced players, you have an understanding of what to do. We are making the most of the experience we have had and we are going to make the most out of it on Sunday." Watson also praised Dhoni, he said, "He always has the faith in the people all the way through. It's an honour to be playing with MS and I have learnt a lot from him."

'Grateful for the faith' Chennai team has shown in me, says Shane Watson

Overseas players to watch out for in IPL 2019 final between Chennai and Mumbai

IPL 2019: Players to watch out for in final clash between Chennai and Mumbai

<p>Chennai's off-spinner Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian to claim 150 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday.</p>

<p>The bowler achieved the feat in the second qualifier against Delhi at YS&nbsp;Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">150 wickets in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harbhajan_singh</a> 👌👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvDC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qne0mUe2ce">pic.twitter.com/Qne0mUe2ce</a></p>
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<p>Delhi's Amit Mishra and Kolkata's Piyush Chawla are the other two Indians who have taken 150 wickets in the IPL.</p>

<p>Mishra has taken 157 wickets from 147 matches whereas Chawla has taken 150 wickets in 157 matches.</p>

<p>Singh had 148 wickets before the match against Delhi, but the bowler picked up wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Shrefane Rutherford to reach the feat of 150 wickets.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-defending-champions-chennai-defeat-delhi-to-storm-into-final-217611">Chennai reached the finals of the IPL</a> as they defeated Delhi by six wickets on Friday.</p>

<p>Chasing the score of 148, Chennai were provided with a solid base from both openers Faf Du Plessis and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/grateful-for-the-faith-chennai-team-has-shown-in-me-says-shane-watson-217618">Shane Watson</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both the batsmen recorded 50 plus scores to ease the chase for the team.</p>

<p>Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo were present at the crease to take the team over the line.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dhoni-credits-bowlers-for-easy-win-over-dc-in-qualifier-2-217616">Chennai</a> will take on Mumbai in the finals of the IPL on Sunday, May 12 in Hyderabad.</p>


Chennai's off-spinner Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian to claim 150 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday. The bowler achieved the feat in the second qualifier against Delhi at YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Chennai's off-spinner Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian to claim 150 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday. The bowler achieved the feat in the second qualifier against Delhi at YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. 150 wickets in #VIVOIPL for @harbhajan_singh 👌👌#CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/Qne0mUe2ce — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2019 × Delhi's Amit Mishra and Kolkata's Piyush Chawla are the other two Indians who have taken 150 wickets in the IPL. Mishra has taken 157 wickets from 147 matches whereas Chawla has taken 150 wickets in 157 matches. Singh had 148 wickets before the match against Delhi, but the bowler picked up wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Shrefane Rutherford to reach the feat of 150 wickets. Chennai reached the finals of the IPL as they defeated Delhi by six wickets on Friday. Chasing the score of 148, Chennai were provided with a solid base from both openers Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson. Both the batsmen recorded 50 plus scores to ease the chase for the team. Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo were present at the crease to take the team over the line. Chennai will take on Mumbai in the finals of the IPL on Sunday, May 12 in Hyderabad.

Harbhajan Singh becomes third Indian to take 150 wickets in the IPL

<p>Defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-qualifier-2-delhi-vs-chennai-at-aca-vdca-cricket-stadium-217540">defeated Delhi by six wickets</a> in the Qualifier 2 of Indian Premier League 2019 to set up the summit clash of the season against Mumbai team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chasing a total of 148 to win, Chennai openers Shane Watson and Fad du Plessis scored half-centuries to give their side a stable start.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dwayne Bravo scored the winning runs at Visakhapatnam's ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium and Chennai will play the final match on May 12.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Du Plessis scored his third half-century in this season of IPL before Trent Boult got hold of him in the 11th over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Soon after scoring his second half-century in this season, Watson (50) gave away his wicket.</p>

<p>Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu then came out to bat but Raina too gave away his wicket after scoring just 11 runs.</p>

<p>After Raina's dismissal, skipper Dhoni took the field. Rayudu and Dhoni played steadily and added another 19 runs on the scoreboard.</p>

<p>However, in the 19th over, Dhoni tried to finish off the match by hitting a six but gave away an easy catch to Keemo Paul off Ishant Sharma delivery.</p>

<p>Dwayne Bravo then joined Rayudu and both took their side over the line to register a six-wicket victory.</p>

<p>Earlier, MS Dhoni-led Chennai dished out a clinical bowling effort to restrict Delhi to 147 for nine.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> win Qualifier 2 by 6 wickets, will face <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> 2019 final 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvDC</a> <a href="https://t.co/rnaDaWBwd8">pic.twitter.com/rnaDaWBwd8</a></p>
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<p>Dwayne Bravo (2/19), Ravindra Jadeja (2/23), Deepak Chahar (2/28) and Harbhajan Singh (2/31) shared eight wickets between them to keep Delhi in check after opting to bowl.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sent into bat, Delhi made a shaky start with Prithvi Shaw (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (18 off 14) adding 21 runs in 2.3 overs before the former was caught plumb in front of the wicket by Chahar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shaw's dismissal opened the floodgates as Delhi lost three wickets in quick time to slump to 75 for four in 11.3 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhawan was the next to depart, caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Harbhajan and then Colin Munro (27) was holed at deep square-leg by Bravo off Jadeja as the South African went for a slog sweep.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Skipper Shreyas Iyer (13 of 18) tried to anchor the innings but he too fell while going for a big shot, caught by Suresh Raina off Imran Tahir (1/28) in the 12th over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To make matters worse for Delhi, new man in Axar Patel departed in the next over, hitting a short delivery of Bravo straight to Tahir at third man.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> reach their 8th <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> final, what a team 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvDC</a> <a href="https://t.co/mMpGkNTJEb">pic.twitter.com/mMpGkNTJEb</a></p>
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<p>Rishabh Pant (38 off 25) and Sherfane Rutherford (10) shared 22 runs for the sixth wicket but Chennai didn't allow the Delhi outfit to get any momentum, picking up wickets at regular intervals to rattle their innings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rutherford became Harbhajan's second victim, followed by Keemo Paul who was cleaned up by Bravo's perfect yorker in the 18th over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The onus was on hard-hitting Pant to take Delhi to a challenging total but he too failed to cope up with the pressure, caught by Bravo at long-on off Chahar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Towards the end, Amit Mishra (6 not out) and Ishant Sharma (10 not out off 3 balls) used their long handles to great effect and struck some lusty blows to take the Delhi side close to the 150-run mark.</p>


Defending champions defeated Delhi by six wickets in the Qualifier 2 of Indian Premier League 2019 to set up the summit clash of the season against Mumbai team. Chasing a total of 148 to win, Chennai openers Shane Watson and Fad du Plessis scored half-centuries to give their side a stable start.

Defending champions defeated Delhi by six wickets in the Qualifier 2 of Indian Premier League 2019 to set up the summit clash of the season against Mumbai team. Chasing a total of 148 to win, Chennai openers Shane Watson and Fad du Plessis scored half-centuries to give their side a stable start. Dwayne Bravo scored the winning runs at Visakhapatnam's ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium and Chennai will play the final match on May 12. Du Plessis scored his third half-century in this season of IPL before Trent Boult got hold of him in the 11th over. Soon after scoring his second half-century in this season, Watson (50) gave away his wicket. Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu then came out to bat but Raina too gave away his wicket after scoring just 11 runs. After Raina's dismissal, skipper Dhoni took the field. Rayudu and Dhoni played steadily and added another 19 runs on the scoreboard. However, in the 19th over, Dhoni tried to finish off the match by hitting a six but gave away an easy catch to Keemo Paul off Ishant Sharma delivery. Dwayne Bravo then joined Rayudu and both took their side over the line to register a six-wicket victory. Earlier, MS Dhoni-led Chennai dished out a clinical bowling effort to restrict Delhi to 147 for nine. .@ChennaiIPL win Qualifier 2 by 6 wickets, will face @mipaltan in the #VIVOIPL 2019 final 🙌#CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/rnaDaWBwd8 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2019 × Dwayne Bravo (2/19), Ravindra Jadeja (2/23), Deepak Chahar (2/28) and Harbhajan Singh (2/31) shared eight wickets between them to keep Delhi in check after opting to bowl. Sent into bat, Delhi made a shaky start with Prithvi Shaw (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (18 off 14) adding 21 runs in 2.3 overs before the former was caught plumb in front of the wicket by Chahar. Shaw's dismissal opened the floodgates as Delhi lost three wickets in quick time to slump to 75 for four in 11.3 overs. Dhawan was the next to depart, caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Harbhajan and then Colin Munro (27) was holed at deep square-leg by Bravo off Jadeja as the South African went for a slog sweep. Skipper Shreyas Iyer (13 of 18) tried to anchor the innings but he too fell while going for a big shot, caught by Suresh Raina off Imran Tahir (1/28) in the 12th over. To make matters worse for Delhi, new man in Axar Patel departed in the next over, hitting a short delivery of Bravo straight to Tahir at third man. .@ChennaiIPL reach their 8th #VIVOIPL final, what a team 🔥#CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/mMpGkNTJEb — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2019 × Rishabh Pant (38 off 25) and Sherfane Rutherford (10) shared 22 runs for the sixth wicket but Chennai didn't allow the Delhi outfit to get any momentum, picking up wickets at regular intervals to rattle their innings. Rutherford became Harbhajan's second victim, followed by Keemo Paul who was cleaned up by Bravo's perfect yorker in the 18th over. The onus was on hard-hitting Pant to take Delhi to a challenging total but he too failed to cope up with the pressure, caught by Bravo at long-on off Chahar. Towards the end, Amit Mishra (6 not out) and Ishant Sharma (10 not out off 3 balls) used their long handles to great effect and struck some lusty blows to take the Delhi side close to the 150-run mark.

IPL 2019: Defending champions Chennai defeat Delhi to storm into final

IPL 2019: Players to watch out for in Qualifier 2 between Delhi and Chennai

<p>Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side should have read the pitch better after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-mumbai-enter-final-after-defeating-chennai-by-6-wickets-216823">losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1</a> of Indian Premier League 2019 on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Suryakumar Yadav dazzled as he scored an unbeaten 71 runs off 54 balls, which included 10 boundaries at the Chidambaram Stadium.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Chepauk's a sluggish pitch, which offered considerable turn and odd bounce, Suryakumar played a brilliant innings with Mumbai reaching the target in 18.3 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the post-match presentation, Dhoni said, "We had to assess the conditions quickly, we have played 6 to 7 games on this pitch and should have read the pitch better, that's the home advantage."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai, however, will get another chance to make it to their eighth summit clash as they will now play the second Qualifier against the winner of the 'Eliminator' between Delhi and Hyderabad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further added, "We needed to know how the pitch behaves, would it be tacky? Is the ball coming on or not, those were the things we didn't do well, I think the batting needs to get better."&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> can book an early ✈ to Hyderabad as <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> await one of DC or SRH in Qualifier 2.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/0gfyvT4unR">pic.twitter.com/0gfyvT4unR</a></p>
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<p>Dhoni also said, "Hopefully, we will do well in the next game."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni also pointed out the mistakes his team made during the match, he said, "I think we were a bit unlucky at times, some balls dropped right in the middle, a few catches weren't taken."</p>

<p>"We perhaps had to bowl slightly away from the batsmen, could have slowed down the pace and bowl with more variations," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the other hand, the ecstatic winning captain Rohit Sharma said, "Great feeling to know that we'll be playing the finals. Three days now in which we can switch off before the final."&nbsp;</p>


Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side should have read the pitch better after losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1 of Indian Premier League 2019 on Tuesday.

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side should have read the pitch better after losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1 of Indian Premier League 2019 on Tuesday. Suryakumar Yadav dazzled as he scored an unbeaten 71 runs off 54 balls, which included 10 boundaries at the Chidambaram Stadium. On Chepauk's a sluggish pitch, which offered considerable turn and odd bounce, Suryakumar played a brilliant innings with Mumbai reaching the target in 18.3 overs. During the post-match presentation, Dhoni said, "We had to assess the conditions quickly, we have played 6 to 7 games on this pitch and should have read the pitch better, that's the home advantage." Chennai, however, will get another chance to make it to their eighth summit clash as they will now play the second Qualifier against the winner of the 'Eliminator' between Delhi and Hyderabad. He further added, "We needed to know how the pitch behaves, would it be tacky? Is the ball coming on or not, those were the things we didn't do well, I think the batting needs to get better." .@mipaltan can book an early ✈ to Hyderabad as @ChennaiIPL await one of DC or SRH in Qualifier 2.#MIvCSK #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/0gfyvT4unR — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 7, 2019 × Dhoni also said, "Hopefully, we will do well in the next game." Dhoni also pointed out the mistakes his team made during the match, he said, "I think we were a bit unlucky at times, some balls dropped right in the middle, a few catches weren't taken." "We perhaps had to bowl slightly away from the batsmen, could have slowed down the pace and bowl with more variations," he added. On the other hand, the ecstatic winning captain Rohit Sharma said, "Great feeling to know that we'll be playing the finals. Three days now in which we can switch off before the final."

'We should have read pitch better', says MS Dhoni after losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1

<p>The league stage is over and now the fight to book a finale berth will start as four teams, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, will clash against each other to with the Indian Premier League 2019 title.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first Qualifier is between defending champions Chennai and table-toppers Mumbai, which is scheduled for May 7.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai team has been patchy after a strong start and finished its league engagements with a six-wicket defeat to Punjab at Mohali on Sunday. &nbsp;</p>

<p>But Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will be happy to return to their den to take on Mumbai, probably its biggest IPL rival, to decide which team seals a spot in the May 12 final. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai boasts of a tremendous record at home this season, winning six of its seven games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A defeat, however, will provide both the teams a second chance in Qualifier 2 on May 10. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chennai top-order has fired in fits and starts in the league phase and will need to come out all guns blazing against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack that includes Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets), Lasith Malinga (15 wickets), the Pandya brothers (Hardik 14 wickets and Krunal 10 wickets), leggie Rahul Chahar (10 wickets) and possibly Mitchell McClenaghan. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Skipper Dhoni (Chennai's highest run-getter with 368 runs from 12 matches, 3 fifties) has been the mainstay of a rather inconsistent Chennai batting unit and along with openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina holds the key in Saturday's game as the usually fluent Ambati Rayudu has struggled to get going. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai, however, will miss the services of the Kedar Jadhav, who sustained a freak shoulder injury in the match against Punjab. &nbsp;</p>

<p>But Jadhav wasn't in the best of form and his absence would open up a spot for either Murali Vijay or Dhruv Shorey.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bowling has been Chennai's strong point so far this season and becomes even more potent on Chidambaram's sluggish wicket. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Imran Tahir (21 scalps), the second highest wicket-taker this season after Kagiso Rabada (25), has been at the forefront of an effective Chennai spin trio, also including veteran Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja (both with 13 wickets each).&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the success of Tahir &amp; Co against the powerful Mumbai batting line-up could very well determine the course of the match. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma (386 runs), the impressive Quinton De Kock (492, third leading run-scorer), Hardik Pandya (380) and Kieron Pollard will be hard to stop once they get going and Chennai's bowlers have a tough task at hand. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The onus would also be on the ever-improving Deepak Chahar, who has taken 16 scalps so far, to pick up early wickets for Chennai and stifle the rival batting line-up.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Going by the head-to-head record this year, Mumbai holds an upperhand having won both its encounters against Chennai in the preliminary phase. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumabi's head coach Mahela Jayawardene would be aware of the job at hand and won't take Chennai lightly despite the Lions' recent wobbly form.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai will certainly receive a boost by playing the Qualifier 1 at home with the crowd fully backing the team in what promises to be a cracker of a contest.</p>

<p>There is hardly anything to differentiate between the two sides as both CSK and MI have won the title three times earlier.&nbsp;</p>


The league stage is over and now the fight to book a finale berth will start as four teams, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, will clash against each other to with the Indian Premier League 2019 title.

The league stage is over and now the fight to book a finale berth will start as four teams, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, will clash against each other to with the Indian Premier League 2019 title. The first Qualifier is between defending champions Chennai and table-toppers Mumbai, which is scheduled for May 7. Chennai team has been patchy after a strong start and finished its league engagements with a six-wicket defeat to Punjab at Mohali on Sunday. But Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will be happy to return to their den to take on Mumbai, probably its biggest IPL rival, to decide which team seals a spot in the May 12 final. Chennai boasts of a tremendous record at home this season, winning six of its seven games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. A defeat, however, will provide both the teams a second chance in Qualifier 2 on May 10. The Chennai top-order has fired in fits and starts in the league phase and will need to come out all guns blazing against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack that includes Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets), Lasith Malinga (15 wickets), the Pandya brothers (Hardik 14 wickets and Krunal 10 wickets), leggie Rahul Chahar (10 wickets) and possibly Mitchell McClenaghan. Skipper Dhoni (Chennai's highest run-getter with 368 runs from 12 matches, 3 fifties) has been the mainstay of a rather inconsistent Chennai batting unit and along with openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina holds the key in Saturday's game as the usually fluent Ambati Rayudu has struggled to get going. Chennai, however, will miss the services of the Kedar Jadhav, who sustained a freak shoulder injury in the match against Punjab. But Jadhav wasn't in the best of form and his absence would open up a spot for either Murali Vijay or Dhruv Shorey. Bowling has been Chennai's strong point so far this season and becomes even more potent on Chidambaram's sluggish wicket. Imran Tahir (21 scalps), the second highest wicket-taker this season after Kagiso Rabada (25), has been at the forefront of an effective Chennai spin trio, also including veteran Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja (both with 13 wickets each). And the success of Tahir & Co against the powerful Mumbai batting line-up could very well determine the course of the match. Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma (386 runs), the impressive Quinton De Kock (492, third leading run-scorer), Hardik Pandya (380) and Kieron Pollard will be hard to stop once they get going and Chennai's bowlers have a tough task at hand. The onus would also be on the ever-improving Deepak Chahar, who has taken 16 scalps so far, to pick up early wickets for Chennai and stifle the rival batting line-up. Going by the head-to-head record this year, Mumbai holds an upperhand having won both its encounters against Chennai in the preliminary phase. Mumabi's head coach Mahela Jayawardene would be aware of the job at hand and won't take Chennai lightly despite the Lions' recent wobbly form. Chennai will certainly receive a boost by playing the Qualifier 1 at home with the crowd fully backing the team in what promises to be a cracker of a contest. There is hardly anything to differentiate between the two sides as both CSK and MI have won the title three times earlier.

Eying finale berth, MS Dhoni-led Chennai to take on Mumbai in Qualifier 1

<p>Punjab <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-55-punjab-vs-chennai-at-is-bindra-stadium-216077">defeated Chennai by six wickets</a> in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Punjab had a very scintillating start as the openers, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, formed a 108 runs partnership.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul started playing big shots at the beginning, which helped him score his half-century in just 19 balls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both gave a solid start to Punjab before Rahul (71) and Gayle (28) both got out on two consecutive balls bowled by Harbhajan Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nicolas Pooran and Mayank Aggarwal then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Aggarwal gave away his wicket on seven runs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mandeep Singh then joined Pooran and both added another 46 runs to the scoreboard before Ravindra Jadeja sent Pooran (36) back to the pavilion.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oh yes, boy 👌👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KXIPvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KXIPvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/UsyeHVTdGH">pic.twitter.com/UsyeHVTdGH</a></p>
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<p>Sam Curran then came out to bat and both Curran and Mandeep Singh took their side over the line and registered a 6-wicket victory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, Chennai were sent to bat first as Punjab opted to bowl first after winning the toss.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai had a decent start as Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis added 30 runs to the scoreboard before Sam Curran got hold of Watson (7).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Suresh Raina then came out to bat and accompanied Du Plessis. Both the on-field batter played some brilliant shots and struck regular boundaries, which kept the scoreboard running.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">KL Rahul is adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings of 71 off 36 deliveries 😎😎 <a href="https://t.co/357RPCfopZ">pic.twitter.com/357RPCfopZ</a></p>
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<p>Both stitched a 120-run partnership which saw half-century of both the players. However, Raina (53) and Du Plessis (96), both became victims of Curran, who sent both the set batsmen, back to the pavilion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Then skipper MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu came out to bat. However, in the last over of the inning, Mohammed Shami took the wicket of Rayudu which brought Kedar Jhadav to the field but Shami sent Jhadav too back to the pavilion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shami conceded only five runs in the final over which helped Punjab restrict Chennai &nbsp;to 170 runs.&nbsp;</p>


Punjab defeated Chennai by six wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Punjab had a very scintillating start as the openers, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, formed a 108 runs partnership.

Punjab defeated Chennai by six wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Punjab had a very scintillating start as the openers, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, formed a 108 runs partnership. Rahul started playing big shots at the beginning, which helped him score his half-century in just 19 balls. Both gave a solid start to Punjab before Rahul (71) and Gayle (28) both got out on two consecutive balls bowled by Harbhajan Singh. Nicolas Pooran and Mayank Aggarwal then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Aggarwal gave away his wicket on seven runs. Mandeep Singh then joined Pooran and both added another 46 runs to the scoreboard before Ravindra Jadeja sent Pooran (36) back to the pavilion. Oh yes, boy 👌👌#KXIPvCSK pic.twitter.com/UsyeHVTdGH — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019 × Sam Curran then came out to bat and both Curran and Mandeep Singh took their side over the line and registered a 6-wicket victory. Earlier, Chennai were sent to bat first as Punjab opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Chennai had a decent start as Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis added 30 runs to the scoreboard before Sam Curran got hold of Watson (7). Suresh Raina then came out to bat and accompanied Du Plessis. Both the on-field batter played some brilliant shots and struck regular boundaries, which kept the scoreboard running. KL Rahul is adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings of 71 off 36 deliveries 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/357RPCfopZ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019 × Both stitched a 120-run partnership which saw half-century of both the players. However, Raina (53) and Du Plessis (96), both became victims of Curran, who sent both the set batsmen, back to the pavilion. Then skipper MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu came out to bat. However, in the last over of the inning, Mohammed Shami took the wicket of Rayudu which brought Kedar Jhadav to the field but Shami sent Jhadav too back to the pavilion. Shami conceded only five runs in the final over which helped Punjab restrict Chennai to 170 runs.

IPL 2019: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle shine as Punjab defeat Chennai by six wickets

<p>West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo Thursday said Indian Premier League enhances players' skills and every team has some high profile coaches to iron out the flaws.</p>

<p>A big-hitter on the field, Bravo reiterated that the West Indies would pose a threat to all the teams in the coming World Cup as it had a sledgehammer in Chris Gayle and the dangerous Andre Russell who has been in great form this season.</p>

<p>A key player for Chennai, Bravo also reaffirmed his admiration for MS Dhoni's leadership and again termed him the best captain he has played under.</p>

<p>"I think IPL helps domestic players. It also helps international players. You are being coached by some of the best coaches in the world.</p>

<p>I think that is the beauty of IPL. Players get an opportunity to improve their skills", Bravo, here for a promotional event, told PTI.</p>

<p>Asked how much he enjoyed playing for Chennai, the IPL franchise promoted by India Cements Ltd, the all-rounder said he enjoyed a lot playing for Chennai.</p>

<p>"It is one of my favourite teams... It is my biggest fan base overseas, it is no secret. It is always good to wear the yellow jersey," he said.</p>

<p>About the West Indies' chances at the World Cup, he said, "the chances of West Indies winning the cup are just as good as every other team's.... West Indies is just as good as any other team."</p>

<p>"Universal boss (Chris Gayle) is there. Andre Russell is there. (Shannon) Gabriel is there. So they have very good players, all match winners. So look out for them."</p>

<p>Bravo heaped praise on Dhoni and reiterated that he was the best captain in the world he has played under.</p>

<p>"It is no secret. I love, I can say much about MSD leadership... Everyone knows. He is the best in the world," he added.</p>

<p>Asked who was the best singer in Chennai, he shot back, "Whom do you think.? It is Suresh Raina."&nbsp;</p>


West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo Thursday said Indian Premier League enhances players' skills and every team has some high profile coaches to iron out the flaws.

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo Thursday said Indian Premier League enhances players' skills and every team has some high profile coaches to iron out the flaws. A big-hitter on the field, Bravo reiterated that the West Indies would pose a threat to all the teams in the coming World Cup as it had a sledgehammer in Chris Gayle and the dangerous Andre Russell who has been in great form this season. A key player for Chennai, Bravo also reaffirmed his admiration for MS Dhoni's leadership and again termed him the best captain he has played under. "I think IPL helps domestic players. It also helps international players. You are being coached by some of the best coaches in the world. I think that is the beauty of IPL. Players get an opportunity to improve their skills", Bravo, here for a promotional event, told PTI. Asked how much he enjoyed playing for Chennai, the IPL franchise promoted by India Cements Ltd, the all-rounder said he enjoyed a lot playing for Chennai. "It is one of my favourite teams... It is my biggest fan base overseas, it is no secret. It is always good to wear the yellow jersey," he said. About the West Indies' chances at the World Cup, he said, "the chances of West Indies winning the cup are just as good as every other team's.... West Indies is just as good as any other team." "Universal boss (Chris Gayle) is there. Andre Russell is there. (Shannon) Gabriel is there. So they have very good players, all match winners. So look out for them." Bravo heaped praise on Dhoni and reiterated that he was the best captain in the world he has played under. "It is no secret. I love, I can say much about MSD leadership... Everyone knows. He is the best in the world," he added. Asked who was the best singer in Chennai, he shot back, "Whom do you think.? It is Suresh Raina."

IPL enhances players' skills, says Dwayne Bravo

<p>Mahendra Singh Dhoni is lightning quick behind the stumps and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman said it is a skill which he has developed from tennis ball cricket.</p>

<p>Talking about his super quick stumpings, Dhoni said, "I think it's something that's come from tennis ball cricket. But you still have to do the basics and graduate to that level. If you want to keep like that you can make mistakes; so I still think basics are most important."</p>

<p>Skipper Dhoni has been in superb form in the ongoing IPL and after sitting out for a couple of matches due to fever and a stiff back, he smashed an unbeaten 44 off 22 balls to power <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-chennai-thrash-delhi-by-huge-80-runs-215174&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjU_aG7rvzhAhXb73MBHXtIBUQQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rKE__eF_7Tq-hdAYcT2NG">Chennai to 179 against Delhi&nbsp;on Wednesday night</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai&nbsp;were struggling in the beginning but thanks to Dhoni, Chennai scored 20 runs from the last over bowled by Trent Boult with the stumper finishing off with two sixes off the final two balls.</p>

<p>Asked about his power-packed knock, Dhoni said he had spent enough time on the wicket to understand the bowling variations and unleash his game towards the end to lead Chennai to a match-winning total.</p>

<p>"Watch the ball, hit the ball. You've spent time, you know the variations. By the 20th over you're almost ready and you swing at everything," Dhoni said when asked about his last-over exploits.</p>

<p>"It's easier for somebody who has played 10-15 deliveries than someone who has just come in", Dhoni said.</p>

<p>Dhoni said the conditions actually favoured them though they lost the toss.</p>

<p>"We knew there wouldn't be much dew. What we've seen is if there's no dew, there's assistance for spinners. But when we started, Bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh) didn't get any turn. But as they started losing wickets, it started spinning, it started turning. Cricket is such a game," he said after the 80-run win over Delhi.</p>

<p>Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took three wickets, said the wicket helped spinners.</p>

<p>"Obviously I enjoyed bowling, the way the wicket was turning. I was bowling in good areas and the wicket was doing the rest for me," Jadeja&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>Asked how it helps to have someone like Imran Tahir bowling in tandem with him, Jadeja said the South African has been "fantastic".</p>

<p>"He has been taking wickets whenever we needed. Me, Immy bhai and Bhajju pa (Harbhajan) as a unit, we are bowling the way we want to bowl. Still one more game to go. We need to continue our momentum. Everyone is in good form so we just need to keep the winning momentum going", Jadeja said.</p>

<p>Jadeja said Dhoni can be described by one word and that is 'genius'.</p>

<p>Losing skipper Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a "reality check" for Delhi.</p>

<p>"It's really going to affect us. The way we played was not expected. Everybody will be on their toes in the next game. Wouldn't blame the abilities of our team but we didn't play smart cricket. We should have curtailed them," Iyer&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>Iyer said they missed someone like Kagiso Rabada in death overs after the South African pacer was ruled out of the game due to a back issue.</p>

<p>"He's (Rabada) an amazing bowler, especially in the slog overs. For sure we missed him. But he had a stiff back, it's good he got to take rest. We're keeping the hope and definitely want to finish in the top two" said the losing captain Iyer.</p>


Mahendra Singh Dhoni is lightning quick behind the stumps and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman said it is a skill which he has developed from tennis ball cricket.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is lightning quick behind the stumps and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman said it is a skill which he has developed from tennis ball cricket. Talking about his super quick stumpings, Dhoni said, "I think it's something that's come from tennis ball cricket. But you still have to do the basics and graduate to that level. If you want to keep like that you can make mistakes; so I still think basics are most important." Skipper Dhoni has been in superb form in the ongoing IPL and after sitting out for a couple of matches due to fever and a stiff back, he smashed an unbeaten 44 off 22 balls to power Chennai to 179 against Delhi on Wednesday night. Chennai were struggling in the beginning but thanks to Dhoni, Chennai scored 20 runs from the last over bowled by Trent Boult with the stumper finishing off with two sixes off the final two balls. Asked about his power-packed knock, Dhoni said he had spent enough time on the wicket to understand the bowling variations and unleash his game towards the end to lead Chennai to a match-winning total. "Watch the ball, hit the ball. You've spent time, you know the variations. By the 20th over you're almost ready and you swing at everything," Dhoni said when asked about his last-over exploits. "It's easier for somebody who has played 10-15 deliveries than someone who has just come in", Dhoni said. Dhoni said the conditions actually favoured them though they lost the toss. "We knew there wouldn't be much dew. What we've seen is if there's no dew, there's assistance for spinners. But when we started, Bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh) didn't get any turn. But as they started losing wickets, it started spinning, it started turning. Cricket is such a game," he said after the 80-run win over Delhi. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took three wickets, said the wicket helped spinners. "Obviously I enjoyed bowling, the way the wicket was turning. I was bowling in good areas and the wicket was doing the rest for me," Jadeja said. Asked how it helps to have someone like Imran Tahir bowling in tandem with him, Jadeja said the South African has been "fantastic". "He has been taking wickets whenever we needed. Me, Immy bhai and Bhajju pa (Harbhajan) as a unit, we are bowling the way we want to bowl. Still one more game to go. We need to continue our momentum. Everyone is in good form so we just need to keep the winning momentum going", Jadeja said. Jadeja said Dhoni can be described by one word and that is 'genius'. Losing skipper Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a "reality check" for Delhi. "It's really going to affect us. The way we played was not expected. Everybody will be on their toes in the next game. Wouldn't blame the abilities of our team but we didn't play smart cricket. We should have curtailed them," Iyer said. Iyer said they missed someone like Kagiso Rabada in death overs after the South African pacer was ruled out of the game due to a back issue. "He's (Rabada) an amazing bowler, especially in the slog overs. For sure we missed him. But he had a stiff back, it's good he got to take rest. We're keeping the hope and definitely want to finish in the top two" said the losing captain Iyer.

MS Dhoni credits tennis ball cricket for quick hands behind the stumps

<p>The sheer presence of MS Dhoni on the pitch creates a lot of pressure for opposition teams and it is always difficult to fill the veteran stumper's boots whenever he is not around, said Chennai&nbsp;batsman Suresh Raina.</p>

<p>Dhoni missed two games for Chennai&nbsp;this season against Mumbai&nbsp;and Hyderabad,&nbsp;due to fever and stiff back, and on both occasions, they ended on the losing side.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides, Dhoni has been in superb form with the bat this year and hit a 22-ball unbeaten 44 against Delhi&nbsp;to ensure a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-chennai-thrash-delhi-by-huge-80-runs-215174&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjU_aG7rvzhAhXb73MBHXtIBUQQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rKE__eF_7Tq-hdAYcT2NG">comfortable 80-run win for Chennai.&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>Asked Raina how challenging it was to lead Chennai&nbsp;in Dhoni's absence, he replied: "I think losing him (Dhoni) as a captain is not an issue, losing him as a batsman is always difficult for us. That's what happened for us against Hyderabad and Mumbai.''&nbsp;</p>

<p>"When he comes to the crease a lot of pressure is created for other teams. When he is not in the team, we see the difference", added Raina.</p>

<p>Raina also hinted that he might take up Chennai&nbsp;captaincy as and when Dhoni decides to call it quits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He has done well in the last couple of years as a batsman as well team mentor. So probably you may see me more next year when he is done but I need more of his calibre. But he will continue as long as he wants to play for Chennai, you know him and Chennai," he said.</p>

<p>The left-hander also praised Dhoni's glovework in the light of two brilliant stumpings he had effected on Wednesday night.</p>

<p>"He (Dhoni) had two brilliant stumpings. One is Shreyas (Iyer) and the other is (Chris) Morris. It shows how compact he is. In the last couple of years when he was playing for India also, he has done amazing stumpings that shows how involved he is in the game," Raina said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Raina said it was important to play smart cricket in Chennai. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It is important to play very, very smart cricket in Chennai. The game starts after the sixth over here. In the powerplay, if you see the last two games which we won against Hyderabad and against Delhi here, you can see that we hadn't done well in the first three overs," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Watto (Shane Watson) and Faf (du Plessis) played very carefully against (Trent) Boult and (Chris) Morris. It is important to have wickets in Chennai because later when you have hitters like MS (Dhoni), (Ambati) Rayudu and Jadeja, you can score extra 30-40 runs", Raina&nbsp;said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Raina, who became the first fielder to take 100 catches in the IPL on Wednesday night, felt it was a blessing for the team to lose the toss as the wicket was a bit difficult in the second innings when Delhi batted.</p>

<p>"I think it was a blessing for us to lose the toss. The wicket was a bit difficult when they (Delhi) were batting second. The game really set up for us. We kept wickets in hands. In Chennai, we need to put extra 30-40 runs on the board. That's what we did."</p>

<p>Raina said Delhi couldn't capitalise on a good start, adding one needs to plan well against Chennai's lethal spin attack.</p>

<p>"They (Delhi) were very good in the powerplay, but later on they didn't capitalise on their good start. In Chennai, you need to plan really well against our good spinners. You need to rotate really well, otherwise it is going to be difficult with the heat," he said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Delhi&nbsp;captain Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a good reality check for his team ahead of the play-offs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"After the kind of start we got (52/2 at one stage), we should have at least reached close to the total. It was a reality check for us. We need to assess where we went wrong and come back strongly," he said.</p>

<p>Iyer said Rishabh Pant could have played 'smart' but added he won't ask the left-hander to curb his style.</p>

<p>"He (Pant) has won matches for us earlier in the season. A batsman like him can turn the momentum with one inning. So I wouldn't want to curb his style. I like the way he bats," he said.</p>

<p>Asked about Dhoni's impact, the Delhi captain said,&nbsp;"We can't blame our bowlers because you had an experienced campaigner like Dhoni in the middle. He can change the game from ball one and if he stays till the end, he can take them to a good total. The bowlers too feel the pressure when MS is in the middle."</p>


The sheer presence of MS Dhoni on the pitch creates a lot of pressure for opposition teams and it is always difficult to fill the veteran stumper's boots whenever he is not around, said Chennai batsman Suresh Raina.

The sheer presence of MS Dhoni on the pitch creates a lot of pressure for opposition teams and it is always difficult to fill the veteran stumper's boots whenever he is not around, said Chennai batsman Suresh Raina. Dhoni missed two games for Chennai this season against Mumbai and Hyderabad, due to fever and stiff back, and on both occasions, they ended on the losing side. Besides, Dhoni has been in superb form with the bat this year and hit a 22-ball unbeaten 44 against Delhi to ensure a comfortable 80-run win for Chennai. Asked Raina how challenging it was to lead Chennai in Dhoni's absence, he replied: "I think losing him (Dhoni) as a captain is not an issue, losing him as a batsman is always difficult for us. That's what happened for us against Hyderabad and Mumbai.'' "When he comes to the crease a lot of pressure is created for other teams. When he is not in the team, we see the difference", added Raina. Raina also hinted that he might take up Chennai captaincy as and when Dhoni decides to call it quits. "He has done well in the last couple of years as a batsman as well team mentor. So probably you may see me more next year when he is done but I need more of his calibre. But he will continue as long as he wants to play for Chennai, you know him and Chennai," he said. The left-hander also praised Dhoni's glovework in the light of two brilliant stumpings he had effected on Wednesday night. "He (Dhoni) had two brilliant stumpings. One is Shreyas (Iyer) and the other is (Chris) Morris. It shows how compact he is. In the last couple of years when he was playing for India also, he has done amazing stumpings that shows how involved he is in the game," Raina said. Raina said it was important to play smart cricket in Chennai. "It is important to play very, very smart cricket in Chennai. The game starts after the sixth over here. In the powerplay, if you see the last two games which we won against Hyderabad and against Delhi here, you can see that we hadn't done well in the first three overs," he said. "Watto (Shane Watson) and Faf (du Plessis) played very carefully against (Trent) Boult and (Chris) Morris. It is important to have wickets in Chennai because later when you have hitters like MS (Dhoni), (Ambati) Rayudu and Jadeja, you can score extra 30-40 runs", Raina said. Raina, who became the first fielder to take 100 catches in the IPL on Wednesday night, felt it was a blessing for the team to lose the toss as the wicket was a bit difficult in the second innings when Delhi batted. "I think it was a blessing for us to lose the toss. The wicket was a bit difficult when they (Delhi) were batting second. The game really set up for us. We kept wickets in hands. In Chennai, we need to put extra 30-40 runs on the board. That's what we did." Raina said Delhi couldn't capitalise on a good start, adding one needs to plan well against Chennai's lethal spin attack. "They (Delhi) were very good in the powerplay, but later on they didn't capitalise on their good start. In Chennai, you need to plan really well against our good spinners. You need to rotate really well, otherwise it is going to be difficult with the heat," he said. Meanwhile, Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a good reality check for his team ahead of the play-offs. "After the kind of start we got (52/2 at one stage), we should have at least reached close to the total. It was a reality check for us. We need to assess where we went wrong and come back strongly," he said. Iyer said Rishabh Pant could have played 'smart' but added he won't ask the left-hander to curb his style. "He (Pant) has won matches for us earlier in the season. A batsman like him can turn the momentum with one inning. So I wouldn't want to curb his style. I like the way he bats," he said. Asked about Dhoni's impact, the Delhi captain said, "We can't blame our bowlers because you had an experienced campaigner like Dhoni in the middle. He can change the game from ball one and if he stays till the end, he can take them to a good total. The bowlers too feel the pressure when MS is in the middle."

Dhoni's presence in the team makes a huge difference, says Suresh Raina

<p>Mahendra Singh Dhoni Friday didn't turn up for Chennai due to fever and Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma said the veteran stumper's absence came as a "massive boost" for his side en route to their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-rohit-sharma-led-mumbai-beat-chennai-by-46-runs-213798">46-run win in an IPL match</a> on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sans Dhoni, Chennai failed to chase down a 156-run target set by Mumbai, bundling out for 109, their lowest total at home.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It was a massive boost that MSD (Dhoni) wasn't around. Because his presence does a lot for their team. When you don't have Dhoni when they're chasing the score, then it becomes difficult for them," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"I'm sure his presence was missed by CSK. But he was sick, it's not in his control either," added the right-handed batsman, who struck 67, his first fifty of the season. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit said it was a blessing in disguise for him to lose the toss as they too would wanted to chase on what eventually turned out to be another slow Chepauk surface. "I thought it was better to lose the toss since we wanted to chase as well. But we knew whether we bat first or bowl first, we'll still have to play good cricket. We spoke about that at the start of the game, but it was a great effort by the boys since it's not easy to come here and play," he said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit too was mighty relived to have scored his first half-century of the season Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It was a satisfying innings. I was getting 30s and 40s but not getting half-centuries. At no point was I worried about my form because I was hitting the ball well. I knew the day will come, and I guess today was the day," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai stand-in skipper Suresh Raina blamed the team's batting department for the loss. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"We didn't bat well. We kept losing wickets every 2-3 overs, so our batsmen need to take more responsibility. Our bowling has always been good this season. We thought 155 was chaseable. But we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and middle overs," he said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"We didn't rotate the strike well either. It is important to go out there and see a few balls out, and then decide which bowler you want to go after. We need to sit as a batting unit and see where we're doing wrong. We have power hitters, we have experienced batsmen, we just need to relax as a batting unit."&nbsp;</p>


Mahendra Singh Dhoni Friday didn't turn up for Chennai due to fever and Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma said the veteran stumper's absence came as a "massive boost" for his side en route to their 46-run win in an IPL match on Friday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Friday didn't turn up for Chennai due to fever and Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma said the veteran stumper's absence came as a "massive boost" for his side en route to their 46-run win in an IPL match on Friday. Sans Dhoni, Chennai failed to chase down a 156-run target set by Mumbai, bundling out for 109, their lowest total at home. "It was a massive boost that MSD (Dhoni) wasn't around. Because his presence does a lot for their team. When you don't have Dhoni when they're chasing the score, then it becomes difficult for them," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "I'm sure his presence was missed by CSK. But he was sick, it's not in his control either," added the right-handed batsman, who struck 67, his first fifty of the season. Rohit said it was a blessing in disguise for him to lose the toss as they too would wanted to chase on what eventually turned out to be another slow Chepauk surface. "I thought it was better to lose the toss since we wanted to chase as well. But we knew whether we bat first or bowl first, we'll still have to play good cricket. We spoke about that at the start of the game, but it was a great effort by the boys since it's not easy to come here and play," he said. Rohit too was mighty relived to have scored his first half-century of the season Friday. "It was a satisfying innings. I was getting 30s and 40s but not getting half-centuries. At no point was I worried about my form because I was hitting the ball well. I knew the day will come, and I guess today was the day," he said. Chennai stand-in skipper Suresh Raina blamed the team's batting department for the loss. "We didn't bat well. We kept losing wickets every 2-3 overs, so our batsmen need to take more responsibility. Our bowling has always been good this season. We thought 155 was chaseable. But we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and middle overs," he said. "We didn't rotate the strike well either. It is important to go out there and see a few balls out, and then decide which bowler you want to go after. We need to sit as a batting unit and see where we're doing wrong. We have power hitters, we have experienced batsmen, we just need to relax as a batting unit."

MS Dhoni's absence was a massive boost for us: Rohit Sharma

<p>Lasith Malinga's four-wicket haul helped <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-44-chennai-vs-mumbai-at-chidambaram-stadium-213737">Mumbai beat Chennai by 46 runs</a> in the ongoing 12th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chasing a below-par 156, Chennai without its hero and captain of the ship MS Dhoni, continued to struggle. The host suffered an early blow in the very first over. Shane Watson (8) was caught by Rahul Chahar straight to short fine off Malinga.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Murali Vijay, dropped on 12 at the point, and Suresh Raina tried to readjust Chennai but Hardik dismissed Raina cheaply for two, leading to a flurry of wickets. Vijay tried to shrug off pressure, however, his partner kept changing as Ambati Rayudu for nought, Kedar Jadhav (6) and Dhruv Shorey (5), all departed in quick succession.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ending the frustration of Mumbai to wrap up Chennai, Jasprit Bumrah delivered a slower ball to Vijay (38), who steered a cut-shot straight to Suryakumar Yadav at the point. Chennai known for its never-give-up attitude tried to recover as Dwayne Bravo and Mitchell Santner combined 33 runs before Lasith Malinga delivered a slow ball to dismiss Bravo (20) on a return catch and Chennai folded for 109.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, Raina stood in for Dhoni, who missed his second match of the season this time due to fever and sent Mumbai in to bat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumbai faced an early hiccup as Deepak Chahar got Quinton de Kock caught behind for 15. The visitors recovered well in terms of wickets in hand but the scoring remained slow. Captain Rohit Sharma and Evin Lewis added 75 runs for the second wicket.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> climb up the table and move back into the top 2 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/Re9oiB7Slx">pic.twitter.com/Re9oiB7Slx</a></p>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1121842898910101504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Santner proved to be a game changer. Lewis (32) looked to swing the ball across the line but it did not have the distance and was caught by Bravo at deep midwicket off Santner. In the next over, veteran Imran Tahir dismissed Krunal cheaply for one, bringing in Hardik.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit formed a brief partnership with Hardik, adding 21 for the fourth wicket before Santner got rid of Mumbai captain (67), who was caught by Vijay at long-on. Hardik (23*) and Kieron Pollard (13*) tried to attack but Chennai bowlers did not allow them to open their arms. The duo combined 33 to post 155 for the loss of four.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumbai will next take on Kolkata on April 28, whereas Chennai will meet Delhi on May 1.&nbsp;</p>


Lasith Malinga's four-wicket haul helped Mumbai beat Chennai by 46 runs in the ongoing 12th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.

Lasith Malinga's four-wicket haul helped Mumbai beat Chennai by 46 runs in the ongoing 12th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. Chasing a below-par 156, Chennai without its hero and captain of the ship MS Dhoni, continued to struggle. The host suffered an early blow in the very first over. Shane Watson (8) was caught by Rahul Chahar straight to short fine off Malinga. Murali Vijay, dropped on 12 at the point, and Suresh Raina tried to readjust Chennai but Hardik dismissed Raina cheaply for two, leading to a flurry of wickets. Vijay tried to shrug off pressure, however, his partner kept changing as Ambati Rayudu for nought, Kedar Jadhav (6) and Dhruv Shorey (5), all departed in quick succession. Ending the frustration of Mumbai to wrap up Chennai, Jasprit Bumrah delivered a slower ball to Vijay (38), who steered a cut-shot straight to Suryakumar Yadav at the point. Chennai known for its never-give-up attitude tried to recover as Dwayne Bravo and Mitchell Santner combined 33 runs before Lasith Malinga delivered a slow ball to dismiss Bravo (20) on a return catch and Chennai folded for 109. Earlier, Raina stood in for Dhoni, who missed his second match of the season this time due to fever and sent Mumbai in to bat. Mumbai faced an early hiccup as Deepak Chahar got Quinton de Kock caught behind for 15. The visitors recovered well in terms of wickets in hand but the scoring remained slow. Captain Rohit Sharma and Evin Lewis added 75 runs for the second wicket. .@mipaltan climb up the table and move back into the top 2 🙌#VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/Re9oiB7Slx — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 26, 2019 × Santner proved to be a game changer. Lewis (32) looked to swing the ball across the line but it did not have the distance and was caught by Bravo at deep midwicket off Santner. In the next over, veteran Imran Tahir dismissed Krunal cheaply for one, bringing in Hardik. Rohit formed a brief partnership with Hardik, adding 21 for the fourth wicket before Santner got rid of Mumbai captain (67), who was caught by Vijay at long-on. Hardik (23*) and Kieron Pollard (13*) tried to attack but Chennai bowlers did not allow them to open their arms. The duo combined 33 to post 155 for the loss of four. Mumbai will next take on Kolkata on April 28, whereas Chennai will meet Delhi on May 1.

IPL 2019: Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai beat Chennai by 46 runs

Call of duty: Overseas players leave IPL midway for World Cup

<p>Seventeen-year-old Riyan Parag overshadowed Dinesh Karthik's heroics to guide Rajasthan to a three-wicket win over Kolkata here at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.</p>

<p>With the win, Rajasthan has pushed Bangalore to the bottom place in the point table, taking the seventh position. Kolkata, on the other hand, is in the sixth position.</p>

<p>Chasing 176, Rajasthan got off to a brilliant start as Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson added 53 runs for the opening wicket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sunil Narine struck Rahane leg-before for 34 to get a vital breakthrough.&nbsp;In the next over, Piyush Chawla got rid Samson (22) to unsettle Rajasthan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With captain Steve Smith, Rajasthan was still in a position to turn the tables.&nbsp;However, Narine returned and dismissed Smith cheaply for two.</p>

<p>Riyan Parag formed brief stands with Ben Stokes (11), Stuart Binny (11) and Shreyas Gopal (18) to shrug off the pressure before finding support in Jofar Archer.</p>

<p>Riyan and Archer punished Kolkata bowlers in the death overs to inch closer towards the victory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With 18 required from 12 balls, Riyan (47) whacked a six to Russell before his bat hit the top of the stumps, forcing him to leave Archer in the middle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Having needed nine from the final over, Archer smashed a four and a six to Prasidh Krishna, taking Rajasthan over the line with four balls to spare.</p>

<p>Earlier, captain Dinesh Karthik's monumental effort powered Kolkata to 175 for the loss of six after sent in to bat.</p>

<p>Varun Aaron got a major breakthrough for Rajasthan as he got rid of Chris Lynn for a three-ball golden duck in the opening over and returned to dismiss Shubman Gill for 14.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Soon after, Aaron sent just-settled Nitish Rana (21) as he caught the left-hander at cover off Gopal. Karthik and Narine stitched 38-runs together to recover sinking Kolkata at 42/3 under nine overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On a Jofar Archer's delivery, a poor running between Kolkata batsmen resulted in the dismissal of Narine (11).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Karthik played to deep square leg and ran for double but Narine was very slow and was well out of the crease at the non-striker's end when Aaron threw the ball and Rahane whipped the bails off.</p>

<p>Karthik built brief partnerships with big-hitter Andre Russell (14) and Carlos Brathwaite (5). Both West Indies batsmen tried to display their attacking form but Rajasthan denied them from going big.</p>

<p>Kolkata captain and Rinku Singh added 44 runs for the seventh wicket in the death overs. Karthik finished 97 unbeaten, his highest ever score in the history of IPL to post a decent but below-par total.</p>

<p>Rajasthan will next play against Hyderabad on April 27, whereas Kolkata will take on Mumbai on April 28.</p>


Seventeen-year-old Riyan Parag overshadowed Dinesh Karthik's heroics to guide Rajasthan to a three-wicket win over Kolkata here at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. With the win, Rajasthan has pushed Bangalore to the bottom place in the point table, taking the seventh position.

Seventeen-year-old Riyan Parag overshadowed Dinesh Karthik's heroics to guide Rajasthan to a three-wicket win over Kolkata here at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. With the win, Rajasthan has pushed Bangalore to the bottom place in the point table, taking the seventh position. Kolkata, on the other hand, is in the sixth position. Chasing 176, Rajasthan got off to a brilliant start as Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson added 53 runs for the opening wicket. Sunil Narine struck Rahane leg-before for 34 to get a vital breakthrough. In the next over, Piyush Chawla got rid Samson (22) to unsettle Rajasthan. With captain Steve Smith, Rajasthan was still in a position to turn the tables. However, Narine returned and dismissed Smith cheaply for two. Riyan Parag formed brief stands with Ben Stokes (11), Stuart Binny (11) and Shreyas Gopal (18) to shrug off the pressure before finding support in Jofar Archer. Riyan and Archer punished Kolkata bowlers in the death overs to inch closer towards the victory. With 18 required from 12 balls, Riyan (47) whacked a six to Russell before his bat hit the top of the stumps, forcing him to leave Archer in the middle. Having needed nine from the final over, Archer smashed a four and a six to Prasidh Krishna, taking Rajasthan over the line with four balls to spare. Earlier, captain Dinesh Karthik's monumental effort powered Kolkata to 175 for the loss of six after sent in to bat. Varun Aaron got a major breakthrough for Rajasthan as he got rid of Chris Lynn for a three-ball golden duck in the opening over and returned to dismiss Shubman Gill for 14. Soon after, Aaron sent just-settled Nitish Rana (21) as he caught the left-hander at cover off Gopal. Karthik and Narine stitched 38-runs together to recover sinking Kolkata at 42/3 under nine overs. On a Jofar Archer's delivery, a poor running between Kolkata batsmen resulted in the dismissal of Narine (11). Karthik played to deep square leg and ran for double but Narine was very slow and was well out of the crease at the non-striker's end when Aaron threw the ball and Rahane whipped the bails off. Karthik built brief partnerships with big-hitter Andre Russell (14) and Carlos Brathwaite (5). Both West Indies batsmen tried to display their attacking form but Rajasthan denied them from going big. Kolkata captain and Rinku Singh added 44 runs for the seventh wicket in the death overs. Karthik finished 97 unbeaten, his highest ever score in the history of IPL to post a decent but below-par total. Rajasthan will next play against Hyderabad on April 27, whereas Kolkata will take on Mumbai on April 28.

IPL 2019: Karthik's heroics in vain, Riyan guides Rajasthan to 3-wicket win

<p>Chennai's regular skipper&nbsp;Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ruled out of an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl-2019">Indian Premier League</a> game against Mumbai on Friday due to fever. In his absence, Suresh Raina will lead the team at the Chidambaram Stadium.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"MS and Jaddu are not well, they have fever and they will miss today's game," said Raina during the toss.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is the second time Dhoni has missed a Chennai&nbsp;game this season -- the first being against Hyderabad because of back spasms. Chennai had lost&nbsp;that match.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Thala (Dhoni) missing out a game for the second time this season, this time due to fever!" Chennai team&nbsp;wrote on its Twitter handle.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Thala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Thala</a> missing out a game for the second time this season, this time due to fever! 😢</p>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1121776158767374338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>This is only the fourth IPL match Dhoni is not playing for Chennai.&nbsp;</p>


Chennai's regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ruled out of an Indian Premier League game against Mumbai on Friday due to fever. In his absence, Suresh Raina will lead the team at the Chidambaram Stadium.

Chennai's regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ruled out of an Indian Premier League game against Mumbai on Friday due to fever. In his absence, Suresh Raina will lead the team at the Chidambaram Stadium. "MS and Jaddu are not well, they have fever and they will miss today's game," said Raina during the toss. This is the second time Dhoni has missed a Chennai game this season -- the first being against Hyderabad because of back spasms. Chennai had lost that match. "Thala (Dhoni) missing out a game for the second time this season, this time due to fever!" Chennai team wrote on its Twitter handle. #Thala missing out a game for the second time this season, this time due to fever! 😢 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 26, 2019 × This is only the fourth IPL match Dhoni is not playing for Chennai.

MS Dhoni ruled out of IPL game against Mumbai

<p>AB de Villiers helped Bangalore to defeat Punjab by 17 runs here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing 203, Punjab got off to a superb start with Chris Gayle and KL Rahul replying with back-to-back boundaries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>AB de Villiers became the game changer as he stopped Gayle (23) at long-on off Umesh Yadav.</p>

<p>Mayank Agarwal and Rahul recovered Punjab with their 59-run stand for the second wicket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bangalore applied brakes on the scoring as Marcus Stoinis dismissed Mayank (35), who was caught by a tumbling Yuzvendra Chahal at midwicket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the next over, Moeen Ali got rid off Rahul (42) to put Punjab under pressure.</p>

<p>Nicholas Pooran and David Miller build a strong 68-run partnership to take Punjab home but de Villiers denied the visitors. Navdeep Saini dismissed Miller (24), who was caught by de Villiers at long-on.</p>

<p>The final over consumed Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardus Viljoen, which helped Umesh Yadav pick three wickets and Punjab ended for 185/7.</p>

<p>Earlier, asked to bat, AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis powered Bangalore, especially in the death&nbsp;overs to post a daunting total of 202 for the loss of four.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At one stage even 160 seemed difficult as the host were 84/4 under 11 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But an unbeaten 121-run partnership between de Villiers and Stoinis gave Bangalore bowlers something to defend.</p>

<p>De Villiers punished Mohammed Shami for 21 runs, including two sixes, and slapped another six to Hardus Viljoen in the final over before Stoinis whacked two sixes and as many sixes to steal 27 runs from the last over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>De Villiers and Stoinis finished unbeaten on 82 and 46, respectively.</p>

<p>Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel displayed their attacking form but the attempt short lived.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli played a drive into the covers off Shami but Mandeep Singh caught him for 13, leaving a full house in silence.</p>

<p>Patel, too, faced a similar fate. Murugan Ashwin got a vital breakthrough as he dismissed Patel (43), who was caught by Ravichandran Ashwin at covers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Big hitter Moeen Ali (4) and Akshdeep Nath (3) returned to the dugout in quick succession without troubling the scoreboard much.</p>

<p>Bangalore will next play against Delhi on April 28, whereas Punjab will take on Hyderabad on April 29.</p>


AB de Villiers helped Bangalore to defeat Punjab by 17 runs here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing 203, Punjab got off to a superb start with Chris Gayle and KL Rahul replying with back-to-back boundaries.

AB de Villiers helped Bangalore to defeat Punjab by 17 runs here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing 203, Punjab got off to a superb start with Chris Gayle and KL Rahul replying with back-to-back boundaries. AB de Villiers became the game changer as he stopped Gayle (23) at long-on off Umesh Yadav. Mayank Agarwal and Rahul recovered Punjab with their 59-run stand for the second wicket. Bangalore applied brakes on the scoring as Marcus Stoinis dismissed Mayank (35), who was caught by a tumbling Yuzvendra Chahal at midwicket. In the next over, Moeen Ali got rid off Rahul (42) to put Punjab under pressure. Nicholas Pooran and David Miller build a strong 68-run partnership to take Punjab home but de Villiers denied the visitors. Navdeep Saini dismissed Miller (24), who was caught by de Villiers at long-on. The final over consumed Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardus Viljoen, which helped Umesh Yadav pick three wickets and Punjab ended for 185/7. Earlier, asked to bat, AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis powered Bangalore, especially in the death overs to post a daunting total of 202 for the loss of four. At one stage even 160 seemed difficult as the host were 84/4 under 11 overs. But an unbeaten 121-run partnership between de Villiers and Stoinis gave Bangalore bowlers something to defend. De Villiers punished Mohammed Shami for 21 runs, including two sixes, and slapped another six to Hardus Viljoen in the final over before Stoinis whacked two sixes and as many sixes to steal 27 runs from the last over. De Villiers and Stoinis finished unbeaten on 82 and 46, respectively. Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel displayed their attacking form but the attempt short lived. Kohli played a drive into the covers off Shami but Mandeep Singh caught him for 13, leaving a full house in silence. Patel, too, faced a similar fate. Murugan Ashwin got a vital breakthrough as he dismissed Patel (43), who was caught by Ravichandran Ashwin at covers. Big hitter Moeen Ali (4) and Akshdeep Nath (3) returned to the dugout in quick succession without troubling the scoreboard much. Bangalore will next play against Delhi on April 28, whereas Punjab will take on Hyderabad on April 29.

IPL 2019: Bangalore beat Punjab by 17 runs to register 4th win of the season

<p>Virat Kohli was all charged up during Bangalore's game against Punjab at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bangalore not only defeated Punjab by 17 runs but also registered their third win on the trot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But how can a game in IPL be complete without some aggression on the field. During the clash, the fans got to witness two send-off from both team's skipper.&nbsp;</p>

<p>First, it was Ashwin, who celebrated Virat Kohli's wicket with a lot of aggression, later Kohli returned the favour with an abusive send-off. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chasing 203 to win, Punjab needed 27 runs off the final over.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Captain Ravichandran Ashwin came to the crease and hit Umesh Yadav's first delivery for a six.&nbsp;Ashwin hoped for the same result on the next delivery too but he mistimed his shot and the ball went straight to Kohli.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After safely completing the catch, Kohli made some gestures it seemed he even abused his Indian teammate.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Karma returns!! 😅<a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashwinravi99</a> started first.. Then <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> paying back! That's it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AshwinVsKohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AshwinVsKohli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashwin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kohli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvKXIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvKXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KXIPvRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KXIPvRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2019</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengaluru?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengaluru</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://t.co/cS2Vz8SxhZ">pic.twitter.com/cS2Vz8SxhZ</a></p>
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<p>After the match, when asked about the send-off, Ashwin defended his equal number saying that they both are passionate players.</p>

<p>Sent in to bat, AB de Villiers' unbeaten 82 off 44 balls took Bangalore to a formidable 202/4.</p>

<p>In reply, Punjab finished at 185/7 in their stipulated 20 overs.</p>

<p>Bangalore, who lost their first six matches of IPL 2019, are now on eight points with three games left.</p>


Virat Kohli was all charged up during Bangalore's game against Punjab at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bangalore not only defeated Punjab by 17 runs but also registered their third win on the trot.

Virat Kohli was all charged up during Bangalore's game against Punjab at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bangalore not only defeated Punjab by 17 runs but also registered their third win on the trot. But how can a game in IPL be complete without some aggression on the field. During the clash, the fans got to witness two send-off from both team's skipper. First, it was Ashwin, who celebrated Virat Kohli's wicket with a lot of aggression, later Kohli returned the favour with an abusive send-off. Chasing 203 to win, Punjab needed 27 runs off the final over. Captain Ravichandran Ashwin came to the crease and hit Umesh Yadav's first delivery for a six. Ashwin hoped for the same result on the next delivery too but he mistimed his shot and the ball went straight to Kohli. After safely completing the catch, Kohli made some gestures it seemed he even abused his Indian teammate. Karma returns!! 😅@ashwinravi99 started first.. Then @imVkohli paying back! That's it. #AshwinVsKohli #Ashwin #Kohli #RCBvKXIP #KXIPvRCB #IPL2019 #Bengaluru #RCB #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/cS2Vz8SxhZ — Chowkidar Shruthi Thumbri 🇮🇳 (@ShruthiThumbri) April 24, 2019 × After the match, when asked about the send-off, Ashwin defended his equal number saying that they both are passionate players. Sent in to bat, AB de Villiers' unbeaten 82 off 44 balls took Bangalore to a formidable 202/4. In reply, Punjab finished at 185/7 in their stipulated 20 overs. Bangalore, who lost their first six matches of IPL 2019, are now on eight points with three games left.

Watch: Virat Kohli's aggressive send-off to Punjab's Ashwin, Twitter terms it 'Karma'

<p>Chennai's skipper MS Dhoni, who was critical of his side's top-batting order after losing the previous game to Bangalore, looked satisfied after Shane Watson guided <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-shane-watsons-96-gets-chennai-back-on-winning-track-213086">Chennai defeat Hyderabad by six wickets</a> on Tuesday.</p>

<p>On Chidambaram Stadium track, Watson roared back to form with a 96 off 53 balls splendid knock.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the post-match presentation ceremony, Dhoni hailed Watson as a "matchwinner". He said, "Watson has been a matchwinner for us. He has been batting well in the nets."</p>

<p>He added, "Although he (Watson) did struggle a bit. This is the time when you need to back them."&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the win, Chennai have returned on top in the point table with eight wins from 11 games, whereas Hyderabad remained at fourth with five wins from 10 games.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On being asked about Chennai mantra of success, Dhoni said that "it's a secret" and he won't reveal it before retirement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With a witty smile on his face, he added, "If I tell everyone what it is, then they won't buy me at the auctions." &nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni further added, "The crowd support and franchise's support are key of course. Huge credit has to also go to the support staff who play a huge role in keeping the team atmosphere good for the team and other individuals."</p>

<p>"Other than this, I can't reveal anything till I retire."&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> tell <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bhogleharsha</a> the secret to <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a>'s consistency, season after season 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/FMasdNUqzP">pic.twitter.com/FMasdNUqzP</a></p>
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<p>Dhoni has battled a dodgy back for a long time and he wants to be careful with it as the ICC World Cup is round the corner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chennai skipper said that there has been some stiffness but it is holding up as of now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The back is holding up, it's not getting worse, with the World Cup coming up, can't afford that, because that's too important," Dhoni said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni said that at the highest level, there aren't any players who are not playing with a niggle or two.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If it becomes worse, I certainly take some time off but at this level you play with some niggle or the other. Because if you wait to get fully fit, then there will be a gap of five years between two matches," the skipper said cheekily.</p>


Chennai's skipper MS Dhoni, who was critical of his side's top-batting order after losing the previous game to Bangalore, looked satisfied after Shane Watson guided Chennai defeat Hyderabad by six wickets on Tuesday.

Chennai's skipper MS Dhoni, who was critical of his side's top-batting order after losing the previous game to Bangalore, looked satisfied after Shane Watson guided Chennai defeat Hyderabad by six wickets on Tuesday. On Chidambaram Stadium track, Watson roared back to form with a 96 off 53 balls splendid knock. During the post-match presentation ceremony, Dhoni hailed Watson as a "matchwinner". He said, "Watson has been a matchwinner for us. He has been batting well in the nets." He added, "Although he (Watson) did struggle a bit. This is the time when you need to back them." With the win, Chennai have returned on top in the point table with eight wins from 11 games, whereas Hyderabad remained at fourth with five wins from 10 games. On being asked about Chennai mantra of success, Dhoni said that "it's a secret" and he won't reveal it before retirement. With a witty smile on his face, he added, "If I tell everyone what it is, then they won't buy me at the auctions." Dhoni further added, "The crowd support and franchise's support are key of course. Huge credit has to also go to the support staff who play a huge role in keeping the team atmosphere good for the team and other individuals." "Other than this, I can't reveal anything till I retire." Will @msdhoni tell @bhogleharsha the secret to @ChennaiIPL's consistency, season after season 👀#CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/FMasdNUqzP — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2019 × Dhoni has battled a dodgy back for a long time and he wants to be careful with it as the ICC World Cup is round the corner. The Chennai skipper said that there has been some stiffness but it is holding up as of now. "The back is holding up, it's not getting worse, with the World Cup coming up, can't afford that, because that's too important," Dhoni said. Dhoni said that at the highest level, there aren't any players who are not playing with a niggle or two. "If it becomes worse, I certainly take some time off but at this level you play with some niggle or the other. Because if you wait to get fully fit, then there will be a gap of five years between two matches," the skipper said cheekily.

'They won't buy me at the auctions', says MS Dhoni on revealing Chennai's 'secret' success mantra

<p>Shane Watson brought back memories of last year's IPL final with a blazing knock that has now almost ensured a playoff berth for Chennai as they <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-41-chennai-super-kings-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-at-chidambaram-stadium-212979">beat Hyderabad by six wickets</a> on Tuesday.</p>

<p>On a vastly improved Chepauk track, Watson roared back to form with an 96 off 53 balls as Chennai stuttered a bit in end before winning in 19.5 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Watson's innings studded with nine fours and half a dozen of sixes ensured that Chennai have reached the cut-off limit of 16 points needed for the play-off even though they would like to finish in the top two.</p>

<p>Watson's innings would also be a relief for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had urged the top order to finish matches.</p>

<p>A 77-run stand between Watson and Suresh Raina (38) created the platform and the former Australia all-rounder singlehandedly decimated the Hyderabad&nbsp;attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What made it more difficult for the Hyderabad was the fact that their strike bowler Rashid Khan was pulverised by Watson, who took him to the cleaners with 44 coming off his spell.</p>

<p>Sandeep Sharma was another bowler, who was handed severe punishment as he went for 54 in 3.5 overs. Sandeep repeatedly bowled short and Watson would gleefully pull him. Skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/18 in 4 overs) had no option but to bowl the 19th over and left Sandeep with nine runs to defend.</p>

<p>However, Kedar Jadhav literally finished the match with a six off the second ball that sealed the deal.</p>

<p>Earlier, the immensely talented Manish Pandey was back in his element as his unbeaten 83 off 49 balls powered Hyderabad to a fighting 175 for 3 after being put into bat.</p>

<p>Pandey and league's current leading run-scorer David Warner (57 off 45 balls) added 115 runs for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a decent score on what was the best batting track on offer at the Chepauk.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh struck an early blow, having the in-form Jony Bairstow caught behind in the second over for a duck.</p>

<p>He was the most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 39 in four overs while Deepak Chahar picked up the wicket of Vijay Shankar (26 off 20 balls).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite the early dismissal of Bairstow, the visiting team didn't get tied down as the irrepressible Warner and Manish Pandey kept hitting those boundaries and sixes. They brought up the team's 50 in the sixth over.</p>

<p>Pandey who has not been in the best form, hit his straps, scoring freely and was not afraid to go over the top. Dhoni's shuffling of the bowlers didn't make much of an impact as Warner and Pandey kept attacking.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pandey was the first to reach 50 in 25 balls, pulling one from Dwayne Bravo for a boundary.</p>

<p>Warner was a touch slower in comparison to Pandey, but didn't miss out when the opportunity presented itself and hit a couple of big sixes.</p>

<p>The pugnacious Warner fell against the run of play, victim of Dhoni's trademark lightning-quick stumping off a Harbhajan delivery. The Australian, who is leading the run charts this season, fell for 57 (45 balls, 3x4, 2X6) after adding 115 runs for the second wicket with Pandey.</p>


Shane Watson brought back memories of last year's IPL final with a blazing knock that has now almost ensured a playoff berth for Chennai as they beat Hyderabad by six wickets on Tuesday.

Shane Watson brought back memories of last year's IPL final with a blazing knock that has now almost ensured a playoff berth for Chennai as they beat Hyderabad by six wickets on Tuesday. On a vastly improved Chepauk track, Watson roared back to form with an 96 off 53 balls as Chennai stuttered a bit in end before winning in 19.5 overs. Watson's innings studded with nine fours and half a dozen of sixes ensured that Chennai have reached the cut-off limit of 16 points needed for the play-off even though they would like to finish in the top two. Watson's innings would also be a relief for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had urged the top order to finish matches. A 77-run stand between Watson and Suresh Raina (38) created the platform and the former Australia all-rounder singlehandedly decimated the Hyderabad attack. What made it more difficult for the Hyderabad was the fact that their strike bowler Rashid Khan was pulverised by Watson, who took him to the cleaners with 44 coming off his spell. Sandeep Sharma was another bowler, who was handed severe punishment as he went for 54 in 3.5 overs. Sandeep repeatedly bowled short and Watson would gleefully pull him. Skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/18 in 4 overs) had no option but to bowl the 19th over and left Sandeep with nine runs to defend. However, Kedar Jadhav literally finished the match with a six off the second ball that sealed the deal. Earlier, the immensely talented Manish Pandey was back in his element as his unbeaten 83 off 49 balls powered Hyderabad to a fighting 175 for 3 after being put into bat. Pandey and league's current leading run-scorer David Warner (57 off 45 balls) added 115 runs for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a decent score on what was the best batting track on offer at the Chepauk. Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh struck an early blow, having the in-form Jony Bairstow caught behind in the second over for a duck. He was the most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 39 in four overs while Deepak Chahar picked up the wicket of Vijay Shankar (26 off 20 balls). Despite the early dismissal of Bairstow, the visiting team didn't get tied down as the irrepressible Warner and Manish Pandey kept hitting those boundaries and sixes. They brought up the team's 50 in the sixth over. Pandey who has not been in the best form, hit his straps, scoring freely and was not afraid to go over the top. Dhoni's shuffling of the bowlers didn't make much of an impact as Warner and Pandey kept attacking. Pandey was the first to reach 50 in 25 balls, pulling one from Dwayne Bravo for a boundary. Warner was a touch slower in comparison to Pandey, but didn't miss out when the opportunity presented itself and hit a couple of big sixes. The pugnacious Warner fell against the run of play, victim of Dhoni's trademark lightning-quick stumping off a Harbhajan delivery. The Australian, who is leading the run charts this season, fell for 57 (45 balls, 3x4, 2X6) after adding 115 runs for the second wicket with Pandey.

IPL 2019: Shane Watson's 96 gets Chennai back on winning track

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/they-wont-buy-me-at-the-auctions-says-ms-dhoni-on-revealing-chennais-secret-success-mantra-213087">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> will not hesitate to take time off before World Cup if his niggling back problem worsens during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), the stumper-batsman has said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-shane-watsons-96-gets-chennai-back-on-winning-track-213086">Chennai </a>skipper Dhoni missed last week's defeat by&nbsp;Hyderabad due to a back spasm and the 37-year-old is unwilling to risk a serious injury that could rule him out of the World Cup starting in England and Wales on May 30.</p>

<p>"It's holding up, it's not showing signs of getting worse. With the World Cup coming up, I have to keep in mind that I can't really get injured," Dhoni said of his injury after Chennai's six-wicket victory over Hyderabad on Tuesday.</p>

<p>"There's a bit of stiffness. There was a bit of spasm at the start of the tournament but there's no spasm as of now. I'm used to playing international cricket with some kind of pain", said Dhoni.</p>

<p>He added, "If you wait to be 100 per cent before you play a game maybe you'd have to wait five years before you play the next game. It's something I can afford to do. If it gets worse, I'll definitely take some time off."</p>

<p>Dhoni has played 341 one-day internationals, scoring 10,500 runs at an average of just under 51, and his glovework makes him the first-choice wicketkeeper in the limited-overs format.</p>

<p>India's 2011 World Cup winning captain has scored over 300 runs in nine ODIs this year, with four half-centuries, including three in a row during the tour of Australia.</p>

<p>The IPL ends on May 12. India begins its World Cup campaign against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.</p>


Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not hesitate to take time off before World Cup if his niggling back problem worsens during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), the stumper-batsman has said.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not hesitate to take time off before World Cup if his niggling back problem worsens during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), the stumper-batsman has said. Chennai skipper Dhoni missed last week's defeat by Hyderabad due to a back spasm and the 37-year-old is unwilling to risk a serious injury that could rule him out of the World Cup starting in England and Wales on May 30. "It's holding up, it's not showing signs of getting worse. With the World Cup coming up, I have to keep in mind that I can't really get injured," Dhoni said of his injury after Chennai's six-wicket victory over Hyderabad on Tuesday. "There's a bit of stiffness. There was a bit of spasm at the start of the tournament but there's no spasm as of now. I'm used to playing international cricket with some kind of pain", said Dhoni. He added, "If you wait to be 100 per cent before you play a game maybe you'd have to wait five years before you play the next game. It's something I can afford to do. If it gets worse, I'll definitely take some time off." Dhoni has played 341 one-day internationals, scoring 10,500 runs at an average of just under 51, and his glovework makes him the first-choice wicketkeeper in the limited-overs format. India's 2011 World Cup winning captain has scored over 300 runs in nine ODIs this year, with four half-centuries, including three in a row during the tour of Australia. The IPL ends on May 12. India begins its World Cup campaign against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.

Dhoni to take rest before World Cup if back trouble worsens

<p>Ignored for the World Cup, Rishabh Pant Monday said the "selection thought was running" in his mind.</p>

<p>Pant made a statement with a blistering 78 off 36 balls and powered <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-steals-ajinkya-rahanes-limelight-as-delhi-beat-rajasthan-to-top-ipl-table-212713">Delhi to a six-wicket win over Rajasthan in the Indian Premier League</a> here.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I am feeling lovely. To make your team win in an important match is a good feeling. I won't lie, the selection thought was running in my mind," Pant said at the post-match press conference.</p>

<p>The young keeper-batsman added, "I focussed on my process and it worked for me. The wicket was playing good, and I just took advantage of that, I guess. Most important thing for our team is that everyone knows our role, and the support staff tells us, 'this is your role, and this is what is going to happen to you'."</p>

<p>Pant, who was left out of India's squad at the expense of Dinesh Karthik, smashed six fours and four sixes during his stay in the middle.</p>

<p>DC skipper Shreyas Iyer was happy with the way the pitch played, and so was his counterpart Steve Smith.</p>

<p>"When we play away from home, the wickets are so good. We enjoy playing on the rise, and the wickets are perfectly made for them," Iyer said.</p>

<p>"It was important to get a good start in the Powerplay, and Shikhar has been doing that well. The way we've been playing away games and coming back to our home games, we are unaware of how our pitch plays itself."</p>

<p>DC fought back after Rajasthan looked to cross 200 at one stage.</p>

<p>"We knew they were going to go all out, especially the way Ajinkya was batting. This is a big ground, and the pitch was a belter. The way they started, we were expecting 200, but the bowlers did well to restrict them to 190," Iyer said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The win lifted Delhi to the top of the table with 11 victories and four defeats from 11 outings.&nbsp;</p>


Ignored for the World Cup, Rishabh Pant Monday said the "selection thought was running" in his mind. Pant made a statement with a blistering 78 off 36 balls and powered Delhi to a six-wicket win over Rajasthan in the Indian Premier League here.

Ignored for the World Cup, Rishabh Pant Monday said the "selection thought was running" in his mind. Pant made a statement with a blistering 78 off 36 balls and powered Delhi to a six-wicket win over Rajasthan in the Indian Premier League here. "I am feeling lovely. To make your team win in an important match is a good feeling. I won't lie, the selection thought was running in my mind," Pant said at the post-match press conference. The young keeper-batsman added, "I focussed on my process and it worked for me. The wicket was playing good, and I just took advantage of that, I guess. Most important thing for our team is that everyone knows our role, and the support staff tells us, 'this is your role, and this is what is going to happen to you'." Pant, who was left out of India's squad at the expense of Dinesh Karthik, smashed six fours and four sixes during his stay in the middle. DC skipper Shreyas Iyer was happy with the way the pitch played, and so was his counterpart Steve Smith. "When we play away from home, the wickets are so good. We enjoy playing on the rise, and the wickets are perfectly made for them," Iyer said. "It was important to get a good start in the Powerplay, and Shikhar has been doing that well. The way we've been playing away games and coming back to our home games, we are unaware of how our pitch plays itself." DC fought back after Rajasthan looked to cross 200 at one stage. "We knew they were going to go all out, especially the way Ajinkya was batting. This is a big ground, and the pitch was a belter. The way they started, we were expecting 200, but the bowlers did well to restrict them to 190," Iyer said. The win lifted Delhi to the top of the table with 11 victories and four defeats from 11 outings.

IPL 2019: Selection thing was running in my mind, says Rishabh Pant