Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann engineered an incredible turnaround that will linger long in IPL memory, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-54-bangalore-vs-hyderabad-at-chinnaswamy-stadium-215942">powering Bangalore to a four-wicket victory over Hyderabad</a> on Saturday.&nbsp;

Both Hetmyer and Gurkeerat hit blazing fifties as Bangalore recovered from a hopelessly placed 20 for three in the third over to reach the 176-run target with four balls to spare.

The win meant Bangalore ended what has been a forgettable season on a positive note, while Hyderabad's hopes of securing a playoffs berth were kept on standby.&nbsp;

During their 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Hetmyer smashed half a dozen sixes and four boundaries for his 47-ball 75, while Gurkeerat made 65 in 48 deliveries with the help of eight fours and one maximum.

This was the first time that Bangalore had a hundred-plus partnership since 2013 when Kohli and De Villiers were not involved.&nbsp;

After Parthiv Patel was snapped up early by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Virat Kohli got began Bangalore's riposte with two delightful strokes, a straight-driven boundary and a flicked six, but the mainstay nicked a length ball to stun the home crowd.

More trouble was in store for Bangalore as they lost AB de Villiers, who snicked Bhuvneshwar to the first slip where Martin Guptill took a neat catch.

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Two men announced themselves to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a>, one man redeemed himself with the winning shot for <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RCBTweets</a> 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YjoLbdhY7">pic.twitter.com/4YjoLbdhY7</a>
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Bangalore were tottering at 20 for three in the third over but Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann had other ideas.

It rained sixes and fours as the duo of Hetmyer and Gurkeerat blunted the opposition attack with their exemplary batting, bringing the smiles back on the face of skipper Kohli and the faces of their faces.

Gurkeerat was contend to play second fiddle to Hetmyer initially, when the Guyanese was dealing in fours and sixes, but opened up later.

Earlier, Kane Williamson dealt in fours and sixes as Hyderabad plundered 28 runs in the final over to reach a challenging 175 for seven.

Hyderabad were 147 for seven at the end of the 19th over but Williamson cut loose after that, smashing Umesh Yadav for two sixes and as many fours to finish the innings on a high.

Williamson remained not out on 70 off 43 balls, hitting four sixes and five fours at the Chinnaswami Stadium.&nbsp;

To make matters worse for Yadav, he was wrongly no-balled by umpire Nigel Llong.

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We've got a Super Sunday tomorrow to complete the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> league stages! After <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RCBTweets</a>' win, here's how things stand.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/qxgLgEqnyH">pic.twitter.com/qxgLgEqnyH</a>
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Sent into bat, Bangalore were off to a brisk start with Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha (20) putting on 46 runs for the opening wicket in 4.3 overs, but the keeper-batsman failed to clear pacer Navdeep Saini as the visitors lost their first wicket.&nbsp;

After addition of another 14 runs to the team total, Hyderabad lost their second wicket when Guptill was dismissed by Washington Sundar for a 23-ball 30.&nbsp;

Manish Pandey, who stretched Mumbai with his brave half-century in their last game, fell cheaply, for nine, leaving the visitors in some trouble at 61 for three in the eighth over.&nbsp;

Picked in the World Cup-bound Indian team for his 'three-dimensional' abilities, Vijay Shankar raced to 27 with the help of three sixes, but again failed to translate the start into a big score.&nbsp;

Shankar was Sundar's third scalp of the evening and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up his 100th wicket in IPL when he lured Yusuf Pathan into playing an irresponsible shot to leave Sunrisers at 127 for five in the final ball of 16th over.&nbsp;

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, Williamson looked to rotate the strike and also go for the big hits. &nbsp;

Barring the opening stand, the only partnership that flourished a bit was the one between Williamson and Shankar, who ended up giving a catch while going for a slog sweep.

Williamson brought up his fifty in style, hoicking Yadav over long off for a six and followed that with some more lusty hits.

Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann engineered an incredible turnaround that will linger long in IPL memory, powering Bangalore to a four-wicket victory over Hyderabad on Saturday.

Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann engineered an incredible turnaround that will linger long in IPL memory, powering Bangalore to a four-wicket victory over Hyderabad on Saturday. Both Hetmyer and Gurkeerat hit blazing fifties as Bangalore recovered from a hopelessly placed 20 for three in the third over to reach the 176-run target with four balls to spare. The win meant Bangalore ended what has been a forgettable season on a positive note, while Hyderabad's hopes of securing a playoffs berth were kept on standby. During their 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Hetmyer smashed half a dozen sixes and four boundaries for his 47-ball 75, while Gurkeerat made 65 in 48 deliveries with the help of eight fours and one maximum. This was the first time that Bangalore had a hundred-plus partnership since 2013 when Kohli and De Villiers were not involved. After Parthiv Patel was snapped up early by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Virat Kohli got began Bangalore's riposte with two delightful strokes, a straight-driven boundary and a flicked six, but the mainstay nicked a length ball to stun the home crowd. More trouble was in store for Bangalore as they lost AB de Villiers, who snicked Bhuvneshwar to the first slip where Martin Guptill took a neat catch. Two men announced themselves to #VIVOIPL, one man redeemed himself with the winning shot for @RCBTweets 🙌#RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/4YjoLbdhY7 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019 × Bangalore were tottering at 20 for three in the third over but Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann had other ideas. It rained sixes and fours as the duo of Hetmyer and Gurkeerat blunted the opposition attack with their exemplary batting, bringing the smiles back on the face of skipper Kohli and the faces of their faces. Gurkeerat was contend to play second fiddle to Hetmyer initially, when the Guyanese was dealing in fours and sixes, but opened up later. Earlier, Kane Williamson dealt in fours and sixes as Hyderabad plundered 28 runs in the final over to reach a challenging 175 for seven. Hyderabad were 147 for seven at the end of the 19th over but Williamson cut loose after that, smashing Umesh Yadav for two sixes and as many fours to finish the innings on a high. Williamson remained not out on 70 off 43 balls, hitting four sixes and five fours at the Chinnaswami Stadium. To make matters worse for Yadav, he was wrongly no-balled by umpire Nigel Llong. We've got a Super Sunday tomorrow to complete the #VIVOIPL league stages! After @RCBTweets' win, here's how things stand.#RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/qxgLgEqnyH — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019 × Sent into bat, Bangalore were off to a brisk start with Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha (20) putting on 46 runs for the opening wicket in 4.3 overs, but the keeper-batsman failed to clear pacer Navdeep Saini as the visitors lost their first wicket. After addition of another 14 runs to the team total, Hyderabad lost their second wicket when Guptill was dismissed by Washington Sundar for a 23-ball 30. Manish Pandey, who stretched Mumbai with his brave half-century in their last game, fell cheaply, for nine, leaving the visitors in some trouble at 61 for three in the eighth over. Picked in the World Cup-bound Indian team for his 'three-dimensional' abilities, Vijay Shankar raced to 27 with the help of three sixes, but again failed to translate the start into a big score. Shankar was Sundar's third scalp of the evening and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up his 100th wicket in IPL when he lured Yusuf Pathan into playing an irresponsible shot to leave Sunrisers at 127 for five in the final ball of 16th over. Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, Williamson looked to rotate the strike and also go for the big hits. Barring the opening stand, the only partnership that flourished a bit was the one between Williamson and Shankar, who ended up giving a catch while going for a slog sweep. Williamson brought up his fifty in style, hoicking Yadav over long off for a six and followed that with some more lusty hits.

IPL 2019: Shimron Hetmyer, Gurkeerat Singh power Bangalore to four-wicket win over Hyderabad

Mumbai thrashed Kolkata by nine wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday. Mumbai dominated the visitors throughout the match and with this defeat, Kolkata's campaign for this season of IPL came to an end.

Chasing a modest total of 134 runs, Mumbai got off to a decent start as the openers, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, stitched a 46-run partnership. De Kock in the fourth overcame vehemently as he hammered two sixes and a boundary to Andre Russell.

However, in the seventh over bowled by Prasidh Krishna De Kock tried to smack the ball but got a top edge and Dinesh Karthik caught a brilliant diving catch which ended De Kock's 30-run inning.

Suryakumar Yadav then joined the skipper and both played safely and did not play risky shots. However, they kept on adding scores and both Sharma (55*) and Yadav (46*) clinched an easy nine-wicket victory over the visitors.

Earlier, Kolkata were sent to bat first as Mumbai won the toss and opted to bowl first. Kolkata had a decent start as both the openers, Shubman Gill and Chris Lynn, stitched a 49-run partnership.

However, it was Lynn who kept the scoreboard running as Gill was finding it difficult to find a gap. Mumbai's Hardik Pandya provided his team with their first breakthrough in the name of Gill, who scored 9 runs off 16 balls.

Hardik Pandya then sent the other opener, Lynn (41), back to the pavilion in his next over. Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Karthik (3) became a victim of Lasith Malinga.

Kolkata's most destructive batsman Andre Russell then came out to bat but he failed to put up a good show as he was sent back to the pavilion on a duck.

Nitish Rana then accompanied Uthappa and both played opted to play fearlessly and struck some astounding shots. Both formed a 47-run partnership before Malinga got hold of Rana (26).

Jasprit Bumrah continuing his great form with the ball bowled the last over of the inning and took two wickets which included the wicket of the set batsman Uthappa (40) while conceding just three runs, which helped the hosts to restrict Kolkata to just 133 runs after a loss of seven wickets.

Mumbai thrashed Kolkata by nine wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday. Mumbai dominated the visitors throughout the match and with this defeat, Kolkata's campaign for this season of IPL came to an end.

Mumbai thrashed Kolkata by nine wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday. Mumbai dominated the visitors throughout the match and with this defeat, Kolkata's campaign for this season of IPL came to an end. Chasing a modest total of 134 runs, Mumbai got off to a decent start as the openers, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, stitched a 46-run partnership. De Kock in the fourth overcame vehemently as he hammered two sixes and a boundary to Andre Russell. However, in the seventh over bowled by Prasidh Krishna De Kock tried to smack the ball but got a top edge and Dinesh Karthik caught a brilliant diving catch which ended De Kock's 30-run inning. Suryakumar Yadav then joined the skipper and both played safely and did not play risky shots. However, they kept on adding scores and both Sharma (55*) and Yadav (46*) clinched an easy nine-wicket victory over the visitors. Earlier, Kolkata were sent to bat first as Mumbai won the toss and opted to bowl first. Kolkata had a decent start as both the openers, Shubman Gill and Chris Lynn, stitched a 49-run partnership. However, it was Lynn who kept the scoreboard running as Gill was finding it difficult to find a gap. Mumbai's Hardik Pandya provided his team with their first breakthrough in the name of Gill, who scored 9 runs off 16 balls. Hardik Pandya then sent the other opener, Lynn (41), back to the pavilion in his next over. Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Karthik (3) became a victim of Lasith Malinga. Kolkata's most destructive batsman Andre Russell then came out to bat but he failed to put up a good show as he was sent back to the pavilion on a duck. Nitish Rana then accompanied Uthappa and both played opted to play fearlessly and struck some astounding shots. Both formed a 47-run partnership before Malinga got hold of Rana (26). Jasprit Bumrah continuing his great form with the ball bowled the last over of the inning and took two wickets which included the wicket of the set batsman Uthappa (40) while conceding just three runs, which helped the hosts to restrict Kolkata to just 133 runs after a loss of seven wickets.

IPL 2019: Mumbai vanquish Kolkata to secure nine wickets victory

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

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

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

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

Delhi's fortune changed in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the team managing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2012.&nbsp;

On April 28, the Shreyas Iyer-led team registered a comprehensive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-delhi-storm-into-playoffs-after-defeating-bangalore-by-16-runs-214176">16-run victory over Virat Kohli's Bangalore</a> at the Feroz Shah Kotla, to seal their place in the playoffs.&nbsp;

With nine victories from 14 games, Delhi sit at the second place on the points table and are the top contenders to lift the IPL trophy for the first time

However, the team's advisor and mentor Sourav Ganguly feels that the journey for Delhi is still very long and the team has to work really hard to reach the finals. 
&nbsp; 
When asked how confident he is of Delhi winning the tournament, Ganguly in an exclusive to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/">wionews.com</a> said, "it's too early to say".&nbsp;

"It's too early to say anything. We have reached the knockout stage but still, the team has to work hard and play really well to reach the finals and win the tournament".

While some fanatic fans credit the change in name from Daredevils to Capitals the reason behind the team's brilliant performance, cricket experts feel it is the strategies of mentors Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting that did wonders for the team. &nbsp;

Talking about the tournament, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-delhi-register-5-wicket-victory-over-rajasthan-215951">Delhi chased down a target of 116 runs to defeat Rajasthan</a> by five wickets and tie on points with Chennai, who are sitting at the top of the table with 18 points.&nbsp;

With Kagiso Rabadda flying back home, it was left to the other Delhi Capitals bowlers to take charge. Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra bowled their hearts out to frustrate Rajasthan, who opted to bat first.

In batting, Rishabh Pant, who was not included in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kl-rahul-and-dinesh-karthik-in-rishabh-pant-out-as-indias-icc-world-cup-squad-announced-210575">India's 15-man squad for 2019 World Cup</a>, smashed a brilliant half-century to take his side to victory.

Pant remained unbeaten for 53 runs which came in 38 balls and included two boundaries and five huge sixes. &nbsp;

Delhi's fortune changed in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the team managing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2012. On April 28, the Shreyas Iyer-led team registered a comprehensive 16-run victory over Virat Kohli's Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla, to seal their place in the playoffs.

Delhi's fortune changed in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the team managing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2012. On April 28, the Shreyas Iyer-led team registered a comprehensive 16-run victory over Virat Kohli's Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla, to seal their place in the playoffs. With nine victories from 14 games, Delhi sit at the second place on the points table and are the top contenders to lift the IPL trophy for the first time However, the team's advisor and mentor Sourav Ganguly feels that the journey for Delhi is still very long and the team has to work really hard to reach the finals. When asked how confident he is of Delhi winning the tournament, Ganguly in an exclusive to wionews.com said, "it's too early to say". "It's too early to say anything. We have reached the knockout stage but still, the team has to work hard and play really well to reach the finals and win the tournament". While some fanatic fans credit the change in name from Daredevils to Capitals the reason behind the team's brilliant performance, cricket experts feel it is the strategies of mentors Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting that did wonders for the team. Talking about the tournament, Delhi chased down a target of 116 runs to defeat Rajasthan by five wickets and tie on points with Chennai, who are sitting at the top of the table with 18 points. With Kagiso Rabadda flying back home, it was left to the other Delhi Capitals bowlers to take charge. Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra bowled their hearts out to frustrate Rajasthan, who opted to bat first. In batting, Rishabh Pant, who was not included in India's 15-man squad for 2019 World Cup, smashed a brilliant half-century to take his side to victory. Pant remained unbeaten for 53 runs which came in 38 balls and included two boundaries and five huge sixes.

Exclusive: Sourav Ganguly on Delhi's chances of lifting IPL 2019 trophy

Punjab&nbsp;captain R Ashwin maintained that the reason for not finishing in the top-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the inability to perform in the powerplays throughout the tournament.

"One of the areas we have definitely lacked is the powerplay, both with the ball and the bat -- in hindsight if we look at it. Because last year we had a great powerplay batting with Chris (Gayle) and KL (Rahul) but this year we could not get off to great starts obviously because the pressure was on them and they had to do a job. But we have to address this going into the next year because we have lost most games on powerplay battles," Ashwin told media.

After facing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-kolkata-defeat-punjab-by-seven-wickets-215766">an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata</a> on Friday, Ashwin said the absence of Varun Chakravarthy and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, who suffered a finger and shoulder injury, respectively; forced Punjab&nbsp;to look beyond their set plans.

"We have not been up to the ball-mark this year. We had a few challenges going into this year from last year, we had a few options, we picked up a few people (at the auction) and they have got injured. So that is not ideally how we had liked to look at it. We definitely put our best team we could in the park and we have tried our best and there have been a lot of positives that have come out of this season," he added.

The off-spinner said that Punjab&nbsp;were banking on Australia pacer Andrew Tye, the Purple-cap winner in 2018, to come in the destructive form in the ongoing edition.

However, Tye returned with just three wickets in his five outings at an economy of more than 10.

"AJ (Tye) had a fantastic IPL last year but it is also about batsmen coming after him in different methods. He has definitely tried hard. It is not lack of efforts that he has not been very good this year. But I am sure he will definitely get better as a cricketer, he is quite a smart cricketer, and he tries to give everything on the field. These sorts of phases are quite common in a cricket career but I am sure he will learn from this," Ashwin&nbsp;said.

Punjab captain R Ashwin maintained that the reason for not finishing in the top-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the inability to perform in the powerplays throughout the tournament.

Punjab captain R Ashwin maintained that the reason for not finishing in the top-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the inability to perform in the powerplays throughout the tournament. "One of the areas we have definitely lacked is the powerplay, both with the ball and the bat -- in hindsight if we look at it. Because last year we had a great powerplay batting with Chris (Gayle) and KL (Rahul) but this year we could not get off to great starts obviously because the pressure was on them and they had to do a job. But we have to address this going into the next year because we have lost most games on powerplay battles," Ashwin told media. After facing an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata on Friday, Ashwin said the absence of Varun Chakravarthy and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, who suffered a finger and shoulder injury, respectively; forced Punjab to look beyond their set plans. "We have not been up to the ball-mark this year. We had a few challenges going into this year from last year, we had a few options, we picked up a few people (at the auction) and they have got injured. So that is not ideally how we had liked to look at it. We definitely put our best team we could in the park and we have tried our best and there have been a lot of positives that have come out of this season," he added. The off-spinner said that Punjab were banking on Australia pacer Andrew Tye, the Purple-cap winner in 2018, to come in the destructive form in the ongoing edition. However, Tye returned with just three wickets in his five outings at an economy of more than 10. "AJ (Tye) had a fantastic IPL last year but it is also about batsmen coming after him in different methods. He has definitely tried hard. It is not lack of efforts that he has not been very good this year. But I am sure he will definitely get better as a cricketer, he is quite a smart cricketer, and he tries to give everything on the field. These sorts of phases are quite common in a cricket career but I am sure he will learn from this," Ashwin said.

Inability to perform in powerplays knocked Punjab out, says captain R Ashwin

Match preview: MS Dhoni-led Chennai will take on Punjab while Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will face Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.

IPL 2019: Match preview of Chennai vs Punjab and Kolkata vs Mumbai

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-53-delhi-vs-rajasthan-feroz-shah-kotla-215882">With this defeat, Rajasthan's campaign comes to an end</a> for this season.&nbsp;

Chasing a target of 116 runs, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, started off steadily as they formed a 28-run partnership.&nbsp;

However, Ish Sodhi bowled an impeccable over which sent both the openers back to the pavilion on his first two deliveries and did not give any run in that over.&nbsp;

Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer and Pant then came out to bat and stitched a 33-run partnership before Iyer became a victim of Shreyas Gopal.&nbsp;

Colin Ingram then joined the on-field batter and added another 22 runs to the scoreboard.&nbsp;

Pant then formed a 23-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford after Ingram gave away his wicket on 12 runs. Axar Patel then came out to bat. Pant scored an unbeaten 53 runs and Pant finished the match by hitting a six.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiCapitals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiCapitals</a> give their 🔵 home support at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QilaKotla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QilaKotla</a> a happy send off 🙌 
 
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Earlier, Rajasthan opted to bat first. However, the team had a very penurious start as four of their batsmen went back to the stadium after the conclusion of just six overs.&nbsp;

The team had only 30 runs on the board, but their main concern was the falling of wickets which was controlled for a while as Shreyas Gopal and Riyan Parag formed a 27-run partnership. &nbsp;

However, Amit Mishra got two wickets on two successive deliveries as he got hold of Shreyas Gopal (12) and Stuart Binny (0), which further increased the pressure on the visitors.&nbsp;

Parag scored a crucial half-century and formed a 30-run partnership with Ish Sodhi before Ish Sodhi gave away his wicket which brought Varun Aaron out on the field.&nbsp;

The two then stitched a 20 runs partnership which helped their side to put up a total of 115 runs on the board.

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. With this defeat, Rajasthan's campaign comes to an end for this season.

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. With this defeat, Rajasthan's campaign comes to an end for this season. Chasing a target of 116 runs, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, started off steadily as they formed a 28-run partnership. However, Ish Sodhi bowled an impeccable over which sent both the openers back to the pavilion on his first two deliveries and did not give any run in that over. Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer and Pant then came out to bat and stitched a 33-run partnership before Iyer became a victim of Shreyas Gopal. Colin Ingram then joined the on-field batter and added another 22 runs to the scoreboard. Pant then formed a 23-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford after Ingram gave away his wicket on 12 runs. Axar Patel then came out to bat. Pant scored an unbeaten 53 runs and Pant finished the match by hitting a six. .@DelhiCapitals give their 🔵 home support at the #QilaKotla a happy send off 🙌 Onto the playoffs 💪#DCvRR pic.twitter.com/NxdAURm2Oy — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019 × Earlier, Rajasthan opted to bat first. However, the team had a very penurious start as four of their batsmen went back to the stadium after the conclusion of just six overs. The team had only 30 runs on the board, but their main concern was the falling of wickets which was controlled for a while as Shreyas Gopal and Riyan Parag formed a 27-run partnership. However, Amit Mishra got two wickets on two successive deliveries as he got hold of Shreyas Gopal (12) and Stuart Binny (0), which further increased the pressure on the visitors. Parag scored a crucial half-century and formed a 30-run partnership with Ish Sodhi before Ish Sodhi gave away his wicket which brought Varun Aaron out on the field. The two then stitched a 20 runs partnership which helped their side to put up a total of 115 runs on the board.

IPL 2019: Delhi register 5-wicket victory over Rajasthan

The head coach of Kolkata,&nbsp;Jacques Kallis, said that the omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the team was done keeping in mind the team's balance and he's quite sure that it would not affect his performance in the upcoming World Cup.

"The wickets we have played on at Eden Gardens this year, it hasn't spun at all and it has been tough for spinners. It has been a tough year for him but he will learn from this. You have got to understand 50-over format is quite different from the 20-over format," Kallis told reporters.

"I don't think it will affect him, it's just a different format and unfortunately looking at the makeup of the side, he has not played the last couple of games. He has been working quite hard in the nets and seems to be getting it right again, so I am sure he will be okay for the World Cup," he added.

Kolkata's decision to drop Kuldeep from the playing XI in the last two matches&nbsp;against Rajasthan and Mumbai&nbsp;made many heads turn and many people criticised the team's decision to drop the spinner from the team before the upcoming World Cup.

The team suffered six straight defeats after registering four wins out of their opening five matches.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-andre-russell-shines-as-kolkata-beat-mumbai-by-34-runs-214242&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwic_uzl4_7hAhXEmeYKHUOCDLMQFjADegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3QK4lbv7dCc7-egybj-Phw">Kolkata&nbsp;was able to win their last match against Mumbai on Sunday at Eden Gardens</a> in Kolkata and as a result of that win, the team still remains in the hunt for playoffs.

Kolkata currently stands at the sixth position in the IPL league standings with 10 points from 12 matches.

The team next takes on Punjab on May 3 at Mohali.

The head coach of Kolkata, Jacques Kallis, said that the omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the team was done keeping in mind the team's balance and he's quite sure that it would not affect his performance in the upcoming World Cup.

The head coach of Kolkata, Jacques Kallis, said that the omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the team was done keeping in mind the team's balance and he's quite sure that it would not affect his performance in the upcoming World Cup. "The wickets we have played on at Eden Gardens this year, it hasn't spun at all and it has been tough for spinners. It has been a tough year for him but he will learn from this. You have got to understand 50-over format is quite different from the 20-over format," Kallis told reporters. "I don't think it will affect him, it's just a different format and unfortunately looking at the makeup of the side, he has not played the last couple of games. He has been working quite hard in the nets and seems to be getting it right again, so I am sure he will be okay for the World Cup," he added. Kolkata's decision to drop Kuldeep from the playing XI in the last two matches against Rajasthan and Mumbai made many heads turn and many people criticised the team's decision to drop the spinner from the team before the upcoming World Cup. The team suffered six straight defeats after registering four wins out of their opening five matches. Kolkata was able to win their last match against Mumbai on Sunday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and as a result of that win, the team still remains in the hunt for playoffs. Kolkata currently stands at the sixth position in the IPL league standings with 10 points from 12 matches. The team next takes on Punjab on May 3 at Mohali.

IPL 2019: Kolkata coach opens up on Kuldeep Yadav's omission from the team's last two games

Mumbai booked their place in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Hyderabad in a super over here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday.

Mumbai are currently placed at the second position in the league standings with 16 points, whereas Hyderabad are placed at the fourth position with 12 points.

Chasing a score of 163, Hyderabad got off to a flying start as their openers Wriddhiman Saha and Martin Guptill scored 40 runs in the first four overs.

But their exploits were cut short as Jasprit Bumrah gave Mumbai much-needed breakthroughs by dismissing Saha (25) and Guptill (15), reducing Hyderabad to 57 for two in the sixth over.&nbsp;

Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson (3) once again failed to put up a significant score as he was dismissed cheaply by Krunal Pandya in the seventh over. &nbsp;

Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar put up a brief 33-run stand but their stay was cut short as Krunal dismissed Shankar (12) at a time when Hyderabad required 65 runs off 40 balls to win. &nbsp;

But Pandey kept playing in his trademark style with the support of Mohammad Nabi.&nbsp;

The duo gave Hyderabad some firepower in the death overs. With 7 runs required off the final ball, Pandey hit a six and the match went to the super over.

In the super over, Hyderabad was able to score just eight runs and Mumbai made light work of the target and chased down the total in just three balls.

Earlier, Quinton de Kock's knock of 69 runs off just 58 deliveries enabled Mumbai to post 162 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets in the allotted twenty overs after opting to bat first.

Mumbai got off to a flying start as openers Rohit Sharma and de Kock hammered the visitors with regular boundaries in the opening two overs.&nbsp;

But Hyderabad came back into the match as their bowler Khaleel Ahmed dismissed the skipper Sharma (24) in the sixth over of the innings. &nbsp;

Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat at number three and he, along with de Kock, ensured that the team does not lose momentum in the middle overs.&nbsp;

The duo stitched together a partnership of 54 runs, raising the team's hopes of posting a challenging total in front of the visitors.

However, Hyderabad managed to dismiss Yadav (23) and Ewin Lewis (1) in quick succession, reducing the team to 91 for three in the 13th over.&nbsp;

Yadav was dismissed by Ahmed whereas Lewis was sent back to the pavilion by Mohammad Nabi.

Hardik Pandya (18) was not able to repeat his heroics from the last match against KKR and he was sent back to the pavilion by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 16th over of the innings.

De Kock, however, kept the momentum going and ensured that the team posts a challenging total on the board.&nbsp;

Hyderabad will next take on Bangalore on May 4 whereas Mumbai will face Kolkata on May 5.

Mumbai booked their place in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Hyderabad in a super over here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday.

Mumbai booked their place in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Hyderabad in a super over here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday. Mumbai are currently placed at the second position in the league standings with 16 points, whereas Hyderabad are placed at the fourth position with 12 points. Chasing a score of 163, Hyderabad got off to a flying start as their openers Wriddhiman Saha and Martin Guptill scored 40 runs in the first four overs. But their exploits were cut short as Jasprit Bumrah gave Mumbai much-needed breakthroughs by dismissing Saha (25) and Guptill (15), reducing Hyderabad to 57 for two in the sixth over. Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson (3) once again failed to put up a significant score as he was dismissed cheaply by Krunal Pandya in the seventh over. Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar put up a brief 33-run stand but their stay was cut short as Krunal dismissed Shankar (12) at a time when Hyderabad required 65 runs off 40 balls to win. But Pandey kept playing in his trademark style with the support of Mohammad Nabi. The duo gave Hyderabad some firepower in the death overs. With 7 runs required off the final ball, Pandey hit a six and the match went to the super over. In the super over, Hyderabad was able to score just eight runs and Mumbai made light work of the target and chased down the total in just three balls. Earlier, Quinton de Kock's knock of 69 runs off just 58 deliveries enabled Mumbai to post 162 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets in the allotted twenty overs after opting to bat first. Mumbai got off to a flying start as openers Rohit Sharma and de Kock hammered the visitors with regular boundaries in the opening two overs. But Hyderabad came back into the match as their bowler Khaleel Ahmed dismissed the skipper Sharma (24) in the sixth over of the innings. Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat at number three and he, along with de Kock, ensured that the team does not lose momentum in the middle overs. The duo stitched together a partnership of 54 runs, raising the team's hopes of posting a challenging total in front of the visitors. However, Hyderabad managed to dismiss Yadav (23) and Ewin Lewis (1) in quick succession, reducing the team to 91 for three in the 13th over. Yadav was dismissed by Ahmed whereas Lewis was sent back to the pavilion by Mohammad Nabi. Hardik Pandya (18) was not able to repeat his heroics from the last match against KKR and he was sent back to the pavilion by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 16th over of the innings. De Kock, however, kept the momentum going and ensured that the team posts a challenging total on the board. Hyderabad will next take on Bangalore on May 4 whereas Mumbai will face Kolkata on May 5.

IPL 2019: Mumbai defeat Hyderabad in super over, book play-off berth

While Rajasthan have a remote chance of making it to the playoffs, it is a do and die situation for Hyderabad as they enter in a must-win encounter with Bangalore.

IPL 2019: It's Delhi vs Rajasthan and Hyderabad vs Bangalore

Rajasthan have decided to bring back Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the remainder of their Indian Premier League campaign after Steve Smith left to join the Australian squad, the franchise announced on Friday.

India's test vice-captain Rahane was sacked as Rajasthan's captain last month after guiding the team to just two wins in the first eight matches of the 2019 season.

Former Australian captain Smith, on the other hand, led the Rajasthan to three victories in the five matches that he was captain, with one of those games ending without a result.

Smith has left the group to join Australia's World Cup preparation camp and Rajasthan head of cricket Zubin Bharucha believes Rahane can be the "guiding force" of the team as they hope to qualify for the IPL playoffs.

"We have requested Ajinkya to take on the captaincy of the team," Bharucha said in a statement.

"As a true Royal he has shown great courage and character in graciously accepting the responsibility, which accompanies this role, whilst it would have been easier for him to take a back seat and focus solely on his batting.

"He has consistently been part of the leadership team taking key decisions and we have full trust in him taking us to victory tomorrow."

Rajasthan, who are fifth in the table with 11 points from 13 games, must beat Delhi on Saturday to stand any chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Rajasthan have decided to bring back Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the remainder of their Indian Premier League campaign after Steve Smith left to join the Australian squad, the franchise announced on Friday.

Rajasthan have decided to bring back Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the remainder of their Indian Premier League campaign after Steve Smith left to join the Australian squad, the franchise announced on Friday. India's test vice-captain Rahane was sacked as Rajasthan's captain last month after guiding the team to just two wins in the first eight matches of the 2019 season. Former Australian captain Smith, on the other hand, led the Rajasthan to three victories in the five matches that he was captain, with one of those games ending without a result. Smith has left the group to join Australia's World Cup preparation camp and Rajasthan head of cricket Zubin Bharucha believes Rahane can be the "guiding force" of the team as they hope to qualify for the IPL playoffs. "We have requested Ajinkya to take on the captaincy of the team," Bharucha said in a statement. "As a true Royal he has shown great courage and character in graciously accepting the responsibility, which accompanies this role, whilst it would have been easier for him to take a back seat and focus solely on his batting. "He has consistently been part of the leadership team taking key decisions and we have full trust in him taking us to victory tomorrow." Rajasthan, who are fifth in the table with 11 points from 13 games, must beat Delhi on Saturday to stand any chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Rajasthan reappoint Ajinkya Rahane as captain for remainder of IPL season

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid aggravating a back problem ahead of the cricket World Cup, the Delhi said on Friday.

The 23-year-old has been in fine form this season, claiming 25 wickets from 12 matches in the IPL, but sat out <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/ipl/ms-dhoni-credits-tennis-ball-cricket-for-quick-hands-behind-the-stumps-215322/amp&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjl2sKz8P7hAhWJM48KHTqYAVYQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kM95pDNs4lf3rzVcpdFPI">Wednesday's game against Chennai.</a>

Delhi said Rabada had been advised to return by Cricket South Africa as a precautionary measure.

"It's hard for me to leave the Delhi at this stage of the tournament. But with the World Cup just a month away, a collective decision has been made for me in this regard," Rabada said in a statement.

Third-placed Delhi have qualified for the IPL playoffs and play Rajasthan in their last league game on Saturday.

"It's been a tremendous season for me with Delhi, both on and off the field, and I truly believe that our team can win the trophy," Rabada added.

Rabada's fellow paceman Dale Steyn was also ruled out of the IPL last month after a flare-up of an old shoulder injury, putting his World Cup prospects in doubt.

South Africa open their World Cup campaign against England at The Oval on May 30.

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid aggravating a back problem ahead of the cricket World Cup, the Delhi said on Friday.

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid aggravating a back problem ahead of the cricket World Cup, the Delhi said on Friday. The 23-year-old has been in fine form this season, claiming 25 wickets from 12 matches in the IPL, but sat out Wednesday's game against Chennai. Delhi said Rabada had been advised to return by Cricket South Africa as a precautionary measure. "It's hard for me to leave the Delhi at this stage of the tournament. But with the World Cup just a month away, a collective decision has been made for me in this regard," Rabada said in a statement. Third-placed Delhi have qualified for the IPL playoffs and play Rajasthan in their last league game on Saturday. "It's been a tremendous season for me with Delhi, both on and off the field, and I truly believe that our team can win the trophy," Rabada added. Rabada's fellow paceman Dale Steyn was also ruled out of the IPL last month after a flare-up of an old shoulder injury, putting his World Cup prospects in doubt. South Africa open their World Cup campaign against England at The Oval on May 30.

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada heads home from IPL with back niggle

Both the teams are on 10 points from 12 matches each and absolutely need to win to keep their play-off chances alive.

IPL 2019: Punjab host Kolkata in a must-win encounter

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the two names that pop up immediately whenever Punjab comes to the field in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). &nbsp;

The responsibility of chasing the mammoth target or setting a fighting total have always fallen on these two players. The best part is they haven't disappointed.&nbsp;

In the 12 games so far, Rahul has scored 550 runs to become the most dependent batsman of the franchise.&nbsp;

When asked what is the mantra behind his superb form and how does he see himself hitting such big scores, Rahul in an exclusive interview to WION, said it's not the individual score that matters&nbsp;to him but the games he can win for the team.

"I always aim very very high. So, for me, I don't start the season thinking 400-500 or 600 runs is good enough for me because that's not a goal or achievement for me. It's always about how many games in a season I win for my team, so that's is what my focus is always on."

Rahul was quick to add that he doesn't care even if he scores 300 runs in one season, provided he plays a role in helping Punjab win the games.

"It doesn't matter even if I get 300 runs in a season or 800 runs in the season. But if I do not win games for my team then I feel like I am not doing my job. So, that's is what I focus on. In a tournament like IPL, it is important that you start well and when you start well you get some confidence and form. And if you stay focussed then the confidence and form just carry&nbsp;on for the rest of the tournament. So, it has been the key for me in the last two seasons," the Punjab opener added.

In most of the games, Rahul has made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end.&nbsp;

However, the scenario has been different till Gayle is on the crease with him.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
When asked if there is any set plan they follow when they enter the crease, Rahul said they just give it some time and access the conditions.

"We don't really go in with a set plan, because as opening batsmen we have the responsibility to go out there and access the conditions, especially when we are batting first, to see what would be a par score and how much we should get on a wicket like that and also see the opposition, see who are the guys we have to target."

"So for that, we go that first couple of overs we are going to look to play cricketing shots and just look to take our time. Moreover, we all know if Chris starts over then there is no worry about the run rate. We will always get 20 runs extra than the par score. So we just look to give ourselves a little time and access the conditions," the 27-year-old said.&nbsp;

Punjab had decent outings in the first half of the tournament before losing the plot in the all-important second phase.&nbsp;

The team have 10 points from 12 matches and are desperately eyeing a victory to remain in the contention for the IPL 2019 playoffs.

The performance of the team has degraded in the second phase, however, Kl Rahul stressed that just because the results haven't gone their way, it doesn' mean they have been outplayed.&nbsp;

"The passion, the determination has always been there to go out and give it our best. Ashwin said in his last interview that we have not been outplayed even once we have hung in there. We have scrapped all through and we have put up a great show and all are games have been gone down to the wire and the crowds have enjoyed it."

"And at the end of the day, it is about putting up a great show. But results haven't gone our way. Again that a habit, if you win a couple of games you get on a roll and it keeps going that way. We are hoping that we will find that rhythm."

Punjab will next lock horns with Kolkata in a do-or-die encounter at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Friday.&nbsp;

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the two names that pop up immediately whenever Punjab comes to the field in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The responsibility of chasing the mammoth target or setting a fighting total have always fallen on these two players.

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the two names that pop up immediately whenever Punjab comes to the field in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The responsibility of chasing the mammoth target or setting a fighting total have always fallen on these two players. The best part is they haven't disappointed. In the 12 games so far, Rahul has scored 550 runs to become the most dependent batsman of the franchise. When asked what is the mantra behind his superb form and how does he see himself hitting such big scores, Rahul in an exclusive interview to WION, said it's not the individual score that matters to him but the games he can win for the team. "I always aim very very high. So, for me, I don't start the season thinking 400-500 or 600 runs is good enough for me because that's not a goal or achievement for me. It's always about how many games in a season I win for my team, so that's is what my focus is always on." Rahul was quick to add that he doesn't care even if he scores 300 runs in one season, provided he plays a role in helping Punjab win the games. "It doesn't matter even if I get 300 runs in a season or 800 runs in the season. But if I do not win games for my team then I feel like I am not doing my job. So, that's is what I focus on. In a tournament like IPL, it is important that you start well and when you start well you get some confidence and form. And if you stay focussed then the confidence and form just carry on for the rest of the tournament. So, it has been the key for me in the last two seasons," the Punjab opener added. In most of the games, Rahul has made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end. However, the scenario has been different till Gayle is on the crease with him. When asked if there is any set plan they follow when they enter the crease, Rahul said they just give it some time and access the conditions. "We don't really go in with a set plan, because as opening batsmen we have the responsibility to go out there and access the conditions, especially when we are batting first, to see what would be a par score and how much we should get on a wicket like that and also see the opposition, see who are the guys we have to target." "So for that, we go that first couple of overs we are going to look to play cricketing shots and just look to take our time. Moreover, we all know if Chris starts over then there is no worry about the run rate. We will always get 20 runs extra than the par score. So we just look to give ourselves a little time and access the conditions," the 27-year-old said. Punjab had decent outings in the first half of the tournament before losing the plot in the all-important second phase. The team have 10 points from 12 matches and are desperately eyeing a victory to remain in the contention for the IPL 2019 playoffs. The performance of the team has degraded in the second phase, however, Kl Rahul stressed that just because the results haven't gone their way, it doesn' mean they have been outplayed. "The passion, the determination has always been there to go out and give it our best. Ashwin said in his last interview that we have not been outplayed even once we have hung in there. We have scrapped all through and we have put up a great show and all are games have been gone down to the wire and the crowds have enjoyed it." "And at the end of the day, it is about putting up a great show. But results haven't gone our way. Again that a habit, if you win a couple of games you get on a roll and it keeps going that way. We are hoping that we will find that rhythm." Punjab will next lock horns with Kolkata in a do-or-die encounter at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Friday.

Not the individual score but games I can win for Punjab matter: KL Rahul to WION

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

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

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

IPL enhances players' skills, says Dwayne Bravo

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, on Wednesday, praised 'freebie'&nbsp;Rishabh Pant saying that he would not like to change anything in him.

"You need to give him a freebie, you cannot restrict his (Pant) flow and I personally feel that you cannot blame him because he is that sort of person who can change the momentum of the game. I still like the way he plays and I would not like to change anything in him," Iyer said during the post-match conference.

Pant, who has not been in a good form lately with the bat, faced just three balls and scored five runs before he gave an easy catch to Dwayne Bravo off Imran Tahir`s delivery.

Iyer eulogized Pant, however, feels that the wicket-keeper batsman should have played smartly.

"It was not a bad stroke, but definitely he could have played a bit smart and assess the pitch condition because we needed a bit of partnership at that period," Iyer said.

Delhi&nbsp;faced an embarrassing 80-run defeat from Chennai&nbsp;in the ongoing Indian Premier League&nbsp;as the whole of Delhi's&nbsp;batting line-up was bundled off on just 99 runs by the hosts.

Talking about the defeat, Iyer said it was a reality check for them but backed his players by showing his confidence in their abilities to win matches.

"We lacked in certain situations and definitely, it is a reality check for us. We need to learn and come back strong from here on.... I never doubt my players, I know that they are capable of winning us matches," Iyer said.

Delhi, who have already qualified for the IPL playoffs, will host Rajasthan on May 4. 
&nbsp;

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, on Wednesday, praised 'freebie' Rishabh Pant saying that he would not like to change anything in him. "You need to give him a freebie, you cannot restrict his (Pant) flow and I personally feel that you cannot blame him because he is that sort of person who can change the momentum of the game.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, on Wednesday, praised 'freebie' Rishabh Pant saying that he would not like to change anything in him. "You need to give him a freebie, you cannot restrict his (Pant) flow and I personally feel that you cannot blame him because he is that sort of person who can change the momentum of the game. I still like the way he plays and I would not like to change anything in him," Iyer said during the post-match conference. Pant, who has not been in a good form lately with the bat, faced just three balls and scored five runs before he gave an easy catch to Dwayne Bravo off Imran Tahir`s delivery. Iyer eulogized Pant, however, feels that the wicket-keeper batsman should have played smartly. "It was not a bad stroke, but definitely he could have played a bit smart and assess the pitch condition because we needed a bit of partnership at that period," Iyer said. Delhi faced an embarrassing 80-run defeat from Chennai in the ongoing Indian Premier League as the whole of Delhi's batting line-up was bundled off on just 99 runs by the hosts. Talking about the defeat, Iyer said it was a reality check for them but backed his players by showing his confidence in their abilities to win matches. "We lacked in certain situations and definitely, it is a reality check for us. We need to learn and come back strong from here on.... I never doubt my players, I know that they are capable of winning us matches," Iyer said. Delhi, who have already qualified for the IPL playoffs, will host Rajasthan on May 4.

I would not change anything in Rishabh Pant, says Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rajasthan leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal took a memorable hat-trick in a five overs a side contest that was eventually called off due to intermittent rain, pushing Bangalore out of the IPL play-off race here on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Needing 22 off the final 10 balls, Royals were favourites to pocket two points but showers lashed Chinnaswamy again and both teams had to share a point each.

The no result keeps Rajasthan&nbsp;mathematically alive in the tournament as they have 11 points from 13 games with one match to go. The visitors were 41 for one in 3.2 overs when the rain returned to the Chinnaswamy with Sanju Samson (28 off 13) being their top-scorer.

Bangalore got a point from the called off game, taking them to nine points from 13 games, ending all their hopes of progressing in the tournament.&nbsp;

Rajasthan limited RCB to 62 for seven in five overs following Gopal's hat-trick.

Rajasthan had won the toss and opted to field but rain arrived and delayed the start of the game by three hours and thirty minutes.&nbsp;

The game finally began after a long delay, courtesy a commendable effort from the ground staff which readied the ground following multiple spells of heavy rain.&nbsp;

Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli (25 off 7) was on fire from ball one, depositing pacer Varun Aaron for a straight six. The loyal fans of the hosts, who stayed back for hours in the hope of a game, managed to get their money's worth with Kohli smashing Aaron for another six before AB de Villiers (10 off 4) got into the act as the first over went for 23 runs.&nbsp;

However, Gopal brought Rajasthan right back into the game in the following over by removing Kohli and de Villiers off successive balls before sending back Marcus Stoinis for a memorable hat-trick.&nbsp;

With the following batsmen going for the big hits from the word go, Bangalore did manage to cross the 50-run mark.&nbsp;

Rajasthan pacer Oshane Thomas too made instant impact by taking two wickets in one over.&nbsp;

Rajasthan leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal took a memorable hat-trick in a five overs a side contest that was eventually called off due to intermittent rain, pushing Bangalore out of the IPL play-off race here on Tuesday.

Rajasthan leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal took a memorable hat-trick in a five overs a side contest that was eventually called off due to intermittent rain, pushing Bangalore out of the IPL play-off race here on Tuesday. Needing 22 off the final 10 balls, Royals were favourites to pocket two points but showers lashed Chinnaswamy again and both teams had to share a point each. The no result keeps Rajasthan mathematically alive in the tournament as they have 11 points from 13 games with one match to go. The visitors were 41 for one in 3.2 overs when the rain returned to the Chinnaswamy with Sanju Samson (28 off 13) being their top-scorer. Bangalore got a point from the called off game, taking them to nine points from 13 games, ending all their hopes of progressing in the tournament. Rajasthan limited RCB to 62 for seven in five overs following Gopal's hat-trick. Rajasthan had won the toss and opted to field but rain arrived and delayed the start of the game by three hours and thirty minutes. The game finally began after a long delay, courtesy a commendable effort from the ground staff which readied the ground following multiple spells of heavy rain. Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli (25 off 7) was on fire from ball one, depositing pacer Varun Aaron for a straight six. The loyal fans of the hosts, who stayed back for hours in the hope of a game, managed to get their money's worth with Kohli smashing Aaron for another six before AB de Villiers (10 off 4) got into the act as the first over went for 23 runs. However, Gopal brought Rajasthan right back into the game in the following over by removing Kohli and de Villiers off successive balls before sending back Marcus Stoinis for a memorable hat-trick. With the following batsmen going for the big hits from the word go, Bangalore did manage to cross the 50-run mark. Rajasthan pacer Oshane Thomas too made instant impact by taking two wickets in one over.

Shreyas Gopal takes 'dream' hat-trick in rain-hit tie as Bangalore knocked out of IPL 2019

Chennai thrashed Delhi by 80 runs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.

With this win, Chennai has moved on to the top of the league standings with 18 points whereas Delhi&nbsp;are placed at the second position with 16 points.

Chasing a challenging score of 180, Delhi got off to the worst start possible as they lost their opener Prithvi Shaw (4) in the very first over.&nbsp;He was dismissed by Deepak Chahar.

Shikhar Dhawan along with skipper Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings for Delhi and the duo stitched together a 48-run stand.

But Harbhajan Singh cut short Dhawan's (19) resistance as he clean bowled him in the fifth over.

The big-hitting Rishabh Pant (5) also failed to leave a mark as he was dismissed pretty early by Imran Tahir. Colin Ingram (1) also fell cheaply off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja reducing Delhi 66 for four.

Chennai kept scalping wickets and with Iyer`s (44) dismissal in the 12th over it was just a matter of time for Delhi and in the end, Chennai easily secured a win by 80 runs.

Earlier, knocks of 59 and 44* respectively by Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni enabled Chennai to post 179 runs on the board for the loss of four wickets in the allotted twenty overs.

Delhi bowlers maintained a tight grip initially, not allowing the batsmen to free their arms. Chennai was able to score just three runs in the opening three overs and the pressure finally got to Shane Watson (0) as he was dismissed by Jagadeesha Suchith.

The batsman was looking to score a boundary but he just managed to find the fielder at deep mid-wicket.

Raina and Faf du Plessis retrieved the innings for Chennai and they staged an 83-run partnership bringing the hosts back into the match. But their resistance was cut short as both du Plessis (39) and Raina (59) were dismissed in quick succession.

Faf was dismissed by Axar Patel whereas Raina was dismissed by Suchith.

Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja gave some firepower to the team in the death overs and stitched together a partnership of 43 runs of just 22 balls to take the team past the 140-run mark.

Jadeja (25) perished in the penultimate over but Dhoni kept on going on his merry way enabling the team to post a challenging total in front of the visitors. Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu remained unbeaten on 44 and 5 respectively.

Delhi&nbsp;will next play against Rajasthan on May 4 whereas Chennai will take on Punjab on May 5.

Chennai thrashed Delhi by 80 runs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday. With this win, Chennai has moved on to the top of the league standings with 18 points whereas Delhi are placed at the second position with 16 points.

Chennai thrashed Delhi by 80 runs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday. With this win, Chennai has moved on to the top of the league standings with 18 points whereas Delhi are placed at the second position with 16 points. Chasing a challenging score of 180, Delhi got off to the worst start possible as they lost their opener Prithvi Shaw (4) in the very first over. He was dismissed by Deepak Chahar. Shikhar Dhawan along with skipper Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings for Delhi and the duo stitched together a 48-run stand. But Harbhajan Singh cut short Dhawan's (19) resistance as he clean bowled him in the fifth over. The big-hitting Rishabh Pant (5) also failed to leave a mark as he was dismissed pretty early by Imran Tahir. Colin Ingram (1) also fell cheaply off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja reducing Delhi 66 for four. Chennai kept scalping wickets and with Iyer`s (44) dismissal in the 12th over it was just a matter of time for Delhi and in the end, Chennai easily secured a win by 80 runs. Earlier, knocks of 59 and 44* respectively by Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni enabled Chennai to post 179 runs on the board for the loss of four wickets in the allotted twenty overs. Delhi bowlers maintained a tight grip initially, not allowing the batsmen to free their arms. Chennai was able to score just three runs in the opening three overs and the pressure finally got to Shane Watson (0) as he was dismissed by Jagadeesha Suchith. The batsman was looking to score a boundary but he just managed to find the fielder at deep mid-wicket. Raina and Faf du Plessis retrieved the innings for Chennai and they staged an 83-run partnership bringing the hosts back into the match. But their resistance was cut short as both du Plessis (39) and Raina (59) were dismissed in quick succession. Faf was dismissed by Axar Patel whereas Raina was dismissed by Suchith. Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja gave some firepower to the team in the death overs and stitched together a partnership of 43 runs of just 22 balls to take the team past the 140-run mark. Jadeja (25) perished in the penultimate over but Dhoni kept on going on his merry way enabling the team to post a challenging total in front of the visitors. Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu remained unbeaten on 44 and 5 respectively. Delhi will next play against Rajasthan on May 4 whereas Chennai will take on Punjab on May 5.

IPL 2019: Chennai thrash Delhi by huge 80 runs

Andre Russell's wife Jassym Lora lashed out on the social media and gave a befitting reply to users who tried to troll and even body-shamed her. Being a model and an Instagram Fashion Lifestyle Influencer, Lora herself is very popular but in India, she created a fan base after her husband's outstanding performance in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League.

Andre Russell's wife Jassym Lora lashed out on the social media and gave a befitting reply to users who tried to troll and even body-shamed her. Being a model and an Instagram Fashion Lifestyle Influencer, Lora herself is very popular but in India, she created a fan base after her husband's outstanding performance in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League. Russell, so far, amassed 486 runs playing at a strike rate of 207.69 including 50 sixes and became a cricket sensation among Indian fans. Jassym replied to online trolls and said that such users should get punched in the mouth for disrespecting others. Also Read: Like being hailed as superhero, says Andre Russell On her Instagram account, where she has over 126 thousand followers, posted a photo with a note, saying, "Social Media has made too many of you comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the mouth for it." View this post on Instagram keyboard warrior.! A post shared by Jassym Lora Russell (@jassymloraru) on Apr 25, 2019 at 4:15am PDT × Lora married to the 30-year-old cricketer in 2016 and the couple often share adorable pictures on their Instagram account. Also Read: David Warner's wife writes emotional message for husband after he ends IPL 2019 campaign After Kolkata's win over Mumbai on Sunday, Russell in a special interview to his wife said that her presence comes as a massive boost for the Jamaican cricketer and she is his "lucky charm". A special interview of a special man by his special woman. A video which will make you go all Awww 💜💜💜@28anand brings @Russell12A & his wife @JAssymLOra11 in one frame after @KKRiders' win last night at the Eden Gardens. #KKRvMI Watch the full 📹 - https://t.co/hNRctwAiRs pic.twitter.com/NNxfP5w7tE — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2019 × View this post on Instagram Oh my sweet husband, I’m not just wishing for you to have a great birthday, I’m praying that you’re blessed with your heart’s desires.! Happy birthday Mi Amor! #happybirthdayhusband ❤️🎂 A post shared by Jassym Lora Russell (@jassymloraru) on Apr 28, 2019 at 7:47pm PDT × View this post on Instagram IPL 2019 #KKR #India #Dreruss A post shared by Jassym Lora Russell (@jassymloraru) on Apr 21, 2019 at 1:24am PDT × Andre Russell is currently playing for Kolkata team in the IPL 2019.

Cricketer Andre Russell's wife Jassym Lora lashes out at online trolls

Struggling Bangalore pacer Umesh Yadav says getting dropped from the Indian team off and on has led to a loss of self-confidence and dip in form which is clearly showing in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shreyas-gopal-takes-dream-hat-trick-in-rain-hit-tie-as-bangalore-knocked-out-of-ipl-2019-214881">ongoing Indian Premier League.</a>

Umesh, who is not in India's World Cup team, said nothing is going right for him and the piling mental pressure has affected his accuracy and rhythm in bowling.

"Everybody is saying I am not bowling well and why is this happening? Because in last two years I continued playing all formats in domestic level, but after that, I have not played too many ODIs or T20s. I am just picked for 2 to 3 games, then again get dropped," Umesh said.

"Everyone is thinking I am not giving my best, but it is not. It happens for every fast bowler," he said after the abandoned IPL match between RCB Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.

Umesh admitted that for the past six months he has not been able to maintain accuracy.&nbsp;

"It is difficult to elaborate because it is part of every bowler. Sometimes, we have a good or a bad day. I think this is the phase wherein from 4 to 6 months I am not that accurate," said the 31-year-old whose last ODI was on October 24 against the West Indies.

He said his rhythm has not been the best because of mental pressure.

"Sometimes too many things goes into your head. Sometimes, there definitely is confidence, but other times I feel I am not having my time this year. Hence, that is the problem this year. Actually, my rhythm and everything is not going my way," he said.

Umesh is hurt for not delivering this season after having been the highest wicket-taker for Bangalore last edition.&nbsp;

"Last time I was the highest wicket-taker and this year it did not happen, so definitely I am feeling bad and hurt for not being able to deliver properly whenever the team wants from me," he said.

Talking about Navdeep Saini, Umesh said, "He is a good fast bowler and wants to keep learning. After a long time we have seen a bowler who can bowl at 150 km/hr and has good lengths as well.&nbsp;

"The way he is playing cricket and learning, he has a bright future ahead."&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Shreyas Gopal, who bagged a hat-trick in the match, said he was happy with his performance, but disappointed his team did not win which would have made things clearer point-wise.

"Obviously I have a lot of nerves but it feels good to be getting them out. Unfortunately for me right now the most important thing is that we did not have a full game and did not end up on the winning side, so we still do not know how things are on the table," he said.

Gopal had dismissed Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers and Marcus Stoinis off successive balls to claim a hat-trick.

"Having said that it feels good to get those wickets. Moreover, in five overs we had a chance in the game so I am pretty happy about that."

Struggling Bangalore pacer Umesh Yadav says getting dropped from the Indian team off and on has led to a loss of self-confidence and dip in form which is clearly showing in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Struggling Bangalore pacer Umesh Yadav says getting dropped from the Indian team off and on has led to a loss of self-confidence and dip in form which is clearly showing in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Umesh, who is not in India's World Cup team, said nothing is going right for him and the piling mental pressure has affected his accuracy and rhythm in bowling. "Everybody is saying I am not bowling well and why is this happening? Because in last two years I continued playing all formats in domestic level, but after that, I have not played too many ODIs or T20s. I am just picked for 2 to 3 games, then again get dropped," Umesh said. "Everyone is thinking I am not giving my best, but it is not. It happens for every fast bowler," he said after the abandoned IPL match between RCB Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. Umesh admitted that for the past six months he has not been able to maintain accuracy. "It is difficult to elaborate because it is part of every bowler. Sometimes, we have a good or a bad day. I think this is the phase wherein from 4 to 6 months I am not that accurate," said the 31-year-old whose last ODI was on October 24 against the West Indies. He said his rhythm has not been the best because of mental pressure. "Sometimes too many things goes into your head. Sometimes, there definitely is confidence, but other times I feel I am not having my time this year. Hence, that is the problem this year. Actually, my rhythm and everything is not going my way," he said. Umesh is hurt for not delivering this season after having been the highest wicket-taker for Bangalore last edition. "Last time I was the highest wicket-taker and this year it did not happen, so definitely I am feeling bad and hurt for not being able to deliver properly whenever the team wants from me," he said. Talking about Navdeep Saini, Umesh said, "He is a good fast bowler and wants to keep learning. After a long time we have seen a bowler who can bowl at 150 km/hr and has good lengths as well. "The way he is playing cricket and learning, he has a bright future ahead." Meanwhile, Shreyas Gopal, who bagged a hat-trick in the match, said he was happy with his performance, but disappointed his team did not win which would have made things clearer point-wise. "Obviously I have a lot of nerves but it feels good to be getting them out. Unfortunately for me right now the most important thing is that we did not have a full game and did not end up on the winning side, so we still do not know how things are on the table," he said. Gopal had dismissed Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers and Marcus Stoinis off successive balls to claim a hat-trick. "Having said that it feels good to get those wickets. Moreover, in five overs we had a chance in the game so I am pretty happy about that."

IPL 2019: Getting dropped from Indian team after 2-3 matches has led to dip in form, says Umesh Yadav

David Warner signed off his IPL 2019 campaign in style, notching up his eight fifty of the season to help Hyderabad take a step closer towards qualifying for the play-offs with a comfortable 45-run win over Punjab here Monday. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Playing his last match of the season before heading home for World Cup preparations, Warner struck a belligerent 81 off 56 balls with seven fours and two sixes to complete his IPL 2019 campaign with 692 runs, the highest so far in the tournament.

Chasing the imposing total, K L Rahul (79 off 56, 4x4s, 5x6s) made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end as Punjab were restricted to 167 for eight.

By virtue of this win, Hyderabad have consolidated their fourth position in the table with 12 points from 12 games, while Punjab are at 10 points from as many matches.

Both the teams have two more matches to go with Punjab still in the hunt.&nbsp;

Punjab needed a brisk start but they didn't get one, losing explosive Chris Gayle early.

Gayle departed in the first ball of the third over, brilliantly caught by Manish Pandey off Khaleel Ahmed (3/40) with Punjab scoreboard reading 11.

Thereafter, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (27 off 18) added 60 off 39 balls to take Punjab forward.

But just when the partnership was looking threatening, Agarwal was holed by Vijay Shankar off Rashid Khan (3/21) in the ninth over.

New man in Nicholas Pooran (21 off 10) played a short breezy knock before Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a beautiful catch at long-leg boundary off Ahmed to sent packing the batsman.

Rashid then came to the party and picked up two wickets -- David Miller (11 off 11) and skipper Ravichandran Ashwin -- in consecutive balls in the 13th over to stand in chance of registering a hat-trick which didn't materialise.

From there on, the asking was tall for Rahul and debutant Prabhsimran Singh (16) and the former finally perished in the 19th over after a beautiful knock to shut the doors for Punjab. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier, Warner and Wriddhiman Saha (28 off 13) got Hyderabad off to a brisk start after being sent into bat. The duo took the Punjab bowlers to the cleaners to pile up 77 runs of the first six overs of powerplay.

Warner made his intentions clear from the onset, hitting young Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries in the opening over and then followed it up with a six over long-off in Mujeeb Ur Rahman's next over.

Mujeeb was in for some treatment as Warner hit two more boundaries in the spinner's next over and then Saha also found the fence to bring up Hyderabad' fifty in the fourth over.

Saha then went after Mohammed Shami (2/36) and hit the pacer for a boundary and six off consecutive balls.

Saha's innings came to an end when he under-edged a Murugan Ashwin delivery to debutant Prabhsimran Singh behind the stumps. Saha shared 78 runs off 6.2 overs with Warner for the opening stand.

Warner continued in the same vein and notched up his eight fifty of the season with a boundary off Shami in the 12th over.

Then came in in-form Manish Pandey (36 off 25) and he too played a quick knock in Warner's company.

Pandey, who struck three fours and a six, added 82 off 55 balls along with Warner before Kings XI skipper Ravichandran Ashwin (2/20) struck twin blows in the 16th over to remove both the set batsmen.

First Ashwin accounted for Pandey and then two balls later dismissed Warner, caught by Mujeeb at point of what was a tired-looking shot. 
Then skipper Kane Williamson (14 off 7) and Mohammad Nabi (20 off 10) also played short cameos towards the end.

David Warner signed off his IPL 2019 campaign in style, notching up his eight fifty of the season to help Hyderabad take a step closer towards qualifying for the play-offs with a comfortable 45-run win over Punjab here Monday.

David Warner signed off his IPL 2019 campaign in style, notching up his eight fifty of the season to help Hyderabad take a step closer towards qualifying for the play-offs with a comfortable 45-run win over Punjab here Monday. Playing his last match of the season before heading home for World Cup preparations, Warner struck a belligerent 81 off 56 balls with seven fours and two sixes to complete his IPL 2019 campaign with 692 runs, the highest so far in the tournament. Chasing the imposing total, K L Rahul (79 off 56, 4x4s, 5x6s) made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end as Punjab were restricted to 167 for eight. By virtue of this win, Hyderabad have consolidated their fourth position in the table with 12 points from 12 games, while Punjab are at 10 points from as many matches. Both the teams have two more matches to go with Punjab still in the hunt. Punjab needed a brisk start but they didn't get one, losing explosive Chris Gayle early. Gayle departed in the first ball of the third over, brilliantly caught by Manish Pandey off Khaleel Ahmed (3/40) with Punjab scoreboard reading 11. Thereafter, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (27 off 18) added 60 off 39 balls to take Punjab forward. But just when the partnership was looking threatening, Agarwal was holed by Vijay Shankar off Rashid Khan (3/21) in the ninth over. New man in Nicholas Pooran (21 off 10) played a short breezy knock before Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a beautiful catch at long-leg boundary off Ahmed to sent packing the batsman. Rashid then came to the party and picked up two wickets -- David Miller (11 off 11) and skipper Ravichandran Ashwin -- in consecutive balls in the 13th over to stand in chance of registering a hat-trick which didn't materialise. From there on, the asking was tall for Rahul and debutant Prabhsimran Singh (16) and the former finally perished in the 19th over after a beautiful knock to shut the doors for Punjab. Earlier, Warner and Wriddhiman Saha (28 off 13) got Hyderabad off to a brisk start after being sent into bat. The duo took the Punjab bowlers to the cleaners to pile up 77 runs of the first six overs of powerplay. Warner made his intentions clear from the onset, hitting young Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries in the opening over and then followed it up with a six over long-off in Mujeeb Ur Rahman's next over. Mujeeb was in for some treatment as Warner hit two more boundaries in the spinner's next over and then Saha also found the fence to bring up Hyderabad' fifty in the fourth over. Saha then went after Mohammed Shami (2/36) and hit the pacer for a boundary and six off consecutive balls. Saha's innings came to an end when he under-edged a Murugan Ashwin delivery to debutant Prabhsimran Singh behind the stumps. Saha shared 78 runs off 6.2 overs with Warner for the opening stand. Warner continued in the same vein and notched up his eight fifty of the season with a boundary off Shami in the 12th over. Then came in in-form Manish Pandey (36 off 25) and he too played a quick knock in Warner's company. Pandey, who struck three fours and a six, added 82 off 55 balls along with Warner before Kings XI skipper Ravichandran Ashwin (2/20) struck twin blows in the 16th over to remove both the set batsmen. First Ashwin accounted for Pandey and then two balls later dismissed Warner, caught by Mujeeb at point of what was a tired-looking shot. Then skipper Kane Williamson (14 off 7) and Mohammad Nabi (20 off 10) also played short cameos towards the end.

IPL 2019: Brilliant David Warner hands Hyderabad 45-run win over Punjab

Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, Delhi defeated Bangalore to top the points table and book themselves a play-off berth.

IPL 2019: Chennai, Delhi to face off in battle for the top position

Punjab opener KL Rahul defended his strategy of playing slow initially while chasing a mammoth 213 against Hyderabad in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl-2019">Indian Premier League (IPL)</a>, saying one between him and Chris Gayle was supposed to go all out upfront while the other tried to take the game deep.

Chasing a huge total, Rahul (79 off 56; 4x4, 5x6) made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-brilliant-david-warner-hands-hyderabad-45-run-win-over-punjab-214615">Punjab were restricted to 167 for eight in their 20 overs.&nbsp;</a>

"That's been the team plan. One of me or Chris Gayle look to bat 15-16 overs as deep as possible so the others can play around," said Rahul at the post-match press conference.

"That doesn't mean that you don't play your shots. I tried my shots a few times, it didn't come off, few went for boundaries, few hit the fielders."

Rahul though finished with a strike-rate of 141.07 but at one stage he had just made 39 off 36 deliveries when the required rate was well above 15 runs per over.

The 27-year-old explained that he knew he could make up for it in the back end had he stayed on the crease in the middle overs.

"Not always as a batsman you will get off to an amazing start, you don't get a 20-ball 50 each time. Sometimes when you get off to a start like that you have got to make it count but sometimes when you are not finding your touch you have to hang in there. I know that if I am set I can make up for it," said Rahul.

He ruled that the lack of partnerships hampered his team.

"We couldn't get enough batting partnerships. We were batting well, unfortunate that each time we tried to take a chance we found a fielder."

Rahul also backed Mujeeb ur Rahman, who conceded 66 runs in his four overs, highest in this year's IPL.

"Obviously, anybody who goes for that many runs will be disappointed. Sometimes it is not your day. In T20 cricket that happens. Everyday one of the bowlers will get targeted and go for runs.

"He is a young guy, he has a lot of skill. This is the first time he has gone for so many runs. Before this he has done really really well for Kings XI and yeah one-off game this happens to every bowler. The best of bowlers will get hit for 50-60 runs, you just have to look to bounce back," said Rahul.

Punjab used only five bowlers despite going for runs and Rahul said that injuries to a lot of their key players prevented them from going for the sixth bowling option.

"It is not an excuse but there are a few injuries in the team which doesn't allow us to go with a sixth bowling option or play an all-rounder," Rahul clarified.

"When you are going in with five bowlers, all of them have to bowl four overs each. There is not really a choice. When you have gone with five full-time bowlers, you have to trust them. You expect them to deliver most times but some times it does not happen," he added.

Punjab opener KL Rahul defended his strategy of playing slow initially while chasing a mammoth 213 against Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), saying one between him and Chris Gayle was supposed to go all out upfront while the other tried to take the game deep.

Punjab opener KL Rahul defended his strategy of playing slow initially while chasing a mammoth 213 against Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), saying one between him and Chris Gayle was supposed to go all out upfront while the other tried to take the game deep. Chasing a huge total, Rahul (79 off 56; 4x4, 5x6) made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end as Punjab were restricted to 167 for eight in their 20 overs. "That's been the team plan. One of me or Chris Gayle look to bat 15-16 overs as deep as possible so the others can play around," said Rahul at the post-match press conference. "That doesn't mean that you don't play your shots. I tried my shots a few times, it didn't come off, few went for boundaries, few hit the fielders." Rahul though finished with a strike-rate of 141.07 but at one stage he had just made 39 off 36 deliveries when the required rate was well above 15 runs per over. The 27-year-old explained that he knew he could make up for it in the back end had he stayed on the crease in the middle overs. "Not always as a batsman you will get off to an amazing start, you don't get a 20-ball 50 each time. Sometimes when you get off to a start like that you have got to make it count but sometimes when you are not finding your touch you have to hang in there. I know that if I am set I can make up for it," said Rahul. He ruled that the lack of partnerships hampered his team. "We couldn't get enough batting partnerships. We were batting well, unfortunate that each time we tried to take a chance we found a fielder." Rahul also backed Mujeeb ur Rahman, who conceded 66 runs in his four overs, highest in this year's IPL. "Obviously, anybody who goes for that many runs will be disappointed. Sometimes it is not your day. In T20 cricket that happens. Everyday one of the bowlers will get targeted and go for runs. "He is a young guy, he has a lot of skill. This is the first time he has gone for so many runs. Before this he has done really really well for Kings XI and yeah one-off game this happens to every bowler. The best of bowlers will get hit for 50-60 runs, you just have to look to bounce back," said Rahul. Punjab used only five bowlers despite going for runs and Rahul said that injuries to a lot of their key players prevented them from going for the sixth bowling option. "It is not an excuse but there are a few injuries in the team which doesn't allow us to go with a sixth bowling option or play an all-rounder," Rahul clarified. "When you are going in with five bowlers, all of them have to bowl four overs each. There is not really a choice. When you have gone with five full-time bowlers, you have to trust them. You expect them to deliver most times but some times it does not happen," he added.

IPL 2019: Punjab's KL Rahul defends playing slow initially against Hyderabad

Mumbai's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya smashed the fastest fifty of the ongoing edition if Indian Premier League while playing against Kolkata at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.&nbsp;

Hardik Pandya scored 91 runs off 34 balls playing at a strike rate of 267.65 and his splendid innings included six 4s and nine 6s.&nbsp;

Previously, the record was held by Delhi's wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, who smashed fifty off 18 balls against Mumbai team on March 24.&nbsp;

Hardik has so far completed 62 half-centuries in his IPL career.&nbsp;

During the post-match presentation, Hardik said, "I am just holding my shape pretty well and the confidence makes a huge difference."

"My plan was to get close to the total so that the run rate doesn't get effected," he added.&nbsp;

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FIFTY comes up for <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a>. This is his fastest half-century in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/usrYW2CMwq">pic.twitter.com/usrYW2CMwq</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1122556457684090880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In the match,&nbsp;Kolkata snapped their six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai in a high-scoring game that saw brutal stroke play from power-hitters of both teams. &nbsp;

Kolkata batsmen fired on all cylinders to post the season's highest total, 232 for two, after sensational knocks from Shubman Gill (75 off 45) and Andre Russell (80 not out off 40). &nbsp;

At 58 for four, Mumbai were down and out but&nbsp;Hardik Pandya&nbsp;reignited their hopes with a breathtaking 91 off 34 balls. In the end, Pandya's dismissal in the 18th over sealed the game in Kolkata's favour as Mumbai ended at 198 for seven. The Indian all-rounder's cracking innings comprised nine sixes and six fours. &nbsp;

The much-needed win keeps Kolkata alive in the tournament as they now have 10 points from 12 matches. Mumbai remain in the third spot with 14 points from 12 games. &nbsp;

Mumbai's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya smashed the fastest fifty of the ongoing edition if Indian Premier League while playing against Kolkata at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

Mumbai's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya smashed the fastest fifty of the ongoing edition if Indian Premier League while playing against Kolkata at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Hardik Pandya scored 91 runs off 34 balls playing at a strike rate of 267.65 and his splendid innings included six 4s and nine 6s. Previously, the record was held by Delhi's wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, who smashed fifty off 18 balls against Mumbai team on March 24. Hardik has so far completed 62 half-centuries in his IPL career. During the post-match presentation, Hardik said, "I am just holding my shape pretty well and the confidence makes a huge difference." "My plan was to get close to the total so that the run rate doesn't get effected," he added. FIFTY comes up for @hardikpandya7. This is his fastest half-century in #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/usrYW2CMwq — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2019 × In the match, Kolkata snapped their six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai in a high-scoring game that saw brutal stroke play from power-hitters of both teams. Kolkata batsmen fired on all cylinders to post the season's highest total, 232 for two, after sensational knocks from Shubman Gill (75 off 45) and Andre Russell (80 not out off 40). At 58 for four, Mumbai were down and out but Hardik Pandya reignited their hopes with a breathtaking 91 off 34 balls. In the end, Pandya's dismissal in the 18th over sealed the game in Kolkata's favour as Mumbai ended at 198 for seven. The Indian all-rounder's cracking innings comprised nine sixes and six fours. The much-needed win keeps Kolkata alive in the tournament as they now have 10 points from 12 matches. Mumbai remain in the third spot with 14 points from 12 games.

Hardik Pandya smashes fastest fifty of IPL 2019

Kolkata snapped their six-match losing streak with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-47-kolkata-vs-mumbai-at-eden-gardens-214169">a 34-run win over Mumbai</a> in a high-scoring Indian Premier League game that saw brutal stroke play from power-hitters of both teams. &nbsp;

Kolkata batsmen fired on all cylinders to post the season's highest total, 232 for two, after sensational knocks from Shubman Gill (75 off 45) and Andre Russell (80 not out off 40).&nbsp;

At 58 for four, Mumbai were down and out but <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-smashes-fastest-fifty-of-ipl-2019-214239">Hardik Pandya</a> reignited their hopes with a breathtaking 91 off 34 balls. In the end, Pandya's dismissal in the 18th over sealed the game in Kolkata's favour as Mumbai ended at 198 for seven. The Indian all-rounder's cracking innings comprised nine sixes and six fours. &nbsp;

The much-needed win keeps Kolkata alive in the tournament as they now have 10 points from 12 matches. Mumbai remain in third spot with 14 points from 12 games. &nbsp;

Staring at elimination, the embattled Kolkata got off to a fiery start with Shubman Gill (76) and Chris Lynn (54) putting on a 96-run opening stand, their highest this season, after Rohit Sharma opted to bowl in his 100th match as captain.&nbsp;

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Two <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Playoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Playoffs</a> spots still up for grabs. Who do you reckon will make it?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/vGcHYOfq43">pic.twitter.com/vGcHYOfq43</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1122567153087995905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Russell, Kolkata's biggest impact player of the season, was finally seen higher up the order at No 3. The West Indies power-hitter ensured that Kolkata finished on a high with an unbeaten effort.&nbsp;

Russell hammered six fours and eight sixes including one off the last ball after he denied a couple of singles to skipper Dinesh Karthik in the last over as Kolkata creamed 75 runs from the last five overs and scored 135 in the final 10.&nbsp;

Fielding let down Mumbai big time with both Lynn and Russell dropped early in their innings by Kieron Pollard and Evin Lewis respectively.&nbsp;

The top-order batting was all about the sheer class of the 19-year-old Gill, who showed why he is billed as the future star of Indian cricket.&nbsp;

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKRiders</a> win by 34 runs and register their 100th Victory in IPL 👌👌 <a href="https://t.co/zAl5lMBW8O">pic.twitter.com/zAl5lMBW8O</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1122564809629655040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Gill smashed six fours and four sixes en route to his second half-century of the season and forged a crucial stand with Russell. The duo shared 62 runs from 35 balls of which Gill had a share of 34, while Russell scored 24.&nbsp;

Gill was at his best against Rahul Chahar and three of his four sixes came against the leg-spinner.&nbsp;

Such was the sheer class of Gill that Russell was glad to play second fiddle and was six off 12 balls after being dropped on one. &nbsp;

On a belter of a track, Kolkata openers got off to a sensational start and survived the powerplay without losing a wicket for their highest opening stand -- 96 -- this season.&nbsp;

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DRE RUSS is adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant 80* and bowling figures of 2/25 👏👏 <a href="https://t.co/rY5uWxvWDa">pic.twitter.com/rY5uWxvWDa</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1122569215662125056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Slow to start with, Lynn was 18 off 15 balls when Kieron Pollard spilled a chance from the Aussie at mid-off.&nbsp;

Lynn took off from there on, hammering the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Chahar to race to his fourth IPL fifty this season off just 27 balls.

Kolkata snapped their six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai in a high-scoring Indian Premier League game that saw brutal stroke play from power-hitters of both teams.

Kolkata snapped their six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai in a high-scoring Indian Premier League game that saw brutal stroke play from power-hitters of both teams. Kolkata batsmen fired on all cylinders to post the season's highest total, 232 for two, after sensational knocks from Shubman Gill (75 off 45) and Andre Russell (80 not out off 40). At 58 for four, Mumbai were down and out but Hardik Pandya reignited their hopes with a breathtaking 91 off 34 balls. In the end, Pandya's dismissal in the 18th over sealed the game in Kolkata's favour as Mumbai ended at 198 for seven. The Indian all-rounder's cracking innings comprised nine sixes and six fours. The much-needed win keeps Kolkata alive in the tournament as they now have 10 points from 12 matches. Mumbai remain in third spot with 14 points from 12 games. Staring at elimination, the embattled Kolkata got off to a fiery start with Shubman Gill (76) and Chris Lynn (54) putting on a 96-run opening stand, their highest this season, after Rohit Sharma opted to bowl in his 100th match as captain. Two #Playoffs spots still up for grabs. Who do you reckon will make it?#VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/vGcHYOfq43 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2019 × Russell, Kolkata's biggest impact player of the season, was finally seen higher up the order at No 3. The West Indies power-hitter ensured that Kolkata finished on a high with an unbeaten effort. Russell hammered six fours and eight sixes including one off the last ball after he denied a couple of singles to skipper Dinesh Karthik in the last over as Kolkata creamed 75 runs from the last five overs and scored 135 in the final 10. Fielding let down Mumbai big time with both Lynn and Russell dropped early in their innings by Kieron Pollard and Evin Lewis respectively. The top-order batting was all about the sheer class of the 19-year-old Gill, who showed why he is billed as the future star of Indian cricket. The @KKRiders win by 34 runs and register their 100th Victory in IPL 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/zAl5lMBW8O — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2019 × Gill smashed six fours and four sixes en route to his second half-century of the season and forged a crucial stand with Russell. The duo shared 62 runs from 35 balls of which Gill had a share of 34, while Russell scored 24. Gill was at his best against Rahul Chahar and three of his four sixes came against the leg-spinner. Such was the sheer class of Gill that Russell was glad to play second fiddle and was six off 12 balls after being dropped on one. On a belter of a track, Kolkata openers got off to a sensational start and survived the powerplay without losing a wicket for their highest opening stand -- 96 -- this season. DRE RUSS is adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant 80* and bowling figures of 2/25 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/rY5uWxvWDa — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2019 × Slow to start with, Lynn was 18 off 15 balls when Kieron Pollard spilled a chance from the Aussie at mid-off. Lynn took off from there on, hammering the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Chahar to race to his fourth IPL fifty this season off just 27 balls.

IPL 2019: Andre Russell shines as Kolkata beat Mumbai by 34 runs

The Steve Smith-led side have a theoretical chance to make it to the playoffs, provided they do not lose any of their remaining two matches.

IPL 2019: Rejuvenated Rajasthan to lock horns with bottom-placed Bangalore

Rohit Sharma, the skipper Mumbai team was fined 15 per cent of his match fees for breaching the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl-2019">Indian Premier League's</a> (IPL) code of conduct during his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-andre-russell-shines-as-kolkata-beat-mumbai-by-34-runs-214242">team's 34-run defeat to Kolkata</a> at the Eden Garden stadium.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma hit the stumps with his bat following his dismissal in a highly charged contest against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata on Sunday.&nbsp;

The India batsman smashed three boundaries before being adjudged lbw in Mumbai's mammoth chase of 233 and vented his frustration on the stumps at the non-striker's end.&nbsp;

Sharma admitted to the Level 1 offence 2.2 of the IPL's Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction.&nbsp;

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Rohit demonstrating his test career to the umpire. <a href="https://t.co/2MhBo1RFJO">pic.twitter.com/2MhBo1RFJO</a>
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Sharma, who has led Mumbai to three IPL titles, believed he had edged the incoming delivery from paceman Harry Gurney and reviewed the umpire's call.&nbsp;

But the 'snickometer' technology, which analyses noise, suggested the ball missed the bat and the decision was upheld, with a dejected Sharma having words with the umpire as well as hitting the stumps.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma, the skipper Mumbai team was fined 15 per cent of his match fees for breaching the Indian Premier League's (IPL) code of conduct during his team's 34-run defeat to Kolkata at the Eden Garden stadium.

Rohit Sharma, the skipper Mumbai team was fined 15 per cent of his match fees for breaching the Indian Premier League's (IPL) code of conduct during his team's 34-run defeat to Kolkata at the Eden Garden stadium. Rohit Sharma hit the stumps with his bat following his dismissal in a highly charged contest against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata on Sunday. The India batsman smashed three boundaries before being adjudged lbw in Mumbai's mammoth chase of 233 and vented his frustration on the stumps at the non-striker's end. Sharma admitted to the Level 1 offence 2.2 of the IPL's Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction. Rohit demonstrating his test career to the umpire. pic.twitter.com/2MhBo1RFJO — vinodh (@vinodh_mvk) April 28, 2019 × Sharma, who has led Mumbai to three IPL titles, believed he had edged the incoming delivery from paceman Harry Gurney and reviewed the umpire's call. But the 'snickometer' technology, which analyses noise, suggested the ball missed the bat and the decision was upheld, with a dejected Sharma having words with the umpire as well as hitting the stumps.

IPL 2019: Rohit Sharma fined 15 per cent match fees for code of conduct breach

Embattled skipper Dinesh Karthik says he is "aware of bickering and back-biting", his comments coming in the backdrop of speculations around leadership and batting order in Kolkata.

Kolkata&nbsp;snapped a six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai at the Eden Gardens Sunday, days after questions were raised about Andre Russell's batting position, with the West Indian power-hitter himself expressing a desire to bat higher at No. 4.

"It's a high-pressure sport, a high octane tournament, you've got to make sure everybody's in a great space, give them the best chance to do well and stay healthy," Karthik said at the post-match presentation.&nbsp;

"A lot of bickering and back-biting can go on in these sorts of situations. I'm very aware of it and (I) make sure nothing like that happens.

"At the end of the day, it's a game. You play the best that you can. You need to keep a smile. You need to be nice to others. Everybody's trying hard."

Regarding Russell, who has made incredible hitting his favourite pastime, the keeper-batsman was impressed with his maturity.

"Russell is a great player, he's a special player and it's good to see him grow as a player. The maturity he's showing is great to see.

"I was just talking about the same to him. These balls cost a lot and we need to ask him to keep calm. We live another day, that's important and the crowd has been fantastic," Karthik said.

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said he was not too worried about how his bowlers will come back from the onslaught at the hands of Russell and Shubman Gill.

"This is a learning for us. We will find some answers going forward. Today (Sunday) was a testing time for us, but I am not really worried how the bowling unit will come back from this," Rohit said after his team conceded 232 runs at the Eden Gardens.

"We have to regroup quickly now, we are playing two home games and know the conditions well.&nbsp;

As a team, we have done some right things and we have to believe in our abilities. You got to stay positive and look forward to the next game," the India player said.&nbsp;

He praised Hardik Pandya for his blazing 91 off 34 balls, which nearly pulled off a win for Mumbai.

Embattled skipper Dinesh Karthik says he is "aware of bickering and back-biting", his comments coming in the backdrop of speculations around leadership and batting order in Kolkata.

Embattled skipper Dinesh Karthik says he is "aware of bickering and back-biting", his comments coming in the backdrop of speculations around leadership and batting order in Kolkata. Kolkata snapped a six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai at the Eden Gardens Sunday, days after questions were raised about Andre Russell's batting position, with the West Indian power-hitter himself expressing a desire to bat higher at No. 4. "It's a high-pressure sport, a high octane tournament, you've got to make sure everybody's in a great space, give them the best chance to do well and stay healthy," Karthik said at the post-match presentation. "A lot of bickering and back-biting can go on in these sorts of situations. I'm very aware of it and (I) make sure nothing like that happens. "At the end of the day, it's a game. You play the best that you can. You need to keep a smile. You need to be nice to others. Everybody's trying hard." Regarding Russell, who has made incredible hitting his favourite pastime, the keeper-batsman was impressed with his maturity. "Russell is a great player, he's a special player and it's good to see him grow as a player. The maturity he's showing is great to see. "I was just talking about the same to him. These balls cost a lot and we need to ask him to keep calm. We live another day, that's important and the crowd has been fantastic," Karthik said. Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said he was not too worried about how his bowlers will come back from the onslaught at the hands of Russell and Shubman Gill. "This is a learning for us. We will find some answers going forward. Today (Sunday) was a testing time for us, but I am not really worried how the bowling unit will come back from this," Rohit said after his team conceded 232 runs at the Eden Gardens. "We have to regroup quickly now, we are playing two home games and know the conditions well. As a team, we have done some right things and we have to believe in our abilities. You got to stay positive and look forward to the next game," the India player said. He praised Hardik Pandya for his blazing 91 off 34 balls, which nearly pulled off a win for Mumbai.

I am aware of the bickering and back-biting: Dinesh Karthik

Andre Russell, aka 'Dre Russ', said that he like being hailed as a superhero by the fans. Russell has been magnificent in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League, amassing 486 runs playing at a strike rate of 207.69, what makes his form extraordinary is the number of sixes he hit, which is 50.&nbsp;

He became only the second player to hit 50 sixes in an IPL season, matching the achievement of compatriot Chris Gayle.&nbsp;

Gayle smashed 59 sixes in the 2012 season before hitting 51 the following year while playing for Bangalore and Russell listed the attributes that have left him with a chance of bettering those figures.&nbsp;

With his match-winning and entertaining knocks, Russell has become a cricket sensation among Indian fans and Twitter users have compared him with several Bollywood's reel icons, like 'Baahubali'.&nbsp;

Russell was even hailed as one of the Avengers superheroes.&nbsp;

After <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-andre-russell-shines-as-kolkata-beat-mumbai-by-34-runs-214242">Kolkata's win over Mumbai</a> on Sunday, "Yes, I am a fan of (Avengers), I am watching it for a while," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony. &nbsp;

"If the fans say that I am a (superhero) I am happy."&nbsp;

"Eye and hand coordination. Balance and then good bat speed as well. I generate a lot power from the shoulders and then the core. So everything goes together," man-of-the-match Russell said.&nbsp;

"As an all-rounder, you have to make sure your body is fit and strong. To play awkward shots in those moments when a bowler tries to outsmart you with a wide slower ball... to hit the ball over covers cleanly."&nbsp;

Russell made 80 off 40 balls, hitting eight sixes and six fours at the iconic Eden Gardens, and no matter what the MI bowlers tried, they failed.&nbsp;

The win snapped a six-match losing streak for the three-time former champions in the ongoing edition.&nbsp;

Andre Russell, aka 'Dre Russ', said that he like being hailed as a superhero by the fans. Russell has been magnificent in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League, amassing 486 runs playing at a strike rate of 207.

Andre Russell, aka 'Dre Russ', said that he like being hailed as a superhero by the fans. Russell has been magnificent in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League, amassing 486 runs playing at a strike rate of 207.69, what makes his form extraordinary is the number of sixes he hit, which is 50. He became only the second player to hit 50 sixes in an IPL season, matching the achievement of compatriot Chris Gayle. Gayle smashed 59 sixes in the 2012 season before hitting 51 the following year while playing for Bangalore and Russell listed the attributes that have left him with a chance of bettering those figures. With his match-winning and entertaining knocks, Russell has become a cricket sensation among Indian fans and Twitter users have compared him with several Bollywood's reel icons, like 'Baahubali'. Russell was even hailed as one of the Avengers superheroes. After Kolkata's win over Mumbai on Sunday, "Yes, I am a fan of (Avengers), I am watching it for a while," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "If the fans say that I am a (superhero) I am happy." "Eye and hand coordination. Balance and then good bat speed as well. I generate a lot power from the shoulders and then the core. So everything goes together," man-of-the-match Russell said. "As an all-rounder, you have to make sure your body is fit and strong. To play awkward shots in those moments when a bowler tries to outsmart you with a wide slower ball... to hit the ball over covers cleanly." Russell made 80 off 40 balls, hitting eight sixes and six fours at the iconic Eden Gardens, and no matter what the MI bowlers tried, they failed. The win snapped a six-match losing streak for the three-time former champions in the ongoing edition.

Like being hailed as superhero, says Andre Russell