Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday released veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh from the squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 mini-auction. With the deadline to submit the list of retained players set for January 20, IPL franchises are set to release the list of retained and released players ahead of the mini-auction for IPL 2021.&nbsp;

Harbhajan Singh, who missed IPL 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, due to personal reasons, took to social media platform Twitter to announce the development as he thanked CSK for beautiful memories in the last couple of years. The 40-year-old went on to thank the staff, management and CSK fans for supporting him during his stay with the Yellow Army.&nbsp;

"As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was great experience..beautiful memories made &amp;some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to&nbsp;come..Thank&nbsp;you @ChennaiIPL&nbsp;,&nbsp;management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years..&nbsp;All the best..," tweeted Harbajan on Wednesday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-thanks-bcci-on-successful-tour-salutes-team-indias-courage-and-skill-357897" hreflang="en">Cricket Australia thanks BCCI on successful tour, salutes Team India's 'courage and skill'</a>

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As my contract comes to an end with <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a>, playing for this team was a great experience..beautiful memories made &amp;some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a>, management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years.. All the best..🙏
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh/status/1351778962708389889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Harbhajan, in IPL 2019, featured in 11 matches for Chennai Super Kings where the veteran off-spinner picked 16 wickets with an economy rate of 7.09. While he could have been a potent option with the ball at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the IPL franchise thought it would be of best interest to look&nbsp;towards the&nbsp;future.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-hailed-as-immortals-australia-under-fire-after-gabba-stunner-357893" hreflang="en">India hailed as 'Immortals', Australia under fire after Gabba stunner</a>

Moreover, the likes of Murali Vijay and Piyush Chawla are also likely to be released while the fate of Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav lies in MS Dhoni's hands with the CSK skipper expected to take a final call on the&nbsp;duo.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings are eyeing an overhaul ahead of IPL 2021 mini-auction after failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in their history in IPL 2019.

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Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday released veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh from the squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 mini-auction. With the deadline to submit the list of retained players set for January 20, IPL franchises are set to release the list of retained and released players ahead of the mini-auction for IPL 2021.

Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday released veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh from the squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 mini-auction. With the deadline to submit the list of retained players set for January 20, IPL franchises are set to release the list of retained and released players ahead of the mini-auction for IPL 2021. Harbhajan Singh, who missed IPL 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, due to personal reasons, took to social media platform Twitter to announce the development as he thanked CSK for beautiful memories in the last couple of years. The 40-year-old went on to thank the staff, management and CSK fans for supporting him during his stay with the Yellow Army. "As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was great experience..beautiful memories made &some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you @ChennaiIPL , management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years.. All the best..," tweeted Harbajan on Wednesday. ALSO READ: Cricket Australia thanks BCCI on successful tour, salutes Team India's 'courage and skill' As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was a great experience..beautiful memories made &some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you @ChennaiIPL, management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years.. All the best..🙏 — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 20, 2021 × Harbhajan, in IPL 2019, featured in 11 matches for Chennai Super Kings where the veteran off-spinner picked 16 wickets with an economy rate of 7.09. While he could have been a potent option with the ball at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the IPL franchise thought it would be of best interest to look towards the future. ALSO READ: India hailed as 'Immortals', Australia under fire after Gabba stunner Moreover, the likes of Murali Vijay and Piyush Chawla are also likely to be released while the fate of Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav lies in MS Dhoni's hands with the CSK skipper expected to take a final call on the duo. Chennai Super Kings are eyeing an overhaul ahead of IPL 2021 mini-auction after failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in their history in IPL 2019.

Chennai Super Kings release Harbhajan Singh ahead of IPL 2021 mini-auction

Former India batsman Suresh Raina is set to return to competitive cricket after nearly two years. The cricketer is set to lead Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2020/21 and will be a part of the Indian Premier League next year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-south-africa-announce-their-tour-to-pakistan-348603" hreflang="en">Cricket South Africa announce their tour to Pakistan</a>

While speaking to Dainik Jagran, Raina confirmed the news. In 2015/16, Raina led the state team to a title victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Suresh Raina announced his retirement from international cricket along with MS Dhoni and has not played a match since the finals of IPL 2019. He was set to feature in the 2020 IPL tournament and don the yellow jersey for CSK. However, the player returned home after 13 personnel in the CSK camp tested positive for COVID-19.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-bosses-sourav-ganguly-jay-shah-to-continue-as-supreme-court-lists-next-hearing-in-january-348601" hreflang="en">BCCI bosses Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah to continue as Supreme Court lists next hearing in January</a>

Harbhajan Singh too had withdrawn from the league due to the pandemic. The franchise had removed their names from the official website and it isn't known whether they are part of CSK or not.

The last time Raina featured in First-class cricket was back in December last year when he represented UP and played against Jharkhand in Lucknow. However, Raina has said that he does not intend to play in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare trophy.&nbsp;

Former India batsman Suresh Raina is set to return to competitive cricket after nearly two years. The cricketer is set to lead Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2020/21 and will be a part of the Indian Premier League next year.

Former India batsman Suresh Raina is set to return to competitive cricket after nearly two years. The cricketer is set to lead Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2020/21 and will be a part of the Indian Premier League next year. Also read: Cricket South Africa announce their tour to Pakistan While speaking to Dainik Jagran, Raina confirmed the news. In 2015/16, Raina led the state team to a title victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Suresh Raina announced his retirement from international cricket along with MS Dhoni and has not played a match since the finals of IPL 2019. He was set to feature in the 2020 IPL tournament and don the yellow jersey for CSK. However, the player returned home after 13 personnel in the CSK camp tested positive for COVID-19. Also read: BCCI bosses Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah to continue as Supreme Court lists next hearing in January Harbhajan Singh too had withdrawn from the league due to the pandemic. The franchise had removed their names from the official website and it isn't known whether they are part of CSK or not. The last time Raina featured in First-class cricket was back in December last year when he represented UP and played against Jharkhand in Lucknow. However, Raina has said that he does not intend to play in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare trophy.

Suresh Raina to return for IPL 2020/21 and Syed Mushtaq Ali

After 60 matches, packed with thrilling on-field action, played over two months between eight teams, Mumbai Indians emerged as the winners. The team beat Delhi Capitals&nbsp;in the final to win their fifth title. While the table-toppers won the title on-field, Chennai Super Kings were seemingly on everyone’s minds on Twitter as it was&nbsp;the most Tweeted team&nbsp;during the tournament.&nbsp;

While cricket fans couldn’t be in the stadium or even the same room as their friends to watch the matches this year, the roar of cricket enthusiasts was just as resounding on Twitter. The service is the home of cricket conversations in India, and fans turn to it for real-time highlights, to enhance their viewing experience and to feel connected to the game through conversations with other fans.

After a long hiatus because of the pandemic, Indian cricketers got back to the field with the opening game of this league, unsurprisingly making the opening match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings&nbsp;the most Tweeted about match&nbsp;of the season. This was followed by: #MIvSRH&nbsp;(on 4th October) and&nbsp;&nbsp;#MIvDC&nbsp;(the double super over match - played on 18th October).&nbsp;

<img alt="IPL 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="69b8c1c2-7478-44b4-a731-d9b90d3729cf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/download%20%281%29.png" />

TRENDING:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-kxips-short-run-to-suresh-raina-here-are-top-5-controversies-of-ipl-2020-343559">In pics: KXIP's short run to Raina: Here are top 5 controversies of IPL 2020</a>

<h2>The top five Twitter Moments from the season were:&nbsp;</h2>

1.&nbsp;Sep 27, 2020: Nicolas Pooran's gravity-defying catch thrills fans

2.&nbsp;Oct 15, 2020: The Universe Boss is back&nbsp;

3. Sep 24, 2020: KL Rahul registers the highest IPL score by an Indian with his 132*

4.&nbsp;Oct 21, 2020: Mohammed Siraj records two maidens and three wickets&nbsp;

5.&nbsp;Oct 16, 2020: Dinesh Karthik steps down as KKR's skipper and hands the captaincy over to Eoin Morgan

While Virat Kohli was&nbsp;the most Tweeted about player&nbsp;in the league, Chennai Super Kings dominated the Twitter charts by becoming&nbsp;the most Tweeted about the team.&nbsp;

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<h2>Here are&nbsp;the most Tweeted about teams:</h2>

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL)

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets)

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan)

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sunrisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers)

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kolkata Knight Riders (@KKRiders)

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals)

7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip)

8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals)

The Golden Tweet&nbsp;of the season was the Tweet from the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar&nbsp;praising the fielding effort by Kings XI Punjab cricketer Nicholas Pooran during the&nbsp;#RRvKXIP&nbsp;match. The Tweet received over 23K Retweets. Here are&nbsp;the top three most Retweeted Tweets&nbsp;-

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This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!! 👍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvKXIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvKXIP</a> <a href="https://t.co/2r7cNZmUaw">pic.twitter.com/2r7cNZmUaw</a>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1310258625584271361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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How many RTs for Kishan's 99?
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1310638462194786304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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💔 <a href="https://t.co/XD7bi7R36X">pic.twitter.com/XD7bi7R36X</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1312092767854555137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<h2>The top 10&nbsp;most Tweeted hashtags&nbsp;during the tournament were:</h2>

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#IPL2020

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#Whistlepodu

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#CSK

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#yellove

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#Playbold

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#WhistleFromHome

7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#MI

8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#MumbaiIndians

9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#onefamily

10.&nbsp;&nbsp;#orangearmy

For cricket lovers, the live-action isn’t over yet. India's tour of Australia is soon coming up, so fans across the globe can follow and join the conversation around the entire tour on Twitter.

After 60 matches, packed with thrilling on-field action, played over two months between eight teams, Mumbai Indians emerged as the winners. The team beat Delhi Capitals in the final to win their fifth title.

After 60 matches, packed with thrilling on-field action, played over two months between eight teams, Mumbai Indians emerged as the winners. The team beat Delhi Capitals in the final to win their fifth title. While the table-toppers won the title on-field, Chennai Super Kings were seemingly on everyone’s minds on Twitter as it was the most Tweeted team during the tournament. While cricket fans couldn’t be in the stadium or even the same room as their friends to watch the matches this year, the roar of cricket enthusiasts was just as resounding on Twitter. The service is the home of cricket conversations in India, and fans turn to it for real-time highlights, to enhance their viewing experience and to feel connected to the game through conversations with other fans. After a long hiatus because of the pandemic, Indian cricketers got back to the field with the opening game of this league, unsurprisingly making the opening match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings the most Tweeted about match of the season. This was followed by: #MIvSRH (on 4th October) and #MIvDC (the double super over match - played on 18th October). TRENDING: In pics: KXIP's short run to Raina: Here are top 5 controversies of IPL 2020 The top five Twitter Moments from the season were: 1. Sep 27, 2020: Nicolas Pooran's gravity-defying catch thrills fans 2. Oct 15, 2020: The Universe Boss is back 3. Sep 24, 2020: KL Rahul registers the highest IPL score by an Indian with his 132* 4. Oct 21, 2020: Mohammed Siraj records two maidens and three wickets 5. Oct 16, 2020: Dinesh Karthik steps down as KKR's skipper and hands the captaincy over to Eoin Morgan While Virat Kohli was the most Tweeted about player in the league, Chennai Super Kings dominated the Twitter charts by becoming the most Tweeted about the team. Here are the most Tweeted about teams: 1. Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) 2. Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) 3. Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) 4. Sunrisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) 5. Kolkata Knight Riders (@KKRiders) 6. Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) 7. Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) 8. Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) The Golden Tweet of the season was the Tweet from the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar praising the fielding effort by Kings XI Punjab cricketer Nicholas Pooran during the #RRvKXIP match. The Tweet received over 23K Retweets. Here are the top three most Retweeted Tweets - This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!! 👍#IPL2020 #RRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/2r7cNZmUaw — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 27, 2020 × How many RTs for Kishan's 99? — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 28, 2020 × 💔 pic.twitter.com/XD7bi7R36X — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) October 2, 2020 × The top 10 most Tweeted hashtags during the tournament were: 1. #IPL2020 2. #Whistlepodu 3. #CSK 4. #yellove 5. #Playbold 6. #WhistleFromHome 7. #MI 8. #MumbaiIndians 9. #onefamily 10. #orangearmy For cricket lovers, the live-action isn’t over yet. India's tour of Australia is soon coming up, so fans across the globe can follow and join the conversation around the entire tour on Twitter.

Chennai Super Kings become the most Tweeted about team during cricket season

India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that MS Dhoni might hand over his captaincy in the upcoming IPL season and represent Chennai Super Kings as a player.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-cricketer-krunal-pandya-detained-at-mumbai-airport-342783" hreflang="en">Indian Cricketer Krunal Pandya detained at Mumbai airport</a>

In the recent episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, Sanjay Bangar and Irfan Pathan discussed Chennai's strategies for IPL 2021 so that they don't repeat the 2020 debacle.&nbsp;

Pathan was asked if he sees MS Dhoni preparing someone to take over the CSK captaincy and if he has any such player in mind. Being a CSK player in the past, Irfan said that he can't think of anyone at the moment. Former India player went on to say that Dhoni will return to IPL 2021 "better prepared with more emphasis on fitness."

Irfan said: "As of now, I am not getting any such player in my mind. The next year I am seeing that MS Dhoni will come, there is only a gap of few months between this season and the next season, which means he will come better prepared with more emphasis on fitness."

However, Bangar believed that Dhoni might hand over his captaincy to Faf du Plessis as he in the past handed his reigns of India team to Virat at the right time.&nbsp;

Bangar said: "As far as I know, MS Dhoni might have thought after 2011 if he should be continuing to captain the Indian team but he knew that India had quite a few tough encounters after that, we had to go and play in England and Australia and at that time there was no captaincy candidate ready, so he only handled that burden and at the right time he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli and he also played after that."

"So as far as I can understand, I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year and may play as a player and give the captaincy at this stage to Faf du Plessis for the transition to happen under Faf du Plessis," Sanjay Bangar added.&nbsp;

India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that MS Dhoni might hand over his captaincy in the upcoming IPL season and represent Chennai Super Kings as a player.

India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that MS Dhoni might hand over his captaincy in the upcoming IPL season and represent Chennai Super Kings as a player. Also read: Indian Cricketer Krunal Pandya detained at Mumbai airport In the recent episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, Sanjay Bangar and Irfan Pathan discussed Chennai's strategies for IPL 2021 so that they don't repeat the 2020 debacle. Pathan was asked if he sees MS Dhoni preparing someone to take over the CSK captaincy and if he has any such player in mind. Being a CSK player in the past, Irfan said that he can't think of anyone at the moment. Former India player went on to say that Dhoni will return to IPL 2021 "better prepared with more emphasis on fitness." Irfan said: "As of now, I am not getting any such player in my mind. The next year I am seeing that MS Dhoni will come, there is only a gap of few months between this season and the next season, which means he will come better prepared with more emphasis on fitness." However, Bangar believed that Dhoni might hand over his captaincy to Faf du Plessis as he in the past handed his reigns of India team to Virat at the right time. Bangar said: "As far as I know, MS Dhoni might have thought after 2011 if he should be continuing to captain the Indian team but he knew that India had quite a few tough encounters after that, we had to go and play in England and Australia and at that time there was no captaincy candidate ready, so he only handled that burden and at the right time he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli and he also played after that." "So as far as I can understand, I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year and may play as a player and give the captaincy at this stage to Faf du Plessis for the transition to happen under Faf du Plessis," Sanjay Bangar added.

IPL 2021: 'I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year'- Sanjay Bangar

Chennai Super Kings ended their woeful IPL season on a high after winning three consecutive matches. They managed to knock Punjab out of the league in their final IPL 2020 match.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/definitely-not-ms-dhoni-clears-the-air-on-his-future-with-csk-in-ipl-339424" hreflang="en">'Definitely not': MS Dhoni clears the air on his future with CSK in IPL</a>&nbsp;

However, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said that the franchise will look forward to make a few changes in their core group.

"It was a difficult campaign for us. I don’t think we played to the full potential. We did commit a lot of errors at different points in the tournament," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.&nbsp;

"The last four games, it could be a template as to where we would have liked to be. If you are lagging too much, it becomes very difficult to push yourself and come up with performances. That’s where each and everyone had to contribute. Very proud the way they played their cricket," he added.

"It would have been very tough 6-7 games. You won’t want to be in a dressing room that is not really enjoying cricket. You want to keep coming up with different ideas but if the dressing room atmosphere is not happy, it becomes very tough," he further said.

Dhoni went on to add that CSK will be handing over more responsibilities to the next generation in the coming year. "A lot depends on what the BCCI decides upon the auction. We need to slightly change our core group and look for the next ten years. At the start of the IPL, we made a team and it served well. There comes a time where you have to shift a bit, hand it over to the next generation," Dhoni added.

Chennai Super Kings ended their woeful IPL season on a high after winning three consecutive matches. They managed to knock Punjab out of the league in their final IPL 2020 match.

Chennai Super Kings ended their woeful IPL season on a high after winning three consecutive matches. They managed to knock Punjab out of the league in their final IPL 2020 match. Also read: 'Definitely not': MS Dhoni clears the air on his future with CSK in IPL However, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said that the franchise will look forward to make a few changes in their core group. "It was a difficult campaign for us. I don’t think we played to the full potential. We did commit a lot of errors at different points in the tournament," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "The last four games, it could be a template as to where we would have liked to be. If you are lagging too much, it becomes very difficult to push yourself and come up with performances. That’s where each and everyone had to contribute. Very proud the way they played their cricket," he added. "It would have been very tough 6-7 games. You won’t want to be in a dressing room that is not really enjoying cricket. You want to keep coming up with different ideas but if the dressing room atmosphere is not happy, it becomes very tough," he further said. Dhoni went on to add that CSK will be handing over more responsibilities to the next generation in the coming year. "A lot depends on what the BCCI decides upon the auction. We need to slightly change our core group and look for the next ten years. At the start of the IPL, we made a team and it served well. There comes a time where you have to shift a bit, hand it over to the next generation," Dhoni added.

'Look for the next ten years': Dhoni promises change in CSK for next season

Chennai Super Kings have had a woeful IPL season this year as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. MS Dhoni has not been in a good form this season, and his captaincy was questioned by many.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-csk-vs-kxip-preview-kings-xi-punjab-play-do-or-die-match-against-chennai-339400">IPL 2020, CSK vs KXIP Preview: Kings XI Punjab play do-or-die match</a>

However, Dhoni has confirmed that he will continue to appear for the franchise in the next edition of the Indian Premier League. He confirmed this during Chennai's final game in IPL 2020.&nbsp;

Commentator Danny Morrison asked Dhoni, "Will this be your last game in Yellow?" to which MS Dhoni replied, "definitely not."

MS Dhoni and Co sit at the bottom of the IPL table with 5 wins and 8 losses. However, they will be hoping to finish the season with a win.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings faced a couple of setbacks way before the league began. They lost their star batsman and bowler (Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh). Many members of the team also contracted the dreadful coronavirus including Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar.&nbsp;

Despite winning the season opener against Mumbai Indians, Chennai lost a string of matches and became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings have had a woeful IPL season this year as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. MS Dhoni has not been in a good form this season, and his captaincy was questioned by many.

Chennai Super Kings have had a woeful IPL season this year as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. MS Dhoni has not been in a good form this season, and his captaincy was questioned by many. Also read: IPL 2020, CSK vs KXIP Preview: Kings XI Punjab play do-or-die match However, Dhoni has confirmed that he will continue to appear for the franchise in the next edition of the Indian Premier League. He confirmed this during Chennai's final game in IPL 2020. Commentator Danny Morrison asked Dhoni, "Will this be your last game in Yellow?" to which MS Dhoni replied, "definitely not." MS Dhoni and Co sit at the bottom of the IPL table with 5 wins and 8 losses. However, they will be hoping to finish the season with a win. Chennai Super Kings faced a couple of setbacks way before the league began. They lost their star batsman and bowler (Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh). Many members of the team also contracted the dreadful coronavirus including Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar. Despite winning the season opener against Mumbai Indians, Chennai lost a string of matches and became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament.

'Definitely not': MS Dhoni clears the air on his future with CSK in IPL

Chennai Super Kings lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday as the action in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 continues. While CSK are officially out of IPL 2020, the match is of extreme importance for KKR as they are still in a close fight for the playoff race.&nbsp;

KKR, fifth in the IPL 2020 table, are equal on points with Kings XI Punjab, who are sitting at the fourth spot due to better net run-rate. While KKRs’ NRR is one of the worst in IPL 2020, they would be eyeing to win their remaining two games while hoping KXIP and other contenders lose at least one of their games.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-suryakumar-yadav-was-as-good-as-it-gets-says-michael-vaughan-338719" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Suryakumar Yadav was as good as it gets, says Michael Vaughan</a>

<h2>CSK vs KKR: Head-to-head stats</h2>

Talking about head-to-head statistics of matches between CSK and KKR, Chennai Super Kings have an advantage with 13 wins as compared to Kolkata Knight Riders’ 8. However, KKR had earlier defeated CSK in IPL 2020 where the franchise, under former captain Dinesh Karthik, made a sensational comeback to choke the Super Kings during their chase and seal the match by 10 runs. 
Given the conditions in Dubai, a score of 170 is deemed as competitive and the team winning the toss could opt to bat first and put a total on the board without additional pressure.

<h2>CSK vs KKR - IPL 2020, Squads:</h2>

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik(w), Eoin Morgan(c), Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Kuldeep Yadav, Sandeep Warrier, Siddhesh Lad, Nikhil Naik, Tim Seifert, Chris Green, Rinku Singh, Ali Khan, Tom Banton, Shivam Mavi, Manimaran Siddharth

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), N Jagadeesan, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Monu Kumar, Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, KM Asif, Shardul Thakur, Josh Hazlewood

Chennai Super Kings lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday as the action in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 continues.

Chennai Super Kings lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday as the action in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 continues. While CSK are officially out of IPL 2020, the match is of extreme importance for KKR as they are still in a close fight for the playoff race. KKR, fifth in the IPL 2020 table, are equal on points with Kings XI Punjab, who are sitting at the fourth spot due to better net run-rate. While KKRs’ NRR is one of the worst in IPL 2020, they would be eyeing to win their remaining two games while hoping KXIP and other contenders lose at least one of their games. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Suryakumar Yadav was as good as it gets, says Michael Vaughan CSK vs KKR: Head-to-head stats Talking about head-to-head statistics of matches between CSK and KKR, Chennai Super Kings have an advantage with 13 wins as compared to Kolkata Knight Riders’ 8. However, KKR had earlier defeated CSK in IPL 2020 where the franchise, under former captain Dinesh Karthik, made a sensational comeback to choke the Super Kings during their chase and seal the match by 10 runs. Given the conditions in Dubai, a score of 170 is deemed as competitive and the team winning the toss could opt to bat first and put a total on the board without additional pressure. CSK vs KKR - IPL 2020, Squads: Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik(w), Eoin Morgan(c), Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Kuldeep Yadav, Sandeep Warrier, Siddhesh Lad, Nikhil Naik, Tim Seifert, Chris Green, Rinku Singh, Ali Khan, Tom Banton, Shivam Mavi, Manimaran Siddharth Chennai Super Kings Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), N Jagadeesan, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Monu Kumar, Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, KM Asif, Shardul Thakur, Josh Hazlewood

IPL 2020, CSK vs KKR Preview: Can Kolkata bounce back strong in playoff race?

Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore will square off against Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the 44th match in the Indian Premier League at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore will square off against Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the 44th match in the Indian Premier League at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Also read: IPL 2020: Rana and Chakravarthy shine as Kolkata thrash Delhi by 59 runs Royal Challengers Bangalore have shown a good display of cricket this year after winning 7 matches out of 10 and are in the third position in the IPL points table. RCB's bowling performance has been the real match-winner for the franchise this year. Virat Kohli has been in good form. But the openers (Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch) have failed to give a good start for Bangalore. Siraj's bowling performance in the last match against KKR makes him a very valuable asset for the team. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, has been woeful this IPL season. They sit on the bottom of the table with 8 losses and just 3 wins. MS Dhoni and Co. have failed to prove a point with both bat and ball. Their previous match (against Mumbai Indians) was the biggest defeat in IPL history after MI beat them by 10 wickets. Technically, Chennai is out of competition as they won't qualify for the play-offs. Probable XI: RCB: Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood/Lungi Ngidi/Mitchell Santner

IPL 2020: Virat's Royal Challengers take on Dhoni's Super Kings

Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be forced into major changes after a humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, their veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Dhoni's team suffered a crushing 10-wicket loss in Friday's clash that is widely considered Indian cricket's El Clasico drawing a huge TV audience.

Mumbai and Chennai, both huge spenders on international stars, are now at opposite ends of the eight team table. Mumbai are strong candidates for a fifth title while Dhoni's side are virtually certain to miss the playoffs. And he admitted after an eighth defeat in 11 games that this "hurt".

Chennai could manage only 114 for nine, a total four-time champions Mumbai chased down in 12.2 overs without losing a wicket.

"Whenever you're not doing well, there can be a hundred reasons, but one of the main things you ask yourself is whether you've played to the potential you've got, no matter the conditions," Dhoni said.

"And this year we haven't. Cumulatively there have been batting failures."

Chennai have been dubbed "Dad's Army" by the media because of their use of over-35 players including Dhoni, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis. That will now change.

<h2>Rusty Dhoni&nbsp;</h2>

Dhoni, 39, who retired from international cricket in August, said young players will be blooded for the remaining three games.

"I think it's important for us to have a clear picture of next year. There are lots of ifs and buts -- the auction, where the venues will be. The coming three games will be an ideal opportunity to give platforms," said Dhoni.

"See some of the youngsters in preparation for next year, see who will bat and who bowls at the death and soaks the pressure. A few more who are on the bench will get games in the coming three games."

Watson was dropped for the Mumbai game but South African Imran Tahir, 41, played his first match of the season.

"We had a problem of balance all the way through" with the spin bowling "ineffective", said coach Stephen Fleming explaining the introduction of the IPL's oldest player.

"We have got to find a way to win the next three games and give guys opportunities to press case for retention next year or for opportunities for other teams."

Dhoni, once of the game's best finishers but who took more than a year off after India's elimination from the World Cup, has been slammed for his go-slow approach this season.

Chennai "are looking like an ageing boxer in the ring against younger fighters who are throwing more punches than he can handle," veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on Twitter.

"In my opinion, the break from the World Cup in 2019 to this IPL allowed some rustiness to creep in," former India captain Kris Srikkanth wrote in The Times of India newspaper, calling for the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman to go back to his traditional "fearless and attacking" tactics.

Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be forced into major changes after a humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, their veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be forced into major changes after a humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, their veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. Dhoni's team suffered a crushing 10-wicket loss in Friday's clash that is widely considered Indian cricket's El Clasico drawing a huge TV audience. Mumbai and Chennai, both huge spenders on international stars, are now at opposite ends of the eight team table. Mumbai are strong candidates for a fifth title while Dhoni's side are virtually certain to miss the playoffs. And he admitted after an eighth defeat in 11 games that this "hurt". Chennai could manage only 114 for nine, a total four-time champions Mumbai chased down in 12.2 overs without losing a wicket. "Whenever you're not doing well, there can be a hundred reasons, but one of the main things you ask yourself is whether you've played to the potential you've got, no matter the conditions," Dhoni said. "And this year we haven't. Cumulatively there have been batting failures." Chennai have been dubbed "Dad's Army" by the media because of their use of over-35 players including Dhoni, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis. That will now change. Rusty Dhoni Dhoni, 39, who retired from international cricket in August, said young players will be blooded for the remaining three games. "I think it's important for us to have a clear picture of next year. There are lots of ifs and buts -- the auction, where the venues will be. The coming three games will be an ideal opportunity to give platforms," said Dhoni. "See some of the youngsters in preparation for next year, see who will bat and who bowls at the death and soaks the pressure. A few more who are on the bench will get games in the coming three games." Watson was dropped for the Mumbai game but South African Imran Tahir, 41, played his first match of the season. "We had a problem of balance all the way through" with the spin bowling "ineffective", said coach Stephen Fleming explaining the introduction of the IPL's oldest player. "We have got to find a way to win the next three games and give guys opportunities to press case for retention next year or for opportunities for other teams." Dhoni, once of the game's best finishers but who took more than a year off after India's elimination from the World Cup, has been slammed for his go-slow approach this season. Chennai "are looking like an ageing boxer in the ring against younger fighters who are throwing more punches than he can handle," veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on Twitter. "In my opinion, the break from the World Cup in 2019 to this IPL allowed some rustiness to creep in," former India captain Kris Srikkanth wrote in The Times of India newspaper, calling for the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman to go back to his traditional "fearless and attacking" tactics.

CSK's MS Dhoni vows changes after season of IPL 'failures'

Ruled out of the remainder of IPL with a groin injury, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has implored the beleaguered outfit's fans to keep supporting it in what has turned out to be a forgettable season.

The 37-year-old's pullout came as a massive blow to the already struggling side which has very slim chances of advancing to the play-offs.

"It's sad news, it's sad to be leaving my team CSK. To all our CSK fans, I want you all to keep encouraging the team, keep supporting, all the true die-hard CSK fans," Bravo said in a video message uploaded by the franchise on its Twitter handle.

"This wasn't a season we expected or our fans wanted, but we gave it our best. Sometimes, despite giving our best, the results don't show."

Bravo reminded the fans of CSK's excellent record of winning three IPLs in the past.

"Keep supporting us and I can guarantee you we're going to come back stronger and better like champions. One of the most successful franchises, I feel we should be proud to be members and fans of CSK."

Bravo, an integral part of the CSK team for years now, couldn't bowl the final over against Delhi Capitals in a match in Sharjah on October 17.

The West Indian played six games and scored only seven runs in two innings. However, he got six wickets at an economy rate of 8.57.

CSK's campaign has already been derailed after seven losses from 10 games. They are currently currently lying at the bottom of the league table.

Chennai Super Kings were already hamstrung by absence of senior players Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, both of whom pulled out citing personal reasons.

The poor form of some of the senior players like skipper Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav has also hurt their cause.

Ruled out of the remainder of IPL with a groin injury, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has implored the beleaguered outfit's fans to keep supporting it in what has turned out to be a forgettable season.

Ruled out of the remainder of IPL with a groin injury, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has implored the beleaguered outfit's fans to keep supporting it in what has turned out to be a forgettable season. The 37-year-old's pullout came as a massive blow to the already struggling side which has very slim chances of advancing to the play-offs. "It's sad news, it's sad to be leaving my team CSK. To all our CSK fans, I want you all to keep encouraging the team, keep supporting, all the true die-hard CSK fans," Bravo said in a video message uploaded by the franchise on its Twitter handle. "This wasn't a season we expected or our fans wanted, but we gave it our best. Sometimes, despite giving our best, the results don't show." Bravo reminded the fans of CSK's excellent record of winning three IPLs in the past. "Keep supporting us and I can guarantee you we're going to come back stronger and better like champions. One of the most successful franchises, I feel we should be proud to be members and fans of CSK." Bravo, an integral part of the CSK team for years now, couldn't bowl the final over against Delhi Capitals in a match in Sharjah on October 17. The West Indian played six games and scored only seven runs in two innings. However, he got six wickets at an economy rate of 8.57. CSK's campaign has already been derailed after seven losses from 10 games. They are currently currently lying at the bottom of the league table. Chennai Super Kings were already hamstrung by absence of senior players Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, both of whom pulled out citing personal reasons. The poor form of some of the senior players like skipper Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav has also hurt their cause.

This wasn't a season we expected, but keep supporting CSK: Bravo

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been dealt with a huge blow as veteran West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a> due to a groin injury. Bravo, who has been instrumental to CSK’s success in the past, has played a crucial role with both bat and ball for CSK in the past but won’t be seen playing anymore in IPL 2020 owing to a groin injury.

Bravo, who suffered the groin injury in CSK’s match against Delhi capitals, wasn’t in the field to bowl the 20th over which forced Dhoni to go with Ravindra Jadeja in the final over against Axar Patel and Shikhar Dhawan. CSK went on to lose the match.

"No, Bravo isn't playing any more part this time around and the groin injury has ruled him out. He will be flying back in a day or two," CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told ANI.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-shikhar-dhawan-is-a-four-hitter-fours-are-his-bread-and-butter-opines-joy-bhattacharjya-336858" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Shikhar Dhawan is a four-hitter, fours are his bread and butter, opines Joy Bhattacharjya</a>

Furthermore, Bravo had suffered an injury during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and even sat out of the first few matches for CSK. Bravo could manage only six matches for the Chennai outfit, bagging six wickets in IPL 2020.

CSK’s journey in IPL 2020 has been tough from the start after veterans Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh opted out of the T20 tournament due to personal reasons. After that, two players in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar tested positive for COVID-19 which created a bit of ruckus before the start of the lucrative tournament.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/what-is-dhonis-deal-kris-srikkanth-slams-csk-skipper-for-questionable-decisions-336681" hreflang="en">'What is Dhoni’s deal?': Kris Srikkanth slams CSK skipper for questionable decisions</a>

"Undoubtedly Raina and Harbhajan are both vital cogs in the CSK unit and they were missed. But you have to respect personal decisions and that is how we function irrespective of whether it is a senior or junior player," he added.

CSK are still mathematically alive in IPL 2020 but it is highly unlikely that the MS Dhoni-led outfit will qualify for the playoffs. 
&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been dealt with a huge blow as veteran West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 due to a groin injury.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been dealt with a huge blow as veteran West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 due to a groin injury. Bravo, who has been instrumental to CSK’s success in the past, has played a crucial role with both bat and ball for CSK in the past but won’t be seen playing anymore in IPL 2020 owing to a groin injury. Bravo, who suffered the groin injury in CSK’s match against Delhi capitals, wasn’t in the field to bowl the 20th over which forced Dhoni to go with Ravindra Jadeja in the final over against Axar Patel and Shikhar Dhawan. CSK went on to lose the match. "No, Bravo isn't playing any more part this time around and the groin injury has ruled him out. He will be flying back in a day or two," CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told ANI. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Shikhar Dhawan is a four-hitter, fours are his bread and butter, opines Joy Bhattacharjya Furthermore, Bravo had suffered an injury during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and even sat out of the first few matches for CSK. Bravo could manage only six matches for the Chennai outfit, bagging six wickets in IPL 2020. CSK’s journey in IPL 2020 has been tough from the start after veterans Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh opted out of the T20 tournament due to personal reasons. After that, two players in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar tested positive for COVID-19 which created a bit of ruckus before the start of the lucrative tournament. ALSO READ: 'What is Dhoni’s deal?': Kris Srikkanth slams CSK skipper for questionable decisions "Undoubtedly Raina and Harbhajan are both vital cogs in the CSK unit and they were missed. But you have to respect personal decisions and that is how we function irrespective of whether it is a senior or junior player," he added. CSK are still mathematically alive in IPL 2020 but it is highly unlikely that the MS Dhoni-led outfit will qualify for the playoffs.

Chennai Super Kings' Dwayne Bravo ruled out of IPL 2020 due to groin injury

Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth lashed out at CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his questionable calls as a captain in this year's Indian Premier League and slammed the choice of playing Kedar Jadhav despite his poor form.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/prized-possession-jos-buttler-poses-with-dhonis-jersey-after-downing-csk-336640" hreflang="en">'Prized possession': Jos Buttler poses with Dhoni's jersey after downing CSK</a>

Srikkanth responded to Dhoni's statement that the youngsters in the Chennai Super Kings squad did not show the spark needed to challenge the seniors and break into the playing XI.

“I will never accept what Dhoni is saying about this process,” Srikkanth told ‘Star Sports Tamil.

"This process he keeps talking about is meaningless. You keep talking about process, process... but the process of selection itself is wrong. What is Dhoni’s deal? He says (N) Jagadeesan (uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman) doesn’t have spark, but does ‘scooter’ Jadhav have that spark? This is ridiculous. I will not accept this answer today. All this talk of process, and Chennai’s tournament itself is over," he added.

Super Kings on Monday hit rock-bottom after they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets.&nbsp;

Srikkanth, who was the team mentor and brand ambassador of CSK in the inaugural edition of the IPL, also questioned Piyush Chawla’s selection.

"Dhoni now says that since the pressure is off, he’ll give the youngsters a chance. Come on, yaar. I don’t understand this rubbish about the process at all.

"Karn Sharma at least took wickets. Chawla simply goes through the motions of bowling, coming on when the game is already lost. There is no doubt Dhoni is great, but I cannot agree with him or accept this." Dhoni’s remarks, after the game, were met with severe criticism on social media.

"Fair enough, this season we weren’t really there," Dhoni said at the presentation ceremony.

"Also the youngsters, we didn’t see the spark to push the guys. But what this result has done is give those youngsters a chance in the rest of the tournament.

"Maybe going forward we bring them in and they play without pressure."

Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth lashed out at CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his questionable calls as a captain in this year's Indian Premier League and slammed the choice of playing Kedar Jadhav despite his poor form.

Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth lashed out at CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his questionable calls as a captain in this year's Indian Premier League and slammed the choice of playing Kedar Jadhav despite his poor form. Also read: 'Prized possession': Jos Buttler poses with Dhoni's jersey after downing CSK Srikkanth responded to Dhoni's statement that the youngsters in the Chennai Super Kings squad did not show the spark needed to challenge the seniors and break into the playing XI. “I will never accept what Dhoni is saying about this process,” Srikkanth told ‘Star Sports Tamil. "This process he keeps talking about is meaningless. You keep talking about process, process... but the process of selection itself is wrong. What is Dhoni’s deal? He says (N) Jagadeesan (uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman) doesn’t have spark, but does ‘scooter’ Jadhav have that spark? This is ridiculous. I will not accept this answer today. All this talk of process, and Chennai’s tournament itself is over," he added. Super Kings on Monday hit rock-bottom after they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets. Srikkanth, who was the team mentor and brand ambassador of CSK in the inaugural edition of the IPL, also questioned Piyush Chawla’s selection. "Dhoni now says that since the pressure is off, he’ll give the youngsters a chance. Come on, yaar. I don’t understand this rubbish about the process at all. "Karn Sharma at least took wickets. Chawla simply goes through the motions of bowling, coming on when the game is already lost. There is no doubt Dhoni is great, but I cannot agree with him or accept this." Dhoni’s remarks, after the game, were met with severe criticism on social media. "Fair enough, this season we weren’t really there," Dhoni said at the presentation ceremony. "Also the youngsters, we didn’t see the spark to push the guys. But what this result has done is give those youngsters a chance in the rest of the tournament. "Maybe going forward we bring them in and they play without pressure."

'What is Dhoni’s deal?': Kris Srikkanth slams CSK skipper for questionable decisions

English batsman Jos Buttler's half-century helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a win against Chennai Super Kings on Monday helping his side secure crucial two points to remain in the tournament.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-becomes-first-player-to-feature-in-200-ipl-matches-336462" hreflang="en">MS Dhoni becomes first player to feature in 200 IPL matches</a>

Buttler was adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning knock, however, he was later seen posing with a "prized possession" he got from former India captain MS Dhoni. Indian Premier League took to Twitter to share this photo and said: "Buttler all smiles with a prized possession."

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Buttler all smiles with a prized possession 😊😊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dream11IPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dream11IPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/FoUtHUofYw">pic.twitter.com/FoUtHUofYw</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1318249912144863232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The win against Chennai Super Kings at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi keeps Royals hope to secure a playoff spot. They have now moved to the fifth position on IPL's points table. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, will not be playing in the play-offs as they hit rock bottom in the tournament table after registering just three wins and conceding 7 losses.&nbsp;

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 Indian Premier League matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

Dhoni, who has been a regular face in IPL since its inception, has played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant while breaking several records in T20 cricket. The former Indian captain has helped Chennai Super Kings win three IPL trophies while being the only captain to take CSK to the playoffs in every season they have participated in the IPL so far.

However, his 200th outing in the league was not pleasant as he could just score 28 runs off 28 balls.&nbsp;

English batsman Jos Buttler's half-century helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a win against Chennai Super Kings on Monday helping his side secure crucial two points to remain in the tournament.

English batsman Jos Buttler's half-century helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a win against Chennai Super Kings on Monday helping his side secure crucial two points to remain in the tournament. Also read: MS Dhoni becomes first player to feature in 200 IPL matches Buttler was adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning knock, however, he was later seen posing with a "prized possession" he got from former India captain MS Dhoni. Indian Premier League took to Twitter to share this photo and said: "Buttler all smiles with a prized possession." Buttler all smiles with a prized possession 😊😊#Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/FoUtHUofYw — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 19, 2020 × The win against Chennai Super Kings at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi keeps Royals hope to secure a playoff spot. They have now moved to the fifth position on IPL's points table. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, will not be playing in the play-offs as they hit rock bottom in the tournament table after registering just three wins and conceding 7 losses. Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 Indian Premier League matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Dhoni, who has been a regular face in IPL since its inception, has played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant while breaking several records in T20 cricket. The former Indian captain has helped Chennai Super Kings win three IPL trophies while being the only captain to take CSK to the playoffs in every season they have participated in the IPL so far. However, his 200th outing in the league was not pleasant as he could just score 28 runs off 28 balls.

'Prized possession': Jos Buttler poses with Dhoni's jersey after downing CSK

Chennai Super Kings beat SunRisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in Match 29 of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">2020 IPL</a>, at Dubai. Shane Watson (42 in 38 balls) and Ambati Rayudu (41 in 34) played cautiously after Sam Curran (31 in 21) cut loose at the top, and some lusty blows from MS Dhoni (21 in 13) and Ravindra Jadeja (25* in 10) helped Chennai reach 167/6 even as Sandeep Sharma returned 4-0-18-2.

In response, Hyderabad lost their way in the middle overs, with Kane Williamson (57 in 39) playing a lone hand. Jadeja backed his cameo with 3-0-21-1 to win the Player of the Match award as Hyderabad, a batsman short, finished on 147/8.

In My11 Circle Cricbuzz Live, Joy Bhattacharjya was all in praise for Jadeja: “If you have a pitch that’s turning, he makes a deliberate effort to turn one really big … The moment you turn it a lot, doubt comes into the batsman’s mind. And then you don’t necessarily have the wicket off the turning ball, you get the wicket out of the uncertainty in the batsman’s mind, about how much it is going to turn.” Jadeja used a similar tactic to bowl Jonny Bairstow.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dhoni-hails-curran-as-a-complete-cricketer-after-key-ipl-win-335148" hreflang="en">Dhoni hails Curran as a 'complete cricketer' after key IPL win</a>

“He’s got finesse and he can swing it as well. He’s just not your random hit-to-cow-corner guy,” said Bhattacharjya of Jadeja’s batting. “Jadeja is what I call a microwave player, he heats up very fast.”

Harsha Bhogle praised Chennai for deploying Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu against Rashid Khan, for Rashid has not had success against either. Bhattacharjya lauded the promotion of Curran as opener, insisting that the revamped batting order made the Chennai batting line-up look more “competitive”.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-trivia-top-records-of-thala-ms-dhoni-in-the-tournament-328205" hreflang="en">PL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament</a>

This was Hyderabad’s second defeat in a row. Bhogle mentioned that their inexperienced middle-order lacks a finisher, something that can be fixed by bringing in one of three hard-hitting all-rounders – Fabian Allen, Mohammad Nabi, and Jason Holder. However, with David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, and Kane Williamson in the side, none of them can get into the side, leaving the management in a fix.

SRH (fifth) and CSK (sixth) both have 6 points from 8 matches, with the former holding a slight edge due on net run rate (+0.009 to -0.39).

Chennai Super Kings beat SunRisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in Match 29 of the 2020 IPL, at Dubai. Shane Watson (42 in 38 balls) and Ambati Rayudu (41 in 34) played cautiously after Sam Curran (31 in 21) cut loose at the top, and some lusty blows from MS Dhoni (21 in 13) and Ravindra Jadeja (25* in 10) helped Chennai reach 167/6 even as Sandeep Sharma returned 4-0-18-2.

Chennai Super Kings beat SunRisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in Match 29 of the 2020 IPL, at Dubai. Shane Watson (42 in 38 balls) and Ambati Rayudu (41 in 34) played cautiously after Sam Curran (31 in 21) cut loose at the top, and some lusty blows from MS Dhoni (21 in 13) and Ravindra Jadeja (25* in 10) helped Chennai reach 167/6 even as Sandeep Sharma returned 4-0-18-2. In response, Hyderabad lost their way in the middle overs, with Kane Williamson (57 in 39) playing a lone hand. Jadeja backed his cameo with 3-0-21-1 to win the Player of the Match award as Hyderabad, a batsman short, finished on 147/8. In My11 Circle Cricbuzz Live, Joy Bhattacharjya was all in praise for Jadeja: “If you have a pitch that’s turning, he makes a deliberate effort to turn one really big … The moment you turn it a lot, doubt comes into the batsman’s mind. And then you don’t necessarily have the wicket off the turning ball, you get the wicket out of the uncertainty in the batsman’s mind, about how much it is going to turn.” Jadeja used a similar tactic to bowl Jonny Bairstow. ALSO READ: Dhoni hails Curran as a 'complete cricketer' after key IPL win “He’s got finesse and he can swing it as well. He’s just not your random hit-to-cow-corner guy,” said Bhattacharjya of Jadeja’s batting. “Jadeja is what I call a microwave player, he heats up very fast.” Harsha Bhogle praised Chennai for deploying Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu against Rashid Khan, for Rashid has not had success against either. Bhattacharjya lauded the promotion of Curran as opener, insisting that the revamped batting order made the Chennai batting line-up look more “competitive”. IN PICS | PL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament This was Hyderabad’s second defeat in a row. Bhogle mentioned that their inexperienced middle-order lacks a finisher, something that can be fixed by bringing in one of three hard-hitting all-rounders – Fabian Allen, Mohammad Nabi, and Jason Holder. However, with David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, and Kane Williamson in the side, none of them can get into the side, leaving the management in a fix. SRH (fifth) and CSK (sixth) both have 6 points from 8 matches, with the former holding a slight edge due on net run rate (+0.009 to -0.39).

Ravindra Jadeja is a microwave player, he heats up very fast: Joy Bhattacharjya

New Zealand's former all-rounder and currently a commentator in this year's Indian Premier League Scott Styris has named the best captain he came across.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-csks-fleming-loses-cool-when-asked-about-kedar-jadhav-and-ms-dhonis-batting-position-332263">IPL 2020: CSK's Fleming loses cool when asked about Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni's batting position</a>

According to the Kiwi, his former skipper and current Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is the best captain he came across.&nbsp;

Styris said: "Stephen Fleming is the best captain I’ve come across. And he coaches the way he captained."&nbsp;

Fleming has been in news for losing his cool during a press conference in the on-going Indian Premier League. This is after CSK's disappointing run in IPL 2020.&nbsp;

To this Styris said: "It’s happened a lot (in the past too). But I think we got to focus on why he was grumpy. He talked about the processes, he wasn’t happy with it, those are the little things you can control whether you win or lose."

During the show, his co-commentator Brian Lara said Fleming just wants to get the best out of CSK players. “He will be a little animated. He wants to get the best out of his players. He can’t do it himself,” Lara said.

Chennai Super Kings were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders making it their fourth loss in IPL 2020.

New Zealand's former all-rounder and currently a commentator in this year's Indian Premier League Scott Styris has named the best captain he came across. Also read: IPL 2020: CSK's Fleming loses cool when asked about Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni's batting position According to the Kiwi, his former skipper and current Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is the best captain he came across.

New Zealand's former all-rounder and currently a commentator in this year's Indian Premier League Scott Styris has named the best captain he came across. Also read: IPL 2020: CSK's Fleming loses cool when asked about Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni's batting position According to the Kiwi, his former skipper and current Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is the best captain he came across. Styris said: "Stephen Fleming is the best captain I’ve come across. And he coaches the way he captained." Fleming has been in news for losing his cool during a press conference in the on-going Indian Premier League. This is after CSK's disappointing run in IPL 2020. To this Styris said: "It’s happened a lot (in the past too). But I think we got to focus on why he was grumpy. He talked about the processes, he wasn’t happy with it, those are the little things you can control whether you win or lose." During the show, his co-commentator Brian Lara said Fleming just wants to get the best out of CSK players. “He will be a little animated. He wants to get the best out of his players. He can’t do it himself,” Lara said. Chennai Super Kings were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders making it their fourth loss in IPL 2020.

IPL 2020: Scott Styris names the best skipper he came across

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming on Wednesday hit out at CSK’s batting performance against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday as the three-time <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">IPL</a> winners lost by 10 runs despite being in control of the chase during the half-way mark of the second innings.&nbsp;

"The performances like today, with the experience we've got, we should put it away," CSK coach Stephen Fleming said in the post-match presser on Wednesday.

"Ideally, you want one batsman to bat through. If you give an opening to an IPL team, they've got quality players to take it. Today with Narine holding overs back, it made it very difficult in the end.

"You are looking at players going on and making 75 or more and continue that partnership for five more overs, the game would have been a lot more different. KKR hung in there and put pressure on us. We couldn't accelerate in the end. We are disappointed that we let it slip," Fleming added.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-chennai-snatched-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory-says-simon-doull-333445" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Chennai snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, says Simon Doull</a>

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Chasing 168, Super Kings were running away with the match at 101 for 2 in 13 overs. However, with just 57 runs required off 42 balls, the batters simply brought down the current run-rate with the likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy troubling the batters. CSK were ultimately restricted to 157/5 as they managed just 20 runs from 10th to 15th over.&nbsp;

"We've got a lot of batsmen so the balance is good with six bowlers. Bravo is batting at No. 8 and we are struggling to use him so we don't think an extra batsman is going to help," he said.

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2020-high-scoring-thriller-between-kings-xi-punjab-and-rajasthan-royals-in-pictures-330930" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: High scoring thriller between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in pictures</a>

"Sam Curran was also very good. Our challenge is that our two allrounders are going very well, Watson and Faf are doing well, so it's very hard to fit in an international bowler in that group. We are relying heaving on our Indian bowlers. We've got a pretty good balance.”

CSK now have two wins off six matches so far in IPL 2020 and could be in huge trouble if they can’t stitch a few wins together. 
&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming on Wednesday hit out at CSK’s batting performance against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday as the three-time IPL winners lost by 10 runs despite being in control of the chase during the half-way mark of the second innings.

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming on Wednesday hit out at CSK’s batting performance against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday as the three-time IPL winners lost by 10 runs despite being in control of the chase during the half-way mark of the second innings. "The performances like today, with the experience we've got, we should put it away," CSK coach Stephen Fleming said in the post-match presser on Wednesday. "Ideally, you want one batsman to bat through. If you give an opening to an IPL team, they've got quality players to take it. Today with Narine holding overs back, it made it very difficult in the end. "You are looking at players going on and making 75 or more and continue that partnership for five more overs, the game would have been a lot more different. KKR hung in there and put pressure on us. We couldn't accelerate in the end. We are disappointed that we let it slip," Fleming added. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Chennai snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, says Simon Doull × Chasing 168, Super Kings were running away with the match at 101 for 2 in 13 overs. However, with just 57 runs required off 42 balls, the batters simply brought down the current run-rate with the likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy troubling the batters. CSK were ultimately restricted to 157/5 as they managed just 20 runs from 10th to 15th over. "We've got a lot of batsmen so the balance is good with six bowlers. Bravo is batting at No. 8 and we are struggling to use him so we don't think an extra batsman is going to help," he said. IN PICS: IPL 2020: High scoring thriller between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in pictures "Sam Curran was also very good. Our challenge is that our two allrounders are going very well, Watson and Faf are doing well, so it's very hard to fit in an international bowler in that group. We are relying heaving on our Indian bowlers. We've got a pretty good balance.” CSK now have two wins off six matches so far in IPL 2020 and could be in huge trouble if they can’t stitch a few wins together.

IPL 2020: 'We let it slip' - Stephen Fleming hits out at CSK's batting performance against KKR

Kolkata turned things around to beat Chennai by 10 runs in Match 21 of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">IPL 2020</a>, at Abu Dhabi. At one point, Chennai needed 78 in the last 10 overs with 9 wickets in hand, but they managed only 20 off the next 5 overs despite losing only 2 wickets, and eventually finished short.

Discussing the outcome in the My11 Circle Cricbuzz Live, Simon Doull summarised that Chennai “had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory;” Gaurav Kapur called the effort a “botched chase;” and Joy Bhattacharjya described the approach as “un-Chennai-like”.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-rajasthan-royals-steve-smith-latest-skipper-fined-for-slow-over-rate-333127" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals' Smith latest skipper fined for slow over-rate</a>

Kedar Jadhav came out when Chennai needed to score 39 in 21 balls, and was neither able to get the ball away for boundaries nor rotate the strike, taking 12 balls for an unbeaten 7. Bhattacharjya called Jadhav’s outing a “shocker of an innings”, expressing his surprise over Chennai investing INR 78 million in him.

Doull also lauded Kolkata’s approach while fielding: “Their strategy on the field almost seemed to pay off completely. They left [Sunil] Narine, they held him back”. Bhattacharjya questioned the decision to hold Narine back, given his “brilliant track record” against Chennai opener Shane Watson, while lauding Varun Chakravarthy’s courage to toss the ball up to MS Dhoni even in the 17th over. Coming on to bowl as late as in the 12th over, Narine finished with 4-0-31-1. Chakravarthy had 4-0-28-1.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-trivia-top-records-of-thala-ms-dhoni-in-the-tournament-328205" hreflang="en">IPL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament</a>

Doull also had high praise for Kolkata’s use of Andre Russell: “Save him for the back end, just one or two overs … when the side’s under pressure, and he has done the job again”. Kapur mentioned Russell’s ability to shock batsmen with 140-kmph bumpers.

Earlier in the day, Kolkata were bowled out for 167, with only Rahul Tripathi (81 in 51 balls) scoring more than 17(Second highest score). Kapur called him the “lynchpin” of the Kolkata effort, the only one for Kolkata “who checked in with the bat”. However, Doull pointed out that they should have got about 185, given their rollicking start. After racing to 70/1 in 8 overs, they got only 97 in the last 12.

Bhattacharjya recommended Kolkata opened with Tripathi instead of Narine. He mentioned that Tripathi might not be as successful against genuinely quick bowlers like Kagiso Rabada or Jasprit Bumrah, but then, as he pointed, the same holds for Narine, Kolkata’s other option at the top.

Kolkata Knight Riders registered a 10-run win and moved to the 3rd position as Chennai Super Kings slipped from a winning position in an IPL match in Abu Dhabi.

Kolkata turned things around to beat Chennai by 10 runs in Match 21 of IPL 2020, at Abu Dhabi. At one point, Chennai needed 78 in the last 10 overs with 9 wickets in hand, but they managed only 20 off the next 5 overs despite losing only 2 wickets, and eventually finished short.

Kolkata turned things around to beat Chennai by 10 runs in Match 21 of IPL 2020, at Abu Dhabi. At one point, Chennai needed 78 in the last 10 overs with 9 wickets in hand, but they managed only 20 off the next 5 overs despite losing only 2 wickets, and eventually finished short. Discussing the outcome in the My11 Circle Cricbuzz Live, Simon Doull summarised that Chennai “had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory;” Gaurav Kapur called the effort a “botched chase;” and Joy Bhattacharjya described the approach as “un-Chennai-like”. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals' Smith latest skipper fined for slow over-rate Kedar Jadhav came out when Chennai needed to score 39 in 21 balls, and was neither able to get the ball away for boundaries nor rotate the strike, taking 12 balls for an unbeaten 7. Bhattacharjya called Jadhav’s outing a “shocker of an innings”, expressing his surprise over Chennai investing INR 78 million in him. Doull also lauded Kolkata’s approach while fielding: “Their strategy on the field almost seemed to pay off completely. They left [Sunil] Narine, they held him back”. Bhattacharjya questioned the decision to hold Narine back, given his “brilliant track record” against Chennai opener Shane Watson, while lauding Varun Chakravarthy’s courage to toss the ball up to MS Dhoni even in the 17th over. Coming on to bowl as late as in the 12th over, Narine finished with 4-0-31-1. Chakravarthy had 4-0-28-1. IN PICS | IPL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament Doull also had high praise for Kolkata’s use of Andre Russell: “Save him for the back end, just one or two overs … when the side’s under pressure, and he has done the job again”. Kapur mentioned Russell’s ability to shock batsmen with 140-kmph bumpers. Earlier in the day, Kolkata were bowled out for 167, with only Rahul Tripathi (81 in 51 balls) scoring more than 17(Second highest score). Kapur called him the “lynchpin” of the Kolkata effort, the only one for Kolkata “who checked in with the bat”. However, Doull pointed out that they should have got about 185, given their rollicking start. After racing to 70/1 in 8 overs, they got only 97 in the last 12. Bhattacharjya recommended Kolkata opened with Tripathi instead of Narine. He mentioned that Tripathi might not be as successful against genuinely quick bowlers like Kagiso Rabada or Jasprit Bumrah, but then, as he pointed, the same holds for Narine, Kolkata’s other option at the top. Kolkata Knight Riders registered a 10-run win and moved to the 3rd position as Chennai Super Kings slipped from a winning position in an IPL match in Abu Dhabi.

IPL 2020: Chennai snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, says Simon Doull

Shane Watson struck form with a blazing 83 in an unbeaten opening partnership of 181 with Faf du Plessis as Chennai Super Kings thrashed Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-mumbai-indians-go-on-top-of-ipl-table-after-thrashing-srh-by-34-runs-332494" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians go on top of IPL table after thrashing SRH by 34 runs</a>

The 39-year-old Watson hit his first half-century of the season and combined with Du Plessis, who smashed 87, to lead Chennai past Punjab's 178 for four in Dubai.

The partnership was Chennai's best opening stand in the Twenty20 tournament as the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team bounced back after three losses in the United Arab Emirates.

"Watson was looking good in the nets. But what you want is to replicate that. It was just a matter of time that he gets going," Dhoni said of the veteran Australian, who had scores of four, 33, 14 and one coming into the game.

"Faf is like a sheet anchor for us. He can always confuse the bowlers with shots like the lap shot. They compliment each other well."

Three-time IPL winners Chennai are known to stick with their veteran players despite the team being labelled as the 'Dads army' by the media.

Watson, who smashed 11 fours and three sixes in his 53-ball knock, said Chennai's policy to never panic.

"With so much experience and success the franchise's had, they believe in the players," he said. "Never any panic stations with CSK."

Shane Watson struck form with a blazing 83 in an unbeaten opening partnership of 181 with Faf du Plessis as Chennai Super Kings thrashed Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Shane Watson struck form with a blazing 83 in an unbeaten opening partnership of 181 with Faf du Plessis as Chennai Super Kings thrashed Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets in the Indian Premier League on Sunday. Also read: IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians go on top of IPL table after thrashing SRH by 34 runs The 39-year-old Watson hit his first half-century of the season and combined with Du Plessis, who smashed 87, to lead Chennai past Punjab's 178 for four in Dubai. The partnership was Chennai's best opening stand in the Twenty20 tournament as the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team bounced back after three losses in the United Arab Emirates. "Watson was looking good in the nets. But what you want is to replicate that. It was just a matter of time that he gets going," Dhoni said of the veteran Australian, who had scores of four, 33, 14 and one coming into the game. "Faf is like a sheet anchor for us. He can always confuse the bowlers with shots like the lap shot. They compliment each other well." Three-time IPL winners Chennai are known to stick with their veteran players despite the team being labelled as the 'Dads army' by the media. Watson, who smashed 11 fours and three sixes in his 53-ball knock, said Chennai's policy to never panic. "With so much experience and success the franchise's had, they believe in the players," he said. "Never any panic stations with CSK."

IPL 2020: Watson, Du Plessis lead Chennai to 10-wicket win against KXIP

Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings will lock horns in the 18th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. It will be the second match of double-header Sunday.&nbsp;

Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings have had a rough start in IPL 2020, and both of them sit at the bottom of the table.&nbsp;

KL Rahul and Co., despite great line up and good play, have been unlucky this year. &nbsp;However, they have the advantage of playing in the Dubai Stadium as they won their only match here. Kings XI will try and get back to winning ways. Jordan might return in the playing XI as the extra bowling option would be nice.

Probable XI: KL Rahul (c/wk), Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Chris Jordan, M Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Sheldon Cottrell, Mohammed Shami

Chennai Super Kings are desperate for a win after losing three consecutive games in IPL 2020. CSK might bring in Imran Tahir after dropping an extra underperforming batsman.&nbsp;

Probable XI: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Piyush Chawla

According to the stats, CSK holds a 12-9 head-to-head advantage over KXIP.

MS Dhoni might regain his form against Kings XI as he has scored 595 runs in 21 innings at a strike rate of nearly 156, and getting half-century five times.

Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings will lock horns in the 18th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. It will be the second match of double-header Sunday.

Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings will lock horns in the 18th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. It will be the second match of double-header Sunday. Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings have had a rough start in IPL 2020, and both of them sit at the bottom of the table. KL Rahul and Co., despite great line up and good play, have been unlucky this year. However, they have the advantage of playing in the Dubai Stadium as they won their only match here. Kings XI will try and get back to winning ways. Jordan might return in the playing XI as the extra bowling option would be nice. Probable XI: KL Rahul (c/wk), Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Chris Jordan, M Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Sheldon Cottrell, Mohammed Shami Chennai Super Kings are desperate for a win after losing three consecutive games in IPL 2020. CSK might bring in Imran Tahir after dropping an extra underperforming batsman. Probable XI: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Piyush Chawla According to the stats, CSK holds a 12-9 head-to-head advantage over KXIP. MS Dhoni might regain his form against Kings XI as he has scored 595 runs in 21 innings at a strike rate of nearly 156, and getting half-century five times.

IPL 2020, CSK vs KXIP: Preview, stats, and players to watch out for

After facing a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings have now lost three matches in a row now and sit at the bottom of the table. According to skipper MS Dhoni, the team needs to "get a lot of things right" if they want to get back to winning ways in the IPL 2020.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-sunrisers-hyderabad-defeat-chennai-super-kings-in-a-thriller-332114" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Chennai Super Kings in a thriller</a>

Sunrisers Hyderabad came from behind to defeat the Chennai-based franchise. Despite being down to 69/4, Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma's 77-run partnership powered SRH to 164-5 in their 20 overs. During this partnership, CSK players dropped a few catches that could have changed the course of the game in their favor.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-ben-stokes-to-arrive-in-uae-tonight-confirms-rajasthan-royals-332221" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Ben Stokes to arrive in UAE tonight, confirms Rajasthan Royals</a>

After facing a third consecutive loss, Skipper MS Dhoni said: "We need to get a lot of things right. We need to take our catches not bowl no-balls. Those are the controllable and may be we are getting too relaxed. We have been a bit too relaxed at times."

"Nobody wants to drop catches but at the same at this level, we need to draw a line and take these catches especially when the team hasn't been doing that outstandingly well. It is very important to be at your best. There are plenty of positives in this game but we will try to come back strong," he added.&nbsp;

During Chennai's batting, Dhoni promoted himself in the batting order after losing quick wickets. His partnership with Jadeja brought CSK back in the game. However, after Jadeja's dismissal, Dhoni failed to hit some boundaries and did not look comfortable while batting out there. CSK eventually lost the match by 7 runs to SRH.&nbsp;

While talking about his batting, he said: "I was not able to middle a lot of deliveries. Was trying to hit it too hard. Looking at outfield it was subconsciously coming to us to hit the ball hard. Tried to get as much as time as possible. Long time back once we lost three in a row."

Chennai Super Kings will next face KL Rahul's Kings XI Punjab on October 4 in Dubai.&nbsp;

After facing a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings have now lost three matches in a row now and sit at the bottom of the table. According to skipper MS Dhoni, the team needs to "get a lot of things right" if they want to get back to winning ways in the IPL 2020.

After facing a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings have now lost three matches in a row now and sit at the bottom of the table. According to skipper MS Dhoni, the team needs to "get a lot of things right" if they want to get back to winning ways in the IPL 2020. Also read: IPL 2020: Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Chennai Super Kings in a thriller Sunrisers Hyderabad came from behind to defeat the Chennai-based franchise. Despite being down to 69/4, Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma's 77-run partnership powered SRH to 164-5 in their 20 overs. During this partnership, CSK players dropped a few catches that could have changed the course of the game in their favor. Also read: IPL 2020: Ben Stokes to arrive in UAE tonight, confirms Rajasthan Royals After facing a third consecutive loss, Skipper MS Dhoni said: "We need to get a lot of things right. We need to take our catches not bowl no-balls. Those are the controllable and may be we are getting too relaxed. We have been a bit too relaxed at times." "Nobody wants to drop catches but at the same at this level, we need to draw a line and take these catches especially when the team hasn't been doing that outstandingly well. It is very important to be at your best. There are plenty of positives in this game but we will try to come back strong," he added. During Chennai's batting, Dhoni promoted himself in the batting order after losing quick wickets. His partnership with Jadeja brought CSK back in the game. However, after Jadeja's dismissal, Dhoni failed to hit some boundaries and did not look comfortable while batting out there. CSK eventually lost the match by 7 runs to SRH. While talking about his batting, he said: "I was not able to middle a lot of deliveries. Was trying to hit it too hard. Looking at outfield it was subconsciously coming to us to hit the ball hard. Tried to get as much as time as possible. Long time back once we lost three in a row." Chennai Super Kings will next face KL Rahul's Kings XI Punjab on October 4 in Dubai.

'I was not able to...': MS Dhoni talks about his performance against Sunrisers

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have had a torrid start to their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a> campaign with the MS Dhoni-led outfit lying at the bottom of the standings following two defeats and one win in their three matches so far in the T20 tournament, being played in the UAE behind closed doors.

CSK were missing two of their pillars in Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo due to injuries but there is good news for the Yellow Army fans.&nbsp;

Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that Rayudu and Bravo are fit to take part in CSK’s next IPL 2020 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday at the Dubai International Stadium.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/best-save-i-have-seen-cricketing-icons-stunned-by-nicholas-poorans-save-330883" hreflang="en">'Best save I have seen': Cricketing icons stunned by Nicholas Pooran's save</a>

Rayudu starred in CSK’s only win in IPL 2020 so far but the franchise has struggled without their key man in the middle order.&nbsp;

“Rayudu has recovered well from a hamstring strain and will play in the next game. He ran and sprinted during training and batted without any discomfort at the nets,” the CSK CEO told Sportstar.

Bravo is another big-name player fit for CSK’s next game against SRH with the West Indies all-rounder already bowling in the nets to gear up for the T20 tournament. However, Sam Curran has excelled in Bravo’s absence and it would be interesting to see whether the Super Kings management drop the English all-rounder for Bravo.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-hardik-pandya-bowl-for-mumbai-indians-in-ipl-2020-zaheer-khan-provides-an-update-330693" hreflang="en">Will Hardik bowl for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020? Zaheer provides update</a>

“He bowled well at the nets,” said Viswanathan when asked about Bravo. He further said that CSK are working hard to make a strong comeback in the campaign after losing the last two matches. “We have bounced back from adversity in the past. We will do so again.”

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have had a torrid start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 campaign with the MS Dhoni-led outfit lying at the bottom of the standings following two defeats and one win in their three matches so far in the T20 tournament, being played in the UAE behind closed doors.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have had a torrid start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 campaign with the MS Dhoni-led outfit lying at the bottom of the standings following two defeats and one win in their three matches so far in the T20 tournament, being played in the UAE behind closed doors. CSK were missing two of their pillars in Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo due to injuries but there is good news for the Yellow Army fans. Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that Rayudu and Bravo are fit to take part in CSK’s next IPL 2020 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday at the Dubai International Stadium. ALSO READ: 'Best save I have seen': Cricketing icons stunned by Nicholas Pooran's save Rayudu starred in CSK’s only win in IPL 2020 so far but the franchise has struggled without their key man in the middle order. “Rayudu has recovered well from a hamstring strain and will play in the next game. He ran and sprinted during training and batted without any discomfort at the nets,” the CSK CEO told Sportstar. Bravo is another big-name player fit for CSK’s next game against SRH with the West Indies all-rounder already bowling in the nets to gear up for the T20 tournament. However, Sam Curran has excelled in Bravo’s absence and it would be interesting to see whether the Super Kings management drop the English all-rounder for Bravo. ALSO READ: Will Hardik bowl for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020? Zaheer provides update “He bowled well at the nets,” said Viswanathan when asked about Bravo. He further said that CSK are working hard to make a strong comeback in the campaign after losing the last two matches. “We have bounced back from adversity in the past. We will do so again.”

IPL 2020: CSK CEO gives update on Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo's fitness

India's batting legend and former opener Virender&nbsp;Sehwag gave his analysis on Chennai Super Kings after being beaten by Delhi Capitals by 44 runs in the Indian Premier League 2020. Chennai Super Kings batsman failed to chase 176 runs in 20 overs despite having wickets in hand.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australias-alyssa-healy-overtakes-ms-dhoni-for-most-dismissals-by-a-wicketkeeper-in-t20i-330665" hreflang="en">Australia's Alyssa Healy overtakes MS Dhoni for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20I</a>

The opening pair of CSK has been the Achilles' heel in this tournament. Vijay scored 10, whereas, Watson scored 14 runs against the Capitals.&nbsp;

The Chennai-based franchise has been solely dependant on Faf du Plessis. CSK skipper MS Dhoni has been widely criticised by other analysts for walking out to bat at number 6. Sehwag lashed out of CSK's chasing style in the previous match and compared it to a Test match chase.&nbsp;

"CSK start wasn't that bad but it felt like they were constantly on 2nd gear. Murali Vijay, it seemed, didn't believe he was playing T20s. Shane Watson, like an old engine, had starting trouble and then came to a halt early. Faf du Plessis walked in and it seems he tried to make his teammates understand that they were playing T20s and not Tests," said Sehwag in a video on his Instagram account.

The Indian opener also joked about MS Dhoni's batting number.

"Even then MS Dhoni did not come in to bat. Now, it seems India might get bullet trains before MS Dhoni makes up his mind to bat at No. 4," he joked further.

India's batting legend and former opener Virender Sehwag gave his analysis on Chennai Super Kings after being beaten by Delhi Capitals by 44 runs in the Indian Premier League 2020.

India's batting legend and former opener Virender Sehwag gave his analysis on Chennai Super Kings after being beaten by Delhi Capitals by 44 runs in the Indian Premier League 2020. Chennai Super Kings batsman failed to chase 176 runs in 20 overs despite having wickets in hand. Also read: Australia's Alyssa Healy overtakes MS Dhoni for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20I The opening pair of CSK has been the Achilles' heel in this tournament. Vijay scored 10, whereas, Watson scored 14 runs against the Capitals. The Chennai-based franchise has been solely dependant on Faf du Plessis. CSK skipper MS Dhoni has been widely criticised by other analysts for walking out to bat at number 6. Sehwag lashed out of CSK's chasing style in the previous match and compared it to a Test match chase. "CSK start wasn't that bad but it felt like they were constantly on 2nd gear. Murali Vijay, it seemed, didn't believe he was playing T20s. Shane Watson, like an old engine, had starting trouble and then came to a halt early. Faf du Plessis walked in and it seems he tried to make his teammates understand that they were playing T20s and not Tests," said Sehwag in a video on his Instagram account. The Indian opener also joked about MS Dhoni's batting number. "Even then MS Dhoni did not come in to bat. Now, it seems India might get bullet trains before MS Dhoni makes up his mind to bat at No. 4," he joked further.

'India might get bullet trains before MS Dhoni bats at No.4', says Virender Sehwag

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have had a horrendous start to their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a> as the MS Dhoni-led outfit has now lost two of their three games following their crushing 44-run defeat to Delhi Capitals on Friday. MS Dhoni has raised concerns regarding the form and rhythm of the batsmen and openers as he said failure to gain momentum from the start is hurting CSK in IPL 2020.&nbsp;

The likes of Shane Watson and Murali Vijay have failed to impress at the top with no important partnership right at the top for CSK. The scoring rate of top order batsmen, especially openers, have also raised some eyebrows.&nbsp;

“I feel when it comes to the batting department, we are lacking a bit of steam. There is no momentum right from the start, which hurts. If you are already chasing 160-plus, the run-rate keeps mounting and it puts added pressure on the middle-order batsmen. So we need to figure that out,” said Dhoni.

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However, CSK will now have a week-long break before their next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad with the three-time IPL winners likely to have Ambati Rayudu back in the playing XI. Dhoni hinted on change in team combination after Rayudu returns to the team as he said his inclusion gives CSK cushion or liberty to try something different.&nbsp;

"We are one batter heavy to start off with but at the same time, if you are looking to get one more seamer or spinner into the side then the batsmen need to take that added pressure. I feel Rayudu will come back in the next game so that gives us some cushion, or liberty of trying something different," he added.

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“I feel the coming seven days are the best break we could have. We'll give the guys a bit more match simulation and come back with a clearer picture as to what is the best combination, looking at how everyone is contributing,” opined the 39-year-old. 
&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have had a horrendous start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 as the MS Dhoni-led outfit has now lost two of their three games following their crushing 44-run defeat to Delhi Capitals on Friday.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have had a horrendous start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 as the MS Dhoni-led outfit has now lost two of their three games following their crushing 44-run defeat to Delhi Capitals on Friday. MS Dhoni has raised concerns regarding the form and rhythm of the batsmen and openers as he said failure to gain momentum from the start is hurting CSK in IPL 2020. The likes of Shane Watson and Murali Vijay have failed to impress at the top with no important partnership right at the top for CSK. The scoring rate of top order batsmen, especially openers, have also raised some eyebrows. “I feel when it comes to the batting department, we are lacking a bit of steam. There is no momentum right from the start, which hurts. If you are already chasing 160-plus, the run-rate keeps mounting and it puts added pressure on the middle-order batsmen. So we need to figure that out,” said Dhoni. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Shaw and Rabada shine as DC beat CSK by 44 runs However, CSK will now have a week-long break before their next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad with the three-time IPL winners likely to have Ambati Rayudu back in the playing XI. Dhoni hinted on change in team combination after Rayudu returns to the team as he said his inclusion gives CSK cushion or liberty to try something different. "We are one batter heavy to start off with but at the same time, if you are looking to get one more seamer or spinner into the side then the batsmen need to take that added pressure. I feel Rayudu will come back in the next game so that gives us some cushion, or liberty of trying something different," he added. ALSO READ: IPL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament “I feel the coming seven days are the best break we could have. We'll give the guys a bit more match simulation and come back with a clearer picture as to what is the best combination, looking at how everyone is contributing,” opined the 39-year-old.

We are lacking a bit of steam: MS Dhoni unhappy with form of CSK openers in IPL 2020

Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 16 runs on Tuesday at Sharjah Cricket Ground. First high scoring run chase in IPL 2020. Both sides took equal advantage of the shorter boundaries at Sharjah.

Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 16 runs on Tuesday at Sharjah Cricket Ground. First high scoring run chase in IPL 2020. Both sides took equal advantage of the shorter boundaries at Sharjah. Both sides smashed 33 sixes in a game equalling an IPL record of most sixes in a match. Also read: IPL 2020, RR vs CSK Highlights: RR beat CSK by 16 runs Most sixes in an IPL match 33 RCB vs CSK Bengaluru 2018 33 RR vs CSK Sharjah 2020 31 CSK vs KKR Chennai 2018 31 KXIP vs KKR Indore 2018 31 DD vs GL Delhi 2017 Royals batsmen smashed 17 sixes, which is the most by the franchise in IPL surpassing 14 each against Deccan in Hyderabad in 2008 and RCB in Bengaluru in 2018. Rajasthan's Samson smashed his fastest fifty in the Indian Premier League. He made 50 in just 19 balls. He hit nine 6s and one 4 in the match. RR skipper Steven Smith hit 69 runs in 47 balls. The Aussie smashed four 6s and four 4s. Rajasthan Royals finished the first innings in style after Jofra Archer smashed four consecutive 6s in the final over. RR finished the innings with 216 onboard with the loss of 7 wickets. Piyush Chawla and Lungi Ngidi were thrashed the most by RR batsmen. CSK were off to a great start. However, the team kept losing wickets and pace. Faf du Plessis scored the most for the team with 72 runs off 37 balls. The South African smashed seven 6s and one 4. MS Dhoni smashed three 6s in the final over, but it was too late. Chennai as a team smashed 16 sixes. With this win, Rajasthan went on the top of the IPL table, whereas, CSK slipped to the fourth position.

IPL 2020: Samson's power hitting helps Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 16 runs

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